Originally posted by Littlejoe
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Kairos Prison Ministry in a nutshell
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Our Kairos Weekend (Coffield #41) came to an end Sunday Afternoon. 3-1/2 days of ministering God's Agape Love to our 42 Brothers-In-White saw many miracles, as many a Dead Man rose to a new life over the weekend. The walls of every man were battered and most if not all were broken down allowing new life and change to flood into the void. I want to issue a special thanks to my Pastor, mentor (and friend) Nathan, and friends and fellow laborers for Christ, Bobby and Gene . For answering the call, and opening your lives to minister to men that are for the most part, forgotten by society, and allowing them a chance for a new life in Christ Jesus. Our Team's Lay Leader TAG, did an excellent job in leading our rag tag band of misfits into the fiery battle with a grace and love that inspired us all. It was obvious that he listened to the Holy Spirit in picking the men who gave the Lay Talks over the weekend as time after time the message and testimony were SPOT ON, forcing those of us listening (especially the B-I-W) to truly see the Hand of God on their lives and testimonies. Looking forward in the months ahead to hear the victories in these men's lives as they move forward with their "Friendship with God".
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I will be serving on the upcoming Kairos Weekend at the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, TX (Coffield #41) April 21 - 24, 2016. Prayers are greatly encouraged and greatly appreciated. If you haven't watched the video in the OP, please do!
I heard recently from our Unit's State liaison that Texas TDCJ likes Kairos so much they are asking if we can open 5 units a year for the next five years. Kairos operates (currently) in (I think) 47 or 48 units State wide. (and in 36 states and 9 countries).
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LJ,
Last week at the Lt. Governor's Reception, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick gave us preachers a DVD copy of his movie The Heart of Texas. Somebody mentioned that was the story of the Prison Pastor article I referenced. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but kept meaning to mention this.
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Originally posted by Littlejoe View PostI saw in the article that the graduates are going to Huntsville and Tennessee Colony. That's where Coffield is located, so our unit may get some badly needed help!
Olmos Prison near the city of La Plata, Argentina, is a maximum security lock-up holding 3,000 of the country’s most dangerous criminals. In the mid 1980’s it was a place notorious for violent riots and murders, a hellish place dominated by evil where ritual sacrifices were regularly offered to satan. Today it is a place where the presence and power of God have established what is probably the largest prison church in the world…a place where you can hear both guards and inmates loudly praising the Lord…a place where over 1,500 prisoners celebrate their new freedom in Christ and are actually changing the prison system of the nation.
This should be a real encouragement to you, LJ!
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Originally posted by Cow Poke View PostYeah, apparently, they let me read the whole article ONCE, but when I went back to get that to show some of the guys at Church, it wanted money.
Thanks, LJ!!!!
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Originally posted by Littlejoe View PostCP,
The link you provided was to the Houston Chronicle but it wanted a subscription to read the rest of the story. Here is a link for those who are interested
http://texanonline.net/archives/5043...4nHF2c.twitter
Thanks, LJ!!!!
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CP,
The link you provided was to the Houston Chronicle but it wanted a subscription to read the rest of the story. Here is a link for those who are interested
http://texanonline.net/archives/5043...4nHF2c.twitter
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Originally posted by Cow Poke View PostWow - that makes WAY too much sense! I bet there are less fights and injuries to officers and residents there!
I just found what Dan Patrick was talking about last night...
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ROSHARON - Prisons typically are Stygian repositories of wrecked lives. But a bit of sunlight burst through the bars of Texas' maximum-security Darrington Unit Saturday as the first graduates of a program to transform hard-core offenders into ambassadors for Christ were handed four-year-college degrees in biblical studies.
Thirty-three bachelor's degrees and one master's degree from the Houston campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary were awarded in an emotional ceremony that brought tears from students and their families.
In coming weeks, the men, most of them serving terms that likely will keep them behind bars for the rest of their lives, will be assigned to East Texas prisons, where they will assist chaplains. The men are expected to provide positive, religious role models to inmates who someday will return to the "free world."
