Kairos helps us offer Christ, change lives of inmates



The Kairos program gives us opportunities to offer Christ to those in state prisons throughout the Southwest Texas Conference.
Kairos is the prison version of the Walk to Emmaus. The format is similar to Emmaus, with many talks, meditations, table activities, singing and even some silence.
The heart of the program is the weekly Prayer and Share time (like the Emmaus reunion group). Prisoners become the church inside the walls and minister to each other.
That is significant. They cannot depend on those of us from the free world because we are in the prison only periodically.
What goes into Kairos? First, lots of love and lots of listening. The motto is “Listen, Listen, Love, Love.”
Second, prayer. A prayer chain is formed. At the Torres No. 17, team members and inmates were all blown away when we received agape that said a Bible study group of soldiers in Iraq was praying for us. Members of the outside team (which also prepares home-cooked meals) always have a person in the chapel praying.
Third, home-cooked meals. These are often the “hook” that brings inmates to the program.
Fourth, cookies. We use a minimum of 3,000 dozen cookies on each weekend. On Saturday during a visit, every person in the prison (including staff members) gets a dozen cookies.
How can you help?
> Consider being a team member. We need about 40 men for the inside team in a men’s prison (or 40 women in a women’s prison), and about 20 women/men for the outside team.
> Provide green agape (cash). It costs around $13,000 for each weekend. A Sunday school class can raise the $125 it costs for each inmate. A children’s class can send letters (maybe a hand print, a first name, age, and “God loves you.”) These are some of our most effective tools to reach the prisoners.
> Bake cookies. Each team member is responsible for 50 dozen.
> Pray.
> Help get chapels built at each prison. The two units I am most familiar with, Torres in Hondo and Briscoe in Dilley, have both outgrown the small chapels they have. Participation in Prayer and Share is limited by the capacity of the rooms.
We were privileged to have two people from Nicaragua with us during Weekend 18 at Torres in May. They plan to start Kairos in Nicaragua. The pastor counseled several of the Spanish-speaking candidates.
The presence of the two Nicaraguans emphasized the need we have to have Spanish-speaking clergy, as well as laity, on each weekend. We have several such laypeople involved, but we need more.
The other big need is for minority team members. We have very few blacks on our teams, and our effectiveness in reaching minority inmates is limited.
Where can you serve?
Within our conference, we need men at McConnell unit in Beeville, Connally unit in Kenedy, Stephenson unit in Cuero, Torres unit in Hondo, Briscoe unit in Dilly, Segovia unit in Edinburg.
Women can serve at the Lockhart Women’s unit.
Kairos does make a difference. The lay director of one Kairos weekend at Torres is still on parole for life plus 15 in another state. His story of how God changed him has brought many men to Christ. Please join us in this fantastic ministry.