Gathering will be largest of its kind in U.S.

Contact: Marie Guthrie, Senior Director of Ministry Communications, Awana, 630-540-4600

STREAMWOOD, Ill., Aug. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- The 2008 Returning Hearts Celebration(TM) at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, once deemed the most violent prison in America, is expected to reunite a record number of children with their inmate fathers Sept. 13 for a special day to enjoy crafts, pony rides, inflatable games, sporting events and a meal together. The reunion, which runs from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. CST, will be the nation's largest gathering of children and their inmate fathers.

About 730 children participated in last year's Returning Hearts Celebration Angola, and this year more than 1,000 are registered. The event is a joint effort between the penitentiary and Chicago-based Awana, an international children and youth ministry.

In addition to a fun-filled family day in a festive atmosphere, Returning Hearts Celebration is a time when fathers who may not have seen their children in years can ask for forgiveness and begin reconciliation with their daughters and sons, helping to break the cycle of crime. The hard truth is that children of an incarcerated parent are seven times more likely than their peers to end up in prison themselves.

"Returning Hearts is a time when the walls come down between kids and their fathers," said Lyndon Azcuna, director of cross-cultural ministries for Awana. "This special day gives children an opportunity to be with their fathers physically and to hear them say, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you.' It's also a place for children to experience God's love through the changed hearts of their fathers."

"These fathers do not want their children to end up in prison, so they are intentional in encouraging and teaching their children to pursue godly character," added Jack Eggar, president of Awana.

Awana Lifeline began in 2003 when Warden Burl Cain of Louisiana State Penitentiary, the largest maximum-security prison in the U.S., invited Awana Co-Founder Art Rorheim and President/CEO Jack Eggar to speak to the prison's fellowship of Christian men. What Rorheim and Eggar found was surprising and inspiring: The inmates wanted to see an evangelism and discipleship program established for their children.

Because of the expertise Awana has in working with children, parents and churches, Cain invited the ministry to help meet this need. Shortly thereafter, the Awana Lifeline program was born.

Awana recently announced plans to expand its Awana Lifeline program to seven other prisons throughout the nation, including San Quentin.

In addition to programming, Awana also is responsible for coordinating hundreds of volunteers for the event. Last year Awana volunteers came from 21 states, including Alaska.

About Awana:
Awana is an international ministry that partners with parents and churches to raise kids to know, love and serve God. Each week, more than a million children and youth are involved in Awana through more than 12,000 churches in the U.S. and in over 100 countries.

For more information about Awana Lifeline, visit www.awana.org/lifeline

For media credentials to attend celebration, contact: Cathy Fontenot at 225-655-2028, Louisiana State Penitentary