Thanks to a donation from IBM and Willie Johnson we now have a laptop that the Rector can use to do his job.

If any team member has special programs that would be useful please feel free to donate that to Kairos.  The following programs have already been donated

Lotus Smart Suite (Millennium edition)

Word Perfect Office 2000

Microsoft Office 2000

Front Page 2000

Pagis Pro 3.0 Millennium 

Nelson's Electronic Bible Reference Library

We have a team data base set up using Paradox and ReportSmith.  We should be able to generate all our handouts using those programs.  Anyone who's job will be the computer during the weekend should get some training prior to the weekend on these programs.

The training manual for the Kairos Prison Ministry has not addressed the duties of the Computer/Copy volunteer, but it is apparent that this job is being done by one or two volunteers on the Kairos teams in the South Texas area and perhaps on most teams in the nation. Each prison may have restrictions as to what type of information may be presented to candidates and stewards. The following items have been presented in a packet to candidates, stewards and team members on the Kairos weekends which were held at the Hughes and Hilltop Units in Gatesville, Texas between September 1998 and October 1999 and have met with no opposition from prison authorities:

Cover Sheet: Christian clip art, name and dates of weekend, Scripture used as weekend theme

Candidates: List showing names and state ID number, plus mailing      address

Stewards: List showing names and state ID number, plus mailing address

Table Families: Names of families, table assignments and names of candidates at each table

Inside Team Assignments

Outside Team Assignments

Steward Assignments (if available by Friday evening of weekend)

Names and Alternate Addresses of all team members

In order to prepare the above items for the weekend, it is helpful to have good communication between the Rector and computer volunteer throughout the team formation process. The volunteer could be better prepared if the team applications were available before the first team meeting, or as soon as possible, so that name tags, team lists, and other valuable information could be compiled and available to the Rector for planning purposes. Thanks to modern technology, the tasks are becoming more organized.

Rector and volunteer should have the same computer programs to email attachments to each other.

Team members should turn in their applications sooner and the applications need to be complete.

Team members must provide an Alternate Address. A Personal Address cannot be given to an inmate.

The Inside Coordinator should try to get the Steward Assignments by Friday night of the weekend so the Stewards can be recognized by job assignment.

The Rector or Outside Coordinator should ask the sponsoring church to locate a copier that is accessible during the weekend and has a Sort capability. We are thankful the Gatesville churches have them.

Cut poster board for the name tags (16 tags per sheet) and yarn ties in advance to save assembly time.

A decent computer-Word processing and database programs for doing reports and lists.

Computer paper-approximately four reams used on the weekend plus some prior to weekend.

Mail labels-Rector might appreciate help sending out team letters.

Shipping labels-4"x2" make great name tags.

Brightly colored poster board for nametags (inmates like to see color)-16 per sheet x 10 sheets (includes extra tags for errors and/or omissions).

Multi-colored yarn for name tags.

Two-holed punch for name tags.

A stapler and staples.