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I hope this help with the weekend God is getting you ready for:

 

Team Selection

  1. PRAY – prayer is the key from the minute you decide to start on the Kairos leadership path until your time as an Advising Leader is over. Throughout you entire time as Weekend Leader you will find there are many times you will ask GOD for guidance:

    1. Who to call

    2. Who to assign talks

    3. What jobs everyone will have

    4. Where/when to hold team meetings

    5. Handling difficult situations or the unexpected

    6. Whenever you have doubts or concerns

Remember HE is always with you – PRAY.

  1. Weekend Leaders should utilize Kairos Messenger for recruiting.  The Advisory Councils have/will worked together to provide the most current list of past volunteers and this is a key place to start your recruiting. 

  2. Team recruiting should start as the weekend prior to yours is ending.  At that time volunteers are on a “spiritual high” and this opportunity may yield some very positive results.  When speaking to a prospective volunteer be sure to include exactly what you are asking him/her to volunteer for:

    1. Team meetings

    2. The weekend

    3. Possible talk/reading

    4. Prayer & Share and Reunions for 12 months

    5. Cookies

    6. Green agape

    7. Prayers

    8. Letters

There are several techniques you can utilize to contact volunteers:

  1. Email/mail blitz – sending an email/mail to everyone.

  2. Calling – many people prefer the personal invite.  This will take some time so start early and don’t be discourage if you find yourself getting more negative responses than positive.  Even if you leave voice massage requesting a call back, it is still your responsibility to try calling again and again.  Perseverance is the key when making calls. 

  3. Word of Mouth – when someone does agree to serve ask if they would ask someone they know if he/she would also be willing to serve.

  4. Outreach – speaking to Christian groups

  5. Check “Bad Boys” List – past weekend leaders have found that certain volunteers repeatedly present challenges and disrupt the team.  They are often someone who calls you asking to be the team; check with the Advisory Council for this list.

  1. One position that is often over looked (or combined with the Kitchen Leader) is the Outside Coordinator.  This volunteer is the liaison to the inside team and responsible for:

    1. Correcting name tags, table boards, “Closing” programs, etc

    2. Ensuring the truck is at the gate on Sunday

    3. Overseeing the runners (may be one of the runners)

Team Meeting Best Practices

  • Team leader establishes the meeting dates, times, and the agenda for each team meeting.

  • Name tags should be available for team members at the first team meeting.  This facilitates getting to know team members early in the formation process. (Agape does this)

  • Use Ezra team meeting formats.  Use these formats as a guideline; not verbatim, I.e., customize / select from the format what you will use for the meeting and what you will not use.

  • Copy to pdf file team meeting reading material(s), e.g., riverbanks, and email to team members prior to each meeting.  Ask team members to read before coming to the meeting, I.e., it is not necessary to read each bullet point verbatim when team members can read material(s) on their own.  This allows more time at the meeting for spiritual activities, family activities, bonding, etc.

  • Assign a head clergy from the clergy members on the team.  The head chaplain then becomes responsible for arranging spiritual readings, ceremonies, events, etc. during team meetings.    This frees up time for the team leader.

  • Don’t wait to the last minute to assign the spiritual reading and/or spiritual activity part of a team meeting to clergy.  Give clergy ample time to prepare properly; making the spiritual part of the team meeting more meaningful.

  • Assign a specific week for each talk preview, e.g., team meeting number 3 we will preview talks 1 & 2 so come prepared.  Do not leave it up to chance that those assigned with talks will finish their talk before the weekend.   Talk previews need to be completed at least 2 weeks before the weekend to allow sufficient time for talks to be revised if necessary per the preview.

  • Ensure table families, cookie team,  agape team, etc. have sufficient time at team meetings to get together on their own to plan, go over instruction in the silver manual, discuss job duties, etc.  These sub teams should get together at least 3 times before the weekend.

  • Non Kairos affiliated groups should not be invited to team meetings to present their ministry to team members.  Team meetings should not be used as fund raising opportunities for other ministries and this takes time away from team formation.

  • Ensure when doing skits that we demonstrate what “to do” not just what “not to do.”

  • Ensure meetings start promptly and end promptly.  Establish a meeting start time and a meeting end time for all meetings and stick to it.  Many team members travel distances that require over an hours’ drive home.  Meetings that go well beyond their intended end time create a hardship for these team members.

  • Short break times, e.g., 5-7 minutes and resume team meetings promptly.

  • Assign a “seasoned team member” as a mentor to a new (never served on team before) team member.  Each new team member is to have an assigned mentor to educate / instruct / answer questions, etc. about “the Kairos way” / program.

  • Individual team member schedules cannot be accommodated, I.e., a team member must agree to attend all days of the weekend and be present each day for the entire day(s) from beginning to end.   If a team member cannot commit to this, then he must serve on a future team where he can commit fully to the weekend.

Because of prison entry requirements, the entire team must enter the prison together, and, the entire team must exit the prison together.  If a team member is late to the prison and does not enter with the team, this late arriving team member must not request entry from the correction officers, i.e., escorted as a single team member.

Weekend leaders need to insure schedules are accurate and must share any changes with the team.

 

Supplies - Order these from http://mykairos.org/order.html under Supply Orders, get approved from UAC board

6 months prior to the weekend

  1. Schedule and announce Hosting Facility/Church for your Team Meetings.

  2. Schedule your Team Meetings, avoiding your institution's reunion schedule.

  3. Select Agape and Inside Coordinator – then create closing app

  4. Meet with the Advisory Council Chairperson and the Weekend Coordinator to review and become familiar with the financial procedures involved in conducting a weekend, including the Kairos Sponsorship Program.

