Kids With Incarcerated Parents Hear The Gospel At Sports Camp

September 28, 2022274 views0

Kids With Incarcerated Parents Hear The Gospel At Sports Camp

2022-09-28T10:40:54+01:00

By Church News

America’s largest prison ministry, recently partnered with the Baltimore Ravens and local churches to bring the gospel to children of incarcerated parents at a sports camp.The prison ministry held a free daylong sports camp for more than 100 children under its Angel Tree program at the Ravens’ practice facility in Owings Mills, Maryland, a venue known by local sports fans as “The Castle.”Prison Fellowship, which holds about two to three Angel Tree sports camps per month at various locations across the U.S., conducted the sports camp in collaboration with the Baltimore Ravens and Coca-Cola Consolidated.Founded in 1976 by Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship serves families whose lives have been impacted by poverty and a relative’s incarceration. One of its initiatives, Angel Tree, offers multiple sports camps nationwide to help children with incarcerated parents build relationships while encouraging physical and spiritual growth.In an interview, Prison Fellowship CEO James Ackerman said the organization holds about two or three Angel Tree sports camps a month in various locations around the United States.In addition to football, Prison Fellowship has held camps focusing on basketball, bowling and ice skating, with the group starting to branch out to soccer as well.“The Angel Tree sports camps we’ve been doing for about 11 years, but this is the first time we’ve done an Angel Tree sports camp with the Baltimore Ravens,” Ackerman said.He continued, “The whole goal is to give the kids hope, right? Hope that you could maybe one day play for the NFL yourselves, hope that God has a purpose and plan for your life.”“God has gifted you and has hope for you. And so that’s the whole thesis of the entire trip.”Every child in attendance was also given a backpack filled with a pair of athletic shoes, a football and an age-appropriate Bible.“So the kids, we want them to experience the ultimate hope that is stepping into a relationship with the Lord, but also the hope of being able to come out to a place that, to be frank, they would never otherwise have access to. And, you know, they’re getting to train on the same field as their heroes that they watch on Sunday in the Ravens,” he concluded.ALSO READ Premier League Footballer Sends Donation To Help Rebuild Giza Church