Kairos Ministry

[Littlejoe]

Hi All,
I am a volunteer in a Prison Ministry called KAIROS. It is similar to the Walk to Emmaus, Cursillo, Tres Dias, type three/fourth day walks. However, it is tailored to the prison setting. I will inside a maximum security prison in Texas for most of four days. Wed will be a travel day to the unit and getting everything ready at the host church. We go into the unit on Thurs. to set up and do an introduction. Friday we started the walk in earnest. Please, anyone reading this post, pray that the Love of our God, and Our Lord Jesus Christ will penetrate the walls around the hearts and minds of the men (inmates) on this walk. It is so incredible to watch God raise those who are now spiritual dead to Life.

Thank You in advance,

L. Joe

[Littlejoe]

Hi all,
Well the walk was a great success. If you read the post above and prayed, you had a great return on your investment of time. Of the 42 participants, there were 6 rededications, 4 spiritual renewals, and 9 decisions to follow Christ! Many more will become followers in the months to come. One of the new believers was a gang leader inside the unit! He will have a great influence on members of his gang.
Our research shows Kairos Prison Ministry affects the lives of prisoners in countless positive ways. Lives have been changed, and former inmates re-enter society as better spouses, parents and employees. Many released prisoners become volunteers, and give back to society. Some start their own ministries, pastor churches, while others run re-entry programs, and become mentors.
Kairos programs have gained the respect of the correctional system too. In a study of 505 inmates released from Florida prisons, the recidivism rate was 15.7% among those who had participated in one Kairos session, and 10% among those who had participated in two or more Kairos sessions. The non-Kairos control group in the study had a recidivism rate of 23.4%.
That's a reduction of 57%!!!

Again Thanks for praying.

L. Joe

[Littlejoe]

Hi Again,

Once again, it is time to venture behind the walls of a Maximum/Medium Security prison in search of those who wish to follow the way of Christ. On October 18, 2007, I and my fellow workers will go to Coffield Prison Unit in Tennesse Colony, TX and minister God's unconditional love to the 42 participants of Coffield Kairos Walk #24! We need your prayer support. I have a sign up sheet for prayer partners I need to fill. If you would be willing to commit 15-30 minutes in prayer on one of the following days: Thurs 10/18/07 between 2:30 and 6:30, Friday 10/19/07 between 7:00 and 6:00, Sat 10/20/07 (same hours) or Sunday 7:00 to 3:00, please post (or PM Me) your First name (Last name optional), time you will pray, and City, State (Or Country). I will write your name on my list. Your prayers have a huge impact on this weekend. We cut the names into strips and make them into links forming a long chain. We use it to demonstrate to the residents that "They are not alone" (not so coincidentally. Many of them are deeply moved to see this Loooonnnng chain carried into their midst that demonstrates the christian communities love and compassion for them. Here is the link to the International website if you want more information:

http://www.kairosprisonministry.org/...3761&PID=77879

or our state Chapter here:

http://www.kairosoftexas.org/

Or you can just ask me! I welcome any questions!


Thanks in advance!
LJ

[Littlejoe]

No One? What are you afraid of? That I'll ask YOU to go into the prison with me? I do need your prayers though.

LJ

[Xmansmommy]

You and all those you come in contact with, have mine, Joe.

[Littlejoe]

You and all those you come in contact with, have mine, Joe.

Thank you Linda! Your prayers were greatly appreciated. God moved in a mighty way.

LJ

[Littlejoe]

Well it's time for the spring walk into the Coffield Prison Unit in Tennesse Colony, Tx. Kairos, Coffield #25 will begin Thursday, April 17, 2008 @ 2:30 pm. Please pray that God will move mightly in the lives of the incarcerated that they might turn toward Him!

