Sharing God's word with inmates

Angelina Kelly

We started in December, 2006 with one prison in one state. We are now reaching inmates in 41 different prisons in 35 states with the Activated magazines. Every month, our volunteers mail the sponsored Activated magazines to several different types of correctional facilities, including men’s maximum security prisons, women’s prisons, correctional institutions for the youth, boot camp programs, and prison rehab programs.

The prison chaplains have placed the Activated magazines in the chapels, infirmaries, and libraries throughout the prisons for the inmates to pick up and read. From the many letters we have received from the chaplains across the states, we know that the magazines are having a positive effect and doing their part to slowly but surely turn many lives around.

We believe it is our responsibility to reach as many as we can for Christ, including those who are unseen by society. Although you find people from all walks of life in prison – rich, poor, educated, uneducated, once successful business owners, the homeless, abusers and the abused, the old, the young, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers; one thing they all have in common is their daily battles to survive while behind the walls. Inmates face a host of influences that encourage violence, anger, and destruction. Many think that adhering to these negative mindsets and behaviors is the only way to survive.

At Merryheart Ministries, we are determined to provide a way to break the negative cycle by inspiring change in the hearts of the inmates through God’s word. We are thrilled that Activated Ministries shares and facilitates our vision by sponsoring all the Activated magazines for this project. Please keep this ministry in your prayers as we work to reach out to even more prisons and endeavor to show them the power of love and the difference that God can make in their lives.

Feedback from the Prisons

“Ninety percent of what we do here is to plant seeds of positive change in the minds of these young men. Between the Bible studies, the classes, and your Activated magazines, we hope to see the metanoya take place as these boys transform into young men. We want to change the way they think, and your magazine helps us to do that.” –Chaplain Condit, North Carolina

“We have a regimented, boot-camp type program here. We put the Activated out and these inmates really like them and enjoy reading them.” - Chaplain Smelser, Mississippi

“The Activated magazines are immediately grabbed by the women as soon as the shipment comes in.” -- Chaplain Holcombe, Hawaii

“I send them out in bundles when I receive a request for Christian literature. Because we are a maximum security prison, the inmates don’t get to come around and look at things too often, so it takes a while for them to become familiar with periodicals by name. But I have had inmates request the Activated magazine by name.” -- Chaplain Stogner, Nevada

“The inmates always enjoy the Activated magazines. We put them out, and within one day they are gone.” – Chaplain Smallwood, Alabama

“The women enjoy them very much. They love to have them to read. We put them out and they are taken immediately.” – Sister Antonia, New York

“People ask for them when we take them around. They are great. We take them to the library where we have learning centers and they are always grabbed up.” – Chaplain Rosingus, New Mexico