Going Beyond Christmas:
How a Dallas Church Ministers to Angel Tree Families Year-Round
Frances approached the large tree in the church lobby with a heavy heart. The end of 2012 was approaching, and, along with many other members of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, Frances was preparing to select a paper angel ornament—representing a local child with a mom or dad in prison—from one of the branches. Participating in Prison Fellowship Angel Tree® Christmas by buying gifts for these children was a joyful annual tradition for this Dallas congregation. For Frances, however, the 2012 holiday season was a somber one. Her mother had died a few years prior, and she was still emerging from a season of mourning.
When she finally plucked a paper angel from the tree and began to read the description on the label, Frances was overwhelmed with emotion. The tag described two young twin girls whose mother had recently been incarcerated.
“That touched me so much,” Frances says. “I had a very close and personal relationship with my mother, and I could not imagine living and growing up without her.”
Men and women in prison are looking for hope. And nothing provides hope like the living Word of God. The demand for Bibles and Christian content is at an all-time high. Will you help us meet the need? Please give generously today.
