Colonial Presbyterian Church

Volume 26: Issue 5
Connections
A Monthly Publication of
Colonial Presbyterian Church
816-942-3272 • colonialkc.org
Wornall Campus • 9500 Wornall Road, KCMO 64114
Quivira Campus • 12501 W. 137th St. OPKS 66221
May 2012
From Our Site Pastors
From the Editors
Heather Bass, Creative Services Director
Who Will Feed the Puppy?
It is a common occurrence for a Colonial member
to approach Creative Services about the possibility
of providing a new service, incorporating a new
media technology, or renovating a current
technology. These are most often welcome
suggestions that we whole-heartedly agree would
be valuable, however they also usually bring about
a question of management. As I recently heard in a
webinar on social media, before you launch into
anything new you must ask, “Who will feed the
puppy?”
2
There are many exciting tools and services with
which we could be engaged within the Creative
Services department, but they require regular
management, or “feeding.” Are you interested in
web-based offerings, like a classifieds bulletin
board for Colonial member businesses and help
wanted postings, or improving our presence in
social media? How about preserving our heritage
with an organized and accessible archive? If you
have a passion for these or any of the other
communication, marketing, media technology or
production activities possible within Creative
Services, please let us know. We have hungry
puppies waiting to be adopted!
The Creative Services Team:
Heather Bass, Director of Creative Services
hbass@colonialkc.org, 816.501.3090
Chad Maag, Visual Production Specialist
cmaag@colonialkc.org, 816.501.3028
Laura Carter, Communications Coordinator
lcarter@colonialkc.org, 816.501.3031
In This Issue:
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Opportunities to encounter God, grow with others
and impact people this Summer.
From Our Site Pastors..............................Pages 2-3
Growing Greater Fruit.............................. Page 4-5
Growing with Others in Groups............ Page 6-7
What if The Church?...................................... Page 8
Gifts of Love Stewardship............................. Page 9
Colonial News Bits.................................Pages 10-11
Pastor’s Corner..............................................Page 12
Time to Grow
Pastor Bob Lehleitner
This is the growing season.
Everything around us is blooming
and getting green. We have a lot of
things growing here at Colonial. The
first one I would like to mention is
our community garden at our
Quivira location. Under the
leadership of Don Breiby and many
volunteers, we have cleared about an
acre of land that can be seen as you enter the church
parking lot. It is Colonial’s Community Garden for God.
We are renting plots (20’x10’ and 20’x5’) to our
congregation to plant as soon as possible. You can reach
Don by phone at 913-669-4788 or email don.breiby@gmail.
com. The first year we are limiting our plots to church
members. When we have the system in order, we will invite
our community to join in next year. In the Johnson County
area, many people are interested in having small vegetable
gardens, but have nowhere to plant. Anyone who plants
will be asked to give at least 10% of their produce to feed
the poor. The youth of our church have already signed up
and will be planting soon. We are still seeking gifts to the
garden to establish for years to come.
Secondly, we have a lot of people who are taking their next
steps in spiritual growth. Get signed up for missions
projects with What If the Church, or one of our local
impact opportunities. One of the greatest opportunities we
have for kingdom growth in the summer is our Vacation
Bible School. All the families of the church with elementary
kids should be signing up your neighborhood families
along with your own for the top flight action of this
entertaining and spiritually-encouraging ministry.
The area of our Quivira site that is experiencing the most
new life are that of our youth and young adults. On Good
Friday, eight of our high school seniors gave testimony to
their full devotion to the Lord. They shared how they are
not being Christians in name only, but that they are often
leading their friends to Christ at school. In a culture that
often focuses on all the evil things teenagers are doing, it is
so refreshing to see kids who actually love serving others.
Cory Ozbun and other youth leaders have seen God add to
their young adult ministry daily since September just as in
the book of Acts. Eighteen of them are going to Haiti this
month to work with the Global Orphan Project. They meet
regularly on Sunday nights and have small group Bible
studies for young men and women. Contact Cory at
cozbun@colonialkc.org.
Each week our bulletin is filled with the latest opportunities
to grow and serve Christ. What is your next step? It is time
to take it!
Contact Pastor Lehleitner
12501 W. 137th Street, Overland Park, KS 66221
816.501.3901 blehleitner@colonialkc.org
Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ.
