Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (Kairos) is a Christian faith based ministry which addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, youth, and their families. By sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, Kairos hopes to change hearts, transform lives and impact the world. Kairos sprang from the Cursillo movement and is supported by volunteers from the 4th Day movements such as Cursillo, National Episcopal Cursillo, Presbyterian Cursillo, Lutheran Via de Cristo, The Upper Room's Walk To Emmaus, and independently ecumenical Tres Dias as well as volunteers from independent and non-denominational churches. As a ministry, Kairos embraces a diverse group of volunteers working together to fulfill Christ's call to action in Matthew 25:36.
Kairos is a ministry of the church ... a ministry of the apostles whom Jesus, the Christ, has called into community and sent forth into the environment of the correctional institution. Kairos has been called the best example of the early church in existence today.
The Kairos program incorporates curriculum designed to build and encourage pro-social character and behavior. Society spends over $60 billion/yr. to keep more than 2.1 million inmates incarcerated men and women with nearly 650,000 people released annually, whereas the Kairos program is offered at no cost to State and Federal Institutions. It's been said that it cost the government $1 million to keep "me" locked up and a $100 program from Kairos set "me" free.
Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit corporation chartered in the state of Florida.
The word, Kairos, is a Greek word meaning in God's Special Time or in the Fullness of Time indicating an opportunity for our participants and guests to re-consider their life choices - as hearts are changed, inmates begin to take responsibility for their actions - it's like a front row seat at a miracle - transforming lives and impacting the world.
A community spiritually freed from the effects of imprisonment reaching all impacted by incarceration, through the love, hope, and faith found in Jesus Christ.
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.
A Kairos Inmate Testimony: "I can never repay Kairos for what it has done for me. I came to the Kairos weekend filled with hate, anger and deceit. I only came because I heard that there would be good food, but I didn't want anybody in my face about God. But as I began to hear these volunteers talk about how God loved me so much that he sent Jesus, His own son to die in my place so that I would be free, something started to happen to me. I began to experience a kind of love that I had never seen or felt before. I now understand that it was the love of God, offered to me by His people. I made a mess of my life and ended up in prison. My family abandoned me and society had written me off. I was worthless, and I felt that way. Life had lost all meaning for me. I was like a balloon with nothing inside. But these Kairos volunteers fed me with the Word of God, and now I hunger after Him. I will be forever grateful to Kairos for showing me that the way to freedom is through the cross of Christ."