Fall 2019 News from Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. Vol. 45 No. 3 2019 Annual Conference The 2019 Kairos Annual Conference was a wonderful experience for almost 500 Kairos volunteers to become more energized about our ministry, learn more about Kairos, and meet other Kairos volunteers. There were workshop sessions, presenters, and compelling speakers with powerful testimonies. By visiting www.mykairos.org/conference_archive2019.html you can view and download all of the workshop presentation slides, and handouts. You can watch all of the Conference testimonial speaker videos on MyKairos. Included are talks by one of the Kairos founders Cleve Bell, Larry “Buck” Rodgers, Kimberly DiBiase, and the transformative story of Jerry and Alisha Pitts. As part of the business portion of the Annual Conference, a number of new members of the Kairos Board of Directors were elected as well as International Council officers. Check the updated rosters and see if anyone you know was elected and congratulate them on their new position. Page 1 God’s Special Time, Fall 2019 FROM THE CEO God’s Special Time The Importance of Your Role in role. Many times it’s not about our is published quarterly for Kairos Kairos experience it’s about our Prison Ministry International, Inc. preparation that brings about their wonderful Kairos moments. No matter your role in Kairos it is very important to us and Evelyn Lemly One of the roles we all CEO to every other member of the body. Kairos relies have is to represent Jesus Becky Dotson Christ in all we do COO on people who are called by our Lord to serve and whether in a Kairos Craig Combs carry out the ministry. meeting or while in the Men’s Ministry Coordinator We strive to always give room with the guests/ Gina Brockmeyer God our very best and to participants, or behind Women’s Ministry Coordinator operate Kairos with the scenes in support, or serving on an Advisory Kevin Resnover excellence. The ministry Youth Ministry Coordinator is one of excellence Council, State Chapter Committee, or… Julie Collins because of our wonderful Evelyn Lemly, CEO Controller dedicated volunteers. In Kairos it’s election Daisy Nazario time. The volunteers will be Administrative Assistant The roles vary depending on the activity of the day – team meetings, electing their Advisory Council Kimberly Bloom and State Chapter Committee Administrative Assistant conducting Weekends, Continuing Ministry, Advisory Council, State members this fall. Please don’t Andy Perry Chapter Committee, International just fill a slot but pray about it and Executive Administrative Assistant Council, or Board of Director. All fulfill the role so that your role is Bill McVay these positions are held by done with excellence. Step Marketing & Communications dedicated volunteers who agreed to forward and say yes to serving and carry out specific duties for the role trust God will prepare you and Kris Buchanan guide you. And always remember Bookkeeper they were asked or elected to do. to fix your eyes on Jesus and run a Monika Hesse great race for our Lord, Jesus Programs Administrative Assistant Do you know your role and what your job is all about? Do you Christ. know how important you carrying Steve Smith out your role with excellence is to “Therefore, since we are Board Chair everyone on the team and to Kairos surrounded by such a great cloud Susan Dyer as a whole? If not, please take the of witnesses, let us throw off Vice Chair time to review your role, pray it everything that hinders and the sin Benjy Cook Ken Perduyn through, prepare for it, and carry it that so easily entangles. And let us Secretary Treasurer out to the best of your ability. And run with perseverance the race when you’re not sure or need help marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes – Ask someone! on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter Lisa Trahan of faith. For the joy set before him International Council President There are others depending on you to do your Kairos role well – guests he endured the cross, scorning its Connie Klipsch Judy Watson and participants, Department of Vice President Secretary shame, and sat down at the right Corrections, Department of hand of the throne of Juvenile Justice, Wardens/ God. 3 Consider him who endured To submit stories and photos or to Superintendents, Chaplains, contact Kairos leadership and staff: Security Officers, and on and on. such opposition from sinners, so 407-629-4948 that you will not grow weary and [email protected] Sometimes we forget that those we serve and are around as we serve lose heart. Hebrews 12: 1-3 NIV www.kairosprisonministry.org are watching and can tell if we are prepared and ready to take on our Page 2 God’s Special Time, Fall 2019 A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR The Role of a Governing and strengthen our When my grandmother Board programs. turned 90 years old she said to me, “goodness In the world of Kairos there is Without exception, child I never meant to live always something else to learn. all who serve on our that long.” I can say If we reach a point where we current Board of honestly that I never have it all figured out…look Directors are still meant to be on the Kairos out…because either you have involved on a local Board. I began my stopped growing and learning or level in one of our involvement in Kairos God is about to send you in a three programs (one because I was sure that new direction. ministry - three Steve Smith, God was calling me to be programs). When Board Chair the music leader on Pine Serving on the Kairos Board of we are back home in our states Bluff Kairos #4 in 1995. The Directors is a confirmation that and involved as volunteers we only thing I was sure of was that God continues to use us and are not acting as Board I felt His call on my life as I had bless us through new members. At no time other than never felt it before. I had no experiences. I imagine that when we are doing the work of idea what that was going to be some of you have probably the Board, are we anything more like, and I certainly didn’t know served on boards before, but the than any other volunteer. We I would still be going into Kairos Board is different. Many have no authority as a Board prisons 24 years later. I was boards are “working “boards, member when we are very happy doing music and got involved in the day to day volunteering, or should we be to a point where I could almost decisions and actions undertaken treated any differently than any do it in my sleep…then God by the organization. You spend other volunteer. And as our asked me to do a different job, time involved in the business of manual clearly emphasizes no then He drew me into Kairos getting things done at the ground job is less than or greater than Torch for a few years, and so it level. Honestly, in our not so any other. Hopefully we are all goes for most of us I’m sure. distant past the Kairos Board doing exactly what God has Thank God that He loves us was tasked with a great many of called us to do and our only goal enough to use us and in using us these types of activities. should be obedience to that call. He blesses. I thank God for His Thankfully today the Board can In getting to work with the men call. focus on making sure our and women who serve on the organization is true to our Kairos Board I can also say that, Why Do You Volunteer mission, vision and long-range without exception, none of them With Kairos? goals, seeking spiritual became involved in Kairos discernment and direction and because they dreamed of being Stop and think for a minute about leading as Christ lead…by being Board members. They serve "Why I volunteer with Kairos." servant leaders. Our job is to because God saw fit to use them Then take out your cell phone select and support our CEO, in a new way and they are there and do a short (less than 1 work to provide effective out of obedience to that call. No minute) video with your answer! planning, define policies and Board member ever has any Send it to [email protected]. governance of the ministry, authority as an individual We need at least 20 more of ensure we have adequate member of the Board. Only the these clips. (By sending us the financial resources, and monitor Board as a body can govern. video you are giving us permission to use it). Page 3 God’s Special Time, Fall 2019 KAIROS MEN’S MINISTRY Group Dynamics By Craig Combs, Men’s Ministry Coordinator Did you know that there is a lot of science and psychology behind the Kairos program that insures it impacts the participants? I have no idea if the “nine old men” did this on purpose, or if the Holy Sprit just did it. The theory of Group Dynamics is well known, well respected and accepted. It basically states that as a bunch of folks come together for a purpose, they go through some stages as the group spends time together. There are four stages that we go through during Team Formation Meetings, and we go through the same four stages during the Kairos Weekend.