A prison ministry composed of chaplains plans to hand-deliver 65,000 gifts, including sharing the Gospel message to inmates this holiday season.
Good News Global, formerly Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, will visit men and women serving time in prison in 16 states and 18 countries and deliver 65,000 Hope Packs, including 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. This Christmas, we will put the Gospel message in the hands of 65,000 receptive inmates," Jon Evans, president of Good News Global, told CBN News.
According to the ministry’s website, 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.”
Per CBN News, Good News Global is a nonprofit network of 400 chaplains in 22 states and 25 countries. Volunteers with the ministry preach the Good News to 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 last year. "If ever there was 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," Kelty continued. "And here they are in jail, and they can't be with their family. That's some of the most difficult conversations but also the most meaningful ones."
Chaplains based in the U.S. serve as the religious program coordinator for each prison facility. They also handle pastoral care, facilitate and accommodate religious requests, coordinate clergy visits, and manage various personal ministry activities.
Meanwhile, chaplains abroad minister to ex-inmates and families of inmates, providing emergency aid such as soap, detergent, toilet paper, lotion, food, and more.
In 2021, Good News Global began distributing 500 Hope Packs after an ex-incarcerated chaplain recalled receiving a Hope Pack while incarcerated in Illinois. Nowadays, inmates worldwide will be receiving such gifts this holiday season.
"We believe that everyone has inherent worth in the eyes of God, and providing Hope Packs is a practical and tangible way to demonstrate that," Evans said.
Photo Courtesy: ©GettyImages/JuliaSudnitskaya
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
