Join us on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 6:00 pm (Pacific) for our monthly Embraced:Fully Angel Team Workshop Zoom meeting.  Guests are always welcome!

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

In this monthly meeting we explore how we can support returning citizens as they return home from incarceration. We discuss topics including: What is an Angel Team? Who can be part of one? How do we start them up, and what role can our churches play in this meaningful work?

Embraced:Fully Angel Teams help qualified students of Christian Science coming out of prison find housing, transportation, employment, and most importantly a welcoming church community.

Agenda for the call:

1. Introductions & Announcements – Introduce yourself, are you currently working with any returning community members (or planning to)?
2. Regional Angel Team Updates & Returning Community Member check-ins – sharing progress, challenges, and accomplishments.
3. Visiting and Corresponding Volunteer Chaplain check-ins – updates from the field.
4. Topic for Discussion: Welcoming returning citizens back home – first steps
5. Confirm next meeting dates, wrap up meeting.

This is a monthly working meeting for Embraced:Fully Angel Teams across the nation, and also people interested in volunteering to either start or join one, or participate remotely.  Angel Teams help returning community members succeed in not going back to prison or jail.

Interview replays

Watch the replay of our interview with Whitney Louchheim, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Open City Advocates

Watch the replay of our interview with Chris Hoke, founder and executive director of Underground Ministries

Watch the replay of our interview with Chris Slaughter discussing inter-faith cooperation opportunities

Watch the replay of our interview with Reynaldo Aguilar, inmate counselor and addiction specialist

Watch the replay of our interview with James Early, Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster

Watch the replay of our interview With Dr. Porshia Haymon, Chief Program Officer At Cafe Momentum

Watch the replay of our interview with Daniel Alexander, Julie Dunsire, and John Nye

Watch the replay of our interview with Janet Horton

Watch the replay of our interview with Christian Science volunteer chaplain George Nutwell!

Watch the replay of our interview with Richard Miles, founder of Miles of Freedom.

Quick Links for Sharing:

• Embraced:Fully Application Form: for Returning Community Members once they have a sponsoring chaplain
• “I was supposed to die in prison” – Troy’s story [Video]
• Just released from San Quentin: Michael’s transformation in Christian Science + Chaplain Dan [Video]

Our mission is to help organize, train, educate and enable Angel Teams across the United States to help prepare qualified returning community members for successful reentry.

Photo by Folco Masi on Unsplash

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.

In the past 12 months we have 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 end of the year 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 $350,000 to continue to expand and bless more people in this healing ministry.

These funds will help to:

• Expand our ongoing church outreach communications and activities
• Continue working with State Institutional Committees to help with chaplain recruitment, training, and outcomes
• Hire a National Angel Team Network coordinator
• Improve our database system
• Support our 2025 national “Embraced & Empowered – Prison and Reentry Ministries Conference” to be held on May 2-3, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

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!

Our special guest for this interview is Whitney Louchheim, Esq., Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Open City Advocates, based in Washington, D.C.

Whitney is a member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Washington, D.C.

“Open City Advocates provides mentoring and legal representation to children and youth in the juvenile justice system after sentencing. We support our clients as they reintegrate into their families and communities after incarceration as we fight for a fair and compassionate justice system.”

About our guest

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Join us on Thursday, November 21, at 6:00 pm (Pacific) for our monthly Embraced:Fully Angel Team Workshop Zoom meeting.  Guests are always welcome!

In this monthly meeting we explore how we can support returning citizens as they return home from incarceration. We’ll cover questions like: What is an Angel Team? Who can be part of one? How do we start them up, and what role can our churches play in this meaningful work?

We’ll also take some time to share gratitude for our returning community members, volunteers, churches and supporters of this work!

Embraced:Fully Angel Teams help qualified students of Christian Science coming out of prison find housing, transportation, employment, and most importantly a welcoming church community.

