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He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners! (Luke 4)

Chaplain Sarah Harrison reports on a baptism at Oakhill Secure Training Centre

 
Sarah HarrisonOakhillbaptismI started my role as Chaplain of Oakhill Secure Training Centre in December and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It’s tough but very rewarding especially when days like today happen.

A few weeks ago one of the ‘long term’ trainees (young offenders) came to me asking if he could commit his life to God. After a few discussions and some prayers this young person was following the LORD.

However, that wasn’t enough for him. After a few days he asked: ‘Sarah – are you sure I am fully converted now?’ ‘Yes,’ I say.

He then asked me what I did when I fully wanted to follow Jesus, so I said, ‘I was baptised.’ He followed up with the words ‘I would like to do that.'

He said his mum had told him that when he was a baby he was baptised, but he was not aware of it. Now he wanted to do something in order to remember a moment when he committed his life to fully following Jesus.
 
He says that he knows Jesus has forgiven him, that’s a strong reality. He says to me he has to live with what he has done, but knows that God is with him.
 
Today in front of just a few trusted trainees this young man was baptised. Not by full immersion in a pool, but full immersion with three jugs of water. You have to improvise in such circumstances.
 
God is certainly moving among some of the young people here. I cannot wait for the next one and the next one. Please pray that our young offenders encounter Jesus and completely have their lives turned around.


Sarah Harrison is the associate minister at Newport Pagnell Baptist Church and chaplain at the Oakhill Secure Training Centre, Milton Keynes

Baptist Times, 01/04/2014
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