Well, my job on this walk will be Inside Coordinator. I will be a very busy man for 4 days! I have also been assigned one of the thirteen Talks we give inside the unit. I would like to post my working draft and ask for any constructive criticism. I only have 15 minutes, so I have to practice to get through my talk on time. Here is my talk in it's current form, let me know what you think!
(BTW, the formatting was lost in the copy and paste, Please just fight through it!)
Thanks,

LJ


Friendship With God


1. Kairos Community Prayer- pg 11 of your Freedom Guide.
"Jesus, come join us in our journey as we seek Your will for this community in this environment. Teach us to love each other as You love us, to give ourselves as You
give Yourself, that the Kingdom of God might be made present to all. Amen"

My name is Lee and I am a Lay person. My talk is "Friendship with God."

Intro: In the last talk, we learned that there are people out there who do care for your. And, man that's good news! These people cared enough, to pray for you… and to write notes…and draw posters to share their love with you. You know, we're glad there are people like that out there, somewhere, who are willing to offer us love and concern.

Yes, that's really nice....BUT!....

What if they really knew me? Would they still talk like that? Would they still want to be my friend?

You know, sending good wishes and prayers are nice ....but what we really need is a true friend. But what does that mean? A true friend?

I. Let's explore together....What is a friend?

A. Is it somebody who agrees with me all the time or always takes my side in an issue? No...Not necessarily...In FACT they may disagree if they see me doing or saying something which might hurt me.

B. A friend is:

1. Someone who wants the very best for your life.

2. Someone who is willing to give some of themselves to help you move toward your best.

3. Someone who gives you space when you need it, and can let you make your own decisions - even your own mistakes.

4. A friend is especially one who doesn't run away when you make a mess of everything and still accepts you as a friend.

II. Where do you find a friend like that?

A. There is GOOD NEWS!

1. God created us for companionship and to live in community with other people.

2. God is Love. He created us to love and to be loved. The Bible tell us this in 1 John Chapter 4.

III. God is not an enemy.

A. God is not trying to catch us in sinful disobedience.

1. The meaning of "sin" is "missing the mark or target." God's target for us is to live in loving relationship with Him. Sin is thus missing that target of a loving relationship with God. It is this separation from God which is sin, just as the prodigal son separated himself from the father.



