CHRISTMAS UPDATE GraceInside: Virginia s Prison Chaplain Service December 2017 Christmas for the Kids by Lynn Did you know over two million children in the United States have an incarcerated parent? I am reminded of the scripture Matthew 19:14, Suffer little children... Surely these children suffer, especially with the loss of a custodial parent. To make it worse, because they have an incarcerated parent, these little ones are six times more likely to become incarcerated themselves. And yet, suffer, in this context really meant allow. That applies, too. We need to make a way for these little ones to know Jesus. GraceInside is a path to do just that. GraceInside works with those parents to build a foundation for parenting and making decisions based on Jesus centered teachings. You can help interrupt this tragic generational cycle by supporting GraceInside this Christmas. When you reach these parents, they will teach their children. Children who need a chance to know Jesus. Jesus will change their lives because of YOUR help! Here is one example. One of GraceInside s chaplains received a postcard from a young woman thanking him. He had always served men s facilities so he curiously read on. She shared that this chaplain served her father many years ago. Because of the chaplain s influence, she had a Christian father growing up. Because of her Christian father, she was reared in the church with Christian values. She grew up to attend a Christian university and now works in full-time Christian ministry in Virginia, herself. You did that! Know that those we serve represent thousands of children who, this Christmas, need the gift of a Christian parent more than anything else. You can feel good this Christmas knowing YOU are making a generational impact for Jesus! Please, won t you help these children today? Support GraceInside and keep a Christian presence inside. Let s do it together this Christmas for the kids. Give a child a Christian parent this Christmas. Transform the world by impacting generations! YOU are GraceInside! But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14 (KJV) In This Issue For the Kids Sake Familly News Your Impact in Numbers Sacred Space The Year Tevin Stole Christmas
For the Kid s Sake by Randy Myers, President of GraceInside Greetings! As we approach the holiday season, that old song "Thank God for Kids" by the country-gospel group The Oak Ridge Boys keeps running through my mind. Our children and grandchildren, nieces, nephews and so on bring us so much joy - especially during the holidays. They seem to have such a sense of wonder and of the miraculous - an outlook that so many of us "older folks" have lost. How appropriate! Doesn't Christmas center around a baby - the Christ Child? We love our Christmas cards and manger scenes and pageants through which we get to experience the age old story of God's greatest gift of love - His one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. One thing that we often FORGET at Christmas time is that so many children, both the children of the victims of crime and the children of incarcerated parents, are without their moms and/or dads. These children don't get to snuggle with their parents to read the Christmas story. Incarcerated parents experience an aching in their hearts not baking cookies with their children, not helping little ones decorate the tree, not going Christmas caroling with them and not standing in line to see Santa. Being separated from their children leaves a hole in their hearts - a hole that only God can fill. A hole that, when filled, can change not only their lives but also the lives of their kids! Isn't it amazing and humbling that God uses you and me to fill that hole with the love of Jesus? You ease that sense of loneliness felt by incarcerated men and women in Virginia's state prisons, especially at Christmas. Our Christmas services, Christmas cards and care/personal hygiene packages and a myriad of other activities demonstrate that God loves them. They are NOT forgotten. Jesus offers hope for their lives and for their children. It is only because of YOUR generosity - as part of our "GraceInside family" that GraceInside reaches out to incarcerated men and women with the love of Jesus. I want to thank you for your generous and ongoing support! This Christmas, say a prayer for the children, as well as for their parents that they might feel the love of God and become new creations in Jesus Christ. Donations can be made online www.graceinside.org or by check: to GraceInside: 2828 Emerywood Parkway Richmond VA 23294 You can even choose to designate your gift to a particular prison chaplaincy by noting the name of the institution (not the chaplain) on the memo line. Please make a commitment today to help break the generational cycle and give these kids and parents what they need most! Thank you so much for caring, Randy GraceInside Family News: 2017 Our GraceInside family celebrated many transitions this year for our staff and chaplains. We bid Godspeed in retirement to: William Bill Twine from St. Brides and as Chaplain Supervisor Paul Griffin from Marion end of 2017 Jason Crandall from Keen Mountain Donald Stine (again!) from Buckingham We bid welcome to: Randy McDaniel to River North Richie Johnson to Bland Edmond Mensah to St. Brides Nick Meyer to Coffeewood Patricia Campbell to Buckingham We celebrate transfers: Lorrie Wajciechowski to Fluvanna Vera Rhyne to MCV (after retiring from Fluvanna and interim at Deep Meadow) Paul Ritter to Keen Mountain Robby Burke to Augusta Bernie Morris adds Interim Supervising Chaplain to his duties We grieve and celebrate the homegoing of our beloved RB Anderson while serving as Interim at Bland after retiring from River North. Annual Report For the first time since its inception in 1920, GraceInside released an Annual Report in 2016. This 16 page document highlights what YOU did behind the bars to impact the incarcerated for Jesus Christ. A pdf is available on our website. We anticipate a new report early in 2017 so hang on to your hats, folks, we re upping our game!
