Carinity's Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy service has partnered with Emmaus Correspondence School Ministries (ECS) to help bring some Christmas joy to people in Queensland correctional centres.
Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy Coordinator Myles Waldron this week took delivery of around 2,000 free calendars which will be distributed by his chaplains to men and women in prison as gifts.
The 2020 calendars feature photos of Australian landscapes and scenes and a verse of Scripture for each day of the year.
The calendars also include information for inmates who may wish to study the Bible while in prison.
"Carinity and Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy is very happy to support this wonderful initiative, as the Christmas period can be a very challenging time for people in prison," Myles says.
"We hope these calendars can bring some joy and harmony to those serving in correctional centres and perhaps inspire them to more frequently engage with chaplains and pastoral carers and discover the love of Jesus."
Bryson Thomas from ECS Ministries in Toowoomba supplies calendars to around 19,000 prisoners in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.
A further 24,000 calendars are distributed to people in prisons in Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory by ECS Ministries Sydney.
"The calendars reach a total of 42,830 prison inmates as well as 19,456 copies purchased by churches and businesses to distribute to the community," Bryson says.
"Hopefully next year we'll be able to supply the calendars to South Australian prisons as well.
"So far this year we have sent 3,029 Bible studies to inmates. In Queensland, 457 new inmate students have come to us through this year's calendar alone."
