We are deeply thankful for your prayerful and financial support over the past year. It’s truly made a difference in the lives of those who found Christian Science while incarcerated. This work has also blessed Angel Team participants, church members, and the broader community. We feature three stories below from Angel Team members and program participants.

Your generosity enables us to continue supporting true healing that results when returning citizens experience moral and ethical transformation that leads to spiritual freedom.

We have recently assisted individuals in California, Oregon, Texas, Nevada, Wisconsin, Kansas and Michigan coming out of prison to discover a warm, welcoming, and supportive church community. We’ve also helped them to find safe housing, reliable transportation, useful employment, and lasting friendships.

Click here to make a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, The Principle Foundation.

In their own words:

“While serving as a Christian Science chaplain for the Kansas Correctional Facilities I learned about Embraced:Fully which supports Angel Teams to lovingly guide and spiritually embrace those inmates upon release from prison and to spiritually put together the pieces of their lives – to be functional and active citizens who can make good and wise decisions as they move forward.

 

With monthly Zoom meetings Embraced:Fully makes available to the Angel Teams interviews of those previously incarcerated as they share their spiritual transformation through Christian Science and learn to turn to God for divine direction and to lovingly forgive those for the trauma in their past life.

 

The Angel Teams are introducing new members into our churches who accept them with open arms – just as Jesus said, ‘I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Matthew 9:13).

 

This exceptional organization is best expressed in Romans 12:2 – ‘Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’”

 

– Bonnie Bartalos, Christian Science chaplain, Kansas City, Kansas

“I’ve been a member of Christian Science for more than 2 years. It has been a very wonderful experience. I love the outstanding teachings of Mary Baker Eddy and the things I have learned have been great. I recommend this to anyone to at least look at Christian Science and attend some of its meetings, some of the teaching lectures, and find out about it. That’s what I did. I love it. I love the people, I love my mentor. I love everyone that’s in it and they have a great understanding of the word and they have pursued this thing in my heart with me and I love it.”

 

– Lavelle Searcy, returning community member, Detroit, Michigan

“The team at Embraced:Fully has opened my eyes to the many ways and reasons to help incarcerated and recently released individuals find freedom “on the inside” and a future on the outside. Anyone who wants to live their faith by loving more can play a role in prison ministry. Embraced:Fully and their experienced partners generously mentor volunteers, inmates and recently released individuals with real-world wisdom. They are focused on how to support lasting personal transformation among inmates so they can uplift their community and be successful upon reentry. Also in support of reentry, Embraced:Fully assembles “Angel Teams” of volunteers, fueled by compassion and care, to share practical expertise, time, and funding. As much as this work transforms the volunteers, it is a lifeline for those trying to navigate their new life on the outside.”

 

– Michelle Gervais, Grant Administrator, The Principle Foundation

We are currently in the process of raising $1,000,000 to continue to expand and bless more people in this healing ministry.

These funds will help to:

• Develop and distribute our in-prison tablet “Ready for Reentry Certification” course focusing on moral character transformation and successful reentry to over 1,000,000 inmates through the Edovo learning platform
• Build a sustainable pipeline of Reentry Coaches to match with program participants
• Expand our ongoing interfaith outreach communications and activities
• Hire a National Angel Team Network coordinator
• Support our annual “Embraced & Empowered – Prison and Reentry Ministries Conference”

Please consider making a donation today!

Thanks again for everything you do to help in this work!

David Fowler
Co-Founder, Embraced:Fully
david@embracedfully.org

Gabriel Serafini
Co-Founder, Embraced:Fully
gabriel@embracedfully.org

P.S. If you would like to volunteer as a reentry coach, life skills mentor, or participate further in our future activities, please send us an email to let us know your interest!

Embraced:Fully depends 100% on donors like you for our operations, and we are excited to announce a $10,000 matching grant through the end of the year.  We assist students of Christian Science coming out of prison or jail who have been recommended by Christian Science prison chaplains and volunteers.

Please join us today to support students of Christian Science coming out of prison with a one-time or recurring monthly donation. Please remember to specify Embraced:Fully in the Fund drop-down menu when making your donation.

Make a donation

Your donation today will double your impact because of the matching grant.

“Thank you for all the great training offered through Embraced:Fully. I was able to jump into action and help a man from a local jail when he was released last week. He and I had been meeting almost weekly for about a year. Without friends or family in the area, I’m not sure how he was supposed to get to his various post-release appointments.”
– Carol M.

Donations are tax-deductible, and all funds go towards continuing this important work.

Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do this without you!

In gratitude,
Gabriel, David, and the entire Embraced:Fully team

P.S. – All donations made through the end of 2023 will be matched up to $10,000.  Make a gift today.

It’s because of you—and supporters like you—that the Embraced:Fully Project has grown so fast over the last 18 months. You have a true heart for this ministry, which shines. Because of your humble prayers, practical assistance, and eagerness to tell others about this work, it’s now possible for inmates studying Christian Science in prison to get the help they need beginning on the day of their release.

Thanks to “Angel Teams,”—we now have 19 across the nation and one in Canada—these former inmates can now more easily find housing, employment, mentoring, and a lasting church home and family on the outside.

Just think. A couple of years ago, there was no organized help for inmates following their release. There were no Angel Teams of loving volunteers. No easy way to introduce them to a local Christian Science church and to the company of good-hearted people—that critical buffer against the social forces that keep getting people sent back to prison.

Your involvement in our online Zoom meetings and mailing list, support of Angel Teams in their ministry work, and in circulating our videos, like the one we did with Troy, a former gang leader who found Christian Science in prison, are the biggest reasons why our growth has been so rapid.

Help us to double our capacity in 2022.

As you might imagine, we need funding to support these individuals in their journey home. We are hoping to build a reserve fund in order to provide direct employment for some of these Returning Community Members, also expand our online presence, communicate with the field more effectively, and begin providing reimbursements for approved Angel Team expenses.

We love your involvement and in no way want to put you on the spot. But we are seeking financial help and we’re asking our fans and supporters to help us reach our goals.

Please make an online donation today, and be sure to specify Embraced Fully in the Fund drop-down list.  Prefer to send a check instead? Click here for instructions.

One other idea: if you think your church or Association might consider supporting this important work financially as well, please share this with them. We are very happy to speak directly with anyone who might like more information about the Embraced:Fully Project and its work going forward.

Love, gratitude and blessings,

   
David and Gabriel

P.S. Even if you can’t make a financial contribution today, we are truly grateful for your ongoing participation in other ways. Thank you!

Embraced:Fully is a sponsored program of The Principle Foundation.