In 1990, Kearney Evangelical Free Church made the bold step to purchase 16 acres of land off 7th Avenue and 39th Street for $239,000. Adrian Boykin Senior Pastor We ve since completed three building phases, along with a parking lot addition and construction of a beautiful kitchen. In total, our church has invested nearly $13,000,000 in this glorious property and the ministries that flow from it. Now, in our 28th year at this location, Kearney efree has grown to over 1500 weekly attendees in four Sunday morning services. We re primed to retire debt, while investing in new overseas ministries and our own spiritual depth, all for the glory of God. Over the past year, the strategic planning team, elder board, pastors, and various leadership teams, have been envisioning and praying about our future ministry together. As a church family, we ve been blessed to be a blessing! And so we are praying, investing, and building into our families, our neighborhoods, our world, and our very selves. To God be all praise as we journey together!
HISTORY OF KEARNEY E-FREE CHURCH 1910 1932 1967 Swedish Mission Church is built (current location of KFC) 1990 1991+ Officially named Kearney Evangelical Free Church Moved across from Harmon Park (current Countryside Christian Church) Broke ground on 7th Ave & 39th Street, site of current location E-Free Church grows with three building phases So what s next? This is a God-sized vision for our preferred future together. To get there, we will need to raise approximately $1.65 million to: retire current building debt, build a 24/7 prayer room adjacent to the sanctuary, renovate the Quad and Middle School room into a larger, multi-purpose space, and fund a church plant in Magangue, Colombia. Remaining Building Debt: $1,095,000 Multi-Purpose Space: $375,000 24/7 Prayer Room: $100,000 Magangue Church Plant: $80,000 --------------------------- $1.65 million
OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES We ve identified five strategic initiatives for our preferred future that will move us from where we are today, to a place of greater spiritual depth and ministry effectiveness by the year 2022. 1. From Spiritual Busyness to Spiritual Depth We desire to become more dependent on prayer, more tuned in to the Holy Spirit. Church is not about a hamster wheel of busyness. It s about facilitating a life-giving, transformational relationship with Christ that informs all we say and do. We will grow together through three simple environments: Gospel-centered Sunday morning worship, nurturing Life Group communities, and mission inside or outside the church. It s really that simple. In the fall of 2017, we began to move toward Spiritual Depth by aligning all ministries with our DNA, reinforcing efree s discipleship pathway, and preaching toward life-giving spiritual disciplines and an understanding of our spiritual giftedness. 2. From Sunday to Everyday Building on goal one, we will move from observation to engagement in the Kingdom of God--every day. Church is so much more than Sunday morning. Seeking to create friendships, supporting schools and blessing our neighbors--meeting them right where they are as well as inviting them to church. We will do good deeds, create good will, and speak good news because Every Person Matters. Following the example of the Good Samaritan, we desire to become the best church for our community, and the best neighbors our neighbors have ever had. For some, this might mean throwing a block party for the neighborhood. For others, it will be ongoing investment in the International Friendship Program, HelpCare Clinic, or Storehouse. For all, it will mean bringing Sunday into Monday.
3. From Church Dependent to Equipped to Lead Parents are the primary faith trainers of their kids. Husbands and wives are responsible for health in their own marriages. As such, Kearney efree will equip moms and dads to disciple their kids throughout the year. By the fall of 2018, Next Generation Ministries will develop age-specific faith training goals for efree Kids and Student Ministries, as well as recommended resources for faith-training at home. We will equip adults to fight the current wave of divorce throughout our communities, and to pursue God s absolute best before, during, and even after marriage. 4. From Lost in a Crowd to Known in Community To reach even more people with the transformational message of Christ, we actually need to get smaller. Seekers and Christians alike long for the well-run ministries that a large church can provide, combined with the intimacy of genuine community. We will achieve this by becoming a church of LifeGroups during the week, and gathering together in dynamic large and small worship spaces on the weekends. Over the past few years, LifeGroups have played a large role in our church community. With over 60% of efree weekly attendees now in a LifeGroup, we are living out our value, Community is the context for life change! 5. From Kearney to The World The Kearney efree Global Outreach team has been seeking God for the past two years, praying for the right international missions effort for our future together. God has answered our prayers through a partnership with Compassion International. In November 2017, we took the first step toward a long-term partnership with Magangue, Colombia. In the summer of 2018, we sent our first short-term mission team to Magangue. In 2019, we ll fund and plant a church in this beautiful city, which is desperate for the gospel of Christ. In the years to come, we will continue to sponsor children, train pastors, assist with work projects, and serve the church in Magangue. This will be a church-wide effort that invites various levels of ongoing participation for all demographics. In the name of Jesus, we will ask God to help us be part of alleviating spiritual and economic poverty in Magangue for decades to come.
To achieve our vision, we believe these four things are needed: Retire Current Building Debt We do not believe there is anything wrong with borrowing money for specific projects and for a limited time. However, we do believe in modeling strong fiscal stewardship and retiring debt as quickly as possible. Retiring debt pushes energies and resources toward the past. Our current debt reduction is almost $200,000 each year. If giving would continue at the same level after the debt is retired, think of the many projects we might be able to fund for the Kingdom s future. It s the equivalent of the monies needed for two church plants in a third-world country alone each year! Build a 24/7 Prayer Room The target of spiritual depth is a vibrant personal relationship with God, built in large part through prayer. We desire to build a 24/7 prayer room for our church and the broader community adjacent to the efree sanctuary to be a beautiful environment to connect more deeply with our loving Savior. On Sunday mornings, this will be a warm, private space to respond to the Holy Spirit s whisper and connect in confidence with prayer partners. At any hour of day or night, it will be a refuge for individuals or small groups to help us be still and know that God is God. The proposed Prayer Room would be located on the south side of the sanctuary and would be available 24/7 for both church and community usage.
To see up-to-date drawings, renderings and videos, visit kearneyefree.com/fromheretothere Fund a Church Plant in Magangue, Colombia In November 2017 our church body sponsored and gave hope to 340 impoverished children in Magangue! In the summer of 2018 we sent our first short-term mission team to Magangue. In 2019 we ll fund and plant a church in this beautiful city, which is desperate for the gospel. In the years to come, we will continue to sponsor children, train pastors, assist with work projects, and serve the church in Magangue. This is a relatively accessible international community, open to the gospel, but largely unreached for Christ. Create a Multi-Purpose Space To accommodate our recent growth, The Venue was added in 2017 and has averaged 125 weekly attendees, and has also accommodated our bilingual service. By 2020 we anticipate the need for a third on-campus, multi-purpose worship space. In time, it will provide a unique acoustic worship service option for those who prefer worshipping in a more intimate space. By redesigning and combining the Quad and Middle School rooms, we will also provide our growing Middle and High School Ministries with a dedicated teaching space for up to 200 youth. The Multi-Purpose Space will be the new home for middle and high school youth ministries, as well as used for the bilingual ministry, and small weddings.
Your Role 1.) Pray for God s Provision First and foremost, we are inviting every attendee to pray for God s provision for this five-year plan and the proposed projects. 2.) Prioritize Giving We are inviting every regular attendee to give in a generous, even sacrificial way, according to your ability, to this short-term stewardship campaign. By God s grace, we ll eliminate debt and build for His Kingdom within a 24-month campaign. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 8:7 Since you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Pledge Cards are available at the Welcome Center and should be returned by Sunday, November 18. Online Giving options and more information are available at kearneyefree.com/fromheretothere. Questions? Contact Campaign Co-Chairs: Robert Moncrief robert.moncrief@kearneyhub.com Dave Chally dchally@barneyinsurance.net