The woman sobbed quietly into her hands for a few minutes. Composing herself as best she could, she looked into the eyes of the 18-year-old. “I forgive you,” she declared. “But you are going to have to prove to me…
Strengthened family ties break cycle of criminal behavior
Ministry to inmates’ children and spouses can help keep families together through incarceration and after release. Generally, offenders are placed in prisons away from home — often across the state or even in another state. Reed Hanna of St. Louis…
Relationships, reconnection foster restoration of offenders
Relationship is at the heart of the restorative justice philosophy — restoring an offender’s relationship with self, family and community. The reconnection {mosimage}Then individuals need assistance to reinforce new behaviors and to return to their communities as productive citizens worthy…
Restorative justice aims to heal relationships, repair harm
The woman sobbed quietly into her hands for a few minutes. Composing herself as best she could, she looked into the eyes of the 18-year-old. “I forgive you,” she declared. “But you are going to have to prove to me…
Grandparents claim bragging rights for adopted children from overseas
HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Wade and Nellie Paris of Harrisonville, Mo., know the blessings of adopting children of a different culture. Now they are grandparents to international adoptees. In 1971, they adopted 7-month-old Susan from Korea. Then in 1975, they adopted…
Multicultural adoptive families ask: How to celebrate child’s heritage?
Couples who adopt children of another race — either internationally or domestically — determine what aspects of the child’s culture to incorporate into the family’s life. Studies show that children who learn about their heritage have higher self-esteem and a…
One big happy family! Multicultural adoption increasing among Americans
Transracial adoption has become chic. Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt adopted children from Ethiopia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Pop singer Madonna adopted children from Malawi. And that has brought increased attention, pro and con, to transracial adoption — both…
‘Generosity’ may communicate in ways ‘stewardship’ misses
A 2,000-year-old incident continues to set the standard for what it means to be a generous church. The New Testament records the need: “Our Jerusalem brothers and sisters need our help.” And in the face of difficult financial circumstances, the…
Some churches help Christians view culture through spiritual lenses
What does it mean to participate with God in “making all things new”? Many feel the answer to that question is key to the life and liturgy of the church. “We think of ‘creating culture,’” said Winn Collier, one of…