FROM OUR SITE PASTORS
In the
Meanwhile
Pastor Drew Henderson
A few nights ago, Nibal and I
finished the last episode of the first
season of Downton Abbey, the
Masterpiece Theater series from the
BBC. At the end of the last episode,
the patriarch of the house had just
stopped the summer garden party
to announce that England had declared war on Germany. In
the midst of such great luxury, beauty and peace, the reality
of human violence had invaded.
My mind flooded with the vision of the trenches, razor wire
and shelling that were at the dark heart of the First World
War. Soon, all of these people would be marred and scarred
by the darkness of nations raging, and their peace and
tranquility would be erased, for a while. As a people, they
would have to rise up against their invaders and rely on one
another for survival and human sustenance. Petty things
would fall by the wayside and people would give their very
lives for the survival of their neighbors and the endurance of
the nation. There was an immediate sense of resolve, an
immediate sense of unity, and an immediate sense of
urgency.
As in this example, I wonder why our spiritual life sometimes
feels like the start of a major war? Easter was the day of
victory for Christ, but the Kingdom is not yet complete on
earth. We have to have patience, persistence and great trust
in the meanwhile. Sometimes I wonder if this time period is
called “meanwhile” because of how hard and difficult it is in
the now to wait for Jesus to come and finish the job. The
resurrection has given us, as the children of God, the victory.
Now who will we be in the wake and aftermath of the
resurrection?
As we have become more attuned to the need for healing and
spiritual engagement among our people and neighbors, as
our ongoing court battle creates a common enemy, and our
debt campaign identifies a shared burden and obstacle; as the
preaching of the Gospel has kept us well focused as to who
Jesus is - now the question is, who are we as a church in the
light of Jesus and His life?
Soon we will be free people: free from our former
denomination and someday soon, we will be free from debt.
When we enter into the land of promise, then what will be
our call? Be prepared in the next few months to share what
the Lord is showing you about who Colonial is to become.
Tell us what you see and hear from the Lord. Call me. Email
me or any of our leaders and talk it through.
Contact Pastor Henderson
Pastor Drew Henderson
There is an old Japanese proverb that states that
when you are finished building your house, you
die. For us as disciples of Jesus, when we stop being
changed into the likeness of Christ, we begin to
die. When we step away from the path He has cut,
we will be in danger. When we stop being fed by
his Body, we will starve or be poisoned. If we sit
still, we will grow stale and begin to deteriorate.
If we do grow, we have life, we have hope, we have
courage and endurance, joy and faith. Jesus called us
to live, to live in the fullness of the life God has given
us, and not to die, anymore. We are to share this life,
this Word, this gift with others - even strangers.
First and foremost from Jesus is the invitation
to live and give our life over to Him. As Mother
Teresa said, “I want to be more and more filled
with Jesus and less and less filled with me.” The
ten-dollar word for this is sanctification. We are
letting the Holy Spirit and the Word of God not just
take up residence in us, but overtake our thoughts
and our whole selves. We are giving over to God
what was His to start with, and letting Him shape
and mold us for His satisfaction and pleasure.
3
You have heard staff and pastors talk about Next
Steps. Maybe you did not. It has been in the
newsletter, on bulletin boards and in slides during
worship. In short, we want to help our people get
going in getting closer to the Father. We want
everybody to understand how God has made
them for a purpose and then connect them with
His purpose and opportunity. The Next Steps is
a sanctifying process. It is a clarifying process. It
is an orientation process to help all of Colonial’s
folks take up His call to life, service, ministry and
witness. This call is for every believer, the call to
continually grow in relationship with Jesus.
The Next Steps are a number of specific and trusted
ways for us to get closer to God and His will. We will
be asking every man and woman what your Next
Steps are in the next few months. And we will gladly
spend the time with you to figure out what that is
- or what obstacles you are facing. Let us help you
get closer to God and get on living and getting away
from dying. God wants to keep building this house.
What is your next step?
9500 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114
816.501.3003 dhenderson@colonialkc.org
Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Thank you for your faithfulness, for He has won the battle.
What is Your
Next Step?
