Blog – Page 9 – Kairos Prison Ministry

Every Tuesday is Kairos Prayer Day

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt that God has responded directly to a prayer of yours. If so, then you understand the true power of petitioning God through prayer, and of feeling His love when that prayer is answered. We want to give you the opportunity to participate in our special prayer time. Philippians 4:6 reminds us “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Kairos has over 600 Weekends throughout the year in nearly 500 locations, and approximately 35 training events. Every Tuesday at 1:30 EST our staff meets to pray specifically for the success of every Kairos Weekend and every Kairos training happening that week around the world – by name, location and leader. Won’t you join us in prayer for the success of Kairos Weekends and training? It’s easy to take a few minutes out of your Tuesday each week to join us. Imagine the power of thousands of people praying together at the same time for the Weekend leaders to be guided by God in their words and actions, and for prisoner’s hearts to be changed through the love and grace of God. Visit our Prayer webpage for more information on praying with us, or our Calendar of Weekends to see what events to pray for that week. Set a reminder right now for 1:30 PM EST on Tuesdays, then share this blog post and invite your friends and family to pray with us!

By Jaime Ramirez|May 5th, 2016|Prison Ministry, Volunteering|0 Comments

Can You Live Longer By Volunteering?

Thinking of volunteering for Kairos? We would LOVE to have you join the 30,000 volunteers who are already passionate about our mission! You may even enjoy a longer life, according to this article from Forbes: 3 Reasons Why Volunteering In Retirement Is Good For Your Health What do I get out of volunteering? My heart is filled with indescribable joy to connect with tough yet vulnerable brothers and see God transform hearts and lives before my very eyes. Amazing. I leave church for a weekend and experience heaven on earth in prison. Kairos Prison Ministry volunteers come from all walks and strata of life. They all share a desire to follow Christ’s admonition of Matthew 25:36, “I was in prison and you visited me.” Learn about the many opportunities for you to get involved in Kairos Prison Ministry. All we ask is that you have a willing heart and a spirit of obedience. You can play a crucial role in God’s ministry of Changing Hearts, Transforming Lives and Impacting the World. Contact Us For More Information

By Jaime Ramirez|May 4th, 2016|Testimonials, Volunteering|0 Comments

To Accelerate Prison Reform, Put a Human Face on Mass Incarceration

By The Rev. William Barnwell, former Priest-in-Charge, Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, New Orleans (reprinted with permission) thelensnola.org/ April 15, 2016 Gradually, it is becoming common knowledge that we incarcerate more people per capita in Louisiana than any other state, for that matter any other nation. One in 86 white men from New Orleans are incarcerated, while one in 14 African American men from New Orleans are incarcerated. The Rev. William Barnwell, an Episcopal priest, has long been active with Kairos Prison Ministry. How can we drastically reduce the number of those we send to prison in the first place and develop many more programs to support formerly incarcerated persons when they come home? Our policymakers need to change their views, but the voting public who insists on “lock ’em up and throw away the key” must also reconsider the old, unworkable policies. I have been involved in prison ministry and prison reform for the past 40 years and have come to believe that what is missing in the national debate on prison reform are the stories of inmates and committed volunteers. Sure, we must name and work against the injustice of our incarceration policies, paying attention to reformers like Michelle Alexander. In her recent book, “The New Jim Crow,” she points out that there are more black men now incarcerated in our nation than there were male slaves in 1850. We justice-reformers must also form alliances with those trying to reduce the incarceration rate primarily because of the vast expense. Nationally we spend $80 billion a year imprisoning our people. And we must make sure to bring to the table those who are victim-survivors of crime; they often have persuasive arguments for making the necessary changes. As we reduce incarceration numbers and prison recidivism rates, they like the rest of us, will be better off. Besides these

By Jaime Ramirez|April 28th, 2016|Kairos Programs, Prison Ministry, Testimonials, Volunteering|0 Comments

