Wanted: short-term justice mission workers in 2016

Do you have a heart for justice? Do you have a desire to share the good news of Jesus within the legal world?

Want to be part of sharing the good news of Jesus within the legal world? Maybe this is God’s call for you to take action.

If you answered yes to either of those questions, keep reading.

Find out about some of the incredible justice work that’s being done in the name of Jesus and see if an opportunity to do a short-term justice mission with BMS World Mission and the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship (LCF) could be for you.

What is short-term justice mission? It’s a way for people from the legal world to use their skills for God’s kingdom. BMS-LCF Justice Teams aim to bring the good news of Jesus Christ within the world of law.

Justice Teams work closely with local partners in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and other countries in East Africa on a variety of on-going legal projects, like leading training on children’s rights, facilitating conferences that provide legal education and giving legal guidance to people in prison.

The good news: you don’t have to be a lawyer to be part of a team! LCF offers the opportunity to anyone who is at least 18 years old and has either a legal background or a strong interest in access to justice.

Applications are open for both the summer and autumn Justice Teams in 2016.

The summer Justice Team lasts three to four weeks, doing work in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya and the autumn Justice Team is a two week experience doing work in East Africa.

The heart of LCF’s vision is to speak the good news within the legal profession, live as godly lawyers, apply justice on the ground, and promote good laws.

“We want to encourage our team members to engage with God, particularly with God’s heart for justice,” says Mhairi Hamilton, LCF International Projects Coordinator.

“We see it as a great opportunity to do work outside of their normal comfort zones with a like-minded team of individuals.”
 
Sometimes stepping out of our comfort zones means changing a stranger’s life for the better. In Kenya, Mhairi had the chance to see how LCF justice work made a positive impact on one prisoner’s life.

Prison life can seem hopeless to Kenyans. Many prisoners are arrested, unaware of the charges and locked away for up to one year before their case is tried in court.

Prisoners feel helpless, as many don’t know what is going on or how to even begin to fight for themselves.

LCF has stepped in to help by providing workshops where they teach prisoners about their rights, what documents they need and how to address a judge in court. Justice Teams give prisoners the gift of hope and a chance to advocate for themselves.

“On my last visit, one man shared how he used what LCF taught him to argue that his bail was too high,” says Mhairi, “The judge listened and cut his bail in half.”   

While the teams are short-term, it’s easy to see that their impact can be long-lasting. It’s through these kinds of experiences that people can strengthen their relationship with God and gain a better understanding of how justice plays out in different parts of the world.

“Our prayer would be that the experience plants something deep in them that holds them firm to Christ,” says Mhairi, “And ultimately has an outward impact on wherever they are called to be.”

Want to be part of sharing the good news of Jesus within the legal world? Maybe this is God’s call for you to take action.
 

Do you feel called to be part of a summer or autumn Justice Team in 2016? If so, why not find out more about Justice Teams.

 
This article first appeared on the website of BMS World Mission and is used with permission.