Blog – Page 4 – Kairos Prison Ministry

What Happens Inside Prison when Kairos Leaves?

What Happens Inside Prison when Kairos Leaves?

As with every prison, Martin Correctional Institute in Florida was shutdown to visitors and volunteers for over a year, reopening in April. While the Kairos team was kept out, something very special was happening on the inside of Martin CI. A group of inmates, consisting mostly of Kairos Graduates, was grouping as a daily prayer circle since the prison chapel was closed and official Kairos activities had ceased. The prayer circle was eventually not enough, so this group of 10 decided to create a Dorm Community Church that now meets twice a day and even created a document detailing how to start such this church in other dormitories and prisons! Now at least 20 inmates attend each meeting, as many as possible attend each Prayer & Share, and about 100 attend every Kairos Reunion. It is very clear that while Kairos left the prison for a short time, Jesus did not! The prison administration was so impressed with this, that Kairos was one of the few volunteer organizations immediately invited back inside as soon as was permissible. In addition to the prayer groups and church creation, many of those involved are now seeking to take online college courses with a Bible college, and also volunteering to be transferred to a higher security wing of the prison or another prison altogether, to act as missionaries! It really shows that a true Christian community has developed inside of Martin CI, which is what Kairos, as a ministry, strives for as one of our core values. The shutdown created an unexpected test to see if each Kairos Inside program had successfully supported the growth of a Christian community in their facility. If you are a Volunteer for Kairos Inside, when your Advisory Council is able to return to your facility, find out if

By Jaime Ramirez|June 30th, 2021|Kairos Programs, Prison Ministry|0 Comments

Kairos Outside Restores Lost Faith and Breaks Down Walls of Hate

Kairos Outside Restores Lost Faith and Breaks Down Walls of Hate

Mona has been incredibly involved with Kairos and close to God, but it hasn’t always been that way. The bumpy road began in around 1999, when her twin brother was incarcerated. The two were incredibly close and this roadblock was a driving factor in Mona losing her faith altogether. A few years later, after having built up walls of anger, her sister approached her to attend a Kairos Outside Weekend as she had just attended, but Mona had no interest in it. After her sister kept insisting, Mona finally relented and agreed to go. Mona’s sister didn’t share many details about her Kairos experience so Mona wasn’t sure what to expect and was not looking forward to her Kairos Weekend, thinking she didn’t have much that she wanted to share with God. “God saved me first, then Kairos saved me.” The Kairos Outside experience was a watershed moment in her life! With all of the walls Mona had built up through the past few years, she thought she would never be accepted by others, but the testimonies from the other Guests began breaking down those walls. The testimonies were so impactful because the stories were so similar to her own. She saw women from other races, creeds, and economic classes who all had the same issues as she did, something Mona never imagined. Mona was able to make connections with these women and it allowed her to know she wasn’t alone and to break free of the anger and guilt that had been controlling her life. She is still friends with many of the women who provided this life changing testimony. After the Weekend, Mona was so inspired that she asked to Volunteer and did not miss a Weekend for Kairos Outside Southern California for years, and now observes

By Jaime Ramirez|May 24th, 2021|Inspiration, Kairos Outside, Testimonials, Volunteering|0 Comments

Kairos Prison Ministry Named “2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit” By GreatNonprofits

DeBary, FL., September, 2021 – Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (“Kairos”), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, announced today that it has been named a “2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews of charities and nonprofits. Kairos Prison Ministry’s mission is to share the transforming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of incarcerated men, women, and youth, as well as their families, to become loving and productive citizens of their communities. Kairos achieves this mission with prisoners and their families through three programs: Kairos Inside, for incarcerated men and women; Kairos Outside, for female relatives/friends of the incarcerated; and Kairos Torch, for incarcerated youth. The programs result in an improved prison living environment, reduced recidivism after leaving prison, safer communities, and healed families based on personal transformations. Recent studies have shown that recidivism rates can be reduced by up to 50%. “We are proud to have Kairos named a Top-Rated Nonprofit for the fifth year in a row in 2021,” says Evelyn Lemly, CEO. “Kairos has continued to minister to thousands impacted by incarceration through creative means during the COVID pandemic. “Kairos Prison Ministry is a great example of a nonprofit making a real difference in their community,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “Their award is well-deserved recognition not only of their work, but the tremendous support they receive, as shown by the many outstanding reviews they have received from people who have direct experience working with Kairos.” GreatNonprofits is the leading website where people share stories about their personal experiences on more than 1.6 million charities and nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those who have direct experience with the charities – as donors, volunteers and recipients of aid. The