Let me quickly read you the Parable of the Prodigal son....also called the Parable of the Lost Son in some versions goes like this... "Once a man had two sons. 12The younger son said to his father, "Give me my share of the property." So the father divided his property between his two sons. 13Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. 14He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat. 15He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. [a] 16He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, [b] but no one gave him a thing. 17Finally, he came to his senses and said, "My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! 18I will go to my father and say to him, `Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. 19I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.' 20The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him. 21The son said, "Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son." 22But his father said to the servants, "Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals [c] for his feet. 23Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. 24This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found." And they began to celebrate."
2. God doesn't want us separated from Him, He wants us to be part of His Body. An outward symbol of being part of God's body is baptism and the renewal of baptismal vows.
B. God does not manipulate us into separtion from Himself so that He can punish us.
IV. GOD WANTS TO BE OUR FRIEND!!
A. God called the Hebrews out of Egypt and offered them a covenant. (Another term for Covenant would be Contract) They drifted in and out of the covenant relationship.
B. God sent these men: Peter, Paul, Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, James and used their friendship with with Him to spread His word.
C. First and foremost, He sent His son, Jesus, the Christ.
1. Jesus IS God, He and the Father are one and they work through the Holy Spirit, who is also God with them. We call this the Trinity. I know this is a hard concept to get your head around, but it's what we believe.
2. Jesus is the Christ, meaning "the anointed one." It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word, "Messiah," also the anointed one or "liberator".
3. Jesus announces the Kindom of God. He came to set the captives free, the Bible says in Luke 4:18. And he who the Son sets free is free indeed! It tells us in Gospel of John 8:36
4. Jesus offers us eternal life. Through His death He enables us to die to self. He gives us life by giving up His own life.
5. In Jesus, God completes the offer of his friendship to us.
V. Even God cannot have a friendship alone. It takes two, with both of them giving and receiving affection and esteem. It is up to us to OPEN THE DOOR to
God's friendship.
The story of the lost son or as it is usually called, the Prodigal son, that was told by Jesus, is a story that I can really identify with. You see, it’s a lot like my story. In the story, the young son is me, and the Father represents God. You see, I grew up in church. I was there just about every time the doors were open. In fact, I was there a lot of times when the doors weren't open. (smile) My family was the janitors of the church! Most Sat. mornings, when most kids were parked in front of the TV watching cartoons, I along with my family were up at the church vacuuming the carpet, scrubbing the toilets and mopping the floors. I can still remember when I made a decision to follow Christ. I followed this decision with baptism. Now, fast forward about 4 years. My family moved to Sherman when I was about 12 or so. I had a lot of trouble with adjusting. I was short back then...not nearly as tall as I am now...so I was picked on a lot. But all I wanted was to be one of the cool kids, I wanted to fit in. So, I began drinking and smoking cigarettes. I began to question whether my walk with Christ was real or not. I began to pray at times, that God would show me that He was real. But I didn’t really know what I was looking for. So all I felt was that I was empty and alone. I began to experiment with drugs and became a party animal to numb the pain dull the emptiness inside me. I graduated high school and wandered between jobs. I took a couple of college classes, but I didn't have any direction. I took a job in Lufkin, TX at a radio station owned by my uncle. I was living with him at the time, but he soon asked me to leave his house because I wouldn’t follow his rules and curfews. I ended up living in an old studio site. The old studio was where our radio towers were. This thing was literally a shack in the middle of the woods. It had a sink and toilet, but no bathtub or shower. If I wanted to bath, I had to borrow one from a friend. Soon after that, the job with the radio station became part time and I was forced to take another full time job. The only thing I could find was a job at McDonalds. I was back to taking a couple of classes at the community college. I was kind of hanging around with and partying with some of the guys going to college full time. I spent every extra dollar I had on booze, pot and other drugs. Like the prodigal son story, I was eating cold stale burgers out of the dump can, (pig slop). These were burgers that were heading for the dumpster at McDonalds, because I didn’t have enough money for food, and booze and drugs. One night, when I was alone in my shack, (which was normal, nobody wanted to come visit me in my shack) I was watching the only channel on the TV that I could get, and a preacher came on. I didn't want to hear what He had to say. I didn't think he had any answers I wanted to my problems. As I stood up to turn off the TV, the preacher said don't turn that TV off, I need to tell you just how much God loves you. He began to tell me of God’s love for me that included sacrificing His own son so that I could be His friend…That night, like the prodigal son, I came to my senses and I began my journey toward home. I began to seek God, He in turn showed me how He was still seeking me how he still loved me, in spite of everything I had done. I didn't even have to clean myself up, He accepted me like I was...Just like in the Prodigal son story. You see, the lost son went back home covered in pig dirt from living with those pigs, but you know what? His Father didn't care about that, His son was home! It was a time to have a party! His son was home!

VII. You know, I have found that the most rewarding choice is living in Friendship with God.
A. It is the only choice that is worthy of us. It is totally satisfying. I have found this to be true in my life, it is my hope that all of you do also.

B. We are all children of God, all of us are loved by him and created by Him
.
C. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, loved and redeemed by Him.

D. Finally, we are temples of the Holy Spirit, who loves and sustains us.

[spitndirt]

Hi Lee,

This is awesome....a worthy cause indeed my friend. I will keep you in my prayers for sure.... and will pray for those who will hear the Word of God through the efforts of Kairos.

The parable of the prodigal son is so appropriate. It had a huge impact on my life back in the day. We have very similar backgrounds, Lee. Except, maybe, growing up in a church environment. Another scripture that impacted me *greatly* in the beginning is the story of the sinner and the pharasee praying. The imagery of the sinner beating his breast and asking for mercy .... and leaving justified before God no less.... broke me in two. I saw myself in the story.....and also in the story of the prodigal son.

