November 13th
November 18th

November 13th
The suicide rate for teens has gone up 70% since in the last 15 years.  In Shawnee County alone, the numbers are shocking.  There have been 17 confirmed suicides by teens in the last 4 years.  That number does not include accidental deaths or drug/alcohol related deaths by teens.  Just in the past 6 months, Shawnee County has had 3 more teen suicides.

We are fortunate to live in a community that is trying to do something about this situation.  On Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM at Topeka Performing Arts Center, Kevin Hines will be addressing the topic of suicide. Kevin Hines survived his own suicide attempt of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. He will also be making visits to each of the Shawnee County high schools.

November 18th
Pastor T.D. Hicks from Antioch Missionary Baptist Church will be teaching during both of our services at Western Hills Church. I’ve known Pastor Hicks for many years. In fact, we both grew up in Aurora, Colorado, went to rival high schools, and are both die-hard Broncos fans. (Sorry. I had to find a way to get more Bronco coverage in our congregation, given the direction this season is going.)

We both have a heart for our city. He serves as chaplain for the Topeka Police Department. I serve for the Topeka Fire Department. We both serve on the Freedom Now Task Force which is focused on stopping human trafficking in Shawnee County. In these roles, we have both seen how our city and county appear to be under attack from all angles. We also both believe that only Jesus has the words of LIFE and HOPE.

I wanted our congregation to hear from Pastor Hicks, not on the topic of racism or as a civil rights activist. I wanted our congregation to hear from him as a pastor, a shepherd, a fellow Christ-follower who is also trying to figure out how to flesh out his faith and lead another congregation to do the same. I want to do this because I believe that it will be the Church that brings real LIFE and HOPE to our city. Because we are the people of Jesus.

What does it look like for a local church to live out the reality of Jesus?
I will not be so bold to say that I have the answer to this question completely figured out. I think it starts with us being a voice of HOPE for our city.  I think it starts with engaging our city in redemptive ways.  These two dates represent exactly that.