Agenda for the call:

1. Introductions & Announcements – Introduce yourself, are you currently working with any returning community members (or planning to)?
2. Regional Angel Team Updates & Returning Community Member check-ins – sharing progress, challenges, and accomplishments.
3. Visiting and Corresponding Volunteer Chaplain check-ins – updates from the field.
4. Topic for Discussion: Sharing gratitude, and navigating expectations when starting an Angel Team
5. Confirm next meeting dates, wrap up meeting.

This is a monthly working meeting for Embraced:Fully Angel Teams across the nation, and also people interested in volunteering to either start or join one, or participate remotely.  Angel Teams help returning community members succeed in not going back to prison or jail.

Interview replays

Watch the replay of our interview with Chris Hoke, founder and executive director of Underground Ministries

Watch the replay of our interview with Chris Slaughter discussing inter-faith cooperation opportunities

Watch the replay of our interview with Reynaldo Aguilar, inmate counselor and addiction specialist

Watch the replay of our interview with James Early, Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster

Watch the replay of our interview With Dr. Porshia Haymon, Chief Program Officer At Cafe Momentum

Watch the replay of our interview with Daniel Alexander, Julie Dunsire, and John Nye

Watch the replay of our interview with Janet Horton

Watch the replay of our interview with Christian Science volunteer chaplain George Nutwell!

Watch the replay of our interview with Richard Miles, founder of Miles of Freedom.

Quick Links for Sharing:

• Embraced:Fully Application Form: for Returning Community Members once they have a sponsoring chaplain
• “I was supposed to die in prison” – Troy’s story [Video]
• Just released from San Quentin: Michael’s transformation in Christian Science + Chaplain Dan [Video]

Our mission is to help organize, train, educate and enable Angel Teams across the United States to help prepare qualified returning community members for successful reentry.

Photo by Folco Masi on Unsplash

Our guest for this interview is Chris Hoke, founder and executive director of Underground Ministries

About our guest

Building on two decades as a jail chaplain and pastor to gangs and violent offenders in Washington’s Skagit Valley, Chris Hoke is the founder and executive director of Underground Ministries, seeking to “open new relationships of embrace and trust between the incarcerated and our communities to which they return—for our mutual transformation.”

In 2018 Underground Ministries launched its One Parish One Prisoner initiative—mobilizing congregations in NW Washington to be in direct relationship with men and women releasing from prison, to practice resurrection as reentry teams and let contact with those we fear further open and heal church and community members. There are currently 67 active parish teams in Washington, 7 in Chicago, and One Parish One Prisoner is launching in Texas this October, 2024.

Underground’s ongoing local reentry work with gang-affected families is now fully staffed and led by former gang members who have graduated from Underground’s reentry community and now have human services degrees. Chris also cofounded a coffee-roasting business, Underground Coffee, which led to a wider Underground Employment network, employing men and women coming out of prison and addiction, promoting a culture of resurrection employment that celebrates “transferrable skills” from underground pasts.

Hoke received his BA from UC Berkeley and his MFA in creative nonfiction from Seattle Pacific University. He is the author of WANTED: A Spiritual Pursuit Through Jail, Among Outlaws, and Across Borders (HarperOne, 2015). Hoke’s work has been featured on NPR and in The Sun, Image, Portland, Sojourners, Modern Farmer, Christian Century, Plough, and Presbyterian Outlook.

More information: undergroundministries.org  |  Underground Coffee |  chris-hoke.com

All are welcome to attend!

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Join us on Thursday, October 17, at 6:00 pm (Pacific) for our monthly Embraced:Fully Angel Team Workshop Zoom meeting.  Guests are always welcome!

In this monthly meeting we explore how we can support returning citizens as they return home from incarceration. We’ll cover questions like: What is an Angel Team? Who can be part of one? How do we start them up, and what role can our churches play in this meaningful work?

Embraced:Fully Angel Teams help qualified students of Christian Science coming out of prison find housing, transportation, employment, and most importantly a welcoming church community.

