As millions of Americans look forward to celebrating the joy of the Christmas season with family and friends, inmates across the country face the painful reality that they will spend it alone. Yet, one Virginia prison ministry is looking to spread a little cheer to the thousands locked up behind bars to let them know that Jesus loves them and they are not forgotten.

Good News Global, formerly Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, is hand-delivering 65,000 Hope Packs globally to men and women behind bars in 18 states and 20 countries this Christmas.

The Hope Packs include a Christmas gift, card, 2025 calendar, food, hygiene items, and the Gospel message.

For some, it is their first time receiving a gift like this. For others, it is the first time they will hear about Jesus.

For the past three years, Good News Global has given inmates a “Christmas Hope” package in the days before Christmas.

“Hope Packs represent our greatest outreach to incarcerated persons ever,” said Jon Evans, president of Good News Global. “This Christmas, we will put hope in the hands of 65,000 receptive inmates. 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 to the inmates and jail and prison staff members.”

The packs are assembled by volunteers, including individuals in local churches and jail administrators who are within the locations of the participating 150 jails and prisons.

Volunteers with the organization preach the gospel to over 400,000 incarcerated men, women, and young people, helping people of all faith backgrounds cope with life in jail.

“Your life is essentially over (in jail),” Chaplain Joe Kelty previously told CBN News. “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 added. “And here they are in jail, and they can’t be with their family. That’s some of the more difficult conversations but also the most meaningful.”

In the U.S., chaplains serve as the religious program coordinator for each prison facility. In addition, they are responsible for pastoral care, facilitation and accommodation of religious requests, coordination of clergy visits, and a host of other personal ministry activities.

Internationally, chaplains extend ministry to ex-inmates and families of inmates, providing emergency aid such as soap, detergent, toilet paper, lotion, food, and more.

Good News Global started distributing 500 “Hope Packs” in 2021 after a formerly incarcerated Chaplain remembered receiving a Hope Pack while incarcerated in Illinois.

Chaplain Richard Van Arsdale reached out to Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago to find out the contents of Hope Pack. They graciously opened the door to a partnership that has grown each year.

In 2022, Good News Global distributed 50,000 Hope Packs, and in 2024, it will distribute 65,000 worldwide.

“I want to say thank you so much for your Christmas bag and prayers,” one inmate wrote to the ministry.

“I have been a strong believer in God my entire life, but just last night, I was actually cussing the Lord. I almost had given up. I told him to show me a sign today or I feel like I couldn’t believe anymore,” the inmate explained.

“Then I read the card that a Good News Global volunteer gave me from the Hope Pack and it touched my heart so much I started to cry,” the inmate shared. “To hear and think that someone was thinking of me and praying for me helped me so much.”

More than 11 million people are incarcerated globally and Hope Packs is providing the opportunity to bring a gift and the gospel to inmates at Christmas–one of the loneliest seasons for those incarcerated.

“We believe that every person has inherent worth in God’s eyes and has a plan for each individual that can only be fully secured through faith in Him,” the ministry shared.
Sources:CBN News

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The ACLJ took action against a homeowners association (HOA) in Texas after it informed our client that religious yard signs are not permitted even though the HOA permits various nonreligious yard signs.

Our client initially had a sign in her front yard and a banner in the backyard. The sign stated, “Pray for America,” and the banner stated, “Jesus is Our Only Hope.” Shortly after our client put up the sign and banner, she received a violation notice from the HOA that demanded our client “Remove ALL ‘Jesus’ signs—they are not allowed.”

Our client thought she had been told to remove the signs because the banner was too large and did not meet the HOA size requirements for signs. So, our client sought approval for the sign and banner with the HOA’s Architectural Review Committee (ARC). The ARC came back and stated the signs were political and asked if they met the size requirements. Given that the banner did not meet the size requirements, the client then purchased a smaller yard sign with the same message. Once again, she sought the ARC’s approval. This time the ARC came back and stated that the signs were not approved political signs.

Our client then sought clarification from a member of the ARC and learned that the true intention behind the denial was the religious content on the signs. The committee member told our client that religious signs are not on the list of allowed signs, thus admitting that other signs are permitted but religious signs are prohibited. The committee member also failed to mention that the committee has the discretion to approve signs that are not on the typical list of approved signs.

We fired off a demand letter informing the HOA of our client’s rights under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Despite what many homeowners associations think, they cannot prohibit religious signs while allowing nonreligious signs.

As we explained in our letter, the FHA makes it illegal “[t]o discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because of … religion.” Courts have also emphasized individuals are protected from discrimination before and after they acquire the property, including governance by HOAs. The FHA therefore prohibits HOAs from applying rules to an owner’s use of their property in a manner that discriminates against their religion.

Here, the HOA did just that. Various signs are permitted around the neighborhood, but our client’s signs were prohibited specifically because they are religious. Moreover, the committee had the discretion to approve other signs but specifically prohibited our client’s signs based on their religious content.

Because of this violation of federal law, we demanded the HOA cease all discrimination and allow our client to display religious signs. We were prepared to take further legal action if the HOA did not comply. However, shortly after the HOA received our demand letter, it reversed course. Our client received written assurances that she will be permitted to display her religious signs and that no further enforcement action will occur.

Learn more about your rights regarding homeowner associations and housing complexes in our Know Your Rights resource. If you have experienced religious discrimination by your HOA, the ACLJ may be able to help. Please contact us at ACLJ.org/HELP.
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS

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ന്യൂഡല്‍ഹി : ഇന്ത്യക്കാരായ വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ച യുഎസ് വീസ ഈ വര്‍ഷം ഗണ്യമായി കുറഞ്ഞു. ജനുവരി മുതല്‍ സെപ്റ്റംബര്‍ വരെ 64,008 വീസയാണ് അനുവദിച്ചത്. 2023ല്‍ സമാന കാലയളവില്‍ ഇത് 1,03,495 ആയിരുന്നു.

വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ക്കുള്ള എഫ്1 വീസ 2021 ല്‍ സമാന കാലയളവില്‍ 65,235 ആയിരുന്നു. 2022 ല്‍ ഇതു 93,181 ആയിരുന്നുവെന്നും രേഖകള്‍ വ്യക്തമാക്കുന്നു. കോവിഡ് വ്യാപിച്ച 2020 ലെ ആദ്യ 9 മാസത്തില്‍ 6646 എഫ്1 വീസയാണ് ഇന്ത്യക്കാര്‍ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ചിരുന്നത്. യുഎസില്‍ ഉപരിപഠനം നടത്തുന്നവര്‍ക്കു വേണ്ടിയുള്ള നോണ്‍ ഇമിഗ്രന്റ് വിഭാഗത്തില്‍പെട്ടതാണ് എഫ്1 വീസ.

ചൈന ഉള്‍പ്പെടെയുള്ള രാജ്യങ്ങളിലെ വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ച വീസയിലും കുറവുണ്ടെങ്കിലും ഇത്ര വലുതല്ല. ഈ വര്‍ഷം ആദ്യത്തെ 9 മാസത്തില്‍ 73,781 എഫ്1 വീസയാണു ചൈനീസ് വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ക്ക് അനുവദിച്ചത്. കഴിഞ്ഞ വര്‍ഷമിത് 80,603 ആയിരുന്നുവെന്നും ബ്യൂറോ ഓഫ് കോണ്‍സുലര്‍ അഫയേഴ്‌സിന്റെ വെബ്‌സൈറ്റില്‍ വ്യക്തമാക്കുന്നു.
Sources:nerkazhcha

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