Colonial Kids at the
Quivira Campus
Glenn Menke, Director of Children’s Ministries,
Quivira Campus
Summer Fun in the
“What greater fruit than to teach children of the
Lord and help pass His glorious inheritance on
to them.” Jim Cannon
4
The Colonial Kids Preschool & Elementary
Ministries invite you to pray about being the
heart and hands of Christ this summer during
the 11:00 a.m. Sunday school hour. We’re
asking our summer Ministry Partners to sign
up for at least two Sundays, or more if you
choose. All you have to do is show up with
“pep” in your step and a smile on your face with
a willingness to be used by God. It’s that simple,
really!
Make a difference this summer in a child’s life
and in yours by contacting Glenn Menke,
816.501.3963, gmenke@colonialkc.org.
Winter
ch Party”
Colonial Kids “Bea
Colonial Kids at the
Wornall Campus
Lisa Barletter, Director of Children’s Ministries,
Wornall Campus
We have three areas of opportunities:
• Infant and Toddler—Adults and teens
welcome! Teens must be 14 years of age to serve
without a parent.
• Preschool—Adults and teen helpers needed,
can be a middle school or high school student.
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
• Grade School—Ministry Partners needed to
serve in an assistant role, can be a high school
student.
Wornall Campus 4th Grade Communion Class
Wornall Campus First Communion: The
Wornall Congregation is cordially invited to
a reception to celebrate our 4th grade
communicants. Sunday, May 6, 11:00 a.m. in
the Fellowship Hall.
For further details Contact:
• Paula Tobin: Preschool, 816.501.3056,
ptobin@colonialkc.org
• Lisa Barletter: Infant, toddler, grade school
816.501.3044, lbarletter@colonialkc.org
Attention, high school students. This is
a great way to earn summer service hours!
Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ.
Quivira Campus
Vacation Bible School
By Nancy Herrmann, Colonial Kids
Special Events Administrator, Quivira Campus
“All it took was a hug and a smile from one of the
girls in my group and I was hooked…VBS is the
perfect service opportunity.” Julie Still
Have you ever wished you could fly? Ever
dreamed of soaring high into the clouds? Or
ever imagined yourself as a Flight Attendant?
Now’s your chance! Come join the friendly skies
as part of the Colonial Kids SKY VBS Flight
Crew.
At Sky VBS, kids discover that by trusting God,
everything is possible. Sky VBS will take us Up,
Up and Away with Wild Blue Bible adventures,
Sky-High Diner treats, All-Star games,
Imagination Station crafts and much, much
more. As a Flight Crew member you’ll have the
opportunity to soar to new heights by
connecting kids to Christ! Just imagine how you
could change a child’s life forever….the sky’s the
limit! So fasten your seatbelts, place your seats
and tray tables in an upright position and get
ready to have a SKY-tacular adventure!
VBS is an excellent opportunity for you to invite
your friends, especially those who don’t
normally attend church. It’s an easy, fun and
exciting way to introduce your unchurched
friends to the love of Christ and how awesome it
is to be a part of the family of God! Any
unchurched friend whom you invite can attend
for free. They will also receive a free CD and a
free t-shirt. But most importantly, they will
learn about the free gift of eternal life in Jesus
Christ our Lord! See Captain Sky, aka Mr.
Menke, for the details.
5
At Sky VBS, kids discover that by trusting
God, everything is possible.
Quivira Campus: July 23–27,
5:45–8:15 p.m.
Flight Crew Directors: Erika Marker,
913.488.6149, and Megan Bailey,
913.681.7832
Registration fees and dates
• Starting July 1: $25 student,
NO family max
2011 V B S Prayer
Time
• Registration Closes: July 15
Register and/or volunteer online at colonialkc.org/vbs
Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
• By June 30: $10 per student,
$30 family max
College Students
Living out Luke 10
Cory Ozbun, High School Youth Leader
This generation of college students possesses a
passion to transform the world. Whether it’s
buying Tom’s shoes or hosting Invisible Children
meetings, a palpable desire to help people is
present within this generation of believers. Last
summer this ideology infiltrated our Thursday
night College ministry meetings, and the resulting
fruit was incredible! A slight mind-shift (and
giant culture shift) occurred within our ministry:
Our college students recognized that we as a
church gather, not for the sake of gathering, but
for the sake of going.
this: Each Thursday night, around sixty college
students will gather for a meal, hear a benediction
from the Word, and then break off into five or six
“Luke 10 Groups” in order to go and serve those
around us. We will again partner with our
incredible Care and Impact Ministries in order to
practically assist the community in a variety of
ways, from simple yard work and companionship
for elderly individuals, to running a basketball
ministry for local teenagers.
Our college students are living out the reality that
proclaiming the Kingdom of God is coupled with
bringing healing and love in the name of Jesus.
We are so excited to see how the Lord uses this
passion for the Kingdom of God in our college
students’ lives this summer!
Using the same format as last year, our 2012
summer college ministry structure will look like
6
Charts and Maps
Whitney Gilliland
One of the reasons that I joined [Charts and
Maps] is that they were doing service projects for
other people around the church. For me, that truly
demonstrated that these people were really
walking in the faith. Another great thing about
this group is that we all come from pretty different
backgrounds, but we are able to embrace that. We
all have different jobs and different lives, but the
fact that we can all come together on Sundays
(and sometimes other days of the week as well) is
really an amazing thing to me.
Form a New LIFE Group
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Bill Norwood
Our group has been meeting since after Labor Day
last year. We were led by the Spirit and my
prayerful wife Tracy to form a new Life Group!
We currently include David and Sharon Watts,
Rob and Ann Louise Fitzgerald, Jason and Meda
Green...and yes are open to new members! We
meet west of the Quivira campus on Monday
nights. To “do” together (and hopefully with
Christ’s leading) is a key part of who we are. In
fact, just last night we were discussing what next
to do! I am very blessed to have these folks in my
life, and trust they feel the same. There is barely a
week that goes by that we do not somehow touch
base and even help each other. I believe this is
fostering a more biblical trust of one another and
heading toward the deeper relationships God so
wants for us...and we for ourselves! We have done
a few things, but are currently helping our High
School ministry team. Our amazing High
Schoolers support a Westport-based ministry
called Revolution. They go down there every
Monday night with food they purchase, then
prepare, and feed dinner to those in need.
So, how do we help them (some of whom are our
own beautiful kids)? Well, surprise! We actually
don’t. Nope, we help our High School ministry
staff instead. You see, since Revolution is churchsponsored, the youth need to be driven from
Quivira at 5:00 p.m. and driven back - arriving at
the Q after 8:00 p.m. sometimes. Makes for a long
day for Cory, Kristen and the rest of the staff. We
take the 1st Monday of the month (one of our LG
meetings) and carpool the youth down ourselves,
hang out, and bring ‘em back. One of our group
even got a license to drive “da Bus”! We love our
staff at Colonial and hope they enjoy the small way
we show it...in the name of Christ!
Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ.
Summer Staff: A Season
of Growth for over 40 years
Adam Reck, Director of Youth Ministries, Quivira
The best compliment I have ever heard about
Summer Staff came from a father of a new 6th
grade girl in the Youth Ministry. It was the end of
the summer and we were wrapping up with our
big Youth Sunday celebration. As I was standing
in the lobby listening to kids give testimonies
about their summer experiences and growth, he
pulled me aside and said, “You know, I used to
think this summer staff thing was just a paid
summer vacation for a bunch of college students to
goof around and have fun with each other. But
now I see the impact my daughter’s summer staffer
has made on my daughter’s life, and I just want to
thank you and her.”
What makes that compliment continue to stick
with me is that it represents real lives being
touched and changed. Every year when a lot of
things are taking breaks, the student ministry staff
is the busiest we’ve ever been in running the
summer staff program because we believe the
summer is an excellent time for growth.
As summer staffers, college students are trained
and discipled by the youth staff and many other
Christian leaders and pastors around the KC area.
They eat together, pray together, share ministry
experiences together. Time and time again we
hear summer staffers young and old say that their
time on staff was one of the best, most enriched
times of their lives.
I always look forward to the summer. I love the
warm weather, the mission trips, camp, and I love
watching a student who has grown up in
Colonial’s student ministry come back and do
summer staff. I love watching them pour into
their students just asv their summer staffers did to
them. I love hearing the concerns, the funny
stories, and the victories.
