Europe & Central Asia blog 2019
I am praying you have a blessed Christmas and a very happy new year.
The past year has been a pleasure to journey with you on. Thank you so much.
Hugh
Congratulations to Luis and the team!
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: INSPIRING PRISONERS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
Eduardo Cozar, ED of PF Spain
Pictures speak a thousand words!
Family knows no borders! FORGING FORWARD IN THIS MISSION TOGETHER. Andy C, shares his inspiring experience at the Francophone Africa Forum
Congratulations to PF Belarus!
PF Belarus ED: Uladzimir Harela
TPJ graduation ceremony in Czech Republic
Oct '19
Vision
To break the cycle of crime & restore lives, worldwide, through Jesus's love
Mission
To transform the lives of prisoners, their families, & victims through a global network of ministry partners
Welcome to John Nonhebel!
New ED for PF Scotland
We pray for great blessing upon you and your family as you take on this new responsibility
STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD - July to September 2019
Congratulations! We thank God for your ministry past & the future to come.
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Hebrews 12:1-2
PF England and Wales
Innovation!
Wherever you are, the powerful truth is that when we pray together, Jesus is with us and promises to answer our prayers.
Use this link on your phone to subscribe to PF England & Wales feed in your PrayerMate app. Alternatively, in your app click the "Add" button, choose the "Wider Society" category and you will find Prison Fellowship there.
Angel Tree
... it reminds me that each one of those Angel Tree children is really special, both to their parent who makes the request, but also to God.
We should aim to provide them with the best gift we can at Christmas – one that’s just right for them, nothing less will do! – just as our Heavenly Father sent us His best gift at Christmas in the Lord Jesus!
The quality of life for hundreds of children in Malawi is about to improve thanks to a new partnership agreement between Prison Fellowship International and Prison Fellowship Malawi. After a year of preparation, Prison Fellowship International’s child sponsorship program launched in Malawi on November 1.
Seehaus (PF Germany) annual celebration. The general public is invited to a day of edutainment at the APAC in Leonberg
22 Sep '19
PF Brazil celebrates the inauguration of their headquarters, International Centre for APAC Method Studies, and the Memorial Mário Ottoboni.
Thank you all for a great forum! I pray that next time the 'missing' can attend as well.
Our forum was wonderfully hosted by SHKBSH (Prison Fellowship Albania) in the town of Durres on the Adriatic coast. Our theme was “I was in prison and you came to me” from Mathew 25:36 and our focus was on increasing the quality and impact of our in prison ministry.
Each day was begun with a devotion on our verse. The three presenters gave very personal reflections on the significance of visiting Jesus in prison, which were an encouragement to us all.
Our daily sessions were designed to provoke thought and solicit discussion amongst participants. The aim being for us to learn from difficult experiences and equip us to meet the challenges we anticipate for Europe and Central Asia in the years to come.
In broad brush strokes, on the first day we considered the need to invest in building capacity to equip our respective organisations to deliver fundable, high quality programs in a sustainable way. Through this we also reflected on the recent journey of PFI and where we are going in the coming years.
On the second day we heard about lessons learned through implementing restorative justice programs in Switzerland, Germany and Netherlands. This is particularly important for our region where straight Christian programming is becoming increasingly difficult. Our keynote address followed, given by Ton Daans, prison systems consultant for governments across the EU and central Asia. He challenged and encouraged us to think carefully about our role and impact of our work in prisons.
On the third day, our focus shifted to organisational change, equipping and growth. Presentations and discussions were lead by PF Canada and PF England and Wales using their past and ongoing experience. Here we gained many practical insights that apply to many of our members.
Overall we had a wonderful time to re-connect and network with one another as we reach forward to answer Gods call to visit prisoners and see hope restored and the cycle of crime broken.
