28 March, 2024

They Are in Prison . . . and We Visited Them

Features

by | 22 November, 2014 | 0 comments

By Gary Armes

We trained for five Saturdays to spend four days behind bars with prisoners who discovered new ways to reconnect with God.

Seven men from Hickory Valley Christian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, joined 40 men from other area churches March 6, 2014, all of them seeking to be obedient to Jesus” call in Matthew 25 to visit those in prison. Our ministry was sponsored by Kairos, an ecumenical, faith-based prison ministry. 

11_Armes_JNWe trained for five Saturdays, previewing various talks and reviewing practical suggestions about how we should deal with the prisoners (whom we called “residents”). After many hours of training, the time came for us to enter Walker State Prison in Walker County, Georgia.

As residents entered the gym area, I was anxious and hopeful I would not say or do anything offensive. We were told residents want their “space,” and we shouldn”t be overly forward at our first meeting. But when these 42 men walked in, there was an almost immediate bonding. There were warm handshakes, some hugs, and introductions. From the beginning, I noticed every resident was polite, courteous, and humble. The atmosphere was nonthreatening, and I never felt in any danger. For the next four hours we simply sat and talked, getting to know one another.

The next three days began at 7:00 a.m. and ended sometime after 8:00 p.m. During those four days, many memorable things stood out. The residents truly appreciated being treated with a sense of respect and dignity.

They were amazed to be given a choice of soft drinks and snacks, which the team members served them.

For so long they had been told when to go to bed, when to get up, when to eat, what to eat, when to work, etc. Now, they could choose certain things for a short time.

When the residents began to open up and share about their lives, the stories were amazing. One resident said he”d been in prison for 20 years, and was going to be released within the next few days. His plan was simple. He was going home to live with his elderly mother and help her with gardening.

Throughout the weekend, certain activities and events were truly moving. During “Agape Time,” all 42 residents were taken to the main conference area in the gym. On each table was a large paper bag decorated by children. Inside the bags were personally addressed notes, cards, and letters. Many of these men had not received a piece of mail in years! 

As they opened the bags and began reading, I noticed one resident who looked like a hardened criminal. Yet, as he read the letters, many of which were from children, his face softened and his eyes grew moist with tears. He opened one card made of purple construction paper folded in half; on it was scrawled the message “I Care.” So many of these residents have families and children on the outside they haven”t seen for long periods of time, and letters like these touched their hearts.

 

Humility, Forgiveness, Fellowship, Redemption

On Saturday evening, we had an event called “Open Mic.” Residents were encouraged to come forward and share a testimony of what this time together meant.

There were stories of drug addiction and what it had cost them, and confessions from men who claimed to have been Christian, but were not living in a way that would honor the Lord. Many admitted their pride or suspicion, but now were humbling themselves.

During the day Saturday, each resident was given a piece of paper and instructed to write down the names of people they needed to forgive. Then, late Saturday afternoon, we gathered to sing, pray, and allow each resident the opportunity to bring forward their piece of paper””many that were completely filled with names””to drop into a large bowl of water. Every resident stood to watch the paper dissolve in the water, a symbol that the people whose names were written on the paper had been forgiven.

On Sunday afternoon we had one final “Open Mic.” This time, however, in addition to the 42 residents and the Kairos ministry team, many Walker State Prison residents who had gone through previous Kairos weekends also attended. Those who stepped forward to share were asked to answer three questions: (1) What was your spiritual condition when you walked in on Thursday evening? (2) What did you find? and (3) What will you take away? 

When the residents arrived on Thursday, their feelings included loneliness, bitterness, confusion, brokenness, and “searching with no hope,” but they found redemption, compassion, acceptance, fellowship, and the love of Christ. Each resident who spoke said he would take away such things as peace, love, a new motivation to share Christ, and a willingness to reconnect with God.

At closing time, every resident, helper, and team member gathered in a huge circle of prayer. As we sang, you could sense the presence of the Lord in that place. Standing together, holding hands with men paying the consequences of their sin, we realized we are all sinners, saved by God”s amazing and wonderful grace.

A week later, I was told five of the residents were baptized in a portable baptismal pool.

Gary Armes serves as senior minister with Hickory Valley Christian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

________

What Is KAIROS

In the fall of 1976, a three-day course in Christianity was conducted inside Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. This course was known as “Cursillo in Prison.” By 1978, six states were presenting these short courses in prisons. It was soon decided the ministry could be better supervised by a central authority along with a modified format. Nine men set out to do this, and renamed the ministry Kairos, which in Greek can mean “God”s special time.” The first Kairos weekend was presented in 1979.

In 1989, a chaplain at San Quentin State Correctional Facility in California sensed a need to expand the ministry to the family members of those incarcerated. A new program called Kairos Outside began in April 1990. A third Kairos program, Kairos Torch, was added in 1997 to help address the needs of incarcerated people age 25 and younger.

Today, more than 36,000 volunteers donate more than 3 million hours of service to these Kairos ministries each year. Volunteers serve in 400 institutions in 32 states and nine countries.

Each year, 25,000 prisoners and family members are introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

For more information, go to http://kpmifoundation.org/index.php

“”G.A.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Features

Follow Us