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.
Sweet first became connected with the Developmental Assets when she was working in with LOGOS Ministry, directing special projects, one of which was Wings Ministry. It became clear that the majority of the 40 Developmental Assets could be built within a healthy church program, and Sweet has implemented them extremely successfully in her work with families. Sweet’s unique background equipped her with a grouping of skills and experience to make a difference for families dealing with something she had gone through personally—the incarceration of a family member.
Beginning with the sentencing of her former husband, Ann came face to face with the harsh realities of how his incarceration affected her family. They were shunned by neighbors and churches did not want them. With four young sons, this stay-at-home mom was left with no one to guide and support her as she worked to get her family back on its feet. The type of assistance churches seemed willing to provide was through gift giving around the holidays, and Sweet quickly tired of this system and realized that what she really needed was the gift of acceptance.
Her experience inspired her to start a better, more supportive way of celebrating holidays. She wanted to reach out to people, support them, and celebrate with them by throwing a party. Sweet approached Chuck Colson Ministry with her idea, and was given a grant to begin throwing Wings Parties. The focus of the parties has been on building relationships between families of incarcerated persons and Christians of many denominations, so that the families have opportunities to feel supported and find a church home. Wings Ministry holds Christmas, Easter, and Back-to-School Parties each year, and additional parties have been held in prisons in 6 states and communities in12 states. Sweet has received requests for parties from all 50 states.
The weekly Wings for L.I.F.E. meetings focus on different topics, tying the Developmental Assets to basic skills, to help build confidence and teach manners and positive communication. Manners play a big part in the Wings for L.I.F.E meetings, and they are taught in positive, empowering ways, showing the guests how these skills can benefit them. Discussion about the homecomings of their family members is an important topic because it prepares the families to address issues that arise after being apart for so long. While the incarcerated person’s outside life stopped when he or she went into prison, the family members’ lives have continued, and there is often more disconnect than people realize.
Every week, Sweet creates a placemat for the meeting that lists the manner, life skills, and asset(s) they will be focusing on that day. At a meeting this June, the life skill of the day was cooking healthy food, so Sweet demonstrated easy and inexpensive ways to make, cut, and prepare vegetables and make a salad rather than buying pre-made bags of salad. The manner that day focused on trying new foods, how to be polite while doing so, and how to act if you did not like it. At each meeting, there a list of discussion questions on every table. The questions help create a focused conversation, allow people connect personally to the topics of the day, and build relationships with others.
Sweet has also written a book titled Family Arrested: How to Survive the Incarceration of a Loved One.
For more information on Wings Ministry or Wings for L.I.F.E. please visit their websites at www.wingsministry.org and www.wingsforlife.info or contact Ann Edenfield Sweet at AnnEdenfield@wingsministry.org.
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