My Suicide Was Already Planned

Kairos Inside Testimony Greetings to you in the glorious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am a servant of Christ even though I am doing life in prison. It is my joy to share with you a brief part of my testimony when The Lord opened my eyes to the truth. I was on the verge of committing suicide by killing as many correctional officers as I could before being taken out. The darkness that had invaded my mind, heart, and soul was so powerful that I was convinced that death was my only refuge. I was so deeply tormented by guilt, shame, and loneliness that I believed that there was no hope and I just wanted it all to end. Until the day when a very odd but happy encounter occurred. Unknown to me someone had put my name in for Kairos and I was selected. The Kairos weekend just happened to be a few days before I would go on my rampage. I decided it could wait until after Kairos. On the first day of Kairos I remember telling all of the volunteers, “All I want are your cookies, not your religion.” For the first three days I listened to all of the talks from the outside team. I tried to be patient and kind as they demonstrated God’s love in action, not just words. On the third day of Kairos I was given a gift of unimaginable worth. It wasn’t money, or food but it was what I needed more than anything. It went much deeper than the physical, it went right to the heart. I was given a bag of letters. Letters of encouragement and grace, from complete strangers. Each letter was full of love and prayers, for ME! I couldn’t believe it. To be

By Jaime Ramirez|April 21st, 2016|Kairos Programs, Testimonials|0 Comments

Kairos Prison Ministry Celebrates 80th Weekend In 40 Years At Prison Where It Began In 1976

Kairos Prison Ministry Celebrates 80th Weekend In 40 Years At Prison Where It Began In 1976

DeBary, FL. – Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (Kairos) held its 80th men’s ministry Weekend in 40 years at Union Correctional Institution, a maximum security facility in Raiford, FL, April 21-24, 2016. Kairos began at Union Correctional Institution on September 30, 1976, when it held the first Kairos Weekend with 37 volunteers and 42 inmates participating. Kairos has held two Kairos Inside Weekends every year at Union ever since, ministering to over 3200 inmates in that time. “Kairos has been faithful for 40 years to minister to inmates in Union Correctional Institution and around the world,” said Joe Henkle, Senior Chaplain at Union Correctional Institution. “We as chaplains are grateful for this Christ centered dedication that has led to our 80th Kairos Weekend. Thank you to Kairos, and may God use you for many more years.” Kairos Prison Ministry is a Christian faith based ministry that addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, youth, and their families. By sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, Kairos changes hearts, transforms lives and impacts the world. The 80th Weekend took the 42 participants on a journey of self discovery and relating with one another through the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. The program consists of carefully structured talks, meditations, and individual and group activities led by same gender volunteers. At the Closing Ceremony, open to pre-approved guests, one inmate recalled that he chose not to go to the first Weekend in 1976. “I spent 40 years wandering in the desert,” he said. “But look around and see what God can do. I came in brokenhearted, but now I have a new perspective.” “We are delighted to celebrate and continue our 40 year relationship with Union Correctional Institution,” said Evelyn Lemly, CEO of Kairos Prison Ministry International. “It is

By Jaime Ramirez|April 16th, 2016|Kairos Inside, Newsroom, Prison Ministry|0 Comments

Just When You’ve Lost Your Faith in Humanity… (infographic)

We’re celebrating National Volunteer Week! Thanks beyond words to our 30,000 volunteers worldwide. Your devotion to our ministry is humbling. You’re never too young, too old, or have too little time to volunteer! Find out the many ways you can volunteer with Kairos Prison Ministry.

