INFORMATION BOOKLET
INTRODUCTION Kairos presents the opportunity for people to spend a year serving the kingdom of God in and around Tunbridge Wells. As well as serving within the context of a local church, Kairos will be a significant year of discovering your identity in Christ and understanding more fully how He has called and equipped you to serve Him for the rest of your life. Kairos will move you out of your comfort zone to increase your dependence on God. Kairos was such a brilliant experience and I am so thankful that I took such an opportunity! It was such a joy to spend my time getting involved in a church and serving God. My Kairos gap year really helped me to understand how I wanted to live my life and in what direction I wanted my life to take. - Claire Steven As a prospective Kairos student we believe that: You Are Called By God You Are Chosen You Are Significant You Are Gifted The Kairos year (which runs from September to July) is a year of DISCOVERY. You will discover more of who God is and more of who He has called you to be. You will also develop a greater sense of what it means to be actively involved in Christian ministry, to work as part of a team, to work in partnership with other churches and organisations and to discover and develop Godly leadership skills. The aim of Kairos is to equip individuals for effective lifelong ministry within the kingdom of God. Kairos will give you the opportunity to do this through its three main components: 1. Local Church 2. Mission (Local and International) 3. Training Each of these is explained in greater detail later in the pack. Kairos is one of the Greek words the Bible uses for time. It has the sense of a significant time or moment. This year will be a significant time in the lives of all those who participate in it.
LOCAL CHURCH As a Kairos student you will be placed within a local church. During your Kairos year, working within this church team will form a major part of your development and discovery. It is primarily within this setting that you will have the opportunity to put in to practise all that you are learning. Within your church placement you will be involved in a cross section of church life. Responsibilities usually include working with children and young people, administration, practical service, community groups, working with the elderly etc. It is this variety of activity that provides a great opportunity for you to discover the gifts that God has equipped you with and how He is calling you to serve Him. Within this environment you will also be given ample opportunities to develop the skills required to work within a team, to lead and to work in partnership with others. Kairos will be responsible for placing applicants with appropriate churches. In doing so we will work to the following principles: o Applicants who wish to work within a specific church will need to state this during the application process and will be placed there subject to the willingness of the church to receive them. o We will seek to place applicants with churches that best match the ministry experience the applicant is looking for. o In all cases we will consult fully with the church and the student about the suitability of the placement. Although most students are placed within churches across Tunbridge Wells and surrounding area, some participants have been placed with other suitable missional organisations. I didn't realise it at the time but choosing Kairos was the first major step I took towards spending my life with God. During Kairos I was able to question my faith and through that become bold in my faith. I am currently studying Nursing and excited to see where God is leading me. God wants to spend time with you and Kairos is a great opportunity to do just that. - Ellie Steven
MISSION We believe that mission is a lifestyle to be adopted in whatever environment we are called to live and serve. As well as being involved in the activities of your local church placement, during Kairos you will also engage with mission more broadly and be given the opportunity to discover God s heart for all people and the breadth of His Kingdom. LOCAL As a Kairos student there is a requirement for you to regularly engage in town-wide mission initiatives. This may involve ministry to the homeless, schools work, street evangelism etc. This engagement will develop your understanding of what it means to work in partnership with others and hone your ability to work within a team. INTERNATIONAL As part of your year you will take part in a month long international mission trip. In recent years Kairos has visited Tanzania, Peru, South Africa and Botswana. Developing an understanding of God s heart for people in other parts of the world is a very important element of your time on Kairos. The international mission trip gives an opportunity to work in partnership with those who are serving God in a different context and environment. As a more mature student Kairos was great! The theological part set me up for Reader training and the mission trip to Tanzania changed my life forever! It was the best year of my life! - Fleur Parratt
