ONE KC
Right now, we find ourselves at an interesting intersection of world history where hopelessness and Bible disengagement are both rising quickly. A Barna study published in 2019, reported that not only is American Christianity declining, but atheism is increasing. According to Barna, 2003 data showed 11% of Americans identifying as atheist, agnostic or of no religion. By 2018, that number had climbed to an astonishing 21%.
A quick read of today’s headlines, and it’s easy to see that now, more than ever, our world – and city – desperately need the hope of Christ.
Research has proven over and over again that Bible engagement is the number one way to help a person deepen their faith and personal growth as a believer. If we want to see revival and growth in our city and our world, Christians must engage with the word of God.
What happens when God’s people engage with the Word?
In the early 1920s, an ambitious Kansas City architect and home builder, Napoleon W. Dible, was asked by his pastor at First Baptist Church of Kansas City to lead the church’s Business Men’s Bible Class. Dible, who is said to have never missed a day of personal bible study, took the challenge with great dedication. His class began 35-strong and quickly grew to 2,500! By 1922, the weekly group numbered 3,700 Kansas City business men. Encouraged and committed to see more people engage in God’s word, he recruited others to help him continue building the group with meetings all around the city. On November 11, 1923, more than 52,000 men gathered in a city-wide Bible study rally that filled the downtown streets of Kansas City. During the following decade, countless men impacted by their study of God’s word, became involved with city evangelism and fighting corruption in the city.
That’s what happens when God’s people engage with His word!
The world at our doorstep…
With the advent of Covid-19, sending missionaries around the world got a little bit harder. But have you ever considered the impact of immigrants living right here? Just as Kansas City was an attractive place for immigrants in the early years, the same can be said of today. People from at least 70 diverse nations call the KC-metro area home. What if the Church engaged people of all backgrounds in a biblical daily experience with the living, breathing God? Is it possible that these people groups could open the door to Jesus in their home countries?
What if the church united in one core mission this year?
More than 2,000 churches dot the Kansas City landscape today.
What if 300 committed to a singular mission of bible engagement?
What if more than 3,000 small groups around the city (on average, 10 per church), representing 10 people each, committed to å daily reading and/or listening journey of the word of God? How could that change our city? How many more Napoleon Dibles might rise up?
What if some of those churches represented immigrants with diverse heart languages, like Chinese, Arabic, Tunni, Burmese, or Hindi? What impact could that have on the world?
The world has come to Kansas City at an amazing time in history when we have the technology to bring the written and spoken Word of God to nearly every people group in the world.
We believe we CAN make a difference and are stronger together. Our efforts can start something great – a ripple not only across the United States, but around the world.
The only question that remains, is: Will you join us for ONEKC?
