Kairos Riverbanks Ministry Foundations

Transcription

1 Mistry Foundations Kairos is a Mistry of Sacrifice Sacrifice Your Agenda Listen and Obedience Conformg Your Will Agape is Christ's Those Conflicts! Advocates for Christ, Not for Prisoners Prayer is the Foundation of Kairos Set Your Self Focus Aside Each Other As Christ Did Kairos Is If you had to condense the essence of the Kairos mistry down to its fundamental core, it would be LOVE. Not just any love, but the love of Christ, delivered wave after wave by His family. Do everythg a spirit of LOVE! Set Self Aside As a member of Christ's Team, you must set YOUR self-focus aside. The Kairos Team formation process is tended to be a "practice field" where we shed our self terests and put on the cloak of humility, obedience, sacrifice, vulnerability, and love - the face of Christ Himself. Prayer Is Your Foundation Prayer forms a key foundation to Karios. The mistry is built on a realization that no matter how organized, smart, or experienced we are, success is totally dependent on how willg the team is to humble itself and adopt a prayerful spirit. Agape is, not Gifts Agape is the of Christ, delivered through the Body of Christ. Cookies, posters, money, and letters are not Agape - they only represent Agape. Sacrifice Your Agenda Christ calls us to be servants. That means we are to give up our control. The servant's agenda is not important; the Master's agenda is! Give up your self-focus so that you can truly be His servant. Obedience is Conformg Your Will The Kairos Life is one of learng to lay down our will and to joyfully serve obedience. It starts with Christ, and extends to prison authorities and the Kairos Method. Advocates For Christ The power of the mistry comes from beg focused as advocates for Christ. When we are focused on Christ, the Spirit magnifies our efforts. Don't lose your focus and become an advocate for prisoners. Those Conflicts Don't be surprised when conflicts arise on the Team! If you are dog a good work for Christ, Satan will try to stir the pot and create conflict and distraction. Satan will use YOUR weaknesses to his advantage. The issue is how do you respond? We can be distracted from God's work, or rely on God to work through our. Listen, Listen,, The theme of EVERY Kairos is "Listen, Listen,,." This theme remds us that Kairos is not about preachg or convcg. Instead, we sacrifice our need to be control and listen with our hearts - a true act of great love. 0 Kairos is a Mistry of Sacrifice You are called upon to make many personal sacrifices to serve the Kairos mistry. It is a sacrifice to travel to and attend Team meetgs. It is a sacrifice to spend a weekend away from your family to be with prisoners. You sacrifice your time and other resources, and sometimes even your pride. Be assured that God honors your sacrifice a very special and personal way.

2 Common Ground Theological Criticism Plantg Seeds Through Activities That Divide Respect Others' Denomation Teach the Team Kairos Common Ground No Communion Kairos Unify Christ Lay Our Differences Aside Kairos is Ecumenical Kairos is Ecumenical Part of the foundation of the Kairos mistry is that it is an ecumenical mistry. That is, we embrace all Christian Churches as partners our mistry to the prisoner. Lay Our Differences Aside Because different denomations hold to different beliefs and practices, Kairos requires that volunteers lay those differences aside durg the Kairos experience. Unify Christ Rather than focus on our differences theological traditions, we focus on the one thg that unifies us - the love and mercy of God poured out on us by the sacrifice of Jesus. We call this stayg on "Common Ground." Respect Others' Denomation We are all asked to respect each other's denomation. That doesn't mean that we are required to adopt a particular denomation's beliefs, but that Kairos we will not focus on the thgs that divide us. Criticism We avoid any criticism of other's beliefs, and return, they avoid criticizg our beliefs. We stay unified our 'Common Ground' of Christ. Activities That Divide We are to avoid ANY activities that are denomationally dividg. For example, we avoid Altar Calls, Layg on of Hands, Prayg the Rosary, Baptism, Marian Theology, Femization of the Diety, etc., even if there are no objections from Team members. No Communion Kairos Because there are so many denomational differences surroundg Communion, Kairos does not allow Communion the Team formation process or durg the Kairos Weekend, or as part of the Contug Mistry of Karios. Teach Kairos Common Ground The issue of remag on Common Ground is so foundational to the mistry that the Board of Directors has issued a policy that requries the Kairos Leader to make sure that every Team member has been given a copy of the policy. Plantg Seeds Through Our role Kairos is to plant seeds - seeds of. We understand that we are just struments of God's love, and that Kairos is an experience God's love. We do not keep "count" of God's harvest. We come not seekg commitments, but we trust that God's harvest will be Kairos time, not ours.

