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Merry Christmas everyone!
As you can imagine, the air of depression in the prison this time of year is palatable. It’s hard enough to be separated from family during the holidays, but being in prison makes it all the more difficult. Inmates feel forgotten and abandoned by everyone and everything they knew as “normal” this season. It’s into this environment we find ourselves ministering right before we go home to our families. Challenging indeed.
Last night I shared the message of the real Christmas story – the birth of Christ – straight from scripture using Matthew 1 and Luke 2. I would say the thrust of the message was how the Lord of Lords and King of Kings was born into such a humble setting (laid in a feeding trough among animals) and God chose to reveal the best news ever to shepherds in the fields at night (the lowest of the low). Why would he do it that way?
Perhaps God wanted all of us to realize that He makes Himself accessible to all people. To have direct access to a king or the president, you’d have to be someone of importance, with status or worldly wealth. But God’s economy is upside-down from what mankind developed, and He invites people of all statures into relationship. Prophesies indicated this when they called him Immanuel – which means God with us. We serve a God who is almighty, King of all creation, and far beyond all we can imagine, yet He cares for each one of us and wants to relate with us on a personal level.
That’s what we wanted the inmates to take away from the services last night. God cares about them, and wants to be part of their life, inviting them to a fuller life walking with Him, and eternal life in paradise. Thank you all for spending time this Christmas season thinking and praying for prisoners, their families, and all of us involved with prison ministry. I pray you each have a blessed and wonderful Christmas.
Grace and Peace,
Rick
Prayer Requests from last Thursday (12:00 Chapel Service, plus Inmate 1-1 sessions):
- Kenneth– I have sentencing hearing on Thursday, praying for miracle.
- Ken– for the people of Palestine and Syria.
- Charlie– all our loved ones.
- Kenny– my Mom and Dad both had the flu, feeling better but pray for full healing. Thankful that my friend Frances was finally verified on my visit list so she can come see me. Pray that Frances and Jimmy doing well. Mom’s new job going good, Dad is encouraging me to keep reading my Bible. Pray my time goes smooth and fast – so far things have been going well with my maintenance job.
Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm Monday service):
- John– God please return us to our families.
- Scotty– my wife and kids.
- John #2– for everyone to have a blessed holiday, all our families, and all those travelling since they are calling for icy conditions.
- Jim– for all the guys in here, it’s really tough time right now.
- Nicholas– we are expecting our first granddaughter on Feb 3, chance for a re-do
- Jose– salvation for every soul in Chester County Prison – inmates and staff.
- Rick C– church friend Milt cancer diagnosis, healing and peace for him and family.
- John– thank God for sending his only begotten Son to us.
- Deron– difficult to put into words, but need to persist in faith, pray for endurance to keep going. For strength and hope.
- Andy L– difficult time for son-in-law’s family – his mother with mobility issues just fell and now having issues with her “good leg”.
- Dan T– for my “ongoing project” to witness to my brother-in-law, that he would accept Christ.
Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm Monday service)
- Caleb– strength for all of us, especially this time of year.
- Will– for everyone to shield themselves with the armor of God.
- Keith– for everyone to have wisdom.
- Matt R– for everyone separated from loved ones, to find peace and comfort during holiday season.
- Donny– for my girlfriend (Kelly) and Mother (Shirl)- both went to hospital yesterday with breathing problems. Also for my daughter and granddaughter.
- Andy D– for all the people that go to church for Christmas will actually hear the Gospel and it will change their lives.
- Jeremiah– healing for my sister Aneeka (stage 4 cancer) who had surgery.
- Duane– for everyone out there still using (drugs), not knowing where they’re staying tonight- pray they find warm, safe, dry place to stay and that they would come to God and learn they don’t need to live this way anymore.
Prayer Requests from Onesimus Ministries
- For our prison Chaplains – Jack, Rhonda, and Heinrich – renewed spirit as they deal with so much depression through the holiday season.
- For the leadership and staff of Chester County Prison – may they experience fullness of life that they can bring kindness and compassion to their jobs.
- For resolution to staffing issues which complicate volunteer opportunities at the prison.
- For all the female and male inmates and their families – all doing time, especially hard at Christmas.
- For volunteers at the prison- may they have boldness to meet each opportunity to share the Gospel.
- For all the aftercare ministries – may they have all they need to continue ministering to released inmates trying to rebuild their lives and grow in faith.
If you’d like to find out more about mentoring and discipling a man or woman coming out of prison, drop us a note at outreach@onesimusministries.org.
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