The Purpose of Kairos
Kairos is an interdenominational Christian ministry to and for prison inmates and their adult family members and friends. Team members are largely drawn from the Emmaus and Cursillo movements within the mainstream Christian churches. Our Lord Jesus has commanded Christians to ‘go and make disciples of all nations teaching them to obey everything I have commanded’ (Matt 28:19‐20). The principal purpose of Kairos is to carry out that command in one particular environment, the prison, and to share with inmates the unconditional love of God in Christ, as presented in the Gospels.
Kairos Outside extends that vision to female friends and family members of current or past prisoners. The purpose of Kairos Outside is to demonstrate God’s grace and love through Christian support for women who have relatives/friends who are or have been in prison , and to former female residents of correctional institutions who did not have the opportunity to attend a Kairos Inside program while they were in prison.
KAIROS STATEMENT OF FAITH
The people of Kairos are called by God to share the love of Christ with those impacted by incarceration. Kairos encourages believers from a variety of Christian traditions to be volunteers in this Christ‐filled ministry. Kairos programs offer to prison residents, their families, and those who work with them, the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ, and to grow in their faith and servant‐hood in Christian community.
We stand on the common ground of the following elements of faith.
We in Kairos believe:
• The Bible is God’s authoritative and inspired word for our faith and our lives.
• In the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• In the deity, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Friendship with God is a free gift, for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
• The love of Jesus Christ motivates His followers to provide food for the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome to the stranger, clothes for the naked, and visits to the sick and those in prison.
• In sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ with all incarcerated individuals, their families, and to those who work with them inside and outside the correctional institution.
VISION
A community spiritually freed from the effects of imprisonment reaching all impacted by incarceration, through the love, hope and faith found in Jesus Christ.
MISSION
The mission of the Kairos Prison Ministry 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.
All KAIROS REGIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS MUST AGREE:
1. To affirm our common Statement of Faith (refer to KPMA website)
2. To abide by the rules and policies of Kairos including requirements for confidentiality, commitment to the Code of Conduct and service in good faith in any role assignment.
3. To stay within the ethos of the Australian Kairos Regional Committee Handbook and follow its guidelines.
If you consent to being put forward as a nominee for election to the Regional Committee, you will need to:
1. Access Regional Committee Handbook on the KPMA website and become familiar with its contents in relation to Regional Committee member responsibilities.
2. Undertake to attend ALL Regional Committee meetings.
3. Commit to the Kairos activities for 12 months following the AGM.
4. Agree to support, in good faith, all Kairos activities.
5. Abide by the rules of confidentiality.
I acknowledge that I have read and agree to abide by the Statement of Faith, Purpose of Kairos and the Kairos Prison Ministry Australia (KPMA) Code of Conduct Summary.