Matthew 25:36-40
“…..I was in prison and you visited me.” The righteous will say "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? ……. When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you? The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you did this for the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me."
Kairos is an interdenominational Christian ministry whose mission is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families, and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen. The ministry is conducted, in cooperation with the chaplains of correctional institutions, by teams of laity and clergy who are selected, trained and certified by area governing bodies of Kairos and approved by correctional institutions as citizen volunteers. These persons are drawn from a broad range of denominational churches and rely a lot on community support. The program consists of a four day program, and there are on average two four day programs per year at the institutions. There are also monthly reunion meetings and two-day events that serve as reinforcement to the four day weekend.
We are seeking support for the INSERT THE NAME OF THE INSTITUTION team, which hosts two four-day programs twice a year, one in INSERT MONTH and one in INSERT MONTH. There are many ways groups and/or individuals can support this ministry.
Write Agape
Some residents get almost no letters from family members for long periods of time so a letter means a great deal to them. The Holy Spirit uses simple messages and drawings as a powerful tool to change lives by sharing the love of God. This has proven to be much more effective than using pressure tactics with extensive Bible quotes. There are two different forms of agape: individual letters and “Wall” agape. (there are specific rules regarding this, so please check on them if this is something you are interested in).
Supply Home Made Cookies
Cookies, baked with prayer, are a significant tool used during a Kairos Weekend. They are used to soften the hardened and callused hearts to allow Jesus to come in through the power of the Holy Spirit. On average we need 4,000 DOZEN cookies for a weekend. Cookies must be made according to certain restrictions, so please check on these prior to baking cookies.
Be a Prayer Partner
Prayer is critical to the success of a weekend in a correctional facility. We ask for prayer from 6 PM Thursday through 5:30 PM Sunday the weekend of the program. People are asked to pick a 30 minute time frame and pray sometime during that 30 minute frame. The names on the prayer sheets are transferred to strips of paper which are all linked together to form a chain so the residents can feel wrapped in Gods love and the power of being wrapped in prayer. In addition, these names are also placed on a scroll which the residents watch unfold throughout the weekend as another reminder of prayer. (Only first names are placed on the scroll and the strips).
Sponsor A Resident
Individuals and Christian communities are needed to help with the sponsoring of the residents who come to participate in the program. Prison residents hear the gospel message proclaimed and we supply support materials. At the end of each program, residents receive a bible and other material to help them in their continuing walk. Total weekend expenses average about $125 per resident and $110 to cover food and lodging per team member. In Virginia our ministry needs to grow and your financial support would be greatly appreciated.
For more information on this ministry or how you can support it, or for specific rules relating to cookie baking or agape, please contact INSERT YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS.