Downtown Updates Blog
Pictured here is the Williams Family
Over the past 33 years, we have seen God at work through the generations. The investments of those who came before us planted seeds that have grown and flourished. Now, it’s our turn to make bold commitments and invest in current and future generations.
Adam Hamilton, Senior Pastor
Downtown
Dear Friends,
This is such an exciting time in the life of our church! It has been amazing to see the buildings full of small groups, children’s ministry, and our first weekly student ministry programming on Wednesday evenings!
As we celebrate the ways God is at work transforming lives in our church and community, we can only imagine what God has in store for the future. Resurrection Downtown is just getting started, and we are poised to impact a growing downtown landscape! As we expand our youth and children’s ministries while always making space for more individuals to join us at worship on Sunday morning, our impact will multiply as future generations catch a glimpse of how beautiful life can be when we follow Christ.
This brochure outlines our plans and dreams for the future and what we believe will be needed to reach current and future generations. Accomplishing our goals will require sacrificial giving from every person in the church. My husband Eric and I have been praying about this gift for some time, and this will be the largest contribution we have ever made. It has required putting off some things and re-ordering some of our priorities. But when we think of what God has done for us, and the ministry and mission of this church, we are grateful to have a small part in investing in God’s work through future generations.
Please take a look at the dreams and plans outlined in this brochure. Join me in praying for God’s direction as we move forward and for discerning our personal commitments and support.
Rev. Anne Williams
Location Pastor, Resurrection Downtown
The Plan
Building an additional ~3500sq ft at our Grand location will enable us to address the needs of our limited classroom spaces that are already at capacity while being at the forefront of the anticipated population boom in Kansas City.
This campaign and its components are designed to ensure a place for all generations by addressing debt and adding essential facility space to welcome new people, build Christian community, and be a part of God’s work in changing lives and transforming the world.
Click here to hear more from Pastor Anne regarding the specific plans for Resurrection Downtown.
Reaching Every Generation
We want our spaces to offer radical hospitality with a focus on creating more spaces for children, students and adults. These plans include a flexible multipurpose room and additional upstairs classrooms for community and fellowship. And we will address our debt to help us prepare for our future.
The renovations to our upper level will create three additional classrooms that can be used for our growing children’s ministry on the weekend, yet flexible enough to provide spaces for students and adults to meet for small groups and community groups.
We envision our new narthex to be a vibrant place for welcome and connection so that all people may experience the extraordinary community of Resurrection Downtown and know they belong here.
The lower-level upgrades would include a large multi-purpose room. This functional space can be used for large group teaching, mission outpost, fellowship, an overflow worship space and more, multiplying our impact with future generations.
Resurrection History
In 1990, a group of visionaries shared a dream that they could build a Christian community where non-religious and nominally religious people of all ages would become deeply committed Christians. Launching Resurrection in a funeral home, they laid a foundation for generations to come. They had no idea the number of lives that would be transformed or the impact the church would have on the community, but they trusted God and dreamed big.
Resurrection has always been about people whose lives can be transformed when they follow Jesus, and who in turn can change the world. But, as we’ve grown and expanded, we’ve recognized that facilities and resources are important tools for ministry. Today, as a thriving church with six physical locations and a growing online presence, we are committed to ensuring that our buildings and programs continue to welcome and care for our community – from those yet to be born, to teens and young adults, to our oldest adults.
Resurrection Downtown Story
Launch
In November 2009, Resurrection Downtown launched as the church’s third physical location to be the living presence of Christ in the heart of Kansas City. Our congregation grew and grew, outgrowing our ability to use temporary space for worship and community. So, this bold congregation sacrificed to purchase our first building at 16th and McGee, renovating a bar into a sacred place for worship.
Transform the Heart of the City
By 2016, 1,000+ people were joining us in worship, including many families with children. Again, we were running out of space. Our diverse, growing congregation responded to God’s call to “Transform the Heart of the City.” God was moving, and this city block became the site of our new home, the first church built in downtown Kansas City in 80 years. A new sanctuary, nurseries, and children’s classrooms gave us space to grow and build community.
Paving the way
In the Paving the Way Campaign, we had the opportunity to secure our future more fully by completing the purchase of the entire parking lot where our sanctuary is located. Every act of sacrifice enabled us to not only reach more people, but also further our presence in the life of the city through missions, outreach, and community building.
Expanding Ministry
Despite coming out of the pandemic, 2022 was a transformative year for Resurrection Downtown. We launched our student ministries program and have seen continued growth. We welcomed more and more families with children into the nurseries and kids programming. We partnered with local mission agencies on projects to extend love to our neighbors, including a huge initiative helping to resettle refugees in Kansas City. Resurrection Downtown remains outwardly focused and strives to serve and welcome non and nominally religious people into our unique and diverse community.
Sifa Mubyeyi
My three sons and I came to the United States in 2021 from a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At Resurrection, my kids have
learned that with God all things are possible
and student ministry has taught my son how to
navigate the road of life and find his way through
a relationship with Christ.
Pay Down Debt and Expand Ministry
One of the goals of this campaign is to pay down some of our debt from previous building projects. A portion of our annual ministry budget goes to debt service. By reducing this debt and the associated interest, more funds will be directly available for programing, missions, and outreach.