Agenda for the call:

1. Introductions & Announcements – Introduce yourself, are you currently working with any returning community members (or planning to)?
2. Regional Angel Team Updates & Returning Community Member check-ins – sharing progress, challenges, and accomplishments.
3. Visiting and Corresponding Volunteer Chaplain check-ins – updates from the field.
4. Topic for Discussion: Effectively preparing to welcome a returning citizen home
5. Confirm next meeting dates, wrap up meeting.

This is a monthly working meeting for Embraced:Fully Angel Teams across the nation, and also people interested in volunteering to either start or join one, or participate remotely.  Angel Teams help returning community members succeed in not going back to prison or jail.

Interview replays

Watch the replay of our interview with Chris Slaughter discussing inter-faith cooperation opportunities

Watch the replay of our interview with Reynaldo Aguilar, inmate counselor and addiction specialist

Watch the replay of our interview with James Early, Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster

Watch the replay of our interview With Dr. Porshia Haymon, Chief Program Officer At Cafe Momentum

Watch the replay of our interview with Daniel Alexander, Julie Dunsire, and John Nye

Watch the replay of our interview with Janet Horton

Watch the replay of our interview with Christian Science volunteer chaplain George Nutwell!

Watch the replay of our interview with Richard Miles, founder of Miles of Freedom.

Quick Links for Sharing:

• Embraced:Fully Application Form: for Returning Community Members once they have a sponsoring chaplain
• “I was supposed to die in prison” – Troy’s story [Video]
• Just released from San Quentin: Michael’s transformation in Christian Science + Chaplain Dan [Video]

Our mission is to help organize, train, educate and enable Angel Teams across the United States to help prepare qualified returning community members for successful reentry.

Photo by Rowan Heuvel on Unsplash

Our guest for this interview is Chris Slaughter, business owner, entrepreneur, and supporter of community and church organizations:

About our guest

Chris Slaughter, now retired, has a long history as business owner, entrepreneur, and supporter of community and church organizations.  

From 2010-2017 he served as President and CEO of The Thanks-Giving Foundation and Thanks-Giving Square in downtown Dallas, whose purpose is “Coming together on Common Ground, moving together to Higher Ground.” He currently serves on the Board and the Executive Committee of The Thanks-Giving Foundation.

This work included the development of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square, a diverse coalition of Dallas’ faith leaders, dedicated to service, hope, and a shared vision of peace and justice for the North Texas community. It also included supporting the Interfaith Council of Thanks-Giving Square promoting interaction among people of widely different faith traditions. 

Prior to that, his career included representing the legislative and media interests of the Churches of Christ, Scientist in The State of Texas and leading an early-stage entrepreneurial start-up for profit business.

His primary career for almost thirty years was as an officer and eventually owner, president, and CEO of a distribution company in the lumber, building materials, and flooring industries.

He was a U.S. Naval Officer after graduating from Principia College and later expanded his education through studies at Harvard Business School.

He is a lifelong resident of Dallas and is married with two children and six grandchildren.

All are welcome to attend!

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Join us on Thursday, September 19, at 6:00 pm (Pacific) for our monthly Embraced:Fully Angel Team Workshop Zoom meeting.  Guests are always welcome!

What is an Angel Team? Who can be part of one? How do we start them up, and what role can our churches play?  Join us as we explore how we can support returning citizens as they return home from incarceration.

Embraced:Fully Angel Teams help qualified students of Christian Science coming out of prison find housing, transportation, employment, and most importantly a welcoming church community.

Agenda for the call:

1. Introductions & Announcements – Introduce yourself, are you currently working with any returning community members (or planning to)?
2. Regional Angel Team Updates & Returning Community Member check-ins – sharing progress, challenges, and accomplishments.
3. Visiting and Corresponding Volunteer Chaplain check-ins – updates from the field.
4. Topic for Discussion: Biggest obstacles to returning community member success
5. Confirm next meeting dates, wrap up meeting.

