Category Archives: Your Story
True Beauty Behind the Crown
In television and movies prom queens are often portrayed as cutthroat and only focused on getting that crown to secure their top popularity ranking among their peers, but the last two prom queens at Lee’s Summit High School spent their high school days focusing on a different crown altogether.
FBR’s own Kenzi Jordan and Kristin Sands were crowned Prom Queen in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Both girls have been described by their mothers as outgoing, friendly, compassionate, and focused on their walk with the Lord, but not ever focused on popularity or position, which made being named Prom Queen a complete surprise!
“Kenzi really was not in to that sort of thing and never seemed to pay much attention to it, so I never really thought about it,” said Kelli Jordan, Kenzi’s mom. “I wanted her to have good friends and make good grades and have some fun – and she did all of that!”
Even though being crowned was a shock to Kristin, her mom felt differently.
“Well, speaking as a totally unbiased parent, I knew she could be prom queen,” said Cheryl Sands. “She is beautiful inside and out!”
While both girls are beautiful on the outside, the beauty on the inside seems to be what people are most drawn to.
Kenzi spent her high school days on the tennis team, involved in Club 121 and FCA, and as photo editor of the yearbook, and Kristin was involved in National Honor Society, DECA, mentoring, A+ Program, newspaper, and student senate. But both Kenzi and Kristin branched out beyond the social parameters of those groups to befriend and love everyone they encountered, which they and their mothers see as the main reason for being voted Prom Queen by their peers.
“[Kristin’s] faith is strong, and because of that she tries to do the right thing, even when peer pressure tries to pull her another way,” said Cheryl.
“I do think that my Christian walk played a role,” said Kristin. “Being a Christian means being nice to everyone – not just the ‘popular’ kids, but even some that are ignored or unloved. I try to reach out to many groups of students, not just those in my friend group.”
“As Christians we are called to just love people, and the fact that people saw that in me is a reflection of my faith,” said Kenzi.
“[Kenzi] is well grounded in her faith, loves her family, and has a strong sense of who she is and what she wants to be. Prom Queen was just ‘icing’,” said Kelli.
It’s incredible that two young ladies with such strong faith have made this much impact during their high school years.
“I thought it was neat that Kenzi Jordan was the one that presented [Kristin] with the crown,” said Cheryl. “How cool is that? Two girls who love the Lord, and who are both members of FBR, being named prom queen in two consecutive years.”
It is very cool! Since their faith played such a huge part in making an impact in high school, it will be even cooler to watch these girls make an even larger impact for Christ in their adult lives.
Kenzi is currently a student at Pittsburg State University pursuing an art education degree while doing freelance photography on the side.
“I’m just a kid trying to pursue the Lord and express His beauty through art,” said Kenzi. “I am here to love people.”
Kristin plans to attend the University of Central Missouri in the fall and major in business. From there, she hopes to one day own her own business.
Something wonderful at local elementary school
Did you know that something wonderful took place yesterday afternoon at Robinson Elementary in Raytown?
You probably are aware that our WaM children’s choir will be performing the musical Happily Forever After this coming Sunday. What some of you may not know is that a team from our church has been going over to Robinson Elementary every Wednesday afternoon to teach a group of about 35 kids the musical. Yesterday, these kids had the opportunity to perform a mini-version of the musical after school.
What a blessing it was to witness God’s amazing grace and, in many ways, a miracle yesterday afternoon as we watched these kids praise our Lord through the music of Happily Forever After and to see a gym filled with parents and school faculty! The kids did an amazing job – but the most amazing part was that it was within the walls of a public school rather than a church building. Seeds were planted and through God’s power, lives will be changed!
The Lord put together a series of events to make this happen and now the kids from Robinson have been invited to join us this Sunday to perform the musical with the full WaM children’s choir. Please pray for each child and family, through this outreach opportunity, that they would hear and receive the truth of God’s Word.
Isaiah 55:11 – So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Praising God for His glory,
Robin Moore
(WaM mother, FBR church member, and staff member)
Celebrate Generosity: Jonathan & Carrie Goforth
If you missed the Goforth’s testimony on Sunday, watch it here:
For more about Celebrate Generosity, visit the Celebrate Generosity web page.
Celebrate Generosity: Mackey & Caroline Jones
If you missed the Jones’ testimony on November 14, watch here:
For more about Celebrate Generosity, visit the Celebrate Generosity web page.
Growing in Christ: Caleb’s Story
Below is a touching testimony from a proud mom and a thankful church member. It is so great to see how the ministries of First Baptist Raytown are making an impact in the lives of children.
