Beyond Angel Tree: Going Deeper
“Thrive”-ing Small Group
Every week, I gather with a small group of men at my church.
We’re about halfway through an eight-week small group based on Thrive and the companion Study Guide, and my hope is simple: to create a safe space where men can be honest, vulnerable, and responsive to what God is doing in their lives.
We open the Word. We talk about identity, pain, and hope. We pray for one another. We’re learning, together, what it means to thrive in Christ right in the middle of our everyday lives.
Recently, I received a note from a man named Jeff that reminded me why this work matters both inside and outside the walls of a prison.
Jeff’s Story
Jeff is currently incarcerated. He wrote to share how God is meeting him in a very different kind of “small group” setting.
He told me that reading Thrive has given him courage and strength to live faithfully in an incredibly difficult environment. Now he’s working through the Study Guide on his own, asking God to keep shaping his character and deepening his trust.
He also wrote about his wife, Jennifer. While he’s been away, she has carried an enormous load at home: parenting, making decisions, and holding things together. Jeff talked about how deeply he loves her, how much he worries about her and the kids, and how grateful he is for the way their church family and Pam have come alongside them with prayer, encouragement, and practical support.
Jeff closed his note by saying he looks forward to the day we can shake hands and share a meal together.
I’m struck by the fact that, at the same time I’m leading a group of men in my church, Jeff is working through the very same material from a prison cell. Different circumstances, same God, same hope.
From Wider to Deeper
For several years, we partnered with Angel Tree through our church in Dallas, helping provide Christmas gifts for children with an incarcerated parent. Each year we were able to serve nearly twice as many families as the year before.
It was a beautiful opportunity, and we’re grateful for it.
Over time, though, we sensed a nudge:
What would it look like not only to go wider, but to go deeper with a smaller number of families?
Instead of a one-time connection at Christmas, what if we could walk alongside families over the long haul? What if we could encourage the wives (who are often the primary caregivers), stay in touch with the husbands, and be present in both spiritual and practical ways?
That’s what we’re doing now.
Pam regularly texts, calls, and sometimes meets with the wives. I stay in touch with the husbands through Securus, the eMessaging system used by the Florida and Texas Departments of Corrections. Together, we’re reminding these families that they are seen, remembered, and loved.
This Christmas season, we are focusing intentionally on three families connected to men like Jeff. Between them, there are 13 children and 3 spouses we’re caring for in a special way.
Our goal is simple and tangible: We’d like to be able to spend about $100 per child on Christmas gifts. Nothing extravagant, but meaningful and thoughtful, chosen with each child in mind.
We’ve already committed to doing this, regardless of what comes in. But we’d love for you to participate with us so it doesn’t all have to come out of pocket and, as God provides, so we can serve even more deeply.
How You Can Participate
If this resonates with you, here are a few ways you can join us:
1. Pray
Pray for Jeff and Jennifer, and for the other families we’re walking with. Pray for the kids, that they would experience the love of Christ through the care of their church and wider community. Pray for the men who are incarcerated, that they would continue to grow spiritually and lead their families well, even from a distance.
2. Give
If you’d like to help provide Christmas gifts (and ongoing support) for these families, you can give here.
Your gift (of any amount) goes directly toward Christmas gifts for the 13 kids and 3 spouses we’re currently serving, plus follow-up support like encouragement, study materials, and practical help for families impacted by incarceration.
We’ll handle the logistics of purchasing and delivering the gifts. You’ll be helping make it possible.
3. Share
Consider sharing this message with someone you think might want to come alongside families of the incarcerated in a thoughtful, relational way.
A Timeless Invitation
Year-round, Qavah is committed to walking with families impacted by incarceration, encouraging wives and caregivers who are carrying more than most people realize, and equipping men (inside and outside prison walls) to thrive spiritually and lead with courage.
So whether you’re reading this right before Christmas, in the middle of the year, or years from now, the invitation is the same:
Come participate with us.
Pray. Give as you’re able. Share this vision with others.
Thank you for standing with us as we go deeper with real families, in real places, with real hope.