Breaking Down Barriers: How Legacy Members Partner with Kairos Prison Ministry

Coming from the Greek language, kairos can be interpreted as a divinely appointed time to take action. Kairos Prison Ministry gives men and women the opportunity to experience God’s love and to choose the path of Christ during an important crossroads in their lives.  

On Sunday, June 14, after the 10:30 am service, Legacy Church will host an interest meeting for anyone over 18 wanting to hear more about Kairos Prison Ministry and how you can help bring the good news of Jesus Christ to those currently incarcerated.  

A Life-Changing Weekend 

Twice a year, over the course of three days, 42 men at Boyd state prison in Teague, Texas are invited to experience an established Kairos program, which helps develop Christian community within the prison walls through a series of talks, discussions and Chapel meditations.  

David Campbell, a member of the Legacy Church Leadership Team, is one of many Legacy members who have dedicated many volunteer hours to support Kairos ministry weekends. After hearing the passion of church member Barry Nelms about his involvement with Kairos, David first volunteered outside of the prison walls with a team of men and women who serve as prayer warriors and help prepare the weekend’s meals, served on placemats decorated by little ones from the Legacy kid’s ministry.  

On the final morning of the weekend, all the volunteers are invited in to watch the “closing ceremony” and hear from the men what the weekend meant to them. Reflecting on his first closing ceremony experience, David said, “I could just feel the Holy Spirit moving around the room. There’s no prize for the best speech. The men were simply telling from their heart what was going on, and I was in awe of how God moved inside that gym. I told Barry, ‘I’m all in,’ and I spent the following Kairos weekend helping lead a table on the inside.”  

Through stepping into this space, David has seen firsthand how God can break down the walls in a group of men, who may start the weekend skeptical or isolated, and end with a bond of brothers. He has also witnessed how God always provides the right leaders and volunteers at the right time. “The program is set, but the variables feeding into it change, and it’s a miracle how it works out every single time to serve the particular needs of each group,” David added. 

“God has taught me to look past appearances and actually listen to their words and look at their hearts. I’ve grown to not look at the worst thing someone has done to define them, but to ask where they are now. Are they trying to have a relationship with Christ? Can I look past what the world sees?” 

Finding Your Passion 

“This church offers so many opportunities to find your ministry outside of attending the Sunday service, and I think everybody at Legacy needs to find that one thing that gets them so charged up that they see the Holy Spirit move in their life. For some that will be in the student ministry, and for others it may be getting on a plane to Uganda. We've got an entire list of ministry partners.” 

“Find your thing and what God has called you to do and just get out there and do it,” encouraged David. “You go to serve but also get filled up as well. If you are hesitant to jump into Kairos or any other ministry, I would say to just show up and watch God get to work. I’ve never attended a Kairos ministry weekend where I did not see God move.”  

We’d also love to hear your stories. Did you get to minister to someone, or maybe pray with them? Have an idea of how to live on mission everywhere, all the time? Let us know! Let’s continue being the hands and feet of Jesus together—because He cares for every single person, and so do we.