Caleb Fisk
Hi, FBR! I’d like to introduce you to our son, Caleb. Well, actually his name is Joshua Caleb Aaron, but we call him Caleb. Caleb was born on the same day as the new First Baptist Raytown building was dedicated – April 11, 1999. This year, he will be 11 years old. He’s rather excited about turning 11 on the 11th. What excites us, his parents, is watching Caleb grow in Christ together with this growing church.
Our family of five began attending FBR in October of 2006. Caleb accepted the Lord as his personal Savior during Pageant that Christmas, and was later baptized at the same time as his sister, Rachel, who had been saved during Upward soccer. We immediately noticed a change in Caleb’s attitude after his salvation – a softening towards others and a gentle spirit about him.
As he grew, Caleb enjoyed participating in church activities as much as possible. At first only participating in Sunday School and Upward sports, but after a rockin’ first summer at children’s camp (The joy of turning at one point during the children’s worship service at camp and seeing his hands lifted high, eyes closed, singing to his God, was amazing! but I digress.), that fall he expanded his activities to include Royal Ambassadors. I will never forget his words to me as we drove home from his first RA Congress: “Mom, it was so cool. There were no girls, just a bunch of us guys, and we got to worship, Mom!” His evident enthusiasm for worshiping his Lord and Savior touched my heart; I will never forget how he said that to me that day.
From there, Caleb expanded his church activities even more in the fall of 2009 after another rockin’ summer at children’s camp, and that fall added Bible Quiz and Children’s Choir to his repertoire. In Bible Quiz, out of 187 quizzers, Caleb ranked 15th in the first two months of quizzing, and wound up with an 8th place trophy, his team finishing in 3rd place. He was self-motivated in his attitude toward Bible study, and his accomplishments were reached of his own accord in that effort. Likewise, he’s coming into his own in choir, even trying out for a part and getting it, as a dancer in the upcoming spring children’s musical Everyday Heroes. He loves singing to his God.
I can see how his Christian walk is affecting his school life, where teachers remark at what a great person Caleb is; he loves school, and is excelling in virtually every area. He is also well liked by most. In Cub Scouts or baseball, whatever the activity, he shines with integrity, discipline and good will. He blesses this mother’s heart.
I am so thankful for FBR and the way God has used it to grow my son as well as our family, individually and as a whole, in their relationships with Christ. I just thought that now would be a great time to say, thanks! We love First Baptist Raytown. 
Sincerely,
Laura Boatright-Fisk
Rejected or Protected?
I was sitting at work, quite content, minding my own business when I received a call from an old friend. He and I worked together for a long time and have remained friends for more than twenty years. A position opened to be his supervisor and he wanted me to apply. At first I didn’t want the job but I played around with the idea when things weren’t going so well at work. I would think, “I could just leave and take this other job and all these problems would go away!” I knew that wasn’t really true. Every place you work has challenges and it’s only a matter of time before you realize the new place is just as messed up as the one you left…if not more so!
On the last day of the job posting, with only three hours until the position closed, I thought, “Why not just go for it and see what happens.” I found my college transcripts, updated my resume and wrote a cover letter in two hours. At the last possible minute I uploaded all of my documentation on the website and submitted my application for the position.
About a month later, I received a call from a gentleman that was conducting interviews. I was to be interviewed by a nine-member committee. I thought, “Wow, this is getting serious!” I went to the interview and literally sweated my way through the questions. I haven’t interviewed in eleven years so I’m not very good at it. I left thinking that was the end of it. A few weeks later, I received another call to interview with two additional people – which I did.
I was so confident that I would get the position that I shared it with a couple of people at work – not a good idea. As with all “secrets,” the word spreads like fire and now I’m on the watch list…will he get the job or won’t he?
Another week went by and I received a call informing me that I was very much liked by the committee and the hiring manager, but the organization was starting the process over due to reorganization. They encouraged me to submit my application once again and go through the process with the new hiring manager. What a nice way to say, “You were great but we don’t want you.”
I put a lot of time and effort into the process but I wasn’t devastated by the loss. I toyed with the idea of the new position but all along I prayed that God’s will be done in the situation. When you pray that God’s will be done, you are saying, “Lord, I don’t know what is right for me but I know you do. I trust you Lord and I need your help with this situation.”
I couldn’t wait for people to know so they would quit stopping by my office to see if I got the job. As I told people, they would ask questions like, “Are you upset?” “Are you mad they put you through all that interviewing for nothing?” “I’m sure you are disappointed.” “Do you feel rejected?”
