The international prison ministry Kairos works with volunteers to bring hope to men and women who are incarcerated.
Twice a year, the warden of French Robertson Prison in Abilene selects 42 men whom she feels would most benefit from the Kairos Inside program. Some inmates wait years to be picked, while others get picked the first time.
Over the 3 1/2 day event, volunteers bring grace and love inside prison walls to engage inmates in deep conversation that they hope will instill a new sense of hope.
Chris Cummings joined Kairos Inside as part of the worship team 13 years ago.
Cummings said he was raised in an innocent, Christian household, so the initial thought of serving in a maximum security prison was intimidating. Now, he says his 22 weekends in prison have been one of the biggest blessings of his life, and he loves the challenge of breaking through the prisoner’s walls.
“In prison, there’s games going on all the time, and so they’re very skeptical of what you’re doing. Why would these people come in from the free world and try to feed me and love on me and tell me about God? Why would they do that? There must be some alternative they’re looking for,” Cummings said.
The weekends start informally, with everyone receiving name tags and sandwiches.
According to Cummings, around 90% of the men they interact with in prison have never had exposure to Christian activities of any kind. Often, a volunteer who was once in prison shares their story with inmates to build trust and credibility early on in the weekend.
“Instantly, those guys go, ‘Oh wow, he’s one of us,’” Cummings said.
While volunteers are making connections inside, another program focuses on supporting women who have family members or loved ones in prison. The most recent Kairos Outside weekend retreats have been held in Lueders, Texas, at the Big Country Baptist Assembly campsite.
Dayna Ross was part of the first Kairos Outside weekend in Abilene. In early May, the group will host its 16th weekend event.
Like many inmates, not all of the women that Kairos Outside serves are familiar with Christianity. Ross said they want the women to feel like they belong, no matter their faith.
“The talks just go from not so much talking about Christ to more of how Christ changes your life if you allow him to,” Ross said.
Participants on both sides receive a lot of food. Inmates receive brisket, hamburgers, chicken lasagna, fried chicken and what Chris Cummings describes as “an awesome amount” of cookies.
“My saying about Kairos is that we get to their stomachs and God gets to their heart,” Cummings said.
The talks given by Kairos team members address the specific struggles that inmates and women affected by incarceration deal with.
Inmates don’t get to make many choices on their own. They are told when they can shower and when they can eat. Cummings says the Kairos Inside team focuses on teaching inmates the value of opening up and establishing friendships with the men around them.
The challenges for Women with husbands in prison are almost the opposite, having to make all the decisions for their family while working and raising kids without a partner. Mothers who have sons and daughters in prison struggle with not being able to care for them while they are away.
Ross said the women also struggle to open up about their challenges.
“They don’t want anybody to judge them. And it’s very hard sometimes to admit, yeah, I’m part of that group, a group that you know, you really don’t want to be in, but you’re in,” Ross said.
Some women sign up for the weekend but then don’t show up, which Ross said is likely due to their social fears of judgment and rejection. Those who do participate often stay connected and continue to grow their connections and faith through SWAP group meetings. SWAP stands for share, witness, accountability, and prayer.
Organizers of the Kairos weekends, both inside and outside, said it’s not magic. But Chris Cummins said by the time the weekend wraps up, the Kairos Inside volunteers see a change in many inmates.
“Sunday is the most powerful worship I’ve ever seen because these men are so full of joy, they have found freedom that they’ve never experienced their whole life,” Cummings said.
The work of Kairos Inside doesn’t end once the weekend concludes. Once a month, inmates in the unit facilitate a meeting time for prayer and music. Volunteers can go out to participate, but it is primarily the inmates who lead.
There is data to show that the change the volunteers witness is not a trick or just an emotional high. Cummings says usually, in any 100 people released from the Robertson unit, 55 of them are going to be back in that unit pretty soon. But for the men who go through Kairos, only 16 end up back in prison.
Both Cummings and Ross say that they could always use more funding and volunteers looking to make a positive impact on inmates, their families and for communities.
Kairos is fully funded by volunteers. The Abilene Gives fundraiser has been huge for Kairos, but since this will be the last year of Abilene Gives, they won’t be able to rely on those funds anymore.
Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 1776, Abilene, Texas 79604, or picked up by Dayna Ross.
To inquire more information about volunteering for Kairos Inside, email Chris Cummings: Chriscummings59@gmail.com.
To inquire more information about volunteering for Kairos Outside, email Dayna Ross: Daynabird65@gmail.com.