infinity2023

A Summer To Remember

A Summer To Remember 

by Patrique Harris, Youth Ministry Director

Sold-out stadiums and concert venues across the United States for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour will certainly cement Summer 2023 as one for the history books. Yet, I posit that there was something even more special brewing in Wyandotte County this summer. Being the Youth Ministry Director at Mission Adelante, I am probably biased, but I witnessed something extraordinary in my neighborhood. I saw God establish a group of seven outstanding teenagers who used their gifts together to impact the lives of many in the Mission Adelante community!

At the end of May, shortly after wrapping up their school year, Lucy, Alana, Julissa, Adiella, Vanessa, Anisha, and Camilo joined the Mission Adelante staff as summer interns. Each of these teens has their natural specialties. Lucy is a thorough planner and musical by nature; Alana is practical and can command a team; Julissa brings humor and encouragement to teammates; Adiella is a mediator and enjoys being of service; Vanessa is creative and detail-oriented; Anisha is great at engaging others, especially children; Camilo is a dreamer and brings great enthusiasm. I liken the group to a machine, each intern being a distinct gear. Though different, all the gears ground together in a melodic rhythm to motor our ministry this summer.

One thing that caught my attention this summer is how other young people gravitated toward these interns. I almost always saw them with an entourage following them around. As such, I would impress upon our interns that they are true “influencers,” similar to Jesus. Their platform may not be quantifiable by five thousand mouths fed, overflowing stadiums with thousands of concertgoers, or millions of followers on Instagram and TikTok. Nonetheless, their very being still has sway and power! I believe God has entrusted our young people and these young leaders with Kingdom purpose. That said, it is unfortunate that many question their worthiness daily. Many youngsters are made to feel ineffectual, sometimes even by family, friends, educators, and other prominent people in their lives. So today, I encourage you to celebrate the gifts of our young people. Give them opportunities to use those gifts and assure them that though they may be young, they are mighty. Or, as we would say in Jamaica, “yuh likkle but yuh tallawah.”

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?
JOIN US TO VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION
SEPTEMBER 9TH

Join our team of volunteers for the summer trimester and be part of "loving people from all places." Attend our volunteer orientation on September 9th and find your place serving kids, youth, or adults in the immigrant community in KCK

For more information about volunteer opportunities visit www.missionadelante.org/serve

Be part of our programs!

 We are so excited to start our fall trimester and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to Observation Nights. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

Trusting the Lord It's Not Easy

My Adventure at Mission Adelante

by Luis Magana, Partner Engagement Director



Franklin Roosevelt once said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”.  The same is true of our faith. Recently my wife and I had a few unexpected curveballs and we’ve found life hard to juggle. As we’ve navigated the waves of the past few months, we have found our faith strengthened. It is in our weakness that God's strength shines through, carrying us through every difficulty. 

The past seven months on staff at Mission Adelante have been filled with excitement, discovery and learning to trust the Lord daily. Some days are filled with challenges, some with joy and some with a little of both. I've learned that whatever the day holds,  the Lord is trustworthy. 

As the Partner Engagement Director, one of my main responsibilities is to assist in fundraising for Mission Adelante. When we speak about fundraising, we speak of faith that God will provide. Throughout my life and in my time with Mission Adelante, I can say with all my heart that God has never failed to provide. He continues to do so even now, and I am truly honored to witness His abundant blessings unfold before us.

Throughout the Bible, we find stories of individuals and communities who placed their unwavering trust in the Lord, and He miraculously provided for them. From Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah to the widow at Zarephath, each narrative reminds us of the power of faith and the boundless blessings that follow.

Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths”

At Mission Adelante, we are currently in the midst of our summer campaign called "Infinity 2023." Our goal is to raise $60,000 in donations to support our Leadership Development programs, investing in the next generation of leaders and making an infinite impact  that ripples forward through time to infinity. While our fundraising goal is significant, to God, nothing is impossible. He has shown us countless times in the scriptures how He provides for those who trust in Him.

