Wings Ministry: Empowering Families of Prisoners
Wings Ministry is a ministry that supports families and loved ones of incarcerated persons by developing positive relationships and Christian faith through celebrations. Founded by Ann Edenfield Sweet, Wings Ministry also reaches out to families through Wings for L.I.F.E. (Life-skills Imparted to Families through Education), a program created not as a support group, but as an empowerment group, “to give [families of incarcerated persons] wings to fly for their rest of their lives,” said Sweet.
The Family-Focused Ministry of New Life Worship Center
The New Life Worship Center was started by Pastor Larry D. Thompson, Sr. and his wife, Sandra Thompson, four years ago. It focuses on issues facing families, offering support, and building communication skills. When the Thompsons founded the church, their adult daughter asked them to define what they were going to do for the children of the congregation. They had always been involved with churches that had children’s activities, but the discussion led Sandra to think intentionally about children and family programming.
Developmental Assets and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
For years, the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati has been training youth ministers to use the Developmental Assets. In 1997, the assets were included in the United States Catholic Church’s vision for youth ministry, and “even prior to that…among youth ministry leaders in the U.S., there was and continues to be a clear understanding that the Developmental Assets provide an important tool and a special lens for understanding and, in fact, planning youth ministry,” Said Sean Reynolds, Director of the Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