These two accounts more than any other finally brought me to a place of repentance. If this was truly the God of all then He was the One I needed and wanted to know.....cuz I really needed and wanted to be truly known, accepted, and changed. I have found all this in my Lord.

In contrast, the men I knew in my youth cared little for me, really. There were always strings attached to gaining the approval of men it seemed. Yet I cannot fault them for this.....cuz I was a man as they were. This was the way of the world after all....and still is on the mean streets. Inevitably bound to men out of need.....yet at the same time remaining comfortably estranged from them lest they spot weakness and move in for the kill. It was a strange and fearful world indeed....at least to me. Nonetheless it was what it was, right?

Enough reflecting. Those days are forever past and I thank God daily that He is still there to be found by those who will seek Him earnestly. I thank God, also, for those who did not withhold their testimony from me while I was still a dead man walking. They carried with them the very Words of Light and of Life and hope. No....I wasn't wasting away on death row.....and never quite made it to prison even. But we both know concrete walls alone don't make a prison, don't we? Walking around in the world's darkness and headed to where God only knows .....now that's real captivity. Another thing we know, my friend, is that Light and Life are the true and sure remedies for darkness and death. These are the things you are carrying to those who are in need of it. No less in need of it than we ourselves were. It is truly the Lord's work you are doing my friend. May He bless you and your fellow laborers in this worthy endeavor. You will not be disappointed in the outcome. But you already know this, huh?. May you rejoice along with those in prison who will come to hear the Word of God and receive it. These will finally know that peace that passeth all understanding....the very peace of God in Christ. I only wish I could be there to witness it for myself.

Peace to you Lee. Godspeed.......

[Dee Dee Warren]

Lil Joe, I am sorry I didn't see this before. I used to be very involved with Via de Cristo and once participated in one Kairos event. I have given two talks, it is very rewarding. My time has been called elsewhere, but the years that I dedicated to that ministry were very rewarding.

[Littlejoe]

Hi Lee,

This is awesome....a worthy cause indeed my friend. I will keep you in my prayers for sure.... and will pray for those who will hear the Word of God through the efforts of Kairos.

Thanks for reading it! Your prayers will be greatly appreciated. They are really vital to any ministry.

The parable of the prodigal son is so appropriate. It had a huge impact on my life back in the day. We have very similar backgrounds, Lee. Except, maybe, growing up in a church environment. Another scripture that impacted me *greatly* in the beginning is the story of the sinner and the pharasee praying. The imagery of the sinner beating his breast and asking for mercy .... and leaving justified before God no less.... broke me in two. I saw myself in the story.....and also in the story of the prodigal son.

These two accounts more than any other finally brought me to a place of repentance. If this was truly the God of all then He was the One I needed and wanted to know.....cuz I really needed and wanted to be truly known, accepted, and changed. I have found all this in my Lord.

Yeah, that sinner and the pharisee is also a good parable. It speaks to me in volumes.

In contrast, the men I knew in my youth cared little for me, really. There were always strings attached to gaining the approval of men it seemed. Yet I cannot fault them for this.....cuz I was a man as they were. This was the way of the world after all....and still is on the mean streets. Inevitably bound to men out of need.....yet at the same time remaining comfortably estranged from them lest they spot weakness and move in for the kill. It was a strange and fearful world indeed....at least to me. Nonetheless it was what it was, right?

Enough reflecting. Those days are forever past and I thank God daily that He is still there to be found by those who will seek Him earnestly. I thank God, also, for those who did not withhold their testimony from me while I was still a dead man walking. They carried with them the very Words of Light and of Life and hope. No....I wasn't wasting away on death row.....and never quite made it to prison even. But we both know concrete walls alone don't make a prison, don't we? Walking around in the world's darkness and headed to where God only knows .....now that's real captivity. Another thing we know, my friend, is that Light and Life are the true and sure remedies for darkness and death. These are the things you are carrying to those who are in need of it. No less in need of it than we ourselves were. It is truly the Lord's work you are doing my friend. May He bless you and your fellow laborers in this worthy endeavor. You will not be disappointed in the outcome. But you already know this, huh?. May you rejoice along with those in prison who will come to hear the Word of God and receive it. These will finally know that peace that passeth all understanding....the very peace of God in Christ. I only wish I could be there to witness it for myself.