As part of our Infinity 2023 campaign, we are investing in our kids and youth, recognizing that it is one of the most crucial keys to bringing positive change in our community. We believe that we can empower them to become the leaders of tomorrow, transforming not only their lives but also the lives of the ones in our community.

I want to invite you to be part of God’s work at Mission Adelante, I am convinced that God is moving in here and he has something for us. Visit www.missionadelante.org/infinity2023 to make a donation and learn more about how you can get involved.

Trusting the Lord may not always be easy, but it has been the cornerstone of my journey of faith. Witnessing His faithfulness in providing fills me with hope and excitement for the future. 

Thank you for your support, prayers, and partnership. Together, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of many, one step of faith at a time. May God bless you abundantly as you join us on this adventure of trusting Him wholeheartedly!

Be part of our programs!

We are so excited for everything that is happening this year and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to our volunteer Orientation. For more information visit: https://www.missionadelante.org/orientation

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

Are you ready for Infinity 2023?

Are you ready for Infinity 2023?

by Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director

The “Infinity 2023” campaign is an opportunity to make an impact that ripples forward through time to infinity, by supporting leadership development at Mission Adelante.  Our campaign goal is to raise $60k for our Community Leader Fund by August 6th.  Would you join us on this journey?

For more information visit: https://www.missionadelante.org/infinity2023

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?
MISSION ADELANTE OBSERVATION NIGHTS ARE HERE : JULY 10 -13

Take a glimpse of what is going on at Mission Adelante and what we are doing in our different programs. This is a great opportunity to have the full experience of a Mission Adelante volunteer.

For more information visit: www.missionadelante.org/observe

Be part of our programs!

 We are so excited to start our summer programs and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to our Observation Nights. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

Summertime at Mission Adelante

Summertime at Mission Adelante

by Patrique Harris, Youth Ministry Director

From left to right: Lucy, Anisha, Camilo, Vanessa, Adiella, Julissa and Alana

Summertime at Mission Adelante is a blast! It is the time of year when we invite a special group of budding young leaders from our neighborhood to join our staff as summer interns. The internship is an intensive discipleship and leadership development experience that aims to help young people become passionate followers of Jesus and leaders in our community. This year, Lucy, Anisha, Camilo, Vanessa, Adiella, Julissa, and Alana have committed their summer to serving alongside us at Mission Adelante. Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to! 

An essential part of the internship is developing close relationships within the group early. What better way to do that than to spend a weekend away together! So, earlier this month, we traveled to Manhattan, Kansas for a weekend of fun and fellowship. Together we worshiped, laughed, played, exercised, made meals, explored the city, tried new sports, shared dreams, and even washed each others’ feet! I am always blown away by how quickly connections can build, regardless of age, gender, background, and even culture. God’s power is demonstrated in the way these interns moved from being acquaintances to friends in just one weekend!

Once we returned from a refreshing weekend away, it was time for the interns to get their hands dirty! The interns have taken on significant leadership responsibilities in Arts Community, Adelante Youth Club, and Kids Adelante under the tutelage of myself; Carla Flores, our Children’s Ministry Director; and Mikya Wright, a former summer intern herself and our new Ministry Apprentice! They are hanging out with kids, teaching Bible lessons, teaching creative classes, and even leading worship!

We have also spent time visiting and serving with other impactful ministries and nonprofits in our neighborhood. We literally got our hands dirty at the New Roots for Refugees’ Juniper Gardens Training Farm. New Roots for Refugees is a collaborative program between Catholic Charities and CultivateKC that provides farm training and market opportunities for refugee families that have settled in our neighborhood. Giving the Basics was also an eye-opening exposure trip for us. Giving the Basics distributes a host of hygiene necessities, often not covered by government assistance programs. We visited the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank (KC Fed) and toured the Money Museum with Daniel Nguyen, a volunteer in Mission Adelante’s Citizenship class. Daniel shared details about the history of U.S. currency and the importance of the KC Fed in managing the money supply of Kansas, Missouri and neighboring states. We learned a ton about upcycling at ScrapsKC, an organization that is focused on reducing waste in Kansas City with creative reuse while also supporting teachers and the unhoused community. We also paid a visit to our sister organization, Adelante Thrift. Adelante Thrift is located in our neighborhood on 38th St and State Ave and sells gently used clothing, furniture and more. Sales proceeds from the store cover around 25% of our expenses at Mission Adelante.  