This summer is right around the corner. If you
would like more information on the summer staff
program or all the events we have scheduled, and
even the events we don’t have scheduled - please
contact me or visit the student website: Adam
Reck, areck@colonialkc.org, 816.501.3921,
colonialkc.org/students.
A season of opportunity
7
For most middle and high school students, the
summer is a time of endless opportunities. With
no school, and most sports in their offseason (save
baseball and softball), students have plenty of free
time. That time can be spent lots of different ways,
watching TV, playing video games, or hanging out
with friends. During the summer we encourage
our interns to fill that free time with opportunities
to encounter Christ, and build community with
one another. Summer staffers are constantly on
the go, calling students, planning Bible studies,
inviting people on mission trips and to camp, and
NOT pulling pranks on people’s houses and cars.
When students and their friends engage in these
opportunities, their summers transform from a
time of idleness to a time of knowing God and
knowing others.
A season of discipleship
gton
2011 Mission: Arlin
Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
While working at another Presbyterian church, I
got to know Ryan Kapple and share ministry ideas
with him. One day I was lamenting the fact that
my church was cutting my summer interns from
the typical two or three to one, because we didn’t
have enough students to justify hiring more. The
question Ryan asked me next changed my entire
thinking about why I do internships. He said,
“What if the internship is for the interns more, or
just as much, as it is for the kids?”
Another Year of Growth
for What If the Church
• June 3 Message: City Transformation: Bringing
Spiritual and Physical Wholeness to our City
(Micah 6:8-9, Isaiah 58) Pastor William Harris,
Metrolife Church.
What is What if the Church? It is a diversity of
congregations banded together for the common
purpose of making Jesus famous in this city
through love.
Serving Opportunities
Randall Leonard, Director of Impact Ministries
What started with 9 churches in 2008 has grown
to 33 churches this year who will come together to
form church “triads,” exchange pulpits, worship,
and serve together. This year Colonial will form a
triad with Midtown Baptist Temple and Metrolife
Church.
Saturday, June 9: Serve day at Harvesters.
Saturday, June 16: Convoy of Hope, in Kansas
City, Missouri. Online registration starts in May.
Worship Rally
Special worship event
featuring a message from
Dr. Tony Evans. Friday,
June 22, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
at the Sheffield Family
Life Center.
Teaching Tour Pulpit Exchange
In 2012 on May 20, 27 and June 3 the churches of
these triads will rotate their teaching pastors for a
message series based on the values of “What if the
Church?”
• May 20 Message: Christ-centered: Confessing Jesus
as Lord (Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 10:6-15)
Pastor Jim West, Colonial Presbyterian Church
8
• May 27 Message: Catalyzing Relationships: Across
Visible and Invisible Lines (John 13:34-36; John 17)
Pastor Sam Miles, Midtown Baptist Temple.
Dr. Tony Evans
Global Day of Prayer 2012
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
A Time of Worship, Prayer and Repentance
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Local Global Day
of Prayer Events
Wyandotte County Global Day of Prayer
Sunday, May 27, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Performing Arts Auditorium
Platte City, MO
Sunday, May 27, 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Platte County Courthouse
KCMO Urban Event
Sunday, May 27, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church
2801 Swope Parkway
Independence, MO
Sunday, May 27, Time TBD
William Chrisman High School
Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ.
Gifts of Love
Julie Still, Colonial Stewardship Committee
Our main Gifts of Love focus verse, Luke 10:27, tells
us to “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart,
and with all of your soul, and with all of your strength
and with all of your mind; and, Love your neighbor as
yourself.” Some of you may wonder why this verse
was chosen for our annual stewardship campaign
when we solicit financial support for Colonial
ministries in the next fiscal year. It’s a fairly simple
reason: we want your financial gifts to Colonial to be
Gifts of Love…not given out of obedience or
obligation. If you truly love the Lord your God as the
verse encourages, you will love giving to support the
work of the church.
During our Gifts of Love focus, we have been
reminded of God’s great gift of love to us. We have
learned how Colonial uses the money that is
contributed to the operating fund, seen evidence of
successful partnerships that Colonial has developed
to show God’s love to others, and have been
challenged to use simple sticky notes to share God’s
love. We have been encouraged to pray about our
personal stewardship decision and it’s now time to
make that commitment on your pledge card.