Please pray for our upcoming forum to be held in Albania from 1st to 3rd of October. We have a really exciting agenda based around the themes of "I was in prison & you came to me" and "How we grow Prison Fellowship impact on society". We have 50 participants from 18 countries attending. Pray for safety, joy & great benefit for each person attending
PF England & Wales
"Brian" completed the Sycamore Tree course a few weeks ago. He produced this beautiful artwork as his symbolic act of restitution at the end of the course
Prison Fellowship England & Wales:
We are preparing to welcome two new staff members to the PF Support Team at the start of this month - Kerry in Supporter Care and Sarah as Head of Volunteering. And then a few weeks later, we gather in Swanwick for our Volunteer Conference, a wonderful event that only happens every two years.
11 Sep '19
New partnership agreement with Bible League International. BLI is providing Prison Bibles to TPJ graduates, along with an invitation to participate in the Prison Project Philip discipleship program. Together, we plan to graduate 825,000 prisoners from The Prisoner's Journey, distribute 688,000 easy-to-read Bibles in 11 languages, and enrol 416,000 participants in BLI's Prison Project Philip by 2024.
PF Northern Ireland
Week of prayer
Children of Prisoners Program
"We are thrilled to share the very first PFI Children of Prisoners Program Storyboard with you! This collection of powerful stories illustrates the impact of our program."
Michele Leith, Sponsorship Operations Coordinator
Suicide amongst men in prison is roughly 3 times higher than the general population. When comparing between countries, there is no clear correlation between the suicide rate in prison & amongst the general population. This suggests that differences in criminal justice systems are important
Ref: Prison suicide in 12 countries: an ecological study of 861 suicides during 2003–2007; Seena Fazel • Martin Grann • Boo Kling • Keith Hawton"Doing the Sycamore Tree course had a profound and lasting impact on me. It has shaped me into the person I am now. It’s been eleven years since I did the course, and it is still paying into my daily life."
France! First STP course completed...
"Without a moment’s hesitation, M leapt to his feet - the offender who had stormed out of Session 2, demanding to withdraw from the course: he spoke eloquently, from the heart, clearly nervous but in a strong voice, of his appreciation of what he had learned, his profound regret and his earnest desire for forgiveness and to make amends for his crime. After that there was no stopping the flow - moving apologies, striking drawings full of significance, poems, a song written and performed for the occasion."
The 6th session was completed on the 2nd July at Reau Prison.
A recent TPJ graduate in Portugal said this, "I am in prison but am no longer a prisoner!"
How many of us who are not in prison find ourselves "prisoners" to ourselves?
Volunteers are examples of God’s unconditional love to prisoners and their families.
As Christ said, “I was in prison, you came to visit Me” (Matthew 25:36b, NIV, emphasis added). These are our brothers and sisters in prison, and visiting them is enormously important because it plants the seed of trust which grows as prisoners are encouraged that their future can change!
In these days, I have realised the importance of words like responsibility, forgiveness, remorse and victim. Hearing how some victims felt after suffering a crime has had a profound effect on me!
Sycamore Tree Justice & Peace learner in Valencia, Spain, July '19
First TPJ course in Russia
A note from Yan:
We successfully started the program. The first group started and we are preparing for the second one and for presentation in other prisons.
Long preparing and a good start! Praise God!
Blessings
Sycamore Tree in Switzerland
A note from Claudia:
We are preparing 3 more STP's to start within the next 6 months in 3 prisons. One will be our first French STP.
I just thought I quickly send you that link, in case you're interested to see what the Ministry of Justice published about RJ and our work. (German language)
I wish you a happy and blessed summer!
Warm regards,
Claudia
Quotes from The Prisoners Journey graduates:
"I found inner peace, I know I am forgiven, I still need to forgive myself."
"Before, when there were quarrels among women, I was joining. Today I am calm, rather trying to calm them down."
Světlá nad Sázavou Prison in Czech Republic, 8 Jul '19
"During The Prisoners Journey (TPJ), I've learned that Jesus' love is unconditional. My favourite part has been the many activities - it´s perfect just like it is. This journey has helped me to became more interested in God & remove my doubts. I recommend TPJ because it´s great & makes me feel very loved!"
