4.0 Difference in Kairos Participants to Other 4th Day Type Movements

 

4.0 Difference in Kairos Participants to Other 4th Day Type Events

Kairos was born out of the Catholic Cursillo movement, when 4 states began doing “Cursillo” in the prisons of New York, New Jersey, Iowa and Wisconsin. Florida began doing Cursillo at Raiford Prison outside of Jacksonville in 1976. It soon became apparent there were inherent flaws in the program in a prison environment. In addition, the National Catholic Cursillo leadership approached the leaders of the prison weekends and offered to assist in “getting started” if these volunteers would cease doing Cursillo in the prisons, and would develop a new program, which was conducive to a prison environment. Cursillo further asked that we develop our own nomenclature fitting to the prison ministry we would eventually call “KAIROS”.

Because our volunteers came from street weekends such as Cursillo, Tres Dias, Walk to Emmaus, etc. they felt Kairos should be like those weekends. Consequently, they wanted to bring those things that were special to them on their weekend into Kairos. But, because of the differences in the participants, purpose and program, many things were not appropriate for Kairos. So, a group of men, whom we in Kairos today call the “nine old men”, went to work. In the process, they were able to identify some significant differences. Such as:

Differences in “Participants”:
4th Day	KAIROS
Target potential spiritual leaders	Target the negative leaders in prisons
They regularly attend church	For the most part they are “un-churched”
Comfortable with their church practices	Uncomfortable with churchy things
For most part trusting of each other	Untrusting of religion and religious people
Loving, giving, with servant's hearts	Angry, resentful, mostly self-centered

Differences in “Purposes”;

4th Day	KAIROS
Develop/encourage “spiritual leaders”	Encourage change to “positive” leaders
Extend loving “family” and support system	Provide “substitute family” support
Put action to their forgiveness by God	Introduce God’s love and forgiveness
Greater involvement in “community”	Invite them to our community
Enhance the “Christian Community”	Build “Christian Community” in prison

Differences in “Program”

 

4th Day	KAIROS
Communion is permissible	No communion is permitted
Goal setting in their lives	Encourage better “Choices” for future
Encouragement of “discipleship”	Encourage “self” exam/spiritual growth
Sponsorship is very workable in free world	Sponsorship unworkable in prison
Designed for return loving environment	Participants return unloving environment
Palanca/Agape is not limited	Agape is “paper & written” only
Different talks & meditations. For example: Ideals	Vs. Choices
Piety	Vs. Opening the Door

We have found that the typical inmate is motivated to attend a Kairos course for far different reasons than the typical Christian volunteer attends their 4th Day movement retreat.

1.          They come to us for specific personal reasons that sometimes have nothing to do with seeking Christ:

·       For the food

·       Out of boredom

·       To manipulate us

·       For the parole board

·       To get some grease with the officer who recommended them

·       Deep down though, all of them come because they have run out of “answers”

2.          After the reputation of Kairos spreads in the institution, some come for personal reasons having to do with seeking Christ although they probably do not recognize that fact. They come:

·       To be accepted as an individual

·       Because they are lonely

·       Because they like what they see in those who are active in the Kairos community.

·       Because they really want to be loved but they can tell their buddies it was “for the biscuits”

 

All of the above factors present several challenges to the ministry. Almost everything we inject into Kairos, whether invented or remembered from our street weekend, can create a negative influence:

1.          The type of participant we attract can be affected by:

·       Making the course too churchy

·       Teaching them it is a private club with passwords, etc.

·       Buying their participation with trade-gifts

·       Frightening them with our holiness

2.          Focus of the team is easily swayed by:

·       Team agape reminds team of their renewal experience, making it more difficult to stay focused on sacrificial ministry.

·       Applause after talks pumps up “self” (ego) making our role more difficult.

·       Special dress or presentation of speakers has the same inflating effect as (b) above.

·       Response by the participants can weaken the impact of the course.

3.          Residents want to thank the team so they can “pay for” the grace they have received. This makes the experience fit into their worldview where everything is paid for. It is our job to keep them from exercising that desire. Examples include:

·       Poems or songs

·       Applause after talks

Thank-Yous at open mike, etc.

Personal gifts may allow them to “pay for” the course.

4.           Overload of agape is not wise, and it can become gluttony.

Agape has been rarely visible in the eyes of our participants. That fact has contributed to their being in prison in the first place.

Agape is a powerful ingredient of the course. It should be adequate, but not overdone.

 General agape (prayer wheels, posters, banners, greetings, expressions of prayer and sacrifice)

Personal agape (personal letters only- leave off gifts, printed matter, tracts, bookmarks, anything bought)

An overload of agape will certainly delight the participants, just as children are delighted with an overload of toys at Christmas, but the overload cheapens the message.

5.           Certain denominationally specific expressions can be threatening to participants and team members alike and should be avoided. Examples include:

 Speaking in tongues

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