Serving Outside the Church
We exist to be a people fully alive in God’s Kingdom … and we long to share that life with those living around us.
The first disciples were sent out to witness in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Likewise, we are sent out to our neighborhoods, city, and world, striving to share God’s blessings with others.
Take a look below for a snippet of how we live this out with our various partners.
Cross-Lines Community Outreach
The mission of Cross-Lines is to provide those affected by poverty in the Kansas City area with services and opportunities that encourage self-confidence, meet the needs of today, and provide tools for future self-sufficiency.
We have a team who serves on the first Wednesday of every month from 2-4pm, packaging boxes of shelf-stable food that will later be delivered to low-income seniors throughout the city.
House of Hope
House of Hope offers a residential program of healing for teenagers (age 13-17) as well as an outpatient Family Counseling Center; their aim is to guide in the healing process for teens, while also helping pave the way toward restoration of their family relationships.
Christ Church is involved in various ways, but the most common ways to serve are by leading after-school activities, tutoring, or mentoring. Contact Ryder Mills, rydermills.cca@gmail.com, to get involved.
Iglesia de Cristo Anglican Church
Originally started by the Rev. Gene Flanery in 2011,as La Misión de San Lucas, this church was created to serve the 40,000 Latinos residing in Wyandotte County. In 2023, Rev. Jose Zurita became the pastor of this bilingual church and continues the ministry under the name Iglesia de Cristo Anglican Church.
One of their key ministry focuses is teaching English – the most essential need for virtually all immigrants. Volunteers are needed to help as conversation partners; speaking Spanish is not a requirement to help!
LAMB Institute
The LAMB Institute is a Christ-centered, multifaceted ministry based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
They seek to share the hope found in Christ Jesus as they care for, educate, protect, and empower those suffering extreme poverty, abuse, and exploitation in Honduras.
Christ Church is proud to partner with the LAMB Institute, sending teams each October to engage in their various ministries, including a daycare/school, an outreach to troubled youth, and a safe house/anti-trafficking program.
2024 Adult Trip: October 12-19
Neighborhood Schools
We’ve formed partnerships with two of our neighbor elementary schools: John Diemer Elementary and Rushton Elementary. Throughout the year we help in their lunch rooms, serve as mentors/tutors, bring treats for their teachers, and even run an after school program!
Red Cross Blood Drives
During the height of the pandemic we started hosting blood drives with the American Red Cross as a way to respond to the urgent need for blood in our community and to simply give people a relatively safe outlet to serve others during such a unique time in our history. These drives continue to be a great way to bless our city and literally save lives! You can serve at a blood drive by welcoming and checking in donors, preparing treats for the Red Cross staff, or by donating blood.
We host blood drives at each of our congregations – Overland Park & Mission. You can sign up to donate blood HERE.
Uganda
Uganda is a place that is near and dear to many hearts at Christ Church.
Our relationship stretches back a few decades and involves many long-lasting relationships with dear friends and ministries. Various teams from Christ Church have served all throughout the country leading retreats, ministering to orphans, training clergy, and even building a house and church for those living in the north.
Today, our focus is on mission trips, child sponsorship, and supporting our two missionaries.
You can learn more below:
Northern Uganda
Under the direction of our friend, Bishop Godfrey Loum from the Diocese of Northern Uganda, Christ Church has established a partnership with St. Francis Chapel in Kampala, Uganda. Through this partnership we have helped send worship, youth, and drama ministry teams from Kampala to Northern Uganda as a way to bless those affected by decades-long civil war in Uganda..
Teams have also helped run men’s and women’s encounter retreats focused on healing and forgiveness. Our Ugandan partners travel north a few times a year and a team from Christ Church usually joins them in late July/early August.
If you are interested in joining a team going to Northern Uganda, let us know!
Compassion International
Compassion International exists as an advocate for children around the world – to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsibl
e and fulfilled Christian adults – focusing on holistic child development through sponsorship.
Christ Church started a partnership with Compassion International in 2015. Since that time, we have encouraged folks to sponsor children in and around Gulu, Uganda where we are also engaged through our Northern Uganda Partnership.
To learn more about how you can sponsor a child, visit www.compassion.com or contact Ryder Mills at rydermills.cca@gmail.com.
Dr. Alison Barfoot
Dr. Alison Barfoot acts as the Assistant to the Archbishop for International Relations in the Church of Uganda. Alison is a former co-rector of Christ Church and now assists the Ugandan Archbishop in all international communication and ministry partnerships.
As if that weren’t a big enough job, she also has her own ministry called Global Mobilization Ministries where she focuses on mobilizing Africans to reach a remote part of Kenya for Christ.
If you would like to join Alison’s prayer team or learn about how you can support her ministry, contact our church office.
Dr. Katie Rhoads
Dr. Katie Rhoads is a medical missionary living and serving in Northern Uganda and Sudan. A long-time member of Christ Church, Katie sensed God calling her to sell her successful surgical practice and move to Uganda.
Since that time she has been working to bring medical supplies – in addition to physical and spiritual care – to the region. Katie’s primary focus is to equip and send Ugandan medical students on mission in their home region of Gulu and across the border to Sudan.
If you would like to join Katie’s prayer team or learn about how you can support her ministry, contact our church office.