I’ve been wrestling with my theology in the last several years. When I was eight years old I prayed to Jesus to ask him to forgive me of my sins, and receive him as my Lord and Savior. I’ve shared this good news with dozens of people over the years. What I’m trying to say is that the gospel message was pretty simple for me. My objective was to tell people about Jesus so that they could pray to him and go to heaven someday. There is so much more.
This email from one of our ministry partners in Kansas City reminds me that all Christians should serve to make a positive impact on our city and society. I don’t imagine we’ll make a heaven hear on earth, but I believe we should live as if it were possible.
From: Jake Latta [mailto:jakel@hopecenterkc.org]
Subject: Hope Center tragedyI wanted to let our Church Partners know of a horrific tragedy that occurred in our neighborhood this weekend and ask for your prayers and support during this difficult time.
2 of our best kids at The Hope Center , both age 16, lost their father this weekend to a senseless shooting in front of his own house. We don’t know many details and what the investigation will uncover but we do know that Ron Whitley was a great man, a devoted dad, who survived a really tough family background to carve out a decent living for he and his kids. He was a law abiding citizen as far as we observed. One way you can help is to not let him be seen as just another statistic from the inner city. He was a real person with good traits who didn’t deserve to die. This has become the norm in this community and we refuse to accept this.
My hope after being in this community now for 2 years is that we as a city come to a place where we won’t tolerate neighborhoods living in this level of abandonment, decay, and hopelessness, but until we get to there these acts will continue. Transformation will occur when the entire city decides to not accept this.
With God’s help, people like you and teaming with The Hope Center we ALL can and will transform this community. We move forward with increasing our safety initiative, opening the clinic, a strong youth ministry, neighborhood church, charter school and eventually housing. I look forward to the day when incidents like these are in the distant past.
Please pray for the family, that the police find the killer and please pray for us and the other THC volunteers who have relocated in- for safety, emotional health, and that God would use us to be a light in a forgotten neighborhood. Pray the same for the THC staff.
–
Jake Latta
Chief Operating Officer
HOPE CENTER
816-931-6290 x 104
jakel@hopecenterkc.org
