Instructional Reunion Summary

A. PURPOSE

1. Importance of Prayer and Share Fellowship
The purpose of Kairos is to build strong Christian community inside the prison through Prayer and Share fellowships. The Instructional Reunion is essential because the Weekend experience alone is not enough to sustain that community. Participants return to an environment filled with pressure, isolation, and distrust, so they need ongoing fellowship with other residents, not dependence on team members. The team’s role is to help residents connect with one another in authentic Christian community and accountability.

3. Instructional Reunion - Teaching Prayer and Share
Held as soon as possible after the Kairos Weekend, the Instructional Reunion teaches recent graduates how to become active in ongoing, small Prayer and Share fellowship. Its goal is to move them from being ministered to during the Weekend into practicing mutual support, vulnerability, and Christian fellowship with one another in the institution.

4. Timing
The reunion should happen immediately, preferably the following weekend, so the ministry can build on the spiritual momentum of the Kairos Weekend and encourage stronger commitment to Prayer and Share.

5. Responsibility
The leader of the just-completed Kairos Weekend is responsible for the Instructional Reunion. A coordinator may handle logistics, and there should be one family/group facilitator for each six participants.

B. THE INSTRUCTIONAL REUNION METHOD

1. The Teaching Experience
The Instructional Reunion is a teaching tool that uses experiential teaching. Participants do not just hear about Prayer and Share; they practice its methods during the reunion itself.

a. Formal Grouping
When the institution allows formal weekly grouping, that is the preferred model. It places the ongoing fellowship under chaplain oversight and usually follows the family structure formed during the Kairos Weekend.

b. Informal Fellowship
When formal weekly grouping is not allowed, the focus shifts to informal Christian fellowship among residents. This should never be presented as lesser or “diminished.” The emphasis remains on ongoing accountability, discipling, and Christian support in whatever settings are available.

2. Selecting Prayer and Share Families
The Kairos manual strongly recommends beginning with the same families formed during the Kairos Weekend. Those families already have trust, shared experience, and balance, which makes participants more likely to stay involved. Even in institutions where ongoing fellowship is more informal, the familiar family structure is still the best setting for the Instructional Reunion itself.

3. Schedule
The day follows a structured schedule: setup, organization into family groups, leader’s introduction, the first talk on spiritual listening, five short talks tied to Prayer and Share themes, lunch, a second leader talk, formation of Prayer and Share groups, and closing.

4. Talks
There are six talks total. The first talk introduces spiritual listening and includes a handout and practice session. The other five brief talks each focus on one part of the Prayer and Share process. Only one team member should be with each family group, and the goal is not to build strong team-member bonds but to help residents build their own Christian fellowship. Each talk begins with the Kairos Community Prayer, and the group discusses the assigned question from a personal, accountable point of view.

C. LEADER SPEECHES

1. LEADER’S OPENING TALK

LOVING AND BEING LOVED IN CHRIST
The opening talk teaches that Christians are not isolated individuals; they are the body of Christ. “We are the church.” Christian life is meant to be lived in community, or koinonia, not as “Jesus and me” alone. The Weekend introduced participants to that reality, and Prayer and Share is the way it continues.

The talk explains that continuing fellowship matters whether the institution allows formal weekly meetings or only informal fellowship. The purpose of the Instructional Reunion is to explain the Prayer and Share concept, encourage participation, and stress that confidentiality is essential. What is shared in grouping stays in the group. Participants will remain in the same small groups through the day and hear six short talks with discussion after each.

A. If the institution allows formal, weekly grouping, AND you will start Prayer and Share groups as the families from the Kairos Weekend, use the following…
The leader emphasizes that the miracles of the Kairos Weekend can continue through weekly Prayer and Share with the same table family. The Prayer and Share card gives a practical, disciplined path for spiritual growth, just as exercise builds physical strength. Weekly grouping helps residents hold on to what they discovered during the Weekend.

B. If the institution does NOT allow formal weekly grouping, use the following…
The leader explains that even without formal weekly meetings, ongoing Christian fellowship is still vital. Participants should look for opportunities to practice Prayer and Share informally with other Kairos brothers and sisters in the yard or housing unit. The benefits of this fellowship outweigh the risks, and confidentiality remains essential. The day’s instruction is meant to help participants understand the concept and encourage them toward this continuing fellowship.

