Angel Tree Collaborators

Confident Kids^TM

Support groups for children & their families

Confident Kids^TM is a Bible-based support group program helping families with children ages 4 - 12 years old deal with the stresses of living in today's world. Through games, skits and small group discussions, children learn important life skills while experiencing a safe place to talk about their life experiences. In a concurrent group, parents learn to apply these same skills at home, while experiencing a safe place to share their stories, as well. In both groups, participants grow as they discover they are not alone in their pain. Two other program possibilities available for use with your Angel Tree families are Kids Like Me^TM and Celebrating Families!^TM.To get started, or for more information, call (877) 494-KIDS or visit www.confidentkids.com.

Life Hurts God Heals

Support groups for teenagers

Life Hurts God Heals is a version of the Celebrate Recovery program for teenagers. Due to the unique circumstances facing teenagers with an incarcerated parent, many find themselves desperately hurting from challenges such as the pain of a broken home, struggles with depression and abusive relationships. Facing these challenges can many times lead to habits and addictions that are hard to break. Life Hurts God Heals is a support ministry with hands-on training materials to help your church love and support these young people. Also included is an eight-week message series that provides hope, answers, and direction to help all teenagers deal with the pains of life. To order and get started visit www.lifehurtsgodheals.com or call 1-866-974-6759.

Divorce Care for Kids (DC4K)

Ministry for children dealing with divorce

Divorce Care for Kids (DC4K) is a dynamic ministry that provides your church with the right materials to start and sustain a ministry for children of divorce. It equips your church on several levels:

Ministers to the children who are devastated by the loss of their intact family
Serves as an outreach for family-focused ministries in your community
Integrates single parents and their children into the overall church family
Allows your church to contribute to spiritually healthy future church leaders
Empowers and equips lay leadership to lead the DC4K team

Learn how your church can start a life-changing ministry for these children at www.dc4k.org or call 1-800-489-7778.

The Christian Association of Youth Mentoring (CAYM)

Mentoring ministry for at-risk youth

The Christian Association of Youth Mentoring (CAYM) is an organization that seeks to assist the local church and mentoring organziations by providing services, training, and support to develop mentoring programs that focus on connecting God's un-fathered children with mature Christian men and women. To inquire about how to start a mentoring ministry to Angel Tree children or to locate a Christian mentoring organization in your area, visit www.caym.org or call toll free at 1-877-33-MENTOR.

Child Evangelism Fellowship

Truth Chasers Club & Good News Club

CEF Child Evangelism Fellowship provides a variety of ministry opportunities geared for children. The Truth Chasers Club is an age-appropriate free Bible correspondence course that deals specifically with the special needs of your Angel Tree children. CEF also offers the 5-Day Club and Good News Club, both of which include dynamic Bible lessons, creative learning activities, inspiring missionary stories, meaningful songs, and life-changing Scripture memories. To learn more about these opportunities visit www.cefonline.com or call 1-800-300-4033.

Active Parenting Publishing

Resources for children and families of inmates

Active Parenting Publishing has a variety of books and resources specifically designed for the children and families of inmates. "Mamma Loves Me From Away" and "A Visit With Daddy" are two selections of their large inventory. Your church can extend your ministry by providing these resources to the Angel Tree children and caregivers you serve. Or start a book reading club where volunteers in your church can read some of these books with the children. To order these books and resources visit www.activeparenting.com or call 1-800-825-0060.

A Sentence of Their Own

A documentary film on the family of a prisoner

A Sentence of Their Own is a documentary by Edgar A. Barens that chronicles one family's annual pilgrimage to a New Hampshire State Prison, revealing the damaging impact incarceration has on families. Becky's world was shattered when her husband faced a felony conviction and a seven-year prison sentence. She and their two sons struggled to contend with the aftermath. This documentary can be a great tool and training to help equip your church to better understand and more effectively minister to your Angel Tree families. To learn more about the film go to http://www.asentenceoftheirown.com/. To purchase the film for a discounted rate of $99 call Active Parenting Publishing at 1-800-825-0060 and give them the code SD0702 and let them know you are an Angel Tree church.