This is a monthly working meeting for Embraced:Fully Angel Teams across the nation, and also people interested in volunteering to either start or join one, or participate remotely.  Angel Teams help returning community members succeed in not going back to prison or jail.

Interview replays

Watch the replay of our interview with Reynaldo Aguilar, inmate counselor and addiction specialist

Watch the replay of our interview with James Early, Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster

Watch the replay of our interview With Dr. Porshia Haymon, Chief Program Officer At Cafe Momentum

Watch the replay of our interview with Daniel Alexander, Julie Dunsire, and John Nye

Watch the replay of our interview with Janet Horton

Watch the replay of our interview with Christian Science volunteer chaplain George Nutwell!

Watch the replay of our interview with Richard Miles, founder of Miles of Freedom.

Quick Links for Sharing:

• Embraced:Fully Application Form: for Returning Community Members once they have a sponsoring chaplain
• “I was supposed to die in prison” – Troy’s story [Video]
• Just released from San Quentin: Michael’s transformation in Christian Science + Chaplain Dan [Video]

Our mission is to help organize, train, educate and enable Angel Teams across the United States to help prepare qualified returning community members for successful reentry.

Photo by Jordan Wozniak on Unsplash

Our guest for this interview is Reynaldo Aguilar, Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDCC) and former Program Director for The Wellness & Recovery Program at Partnership Re-Entry Program (PREP).

Reynaldo’s Questions for Inmates

Purchase Reynaldo’s books (all proceeds benefit charity):

About our guest

Reynaldo Aguilar is a Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDCC) who believes his personal struggle with substance abuse and education puts him in a unique position to assist others on their journey to wholeness. He understands how trauma (pain) that is not dealt with and transformed is transmitted in destructive ways. He understands what it takes to overcome certain obstacles, to achieve tools in order to maintain sobriety and work toward inner healing. One of the best qualities he believes he possesses that will serve him well as he works with others who are struggling is empathy, the ability to be present and understanding toward others and their struggle with addiction. As “Hurt people, hurt people…Healed people heal people!” He has worked as the Program Director for The Wellness & Recovery Program for the non-profit Partnership Re-Entry Program (PREP) where he continues to facilitate recovery and rehabilitation workshops at California state prisons. He also works as a Victim Offender Dialogue facilitator with Mend Collaborative through Victim Services.

Narrative of Rehabilitation:

My name is Reynaldo Aguilar. As a misguided youth, at the age of 12 I was involved in a gang. Through that gang affiliation I got involved in a life of drugs and criminal activity. By the age of 19 I was arrested and convicted for aiding and abetting in a first-degree felony. I was sentenced to 28 years to life.

After being convicted and being sentenced, at the very beginning of my incarceration I came to very clearly realize how I was the architect of my destiny and how I was living out the consequences of my choices. It was then I started taking responsibility for my actions and life choices. I made that decision and took that difficult stand on a maximum-security prison facility.

My faith in God helped me to forgive myself for the life I had lived and taught me not to allow those poor choices to define me as a person. I then renounced all association with the gang, got sober, and began to make the best investment I could ever make which is in myself! I’ve worked hard to educate myself. I’ve earned two Associates Degrees in Business and in Social & Behavioral Science, a Drug and Alcohol Specialist Certification I & II. The last 10 years of my incarceration (2010 – 2020) I spent mentoring other inmates who were struggling with addictions and who were trying to change their lives. During my incarceration I achieved numerous certificates in Anger Management, Non-Violent Communication, Victim Impact, Stress Management, Alternative to Violence, Communication (public speaking through Toastmasters), and I have become very acquainted with the 12 steps of NA. I have also facilitated numerous groups and have created two program curriculums (Money Matters – Financial Literacy & Prisoners Organizing Workshops for Effective Rehabilitation P.O.W.E.R. to assist other inmates in their rehabilitation efforts) and became head Chairman (elected by my peers) of Timeless, Youth Offender Program Mentors, Narcotics Anonymous, and Criminal Gang members Anonymous (CGA). I have laudatory chronos from facility Captains commending me for the rehabilitative work I did on their yards.

