Prison Ministry Team Report for September
Newton Correctional Prison Ministry Update
During September, the prison ministry at Newton Correctional continued to grow. Bridget paid her second visit on Monday Sept.15. She will meet with the group every third Monday of the month for one hour but hopes to expand on that time. The men have requested happy and uplifting stories about UU life from members of the congregation, and 14 of them want pen pals. This is a great opportunity to connect with individuals who are beginning to explore UUism. Your personal stories and thoughts about the role UUism plays in your life could encourage and help guide them in the development of their faith.
Pen Pal Program
In PMT’s Pen Pal program, members correspond with incarcerated individuals either by “snail mail” or through the Iowa Department of Corrections’ o-mail system, CorrLinks. In a few cases, we’ve given donations from our fund to pen pals in financial need.
We are always looking for volunteers to write to inmates. Incarcerated individuals tell us over and over how important it is for them to hear from those of us outside. Just knowing that there are caring people who haven’t forgotten them and are willing to spend time writing to them is a deeply meaningful, positive experience for them. And it is very rewarding for volunteers, too. PMT can set you up with contacts, instructions for using CorrLinks and postal mail, and a sample introductory letter to use or modify as you see fit. If you think you might be interested, please email [email protected] and one of us will get back to you. You can also check out our page on this website at www.uusic.org/connect/#justice.
The UUA has a prison ministry through the Church of the Larger Fellowship, the Worthy Now Prison Ministry Network. They’re also looking for people to become pen pals to incarcerated individuals nationwide. For more information, go to worthynow.org.
PMT October Meeting
The UUS Prison Ministry Team meets on the first Tuesday of each month in the UUS Conference Room. You are welcome to join us at our next meeting on October 7, 2025, at 7:00, either in person or via Zoom.
Post Content URL: https://www.uusic.org/connect/#justice (under Social Justice Groups & Community Service Teams)