A Vision for 2030
In 2019 our congregation helped shape, and then approved, a set of visions for the year 2030. Creating the right tools for ministry with new and remodeled spaces and reducing our debt will allow us to more effectively live into these visions:
- Closing the Spiritual Gap by helping our congregation and community grow in their faith
- Closing the Generational Gap by reaching future generations for Christ
- Closing the Kindness and Justice Gap by helping our city and world look more like the Kingdom of God
- Closing the Opportunity Gap through efforts focused on education with an emphasis on PreK education and by addressing poverty
Together We Can Ensure a Vital Ministry for Resurrection Downtown for Generations to Come
Campaign Need $4 Million
We can clearly see how God has used our sacrificial gifts to help Resurrection Downtown establish itself as a beacon of light in the community. Our leaders have prayerfully considered this campaign with faith in the future of our church, knowing that the size of our congregation and the size of our ministry budget pave the way for us to meet this realistic need of $4.0 million. But it will take sacrifice and it will take everyone’s help and participation.
How will we get there?
Capital campaigns are an investment in the future, and the legacy we leave behind. Over the next few months, you are invited to consider the goals of the campaign, the ministry impact of the buildings and paying off debt, and then pray, inviting God to guide you to consider a sacrificial gift that can be given over a period of three years, a gift over and above your annual giving to our church.
Generation to Generation is a time of spiritual growth – for our church and for each of us individually. You have the opportunity to be part of something that will have a tremendous impact on the mission and ministry of the church. We need your commitment as we continue this incredible journey of transforming lives, renewing churches and changing the world. We hope you will join us in praying about making a sacrificial gift to ensure our congregation has a vital future caring for all our generations.
David Wilson
When I tell people about Resurrection Downtown, I tell them that no matter where you come from, you will be welcomed and treated the same as everybody else. We want everybody that other churches would turn away, and it’s done out of love. God doesn’t say help when it’s at your convenience.
God says help all.
Campaign Timeline & Next Steps
Two Commitments. One Purpose.
Annual Ministry Fund
Your commitment to the Annual Ministry Fund makes possible all the mission and ministry at Resurrection. Your generosity and commitment to join us in closing the gap between where the world is and where it could be is the lifeblood of the church.
Generation to Generation
This capital campaign commitment, over and above your regular offering, will make possible creating and improving facilities to help us in passing on the faith from generation to generation.
Begin with prayer.
Pray for this campaign, specifically that God will give our leaders wisdom and touch the hearts of our congregation.
Pray for personal discernment as you consider how God is calling you to invest in a church for generations today and tomorrow.
Pray this simple prayer daily:
God, you have called us to tell coming generations of your glorious deeds. Grant us vision to know the plans you have for your church, and give us the conviction, courage and boldness to pursue them. Amen.
Determine your commitment.
The success of the campaign will require a commitment from us all to complete the building designs and achieve our goals. A sacrificial gift is an opportunity to take a bold step in your spiritual journey, make a sacrificial gift to invest in God’s work, and experience the joy of knowing that you will be sharing Jesus with current and future generations.
Resources
Give as a Family
Family Resources
Parents, this is an opportunity to discuss giving with your children. Our children’s ministry team has designed activities and a Talk & Tunes resource with these conversations in mind. Share with your children how you make giving decisions. Talk about the difference you want to make, and work as a family to find other ways to make an impact. Download printable versions of these resources by clicking the buttons below.
Qualified Charitable Distribution Information
If you have an IRA, consider contributing through a Qualified Charitable Distribution. A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from an IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity like Resurrection. These gifts expand the impact of your giving, because instead of paying taxes on the money, every dollar goes directly to mission and ministry. Seek advice from a financial advisor to determine the best way to maximize this opportunity. For more information visit cor.org/waystogive or click the button below.
Giving Online
Setting up a recurring gift at Resurrection is a convenient and secure way to manage your giving. Use this link for easy-to-use steps. As you set up your gifts, be sure to read carefully as you enter your giving amount and frequency.
Spiritual Discernment Resources
Begin with Prayer
Spiritual Discernment Guide
Our sacrificial gifts to the church, above and beyond our annual ministry fund gift or tithe, over the next three years towards the Generation to Generation capital campaign will provide resources that will impact thousands and thousands of lives for generations to come. Making a sacrificial gift is something that requires prayerful discernment, and it will take each of us to make the goals of this campaign a reality. As you embark on this spiritual journey, this devotional is designed to help you prayerfully seek God’s calling as you consider what He is asking you to sacrifice to be a part of ensuring spaces for all generations at Resurrection, today and into the future.
GPS Videos
Frequently Asked Questions
The McGee building is an amazing ministry tool. It is a unique, beautiful, and historic building which was purchased with incredible generosity. This space hosts weddings, all our staff offices and pastoral appointments, Wednesday evening student ministry, Thursday night weekly recovery meetings, houses our COR Worship Collective studio where much of our original worship music is produced. We look forward to continuing our ministries there.
The parking lot at the 16th block of Grand is a huge asset. We currently have rental agreements in place with neighboring businesses during designated weekday times. Weddings parties at neighboring venues often rent parking for their events and we sell parking for large events at local venues. Priority is always given to ministry needs. Only 3-5 parking spaces are lost with this building addition. Our north gated entry into the parking lot will move from 16th Street to McGee Street.
Resurrection Downtown continues to be a hub of outreach and generosity to our ministry partners and partner schools. We will continue expanding our reach through volunteerism, grants, relationship development, prayer, and collaboration. Our facilities provide a low-cost venue for meetings, celebrations, and events for our amazing ministry partners (such as Shelter KC, Project Eagle, Wendell Phillips at Attucks, and Rose Brooks Center) which we will continue as well.
Our construction manager will guide this process, but we anticipate the construction will take place without disrupting our current programming.
