About Memorial Kairos
Brief History:
Memorial Kairos began its Christian prison ministry inside the Memorial Unit with Kairos #1 in the spring of 1987 and since then has conducted 64 consecutive Kairos Weekends, the same number of 1 or 2-day retreats, more than 1000 Prayer & Share services, graduated more than 2000 inmates, & touched the lives of many others at the Memorial unit who have never officially participated in actual Kairos ministry functions. The program was forced into an unexpected interruption in early 2020 due to Covid-19. Team formation meetings for Kairos #65 began once again in spring 2022 culminating once again in a full weekend retreat held April 21-24, 2022. In the past 36 years only a global pandemic has been able to pause our Kairos physical meetings inside the unit for any length of time. Even during this time the team wrote letters, sent Christmas cards, and delivered cookies and hygiene products to the men at Memorial. Such is the scope and meaning of this ministry and its labor of love inside the maximum security Memorial Unit. As hearts are changed, inmates begin to take responsibility for their actions & volunteers have a front row seat at this miracle in progress.
Join the Team:
Volunteers are always our greatest need & resource. If you could be interested, see Participate or Contact Us for more information.
Quick Tour:
For a list of all that goes into this grand mosaic effort to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the Memorial Unit inmates and their families, please visit How Can I Help? while the list below will give you a brief overview of our ministry activity.
Kairos Weekend - Twice a year a diverse group of 42 inmates is selected by the warden in consultation with the chaplain. These willing participants are then allowed to attend the weekend activities which begin on Thursday evening and conclude at a closing ceremony on Sunday afternoon. They come for many different reasons - curiosity, conviction, cookies! - but they are treated for 3½ days with Christian care and respect as our volunteers “Listen, Listen, Love, Love”. Nothing is forced, contrived, or manipulated. To accomplish this it takes a true group effort and the team members, both those going inside the Unit as well as the outside support team, join together for training sessions prior to the Weekend to prepare their hearts and minds, unified in Christ. Kairos Weekends are a straightforward presentation of the love of Jesus Christ for all men and a clear announcement of the salvation that is freely offered to all sinners. They offer music, food, fellowship, and the opportunity for all participants to reflect on their past and make meaningful changes for their future!
Kairos Instructional – These 42 new Kairos weekend graduates gather again usually the first Saturday after the weekend to be instructed in the basic format of the Prayer & Share services which are available weekly. These services include all previous Kairos Weekend attendees, including those who were graduates at other prison units.
Kairos Prayer & Share - These weekly services are truly the heart of Kairos. It is in the Prayer & Share gatherings that the Kairos graduates themselves renew their understanding of Christ's salvation and grow their faith with one another's prayers and support. They learn leadership and discipleship skills and how to function in faith as a part of the larger body of Christ. Kairos Reunion, the Prayer & Share gatherings on the second Saturday of the month, include a greater number of Kairos free world volunteers who attend to offer fellowship and encouragement to the ongoing ministry of all Kairos graduates inside the Memorial Unit.
Kairos 1-day Retreat - Twice a year in January & July, a smaller team of about 20 Kairos volunteers conduct one day retreats as "refresher courses" on selected themes of living a life for Jesus Christ. Like retreats conducted in Christian churches everywhere, these gatherings give the participants the chance to reflect on their progress in their Christian journey, stimulate sharing & fellowship, & provide hope, encouragement, and a deeper understanding of the Christian life experience.
It is our hope that you will pray and consider How Can I Help? Memorial Kairos Prison Ministry.