By Jaime Ramirez|April 14th, 2016|Volunteering|0 Comments

A First-Hand Account – Kairos in Nicaragua

By John Dodds (Texas Kairos Volunteer) The room is long and narrow with open windows on one side but the single fan can’t move enough air to moderate the heat and stuffiness is almost unbearable. The speaker is presenting a talk in Spanish and I don’t understand much of what he says. We just had lunch, beans and rice and a real treat – a small piece of chicken – and a few of the participants are having trouble staying awake. What am I doing here? Why do I keep coming back? I know the men look at me and wonder the same thing; who is this gringo, and why is he here? It is hard to tell the inmates from the team members because the prison does not provide clothes, or even beds, and most inmates sleep on the floor. This is Kairos Inside #17 in the prison in Nicaragua known as La Modela, and I am here because Kairos is bringing the Gospel inside. Nicaragua is the 2nd most impoverished country in this hemisphere. The people of this country are poorer than most Americans can imagine, and yet they face the same problems our inmates do; they are spiritually lost and looking for something to latch on to, some hope, some way out of the cycle of violence and street gangs and even just something to eat. Since the first Kairos in Nicaragua in June 2008, to Kairos #17 in December 2015, 518 men have had a miracle enter their hearts through meeting Jesus Christ. The Kairos Inside program was brought to La Modela and is facilitated by David Aguilar and Mario and Hortensia Mendoza. For more information on how to help this program, please contact Kairos at 407-629-4948, or via our contact form. We also serve in 8 other countries internationally. For more information about the Nicaragua ministry,

By Jaime Ramirez|April 7th, 2016|Kairos Programs, Volunteering|0 Comments

I Was Born in Prison

My name is Teresa and this is my story. I am a survivor of prison. I was never in prison except for the day I was born. I am dedicating this testimony to my mother. She was an amazing woman. I was born on Friday the 13th in prison. I was born illegitimate and an inmate. At that time, you were allowed to keep your baby, and I was with my mom for six months. I was then put in a foster home and not returned to her till I was three. Families struggle just as much as the inmates do I wish I could say that is where my story ends. My mom was in and out of prison my whole life. I feel that she always did the best she could for me and my younger sister. Unfortunately the things that she did, well, tended to take her back to prison. They say that there is survival in all kinds of illnesses like cancer, leukemia, but nobody ever says you are a survivor of prison. There should be. Families struggle just as much as the inmates do. I missed my mom when she went away. She missed so much of our lives. My mom took her life in 1999 because she was again facing incarceration. Since the day I was born, they said I was guaranteed one day to end up in my mother’s shoes. I didn’t. Because the one thing I think that she taught me was that I was worthy of a better life — a better life and a better destiny that I could build on my own. During the times my mom was out of jail and my sister and I were out of foster care, my mother always made sure we had a roof over

By Jaime Ramirez|March 31st, 2016|Kairos Programs, Testimonials|0 Comments

Step Inside a Prison with Kairos (video)

Step Inside a Prison with Kairos (video)

“I cry every Weekend,” says volunteer Jon Nuffer. Find out why as you go inside Branchville Correctional Facility on a Kairos Weekend to see how hearts are changed and lives are transformed. Learn more about Kairos Inside, and how you can get involved. Donate Now to help us reach more prisoners in more places in 2017!

By Jaime Ramirez|March 24th, 2016|Kairos Programs, Volunteering|0 Comments

Gut-Wrenching Letters from Convicts to Their Younger Selves

In early 2013, commercial photographer Trent Bell was shocked by the news that a friend — an educated professional, a husband and a father of four children — had been sentenced to 36 years in prison. Over the proceeding months, Bell found himself haunted by not only his friend’s bad decision and loss of freedom, but also moments in his own life when things could have easily taken a bad turn. “There were time when my son would look up and smile at me,” recalls Bell, “and the finality of my friend’s situation would rush into my head and I would hear a cold thin voice say: ‘…there, but for the grace of God, go I…'” Bell, who is known for his architectural photography in publications such as the Conde Nast Traveler, Design New England, and the New York Times, soon conceived of a photo project that would merge large-scale portraits of inmates in the Maine prison system with handwritten letters the convicts composed as though writing to their younger selves. “Our bad choices can contain untold loss, remorse and regret,” says Bell, “but the positive value of these bad choices might be immeasurable if we can face them, admit to them, learn from them and find the strength to share.” Visit trentbellphotography to see more portraits, as well as a video of how the project came together. Learn more about how Kairos Prison Ministry brings the love, hope and faith of Jesus Christ into the lives of prisoners and their families at Our Approach to Prison Ministry.

By Jaime Ramirez|March 17th, 2016|Prison Ministry, Testimonials|0 Comments