Anyway, I tend to think that prison ministry - like you do - is a "calling", no? Not just anybody can do that."Please learn from me. Never (NEVER) tell God what you won't do. When I became an adult, I told God that I would do anything in His Church except prison ministry. 20 years ago, God called me to Prison ministry through Kairos. I look forward to going to prison each time I go - even when leaving the house at 4:30 am on Saturday's for the pray and share group reunions.
Thank God for the work of the Kairos Ministry."Last edited by Littlejoe; 05-15-2015, 10:43 PM.
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Originally posted by Littlejoe View PostThat's just awesome! Coffield has a faith based wing, one of the first in the system where persons of faith can live and enjoy a sense of community without the normal threats from the general population...
but I haven't heard of this till now. I would imagine that there will be Kairos Graduates that will (hopefully) get a chance to enroll. The ugly truth is, we aren't there all the time (obviously) but strong ministers and Christians, can minister to each other and help each other stay strong in a very tough environment.
prison ministers.jpg
ROSHARON - Prisons typically are Stygian repositories of wrecked lives. But a bit of sunlight burst through the bars of Texas' maximum-security Darrington Unit Saturday as the first graduates of a program to transform hard-core offenders into ambassadors for Christ were handed four-year-college degrees in biblical studies.
Thirty-three bachelor's degrees and one master's degree from the Houston campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary were awarded in an emotional ceremony that brought tears from students and their families.
In coming weeks, the men, most of them serving terms that likely will keep them behind bars for the rest of their lives, will be assigned to East Texas prisons, where they will assist chaplains. The men are expected to provide positive, religious role models to inmates who someday will return to the "free world."
Anyway, I tend to think that prison ministry - like you do - is a "calling", no? Not just anybody can do that.
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Originally posted by Cow Poke View PostThis must be what he was talking about, LJ --- a seminary inside the Darrington Unit. This article was from 2010, so maybe they "graduated" the first batch of Pastors.
State prison officials have selected the troubled maximum-security Darrington Unit south of Houston as the site for a new religious seminary, a first-of-its-kind program that authorities hope could eventually make the entire prison system less violent.
The nondenominational program will train convicts who are serving long sentences, many of them for murder and other violent crimes, to be ministers. Once they graduate from the four-year program, they would go to other Texas prisons to minister to convicts.
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This must be what he was talking about, LJ --- a seminary inside the Darrington Unit. This article was from 2010, so maybe they "graduated" the first batch of Pastors.
State prison officials have selected the troubled maximum-security Darrington Unit south of Houston as the site for a new religious seminary, a first-of-its-kind program that authorities hope could eventually make the entire prison system less violent.
The nondenominational program will train convicts who are serving long sentences, many of them for murder and other violent crimes, to be ministers. Once they graduate from the four-year program, they would go to other Texas prisons to minister to convicts.
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It's always encouraging to see how folks are sharing their faith.
Last night, on our conference call with Lt Governor Dan Patrick, he was talking (before getting into the Pastor Protection Bill) about a recent graduation of PASTORS in prison - men they had been discipling and they have "graduated" to being Pastors. Not sure if they were licensed and/or ordained, or what.
Are you aware of anything like that? Apparently, it was one of the wilder Texas prisons.
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Kairos Prison Ministry in a nutshell
Watch this great video
http://video.pbs.org/partnerplayer/T...ndscreen=false
On the BC Tweb, I had a thread about the Prison Ministry I've been involved with over the last 10 years. The most asked question I get is, "aren't you afraid when you're there?" The truth is, I was the first time...a little. Mostly nervous, not from the inmates, but because I was really worried about how to act and what to say. Now, as veteran of almost 20 weekends and many more reunions, it doesn't even phase me to go in. The second most question is...what keeps you going back ...and why I get so excited about going to Coffield prison time and time again.... the above link is to a video about Kairos in Indiana. It's a wonderful segment from PBS; Religion & Ethics. It's less than 10 minutes and you can get a glimpse "behind the walls" and see pretty much what its like on the inside for us that are involved in KAIROS Prison Ministry. I'd encourage everyone to watch. This video is not my team, it's another one in Indiana. But Kairos weekends are pretty similar everywhere. Each unit has it's own way of doing things, but it's remarkable how there's looks like ours... Feel free to ask me any questions.
Thanks!
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