3 The Institution Don't Purchase Items From Residents Honour the Govenor's Authority Don't Pass Messages Don't Give Anythg to Residents Religious Materials Go Through Chapla Don't Mail Letters for Residents No Metal or Glass Objects Not on Visitation List NINO Prciple Don't Smuggle Anythg You may not realize that you are smugglg when you brg anythg (cludg posters, letters, notes, etc) and it goes to a resident, or if you brg such thgs out from a resident. Everythg should be disclosed advance. Not on Visitation List Kairos volunteers are not allowed to serve Kairos and also be on a resident's visitation list. No Metal or Glass Objects You are not allowed to brg metal (cludg notebooks with spiral bdgs) or glass objects (cludg food seasong bottles) to the prison environment. Both metal and glass objects can be fashioned to weapons. Don't Give Anythg to Participants This cludes notes, addresses, phone numbers, magazes, photos, posters, birthday cards - nothg! You can clude these thgs the mail, and the prison will review your letter contents to determe if it is OK to pass on to the resident. But, it is NOT OK to hand the material to a resident. Don't Purchase Anythg Not even through an Institutional approved procedure. Your relationship is a spiritual one, and it is most significant when money is not volved any way. Don't Pass Messages Never agree to pass messages from a resident to outsiders, or vice versa. You do not know the situation, and you may be passg a hidden message. If you do it once, more and more may be asked of you the future. It is best never to start. Don't Mail Letters for Participants There is an approved process for a resident to mail a letter or package. If you take a letter and mail it for the resident, you are assistg violatg the stitution'ss security review of the mail. Religous Materials Go Thru Chapla All religous materials that are to be given to a resident must be routed to the Chapla, who will make the appropriate arrangement to get the materials to the resident after review. Honor Warden's Authority You are an vited guest the Warden's "house." The Warden has the authority to set the rules for his/her house. Do not resist or compla about the rules, or you may not be vited back to the Warden's house!

4 Team Formation Conflict is a Spiritual Issue Prepare The Team Spiritually Agape Starts Here Prepare the Team for Prison Preview All Talks Stick to the Talk Outles Prepare the Team for Assignments Prayer is a Team Foundation Formation Takes Time Meetgs Are A Must! Meetgs Are A Must It is a mistake to believe that attendg Team meetgs isn't necessary if you are experienced Kairos. Meetgs are spiritual preparation - and everyone needs that! You must commit to attendg and fully participatg every Team meetg. Formation Takes Time It takes time together for a group of Christian dividuals to become formed to the Body of Christ. The Kairos Method requires - hours of Team time for this process. If travel logistics for your Team allows, spreadg this time over meetgs plus an overnight has proven most effective. Prayer is a Team Foundation Prayer is a foundation of the Karios experience. It starts with the Leader and spreads to the Team. Build the foundation for the Karios by takg every opportunity durg the Team formation process to lead the Team with prayerful responses. Emphasize Prayer Partnerg - use Prayer Cards. Preview All Talks All Talks are to be previewed durg Team meetgs followed by a review to be done with an eye toward whether the speaker is beg obedient to the outle and whether their witness is relevant to the topic of the Talk. Prepare Team Spiritually Perhaps the most important purpose of Team formation is the spiritual preparation of the Team. We come as needy dividuals and become transformed to God's agents - powered by the Holy Spirit. Team meetgs must be filled with opportunities for spiritual preparation. Prepare Team for Prison We are not prison residents. While some of us may know a lot about prison, it is not our life. It is foreign to us - especially for the newer Team members. Durg Team meetgs, each person must be prepared for the prison experience and to meet the Department of Corrections requirements. Prepare Team for Assignments People want to do a good work for God. They want to be told their assignment and how to do it so they can do their job. It takes time and effort to get prepared, but dog so empowers our work for God. Failg to prepare for our jobs leaves us with a spirit of criticism and a distracted focus of God's purpose. Stick to Talk Outles Speakers are remded that "their" talk is only one piece of a larger talk. Each piece builds on prior talks and forms a foundation for subsequent talks. When a speaker is not obedient to the talk Outle, they fail to prepare a foundation for subsequent talks. Agape Starts Here The Team is responsible for buildg a channel of Agape for the Kairos. All forms of Agape, cludg fancial support, are to be collected quantities adequate for the needs of the Karios. It starts with the Team, and through the Team's efforts, spreads out to the Christian community. 0 Conflict is a Spiritual Issue Conflicts WILL arise on the Team. If the Team is dog God's will, expect that Satan will try to distract the Team by usg our weaknesses to create confilct. The important thg is how will we respond? Don't fall prey to Satan's ways and become critical, but respond love, prayer and support for one another.