By Jaime Ramirez|May 20th, 2021|Awards, Newsroom, Prison Ministry|0 Comments

How Kairos Can Inspire Hope Through Kairos Outside

How Kairos Can Inspire Hope Through Kairos Outside

Vanessa Olivares didn’t have the easiest upbringing, but has persevered through many trials most of us can’t imagine, and since reconnecting with Christ, has a new outlook on life. She grew up in Massachusetts where her parents were in and out of prison. Eventually Vanessa and her siblings were taken away from their parents, split up, and raised in the foster care system. She later moved in with an Aunt, but the bad habits of her parents and the foster system followed her. She eventually got out of an abusive relationship by moving to Central Florida to find her family. By age 20, she had a son, was doing drugs, spending all her money, stealing from her reconnected family, became a victim of human trafficking, and eventually went to prison herself. Unfortunately the facility she went to didn’t have Kairos, it did have Bible study which she participated in, but didn’t feel that full connection to Christ. However, she was able to rededicate her life to God and be baptized. While incarcerated, Vanessa decided to put in the effort to make the life and spiritual changes she had so often promised herself and others. Upon her release in 2007, she requested a Christian based transition home, in hopes of truly finding a sustained connection with God, as she had on and off since her youth. The Christian transition home was able to give her the guidance and direction to live her life as a Christian in actions as well as words. While attending church, she joined a group called Hope for the Healing Woman. It was through this group that she was first introduced to Kairos. Kairos Inside was not in the facility she was incarcerated in, but she was able to attend a Kairos Outside Weekend as a

By Jaime Ramirez|February 25th, 2021|Inspiration, Kairos Outside, Prison Ministry Testimonies, Testimonials|0 Comments

Why You Should Consider a Planned or Legacy Gift to Kairos

Why You Should Consider a Planned or Legacy Gift to Kairos

There are a variety of ways to support Kairos and its mission, any of which don’t involve donating funds right now. These options can be customized to both benefit Kairos, but also to provide you with the optimal tax benefits for you and your family. Kairos can assist you in finding the best ways for you to give a planned gift and to extend your legacy beyond your earthly years. Not sure if this is something for you? Let other members of the Kairos Family say how and why they are giving to Kairos. “Over the past 30 plus years I have personally witnessed the transforming love of Jesus Christ in very tangible ways through Kairos. I have been committed to this ministry though serving in many capacities and my life has been blessed immeasurably as a result. Therefore, we decided to modify our Living Trust to include KPMI as a beneficiary.” A living trust is a legal arrangement where a designated person is given responsibility and instructions on how to distribute assets after one’s passing. This process bypasses the complex and expensive legal challenges that can arise without a trust. “Planned giving became important to me when I realized that there may be some financial resources left at the end of my life on earth. As I began to explore options for making a kingdom building impact, my local church, the church of my baptism, and Kairos came to the top of the list and I set it up in a couple of ways. I have a 401(k) through work and if I move on to my eternal home before that is all expended it will be split between my local church and Kairos as beneficiaries. This process was really easy, as I just made the beneficiary designation change in my retirement

By Jaime Ramirez|February 24th, 2021|Planned & Legacy Giving|0 Comments

Kairos Recognized as the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s Most Impactful Program of 2020

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) held a Virtual Volunteer Recognition and Appreciation celebration to highlight volunteers and programs who are making a difference in the lives of those imprisoned or recently released. Each prison was able to choose to recognize its Volunteer of the Year, the Most Impactful Program, and the Most Valued Staff Person. ODRC then chose one program statewide that was most impactful, and they chose Kairos Prison Ministry! Kairos of Ohio State Chair Lauren Wiebe attended the virtual celebration and was pleasantly shocked and honored to be recognized as the Statewide Volunteer of the Year and for Kairos of Ohio to be named the most impactful program across all prisons throughout Ohio. While Ohio, like many states, did not allow visitors inside their prisons for most of the year, the Kairos of Ohio team continued finding ways to show those we serve that they are still loved and haven’t been forgotten. Many Advisory Councils sent in cleaning supplies and hygiene kits for the inmates, as well as home baked cookies. One prison said they needed socks, so the Kairos team held a fundraiser and bought socks for all of the inmates in the prison. Some teams have recorded prayer and share sessions with music and send the video to the prison chaplain to play for all of the inmates, not just the Kairos Graduates. We are so proud and blessed to have such driven and generous volunteers doing this tireless work, especially in the unexpected circumstances that occurred in 2020. This honor belongs to everyone who has ever baked a cookie, said a prayer, or participated in Kairos in Ohio in any way.

