KAIROS OUTSIDE
FOR WOMEN
LIGHTING THE WAY
Suggested Lighting the Way Script
Leader:
Thank you for coming to welcome the guests of Kairos Outside Number #X to the wider Christian community. Your presence here is a special gift to the guests, demonstrating to them in a visible way God’s love and faithfulness through His people, His church. What is at the heart of the Kairos Outside ministry? It’s God’s gift of hope – His way of saying to these precious women through us you are special, you are worthy, you are loved by God and God has not left you on your own. Throughout the weekend, team members share with the guests that this hope is not based on circumstances and it is not necessary for things in their lives to change before they can accept the gift God offers.
As you all know, Kairos Outside for Women is a ministry of time, compassion and understanding. It acknowledges that imprisonment affects not only the inmate but has a rippling and often very damaging effect on family and friends. This weekend takes the guests on a journey towards Christ and His healing, demonstrated through the loving care of His family on team and the unconditional acceptance of people like you. Your presence introduces the guests to a wider Christian community who cares for them. Tonight we’re going to have an opportunity to pray for the guests as they prepare to come and share in a forgiveness activity. A little later we’ll hear from one of the chaplains about what’s going to happen once we leave here tonight. I’m sure you have already noticed some of the things that have been set up around the room.
Let’s now acknowledge the One who has brought us all here together as we share in a time of worship.
Musicians: Worship songs (2 or 3)
Leader:
So, let’s get to know each other a little. I’m going to ask the Head Chaplain for Kairos Outside Number #X, to help me here by taking notes of where we all come from. Later on, when the guests arrive, it’s going to be a huge blessing when they are told how far we’ve all come to support and love them. It will give them a bit of an idea of what a supportive community they are now a part of.
X (Chaplain) is now going to share with us the theme and focus Bible verse that has been chosen for the weekend.
(Head Chaplain X briefly explains the theme and gives a ‘devotion’ based on the theme verse –5 minute maximum.)
Leader:
I’d like to introduce you now to a very important member of Kairos Outside # X, our Prayer Co-ordinator. It has been her privilege to uphold the team, the guests and the weekend in prayer. In a way, she has been on the front-line, praying for the specific needs of the guests and team, praying for the team members before and after they share their stories with the guests and praying explicitly for each part of the program as it happens. I’ll now ask X to give us a broad, general update on how the weekend is going remembering, of course, the need to maintain the privacy of the guests – something I’d like to remind us all to respect.
(The Prayer Co-ordinator provides a brief and general update on the weekend’s activities and their effect on guests).
Chaplain Y:
Thank you X. It really helps us understand how we can pray for the guests during this weekend and beyond. Please join with me now as we ask the Lord to change lives of the guests this weekend, to draw to Himself any who are hurting and lonely, and to open the eyes of any who are not yet Christians so that they may know the freedom and hope they can have in Jesus.
(Chaplain Y prays briefly for the guests, then explains the forgiveness activity which will take place once the visitors depart.)
Leader:
One of the most powerful aspects of this ministry takes place when Kairos Outside guests meet others who can relate to their difficult situation and support them through it. From your own life experiences, I am sure that you would understand that our deepest hurts don’t always show on the outside. Wounds like shame, guilt, anger, self-blame and fear are often hidden behind a wall of secrecy. This weekend, the Kairos Outside guests are being given the chance to acknowledge and work through some of these things in a safe place. What a unique opportunity for these women as they experience the difference having God in their lives can make and the different choices this may lead to. X (a past guest) will now share with us some of her story and the impact that Kairos Outside for Women has made in her life.
Past Guest’s Testimony – (5 minute maximum)
Leader:
Thank you, X for your courage and willingness to share with us and to tell us what Kairos Outside has meant to you. You’re a living testimony to God’s faithfulness and power through this ministry.
I would now like to invite some of the women here to select a bunch of flowers from the containers over there. You will see that each bunch of flowers has been labelled with the name of a guest. I would like you to briefly pray for that guest using her first name. When the guests arrive, out of respect for their privacy, we are not going to hand the flowers directly to them. Instead, you’ll be invited to bring the flowers forward saying something like; “These flowers are for X, given with love”, before placing them on that table over there. The Leader, X, give the flowers to each guest once we leave.
Let’s join together in prayer. I will call out the names of the guests one by one. If you are holding the flowers for that guest, could you please stand and pray for her? Just a sentence prayer is all that’s needed.
(Musicians to lead a short time of worship - 1 or 2 songs depending on available time)
Leader:
Soon we are going to welcome the guests and team of Kairos Outside #. We’ll stand holding our candles, forming a guard of honour as they walk in. Please ensure that you leave a wide enough aisle so that the guests do not feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed in any way. As they come in, we’ll sing together ‘Sister, let me be your servant’ until each person has taken her place on the platform. Then we’ll sit once mre as this weekend’s Leader, X, explains to the guests who we are and why we have come. Before they agreed to come to this weekend, the guests were assured that their privacy would not be violated in any way so, if you are surprised to see someone you recognise walk through the door, please do not react. It will be made clear when it is our time to leave, then we’ll simply file out and wave goodbye, singing ‘Sister, let me be your servant’ again as we go. We’ll begin at the front, walking down the centre aisle, across the front, along the sides and out the rear door. Thank you, again, for coming tonight. We hope that many of you can join us tomorrow at the Closing. Please arrive by 3:00pm to hear first-hand how God has answered our prayers and changed lives.
All: Prepare for arrival of guests
- Hand out the candles
- Sing the song that has been chosen to welcome the guests,
- Form a guard of honour
- Light the candles
- Leave room, dropping extinguished candles in containers provided, quietly departing