5 Short Course - Spirit Affirm the Participants Chapel is a Sacred Place Listen and Don't Manipulate Music is Teachg, Not Performance Turn Over Control Prayer Vigil is a Priority Focus on the Family Dress Humility Have a Vulnerable Spirit Have a Vulnerable Spirit We come to Kairos as wounded healers. We are not the answer, and we don't know all the answers. We simply come with a lovg and vulnerable spirit. We set our prideful nature aside. We are not control, but we live vulnerable obedience to God. Dress Humility We are asked to give up anythg that sets us apart or draws attention to ourselves. That cludes our clothg. Loud or fancy clothes, or clothes with impressive logos (even Karios logos) are to be laid at the cross and avoided on the Weekend. We strive for simplicity - to avoid creatg a sful covetedness the Participants over our nice clothg. Focus on the Family Durg the Weekend, we place our focus on establishg the family environment. Let everythg we do be to help build up a new family Christ. any distractions that take the focus off the family teraction and place it on the Team. Music is Teachg, Not Performance Music is a very important part of the Weekend. Music is used to teach and spire, but we must be careful that it does not turn to a performance by the music team. When we perform, we shift the focus off the Participants and on to ourselves. Chapel is a Sacred Place The Team and Participants must understand that the space we have set aside as the Chapel is a special place. It is reserved as a special place to be focused on God. It is to be held as a holy place. Treat it as if God Himself were standg there - because He is! Listen and The theme of Karios is Listen, Listen,,. That is our guide to our behavior on the Weekend - Listen and. We are to do more listeng and less "preachg." We are to love the Participants, the Team, the Admistration, and the Officers - all on behalf of Christ. Prayer Vigil is a Priority It is important that every mute of the Weekend is coverend by prayer. Every Team member must solicit the prayers of God's people to sure that this is done. When the prayer vigil is visually displayed to the Participants by means of a poster, prayer wheel, prayer clock, or prayer cha, they ga a sense of their worth God's Kgdom and the power of prayer their lives. Turn Over Control Nowhere is it more important for the Team to give up its desire to be control than when we are the prison environment. If the participants see that we value or desire beg control, the spiritual message of the importance of givg up control is lost. Don't Manipulate We are to be honest all we do. We don't manipulate the situation to achieve a special effect. For example, we don't put red dye the water used the forgiveness ceremony to symbolize the spillg of Christ's blood, or use spotlights to create a special effect. The Holy Spirit will use our honesty and humility much more significant ways. 0 Affirm the Participants Affirm the Participants through the Weekend. Affirm them by learng their names, by vigorus applause when they troduce themselves or speak front of the group, by lettg them make their posters and complimentg their work. Affirm them by really listeng to them and by lovg them unconditionally. You can only do this through Christ!

