Kairos Inside is a Christian faith-based ministry which addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men. By sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, Kairos hopes to change hearts and transform lives.
"God's special time"
Listen, Listen, Love, Love
Kairos Inside creates Christian communities inside prisons that can transform lives, decrease prison violence, and reduce recidivism. Kairos Inside brings inmates, known by Kairos as residents, and Kairos volunteers together for a 3 1/2 day weekend held inside the prison twice a year.
The Kairos volunteers go through an intense training program of approximately 40 hours to include 4 all day Saturdays and an overnight session held at Grace Church 2 weeks prior to their entering the prison during the 3 1/2 day weekend.
A well-organized follow-up program is part of this ministry. The Kairos resident graduates are encouraged to attend weekly Prayer-and-Share meetings for prayer and fellowship with the Kairos volunteers. In addition to the weekly P & S meetings, the volunteers return for a "reunion" after the weekend of the entire Kairos prison community. The fact that Kairos returns again and again to the prison is what distinguishes Kairos from other prison ministries. Without the follow-up support, the efforts of the 3 1/2 day retreat would quickly be lost to the prison environment.
grace church
Grace Church has been a part of the Kairos Prison Ministry since K-1 was held in March of 2017. These bi-annual retreat weekends and the weekly Prayer & Share meetings are held at the SCI-Fayette correctional institution. The residents/inmates NEVER leave the prison. The men volunteers. who enter the prison daily, sleep at Grace Church and are fed (breakfast before going to the prison and dinner after returning from the prison to Grace Church) by an "outside team" of women volunteers.
Kairos completed their 6th weekend on Sunday, September 22nd, 2019. They had a successful weekend with 23 residents completing the retreat. The residents received crosses and a Bible. They will now be eligible to attend weekly "Prayer & Share" meetings held at the prison every Sunday evening to include any resident/inmate who has completed one of the 6 Kairos weekends. Kairos volunteers attend these weekly P & S meetings to "Listen, Listen, Love, Love".
Prayer & Share is growing a faith-based community in SCI-Fayette.
As a result of the covid pandemic, the Kairos volunteers have been unable to hold a retreat for some time. Plans are underway for the next weekend to be held in September, 2022. The volunteers are eagerly anticipating and preparing for this event!
volunteer opportunities
- Inside Team Members: Men volunteers who will enter SCI-Fayette to share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
- Outside Support Team Volunteers: Men & Women volunteers are needed during the weekend to help prepare the evening meal, clean up and start prep for breakfast meal in the church kitchen.
- Study Bible Initiative: Each inmate/resident who completes the Kairos Three-Day Program receives a Study Bible. This is a surprise gift to each graduate on the weekend's final closing Sunday. The Study Bible encourages graduates to continue to study God's Word as a part of growing their relationship with the Lord. The initiative is extremely popular and the Study Bible is a prized position. Donations are necessary to maintain this practice. The cost of each study Bible is $25.00.
- Kairos Donor: All Kairos programs are funded by donations.
- Prayer Partners - "Our Greatest Need" : We need your prayers for the success of the mission. A 24-hour prayer vigil covers the entire weekend in prayer. Volunteers are needed to sign up during the weekend.
If you are interested in any aspect of this ministry. Please contact betsyahlborn@gmail.com