LEADER’S CLOSING TALK

The leader reads part of a resident’s letter explaining why he or she stopped grouping: prison life has trained many people to distrust others, fear vulnerability, and avoid close Christian fellowship. The letter says some residents have been hurt even by other Christians, so the risk of opening up feels too high. The leader’s point is that this fear is understandable, but tragic, because the resident is cutting himself or herself off from the very Christian community through which Christ often becomes present. The talk ends by noting that the next section depends on the institution’s grouping rules.

A. If the institution allows formal, weekly grouping, AND you will start Prayer and Share groups as the families from the Kairos Weekend, use the following…

The leader says the miracles of the Kairos Weekend can continue through regular Prayer and Share with the same Kairos family. Participants are encouraged to meet weekly, use the Prayer and Share cards step by step, and understand that spiritual growth requires discipline just as physical growth does. The small group process is presented as the practical way to hold on to what God began during the Weekend.

B. FORMATION OF GROUPS - INTRODUCTION

The leader reminds participants that their Kairos family placement was prayerful, intentional, and meant to provide a trustworthy starting place for Prayer and Share. They are encouraged to begin as the family where love and trust have already started to grow, even if later they may choose differently. The page also notes practical instructions for gathering names, coordinating callouts, if needed, and working within institutional security requirements.

B. If the institution allows formal, weekly grouping, AND you will start Prayer and Share groups by allowing the Participants to select a group, use the following…

This option still stresses that the Weekend’s blessings can continue through Prayer and Share, but it allows participants to form or choose groups instead of staying in their original Kairos families. The leader explains that weekly Christian fellowship is good, but disciplined Prayer and Share is better than casual Bible talk because it gives a real pattern for growth, accountability, and continued strength in Christ. Grace and love are still necessary, so grouping should not become rigid or harsh.

GRADUATES SELECT THEIR GROUPS

At this point the leader steps aside and lets participants begin moving into groups. Team facilitators are told to be especially attentive to those who hesitate or hang back, since those may be the people who most need gentle encouragement. No one is to be pressured. Fear of rejection should be recognized and ministered to, and facilitators may walk up with hesitant residents if needed. The emphasis is patience, prayer, sensitivity, and avoiding force.

C. If the institution does NOT allow weekly grouping, use the following…

If formal weekly grouping is not allowed, the leader still urges participants to continue Prayer and Share informally. The same Prayer and Share cards can guide one-on-one or small informal fellowship during the week. The message is that spiritual life still needs discipline, balance, and mutual strengthening, even outside a formal structure. Participants are urged to share with one another in the same spirit they experienced at the reunion so they can remain healthy members of Christ’s body.

Final Reminder About Confidentiality

The leader gives a final, strong reminder that what is shared in grouping must remain confidential. Trust is essential to Prayer and Share, and misuse of someone’s personal story can destroy that trust. The manual also warns that information, photos, recordings, or identifying details must not be used publicly without written permission. Any exceptions are guided by PREA and other legal reporting requirements.

Closing of the Instructional Reunion

The day ends by forming a circle, symbolizing God’s unbroken love and the group’s commitment to walk together in that love. The gathering closes with “Surely the Presence” and the Lord’s Prayer. After goodbyes, residents leave first, and then the team departs after a short time of prayer and thanksgiving.

D. TALK OUTLINES

The manual says there are six talks. The first is longer because it teaches and practices spiritual listening. The remaining five are brief talks built around the Prayer and Share card topics.

TALK #1

SPIRITUAL LISTENING

HANDOUTS:
A handout should be distributed before the talk, and family group facilitators use it during the practice session.

PURPOSE:
To teach basic listening skills as a way of ministering to one another. Listening is presented as one of the simplest and most powerful gifts we can offer, especially in a prison setting, because it affirms a person’s worth and models Christlike care.

PRAYER:
Kairos Community Prayer.

I. HOW MANY OF US WOULD RATHER TALK THAN LISTEN?
Most people naturally prefer speaking to listening. We often wait for our chance to jump in rather than truly hear another person. But real listening opens relationships, deepens discipleship, helps us care for others, and reduces loneliness and exclusion.

II. SPIRITUAL LISTENING
Spiritual listening is different from ordinary listening. It means listening with the heart, putting the other person before our own need to be heard, and allowing the relationship to change. Its keys are surrender, prayer, and asking God to give agape love so that we understand another person’s pain and respond rightly.

III. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DO SPIRITUAL LISTENING?
For the speaker, self-worth grows, thoughts become clearer, feelings come out instead of staying bottled up, and the speaker feels accepted. For the listener, it becomes a privilege and even a holy gift to receive another person’s inner life. The talk teaches that knowing a person without judging is a form of love, and that attentive listening builds deep human and spiritual bonding.

IV. HOW DOES ONE DO SPIRITUAL LISTENING?
It begins with a conscious decision to listen. At first it may feel awkward and demanding. The listener suspends judgment, stays open to another’s pain, uses attentive body language, maintains eye contact, follows both content and feelings, and offers simple affirming responses rather than taking over the conversation.

V. PITFALLS TO AVOID
The talk warns against “me-too-ism,” moralizing, preaching, judgment, curiosity-driven questioning, advice-giving, cheap consolation, arguing, analyzing, and ignoring heavy emotion. These all interfere with true listening.

VI. WHAT YOU GIVE AS A SPIRITUAL LISTENER IS AFFIRMATION OF SPEAKER’S WORTH.
Good listening is described as a gift both to the speaker and to the listener. It teaches the listener to see beyond bad behavior to the precious person underneath. The talk says Jesus is our model here: even difficult people carry great value before God, and love can help uncover and free that hidden child of worth.

VII. ASK THE FAMILIES TO PRACTICE SPIRITUAL LISTENING
Families are instructed to practice the skill, not just hear about it.

SMALL GROUP PRACTICE GUIDE
Families divide into groups of three with a speaker, listener, and observer. In three short cycles, each person rotates roles. Suggested questions include: “How do I handle rejection?”, “What kind of experience causes me to feel good about myself?”, and “What is my greatest fear?” Observers report briefly on the listening, and the facilitator asks how the group felt during the practice.

Spiritual Listening Handout
The handout condenses the main teaching: good things happen when we listen, spiritual listening differs from ordinary listening, and listening well requires deliberate, disciplined, nonjudgmental attention. It ends by stressing that good listening is a gift and that Jesus is the model.

TALK #2

A MOMENT OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE
The main emphasis is that a real encounter with Christ is identified not mainly by happiness or emotion, but by spiritual growth. The scriptural example is Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, showing confrontation, grace, healing, baptism, and changed life. The speaker is then asked to share a vulnerable personal witness about a close moment with Christ during the past week, and the leader invites discussion in pairs.

Response by the Leader
Participants discuss the talk briefly, then share their own “close moments” with each other.

TALK #3

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?
This talk focuses on new insight or revelation gained through study and Christian growth. The example in scripture includes Jesus’ teaching on loving enemies and references to Paul and Hebrews, showing that discipleship often involves a deeper understanding than we first had. The speaker is asked to share a personal witness about something learned during the week that brought new light to life, and the leader then directs pairs to share new revelations with one another.

Response by the Leader
Participants spend time in discussion and then share with a partner a new revelation they have gained in their study.

TALK #4

HELPED RECOGNIZE GOD’S LOVE
This talk matches the Prayer and Share card question about a time when, through some word or action, one helped another person recognize God’s love. It is designed to help participants reflect on concrete acts of love that reveal God’s care to others. A key point is our wholeness is reflected in our servanthood, as we share our God-given gifts with those around us.

TALK #5

A TIME WHEN IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO SHOW CHRIST’S LOVE
This talk says Christian love is intentional and often hardest when directed toward difficult people. Real love is an act of commitment made possible by God’s grace. The Kairos pattern is “make a friend, be a friend, and introduce that friend to Christ.” Prayer and Share supports this action, offering prayer, affirmation, and accountability without condemnation. Even when our plans seem to fail, obedience matters more than visible success, and the only real failure is refusing to try.

TALK #6

JOYS AND CONCERNS WHICH WE CAN PRAY ABOUT TOGETHER
The purpose of this final talk is to open participants to the nurture and support of the group so they can better understand one another and be Christ to one another. The talk connects this practice to Jesus’ command to love one another and explains that Christian love desires the spiritual good of others. Participants are encouraged to share discomforts, failures, and needs honestly within the Prayer and Share setting, trusting that the response will be loving and strengthening. The scriptural example is the church at Antioch praying and sending out Barnabas and Saul. The speaker also names common obstacles people face, such as negativity, criticism, temptation, and being too hard on themselves.

Response of the Leader
The leader invites discussion, then has groups of four share their joys or needs and pray together for one another.