Yes! It's already time to start planning for Christmas
If you would like to order Angel Tree materials from PFI, please refer to the mail I sent to each of the Executive Directors.
Hugh
24 Jun '19
Shaping Today's PFI Ministry for Tomorrow's Opportunities
By Anna Korobeichshikova, Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Kazakhstan (APFQ)
19 Jun '19
The link below is to a 40 second video that my daughter crafted.
It’s an invitation for our church to attend a presentation my wife and I are making on the 4th July.
Simple and powerful. I can hardly imagine how we will fulfil the expectation!
Congratulations to CONCAES (PF Spain) for gaining accreditation for transparency in management!
Last week I was in Spain to review TPJ & STP. Restorative Justice is taking off in Spain, but we struggle to gain access to new prisons for The Prisoners Journey. Please pray for breakthrough
9 Jun '19
I am trying to compile practical resources for prison programming. The aim is that volunteers have a place where they can quickly get ideas for their next session.
I am looking to add a section with stand alone 10 - 15 minute Christian messages.
Please share the fruits of your experience with me so that we can share this around the word! My email address is hgreathead@pfi.org
Hugh
23 May 19
"Of the 68 inmates who have joined the Compagnie project to date, 43 have successfully moved on and are in stable housing and employment. Hanna Geuze, project coordinator at the Compagnie, credits the humane treatment of inmates as a crucial factor to its success."
FRANCE!
Tuesday 28th May 2019 is the launch of the first pilot test (Sycamore Tree) in Reau prison near Paris. I still can not believe it……!
Claudine Figueira, 10 May '19
After around 7 years of hard work the program is set to being in France. Let's pray for tremendous blessings!
Be specific: For people to join your vision, have clear goals for volunteers to help you achieve it
Be diligent: Take care to study the ethos of the prison service and diligently educate your volunteers. Ministering to those in prison requires skill, intellect, and awareness.
Keep it simple: Many of those in prison are broken and fragile souls. Volunteers need to act wisely and use simple language. (Keep 'christianese' to a minimum!)
Follow this link for really encouraging stories which show how God is working through people who care.
If you are having a moment of doubt, then this is the news letter for you!
FIRST TPJ VOLUNTEER TRAINING FOR PF RUSSIA
We had our first training for The Prisoners Journey volunteers in Russia & now celebrate the launch of the program. We pray for huge blessings upon the team!
April '19
40th anniversary celebration at the stunning Westminster Chapel, London
On the 4th April 2019 PF England & Wales held the most amazing service to celebrate 40 years of prison ministry. It was a huge blessings to be part of it!
May God continue to grow the work from strength to strength
With Yan Volkov, Prison Fellowship Russia
“Prison administration should see we are their friends and we are ready to help solve their problems together, to pray for them, and support them. This will open opportunities to serve in word and in deed.”
Before you attend your next meeting, ask yourself:
Do you understand the values of the person(s) you’re speaking to?
What issue(s) do they want to see changed?
Why does it need to be changed?
What is his/her role?
If someone heard your message, and didn’t know anything about the ‘gospel’, would they understand you?
Pray for PF Kyrgyzstan & PF Kazakhstan
This weekend pastors will be meeting to discuss participation in prison ministry.
This area of the world needs special grace and favour from God.
Please pray for this tremendous opportunity to work wonders.
29 Mar '19
The Justice & Mercy Prayer
Jesus, united with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
Give us your compassion for those in prison.
Mend in mercy the broken in mind and memory.
Soften the hard of heart, the captives of anger.
Free the innocent; parole the trustworthy.
Awaken the repentance that restores hope.
May prisoners’ families persevere in their love.
Jesus, heal the victims of crime. They live with the scars.
Lift to eternal peace those who die.