This cohort of interns has already added a ton of value to our ministry. Please keep them in your prayers and feel free to send a note to their email (interns@missionadelante.org) with words of encouragement! If you feel moved to financially support our internship program and leadership development more broadly at Mission Adelante, consider giving to our summer fundraising campaign, Infinity 2023. Our goal is to raise $60k for the Community Leader Fund by August 6. Check this link for details www.missionadelante.org/infinity2023

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?
MISSION ADELANTE OBSERVATION NIGHTS ARE HERE
JULY 10 -13

Are you interested in taking the next step to volunteer? Take a glimpse of what is going on at Mission Adelante and what we are doing in our different programs.

This is a great opportunity to have the full experience of a Mission Adelante volunteer.

For more information visit: www.missionadelante.org/observe

Be part of our programs!

 We are so excited to start this summer trimester and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to Observation Nights. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

The Journey to Infinity

The journey to infinity

by Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director


“I love you to the Moon and back, infinity times infinity.”  Each of my children heard that phrase as a consistent part of our bedtime routine more times than they could count.  Even if the concept of infinity is difficult to grasp, my children knew that it meant my love for them was without limits, that it rippled through space and time without ever reaching an endpoint.  

How can ministry impact reach to infinity and beyond? The answer is found in leadership development.  Investing in young leaders who will in turn develop others.  Like a wave of light emanating from a distant galaxy, the ripple effect of developing young people travels through generations to infinity, reaching times and places never imagined.  

A child grows up in our urban neighborhood.  She finds a safe place to learn about Jesus.  She learns and grows, receives love, encouragement and help in school.  She’s invited to serve her community.  Mentors invest in her life.  As a teenager, she joins an internship where she is challenged to begin leading in new ways.  She invests in younger kids.  Her peers come to her for advice.  Her love for Jesus continues to grow along with her love for her neighborhood and her heart for children and youth growing up in similar circumstances to her own.  She overcomes many obstacles to become the first person in her family to go to college.  She serves, she loves, she builds.  Her children know Jesus and they love others well.  She shares her life and life and love for Jesus.  She develops others and many “honor her for all that her hands have done.  Her works bring praise at the city gate” (Proverbs 31:31).  The journey to infinity has begun.

Join us for one of our summer Fundraising Events!

You’re invited to attend one of our two small fundraising events this summer.  Each event will be a unique KCK experience and will include dinner (no charge) and a classic Strawberry Hill view.  These events are part of our summer INFINITY 2023 campaign to raise funds for our leadership development initiatives at Mission Adelante.  We're hoping these pilot events will help us get a good start toward our summer campaign goal of $60,000.

The Mockingbird Lounge Patio- Thursday, June 15- 6:30-8:30: Enjoy a local taco truck dinner, fellowship, and a classic Strawberry HIll view of downtown KCMO on the Mockingbird Lounge patio.  Please RSVP Here by June 12th (If you forget to RSVP by that date, please contact us!).

Splitlog Coffee Rooftop- Saturday, June 17th- 6:30-8:30: Enjoy SLAPS Barbeque, a great cause, and a cool experience with a classic view of downtown KCMO, on the rooftop of Splitlog Coffee Shop.  Please RSVP Here by June 12th. (If you forget to RSVP by that date, please contact us!)

If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a contribution toward the Infinity 2023 campaign goal of $60,000, you may do so at www.missionadelante.org/infinity2023.

Be part of our programs!

 We are so excited to start our summer programs and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to our Observation Nights. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.