“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God continues to work out His plan and future in the Kansas City Church of Christ by adding two full-time staff couples to the ministry!

Maurice & Lauren Hooks arrived in late June. Rob & LaShonda Milner will move to KC later this month.

Maurice and Lauren Hooks serve as Lead Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader. Maurice was converted in Kansas City in 1991 while playing football for the University of Kansas. He gave up a chance at “going pro” in order to go into the ministry. He moved to Dallas and led the teen ministry for 9 years. Lauren was baptized in the New York campus ministry in 1989. They met at the Dallas seminar in 1995 and were married the next year. They led the Tulsa, OK church and served in the Dallas church together. They have been leading the Tulsa church for the last 5 years. Maurice and Lauren and their girls, Lilly & Grace, have moved to the South East part of Kansas City.

Rob and LaShonda Milner will start as the Associate Couple in August. Both were converted at the age of 19; Rob in Atlanta and LaShonda on the campus of LSU in Baton Rouge. They led in the campus and teen ministries in New Orleans for a few years and were married in 1997. They moved to Dallas in 1999 were they went into the full-time ministry, leading a sector and then a region of the Dallas church. They were asked to move to help the church in Wichita, Kansas in 2002. The last couple of years, Rob has been teaching high school and LaShonda has been a Children’s Coordinator for Mental Health Association. They are excited about getting back into the full-time ministry. Rob and LaShonda and their children, Jaydin and Marcel will live north of the river.

These additions will allow current Evangelist Charlie Sawyer to serve as a full-time Elder. Charlie and Kathy moved back to Kansas City in 2003 so Charlie could serve as Lead Evangelist. The Sawyers were converted in 1989, went into self-supported ministry in 1994 and full-time staff in KC in 1995. They also served in Los Angeles (1999) and Dallas (2001) before returning home to Kansas City. Their daughter Nikki is married to Jordan Brown and attends the Indianapolis church. Their son Ross is part of the Columbia, MO campus ministry. Charlie and Kathy continue to live in the South West suburb of Olathe.

God has used the Sawyers to stabilize the church and raise up elders and deacons. The church has seen baptisms, restorations and move-ins under their leadership. In 2007, the Kansas City church was able to send out Associate Evangelist Jermaine and Stefanie Peacock to lead the church in Spokane, WA and Elder Ken Long and his wife, Esther, to lead the church in Lawrence, KS.

The elders began praying for God’s direction a year ago. The Board of Directors caught the vision and presented goals at the beginning of the year. The church has responded by almost doubling the amount given from last year’s special contribution. God blessed this sacrifice by providing the Hooks and Milners. We look forward to forcefully advancing God’s kingdom in Kansas City, the Heartland and the world!