6 Short Course - Program Closg is Worship Adapt Times for the Institution Day - Encounterg Others Day - Encounterg Kairos Nothg to be Substituted Day - Encounterg Christ Day - Encounterg Self Nothg to be Added Everythg Sequence The River is Narrow on the Short Course The River is Narrow Once the Kairos Weekend arrives, the Kairos river becomes very narrow! There are not many paths that can be chosen by the Leader. You must avoid the temptation to get out of the water and go around the riverbanks! Everythg Sequence Every element of the Weekend program is to be done, and done its proper sequence. Don't rearrange elements to suit your personal opion about what works better. The Wisdom of Karios has established the program as the best Method. Nothg Added There is great temptation to add our thumbprt to the Weekend. this temptation which may be almost "stitutionalized" the Kairos program at your stitution. But, as Leader, you are called to lay down this temptation at the foot of the cross. addg thgs like: Birthday Parties, Givg Gifts (ie roses), Serenades, or makg a variation for the Chapla. Nothg Substituted The Weekend program is a gift from the Spirit. There is no reason to tamper with its proven power. Even if there is an element that we may personally thk could be done "better," avoid the temptation to change the Kairos program. Adapt Times for the Institution There may be stitutional issues that require you to adjust the schedule times. For example, shift change may require you to enter the prison earlier or later than the standard schedule. You will have to adapt as your situation demands. Just don't leave out or add to the Kairos program elements. Thursday This is a time of reducg anxiety (for both the Participants and the Team) and begng to build comfort levels. Keep it light hearted and friendly. Friday This is a day where the Participants understand themselves and their standg with God. confusg them with anythg that distracts their focus from their understandg of how much God loves them. Saturday This day we exame our relationship with Christ and others and the role of forgiveness those relationships. Encourage them to use this day to give and receive forgiveness. Sunday On this, the last day, we beg the process of growg faith and community with others. We focus on lookg forward to life the Christian community the Institution. 0 Closg is Worship The Closg ceremony is a time of worship. While the atmosphere is joyful, don't let it become carnival-like. Instruct the guests about the proper spirit of Closg.

7 Spiritual Relationships Everythg Christ's Present God's Be Ready with Personal Witness Express the Need for Discipleship Mister to Officers Cheap Form of Grace Encourage Relatg to Others Listen and Care Evaluate Your Motivations Recognize Your Limitations Recognize Your Limitations The mistry is about God's love. Acknowledge that you are just a tool that God is usg for His purposes. Any good that comes from your efforts is due to God. You are control of nothg! Evaluate Your Motivations Why are you on this Kairos Team? Are you here to receive blessgs, or are you here to be a servant for God's purposes? Be scere sacrificg your purposes and glorify God, not yourself, the team, or the leaders. Listen and Care Honest listeng is an act of love. It places your focus on the importance of the other person, rather than on yourself. Do you really care what the participant is sayg? Are you listeng, or are you planng a response? Mister to Officers Not only do we mister to the carcerated, but we also mister to the carcerator! Make sure that you present the face of Christ to the Correctional Officers. They have a very hard job to do, and they need to see the lovg grace of God, expressed through your actions. Present God's Help the Participants come to understand the nature of God's love - not one where He's tryg to catch us failg, but one filled with understandg, forgiveness, and acceptance. How has that love been shown to you your times of brokeness? Express the Need for Discipleship God calls us to be disciples. That means we are to live the disciple's life of prayer, study and Christian action. At first, that may sound borg, but the Team is there because they have found great joy livg the life of a disciple! Help the participants come to that same understandg. Encourage Relatg to Others Help the residents understand that when we walk the love of God, we become vehicles to pass that love on to others. Encourage them to relate to others constructive ways, and to commit to God's control. Cheap Grace - As though it didn't matter how one conducts themself sce God forgives... - As though spiritual vitality were dicated by emotional display... - As though exercise of a particular gift were the ultimate religous experience... Be Ready with Personal Witness It is one thg to talk about the grace of God, but it is a different thg to give personal witness to the grace of God evidenced your own life. Be ready at any time to share how God's grace for YOU has occurred. 0 Everythg Christ's The Christian experience is one that walks the light of Christ's great love for us. We need to be models of that walk the light. Everythg we do should be done the spirit of that love. Don't let petty differences or disappotmens draw you out of that love.

