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Powerful Time of Prayer at the KCUYC
Shared by Chuck Sailors (KCUYC CEO)
I’ve never seen a time of prayer quite so powerful. The hand of God is at work at the KC Urban Youth Center…and yet, I am amazed at how frequently it takes me by surprise. Take for example a recent Friday night in November. The evening was particularly loud and chaotic; arguments abounded, and the students seemed particularly cranky. When it was time to begin our worship service, staff began to explain to the large gathering of students, volunteers and parents that we were going to try a new kind of “community prayer.” As they offered instructions to the unruly group, I found myself thinking, “There is no WAY this is going to work!”
Instead of worrying, I should have been preparing to worship! For 30 minutes, I listened to one student after another offer a prayer request out loud to God—sometimes two or three. Each one closed his/her prayer with “Lord, this is MY prayer;” and each time, our community responded in unison, “Lord, hear OUR prayer.” The understanding that hope was being realized through prayer in our community was not the only thing that impacted my heart; I was moved to tears by the urgency behind each student’s cry: prayers for an aunt with cancer; a mom in ICU; several family’s finances; struggling friends, dads, grandparents; a family in crisis as parents were separating…our community’s needs were all named, one by one, and each one’s prayer was shared by everyone. What I had thought might turn out to be a time of chaos suddenly served as a window of the Center’s greatest victory—the KCUYC truly has become a community—a family—where students, staff, volunteers and parents can cry out together to God, our Creator, as ONE. We are hopeful together as a unique community of God where we care well for each other.
We closed the night by singing together “I need you to survive,” a song by Kirk Franklin that our Gospel Choir frequently sings in local churches. Some of the words are: “I need you…You need me…We’re all a part of God’s body. You are important to me; I need you to survive!” These lyrics have become more than just words to our young family…it is the way we endeavor to live our lives together. And this night in particular, as we sang, we held each other’s hands, wiped away tears and ultimately, cared for each other in a very real, tangible way. I left renewed, challenged and hopeful.
Your prayers, encouragement, and offerings of financial support are a part of this unique community known as the KC Urban Youth Center. You are partners with us on this journey and we truly do need you to survive. As 2007 comes to a close, we are celebrating a year in which our ministry has been uniquely blessed by God. Now more than ever before, we are ministering to our students and their families holistically; and in turn, they are doing the same to us and others in our neighborhood. You are a part of this and we are grateful.
As we look to 2008, we are very excited about the potential that lies ahead: we hope to finish the warehouse next to our current space and hold program in it early next year. In addition, there is potential to replicate our ministry in another apartment complex nearby. God is leading and we are following as he makes the path clear.
At the same time, though, there are many challenges that accompany these opportunities. Your prayers AND financial support are needed in order for us to meet these challenges and take advantage of the opportunities God is blessing us with. Would you take a moment now and send a year-end tax-deductible gift to the KC Urban Youth Center? You can give now or mail a gift to the KCUYC at P. O. Box 280414, Kansas City, MO 64128 (download and print a response card to mail with your gift).
Your continued support will enable to us to continue to strengthen the relationships we are building with students, and in turn, help us minister to them and with them. Please consider sending in your best gift today and continuing your partnership with the ministry of the KC Urban Youth Center.