Kairos Circle
Helping Kids (and You) Hear from Jesus
Parent Introduction
Before teaching this tool to your children, we encourage you to learn and practice the Kairos Circle for yourself. You can find that tool here.
The Kairos Circle has helped many followers of Jesus learn to recognize when Jesus is speaking and respond to Him in obedience. The more familiar you become with the tool personally, the more naturally you'll be able to use it with your children.
Every day, things happen.
Some moments make our kids excited. Some leave them discouraged. Some create questions. Others create conflict. Some are victories worth celebrating. Others are disappointments that are difficult to understand.
As followers of Jesus, we believe God can use all of those moments to help shape us.
The Kairos Circle is a simple tool that helps families slow down and pay attention to what God might be saying through everyday experiences.
You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to solve every problem. Your role is simply to help your child notice what happened, listen for the voice of Jesus, and consider how they might respond.
Over time, children begin to learn that God is present not only in church services, Bible studies, and prayer times, but in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
A bad day at school.
A disagreement with a friend.
A great game.
A hard conversation.
An unexpected opportunity.
A mistake.
A success.
All of these can become opportunities for growth. The Kairos Circle gives families a simple way to talk about those moments together.
THE KAIROS CIRCLE
A Kairos moment is any moment that causes us to stop and pay attention. Sometimes those moments are big. Sometimes they are small. When teaching this tool for the first few times, begin by drawing a simple line across a sheet of paper.
Explain that the line represents our life moving forward. Then draw a star or mark somewhere on the line. Explain that something happened. This is the Kairos moment.
It may be something exciting, disappointing, confusing, encouraging, frustrating, or unexpected. Whatever it is, it causes us to stop and pay attention.
At that point, draw a circle underneath the Kairos moment and explain that instead of rushing past the moment, we can enter the Kairos Circle and have a conversation with Jesus about what happened.
As you draw the circle, walk through three simple questions together. On the left of the circle, write:
1 . WHAT HAPPENED?
Start by listening. Invite your child to tell the story. You might say something like:
"Tell me what happened. I want to hear the story from your point of view. Tell me all the details you can remember. How did it make you feel? Why do you think it was important?"
Resist the urge to correct, fix, or explain. Spend time understanding the moment before trying to interpret it.
At the bottom of the circle, write:
2 . WHAT IS JESUS SAYING?
Once you've listened carefully, begin exploring what Jesus might want your child to learn.
Ask questions like:
What do you think Jesus wants you to know?
What do you think Jesus sees in this situation?
What might Jesus be teaching you?
Is there anything Jesus wants to change in your heart?
Is there anything Jesus wants to encourage you about?
Is there something Jesus wants you to remember?
You are not trying to force an answer. You are helping your child learn to pay attention to the voice of Jesus.
One of the most important things we can teach our children is that Jesus is still speaking (all the time) and that His followers can learn to recognize His voice.
On the left side of the circle, write:
3 . WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Jesus doesn't only speak so we can learn something. He speaks so we can follow Him.
As followers of Jesus, we want our lives to respond to what He is saying.
Ask questions like:
What do you think we should do in response to what Jesus is saying?
Is there anything you should do?
Is there anyone you should talk to?
Is there anything you need to apologize for?
Is there someone you should encourage?
Is there a step of courage, kindness, forgiveness, trust, or obedience Jesus is inviting you to take?
Keep the response simple and practical.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is to help children learn that following Jesus includes responding to what He says.
When we respond to Jesus, we leave the Kairos Circle and continue forward on a new trajectory. Draw a second line leaving the circle that angles slightly away from the original line.
Explain that every time we listen to Jesus and respond to Him, He shapes our lives to become more like Him.
FAMILY PRACTICE
The next time something happens, try walking through the Kairos Circle together.
Draw the line. Mark the Kairos moment. Draw the circle. Then ask:
What happened?
What is Jesus saying?
What should we do in response?
Over time, these conversations help children learn to see their entire lives through the lens of following Jesus.
A HELPFUL NOTE
You won't always need to draw the Kairos Circle. As the tool becomes familiar, it will become a natural way of having conversations together.
In the beginning, however, drawing the line and the circle can help move the conversation forward and give children a visual picture of what is happening.
Eventually, many families discover that simply asking the three questions is enough to help everyone recognize a Kairos moment, listen for the voice of Jesus, and respond in obedience.
Want to grow in this together?
The Kairos Circle isn't just for kids, we have a version of this tool for adults too. Learn it here.
At KC Underground, we believe discipleship happens first at home, and we want to resource you for it. If you're looking for a community of families learning to follow Jesus in real, everyday ways, we'd love for you to find your place with us. 👉