Grant victims’ families the forgiveness that heals.
Give wisdom to lawmakers and to those who judge.
Instill prudence and patience in those who guard.
Make those in prison ministry bearers of your light,
for all of us are in need of your mercy!
Amen.
© Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association
In fundraising, we say three “nos” is halfway to a “yes.” But five “nos” is a real “no.” There are five reasons you may have received a “no.” These are:
You asked for the wrong amount of money.
You asked at the wrong time.
You asked for support for the wrong project
You asked, yet did not specify an asset that I could give.
You asked, but are the wrong person to be asking me.
Article by Paul Edwards, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Gordon College and Fundraising Expert
19 Mar 2019
Hoffnungsträger (Hopebearer) has reached the milestone of 1000 all-time children sponsored!
Congratulations & praise God!
Great example to learn from!
12 March '19
By Judge Dennis Challeen, father of community-service sentencing
We want them to be responsibleSo we take away all responsibility
We want them to be positive and constructiveSo we degrade them and make them useless
We want them to be trustworthySo we put them where there is no trust
We want them to quit exploiting usSo we put them where they exploit each other
We want them to take control of their lives, own problems and quit being a parasite on usSo we make them totally dependant on us
We want them to be non-violentSo we put them where violence is all around them
We want them to be kind and loving peopleSo we subject them to hatred and cruelty
We want them to quit being the tough guySo we put them where the tough guy is respected
We want them quit hanging around losersSo we put all the losers in the state under one roof
George Fulton
Congratulations to George Fulton who has recently been appointed as the new ED for PF Scotland.
We are praying for you in this new & influential role.
21 Feb '19
Here is a compilation of lessons learned whilst we have been implementing The Prisoners Journey.
The same will hold true for other in prison courses.
If there are things missing, please share your experiences so they can be included.
ENJOY!
20 Feb '19
A step closer!
The founding of PF France will take another important step forward during a visit with prison officials from 19 - 21st Feb '19
The focus will be on establishing STP based on the PF England & Wales model
PF E&W continues to proved tremendous support to this launch.
This is the authentic 1993 documentary about the first original APAC prison in São José dos Campos in Brazil
PF Romania recently received a visit from the National Penitentiary Administration (ANP). Great news is that PF Romania will soon be accredited to open their 40 bed half way house for released prisoners.
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness"
A founding father
Father Damaso was a founding member of CONFIAR (PF Portugal). On Friday the 22nd of Feb CONFIAR will be remembering him, exactly a year after his passing (22 February 2019). He was a great friend of prisoners, their children and families, as well as of victims. He helped introduce the concept of Restorative Justice to Portugal. We thank God for his life.
Returning to help more prisoners hear the gospel!
Arber went through The Prisoners Journey. As a free man, he's now volunteering with SHKBSH (PF Albania)
TPJ Volunteers of Durres Prison
Last year, 18 prisoners graduated from The Prisoners Journey in Durres. Every one is a victory!
31 Jan '19
Visits to Stammheim
Seehaus has times on Mondays & Tuesdays to spend 2 hours with groups of up to 15 pretrial youth prisoners. After a short spiritual reflection we play games.
These games are enjoyed by all - safe, fast & easy to learn. Click here to see my favourites & learn how to do them
23 Jan '19
470 prisoners graduated through TPJ in Albania during 2018!
SHKBSH is conducting the course in some 15 prisons across the country - this is an amazing achievement which we praise God for!
More importantly, we are seeing lives being transformed by the gospel. Here Gazimir is being reunited with his family and a process of reconciliation has started.
You can read more stories of transformation here.
20 Jan '19
We are authentic: Without love, we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1–3)
We are proactive: Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9 -11)
We value relationships: Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:34–40)
We grow: Live a life worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:9–12)
We are accountable: Well done, my good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:20–21)
PF Czech Rep
TPJ Course leaders training,
Sep '18
FIRST TPJ Course!
