God Behind Bars Hosts Father Daughter Dance for Inmates
Plus, spreading the warmth during winter—and other ministries making a difference.
At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. It’s why we advocate for the transparency, accountability and efficiency of Christian ministries.
Because of that, we cover a lot of stories we’d rather not have to—stories of waste, fraud, and abuse. We do it unapologetically, because aside from exposing evil, we also believe these stories offer lessons for ministries and donors to learn from.
But we also seek to amplify stories of ministries doing excellent work. That’s what this column is for—to spotlight ministries making a difference in their own communities and around the world. We pray it is a blessing to see the many creative ways God’s people are working for His glory and for their neighbors’ good.
With that, here’s this week’s roundup of ministries making a difference:
Video screenshot @God Behind Bars
In November, the ministry God Behind Bars hosted a father daughter dance for 29 inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. According to ChurchLeaders, inmates were chosen for their good behavior and dressed up in tuxedos to dance with their daughters in a room decked out in prom-inspired decor. Fathers surprised guests by performing a line dance and gave their daughters Bibles and handwritten letters. Launched in 2009, God Behind Bars says it has shared the Gospel with more than 1 million inmates. It works to reduce recidivism, provide holistic care, and connect inmates with Jesus and a local church. If you need a dose of hope and a reminder that God is working his light in dark places, I highly recommend watching the video recap of the dance event, linked above.
Photo via Facebook @SVCM
Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry (SVCM) has been helping its neighbors in Black Mountain, N.C., stay warm throughout the winter months. Local organizations and clubs got involved in the effort during December also by decorating Christmas trees as part of the annual Deck the Trees fundraiser, which raised $82,483 for SVCM’s heating assistance fund. In 2025, SVCM helped nearly 500 families pay for heat. As of January 13, SVCM also said it has delivered 34 full truckloads of wood to families as part of its Firewood Ministry.
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ROTOM founder Kenneth Mugayehwenkyi, center / Photo via Facebook
Since its inception in 2003, Reach One Touch One Ministries (ROTOM) has been serving grandparents in Uganda who, in their old age, are caring for their orphaned grandchildren. The ministry has grown over the decades and expanded services based on the needs of the grandparents—Bible studies, meals during meetings with leftovers to send home for the children, home visits, local geriatric clinics. It also operates in Ethiopia. Over two decades, ROTOM says it has served more than 2,000 older people and 600 orphans.
Elisa Bosley, founder of Spiritual Eldercare / Video screenshot
Similarly, an Australian chaplain had trouble finding resources to serve the elderly in her community, so she created some herself. She started Spiritual Eldercare, developing free resources designed to equip other chaplains and caregivers to meet spiritual needs of people with Alzheimer’s, including dementia-friendly hymnals, Bible studies and YouTube worship services.
