“God’s Special Time”
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Welcome
The Kairos Prison Ministry was established to
change lives and minister to the hearts of
those within the prison system.
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What is “Kairos”?
◦ A Christian, volunteer, lay-led, ecumenical, International
prison ministry addressing the spiritual needs of
incarcerated men, women and children, and to their
families
◦ Volunteers bring and show Christ’s love and forgiveness to
residents and to their families
◦ The program consists of three personalized programs
 Men’s Inside
 Women’s Inside Ministries
 Kairos Outside
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Kairos addresses the spiritual needs of residents
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Volunteers work in teams of 20 to 45
– The primary goal is to pray with and share the love and forgiveness of
Jesus Christ with every participant
– Share meals and fellowship with the incarcerated on a “one-on-one”
basis
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First visit (weekend) is a three-day event during which
time the team teaches a short introductory course on
Christianity
Subsequent visits are monthly One Day and Two Day
reunions with the prisoners.
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42 Residents selected by Prison Chaplains
– Preferably from among negative leaders
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11 highly structured and focused talks
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Discussions
Poster techniques to stimulate interaction
Music (more later on the GRCC Praise Band)
Create an environment of love, respect and honesty
Listen, listen, love, love
Coming to terms with Christ’s love and concept of
forgiveness
– Realization of accountability for their personal actions
– Forgiveness for themselves
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Show Christ’s love with respect and without
pressure or judgment
– Bring residents to realization
• The need for God to be in their lives
• Hope rather than hopelessness
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Establish on-going weekly accountability groups
– “Prayer and Share” – the real objective
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Provide ongoing support as they develop trust,
respect, ability to interact
– Acceptance of their own accountability
– Build Christian community within the darkness of prison, among
the inmates themselves
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Volunteer team functions as servants of Christ but
without
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preaching
judging
giving advice
Promoting any specific denomination
Reflecting the love of Christ
◦ A ministry to the lost and forgotten
◦ A mission field in a foreign land in our own backyards
 “A land of lost souls”
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Provides spiritual healing to families of
incarcerated -- they are "doing time“ too
Spouses, parents and other relatives of residents
meet with teams of Kairos volunteers
– Share their faith and gain strength from the outside Christian
community
– Active in 19 states
– 35 programs in Canada, England, Australia and South Africa
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Kairos Prison Ministry affects our communities in
many positive ways
◦ Lives have been changed and former residents return to our
communities as more responsible and less violent citizens
◦ Former residents become better spouses, parents,
employees or volunteers and give back to society
◦ Critical issue: Benefits to correctional staff – reduced
turnover rate = financial savings to tax payers
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2014 – Kairos Activities in Virginia Prisons
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Greensville Correctional Center: S1,S2,S3
Augusta Correctional Center
Fluvanna Correctional Center
Wallens Ridge State Prison
Green Rock Correctional Center
Sussex State Prison I and II
Buckingham Correctional Center
Keen Mountain Correctional Center
Nottaway Correctional Center
Pocahontas #1, State Correctional Center
Central Virginia Correctional Unit #13 Chesterfield
Coffeewood Correctional Center
Haynesville Correctional Center
Virginia Correctional Center – Goochland
Red Onion State Prison
River North State Prison
Virginia Department of Correction would like KAIROS in all Prisons
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Donated effort to fund just one weekend program.
◦ 1,100 volunteer hours for the inside and outside teams for one
weekend+ $5,000 in donations to fund the weekend.
◦ 3,400 dozen cookies
◦ Volunteers currently pay their own expenses; mileage, hotels,
meals
◦ One weekend cost several thousand dollars!
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ALL DONATED!
◦ Many weekends are held each year along with monthly visits from
the Kairos Teams
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The Ministry also has a very favorable effect upon
volunteers
– Many volunteers acknowledge that the team training, with its
emphasis on introspection, honesty, sharing and community,
enhances their spirituality
– Kairos Prison Ministry serves our communities and reduces the
number of victims by changing residents lives
– Many of the residents who participate in the entire Kairos
program return to our communities as better and less violent
citizens
• Contributes to safer neighborhoods
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Kairos Ministry gains respect from
correctional system, too
 Virginia Department of Corrections, Chief Corrections
Operations Officer reports that Kairos program participants had
a recidivism rate of 22%. He goes on to say: Kairos is a
beneficial program, that aids offenders in changing lives ..in
addition it reduces the number of disciplinary reports and
generally creates a calming atmosphere at the prison.
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Benefits to the prison community
◦ Residents who participate come to terms with their
environment, become less difficult to manage, and show
more respect for correctional officers
◦ Residents take responsibility for their lives and their
spiritual growth wherever God puts them!
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SERVE ON A TEAM
Every weekend needs a team of 25-30 members to serve inside and
as support outside. We need Clergy as well as lay people.
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MAKE A DONATION
Every weekend costs thousands of dollars. Add Kairos to your
Missions budget! $500.00 will sponsor a seat for the incarcerated.
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BAKE COOKIES
PRAY
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SET UP A SPEAKER FOR YOUR CHURCH
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Thank you, with God’s blessings!!
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