8 Sacrifice & Obedience Make Room for Growth by Steppg Aside Speakers be Obedient to the Outle Be a Reunion Group Involve Others In God's Mistry Be a Faithful Steward Stay for the Entire Short Course Dress Humility Adopt a Servant's Heart Servant's Heart Come with the spirit of a servant. Be willg to do whatever the Kairos Leader asks. tryg to "make thgs happen" the way you want them to happen. Just serve with the joy of knowg He is charge. Dress In Humility wearg overly nice thgs on the Weekend. Your "nice" clothg can be a source of desire for a Participant. logos on clothg - even Karios logos. Stay the Whole Weekend As a member of the Inside Team, you make a commitment to be present for the entire Weekend. If you have a schedule conflict that will prevent you from stayg, then you probably shouldn't be on this Team. Be a Reunion Group The heart of the Kairos mistry is the ongog Prayer and Share fellowship. That's why every talk has an element of testimony about the importance of our own Reunion group. Be authentic when you encourage Participants to commit to beg Prayer and Share. Step Aside Without new persons jog the mistry, it will stagnate and die. Be willg to step aside from time to time to make room for new people. Each Team should have / new first time Team members. Unless on the leadership track, experienced members should not serve more than consecutive Teams before takg a Kairos off. Speakers be Obedient Speakers must be willg to be obedient to the Talk Outle. This is not the place to "get it off my chest." You are asked to sacrifice any desire to use the role of speaker as an opportunity to say what you want - or even what "God told me to say." The Outle and its role the larger outle is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is sufficient. Be a Faithful Steward The Team is ultimately responsible for beg good stewards of the funds raised for the Kairos Weekend. Be willg to be convenienced if it means beg a better steward of those funds. Make sure that your mistry funds itself and its role enablg the startup of other, new mistries around the world. Involve Others Kairos Kairos is God's mistry. Jesus called people to visit Him prison. Don't prevent someone from followg Christ's struction because you failed to offer them the opportunity of supportg the Karios Weekend. Invite all you can, and the harvest will be plentiful.

9 Community Response Closg is Not a Performance Music is Worship at Closg "Name Game" at Closg Closg Is Holy Ground Affirm Without gog "Wild" at Closg Opposite Gender Temptation Affirm Participants at Posters Be Lovg Durg Open Mike Set the Proper Model Introductions Set a Good Model Durg the troduction time on Thursday, set a proper model when it's your turn. The Participants are watchg, and they will follow the example you set. A long-wded troduction by you will result a long-wded troduction by the Participants. Open Mike Response Open Mike time is a time of vulnerability. The Holy Spirit will be urgg a Participant to come forward. That is an authentic response. Don't destroy that vulnerable moment by playg the "name game" and terruptg them with "name and table." Also, don't force an authentic response by lettg the group start "callg" people forward. Affirm Posters & Summaries The Poster and Summary time is a chance to affirm the Participants. Don't laugh at poor artwork or mispronounced words. Be filled with joy that God is at work and encourage them with affirmation. Closg is Holy Ground The Closg ceremony is to be viewed as a time of worship and thanksgivg. It is a time of joy and affirmation. lettg it take on a "carnival-like" tone. Yellg comments back and forth is not appropriate. Closg is not a Performance Closg is not a time for performg. The Kairos Leader's structions to the Participants make that clear. But, it also is not a time of performance by the Team. musical performances, serenades, Team reflections and the like. "Name Game" As Open Mike time, Participants who come forward to speak at the Closg come vulnerability. Don't shut them down by yellg out "name and table." "Opposite Gender" Temptation You must recognize that persons of the opposite gender can become objects of sexual desire for mates. magnifg such a desire by puttg the Participants to close contact with the Support Team and Closg guests. Affirm without gog Wild Let the Participants know you support them and are joyful about their experience. But, avoid turng affirmation to a "wild party." Music is Worship Music used Closg (if used) should be appropriate for a worship settg. This is not the time for "Pharaoh, Pharaoh."