  5. Select your Interview team and appoint leader to confirm with Chaplain and also book hotel for interview dates

  6. Confirm Hotel reservations

  7. Your letters should be done – yes DONE, things get busy now haha

  8. Use the Team Devotional Guide

 

5 1/2 months prior to the weekend –

Begin the Team Formation process, meet with the Advisory Council and discuss Leadership candidates. Invite (Mail, CALL, text and/or E-mail) prospective Team members to consider becoming part of the Weekend. Include a

"save-the-date" message so that prospective team members can start planning for the date.

Include all of your contact information (name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address).

Follow-up with a phone call, as required.

 

5 months prior to the weekend –

  1. Confirm Music Leader and send the Music Guidelines along with songbook.

  2. Schedule Team Meetings and notify (Mail and/or e-mail) prospective Team members. Include meeting start times, location, duration and all of your contact information.

  3. Confirm Clergy - make a priority of being ecumenical and select clergy based upon the representation of denominations in your community.

 

4 1/2 months prior to the weekend –

Arrange for Kairos Outside speaker at Closing. Please verify they bring handouts for the 42 participants. KOET & KONT

 

4 months prior to the weekend –

  1. Select Team Members and call them to confirm their selection. Verify their contact information during this call and tell them when the team formation meeting dates are and confirm they can attend all of them.

  2. Send confirmation letters to Team Members and include in this letter the meeting dates and locations.

  3. Contact the State Agape Chairperson and confirm the procedures by which you will receive Kairos Wall Agape.

  4. Confirm that your Agape Coordinator has inventoried your supplies on hand and then order any necessary weekend supplies (crosses, Freedom Guides, etc.) using the Supply Ordering Form on the mykairos.org website. Determine from your Advising Leader how you obtain the lanyards for name tags and crosses. Make sure your Coordinator (or anyone else that buys on behalf of the weekend) will only be reimbursed after providing ORIGINAL receipts.

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3 months out - Prepare for Team Meetings

___ Send Reminder w/ map if necessary.

___ Confirm Team Meeting Location

___ Confirm Music Leader will have Music

___ Confirm songbooks for meeting

___ Begin assigning Talks and Jobs

___ Assign someone for the Excellence Initiative

 

If administration is not one of your spiritual gifts, consider the following administrative EZRA tasks

when preparing for team formation meetings:

1) Print out a copy of the Meeting Agenda (Click 6, then Team Meeting Preparation, the Select

and work with your Team Meeting Agenda, the Agenda Central, select Meeting number, the

click Print Meeting Agenda.

 

2. Assign specific tasks as required to your team members to help you during the meeting (setup,

attendance, skits, meditations, talk and meditation reviews, scriptural focus, etc.)

 

For the first meeting, and then as required:

3. Print out a Meeting Attendance Form (click on 6, then Print Meeting Attendance Form on the

right-hand side).

 

4. Print out a Team List (click on 6, then Print Updated Team Info List). Use this list to pass

around at the team meeting for team members to verify/update their information.

 

5. Printout any Leader’s instructions for the Meeting. Look at each item in the Meeting Agenda

(Click 6, then Team Meeting Preparation, the Select and work with your Team Meeting

Agenda, then Agenda Central, select Meeting number). As you select each item, those items on

the Agenda will cause the View Instructions button under View Videos and Related Instructions

to become visible (not grayed out). These are the Leader’s Notes and Instructions.

 

6. Print out the handouts you will need for this meeting.

 

7. Small 3-ring binders will help you stay organized. Consider one for the Meeting Attendance

Form and Team List and another binder for your agenda and instructions

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Prepare for Team Meeting #3

___ Send Reminder w/ map if necessary.

___ Confirm Team Meeting Location

___ Confirm Music Leader will have Music

___ Confirm songbooks for meeting

___ Confirm which Speakers are ready for reviews (try to review 3 talks at this meeting)

___ Print Updated Team Info List for Meeting

___ Have application forms ready for Team Members to complete.

___Order your supplies. Send a completed

Supply Ordering (http://www.mykairos.org/docs/kpmi/supply_order_form.doc) to the State Financial Secretary

Prepare for your Weekend- 1-2 week outish

  1. Get inside team approved by Chaplain (IC should have this done)

  2. Get Sunday closing list approved (IC should do this) verify the support team is on this list also

  3. Set up meeting with Warden and Chaplain to say hello, offer a schedule, but allow Chaplain to answer questions – KEEP IT SHORT AND remember less is more- let chaplain do the talking so we don’t get in a wreck

  4. Get Kairos Artist the list of team members and the 42 participate as well as band/stewards

  5. Verify you have table assignments, prayer partners, talks, chapel meditations – be sure to print out the Chapel Book as well as Bible verses (I like to use ERV so everyone can understand better and print it out to add to Chapel book)

  6. Print out the Kairos Certificates for the 42 and alternates along with the picture

After the weekend - Ezra has a few things that you will need to follow - 

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But First Pray - Give thanks

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  1. Follow up on the Excellence Initiative, did it get turned into State

  2. Complete and Send in your Leaders Report

  3. Send out the Team Evaluations, follow up in a week to ask for them back

  4. are talks assigned for the Instructional weekend

Leaders big items
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