KCC Newsletter

written May 1st 2024 by Blake Odgers

Today, I was driving across our city—weeping and praying. This has become a consistent rhythm. It’s amazing what can flow from your heart when you simply expose yourself to the things that break God’s.

I passed two different protests on two different college campuses. Dozens of young people—angry, shouting, hurting, longing to make a difference in a world filled with suffering…

I honestly could identify with their anxst. Every day, I’m burdened and overwhelmed by something I see—not on the news or on my phone; but in my city and on my street. It is a rare occasion that I make it through a day unscathed by grief. There’s just so much brokenness; so much evil; so much darkness; so much pain.

If I’m honest, there was a moment today where I thought: “Is there any point? Can we really even make a difference?” There’s this ache to see what we long for become a reality… To see the Kingdom come. To see people whole. To see the city made new.

But can that it actually happen? Or is it all just a pipe dream? Can our city really be transformed and made new? Can people currently wreaking havoc and living from a place of desperation truly experience the grace of God and become conduits of mercy and healing? Can the powers of darkness truly be pushed back, even extinguished, so that light may burst forth and make all things new? And can we see it? Can we actually play a part in it?

It reminds me of that Saturday. Not the college football kind. I’m thinking of the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Above the surface, everything was bleak. Yet, beneath the surface, something was brewing. Death was dying. Life was bursting. And soon, it would break through.

We believe something is brewing beneath the surface of our city.

We believe death is dying and life is bursting.

And we believe it will soon break through…

and that we will not only get to be witnesses of it…

but we will get to be participants in it.

FAMILY UPDATE

Asa just turned 11 months old. He is such a gift. I never in my wildest dreams even thought I’d be married in my twenties. Now, I’m 28 with almost a one-year-old. Most days don’t end without at least one wardrobe change due to Asa’s food-stained hand wiping across my shirt… and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This past month we had a pretty big health scare with him. We went from a check-up for a rash to emergency blood-tests to Children’s at Scottish-Rite and even heard some really scary terms. Thankfully, all seems to be clear (shoutout Dr. Delgado and team) and our son is as joyful as ever. While we were walking through that, though, I was a bit of a mess. The thought of something being wrong with my little boy—especially something serious—was overwhelming. It led to some very loud and animated prayers. I was reminded that prior to moving, one of my biggest prayer points was that God would make me a man of prayer. I thought that meant He would do some Holy-Spirit voodoo on me and that I would just wake up one day and be a man of prayer. I’m learning that might not be the case. Nonetheless, God is making me a man of prayer…

Katie is the best wife, mom, and teammate. God has equipped her in some amazing ways. She has a grace and ability to parent that I long to have! Watching her mom is like watching Michelangelo paint. Meanwhile, I’m struggling to stay in the lines with crayons. Thank God we’re a team! She’s the Michael Jordan to my Steve Kerr. She carries the load but I occasionally make a good shot. I still get a ring when we win though!

MINISTRY UPDATE

Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to…

• Guest-speak for Chick-Fil-A’s staff chapel at their corporate support center.

• Preach at Revolution Church in Canton for their annual season of church-wide prayer and fasting called “Abide Nights”.

• Preach at First Baptist Church McDonough in south Atlanta for their Mission Sunday supporting North American Church Planting.

• Preach at Vertical Life Church in northwest Atlanta on prayer and the power of Jesus.

• Be on a panel at Metro Atlanta Collective (a gathering of pastors and church leaders across several denominations collaborating for the sake of planting churches in/around our city).

• Speak at the annual Send Atlanta gathering on the importance of training and equipping future church planters within the local church.

It’s been such a sweet season getting to see so many different expressions and examples of people following Jesus and pursuing His mission. However, I long for the days when Kingdom City Church is a reality and we get to be with our people week-in and week-out. One of the phrases we use often is: “We want to put the ‘local’ back in local church.” With Atlanta being the 4th loneliest city in the United States, we believe an incarnational community following Jesus and seeking the good of the city together will be a compelling witness.