PF Czech Rep gets started in Rynovice!
Nov '18
Let us remember the family and friends of Mario Ottoboni founder of APAC who has passed on to be with our Father in heaven.
A wonderful man indeed!
14 Jan '19
As you are now aware, we are planning our next PF Europe & Central Asia forum in Albania. Our theme will be “I was in prison & you came to me”. This sums up the essence of our calling and we are looking forward to a great opportunity to connect, share and encourage one another to continue growing.
Как вы уже знаете, следующий форум Ассоциации тюремного служения в Европе и Центральной Азии планируется провести в Албании. Нашей темой будет «Я был в темнице, и вы пришли ко мне». Она выражает суть нашего призыва, а форум станет отличной возможностью собраться, поделиться мыслями и вдохновить друг друга на продолжение развития.
For details on venue, pricing & registration, please visit our forum web page by clicking here
PF Bulgaria
TPJ recently started with TPJ in Bobov Dol Prison where there are roughly 600 inmates. 20 have so far graduated.
Congratulations to the team & praise God!
438 Graduates in 2018
Graduation ceremony
Jan 2018 was the start year for this program in Spain
468 Graduates in 2018
Amazing volunteers! From left to right: Santiago, Carlos, Santiago, Carmen, Denia and Manuel
Ian, we will miss your warmth and wisdom greatly. We were looking forward to seeing you again for our forum in Albania this year! At the same time we are happy to know you have “a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”!
Your legacy here on earth will continue to bear much fruit for many years to come.
Our thoughts and prayers continue for all your family & close friends.
8 Jan '19
HMP Greenock
Happy new year,
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
Christmas fellowship @ Stammheim prison
This evening we are going to enjoy Christmas Fellowship & pizza with our Tuesday group of youth inmates.
Click here to learn more about Seehaus (PF Germany)
Hugh
18 Dec '18
Albania: Dream academy
Our Dream Academy offers 30 teenagers with one of their parents in prison a challenging, enriching educational 4 yr program to find and realise their dreams.
Fred Westerink
7 Dec '18
Norway: Bastøy open prison
On the 18th December PF Norway will hold a Christmas service & will have dinner with inmates.
Tove Stabell
14 Dec '18
Happy Christmas!
As we close 2018, I pray you have a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful start to the new year.
I am looking forward to another exciting year in 2019 when we continue our journey towards bringing hope to the many we are called to.
Many Blessings
Hugh
13 Dec '18
PF Norway
Christmas greetings & news letter from PF Norway. Click this link to read more. News letter in Norwegian.
12 Dec '18
Building Bridges, STP, PF CZ
Group photo of learners, facilitators & victims from STP course nearing completion
Dec '18
ICPA launches new Planning & Design hub
International Corrections & Prisons Association (ICPA) has just announced the launch of a new hub which is aimed at inspiring, sharing and collaborating on the planning and design of humane correctional facilities.
10 Dec '18
Day with my Child, PF CZ
This is a wonderful activity which enables children to spend quality time with their father in prison!
Dec '18
"Prisoners Abroad" 40th Anniversary article by Ron
Hi,
"Prisoners Abroad" from the UK published an article about my story for their 40th anniversary. You can find it here.
Many blessings,
Ron
29 Nov '18
Restorative Justice in Switzerland
I send you the link with an RJ movie that was shown on Sunday on the national tv. The first video is an interview they conducted with me in relation to the film and RJ but it is in Swiss German ;-), but this video below is the movie which is very well done.
Claudia Christen, 29 Nov '19
Launching our Europe & Central Asia blog
I have been trying to figure out the best way to share stories from the region.
Some people love to get mails, whilst other start ignoring them when I send to many. Also, I have noted that when I share more than one point, then the others are not read!
So what I see is that I can fairly reliably share one point every 2 weeks or so!
I hope this blog will be a happy compromise.
Let me know when you have content to share.
Many blessings
Hugh
6 Dec '18
