I am a church planter in the early stages of building a congregation in Kansas City. My wife and I moved to the Ivanhoe neighborhood in 2013 and got deeply involved in the work that was already happening. We worshipped at neighborhood churches, volunteered at organizations and built relationships with our neighbors. After a year or so we began to step into a few leadership roles within the community, helping to establish community building events, serving as board members and beginning a home Bible study in early 2016. Our Bible study has grown (so has our family!) and we are now in the process of planting a church.
Kansas City is very similar to many other cities in America. Segregation across racial and socio-economic lines is common, and sadly this reality brings with it many challenges for neighborhoods like ours. Low-performing schools, high crime, unemployment, and poverty all shape the environment my family now calls home. But with all of the challenges that can be listed, I can also list the things I love about my community. The generosity shown by people with few resources, the hospitality of our neighbors who help us navigate our new normal, and the love we have been shown by friends and leaders in the community have taught us to see God at work in the marginalized places of our society. There is definitely good in my neighborhood, and it was here before we ever arrived!
As an Associate with World Impact I have not only been able to share great resources with other pastors who work in similar neighborhoods, but as a bi-vocational church planter, the resources have served me greatly. I use the materials provided as tools in the discipleship and leadership development of my growing congregation. The Associate program has also connected me to a broader community that I didn’t have before. The World Impact team has been a great support to me and my family as we serve our community and move toward planting a church.
Doing ministry in an under-resourced community can have its challenges, but there have been moments of breakthrough that we look back on and celebrate. It’s things like a neighbor coming by and offering to help with yard work. It’s the group of residents who gather to discover and discuss their God-given gifts and assets to better their community. And it comes in the form of a recent text from someone saying they want to get baptized. Remembering moments like these keep us going.
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