As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me...

Christmas dinner for some of us will be a lavish event with all the trimmings. For others, it will be a very simple meal. A special thank you to all those who helped make Christmas a little more enjoyable for the men and women who are incarcerated at the Mendocino County Jail.

For the past 11 years I have been involved with the local Jail Ministry. Every week a small team of volunteers head there for an evening (approx. 3 hours) of Bible study and prayer with prisoners. There is also a second team of volunteers, who work with the troubled teenagers who are in Juvenile Hall.

Though the years we have all witnessed many transformed lives! We have had the privilege of sharing the gospel with hundreds of men and women, both young and old. I think my team mates would agree that this this work has been extremely rewarding and humbling. God has allowed us to develop strong, trusting relationships with the correctional officers and the inmates.

Not everyone is as excited about hanging out at the Jail on a Saturday night as we are - so we had to think of some other creative ways for our church family to participate in this ministry. One of those ideas is our Christmas Cookie Delivery! Every year about this time we deliver homemade Christmas goodies to every person who is incarcerated in the Mendocino County Jail.

First, we enlist all our favorite "bakers" from church.
We will need lots and lots of homemade cookies!

Then we collect, sort and bag all the cookies. This is the hard part for us , because those delicious cookies smell so yummy we are tempted to eat them all ourselves!

Next we assemble individual bags (Our Sunday School children have done a great job decorating them with fun pictures and stickers) Each bag contains: 6 assorted homemade cookies, a gospel story, calender, assorted candy bars, 3 blank Christmas cards with stamped envelopes so prisoners can write to their loved ones ....and last of all....a candy cane!

Bernice is putting the finishing touches on these bags. We are just about ready to load them up for tonight's delivery. Hope they all fit in our cars!

Mendocino County Jail!
Although there are many locked gates, tall fences, security cameras and barb-wire, the love of Jesus still makes it's way through to those inside. Tonight it is cold, clear and beautiful....a perfect night for a Christmas delivery!


Have you ever been inside a Jail? Well, come on in.... Chaplain Gerry allowed me to take a few pictures. Usually taking any pictures around this facility would be a big NO-NO. Gerry is a good hearted man with a generous spirit. His work at the Jail is not very glamorous, but he does an excellent job.


We'll be heading down these corridors soon to deliver our treats. Since we have already been cleared through security we will be handing the bags out directly to each inmate.


Lucy and the Chaplain Gerry review a few details before we begin. Lucy joined the Jail team about a year ago and has loved very minute. At first she was very hesitant. "I've never done anything like this before, maybe I'm too old. Even though I resisted the idea at first, the Holy Spirit kept drawing me to this ministry. God challenged me to SERVE BEYOND MY COMFORT ZONE" Lucy was willing to step out in faith and has had no regrets ever since!


All the cookie bags are "check in"- We're clean, no contraban!

We feel so blessed to be a part of what God is doing here! Tonight's visit will be a surprise for the guards and the inmates, a pleasant break from their evening routine. We wish you could come in with us to see all the faces of women and men. Receiving special "home made treats" can be quit an emotional experience for most of them. Some inmates will break into tears as we hug them and hand them their small bags. The smells and sight of Christmas goodies usually trigger many personal memories. We have seen God soften many hardened hearts through the years.




The members from First Baptist, St. Mary's and Calvary Baptist, all worked together to bless the staff and inmates. It is a privilege to be an extension of God's love to others. We work as ONE body, to glorify the King of Kings who was born to bring salvation to all.

"For I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25