Janet Conrad, Plum

Janet Conrad of Plum had a traumatic experience three years ago. A young close friend went to prison. “It was very painful and very hard,” she said. When she read the friend’s letters from prison she began to learn what life was like behind bars. In the midst of this heart wrenching time, Janet’s brother in Erie told her about a prison ministry called Kairos. He invited her to participate in a weekend visitation program. It was a weekend that changed her life.

Today Janet is very committed to prison ministry work. She has participated in more than a dozen prison visitations, tells everyone who will listen about the ministry, speaks to church pastors and is helping build a Kairos Prison Ministry team in the Pittsburgh area. Pastor Randy Caperton of Crossroads Vineyard Christian Fellowship, where Janet is a member, said he was invited by her to visit SCI Green (Waynesburg, Greene County), a close security institution for capital case men inmates. He came back convinced of the need and has offered the help of the church and its facilities.

“What do we do to help them?”, Janet asks. Part of the answer is the Kairos Prison Ministry program of establishing relationships with interested prisoners. The other part is a continuing effort to assist them after incarceration. Janet has already mentored one woman who had been in prison. She began picking her up on Sundays for church and dinner when she had been released to a half way house. More assistance came in helping to find work, get re-established in life, bible studies and keeping contact. By surrounding her with love, fellowship, community and help the woman successfully re-entered life. Today this former prisoner now participates in Kairos and spoke at the first weekend at SCI Greene. She said, “She wanted to give back and serve women in prison”, because of how Kairos changed her life.

Kairos Prison Ministry has a unique program that successfully helps willing prisoners. The main thrust is to set an initial four-day weekend visitation to the prison. A number of meetings prior to the visitation prepare the two-part team for its visit. One part is the team that enters the prison each of the four days to meet with the prisoners that signed up for the program. The groups are kept at 30 prisoners so there can be a one on one relationship during the weekend visit. They listen, listen and listen with love and bring forgiveness, discussions, studies, and prayer and share meals. Only men go in men’s prisons and women in women prisons.

The second part of the team is outside as a support group. They camp out at a host church, prepare meals for the men volunteers, personalized banners for each prisoner, and hold prayer sessions throughout the day and hold a holy hour on Saturday night with a speaker. They also bring letters written to each of the men from members of their different churches. These are reviewed to be sure there is no personal information. Janet said that each morning they sing for the men as they prepare to leave and do the same in the evening when they return.

Under the Kairos program, after the initial four-day weekend visit (Thursday to Sunday), the volunteers visit again every Friday night to maintain the initial relationships. Although not established here yet, Kairos has a program that provides spiritual healing to the families of the incarcerated. Janet also said that she is expecting to mentor another woman prisoner (who has been in prison 17 years) being released in the near future. This time her church will assist to provide community support.

Banner made for a Green SGI Prisoner

How do the participating prisoners respond to this outreach program? “I have a whole new family, on my Father’s side,” one said. Most of these men are deeply appreciate of the love they receive. They applaud and cheer at the closing of the weekend.

Much of Janet’s life and passion are dedicated to this prison ministry work. She expressed hopefulness that the new Pittsburgh team will grow and other churches will participate. Even with all this work, Janet also founded “His Amazing Grace” ministry to nursing homes. For the past eight years she and other volunteers visit nursing homes during seasonal times such as Christmas and hold an interactive program with the residents. Involving drama, music, sign language, acting and dance, they bring cheer to the residents. Janet said that at one Alzheimer’s unit they even danced with residents who were wheel chair bound! “They loved it,” she said.

Be sure to watch the video interview with Janet Conrad and check out the web sites for more information.

Janet Conrad’s video interview is at: http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1727

If you are interested in the Kairos Prison Ministry, contact Jeff Weneck at 412-401-0099 or e-mail him at: jeff061100@comcast.net

Kairos Prison Ministry website: http://www.kairosprisonministry.org/

Crossroads Vineyard Christian Fellowship website: http://www.thegoodway.com/