Heart of America Prison Ministries' Christmas Card project

The Holy Spirit is moving to save souls in prisons across America, and around the world. One base for this movement is located in Kansas City, The Heart of America Prison Ministries. Their mission is to partner with God in the work of rescuing and transforming the lives of inmates.

This is the 7th year of Heart Ministries’ Christmas Card Project. The goal of the project is to extend a visual representation of God’s love through the Body of Christ presented in Christmas cards.

Jesus is our example

In Jesus’ earthly ministry He continually reached out to lost sinners, without judgment or condemnation, but in perfect love. Jesus came to:

destroy the works of the enemy
proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom
to manifest the Holy Spirit in power

The Holy Scriptures instruct us to follow His example, by releasing God’s love as we fulfill these same commissions in our daily lives (Mark 12:28-31). The body of Christ should be continually reaching out to lost sinners.

Fundraiser

Sarah Valle, a 13 year old young woman, found a creative way to contribute to Heart Ministries' Christmas Card project. Sarah designed and created a Christmas Card for the purpose of raising funds to purchase Bibles for inmates.. Her Christmas Cards are environmentally friendly, printed on recycled paper with soy ink. She is donating 100% of the proceeds from the sales of her original design card Heart Ministries to purchase quality leather bound Study Bibles at wholesale prices.

Equipping inmates for new life

As in the parable of the prodigal son, inmates are on a journey back to God, the Heavenly Father (Luke 15:11-32). This journey is traveled on the pages in the written Word of Life found in the Bible. It is important that inmates have a concordance, dictionary, etc, so that they may truly study and digest the root of the Word.

Annual Christmas Card Project

“We communicate Christ's love at Christmas time - through a personally written Christmas card, written to each of the nearly 6000 inmates on Heart of America Prison Ministries’ mailing list," says Elaine Hart, Special Projects Director of Heart of America Prison Ministries.

Heart Ministries reaches out to male and female inmates in State and Federal facilities, 873 total. The 6,000 inmates in their current data base will be receiving Christmas Cards, however that number is steadily increasing due to the great success of the program.

Heart Ministries is seeking volunteers to assist in their ever expanding Christmas Card project. If you desire to participate in the release of God’s love, consider ministering to inmates as a volunteer in their 2009 Christmas Card Project.

Returning to God

There are many souls in prisons who are lonely and wounded. You can touch their lives through a simple and joyful gesture of sending out Christmas Cards with a personal message of hope in Christ.

Prison facilities do contain Christians. Many inmates confess their crimes, feel remorse and regret. There are men and women in prison who have given their lives to Christ and become new creatures through the power of the Holy Spirit, but they must still endure the consequences of their crimes. One Christmas card can remind an inmate that he/she is not alone, and loved unconditionally by the Body of Messiah.

Other inmates are lost and wounded souls forging their way through a rebellious life. They do not understand God’s love, His power to heal and transform. Many of these inmates feel as if their life is a mistake and meaningless. They have no hope or joy. One Christmas card can sooth a cold heart as a healing balm.

Responses from inmates who received Christmas cards from Heart Ministries

“After receiving a Christmas card from you, that night when all was quiet, I put my head under my blankets and cried. I was feeling so unloved. Thank you all so much for caring for the undesirables. It’s been 30 years since I wept. What a release it brought.”
“Today I received a holiday card with words of love an encouragement. What a loving and thoughtful gift. It is hanging in my cell. Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad;” Proverbs 15:23 “And a words spoken in due season, how good it is…”
“I thank you for your prayers and for thinking of me in these holidays when families come together. It is a great feeling to know one is not alone, and an even greater feeling to know someone is thinking of you.”
“The Christmas card you sent me made my eyes water. It meant a lot to me. It takes a special kind of person to do what you have done – make someone feel special. Thank you for doing just that to me.”
“I’m writing to thank you for the Christmas card and a letter. I was so blessed by this that I began to cry and thank God for this. This is the first Christmas card I have received from anyone since I’ve been locked up almost 19 years. I love you all in Christ and am praying for you all and ask that you all please continue to pray for me Agape from your brother in Christ.”

“May our heavenly Father bless you and all your loved ones this holiday season. I just wanted to take this time to thank you with all my heart for sending me a Christmas card. It feels so good to know that there are other brothers and sisters in Christ who think about us in prison. Many of us behind walls, although we know we have been forgiven of our sins, we still live with the consequences of that sin, such as friends and family turning their backs on us, and even society for the most part does the same, so when you come into my cell through a card, letter or newsletter and share your Christian love with me, it means a lot. You have shown your love by going out of your way to let me know you really do care. You do a wonderful work by just showing the love of Christ through your actions. Sincerely in Christ.”

Volunteer

Volunteers will commit to writing a personal note on thirty Christmas cards, which they will mail to inmates in the USA.

“The gift of a hand-written note indicates an effort made by the writer to pause, reflect and speak sincerely. It communicates something in which many inmates have ceased to (or never did) believe: that they are valued. Personally written messages are a gracious and kind action showing Christ’s love, especially because the card is unexpected. Instead of a mass produced, digitally signed message, hand-written notes seem to uniquely touch hearts, saying ‘this has been personally written to you’,” says Hart.

Each volunteer will receive a packet from Heart Ministries containing:

One page of instructions (type of cards that are/are not accepted in prisons, suggestions on what/what not to write, date to mail cards, where to put labels, etc.
30 letters from the ministry to insert in a Christmas card
30 inmate mailing labels (includes first and last name of inmate, inmate #, facility, and address)
60 return labels with the prison ministry address (one goes on the back of the card and one on the envelope)

Volunteer needs to provide thirty Christian Christmas Cards and thirty first class stamps. Packets usually run out by mid November, so please sign up immediately.