On July 18, 2019 at my first Board of Prison Terms Hearing I was found suitable for parole by the parole board of prison hearings and that decision was upheld by Governor Gavin Newson on December 12, 2019. On March 16, 2020 I was released from Prison after completing the statutory requirement of my prison sentence. Being released at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic nation-wide quarantine has made my transition somewhat difficult, but I have managed to get my Driver’s License and continue my education by getting certified with California Association of DUI Treatment Providers (CADTP). I was granted early discharge of parole because of all the mitigating factors in my case (i.e. college, after care, employment, and my continued efforts to give back, etc.)

As “Hurt people, hurt people…Healed people heal people!” Today, I believe my past experience and education puts me in a unique position to assist others on their journey to wholeness. I understand how trauma (pain) that is not dealt with and transforms is transmitted in destructive ways, I understand what it takes to overcome certain obstacles, to achieve tools in order to maintain sobriety and work toward inner healing. One of the best qualities I possess that will serve me well as I work with others is empathy, the ability to be patient and understanding with other people and their struggle. My life experience informs me how I need to show up for others.

Today, I try to be everything I needed as a youth which is a mentor, a voice of reason, peer support, someone who sees the potential of people when they don’t see it for themselves. Having recently received my statewide institutional clearance, I am currently Program Director of The Wellness & Recovery Program for the non-profit Partnership Re-Entry Program (PREP) where I facilitate Substance Abuse Program in a carceral setting. I also Co-facilitate a Critical Insight group with Marc Vahanian from Pathway to Kinship at Chuckwalla, Ironwood State Prison, and California Rehabilitation Center. I was recently promoted to Program Director for Mend Collaborative who works in collaboration with the Office of Victim Service. In all this, I am humbled to be an instrument of good and honored to be a part of our (societies’) collective journey to wholeness.

Reynaldo Jr. Aguilar

All are welcome to attend!

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Join us on Thursday, August 15, at 6:00 pm (Pacific) for our monthly Embraced:Fully Angel Team Workshop Zoom meeting.  Guests are always welcome!

What is an Angel Team? Who can be part of one? How do we start them up, and what role can our churches play?  Join us as we explore how we can support returning citizens as they return home from incarceration.

Embraced:Fully Angel Teams help qualified students of Christian Science coming out of prison find housing, transportation, employment, and most importantly a welcoming church community.

Agenda for the call:

1. Introductions & Announcements – Introduce yourself, are you currently working with any returning community members (or planning to)?
2. Regional Angel Team Updates & Returning Community Member check-ins – sharing progress, challenges, and accomplishments.
3. Visiting and Corresponding Volunteer Chaplain check-ins – updates from the field.
4. Topic for Discussion: Interfaith cooperation ideas for Angel Teams
5. Confirm next meeting dates, wrap up meeting.

This is a monthly working meeting for Embraced:Fully Angel Teams across the nation, and also people interested in volunteering to either start or join one, or participate remotely.  Angel Teams help returning community members succeed in not going back to prison or jail.

Interview replays

Watch the replay of our interview with James Early, Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster

Watch the replay of our interview With Dr. Porshia Haymon, Chief Program Officer At Cafe Momentum

Watch the replay of our interview with Daniel Alexander, Julie Dunsire, and John Nye

Watch the replay of our interview with Janet Horton

Watch the replay of our interview with Christian Science volunteer chaplain George Nutwell!

Watch the replay of our interview with Richard Miles, founder of Miles of Freedom.

Quick Links for Sharing:

• Embraced:Fully Application Form: for Returning Community Members once they have a sponsoring chaplain
• “I was supposed to die in prison” – Troy’s story [Video]
• Just released from San Quentin: Michael’s transformation in Christian Science + Chaplain Dan [Video]

Our mission is to help organize, train, educate and enable Angel Teams across the United States to help prepare qualified returning community members for successful reentry.