All Aboard for Prison
Thursday, September 3, 2026
“Many of God’s sons and daughters live as if they are tourists instead of soldiers.” – Os Hillman
Let me give you a personal example of the truth behind Os Hillman’s statement…
When I first moved to Florida in 2011 to launch Risk Takers for Christ, I assumed it would be relatively easy to recruit Christian athletes to go into prison with me. After all, that is what I had been doing in New Jersey – a liberal state – for 24 years with great success. Since Florida is in the Deep South and considered part of the “Bible Belt”, I figured that Christian ballplayers would jump at the chance to compete against inmate teams and share their faith.
Sadly, I was dead wrong. In fact, it was harder than I could have possibly imagined. Guys were just as talented athletically as they were up north, but they didn’t seem as motivated from a ministry perspective.
“Why should I give up a Saturday at home to visit prisoners when I could play some pick-up ball in the morning, go fishing in the afternoon, and watch college football in the evening?” seemed to be their mindset. I soon became convinced that I could fill a large bus with Christian men to drive to Gainesville or Tallahassee to see the University of Florida Gators take on the Florida State Seminoles, but it was nearly impossible to fill a small van with believers for the purpose of reaching the lost.
Tourists and spectators, but certainly not soldiers or missionaries.
Thankfully, over the past 15 years, God has raised up a small band of young men from our Living H2O Initiative who understand what it is like to grow up without a dad or on the wrong side of the tracks. These young men are now in the 20’s and 30’s and they are anxious to use their love for Christ and their love for basketball to reach lost and lonely prisoners with the gospel.
And so, once every three months, we pack up our van and drive across the state to do exactly that… while countless other Christian men sleep late and spend yet another Saturday doing things that have very little eternal significance.
“I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.” Matthew 25:36 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