TRAINING A significant part of Kairos is the weekly training component. During the year you will spend a set day each week with the rest of the Kairos students on a training day. The training follows six central strands and is made up of both theological and practical teaching: TRAINING STRANDS: Discovering God Discovering My Identity Discovering The Church Discovering Leadership Discovering Ministry Skills Discovering Big Issues This training is delivered by local church leaders and other experts within their field. The training day itself is typically made up of a morning reflexion or time of worship, followed by a teaching session. Kairos students then share lunch together before the final afternoon teaching session. As well as weekly teaching, on Kairos there is an expectation that students will develop healthy spiritual disciplines. Regular quiet days are scheduled within the programme in order to give students the opportunity to seek God and grow closer to Him. A reading list is also incorporated within the year. Kairos students are required to read these books and reflect on them. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT The aim of the training element of Kairos is to equip students with practical knowledge for ministry and to progress theological formation. Students are expected to fully engage with the training aspect of Kairos. We realise that students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have ranging experiences and abilities. Please do not be put off because you think you may struggle with the course academically. Kairos was a great opportunity for me to get some theological and practical training to accompany the practical roles I was engaging with in the Youth Ministry setting. The mission trip was life changing and the people were great. (If you're a lad and you're worried about what to cook, pizza is a winner.) I'm now at London School of Theology, building on what I learned at Kairos. - John Reynolds
COMMITMENT KAIROS COMMITS TO o Coordinating the administration of the programme, the training component, the local mission initiative and the international mission trip. o Liaising with each placement church prior to the start of the year and regularly during the placement. o Ensuring that each Kairos student is provided with a suitable mentor to support them during the year. THE CHURCH COMMITS TO o Taking responsibility for the Kairos student for the days spent with them. They are therefore expected to provide the student with a line manager who will oversee their work, meeting with them regularly and giving them helpful feedback on their involvement within the church. o Involving their Kairos student as fully as possible in the life of the church. o Treating Kairos students as full staff members within the placement church and invited to take part in appropriate team and staff meetings. THE KAIROS STUDENT COMMITS TO o Dedicating themselves fully to discovering God, growing and developing through all elements of Kairos. o Appropriately representing the Kingdom of God by conducting yourself in a professional and Godly manner at all times. o Carrying out all relationships in a way that honours God. Remembering that your year as a Kairos student is dedicated to growing and developing your relationship with God. o Adhering to all policies and procedures of your placement church. This is non-negotiable as these are in place for your protection as well as that of the children or young people you work with.
FINANCE COSTS TO STUDENT The cost of Kairos for each student is 600. This covers the induction residential, weekly training days, all required reading books and programme administration. Kairos students will also be required to raise around 1500 in order to take part in the international mission trip. Support and guidance concerning fundraising will be given during the year. Typically students have been very successful at fundraising for the trip within their placement church. In order to enrol on Kairos you will need to pay 600 by 1st September. Cheques should be made payable to Tunbridge Wells Fellowship of Evangelicals Kairos Gap Year. COSTS TO PLACEMENT CHURCH In order to enable Kairos students to fully commit to their work and study, the placement church is required to pay the Kairos student 40 per week for the full duration of the programme (September July). This amounts to approximately 2000. It is recommended that each church pays this sum directly to the student. The time spent on Kairos was a really great experience and something that I will remember for ages. Before starting it, I was not the most confidant person in the world. But looking back I can say that one of the things that I got from it was a confidence boost. This helped with going on to University where I studied Culinary Arts in Birmingham. Another thing was a look at my faith and to evaluate my relationship with God. This helped to see where I was going and find a stronger understanding of who Jesus is. Kairos for me was great experience and something I won't forget, including the trip to Botswana. It is strongly recommended!!! - David Watson
THE APPLICATION PROCESS o Read through this pack thoroughly. o Fill out the application form enclosed. o Attend an interview that will include a discussion of potential placements. o Upon acceptance to the scheme please confirm your participation in writing. o In conjunction with your acceptance your placement church will apply for a CRB disclosure. o Payment of fees. o Receive practical information from Kairos and your placement regarding the year. o Attend the induction residential and begin placement. It was one of the best decisions I made to take a gap year, and doing Kairos was an amazing way to spend it! I learnt so much during the year, and grew a lot both spiritually and in being ready to face the world!! - Katy Seedhouse CONTACTS For any more information please contact: Dan Brown 07923 098622 or email: info@kairosgapyear.co.uk Kairos is an initiative of the Tunbridge Wells Fellowship of Evangelicals and is governed by a Board of Reference formed of leaders from local churches. Kairos welcomes applications from all Christian denominations.