Dear John,

This is, without a doubt, my very favorite week of the year! We get to celebrate the death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And as part of that celebration, we get to bring the Good News of the Gospel to thousands of people who live and work in prison. What a gift that is!

We are so thrilled to share that the Lord is opening doors all over the country. Over the next week we will be hosting 53 special Easter Hope Events in 20 states, some of which are hosting a Hope Event for the very first time. I’m pleased to share some highlights of a few of the events we’re excited about this week.

The Lord has gone before us and opened the door for us to celebrate on Thursday our first Hope Event in New England! Worship singer and songwriter Richard Andrew will share his awe-inspiring story of second chances at the Maine State Prison. Residents there will have two opportunities to join us in hearing how Jesus changed Richard’s life—and how He can change theirs as well.

Another state that is opening their doors to our Easter events for the first time is Missouri. On Saturday, women at Chillicothe Correctional Center will gather to hear Dove Award-nominated singer/songwriter Jaye Thomas and his worship band share an unforgettable Easter experience. Jaye will be joined by acclaimed speaker and fellow Missourian Christine McDonald, who is returning to the prison in which she was formerly incarcerated to share her story of hope and transformation through Jesus.

Saturday we’ll also be celebrating with the women at Whitworth Women’s Facility in Hartwell, Georgia, where JustCordell and Tori Parris will reunite to bring their raw testimonies and talent to the residents and staff. JustCordell brings people to their feet with his high energy rap and hip-hop lyrics. He’ll be followed by the anointed vocals of singer-songwriter Tori Parris, who will usher in a time of reflection and worship as she ministers through music. We’re also excited to hear a special Easter message from Rick Cox, pastor of Elberton Christian Church.

We’ve got something special planned for the great state of Oklahoma: Four days’ worth of events happening across the state, with not-to-be-missed worship and testimonies. Champion bareback rider and professional horse trainer Todd Pierce with Riding High Ministries will demonstrate live with an unbroken horse how God pursues, heals, and becomes one with us as a Father. The novelty of saddle-training a horse in real time draws many men and women out onto the yard and has proven to be one of the most impactful Hope Events in prisons nationwide. Todd’s presentation will be accompanied by music from Nashville-based worship leader Temitope, who is originally from Nigeria.

Finally, we’re having two special Hope Events on Thursday at the Turney Center Industrial Complex in Only, Tennessee. We’ll be hosting a team from The Belonging Co Church, with Executive Pastor Paul Bergin bringing a message of salvation and encouragement, while Belonging Co’s worship team inspires us with music worthy of praising our King. This will be a particularly moving day, as it is the 10th anniversary of the passing of our founder, Chuck Colson. As most of you know, Chuck and his wife, Patty, regularly spent their Easter weekends celebrating with the men and women in prison. It’s an honor that we get to continue that tradition, and we’ll be holding the Colson family in special prayer that day.

That’s just a small sampling of what we have going on across the country this week. I hope it makes you as excited as I am for the stories of hope, healing, and transformation that will surely be told when people in prison across the nation encounter the risen Christ this Easter. Please join me in prayer that the Holy Spirit will descend upon prisons this week as never before. We are trusting the Lord to show up in amazing ways, and I look forward to sharing the resulting testimonies in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your prayers and for your faithful support of the work of Prison Fellowship! As we go into prison this week, you go with us in spirit.

Celebrating Him,