Moment of Insight

Sometimes we have moments in our lives where God reveals a little more about Himself. At times, He does it through other people, events or circumstances, and even through simple moments of reflection. The other day I had an opportunity to do some prayer and reflection and the Lord opened a moment of insight about a word He had spoken to me a few days prior.

He had said that He needs us, it wasn't so much about what we could do for Him or for others, He passionately needs us. We are His children and as any good father He was trying to let me know about His love and care for us. But, the other day, in a moment of insight, He opened up a whole new concept that was like another piece of the puzzle of God's need for us. He said it to me this way, "I don't love you because I need you, I need you because I love you." What He was saying in that moment was that His love is not like the world's love for us, where because we have something someone needs, they love us. God doesn't love us because He needs something from us. His need for us exists because He does love us, purely and without condition.

At this time of the year, with Christmas approaching it is so easy to become caught up in the buying of gifts and the giving and receiving of gifts. But, God's greatest gift to us was in the form of His Son, who represents God's great love for us. He needs us to accept Him and believe in Him, because He loves us. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish; but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16,17

May the blessing of His love penetrate our hearts this Christmas season as we remember this greatest gift of all, His Son.

Share Fair

H.A.R.T. Ministries is one of the community service agencies featured in the Share Fair being held at the First Baptist Church of Raytown off of 350 Highway. The fair is being held Thursday, November 6th, 2008 from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Stop by for an opportunity to get a view of these agencies, pick-up brochures and learn how you can get involved in these agencies to help your community.

Formation of Praise Band

Our congregation, "The Place", is currently in the process of putting together a praise band for the worship services on Wednesdays and Sundays. If you are interested in participating in the band or coming to our first performance, please come to 3930 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri or call 816-960-7211. Thank you for your interest.

FAST (Friendship And Support Team) Program

Are you in need of a friend or a team of people who will listen encourage and support you through whatever life throws your way?
We are ready to help. We have a team of individuals who are dedicated to be there for you no matter what life situation you are experiencing right now or you have experienced in the past. It is so vital to have a listening ear, or someplace to find encouragement, especially when life has got you down. Come to 3930 Broadway in the Westport area of Kansas City, Missouri and find a friend and a listening ear.

Mission to feed the homeless is successful

As of last September (2007), over 6800 meals have been served to the homeless and impoverished families of the Westport area of Kansas City, MO. We are so thankful to the dedication of our contributors and volunteers who have sacrificed much to make this kind of success possible. We have many who contributed of their time and cooking talents to make nutritious meals for the individuals in need. In addition to the immediate need for a meal, we also try to provide for those who are unable to come in or need to have a meal for another day, so we provide to-go boxes for these situations. For those who are traveling through KC and walking to other cities or states, we provide food that is easily transported and eaten.
Currently we are selling entertainment coupon books that are good for what ever state or city you are from, to help raise funds to continue feeding people and provide other services. These coupon books sell for $20 in the KC area and $25 if you are out of state. If you or someone you know is interested in purchasing one of these books to help feed the homeless and get some great discounts for yourself, please contact us @ 816-960-7211 or atkinsh2000@yahoo.com and reference the entertainment coupon book in the subject line. Just to give you some facts on how much this will buy, $20 will feed about 40 people a nutritious meal. Thank you in advance for your dedication to feeding nutritious meals to those in need.

HART Ministries - Vision for the Future

Our vision for the future in the Westport area is to become a place that is not just a part of the community but is like an organ in the human body that can not be lost or it is no longer a functioning body. We are focused on bringing healing and restoration to every person who enters our dors in some way, shape, or form. In our attempt to do this we provide a number of different avenues for healing to occur. We provide nutritious meals three days a week, clothing and hygiene supplies one day a week and on an emergency basis, and a community resource center that is open three days a week. In addition, we have opportunities for spiritual and emotional healing to take place, through our worship services and our prayer room, which is open to the public.
We are looking to our community now for help to build this place. So, if you are interested in bringing healing and restoration to the lives of individuals or are in need of this in your own life, we are interested in meeting you and working with you to help this vision come true.

HART Ministries Community Resources Center Overview

HART MINISTRIES
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER

Peggy Johannes BA, CRS - Community Resource Specialist
Randall Lawrence BSN/RN, FCN - Faith Community Nurse


HART Ministries Community Resource Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, and Friday 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm. We can be contacted at (816) 960-7211 to set an appointment, walk-ins are welcome.

Peggy and Randall completed a Faith Community Nurse / Health ministry course in May of 2008. The course was sponsored by William Jewell College and Liberty Hospital. The topics covered in the course were: health, healing and wholeness in the faith community, history and philosophy of parish nursing and the function of a parish nurse (faith community nurse/health minister), ethics and legal issues, self care, assessments: individual, family, and congregation, functions of the parish nurse: integrator of faith & health and personal health counselor, health educator, health advocate, referral agent, coordinator of volunteers, and assessing and developing support groups. Other topics covered included functioning within a ministerial team, health promotion and wellness, prayer and worship leader, grief and loss, family violence, and documentation. Taking this course provided new opportunities for us to serve the community.
We would recommend this course to anyone seeking to bring health care ministry into their areas of worship. For anyone interested in the Parish Nursing / Faith Community Nursing / Health Ministry course you can contact: Joyce Bouyear at JBOUYEAR@libertyhospital.org for information and registration.

What makes us different from other resource centers is the Faith Community Nursing and Health Ministry aspect. We incorporate spirituality into each experience through prayer and scriptural teachings. In previous work experiences Randall and Peggy believed there was a major void. That void was God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that because the Community Resource Center is one aspect of HART Ministries we are better able to address the complete person; body, mind, spirit, emotion, and relationships.

As the Community Resource Specialist (CRS), I function as an advocate for individuals seeking to improve their lives. My background is in addictions, I have worked in several local drug and alcohol treatment centers. Many of the patrons of HART Ministries are homeless individuals who have drug and alcohol issues along with mental illnesses. I facilitate admissions into detox, and drug and alcohol treatment programs. Support is also offered for intervention and relapse prevention. For those who suffer with mental illness, I monitor changes in behavior and address issues as they arise. As needed they are referred to local mental health agencies for psychiatric assistance.
Lack of housing and unemployment are also major issues which are addressed. I assist in locating emergency shelter upon request, as well as, permanent housing. Many of the patrons of HART Ministries utilize the local temp work agencies. For those seeking permanent work, they receive assistance with writing resumes, on line job searches, and preparing for interviews.


As the Faith Community Nurse (FCN), my focus is on prevention and intervention. I provide health education, health and medication consultations, blood pressure checks, and address other health related concerns. In the event of crisis involving medical issues I provide input in regards to appropriate action. I help to orchestrate access and utilization of community medical resources. I work with the Community Resource Specialist in facilitating services for those with substance abuse issues.

Other areas addressed through the Community Resource Center are Dental, optical, domestic violence, addressing behavioral issues, referrals for emergency assistance with rent, utilities, and food pantries. We also have a bulletin board displaying monthly themes.

HART Ministries Worship

Worship services at HART Ministries are held Wednesday at 7:00 PM and Sunday at 2:30 PM