A new mission-learning experience for young adults was initiated two years ago by Ebenezer Lutheran Brethren Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kairos is for young adults who live in or are moving into the Twin Cities and want to live in an intentional discipleship community in mission.

The story begins a few decades ago when Ebenezer purchased two homes directly next to the church facility. The original intention was that these homes would be used for ministry purposes. As the vision of using the homes for ministry quickly faded, the houses became rental properties, and Ebenezer became a landlord. That was until two years ago when the church launched the Kairos community. Now the two homes are occupied by young adult missionaries, living in intentional Christian community.

What does “kairos” mean? The community takes its name from the Greek word which refers to “a fullness of time.” In Jesus’ ministry, his first spoken words were, “The time has come” (Mark 1:15). The word Jesus uses for time here is kairos. He was declaring that his kingdom was at hand. The world would never be the same.

Our prayer at Ebenezer is that all involved in Kairos would never be the same, either, as their lives are touched and transformed into mission leaders prepared to serve and lead local churches into local mission. Kairos, then, is a fitting name for this mission community of worshiping missionary disciples. It is Ebenezer’s goal that the members of the Kairos community be on the cutting edge of missionary work, not only for Ebenezer, but also for the entire Church of the Lutheran Brethren. This is in line with the final words of the CLB vision statement, “And we sense God convicting us to more intentionally reach out to people who live in our midst in North America.” We sense this conviction in Minneapolis and are dedicated to raising up a new type of missionary that is contextually relevant in the 21st century.

This goal is being realized through the following program structure of Kairos:

1. Huddle: The huddle is a three-hour event twice a month. All in the community come together for a time of prayer, Scripture reflection, and missionary training. The main goal of these huddles is to support one another in our ministry to our community. Some huddles are spent planning mission engagements; others are heavier on prayer and Bible study.
2. Theological Weekends: It is a priority for us to bring solid theological and missiological training to the community. Two weekends each year we gather for intense training. This is strengthened by our pastors, as well as a relationship with LB seminary.
3. One-on-Ones: The leadership of Kairos community consists of three members of Ebenezer’s ministry team. The goal is that each month each member of the community has a one-on-one meeting with one of these ministers. The goal of this meeting is to encourage personal growth and to provide support for their ministry.
4. House Meeting: Those who live in the Kairos community houses meet weekly for prayer and housekeeping issues. This is an important meeting because it encourages conflict resolution and problem-solving skills within the houses. Note: Not all Kairos community members will live in one of the Kairos houses. Because there is only room for seven members in our houses (three in the men’s house, and four in the women’s), there may be a waiting list to get into the houses. But in the meantime the Kairos leadership is committed to finding extra housing with church members in our community.
5. Experiment: We feel that Kairos serves as a missionary lab – a place where the community members can test new outreach techniques. Over the past two years we’ve run numerous experiments, some with success, others with none. The goal is learning how to best serve as God’s sent person, here and now!

Kairos is always seeking new members. The Kairos community has been gaining momentum this year. We are now interested in opening our community up to other young adults from Lutheran Brethren churches. There are currently spots open in our houses for incoming members. It’s been our observation that the ideal people who will excel in Kairos community are those who have a living and active relationship with God, a heart for Christ-like missions in all contexts, are not yet married, follow a lifestyle covenant, and are willing to give ten hours a week to the Kairos program.

Next Step: If you are interested in the Kairos community or know a young adult who is a potential Kairos community member, please call Matt Oxendale (612-296-6686) or Todd Mathison (612-600-1424) for more information.

Todd Mathison and Matt Oxendale serve as lead pastor and lay youth pastor, respectively, at Ebenezer LBC in Minneapolis, MN.