2.0 THE KAIROS MINISTRY

 

 2.0 THE KAIROS MINISTRY

 2.1      Description of the Ministry

 Kairos is an interdenominational Christian ministry whose programs are designed to be presented in men and women’s correctional institutions with adaptations for other countries and languages. The national board of Kairos Prison Ministries International Inc. governs this ministry with headquarters in DeBary, Florida. The ministry is conducted, in cooperation with the chaplains of correctional institutions, by teams of laity and clergy who are selected and trained by State Councils of Kairos and approved by correctional institutions as volunteers.

 Kairos Prison Ministry is a ministry by persons drawn from a broad range of denominational churches. Kairos volunteers have experience in renewal movements within their churches, which focus on small group dynamics, share and prayer groups, personal witness and vulnerability in Christian community. It is a continuing ministry.

 There are two Greek words for time. One of them, with which we are all familiar, is "kronos," meaning linear time ... hours, days, weeks, etc. The other is "kairos," used in the sense of a time set by God for a particular occurrence. "KAIROS" was found to be a word of very special significance in the environment of the correctional institution where the word "time" carries so many special connotations.

 2.2      The Purpose of Kairos INSIDE

 The purpose of Kairos Inside is to establish strong Christian communities among the populations of correctional institutions. The aim is to create a desire amongst Residents to meet in small, self-supporting, 3-to-5 person share and prayer groups in the institutions. These groups are to meet weekly (or as frequently as possible) to share their lives on a deep spiritual level and to pray for one another, for other residents and staff in the institutions. The extent to which Residents rely on Kairos Volunteers to provide the emotional and spiritual support they are looking for, is the extent to which Kairos has failed.

 Kairos will also impact the correctional environment through the action of the leaders, as apprentices of Jesus Christ, in all areas of human activity in the prison.

 2.3      The Essence of Kairos INSIDE

 Through a systematic, structured program, the residents of correctional institutions are given the opportunity to experience a spiritual renewal and to accept God's call to a life of Christian witness and service to one another during their stay in the institution and beyond.

 The Kairos strategy is to identify leaders from the key environments of the institution, leaders who have the greatest potential to impact their environments with the message of Christ's love.  These leaders are then invited by the Chaplain (in most institutions) to attend a 40-hour Short Course in Christianity where they are introduced to the Kairos community.

 2.4           Continuing Ministry

 Kairos courses have but one purpose: the formation of residents in correctional institutions into small share and prayer groups. This life is neither automatic nor easy.

 At the conclusion of the short course, the participants return to the compound where the Christian community is usually a minority and find themselves largely dependent for Christian fellowship on those residents who have already participated in a Kairos course. Many residents soon find themselves missing that deeper fellowship with other Christians, which they enjoyed during the course. Most will avoid establishing vulnerable relationships with other residents. A relationship established with someone from the outside requires little or no real vulnerability on the part of the resident. A relationship established with another resident requires a great deal of vulnerability if it is going to be a viable relationship in which they can love one another.

 The job of the Kairos volunteer is not to become the primary support person for any resident. It is not even to become one of several principle support persons. Anything Kairos volunteers do to make residents more dependent on them than upon the other residents among whom they live in the institution is a disservice to the resident. So, we must encourage residents to enter into community with each other rather than with ourselves. This is the goal and purpose of the Kairos continuing ministry, which may consist of the Journey program, the Initial Reunion, small groups and in some cases Kairos 2-day retreats.

 By engaging in these activities, residents begin to form relationships of trust with each other and with God. The more these relationships grow and strengthen during their time in prison, the easier and more effective will be their rehabilitation and reconciliation with family and the community after release.