True Vine Christian Academy Prison Ministry

10/28/2024

Happy Monday! Please take a moment to complete the survey linked below. The goal is to gather insights from family members of children involved in the justice system to help improve support services.

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my questionnaire. I am Dr. Vanda Seward, a student journalist at the Craig Newmark School, as well as a criminologist and researcher. With decades of experience in the criminal justice field in a human services capacity, I also serve as the Criminal J...

10/28/2024

10/21/2024

Grace and Peace,

We have a major announcement. After years of advocacy, $150M in federal rent relief for NYCHA tenants is now available. So many NYCHA tenants fell behind on rent during the pandemic and many have never caught back up.

Here’s the announcement on Twitter/X: https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1846925679578808393

We need your help in 1. Spreading the word to those who are eligible so they can apply 2. Celebrating this announcement, which represents a major victory for NYCHA.
Many of our older NYCHA residents still rely on email and are less likely to be reached by social media, so for this announcement in particular it is key to share through email lists. If you have regularly scheduled newsletter or update email, we would ask that you include it.

A Message from Senator Schumer

At long last, I am very pleased that this $150 million I fought hard to deliver to help tenants avoid eviction and weather the worst economic impacts of COVID is rightfully being delivered to struggling NYCHA residents. This is direct tenant rent relief. When I led the American Rescue Plan to passage, I specifically added provisions to help tenants—including a historic $5 billion for the HOME program—to address housing issues that were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am continuing to fight to protect and expand federal resources for public housing, including NYCHA. I recently coordinated millions for the “Building Line Initiative” to reduce mold and leaks and improve ticket-repair wait times. And last year I secured millions for tenant group capacity building throughout NYCHA, so tenants have a voice in the future of their developments. I will never stop fighting for NYCHA residents. We have so much more to do.

All eligible tenants should have received a letter informing them of their eligibility. Go to this link as soon as possible to apply for relief -- https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/residents/rental-arrears-programs.page

NYCHA households may be eligible to receive financial assistance to pay for a portion of their rent owed to NYCHA under two new programs, the Covid-19 Rental Assistance Program (CRA) and the HOME American Rescue Plan Program (HOME-ARP). These one-time programs are intended to help residents r...

09/18/2024

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2024/08/15/doj--n-c--state-prisons-agree-on-new-religious-practices #:~:text=Religious%20freedom%20in%20prison%3A%20N.C.%20promises%20changes%20after%20feds%20sue&text=CHARLOTTE%2C%20N.C.%20%E2%80%94%20The%20North%20Carolina,religious%20freedoms%20in%20state%20prisons.

08/20/2024

The SPIRIT of the LORD said...you will never have to play a part of anything if you are intended to be a part of it.

As much as you may love something, someone, or a situation; and try to be supportive of that something, someone or situation...there's a possibility that you were not intended to be a part of it. MISTAKES happen. MISJUDGEMENTS happen.

Don't sit somewhere and allow something, someone or a situation to play you.

You have a MISSION. You have a PURPOSE.
Live INTENTIONALLY and not RECKLESSLY
and you will reap results more than pay the consequences.

07/28/2024

The first image is what Moses had. Fast forward one thousand years to the second image; the rod of Asclepius which was given to the Greek god Hermes and what we see today as the symbol of medicine.

They both symbolize HEALING. and this world is in great need of ...HEALING.

According to Numbers 21:5-9, GOD gave instructions for the use of the symbol:

5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

How I interpreted this for myself is ...the thing that caused you pain, when you see it; when you think about it and it reminds you of the pain it caused you, AVOID IT...but that message somehow didn't connect with many of the Israelites because when we go over to 2nd Kings we learn that instead of looking at the serpent of brass on a pole, the people began to worship it as a pagan symbol BECAUSE THEY HAD FORGOTTEN THE HISTORY of the brazen snake and when people FORGET THEIR HISTORY, TRUE WORSHIP BECOMES IDOLTARY. They began to burn incense to the serpent of brass (who told them to do that?? GOD said look at it). How many of us are guilty of that? GOD tells us to do one thing but we do something else. How many people are victims of forgetting their history...or not even knowing their history because they were not taught properly and slowly, little by little that history gets erased from the minds of the people and pages of books.

Despite what some may choose to believe, especially in light of recent events in Illinois...all hope is not lost. Not then and not now.

Fast forward 1400 years after Hezekiah broke the bronze snake Moses made....a prophet name Yashua comes onto the scene and this is what he said...

John 3:14-15
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Fast forward to 2024, the world is in an evil place. There are SO many temptations and false prophets crouching at our door but I encourage you FB FAM to be reminded of what Yashua said in John 3:14-15...LIFT HIM UP. That means WITNESS not WORSHIP. WORSHIP is reserved for the TRUE and LIVING GOD. GOD ALMIGHTY.

Use your actions and your words to...LIFT HIM UP.

07/22/2024

Last week's top pick at Flowersbynia.com was the Rainbow Roses

07/07/2024

Jeremiah 51
60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;

Study of Jeremiah .. the words that were written were read
December 2023 - July 2024

07/07/2024

Israel. Jacob's children

Jeremiah 50

17 Israel is A SCATTERED SHEEP; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

18 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

***19 And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.***

20 In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.

06/26/2024

True Vine Christian Academy Prison Ministry

True Vine Christian Academy is a member of the Correctional Education Association, the American Correctional Association, Coalition of Prison Evangelist, New York State Corrections and Youth Services Association, New York State Chaplains Task Force, North Carolina Chaplain’s Association, Registere...