Children impacted by GraceInside (through their parents): soldier, swimmers, non-profit leader, college stu- YOUR IMPACT In just six months: 89316 inmates attended a weekly religious service 26205 attended a religious study 22605 attended a special religious class/event 4362 pastoral counseling sessions 5151 GraceInside volunteers 235 inmate clerks serving God 760 conversions You made this happen because of your commitment to GraceInside, together with our 32 chaplains (8 full-time at their prison) in 35 facilities,. How much more could we do with full time chaplains in all major institutions? Sacred Space: We invite your prayers Uplift our 12 full-time and 21 part-time chaplains as they serve mission fields with unique challenges The incarcerated as they face the lonely holidays away from their families The Department of Corrections as they work towards a heal- ing environment GraceInside s staff as we work to spread the good news of what you are doing in Virginia s prisons AND expand our desperately needed service Additional $250,000 in Funding for our remaining chap- lains to fully staff our prisons
The Year Tevin Stole Christmas by Tevin Terry Tis the season to be Jolly! Fa la la la la! La la la la! Praise be unto God who crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies! My mother is a phenomenal woman of God and a recovering drug addict from multiple drug addictions. She raised five kids during her addiction feeding, clothing, nurturing and loving us without the presence of our fathers [mine is serving life in prison]. And although some of our family members, such as her own father, reported us to Child Protective Services, and tried to split all five of us up, by the grace of God, we were blessed with unity from childhood to our adult lives without any separation from my mother s care. My mother always made efforts to do the best she could under such circumstances but Christmases weren t truly Merry for us as kids. We didn t have that big pretty tree with those beautiful, colorful lights that danced so gracefully around the white Christmas tree that touches the ceiling and leaves little to no room for the angle or star to be placed on top. There were no stockings that laced the stairwell. And, presents hidden in gorgeous, rich wrapping paper? Wait a minute. What are those? Presents. So when Christmas day arrived, my mother would have dinner made: baked honey ham, greens drenched with fat back and vinegar, 3 layered macaroni and cheese, glazed yams, hot butter rolls and turkey. On Christmases we couldn t afford a turkey a Cornish hen would have to do the trick. My mother could see the hurt in our eyes due to us not having, so she d get connected with the Salvation Army and Angel Tree program. On the day of Christmas, the following years, the Salvation Army truck would pull up to deliver our toys - but instead of being grateful, we were quite embarrassed. The big Salvation Army truck with the super loud engine came with Christmas to our home. Other kids playing in the snow with their store-bought toys looked at us with tease and laughter in their eyes. Not knowing at the time it was Satan s way of stealing the joy of Christmas from us, we begin to hit the high price stores allowing Satan to corrupt our young minds with thievery. Macy s, Hecht s, Dillard s, Walmart and Toys R Us became our personal Christmas Tree. We d come home with at least five bags each of clothes, shoes and toys. I was the third child but I played Big Brother role and decided that since I was more spiritual of the five, then I d steal everything by myself from now on. Brainwashed by Satan that God would look the other way because presents were the joy of Christmas - and believing my siblings would have a guaranteed home in Heaven if they stopped. My Momma could see the joy on our face on Christmas Day as we opened our new toys and gifts. We could see the pain in her eyes and guilt from her feeling responsible for our attacks from Satan. She didn t want to say anything that would steal our joy, but she didn t want to be in complete
awe of it either because it wasn t a part of God s plan. But when her eyes took hold of the real live Christmas tree itself, she must have wondered, How in the world did this lil boy steal a whole live tree? And that s when she said something. When she came down off her high, she explained to all of us the true meaning of Christmas: Christmas isn t about material things, she said. It all began with a woman named Mary who bore a child called Jesus Christ. Many people and many troubling times tried to take baby Christ away from her but she d fight hard to keep him. Mary prayed and prayed to God for a special covering on her little boy wherever he may go that no harm or suffering he couldn t bear come near him. Mary trusted in God that he d be able to provide physically and mentally all things needed in order to survive all seasons. Christmas isn t about embarrassment, hurt, pride, ego or gifts It s about love and unity no matter where you are or your current circumstances. The anointing Power of God can fill you up so much that, if you just allow the spirit to move in your life, every day would feel like Christmas. God is a multi-provider able to give, restore and renew all things. His love isn t connected to presents but presence. Power is in His name. Healing is in His name. Deliverance is in His name. He is the name of all names, King of all kings. Lord of all lords. And the most gracious and merciful God we d ever know. You see, Christmas is a time to celebrate the nativity of Christ! Although we should be in celebration all the days of our life, because it is a reminder that Christ s nativity is still alive through us. The true meaning is still very much important today as it was 2000 years ago. Christmas is a reminder that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Christmas is a reminder that He is able and willing to forgive us of all our sins and iniquities that destined us to the pit of Hell. Christmas is a reminder that Christ has redeemed your life from destruction. Christmas is a gifted reminder that God has crowned you with lovingkindness and tender mercies no matter how many times you slip up, give up or disrupt. Christmas is a reminder that Christ has satisfied your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Christmas is a reminder that He gives you grace and mercy in times of need! We serve a God who is faithful. He s a full-time God who happens to be full of compassion all the time. A God who loves us to every reason and every season. What a Mighty God we Serve! Merry Christmas! About the Author: Tevin Terry is a disciple of Jesus Christ and a member of our GraceInside family on the inside using music to reach other fellow youthful offenders at his facility. Tevin is also a proud husband and father, celebrating what Jesus has done in his life. Mr. Terry aspires to do prison ministry upon release. He has seen, quite personally, the dramatic and transformative power of Jesus Christ on a life in need. We thank Tevin for his courage and willingness to share this story. Please join us in praying for Tevin and the generations he represents. You are part of his transformation. He wishes to share his gratitude for all you do for those on the inside.
Meet (most of) the chaplains and staff of your GraceInside family! GraceInside: Transforming Imprisoned Hearts for Generations Contact Us: 2828 Emerywood Parkway, Richmond, VA 23294 804 358-7650 mail@graceinside.org On the web at www.graceinside.org Facebook: GraceInside Donate by check payable to GraceInside or online @ www.graceinside.org GraceInside 2828 Emerywood Parkway Richmond VA 23294 PLACE STAMP HERE