In this season of giving thanks, we have so much to be grateful for here at First Pres. God has truly blessed us. For over 200 years we have been a presence in the Germantown community ministering to and with our neighbors in this northwest section of Philadelphia. We are a diverse congregation united by our faith in Jesus Christ and our commitment to providing a vital ministry in our community.
Gifts of Grace
The Graterford Prison Project
by Don Carlin
“Why do you give gifts to prisoners who don’t deserve them?” my waitress asked me as I prepared to make my first trip to Graterford Prison to help prepare holiday packages for the inmates. Her question allowed me to share a few words about grace, about the free and undeserved gifts that God gives to all of us.
On December 6, in the rain, seven people from First Church traveled by church minibus to Graterford. We joined many other volunteers—Presbyterian, Episcopal, Mennonite and others—in the huge prison warehouse. In assembly-line fashion, we circled large, gift-laden tables again and again, filling clear plastic bags with the simple snack and toiletry items that would be given to the inmates the next day. Over 3,000 gift bags were filled, tied and packed.