We’re seeing our team grow and expand. We currently have a solid core of about 10—what we’ve dubbed our “Missionary Core Team”. These are people who have committed to moving their lives to our city and live on the front lines of the mission field to lay the foundation of Kingdom City Church. These men, women, and couples have such great faith. There are many days when they’re holding my head up and keeping my hand to the plow. They inspire me. It’s also a bonus that they just so happen to be some of our best friends. Then there’s our “Launch Team” which is the broader landscape of people who are still considering what particular role they might play (and where exactly they might live) but they know they want to play a part. We’ve added people we didn’t know before moving here which is a huge milestone.

When it comes to fundraising, we still have a good bit to go. God has been and will continue providing. I have some important calls and meetings coming up with churches and organizations that could become potential partners. What we’re praying for, though, is that more individuals and families would come alongside us to become recurring donors. We are asking that 100 people consider giving at least $150/month for the next 12 months so that we might engage people they don’t know and serve a city they don’t live in. We know it’s a big ask, but Jesus told us to pray and ask so that’s what we’re doing. The harvest is plentiful; the workers are few (and so are the investors). Just imagine the potential return on investment, though. Eternal ripples. Generational transformation. Kingdom expansion. Interested or know someone who is?

PRAY FOR US.

• The work of church planting is a slow and steady one—“a long obedience in the same direction” to use the words of Eugene Peterson. In these first few months, God has been going to work on/in us more than anything. He has lovingly exposed things and brought them to the surface in a gracious effort to make us who we need to be for what He’s called us to do and who He’s called us to lead and care for along the way. We’ve asked Him to make us people of prayer, to make us holy, to make us loving. We want ministry to flow from our hearts and to be the natural expression of God’s Spirit working through us and Christ being formed in us. Pray that God would continue changing us and making us more like Himself.

• We were warned that we would face spiritual attack throughout this endeavor. The enemy has attacked our family in several ways—through our son’s health, through our own mental and emotional health, as well as using the normal, everyday pains and disappointments of ministry and life to produce false narratives about God’s character and our callings. Don’t worry, though; we are very much stable, strong, and steadfast in who we are, where God has called us, and what God has called us to. When we placed our “yes” on the table, there was no fine print or conditions. Jesus is worthy. The Kingdom has come. Our city is needy. We are His and available for Him to use as He sees fit. Still, we ask you to pray for us.

  • Pray for Katie.

  • Pray for Asa.

  • Pray for me.

  • Pray for our minds, our hearts, and our bodies in the name of Jesus.

• Something we didn’t expect (and should have) was that the enemy would attack our team as well. We have several dear friends who are making similar sacrifices as us (some of them even greater) to be obedient to the call of God on their lives and pursue the mission of Jesus with us. They are moving cities. Some of them are leaving jobs. These aren’t staff members or vocational ministers. These are normal, everyday disciples of Jesus who are daring to take Him at His Word and the enemy hates them and what they’re doing. We desperately need you pray for them. We need you to pray for their protection, provision, and preservation. Pray for their faith to grow stronger. Pray against any and every ploy of the enemy. Pray that Jesus would show Himself strong on their behalf and that everything the enemy intends for evil God would redeem, turn on its head, and use for good.

  • Nick & Lauren Monaco

  • Austin & Breayna Sprayberry

  • Kaity Scanlan

  • Paul Harrison

  • Kayla White

  • Josh Baxter

  • Future Members.

UPCOMING…

• This Sunday from 5-7PM, we will be hosting a KCC Gathering/Interest Night in our home. Pray for our team. Pray for our guests. Pray that God would stir people’s hearts and maybe even call a few people to join us in our mission to continue the ministry of Jesus in Atlanta.

FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD…

• I’ve got the incredible opportunity to be a keynote speaker for Camp Crosspoint where I will spend two weeks (June 16-28) preaching on God’s desire to expand His Kingdom through church planting and multiplication as well as training students in the work of evangelism.

• I’m also excited to be preaching at West Ridge Church in Dallas, GA on Sunday, June 23rd as well as Crosspoint City Church in Cartersville, GA on Thursday, July 18th & Sunday, July 21st. For friends of ours who live in/near the area, we’d love to see you!

Until next time, my friends.

“Atlanta as it is in Heaven…”