Have you ever been nudged by the Holy Spirit to step out in faith towards a dream you believe he has planted deeply in your heart? I’m reminded of the line from the worship song “Oceans” by Hillsong United: “You call me out upon the waters/The great unknown where feet may fail. And there I find You in the mystery. In oceans deep/ My faith will stand.” But how do you stand firm and watch God move a dream and vision into reality? How do you step into the unknown mystery of faith and trust in God alone?
Over a year ago, Adele, my wife of nine years, and I began to completely surrender our lives and our giftings to God. As we prayed and sought him, we began to feel God’s calling to plant a church. We felt God encouraging us to “get out of the boat,” so to speak, and “out upon the waters.” After much prayer and many discussions, we felt our “Ocean” became the Kansas City area, (ironic as it may be that it is in the dry flatlands of Kansas and Missouri).
Last August, in 2020, my wife, Adele, and daughter, Amelia (eight-years-old) said good-by to my parents and family, packed up everything in our house into a U-Haul, and took the first step toward our dream by moving from the suburbs of Indianapolis, Indiana to the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri. We pastored for close to six years at Westfield Friends Church in Indiana, holding the positions of youth pastor, associate pastor, and then senior pastor for the last two-and-a-half years. We saw many people accept Christ during our ministry there and were excited as we watched God move and transform lives.
Even with the ministry going well at Westfield Friends Church, we started to feel a strong leading to minister in the Kansas City area. As we sought council on this leading, our friends, family, and church body all blessed and encouraged us in this calling, and we’ve stayed in close contact with Thayne Thompson, Dave Williams, and Randy Littlefield and Carrie Corliss, and have been thankful for their help and support. We were sad to leave Indiana, but are excited for what God has in store for us.
We have always had a passion for evangelism in our ministry and leading people to experience a transformed life in Christ. I know how he can change lives because he changed mine, and my life will never be the same again.
A vision we have always carried out for our ministry is from Isaiah 61:1 which states,
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.
The prophet Isaiah writes about being sent “to proclaim freedom for the captives.” Adele and I both feel a strong desire to be used by God to set the captives free and watch the chains fall off as they go from darkness into the light and freedom only God can provide.
To be honest, this decision to move scared us a bit, because there were so many unknowns. For example, we wondered, “If we put our house on the market, will it sell? How will we survive financially?” These and other questions went through our mind. However, God was and is faithful, and our house sold for over the asking price in one day, after only six hours on the market! This helped us to affirm this call on our lives and, also, made the transition more affordable. God is amazing! It was so evident then, and still is, that he has called us to establish a Friends Church in Kansas City.
We have recently bought a home in Raymore, MO. (suburb of Kansas City) and believe this is the place God wants us to plant a new church. My wife, Adele, has a business and brand called Home Chronicles, so having our own home to decorate and host people inspires her to press on in this special calling and ministry God has given her. We thank God for answering another one of our prayers through this 900 sq. ft. house she affectionately calls our Cottage on Franklin! Please follow her on Instagram, if you’re interested, or visit her blog at homechroniclesblog.com. Raymore is an upcoming community where many young families are moving with a population of about 23,000. We are already forming relationships with people in the Raymore/Kansas City who are excited about a new church.
We feel we have been uniquely prepared through our education and experience to plant a church within the Friends movement: Adele and I both graduated with our undergraduate degrees from Barclay College in 2013. Later, I also graduated there with my Master’s in Transformational Leadership. Before going to Westfield Friends, Adele and I served in youth ministry at Booker Friends Church with the present Clerk of the Yearly Meeting, Diana Hoover, so it will be great to be back in MAYM! We have fond memories and many friends from our time spent in EFC-MAYM, and we thank God for bringing us back.
We are living by faith, trusting God in all things. We believe God has something special for us in Raymore. We love God’s Bride, the Church, and are excited to be His vessel to Set the Captives Free in the Kansas City area.
We would be honored to share our vision through a short presentation about our Church plant at your Church and invite you to partner with us in this journey! Your prayers and financial gifts could make all the difference to us and to the lost in Raymore and the surrounding area. Thank you, ahead of time!
I will end with some lyrics from Oceans, as they inspire me to call upon the name of God to help us as we trust in him alone to help us keep our eyes on him as we dive into the deep unknown God is leading us to embrace. People RIGHT NOW are living in Raymore who are about to discover the One who knows MORE, gives MORE, loves MORE, and is MORE than we could ever ask or imagine.
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
Many blessings in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Shane and Adele and Amelia Brown.
If you would like to contact Shane and Adele about sharing their vision with you church you can call/text (317) 798-7751 or email at shanemb8504@gmail.com
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