My response was, “I don’t always know why things happen they way they do, but I do know that God is in control. So no, I don’t feel rejected, I feel protected! I have no doubt that if God wanted me to have that position, it would have happened. I trust the Lord knows what is best for me.”
My Christian friends usually reply with an “Amen!” while my other friends just look at me in wonderment. But I know, when they have periods of disappointment or rejection in their lives, they may remember how my faith determined my response to the situation:
Rejected or Protected? I chose Protected. Thank you, Lord!
I’d like to say I always show my faith at work but I’m sure I fall short. I try to remember that non-believers are all round us. They are watching us to see how we handle hardship; how we help those in need; how we handle rejection. I hope they see my faith in these situations and someday come to know God for themselves.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
– written by Scott Beard, FBR member since 2005
Experiencing God’s Grace: Gayle’s Story
David & Gayle Williamson
I remember as a freshman student at Moody Bible Institute being asked to share my testimony. Fellow students had told their incredible stories of being saved from drugs, crime, or rebellion. Some of them told fantastic tales of dramatic transformations from evil to good by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I was hesitant to share my testimony because to me it paled in comparison. Simply put, I was raised in a wonderful Christian home, accepted Christ as my Savior at a young age, and never caused my parents any (serious) trouble. I was a model of a “good” Christian woman. Where was the heart-string emotional tug in that?
I married shortly after my first and only year at Moody. However, after many years I began to struggle with my marriage. My husband was a salesman, and we moved often. sometimes across town, sometimes across county, once
even into Canada. The next big deal that was just around the corner always seemed to remain just out of grasp. I followed him wherever we thought the Lord was leading us. But disappointment upon disappointment began to build,
as did my resentment and disillusionment.
Finally, my marriage reached a crisis point. We were deeply in debt, our home was being foreclosed on, and we were going to have to start over. Again. I made the difficult decision that if I was going to start over, it would be on my own this time. I simply could not stay in that marriage any longer.
Moving back to Iowa, I had a place to stay, quickly found a job, and was able to purchase a car. But then came the hard part – learning to live with myself. I was now a DIVORCED Christian woman. I saw myself as “damaged goods” compared to the rest of God’s family.
I knew that I still belonged to God and He still loved me, but I felt I belonged in the last chair in the farthest corner of the remotest room in God’s kingdom. I visited a few churches, but it just never seemed right to be sitting there in “worship” when I felt out of touch with God.
But God was so faithful, patient, and gentle. He began to tell me that He still had a purpose for me in my life. He brought me to Jeremiah 18:1-4: “The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, ‘Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made. I will speak to you while you are there.’ So I did as he told me and found the potter working at this wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again.”
God showed me that I was that lump of clay in the Potter’s hands. He was now going to start over. remake me into something brand new, useful and beautiful for His pleasure once again. I’m the one who made the wrong choices for my life – not God. But just as the potter started again on his pot, so God was starting again with me.
To know that I could again serve him and live my life in a way that glorified Him filled me with great joy, love, and peace. The brokenness that was trying to consume me, enticing me to do things I knew I should not be doing, was replaced by a desire to become holy and pleasing to God.
I know God has given me a new purpose I would not have been able to realize before in my previous life. He has given me an incredible new marriage with a wonderful husband who is far and above what I could have hoped for or felt worthy of. The love that I now feel for God who lavished his grace on someone like me is beyond description.
The grace I did not recognize as a young child is the grace that I experienced as a “mature” believer who had fallen but was incredibly restored.
God’s grace is available to anyone, anytime, anywhere, regardless of the situation. It is ours for the taking. We just have to be willing to accept it, to recognize the sin that has placed us in the position of needing that grace and desiring to be free from the burden of that sin. This grace was purchased at a tremendous price on our behalf, but it is offered freely and lavishly to the broken and receptive heart.
– Gayle Williamson, FBR member since November 2009
Scott’s Story: Stepping out in faith one note at a time
Do you have a “hidden” talent? Maybe it’s something you forgot you could even do. It could be singing, photography, teaching, or playing an instrument. Read how Scott dusted off his clarinet and stepped out in faith by serving in the church orchestra:
“I put my clarinet in the case and stored it in the garage immediately after leaving high school. I had absolutely no plans of ever playing it again until the night I attended Piano Praise. My wife, Bev, and I sat a couple of rows back from the orchestra where I had a good view of the woodwind section. The concert was fantastic, and though I hadn’t played in twenty-five years, I was inspired to get out my dusty old clarinet to see if I could play again.
“The following day I went to the garage, found my clarinet and started practicing. I had to look up the names of the notes in a book and learn the fingerings all over again. My wife likes to tell everyone she hid out in her office and the dogs hid outside while I practiced. After a couple of months, I felt like I might be good enough to audition.
