UNCUT course changes young offenders' lives
In the last few months, the new UNCUT resource has been impacting the lives of marginalised young people up and down the country as it’s been run in young offenders’ institutes and inner cities. UNCUT has been designed to introduce urban young people aged 15 to 21 to the Christian faith in a way that is real, relevant and non-threatening. UNCUT is a great way to ‘bridge the gap’ between hanging out with young people and introducing them to the Christian message. There are 7 short videos, one for each session, accompanied by a resource booklet with ice breakers, games, discussion starters, and group activities for low, medium or high focus attention level youth groups.
In the short time it has been available, God has done some amazing things in the lives of young people through UNCUT. In the North East, Reflex have seen young offenders transformed as they have attended UNCUT groups. Amii Clark, from Reflex, tells how a group of female inmates “really opened up and expressed their desire to know God and experience Him”. Other stories include a lad who, after initially disrupting an UNCUT group, went on to become the most sincere and dedicated before progressing on to the Alpha course. Simon Sullivan, a local Reflex manager says, “We watched him become more and more considerate of others so that when fights broke out, he restrained himself, choosing not to get involved – even when pressured to do so.”
For many young people in custody, the message of God’s love, grace and forgiveness is a difficult idea for them to grasp, according to Andy Wilkinson a Reflex NE Staff Worker: “A lot of inmates can’t get their heads around it. Prior to starting the course they feel they can’t be forgiven for what they’ve done and are surprised to hear about a God who offers free unconditional forgiveness in Jesus.” Rebecca Bryant, another NE worker recently ran an UNCUT session where she drew a diagram with God on one side of a ravine and us on the other, showing the cross bridging the gap, “A number asked questions and one in particular said he’d always believed in God but had never realised Jesus had bridged the gap so that he could be forgiven! We were able to share with him how to ask God for forgiveness and put his trust in Jesus. It is truly amazing to see young people encounter the love of God through Jesus for the very first time – and realise that forgiveness is a free gift when they come to Christ.”
Reflex have seen a number of youth positively changed and open up to the Gospel and the teams have often witnessed offenders make decisions for Christ on UNCUT. One offender called Lewis*, had been a championship boxer, gym owner and a promoter who then became infamous in Manchester as a dodgy businessman, gang member and loan shark. After going to prison, Lewis did the Urban Skillz rap music course that is run by Reflex, he was then invited to join the UNCUT group. In only the second of the six weeks, looking at how our past has an effect on us, Lewis opened up and shared how he’d been badly influenced by his brothers, used by people and drawn into criminal businesses. At the end of the session the group were given an opportunity to respond and consider another way of living through Jesus Christ. At this point Lewis made the decision to accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour and gave his life to Him. Now the former gang member loves God, has a heart for evangelism, studies his Bible, and teaches others. Lewis is now a real advocate for Reflex. As he draws to the end of his sentence Reflex are linking him with a local church and they have also introduced him to a Christian business advisor who will help him use his entrepreneurial skills in ways that will benefit the church and his community.
Through the UNCUT resource non-church young people can have their lives turned around by God, as walls are broken down, old wounds are healed and eyes are opened. God is truly doing some great things through this new resource and this is just the beginning. If you would like to sponsor an UNCUT course to be run in a young offenders’ institute or prison in your area, please email darren.richards@yfc.co.uk or ring 0121 502 9620. By doing this you will give more young offenders the chance to hear and understand the Good News of Jesus and be given the chance to respond.
*names changed
To find out more about UNCUT please visit: www.yfc.co.uk/uncut
