The Servant Ministry program ministers to those in need outside the Chapel family from neighbors just down the street to mission fields across the planet, such as Honduras and Uganda.
Some of the programs include:
- preparing and serving lunch at Stewpot in downtown Jackson on each fifth Sunday of the month
- collecting non-perishables for the food pantry and staffing special meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas for clients of Stewpot
- adopting children at Christmas to provide gifts of clothing and toys (Angel Tree)
- participating in the Homeless Sandwich Ministry in downtown Jackson
- visiting inmates at Parchman Penitentiary
- providing disaster relief assistance and rebuilding
- participating in Honduras Medical Mission and Honduras Home-Building Mission
For information, contact Ross Ewing.
Kairos of Mississippi Prison Ministry
“I was in prison and you visited me.” – Matthew 25:36
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. Our vision is a community spiritually freed from the effects of imprisonment reaching all impacted by incarceration, through the love, hope and faith found in Jesus Christ.
Kairos is a laity led and clergy supported Christian ministry that seeks to transform the environment inside prisons and to support the incarcerated in creating and sustaining strong, supportive Christian communities within the prison. Kairos works to achieve this goal by conducting two weekend-long retreats modeled after the Cursillo movement each year in each prison and through monthly reunions and weekly small group meetings, plus day-long retreats twice a year.
Kairos is active in more than 400 sites in 31 states and Australia, Canada, England, Costa Rica, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, and South Africa. Some 30,000 Kairos Inside volunteers host 640+ weekends in prisons annually, while Kairos Outside provides non-prison setting weekends for female relatives of incarcerated, and Torch serves youth in their facilities. Statistics show that 85% of those released from prison who have participated in Kairos never return to prison, while 85% of those who do not participate in Kairos do return to prison.
While volunteers to go inside the prisons are the most pressing requirements, opportunities abound for others to serve in a support role outside the prison. Prayer, above all, is first and foremost of our list of needs, and financial donations are vital and welcome. Kairos is a 503(C)3 nonprofit.
Chapel of the Cross supports the ministry with volunteers and financial support from the Servant Ministry budget. Volunteers participate in Kairos programs for women and men at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl.
The word, Kairos, is a Greek word meaning in God’s Special Time or in the Fullness of Time indicating an opportunity for our participants and guests to re-consider their life choices – as hearts are changed, inmates begin to take responsibility for their actions – it’s like a front row seat at a miracle – transforming lives and impacting the world.
For more information, visit http://kairos-mississippi.org/.
Salt and Light Ministry Foundation
An International Partnership of Faith
The Chapel of the Cross has a long history of working with and supporting the Salt and Light Ministry Foundation of Jackson, Mississippi, which partners with Ministerio Sal y Luz, a Christian non-denominational organization in Honduras which works to deliver the gospel of Jesus Christ by being the salt and the light of the world and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people in the rural areas of Honduras.
Chapel members may support this ministry in many ways:
- Participating in annual summer mission trips to Honduras to help build homes and schools; serve lunch at soup kitchens;, lead bible studies for children and adults; help local people learn marketable skills such as woodworking, sewing, gardening, and art; visit elderly, distribute clothing and school supplies to children; assist physicians in medical clinics; install water purification systems; and worship in the local churches.
- Sponsoring Honduran children with support covering school uniforms, supplies, and fees, plus tutoring and support services after school, transportation as needed, and medical and dental checkups.
- Contributing to the Foundation to support the Honduran staff, medical clinic, and the education and economic development programs.
For more information, visit saltandlighthonduras.org.