The NFL, The KC School District, and the Mayor...

The past two weeks have been more than eventful. Through a recently formed friendship with a gentleman named Rob, and a shared vision to see our schools and communities in the urban core improved I was asked to sit in on two meetings. The first meeting was with Mayor Sly James, the second with Airick West, the Chair of the Kansas City Public Schools.

I helped share our idea of coming along side the public schools with two programs. The first is a proven literacy program started by Kolby Smith, a former running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. Stephanie, Rob and I had breakfast with Kolby a week ago and got to hear his vision to not only impact the schools of Kansas City, but to take this program to every NFL city in the country. That's a big vision! The second program is an intentional mentoring program which matches students with adults that are in careers they aspire to go into. Through this program more people in the community can get involved in the lives of young people.

The Mayor and the Chair of the School Board both say they are interested in our idea, and both know that Stephanie and I are working toward planting a church in the urban core. We hope to form a citywide partnership to bring transformation to our communities in the urban core. We believe the intentional investment in our students with the planting of healthy urban churches will have benefits beyond academics, but also toward changed hearts and community transformation. Please be praying for us and our new relationships and opportunities for partnership.

Also, please pray for us as we continue to raise support while we are in our Residency at Restore Community Church. If you want to become a financial partner you can make checks payable to: Restore Community Church. In the memo line write "urban ministry-Darryl & Stephanie Answer".
Mailing address: 5559 NW Barry Rd, #305, Kansas City, MO 64154

If you have any questions about our ministry you can email me: darrylanswer@msn.com

Reconcile

Last week Stephanie and I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Minneapolis at the CCDA National Conference. Every time I go to a CCDA event I feel like I am with family. There is no need to explain to anyone why we do what we do, because we have all decided that we will live and work in places where no body else will go, not only for the development of that community, but because the Gospel compels us.
This year's theme was Reconcile, which has become one of our buzz words in the church, however, there seems to be very little action behind it. As a good friend told me a few weeks ago "Reconciliation is the new cool thing we all talk about, but if we can be honest, we don't really want to do it." The church continues to be racially, culturally, and socio-economically divided while our communities become more and more diverse.
My take away from this conference is that true reconciliation is not an event, neither is it reached when people from different backgrounds become friends. True Biblical reconciliation is when we all work together to return to the standard which God has set  in the New Creation, and drop our man made labels we use to identify each other.
Our time in Minneapolis was a great reminder to us that there are thousands of people around the world who love the poor, who are developing under resourced communities, and who are raising up leaders in those same communities. My prayer is that God will lead Stephanie and me to do this through the local church here in Kansas City.