As both the UCA and our Midwest Region ministries grow, so have the annual regional conferences and retreats. Men and women from Dallas, Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City and St. Louis converge on Morning Star Ranch Camp and Retreat Center (MSR) in Kansas for a weekend of teaching, worship and

friendship. These retreats have grown to the point that four weekends are needed, including separate weekends for English and Spanish-speaking men and women. The English-speaking weekends were still filled to capacity! Soon there will be a need for additional retreats.

When retreats and conferences are filled to capacity, MSR leans heavily on faithful volunteers who give their

time and resources to partner with World Impact for the weekend. With a small staff of five caring for 560 acres, these tasks could be overwhelming. Through partnerships with churches all over the surrounding Wichita area, MSR is improving with each retreat!

The UCA, retreats and conferences are more than just networking events. A prominent banner hangs at the Topeka Rescue Mission that reads “You don’t have to always be what you’ve always been.” The testimonies shared during these weekends are full of pain, abuse, neglect and countless poor choices. But, there is always hope, peace, refreshment and encouragement found in the fact that all are redeemed by a loving Savior and are empowered to live a life that glorifies Him!

We are able to host these retreats because of your generous donations to the Men’s and Women’s Retreat Fund. Thank you for making these powerful weekends possible. •

Coming togetherIn the past five years, there has been a great increase in the number of ministry relationships developed throughout our Midwest Region. Friendships with churches and like-minded ministries are a great starting point for sharing knowledge and resources. The Urban Church Association (UCA) is a strategic way we bring these relationships together. In Wichita, the UCA has local oversight. The number of involved churches is consistently growing and it is now the Wichita Fortified Urban Church Association. Pastors and leaders from various sizes and types of churches and ministries come to be a part of something bigger, to link arms with each other for encouragement, prayer, and the sharing of ideas and resources.

Churches and ministries come

to be a part of something

bigger.

Friends and sisters in Christ at a retreat in April.

In West Oakland when the red and blue lights fill the darkness, the neighborhood begins to gather, and the yellow tape is unrolled, where is the Church? When tensions are high and the police are working a scene, where is the Church? With all the conflict and incidents in the past, how can the Church begin to bridge the gap between the community and the police?

Bay Community Fellowship stands in the gap between mistrust and safety. Over the past year, a partnership has formed between the Oakland Police Department and several churches in the neighborhood. This unique partnership on Campbell Street brought the neighborhood together for a community block party.

Police officers, community members, and churchgoers filled the streets. Music played, kids jumped in a bounce house and there was even a competitive basketball game between the police and community residents. Along with the fun, there were conversations – the police officers shook hands and learned the names of neighbors; these interactions helped develop trust and respect.

The block party also served to bolster trust in practical ways. A break in the recent shooting of a young mother of three came because of residents stepped up despite the usual code of silence.

“We really were successful in that case because of the cooperation of the community. You only get that when you have a good relationship with the community,” said Oakland PD Chief of Police Sean Whent.

Working together, the Oakland PD and local churches hope to bring these block parties to numerous neighborhoods across the city. Missional partnerships like this bring true community transformation. •

Police officers and children from the community play a game a basketball.

block party builds partnership and trust

Community members enjoy a meal together.

firm foundationWritten by Matt Thomas

When I was only eight years old, I was arrested for the first time. By the age of thirteen, I had a mean drug addiction to the point that I stole from my own home to pay for my habit. I dropped out of high school and was sent to a boarding school where I first learned about Jesus. He intrigued me, but at that

time in my life, it was all head knowledge and my heart was not ready to receive His mercy and forgiveness. As soon as I left the boarding school I went back to partying and my drug habit got increasingly worse.

In 2006, I landed myself in prison and that is where God dealt with me. I found the love of my Savior.

I am so passionate about partnering with World Impact through my ministry, Firm Foundations, because I strongly believe that men and women with stories similar to mine can be the ones to lead revival in the city. They will reach out into urban communities because they have the clout and power to lead their neighbors.

