As Americans gather to celebrate Christmas with friends and family, it can be easy to forget the nation’s prisoners, who are not free to go home for the holidays. Good News Global will visit men and women serving time in prison in 16 states and 18 countries and deliver 65,000 hope packs that include a Christmas gift, card, 2024 calendar, food, hygiene items and the gospel message.
“Hope packs represent our greatest direct gospel outreach to incarcerated persons ever,” Jon Evans, the ministry’s president says. “This Christmas, we will put the Gospel message in the hands of 65,000 receptive inmates.”
The mission statement for Good News Global is “to place Christian chaplains in jails and prisons to minister to the spiritual needs of inmates and staff. We believe the most effective tool for ministering to the needs of inmates and staff is the daily presence of a chaplain. The chaplain serves as pastor, counselor, mentor and friend to those who are incarcerated and the staff who guard and protect them.”
READ: Prisoners find hope through Angel Tree
The ministry is a network of 400 chaplains in 22 states and 25 countries. Volunteers work with more than 400,000 incarcerated men, women and young people, including people of all faith backgrounds.
“Your life is essentially over in jail,” Chaplain Joe Kelty told CBN News. “If ever there were a time that you would turn to God, it’s probably when you’re going through something like that. One of the most moving parts of the job is when an inmate finds out that a loved one has died on the outside/ And here they are in jail, and they can’t be with their family. Those are some of the most difficult conversations but also the most meaningful ones.”
Good News Global began distributing 500 hope packs in 2021 after a formerly incarcerated chaplain recalled receiving one while in prison. “We believe that everyone has inherent worth in the eyes of God,” Evans said, “and providing hope [acks is a practical and tangible way to demonstrate that.”
–Dwight Widaman | MV