By Jaime Ramirez|January 22nd, 2021|Awards, Newsroom, Prison Ministry|0 Comments

Baking Kairos Cookies for Prison Employees

The Kairos Advisory Council for Lee Arrendale State Prison in Georgia, was seeking a way to show a simple act of kindness to the prison staff. The prison approved the request to bake and bring in cookies for 380 people. A goal of 190 dozen cookies was set, 6 per employee, but God provided an abundance of over 350 dozen cookies! God is good! Each bag of cookies had a scripture attached to uplift the staff with the word of God. Deb, a volunteer, created a beautiful “Heroes Work Here” poster to put at the table with the cookies. It was a sweet way of saying, thank you for all you do to each and every employee. The cookies were delivered by hand and it was a huge blessing! Some of the responses to the cookies were: “I was blessed by the best chocolate chip cookie I ever had, baked by a 12-year-old” “Most days we feel beat up & beat down, here a cookie makes all the difference” “We love the scriptures” “The scriptures remind us to keep the faith” One officer retreated to the bathroom to gather strength earlier. The scripture she received reminded her that GOD is her strength “I hid my bag of cookies in my work drawer to take home. I am so relieved to go home but about 10 at night the weariness overcomes me thinking about the next day. These cookies will bless my soul at 10 pm” “They look so good. How much are they? Free? Free? I can’t believe it. Can I take two bags?” “I can’t believe Kairos cares for me” “Imagine kitchens all over town sending us home made love!” “I haven’t had the words ‘I love you’ written down to just me in years.” One staff member was told

By Jaime Ramirez|December 1st, 2020|Events, Prison Ministry|0 Comments

Fence Reunions – An Example of Creativity to Meet With Our Graduates

During this unique time, it often takes unique solutions to keep ministering to those behind bars. The Kairos team at Fountain Correctional Facility in Alabama found a way to continue providing Continuing Ministry to Kairos Graduates in the form of a Fence Reunion. A group of 12 Kairos Volunteers visited the prison and set-up right outside the prison fence with the Kairos Graduates and the prison chaplain just on the other side. The Kairos team gave a talk, sang songs, and offered each volunteer and Graduate the opportunity to share. This incredible gathering offered the group encouragement and the knowledge that Kairos still cares about them and that they haven’t been forgotten. The Fountain team held the one hour Fence Reunion at two locations, one at the main prison with 12 inmates and the other at the Annex with 15 inmates. All proper safety steps of social distancing and masks were used, and the team is planning on holding a Fence Reunion every other week. Kairos of Alabama is working on expanding this to other prisons around the state. Kairos is blessed to have such dedicated Volunteers such as these, creating new ways to continue the ministry. It really shows that there is always work that we can be doing for Kairos, even when we can’t hold Kairos Inside Weekends or conduct our regular Continuing Ministry programs. There are so many opportunities for us to continue serving those impacted by incarceration, through prayer, training, creating agape, recruiting new volunteers, planning creative ways to engage with those we serve, and much more.

By Jaime Ramirez|October 19th, 2020|Events, Prison Ministry|0 Comments

Kairos Prison Ministry Named “2020 Top-Rated Nonprofit” By GreatNonprofits

DeBary, FL., September, 2020 – Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (“Kairos”), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, announced today that it has been named a “2020 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews of charities and nonprofits. Kairos Prison Ministry’s mission is to share the transforming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of incarcerated men, women, and youth, as well as their families, to become loving and productive citizens of their communities. Kairos achieves this mission with prisoners and their families through three programs: Kairos Inside, for incarcerated men and women; Kairos Outside, for female relatives/friends of the incarcerated; and Kairos Torch, for incarcerated youth. The programs result in an improved prison living environment, reduced recidivism after leaving prison, safer communities, and healed families based on personal transformations. Recent studies have shown that recidivism rates can be reduced by up to 50%. “We are proud to be named a Top-Rated Nonprofit for the fourth year in a row in 2020,” says Evelyn Lemly, CEO. “We are proud to have continued impacting the lives of those affected by incarceration during this unique year with our Continuing Ministry programs. “Kairos Prison Ministry is a great example of a nonprofit making a real difference in their community,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “Their award is well-deserved recognition not only of their work, but the tremendous support they receive, as shown by the many outstanding reviews they have received from people who have direct experience working with Kairos.” GreatNonprofits is the leading website where people share stories about their personal experiences on more than 1.6 million charities and nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those who have direct experience with the charities – as donors, volunteers

By Jaime Ramirez|September 18th, 2020|Awards, Newsroom, Prison Ministry|0 Comments

A Legacy Gift from the Bellwoar Family to Kairos Prison Ministry

Recently, Kairos received a large gift from the estate of Kairos Volunteers Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bellwoar. This generous gift came at the perfect time, as donations have been down as our programs haven’t been able to hold Kairos Weekends. We had the privilege of meeting the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bellwoar, Anne, as they lived near the KPMI office in Central Florida. Anne and her husband Bud, said “I was so amazed at hearing of all the amazing work that Kairos is doing in the lives of inmates and families. I haven’t quit talking about Kairos since Bud and I left the International office. We are very interested in volunteering with Kairos.” We are so thankful for Mr. and Mrs. Bellwoar for including Kairos in their will. If you would like more information about how you can join the Bellwoar’s and others in leaving a gift to Kairos, please contact Becky Dotson at 407-629-4948 or by emailing legacy@kpmi.org. You may also visit our planned giving website at www.kairoslegacy.org.

By Jaime Ramirez|August 1st, 2020|Awards, Events, Inspiration|0 Comments