Firm Foundations is a non-profit home for men and women in their transition from a life behind bars to life on the outside. We currently have two homes for men in Wichita, KS, but are excited about the possibility of expanding our homes to accommodate women as well. In the homes, a strong leader lives with the men to demonstrate life skills and to encourage them in their relationship with the Lord. Our goal at Firm Foundations is to raise up men and women who will be leaders and charge the front lines to bring these men and women back from hell.

I am taking The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) classes through World Impact so that I have the knowledge I need to share with these guys. I am so thankful to partner with like-minded believers that walk alongside me in this mission. They are a part of our family. My wife Christina attended her first-ever women’s retreat this spring at MSR Camp and Retreat Center. The theme of the retreat was Sisterhood: Standing Strong Together. She came home excited about the relationships she built, especially with another wife and mother whose husband is currently in prison but is taking TUMI classes and plans to partner with World Impact upon his release. With World Impact, I was able to preach during a service held in his prison and have met him. Our friendship has already begun!

God redeemed a life that I tried to destroy–my own–and has empowered me to share that with others! •

partnership ProfileFor fifteen years, Pastor Tommy Kyllonen of Crossover Church in Tampa, FL, has hosted Flavor Fest, the premiere event for the Christian Hip-Hop Community. The goal has always been to equip pastors, church planters, youth pastors, youth workers, church leaders, and artists to better reach this culture with the gospel. As demographics become more multi-ethnic and more urban, there is a huge need for church planting in the urban context. Flavor Fest gathers urban church leaders and future leaders to train them to meet this need.

Developing Missional Partnerships is one of our four focus areas. Being a partner in this conference allowed us to provide speakers, trainers and host a booth. Crossover Church understands that the urban centers of the U.S. cannot be transformed without collaboration. This is why we are working together to transform communities.

Matt Thomas with Daren and Tina Busenitz

Efrem Smith and Tommy Kyllonen

from Efrem Smith to youDear Partners in Ministry,

There are many complex challenges when attempting the ministry work of evangelism among the unreached urban poor, raising up indigenous leaders in under-resourced communities and demonstrating the compassion and justice of Christ in a broken world. No single church or urban missions organization can face these challenges alone. Even with over 40 years of direct urban ministry experience, the transforming fruit we have experienced at World Impact is because of Missional Partnerships. Urban Church Associations, Church Planting, TUMI and leadership development with at-risk children and youth all take place because of partnerships rooted in financial generosity, volunteerism and prayer. Our partners range from families to churches, denominations and other missions organizations domestically and globally.

Recently, we have seen opportunities to deepen our relationships with both supporting churches and urban churches in the communities where we’ve been involved. Some of the supporting churches that have provided financially for our missionary staff and ministry initiatives are now looking to us to advise them on global missionary efforts. The world is becoming more multi-cultural and metropolitan but struggles with a widening gap between the wealthy and the poor. Supporting churches see our resources and ministry experience as helpful to their approach to missions. Through the UCA we are able to work collaboratively with new, indigenous church planters and established urban churches. We don’t desire to be seen as a competitor to the local urban church but to work together for greater Kingdom advancement.

I know this is probably an obvious statement: transforming communities doesn’t happen when ministries work in isolation. We desire to facilitate urban church-planting movements and be a Kingdom broker of missional partnerships, which lead to lost people being found, hurting people being helped and indigenous leaders being raised up. We sincerely thank you for your partnership and for making all of this possible.

Transforming communities together,

Efrem with Oakland ministry partners.

Thank youYour support and prayers

make our partnerships possible! The money you give to our

partnership funds will support community transformation, men’s and women’s retreats,

UCA’s across the country, and unique urban collaborations.

worldimpact.org | P: 323.735.1137 | F: 323. 735.25762001 S. Vermont Ave | Los Angeles, CA 90007 | wiinfo@worldimpact.orgin Canada: Box 12085 | Murrayville RPO | Langley, BC V2Y0M6