Author: Stephen Giles

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am pleased to share with you this year’s annual programs brochure. As usual, the main goal here is simply to communicate the details of our upcoming lineup of trips and retreats, but there are a few other things inside that we think you’ll enjoy.

On pages 5 and 6 you can read about what Kairos has been up to in the “non-trip” space, specifically our parent and youth worker offerings. On page 21 we share an extended testimony from a former Gapper about how her Gap year helped to bring her deeper into the “glorious freedom of the children of God.” Finally, beginning on page 23 we present a write-up on “bridging after high school,” which can be a very helpful kickstarter for that season of decisions.

On behalf of the Kairos team, thank you so much for all that you do to serve the young people of the Sword of the Spirit. Whether you are a parent, a community leader, or a youth worker, we are blessed to work alongside you. We pray every week for all of you and for the young people in your care, specifically that they would grow into radical, lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.

God Bless You,
Stephen Giles
Director of Kairos

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you so much for your partnership with Kairos in our mission to bring young people into a life of deep and radical discipleship. I am pleased to present this brochure to you once again and excited for everything that we have in store.

Most of the pictures in this brochure were taken on Kairos trips from this past summer. Sorting through all the pictures filled me with gratitude as I considered all the ways God is using Kairos in the lives of our young people. We have spoken regularly about our desire to foster a love for the real through everything that we do. It was clear as I looked through the pictures from last summer that we are indeed providing simple, but powerful opportunities to love the real on all of our trips. In a world that continues to forget the real, these simple opportunities will continue to grow all the more powerful.

While our summer trips do not constitute everything that we do in Kairos, they are a major piece, and I’m pleased to say that last summer was our fullest summer yet. We are excited to share with you in the following pages all that we have planned for the coming year. It is our prayer that each of our trips and programs will continue to bear rich fruit for our young people and their families

God Bless You,
Stephen Giles
Director of Kairos

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am very excited to be able to share this brochure with you, and it is my hope that you find it to be a helpful resource. Inside, you will find information on almost everything Kairos has to offer, including parent and youth worker resources, the YES Retreat, Adventure Trips, Gap, and more.

One of our growing convictions as an organization is that we want to foster a love for the real, as opposed to the virtual and the artificial. This is one of the reasons we love our Adventure Trips and the opportunities for challenge they present. They help us love the real and embrace the challenges we face along the way.

In addition to our Adventure Trips, we’ve also begun to add some mission trips back into the mix. Our mission trips will be the 10th grade boys trip, and the 9th-10th grade girls trip (on alternating years). Mission trips are powerful opportunities that can produce real transformation and we’re excited to be offering them once again.

Our mission in Kairos is to awaken youth to a venturesome faith and to help them sell all to follow Jesus Christ. It is a joy to do this work and we are so grateful to do it alongside all of you.

God Bless You,
Stephen Giles
Director of Kairos