Grace and Peace from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Friend
I begin this newsletter with our Vision and Mission in the ministry. It is good to maintain our focus on a regular basis, understanding where God has placed us for His work.
VISION
A community spiritually freed from the effects of imprisonment reaching all impacted by incarceration, through the love, hope and faith found in Jesus Christ.
MISSION
The mission of Kairos Prison Ministry is to share the transforming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of incarcerated men, women and youth, as well as their families, to become loving and productive citizens of their communities.
Let me focus on one of the most well known stories of a person who was called into service. At this time of year, it is fitting to meditate on this passage of scripture.
Luke 1:26-38 The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her.
Much has been said and written about the events leading up to Jesus' birth and I would like to dwell briefly on Mary. Most commentators suggest Mary was a young teenager when this happens. There are other examples in the Bible of people who are called by God at a young age. Being called into His service is not restricted by age.
Similar to others who are called to serve, Mary initially questioned her worthiness and suitability for the role to be assigned to her. Nevertheless, she received encouragement and reassurance from God through the angel Gabriel. The narrative also introduces a significant event: the prophecy that a virgin would give birth to Jesus, a miracle that Mary could not understand being possible from her vantage point.
This heavenly interaction may have taken only minutes in real time and Mary humbly accepts the call God has placed on her life. Mary may not have considered the wider ramifications of what that would mean in terms of social expectations. She obeyed without reservation. The rest is a beautiful history.
I wonder, can we find parallels in our lives when we think of God calling us to serve?
Seldom will there be an angel appearing before us, or a voice from heaven calling our name. As I reflect on various times in my life, it has been the quiet voice in my mind during prayer or the gentle encouraging voice of others that convict me of the open door to God's call.
Shaking off the thoughts of unworthiness we need to take up the concept that God requires our availability rather than our ability. Through and by God's grace we are worthy and by His power, as Mary later found, we are capable of fulfilling His call on our life because God supplies all we need.
God's blessings to each of you as you seek out His call on your life.
30th Celebration Events
What a fantastic round of events across three states in Australia. Around 750 people connected through events in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide whether face-to-face or online. Almost 40 people indicated this was the first Kairos event that they had attended. Many shared how Kairos Prison Ministry positively changed their lives, with people from diverse backgrounds offering testimonials. Participants of Kairos Inside, Guests of Kairos Outside, Prison Chaplains, a retired Governor and volunteers who have served on teams all provided thoughtful accounts detailing the significant impact Kairos has had on them and those within their sphere of life.
For me personally, the testimonies were the highlight of each event. Secondly, the sharing and renewing of acquaintances over afternoon tea was very moving. It becomes obvious that the impact of Kairos Prison Ministry reaches far more people than those we minister to. If you want to relive some of the moments, you can by going to our YouTube page by clicking here or go to YouTube and search for "Kairos Prison Ministry Australia" and you will see the 30th Celebration playlist.
Kairos intends to continue a schedule of promoting the ministry in the wake of the Celebration Events. There have been many who have subscribed to the newsletters and have indicated they have felt a call to serve in the ministry. Praise be to our God who richly blesses us on so many fronts.
Prayer
Again, may I encourage you to pray regularly for the ministry. The website, kairos.org.au is where you may find links to all the prayer opportunities with programs, and the Prayer Calendar is available for prayer across the whole ministry. Next year is going to be a full schedule of programs needing your support.
Attention Volunteers - National Conference
Speaking of next year, please set aside the weekend of Friday 28th - Sunday 30th August 2026 to attend the Kairos National Conference. It will be in Adelaide at the Rydges Hotel. It would be great to see Regional and State representation of our volunteers for an enlightening and inspirational time together. Keep an eye out for more details in the Volunteer News.
Christmas
Friend, on behalf of the KPMA Board, I extend to you and your family, God's blessings over the Christmas period. I pray for safe travel and an uplifting family time as you consider God's gift to us in the birth of Jesus.
God bless you all