InPrison Community Bible Study

InPrison CBS is a team ministry.  The leader of the team is the Teaching Director (TD).  The Teaching Director is the primary teacher, the official liaison with the institution’s administration, the link to CBS, and the shepherd of his/her team.  It is best if the Teaching Director teaches the majority of classes.

• Every class should have an Associate Teaching Director (ATD) to support and substitute for the Teaching Director.  The ATD should be prepared to teach the class when the TD needs rest or is unable to attend the class. This role can also act as the Prayer Leader (PL), Worship Leader (WL), and/or Class Administrator (CA).
• The Prayer Leader holds up the class and all the members in prayer. He/she should receive prayer concerns from class members and share them with the team.
• The Worship Leader plans and leads the opening worship.
• The Class Administrator prepares and distributes copies of the lessons and keeps any records desired or required by the institution.
• The Core Facilitator is a key position.  They facilitate, (not teach) the informal discussion of the lesson.  Ideally the Core Facilitators are inmates.  If the institution will allow inmate leadership the TD and ATD should train inmates to fill this role.  If the institution will not allow inmates to fill this role then “outside” volunteers must fill this role.  All other leaders can also be Core Facilitators.  In small classes (less than 12) it is often more expedient for the TD or ATD to be the Core Facilitator.
• Not all of the leadership roles must be filled for a successful class.  Small classes or a lack of volunteers may lead to a class with just two or three “outside” leaders.  In such cases roles are combined.