JourneyOnline
UNITING CHURCH members including Zillmere congregation’s worship band, Warriors for Christ, joined an ecumenical service to celebrate the Kairos prison ministry.
As an interdenominational Christian ministry, Kairos team volunteers come from the Catholic and Anglican Cursillo and the Emmaus communities.
Members of the Uniting Church have long been associated with the Emmaus movement and through Emmaus many have become involved in Kairos as leaders, team members and supporters.
Rev Gregor Henderson, President of the Uniting Church in Australia, is joint national patron of Kairos Prison Ministry Australia.
The international Christian ministry has been operational in New South Wales prisons since 1995.
“Kairos prison ministry is on the cusp of entering correctional centres in Queensland”, said Col Stiller, Chairman of Kairos Queensland.
Kairos Queensland has received approval from the Department of Corrective Services and endorsement from the State Chaplaincy Board to run a six-month pilot program.
“All that we need now is a correctional centre that is prepared to facilitate the pilot program”, Mr Siller said.
To update the Cursillo and Emmaus communities, Kairos representatives held an information and celebration evening at Rochedale.
“Kairos Outside (KO) is a special ministry to women who have, or have had, a family member incarcerated,” said chair of Kairos Outside in Queensland, Rev Judy Gordon.
“KO has been functioning very successfully in South East Queensland for the past 8 years.”
By the end of this year Kairos in Australia will have run more than 200 Kairos Inside courses in 14 correctional centres and more than 70 KO courses in the 10 areas currently established in 6 states and territories of Australia.
Photo : Tony Ghee and the Zillmere Warriors for Christ from Zillmere Uniting Church lead praise and worship at the recent Kairos celebration service at Rochedale. Photo courtesy of Zillmere Uniting Church
