Kairos

Kairos is a statewide, multi-denominational, 72 hour prison ministry that has served at Central Prison in Raleigh since 1994.  A mission team of 30 men are selected, receive training, and minister to a maximum of 42 residents.  Through discussions, sharing and worship, team members grow closer to each other, and to the Christ they will model for the residents through listening, instruction, and caring.  The program starts on Wednesday when the mission team meets the residents for a time of sharing who they are, why they volunteered to come and what they expect.

Table families of nine are formed, with 6 residents, two laymen and a clergy in each.  Team members give testimonial talks, followed by table discussions and posters.  Music, prayer, and worship is interspersed with time for fellowship and great food.  Through the sharing of God's love, barriers are gradually broken down, and by closing on Saturday, the residents share as they are led, and the fruit borne by the power and work of the Holy Spirit is profoundly evident.

There are many ways we support this ministry:  Serving as a Kairos team member; signing strips of paper, agreeing to pray during the event, that are made into a paper prayer chain that stretches around the gym several times; baking cookies (100 dozen required of each Kairos team member); and placemats drawn by children, and encouraging posters for the gym walls.

Our Activities at Guilford Correctional Facility

1. Leading Worship:  Twice a year, on a 5^th Wednesday at 7:00 pm, we conduct a worship service with Holy Communion at Guilford Correctional Facility.  All are invited to attend, though the number usually attending from ORUMC varies from a few to about a dozen.  The service is very Spirit filled and we are all blessed.  We give the men an opportunity to select and sing several old hymns, and they raise the roof.  The Pastor then presents a devotion followed by Holy Communion, prayer, snack and fellowship.  We then pack up, and return to Oak Ridge.  It is a powerful blessing.
2. Yokefellows is a listening, relational ministry.  It occurs at Guilford Correctional, each Monday night at 7:00 - 8:30 pm, supporting the Christian community at the prison  (the inside Yokefellows).  The outside Yokefellows are a culturally diverse group of men and women from various churches.  After a time of singing, prayer and a short devotion, a Bible verse is provided and the participants break up into small groups.  The groups discuss the verse, or whatever might be on their mind, for about an hour. The group re-assembles, shares our discusses, prayer concerns, a prayer, then we depart by 8:30 pm.
3. After a reasonable time of service as a Yokefellow, a male volunteer can go through a short training, a security check, and become a Community Volunteer.  They are then permitted to sponsor out inmates for job interviews, attend worship, and other activities. Being a sponsor helps prepare the men for release from prison, return to their families and back into society, and it's an opportunity to know some of the men at a deeper level.

Ministry coordinator for all prison ministries is Dan Nelson