Why is it important to make a financial pledge to
Colonial? Your annual pledge is the consistent giving
that undergirds our operating budget for July 1, 2012
through June 30, 2013. This commitment helps our
lay leadership and staff plan and budget responsibly
as we serve God together. Your giving touches many
others, through missions, evangelism, worship, and
ministries impacting children, youth, and adults. We
need each and every Colonial member and friend to
respond in order to continue to share God’s Word
and His love.
Please remember to bring your pledge card for the
Walk to the Cross, which will be held in all services
on May 6. If you are unable to attend worship
services that day, please be sure you mail or drop
your pledge card off at the church office before May 6,
or you may submit your pledge at colonialkc.org/gifts
of love
We appreciate your support and look forward to
seeing our Gifts of Love bring glory to God in the
coming year.
9
“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart,
and with all of your soul, and with all of your
strength and with all of your mind; and, Love
your neighbor as yourself.” ~ Luke 10:27
Financial Update
Fiscal Year beginning July 2011
Questions about Colonial’s finances may be directed to
Central Operations Officer Randy Shaneyfelt 816.501.3001
or to Finance Elder John Pankratz 913.638.4749.
Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
MarchYear to Date Income$ 260,709$2,948,256
Expenses$ 323,363$3,064,939
Surplus /(Deficit)
$ (62,654)
$(116,683)
Colonial News Bits
Musically at Home in
Wornall’s Sanctuary
Wornall Worship and Arts
The Wornall Campus is delighted to
welcome Krista Eyler as the
Coordinator of Contemporary
Worship. We are blessed to have her
as an addition to the Worship & Arts
Staff. She will be leading the 9:15 am
congregation in worship Sunday
mornings.
Krista Eyler has been attending
Colonial’s Wornall campus since
2009. She and her husband, Jarrod,
are parents to two precocious boys, 8
and 5. She grew up in Overland
Park, but attended Texas Christian
University. She received her Masters
in Journalism from KU.
After entering the field of TV news
as an on-air reporter (then Krista
Tatschl) for 5 years at KMBC-TV
Channel 9 News, motherhood called.
During that season of life in 2005,
Krista created a music company
called Funky Mama Music. Under
the moniker “Funky Mama,” she
began writing and
performing original
rock n’ roll for families
throughout the
Midwest year-round.
work Walk To the Manger: Hosanna!
with the Wornall campus and
community.
“My musical home and happiness is
found in the sanctuary. I feel blessed
to have the opportunity to help usher
the church into the presence of the
Lord each week.” ~ Krista Eyler
An avid musical theatre
fan and actor, she
began writing musicals
in 2009. Last
Christmas, she was so
pleased to share her
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Global Prayer Group
Encouragers Food Pantry
and Local Impact
operationworld.org
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Global Prayer Group begins May 10,
7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Quivira campus,
Room 210. There are many of us within
Colonial that have a passion for what God
is doing around the world. Through
prayer, we can connect with what God is
doing around the world and support the
efforts of Colonial missionaries and the
work of our brothers and sisters in Christ
around the world in a very significant way.
www.colonialkc.org/localimpact
Monthly Collections Needs
May: We are in need of non-perishable
food staples such as Jiffy corn muffin mix,
tuna, rice, pinto beans, canned fruits &
vegetables, peanut butter, canned pasta
sauce (no glass items please), and
Hamburger Helper kits. Please prayerfully
consider helping those in need.
Using Operation World (a guide to prayer
for every nation in the world - find out
more online), we will have a weekly prayer
time focused on a few specific countries
each week. Operation World provides
background information regarding the
current situation of the country on
multiple levels, including spiritual
background, economic status, etc., and
also provides some specific ways to pray
for each country.
May Local IMPACT Community
Opportunities
We will also pray for Colonial
missionaries as they correspond with the
countries of the week and as particular
needs and missions events arise. Contact
Laura Thomas, laura.thomas7@gmail.com
for more information.
colonialkc.org/saintsalive
May 19: Harvester’s Food Distribution
Saturday. This is also Global Youth Service
Day (ages 6–25). Youth, we need you!
