Dawn Bingham is a woman on a mission.
For 10 years, she has been ministering as a volunteer at the High Point Detention Center, in High Point, N.C., meeting with prisoners one-on-one and leading group Bible studies. She’s also a member of The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary and serves as liaison for the local Salvation Army shelter.
Her mission: to win people for Jesus Christ. My Hope America is right up her alley.
“Ever since I heard we were doing [My Hope] here, I’ve been praying for salvation and awakening and revival of historic proportions in our nation,” Dawn said. “And for our jail, that we would have a great harvest and that God would be glorified and would prepare the hearts of the men and women who are here, so that the jail would become His church.”
On Tuesday, Bingham and others showed one of the My Hope programs, Defining Moments, at High Point’s Salvation Army shelter. Four residents invited Christ into their hearts, and 12 rededicated their lives to Him.
And for three days this week, Dawn and other volunteers, working with chaplain Joyce Setchfield, are showing the My Hope programs to as many prisoners as they can at the High Point Detention Center. By the time they finish Thursday night, they will have shown the programs to 15 separate groups of prisoners.
Some of those attending are believers who have been inviting cellmates and others to come and hear the message of Christ.
“One of the main things [I’m praying for is] that we all find out the truth and turn our lives over to God,” said Donald, who has been incarcerated since January. “For people who don’t really know God and Jesus and that He died on the cross for us, to understand and learn and hopefully turn their lives over to Christ.”
Donald said he grew up attending church but “wandered off.” Since February, he has been attending Bible study consistently.
“Once I started coming to Bible study, I started understanding more,” he said. “I’m not perfect. I still have a whole lot more work to do, but I’m definitely striving to become a better man, a better Christian, a better role model for my children.”
Wednesday evening, four different groups, meeting on various floors of the Detention Center, watched My Hope programs. The men who attended on the 4th floor were open about their struggles and failures:
“I’ve got a real bad temper.”
“I struggle with pride.”
“I have anger issues.”
“I lost my family because of what I did in the streets. I had my own job and my own apartment, and I did something stupid, and now I find myself in here.”
The program they saw was The Cross, in which Billy Graham explains the significance of Jesus’ death on the cross for humanity. Along with Mr. Graham’s teaching, the program traces the testimonies of hip-hop artist Lecrae Moore and singer Lacey Sturm. Lecrae’s story of drug abuse, violence and gang activity resonated with the men.
After the program, several men on the 4th floor prayed to rededicate their lives to Christ. On one of the other floors, a volunteer reported that two men made first-time commitments to Christ. Over the first two nights, 25 first-time decisions and 29 rededications were indicated and Dawn Bingham is bursting with joy.
“I’m just so excited about what God is doing, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it,” she said. “I pray that they will grab hold of Jesus and just hold onto Him and remember that He will never leave them or forsake them. And I pray that they would become the men and women of God that He has in mind for them.”
For local and national television listings for The Cross or to watch it online, click here: http://watchbillygraham.com/