Peace to you Lee. Godspeed.......

My friend and coworker Mitch aptly describes the biggest blessing of this ministry is "you get to see dead men rise to life right before your very eyes"

Thanks again. I am touched by your words!

Lee

[Littlejoe]

Lil Joe, I am sorry I didn't see this before. I used to be very involved with Via de Cristo and once participated in one Kairos event. I have given two talks, it is very rewarding. My time has been called elsewhere, but the years that I dedicated to that ministry were very rewarding.

It's always great to be able to share with folks who know what the program is about! I was wearing my Kairos Cross (with the rainbow lanyard) ....I always do when I talk to the adult sunday school classes about Kairos. A lady walked up to me and grabbed my cross and looked at it. She thought it was a Walk to Emmaus Cross. (The Walk to Emmaus program is well known around these parts) It's the most rewarding ministry I have ever been involved in.

LJ

[Zguy28]

This thread has brightened my day and brought encouragement to me. Thanks LJ. Its nice to see others taking Matthew 25 seriously. :)

[Littlejoe]

This thread has brightened my day and brought encouragement to me. Thanks LJ. Its nice to see others taking Matthew 25 seriously. :)

Thank you Zguy,

Please hold the Coffield unit and the Kairos team and participants up in your daily prayers. Your prayers make such a difference. It really does make a difference when the Holy Spirit goes before us. The C.O.'s tell us that the whole unit changes before and during the Kairos weekend... and for weeks afterward.

We have an obligation to visit those in prison, not just go preach to them. That is really what sets this ministry apart from so many others, we sit with them, eat with them (food we bring in ourselves), Worship with them, and show them Agape from God through posters, notes of encouragement, home baked cookies, and talks about Jesus. Most if not all are touched by God, many make life changing decisions to follow Christ. We also have "reunions" twice a month where we disciple them and continue to encourage them to stay true to the faith.

LJ

[Dee Dee Warren]

There is a Via de Cristo this weekend as well. Please do keep the men in prayer.

[Littlejoe]

Here's a touching story and a great article from the Amarillo Globe news:

Amarillo Globe-News; By JON MARK BEILUE

All Michael Kelly wanted was some chocolate chip cookies to take back to his Clements Unit cell. He didn't care about any religion or Jesus or God. That was a sign of weakness, of foolishness. And Kelly was neither weak nor a fool. He was a survivor, calculating and cunning. He was one bad man in one bad world. If he had to, Michael Kelly would kill you. And you. And you. Whatever he had to do, he did. He could kill a man at 11:45 a.m. and wonder what was for lunch 15 minutes later. His life was drained of emotion. Pity, remorse and certainly love were not part of it. "To me, he had a frightening appearance," said Rick Barkley, a Gruver farmer who was part of a Kairos prison ministry team that weekend. "He just sent chills in me. ... He just scared me, so to speak." Kelly, serving three 40-year terms, was sent to Clements in 1990 from another Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility. Active in a prison gang, he needed to be separated. He was among the most feared inmates. In those days, when the Kairos prison ministry came for its weekend retreat, the warden would pick out the roughest prisoners to send. The retreat was in its second of three days. It was March 21, 1994...

© source where applicable

Amarillo Globe-News; By JON MARK BEILUE

"I've been in some dark places, man, dark places," he tells them. "Places where there was no hope, no way out. I didn't know what to do until I knew Jesus loved me. ... He picked the most unlikely character like me to tell you he loves you." After 29 minutes, Kelly was finished....

© source where applicable

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.amarillo.com/stories/0406...10044168.shtml

LJ