Report to the Wornall Youth Campus at
7:55 a.m. Email Jim Howard to sign up,
jimohoward@msn.com.
Saints Alive
broadway musicals. Join us at noon as we
dine together and celebrate great music.
Tickets are $12 and must be purchased in
advance by calling 913.248.6688.
Lunch at Denny’s: Meet on the first
Thursday of each month at Denny’s, 105th
and Metcalf, at 11:00 a.m. for a time of
food and fellowship. No registration
required. Bring a friend and meet new
friends – and enjoy a delicious lunch at the
same time! Transportation can be
provided if needed. Questions? Contact
Bill Powell at 913.681.9713.
Kauffman Center Tour: Join the Saints
Alive crowd for a tour of the Kauffman
Center on May 29. We’ll leave the church
at 10:15 in order to arrive in time for the
11:00 a.m. tour. After the tour, we’ll have
lunch together at The Cheesecake Factory
and return to the church by 2:30 p.m.
To reserve your spot on the bus, call
Jeannie at 816.501.3035 or register online,
colonialkc.org/saintsalive.
Shawnee Heartland Assisted Living
presents Love in the Afternoon:
Broadway–The Early Years on June 26.
Enjoy songs from the early years of
Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ.
Colonial News Bits
Women’s Ministry
Icthus Reunion Coming this Fall!
Membership Class
“I lift my eyes to the hills, from whence
cometh my strength. My strength comes
from the Lord; the Maker of heaven and
earth...” Psalm 121
Save the date: Labor Day Weekend
(August 31-September 3)
Is your Next Step to find out more about
what it means to be a part of the Colonial
family? Experience a great time of
fellowship in a small group environment
with Pastor Jim and our Site Pastors.
Learn more about Colonial’s beliefs,
history, vision, mission, the EPC,
expectations of membership and more.
Call or register online one week prior to
the date of the class.
colonialkc.org/womensretreat
It’s time again to prepare for an exciting,
challenging and life-giving trip into the
mountains of Colorado! The Lord is
planning big things
Save the Dates: Sept. 15–19, for Buena
Vista, Colorado.
Register: Go online for registration,
liability waiver and other information
Get Ready: We will be trekking up Ogg
Hill in Shawnee Mission Park beginning
on Saturday mornings in June to
condition our bodies! Details are coming.
Discover Your Design
colonialkc.org/dyd
July 8–29. Looking for a place to serve
inside or outside the church? Join a
4-week Discover Your Design class to
learn more about your SHAPE
[Spiritual Gifts, Heart (Passion),
Abilities, Personality and Experiences]
and how to use your unique design in
the service God has prepared for you.
After the class, you have the option to
continue the process with the help of a
DYD Coach. Information available
online at colonialkc.org/dyd
icthusreunion.org
Who is invited? Anyone who has been
touched by the Icthus Ministry from the
late 1960s to date, including middle
school, junior high, high school, or college
Icthus in the Kansas City area: Colonial
paid or volunteer summer staff; or any
college campus Icthus (Baylor, KU, KSU,
MSU, MU, TCU).
Registration available online in May. For
the latest info, join Icthus Ministries
Reunion (Colonial Presbyterian Church)
on Facebook.
Want to host an out-of-towner? We are
looking for families to fill this need.
Contact Dave Davies at 816-916-7244,
dmdgiftplan@gmail.com.
“The greatest reunion this side of Heaven.”
– Bob Lehleitner
Friday Prayer Group
God is glorified when His people pray.
Join us each ongoing Friday from
1:00–2:00 p.m. at the Wornall campus,
Room 302.
In Memory of Richard Klover,
Colonial Member
outpacingmelanoma.org
Quivira member Kelly Klover lost her
husband, Richard, to melanoma in
February 2010, at the age of 46. In recent
months, Kelly has established the
Outpacing Melanoma Foundation.
Kelly would like to extend an invitation
to the congregation to join her family in
their effort to shed light and hope on this
underfunded, underpublicized, deadliest
form of skin cancer.
Wornall Campus: 3rd Sunday of each
month. The next opportunities are
Sundays, May 20, June 17 and July 15,
12:30–3:00 p.m. in Room 101 of the
Fellowship Hall.
