1 Thessalonians 5 :14 states… “Encourage those who are weak and afraid.”
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ…
It has been a busy nine months in the ministry. May, I had a State Board meeting in Austin, then went to set up a new Epiphany ministry at the Evins unit in Edinburgh, TX. In July, our Epiphany State Board president resigned and because of this, I was elected by the incoming president to be on the “Nominating Committee” to elect new officers for the next State Board meeting. In August, TJJD (Texas Juvenile Justice Department) formally Texas Youth Commission voted to close the Corsicana mental health unit for budget reasons and move the youth there to a separate unit in Mart, Texas. On Saturday, September 14th, we had a gathering with the boys at Gainesville, TX and this Saturday, September 21st, I had an Epiphany training meeting in Keller, TX for the upcoming Epiphany weekend at Mart, TX on November 15-17, 2013, which I will be the State Board Representative.
On Saturday, at the team meeting in Keller, the Spiritual Director for our Mart November Epiphany weekend asked the team to individually pray for the young men from now until the weekend. We are usually given an ornament to carry around with us to continually pray for the young men before their upcoming weekend. This time, the Spiritual Director has implemented something that I have never seen done in this ministry. We have been given the original cross that will be placed around the young men at the end of the weekend. The cross of Christ is given to the 36 young men in a closing ceremony at the end of the Epiphany weekend. I now prayerfully ask that Chapel Hill take part in this “Hands On” prayer for the incarcerated youth. I want this cross to be carried and prayed for by as many, if not all, of the saints at Chapel Hill.
I will be asking Sunday School classes, groups and individuals to follow with me and Epiphany Ministries in this “Hands On” mission. For the groups, they can pick an individual to take the cross, but I would like for the cross to “Move with God’s people,” for at least 24 hours or more then return it to me and I will pass it on. If there is anyone that I do not get to who wants to take the cross and pray, let me know and I will get it to you. The Epiphany weekend is November 15-17, 2013. I will pass the cross around until November 14th before I leave. I will start next Sunday with the ABC class for the week and then we will prayerfully move forward from there.
God bless you for all you prayers and support through the years for this prison ministry.
In His Hands,
David Ricks
P.S. I am now taking donations, donations, donations…
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