Wings

A ministry to the families of inmates

Wings, a ministry for family members of inmates, can help your church welcome your Angel Tree families into your congregation and teach them about Christ's love in various ways. Wings helps host parties at special times of the year: Christmas, Easter and Back-To-School. Wings provides steps and lessons to help your church develop a Wings for L.I.F.E - Life Skills for inmate Families and Education support group. And through Wings, your church can provide the book Family Arrested: How to Survive the Incarceration of a Love One to the Angel Tree caregivers you serve. To learn more about Wings Ministry, visit www.wingsministry.org or call 505-291-6412.

The Family and Corrections Network

Information, training, & resources on the families of inmates

The Family and Corrections Network is an organization for and about families of prisoners. FCN can help your church more effectively minister by providing information, training and technical assistance concerning children of prisoners, parenting programs for prisoners, prison visiting, incarcerated fathers and mothers, hospitality programs, keeping in touch, returning to the community, the impact of the justice system on families, and prison marriage. To learn about the variety of ways that FCNetwork can help your church better serve these families, visit www.fcnetwork.org or call 434-589-3036.

The International Bible Society

Scripture Crisis kits, Bibles, & other resources

The International Bible Society provides a variety of evangelism resources for children, youth, and families facing life's unique challenges and tragedies. One specific resource that could help in ministering to children and families of inmates is the Scripture Crisis kit. This kit contains a variety of scripture-based resources and tools that can equip your congregation to respond with spiritual support to these families. IBS also has several different styles and versions of the Bible that you could provide for your Angel Tree children, caregivers, or family. To order or to find out more about IBS resources visit www.ibsdirect.com or call 1-800-524-1588.

Amachi

Training and support for churches that desire to mentor

Amachi is a unique partnership of secular and faith-based organizations working together to provide mentoring to children of incarcerated parents. Faith institutions work with human service providers and public agencies (particularly justice institutions) to identify children of prisoners and match them with caring adults.

“Amachi” is a Nigerian Ibo word that means “Who knows but what God has brought us through this child.”
For more information about Amachi, call (215) 557-4497 or visit their webpage www.amachimentoring.org.

One Hope

Books for children of prisoners and their parents

One Hope is an evangelistic ministry geared towards children. One Hope has developed Scripture Engagement products that are as diverse as the children and youth they are intended to reach. The “Book of Hope” series is available in editions geared for prisoners themselves and for their children. To find out more about this resource, call (954) 975-7777 or visit their website www.onehope.net.

Extended Family

Support groups for kids and families of the incarcerated

Extended Family, a support system for families of prisoners, has produced an exciting new program designed specifically for children with an incarcerated family member.

Extended Family for Kids offers nine unique, solution-based sessions, designed to build self-esteem, ease feelings of shame and isolation, decrease stress, address anger issues, and strengthen communication skills. All nine sessions, detailed program leader instructions, feedback forms, and more are included in the Extended Family for Kids program manual. For more information, call (256) 927-7997 or visit their website www.extendedfamilysupport.org/efk.html.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Mentoring organization

Big Brothers Big Sisters has over 100 years experience in successfully supporting mentoring matches across the country. Many local affiliates participate in the Amachi program and desire to work with churches to find mentors for "Littles" in their program. To find an agency near you, visit their website www.bbbs.org. To see which agencies are working directly with Angel Tree, look at our list of mentoring partners, or call 1-800-55-ANGEL.

Goodwill Industries

Goodguides program provides mentoring for teens

Goodwill® GoodGuides is a national mentoring program for youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who are at risk for making harmful choices such as dropping out of school or joining a gang. These youth may also be at risk for delinquency.

The goal of the GoodGuides program is to help youth build career plans and skills, and prepare for school completion, post-secondary training, and productive work. Funded by a two-year grant to Goodwill Industries International from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Goodwill GoodGuides program is run by 56 independent Goodwill agencies. To find out more, visit their website at http://www.goodwill.org/get-involved/volunteer/goodguides/. To find out which local agencies are working directly with Angel Tree, look at our list of mentoring partners, call 1-800-55-ANGEL.

Other Helpful Organizations

Going Beyond Christmas

Continue your Angel Tree ministry year-round and God will use your church to help these children and their families grow in their faith, strengthen their relationships with imprisoned parents, and fulfill the purposes that God has for their lives.

Camping
Camp can be one of the most life-changing experiences that children of incarcerated parents can have. more

Mentoring
Studies show that mentoring by a caring adult is the most effective strategy for building character and curbing destructive behavior. more

Prison Fellowship