Quivira Campus: 2nd Sunday of each
month. The next opportunities are
Sundays, June 10 and July 8, 12:15–3:00
p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Men’s Ministry
colonialkc.org/men
Men’s Golf Tournament: Saturday, June
2, at Swope Memorial. For details visit
the Men’s Ministry webpage.
11
2012 Men of Colonial Colorado
Mountain Adventure: July 28–August 1
in Leadville, Colorado. For registration
contact Dale Bain at drbain.ks@gmail.
com or 913.642.5507.
They are holding their Inaugural
Outpacing Melanoma 5K Run/Walk
event and Dot to Dot Kid Trot (10yrs.
and younger) on Sunday, May 20 at
Corporate Woods in Overland Park.
The event is being held in May to
coincide with the American Cancer
Society’s National Melanoma/Skin
Cancer Detection and Prevention
Awareness month.
Pastor Jim West will be on hand at the
event to give the invocation, as well as to
sing the National Anthem prior to the
8:00 a.m. start time.
For details and volunteer information,
visit outpacingmelanoma.org.
Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Outpacing Melanoma – Every Step of the
Way is a not-for-profit organization
dedicated to fund research and increase
public awareness in the local community,
while honoring Richard’s memory.
colonialkc.org/membership
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
9500 Wornall Road
Kansas City, Missouri, 64114
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT ORG.
AUTO
U.S. PERMIT PAID
PERMIT NO. 4565
KANSAS CITY, MO
Pastor’s Corner
Dear Colonial Family,
Our theme for this edition of Connections is Growing Season because GROWING is at the very
heart of what it means to be alive, both physically and spiritually.
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As a man who is now entering into mid-life, I am becoming aware of several realities that I may
have not noticed (or did not want to notice) in the past. First, I’m learning that at some point
(which I’ve now come to), if we’re not growing our muscles, they go away! As a younger man, the
development of my body seemed to happen naturally. I never gave much thought to “losing”
muscle tone or to the fact that my body is “dying.” As I’m about to turn 42 years old, I’m suddenly
Lead Pastor, Jim West
discovering that my body’s inclination is to expand in all the places I want to shrink and to shrink
in all the places I want to grow. What makes matters worse is that I’m so darn busy…busy with my work; busy with my
kids; busy volunteering; busy with my hobbies; busy with maintaining my home and yard…busy. Here’s the sad truth of
mid-life: busy-ness does not contribute to growth…it contributes to death. The busier I get, the more my body seems to
suffer. The more my body suffers, the less energy I have to accomplish all of my busy-ness and the more at risk I am of
simply dying due to neglect of my heart and other essential systems that keep me alive and prospering. As much as I hate
to admit it, some of my busy-ness must go if I am going to physically grow, not die. Energy will need to be devoted to
strengthening exercises in order for me to grow stronger and gain more energy.
Our spirits are also alive, which means they are growing or they are dying. The same principles apply: busy-ness leads to
death, not life. Energy must be devoted to spiritual exercise in order for the spiritual muscles to grow and gain more
spiritual energy. What are you doing to grow spiritually? We have learned from the REVEAL Spiritual Life studies that
people tend to grow spiritually from four primary practices: 1) personal study of the Bible; 2) understanding core,
Christian doctrine; 3) developing deep, accountable Christian relationships; and 4) serving (especially the poor) in the
name of Jesus Christ. Which, if any, of those four practices is a part of your regular life and routine? If you were to get a
“spiritual check up,” what would the results look like?
COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Here’s my challenge to each of us: take an honest look in the spiritual mirror, and simply acknowledge where you are…
you’re either growing, or you’re dying. Then, ask yourself: What is my next step? What is the next thing I should do in
order to ensure that I am growing spiritually? As you look through the Connections, you’ll find opportunity after
opportunity to take a next step towards spiritual growth and health. If you don’t see an obvious next step, set an
appointment with any of our pastors and let us help you find the path for moving forward on your journey of discipleship.
Take your next step…and remember: when we take one step towards the Father, He sprints to us!
Peace be with you,
Contact Pastor West
Pastor Jim
9500 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114
816.501.3064 jwest@colonialkc.org
Join us for worship on Sunday! · Wornall Campus 9:15 · 11:00 · Quivira Campus 8:00 · 9:15 · 11:00