Kairos Prison Ministry has marked 30 years of life-changing work in Australia’s correctional facilities with a series of well-received events in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide, attended in-person and online by 750 people.
Over the past three decades, Kairos has grown into a nationwide movement of hope bringing gospel-fuelled transformation to people impacted by incarceration. Since its beginnings in 1995, more than 720 programs have been delivered across 50 correctional and community locations in Australia – reaching over 10,000 men, women, and young people through Kairos Inside, Kairos Outside, and Kairos Torch.
This profound impact was celebrated with music, testimonies, afternoon tea, and powerful stories from people whose lives have been changed by the ministry. The events were a wonderful mix of celebrating and honouring the past, and then looking forward to the future.
Stories of Hope
Each event featured unique testimonies from local volunteers and past Kairos participants, who shared generously from their own experiences.
At the Sydney event, attendees heard from a former participant in Kairos Inside, the program that sends volunteers into prisons to work with current inmates.
Simon shared his story of encountering Kairos volunteers at Silverwater Jail in 2006. Simon told the guests, “Before Kairos, hope was in short supply. Life behind bars strips away so much – comfort, dignity, a sense of belonging. But then these incredible volunteers arrived, treating us, treating me, as people, not just as prisoners… it was openhearted generosity.
“During the Kairos course, I opened up in ways I never thought I would. I felt the walls inside me start to crumble. I started to believe I could be different.”
“The transformation Kairos began in me has rippled far and wide. My sons, my friends and my community saw the change in me and through me they encountered the spirit and story of Kairos. Healing is contagious – when one person finds hope, it lifts up those around them.”
At the Brisbane event, Glenda shared her story of attending a Kairos Outside weekend retreat. Kairos Outside provides support for female relatives or friends of a current or former prison inmate. Glenda’s son is incarcerated and she struggled immensely with guilt and grief when he first went to prison. But when she attended a Kairos Outside weekend, she felt her burden lighten.
“It was a place where I met with other women who understood what it was like to have a loved one in prison. The talks were all just for me. I felt loved, understood and overwhelmed that there were women who would give so much of themselves for me.
I praise God that he brought me into contact with Kairos Outside. The healing I received was God-anointed.”
Glenda is now a volunteer with Kairos Outside herself, and shared about the joy of seeing other women’s faith blossom over a weekend.
“So many women have said to me, ‘I will go back to church now – if you can do it I can too.’ Or, ‘I will read this Bible you gave me, because I want to know Jesus’”.
Glenda also brought a message from her son, who is in prison and attended a Kairos Inside group. He said, “We were shown unconditional love by everyone from KI. It felt like they were true Christian people who don’t judge us at all… I really felt the love of Christ doing KI.”
Joining the Ministry
International CEO Evelyn Lemly was in attendance and encouraged guests with stories of growth in Kairos’s work around the world in nearly 500 locations across the USA, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Canada, the UK, Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi and Kenya. Internationally Kairos has over 30,000 volunteers – and new volunteers are always welcome!
Colin Bradford, a very early volunteer with Kairos, encouraged attendees – and anyone else becoming aware of Kairos – to consider joining the ministry. He highlighted that Kairos doesn’t just change the lives of those who are incarcerated, but those who volunteer as well.
“If you’re thinking about volunteering with Kairos, prepare to have your life changed – your attitudes, your understanding of what it means to be a Christian, your understanding of what it means to be in ministry. Prepare to have it changed.”
To get involved with Kairos Prison Ministry Australia, interested individuals and churches can visit kairos.org.au. There is also the opportunity to sign up for regular communications from Kairos, to stay in touch with what the ministry is doing and partner with Kairos in prayer.
Watch the Celebration Events on the Kairos YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@kairosprisonministryaustralia