“I found that stepping out in faith can lead to great rewards. I stepped out in faith when I started practicing again. I stepped out in faith when I first talked to Larry Jones’ assistant, Stephanie Peterson, and asked her for some music samples. I stepped out in faith when I walked in the orchestra room for the first time, and I stepped out in faith when I played my first worship service and my first Heart of America Christmas Pageant.
“It’s been four years since I received the call to play again. I started playing as a way to give back to God, I had no idea God would use it to give so much to me. The Celebration Orchestra is a family of believers who truly love and care for one another. We share the good times and the bad. We pray for each other and we grow in our faith and our music skills every week. I would encourage everyone who attends church to pray about your service to the church. Don’t be surprised if the answer to those prayers leads you to serving in a capacity you never expected. Just step out in faith, take a chance and see where it leads. You’ll gain far more than you ever expected.”
– written by Scott Beard, FBR and Celebration Orchestra member since 2005
Are you ready to step out in faith? Maybe you want to dust off that old instrument of yours. If so, you can email Larry Jones at ljones@firstbaptistraytown.com. Do you want to get those vocal chords back in shape and sing in the choir? Email Lynn Lewallen at llewallen@firstbaptistraytown.com. If you want to take pictures of events or write articles for The Advance monthly newsletter, email Alyson Browning at abrowning@firstbaptistraytown.com. Aren’t sure where you want to serve? Call us at 816-353-1994 and we’ll help you find a place to serve.
Faith: Lydia’s Story
I felt lost in 2005 as I came crashing down with diabetes. My parents were worried and we didn’t know what was going on. The more weight I lost, the more food I ate. The more food I ate, the thirstier I got, leading to more weight loss. Many blood tests were taken, but the doctors kept saying that it was just the flu going around.
I felt like I was going down a never ending dark tunnel inside. I prayed and prayed to God over and over again all the time. I was lost.
On February 7, 2005, we went to the doctor’s office for what seemed like the hundredth time. This time they checked my blood sugar, something so simple that they seemed to have missed with all the other blood tests they had taken. They sent us straight to Children’s Mercy downtown.
We spent several days at Children’s Mercy, taking in all the new information about diabetes. I started taking insulin so my body could take food in again. Although I was getting physically better, I still felt like there was a hole in my heart. So I kept praying.
All my life I have gone to church. My parents have always told me about God, and I have always believed in Him. When I was younger, each time I would say Jesus, for some reason, it would always make me giggle. 2005 was my down point. I felt like I was all alone and couldn’t find Jesus, but with the help of my parents and going to church, I finally realized, that once you give your heart to Jesus, he never lets you go. He never leaves you either. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for my God is with me.” It took me a while to have faith that God would never let me go. Also, just because you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, doesn’t mean that you have to live there.
God has always taken care of me and my family. He has always gotten us through the hard times. He never gives us more than we can handle. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that anything is possible with the Lord, and I believe that you have to have faith.
– written by Lydia Todd, member since 2007
Caroline’s Story: Big Hearts, Big Vision, and Big Passion
When I came to FBR five and a half years ago, I found a church that captured my heart. I love this church because of the people I found here: People with Big Hearts, Big Vision, and Big Passion.
Immediately, I found big hearts in orchestra and a Bible study class. Since I play the viola, I joined the orchestra and found a place to use my talents. But more importantly, orchestra drew me in and has become my second family. Here I am loved for who I am and I belong. I have also found this sense of family and belonging in my Bible study class. It is a place where we can pray for each other’s needs (no need is too small) and help each other through life’s trials. We also get to study God’s Word more in depth and apply it to our every day lives.
The next thing I found amongst the people at FBR was a Big Vision – a vision that extends beyond themselves and beyond the church and into the surrounding community, the greater Kansas City area, and into the world. One example of this is the Heart of America Christmas Pageant, in which I have played my viola since I started here. The goal of the hundreds of dedicated people who help put this production together is to tell as many people as possible about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus through drama and music. And this is just one of the myriads of ministries that you can find at FBR that are reaching out to the people around us.
Lastly, you can’t have Big Vision without even bigger Passion and expect to get your vision accomplished. Now that I have the privilege of working on staff as the Instrumental Music Assistant, I not only get to see all the hard work that our lay people put in but also the tremendous amount of passion and energy that our staff gives to this church and it’s vision to tell the world that Jesus died for you and me so that we may live!
– written by Caroline Jones, member since 2004
Caroline is the Instrumental Music Assistant at FBR.
