Ministry in Action
Christmas gift bags for all
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, 20225, members of the BTCC ministry team and volunteers from St. Luke's and Trinity Lutheran South Milwaukee packed Christmas gift bags at St. Luke's, which were distributed at our annual Christmas caroling event on Saturday, Dec. 20 at FCCC. Every man incarcerated, regardless of whether or not they join us for worship and Bible studies, received a gift bag.
This year, our gift bags included: body wash, deodorant, beef sticks, peanut butter and crackers, crackers and cheese, protein bars, chips, candy, a Christmas card signed by our ministry team, and two blank cards to share with a friend or loved ones. For the first time this year, we were also able to include instant coffee, two toothbrushes, and toothpaste due to generous new donors.
This work of sharing the love shown to us by Jesus with men in prison would not be possible without the generosity of the following churches, organizations, and individuals:
Martin Luther Church, Milwaukee
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Wauwatosa
Trinity Lutheran Church, West Bend
Trinity Lutheran, South Milwaukee
Reformation Lutheran, Milwaukee
Hephatha Lutheran, Milwaukee
First Lutheran, West Allis
Ascension Lutheran, Milwaukee
Holy Cross Lutheran, Menomonee Falls
St. Bartholomew's Church, Pewaukee
Marquette University Dental School and several local dentists
Thrivent Action Team Grants provided by Outreach for Hope and Vicki Kuharske
Several other anonymous donors
Landscaping at Felmers and beyond
Thanks to generous donations, our volunteers plant flowers at Felmers Chaney Correctional Center and perform landscaping at various community service sites.
Growing, distributing produce
Our volunteers and our incarcerated brothers grow produce in the garden at the prison, and the excess is distributed to local food pantries and Tricklebee Cafe, a pay-what-you-can community cafe.
Remembering Jon Kamppainen
On Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, a memorial was held at Hephatha Lutheran Church, where we mourned the loss of our brother, Jon Kamppainen. Jon, who became a member of the Breaking the Chains Church family while incarcerated at Felmers Chaney Correctional Center, was a master electrician who shared his skills and expertise by completing projects at Hephatha.
Our steering committee members team up with our incarcerated brothers to help rebuild our community partners' spaces. Pictured is the stripped and cleaned space at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church.