Sixth Annual Pastor’s Appreciation Breakfast Thanks to You

Dear friend,

On February 13 PastorServe hosted our Sixth Annual Pastor’s Appreciation Breakfast. It was an incredible event attended by more than 350 of the region’s spiritual leaders. The gathering really is a Pastor Appreciation Breakfast! There is no ask, no hidden agenda and no cost to the event. The goals of the breakfast are simple:

1. That leaders would be refreshed and have fun. 
2. That leaders would connect with other leaders.  
3. That leaders would feel valued and encouraged. 
4. That leaders would be resourced with some cutting-edge materials.

Leaders were refreshed through a powerful message from Ryan LeFebvre, the voice of the Kansas City Royals. Ryan then interviewed Mitch Holthus, the voice of the Kansas City Chiefs. How amazing that the two leading play-by-play sports voices in Kansas City are men who passionately unashamedly love Jesus. 

Fun? Oh my goodness! Laughter was heard throughout the morning. We had giveaways that were over the top. We gave away signed Jack Nicklaus items (directly donated by Jack), Chick-fil-A gift cards good for 52 meals, Royals memorabilia galore and so much more! 

The breakfast is the largest annual multi-cultural gathering of pastors in Kansas City. The breakfast is held at Macedonia Baptist Church, an inner-city church. We use an African American caterer that provides an incredible breakfast. The breakfast is the premier opportunity for leaders to connect and create relationships with other leaders. We are aware of multiple relationships that have been forged at the breakfast that are bringing transformation to churches and ministries across the city. 

Since 2008, PastorServe has honored local leaders who have faithfully served the Lord Jesus. This year we are privileged to honor Kevin Casey of Freedom Fire; Jeremiah and Mona Enna, founders and leaders of Culture House; Dr. Robert Louis Baynham, Pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church and Rev. Juan Acosta, Pastor of Iglesia Latinoamericana Adventista del Séptimo Día en Kansas City. Honorees received a beautiful award, a set of books provided by Crossway and a gift bag filled with fun gifts to bless the honorees. 

The biggest surprise of the morning came in the form of an announcement from the Kansas City Royals. For the past year, the Royals have worked with PastorServe to bless pastors living within 100 miles of Kansas City with an unprecedented gift. In 2020, pastors will be able to take a guest to every Mon – Thurs. home game – as guests of the Royals! That is two tickets to forty-one games! That is an incredible gift! How exciting that the Royals are blessing pastors! Thank you Royals! 

Finally, thanks to Crossway, Midwest Seminary, C-12, Moody Publishers, Journey Church International and Barry Hamm, everyone at the breakfast left with six quality books. And – if that weren’t enough – they also received a beautiful figurine from Demdaco and chocolates from Russell Stover. With Valentine’s Day the next day, we made sure everyone was covered! 

Immediately following the breakfast, we received the following from a KC pastor.

“I just want to take a moment to thank you and the many sponsors who made this morning a powerful reminder of God’s love and grace in the lives of those who serve Him. To be honest, this was my first exposure to PastorServe, and I came for the “freebies” and with hopes of winning the Jack Nicholas “stuff” (big fan!) I left feeling convicted of my place in ministry…! What great examples of humble servants of Christ in such prominent positions in the sports world here in KC – and man did they speak the truth to me today!!! Then you add the wonderful recognitions that were given to such faithful men and women of the Kingdom PLUS a time of worship that brought me to tears.  What a great way to start the day.”

In the future, we hope to host similar breakfast events around the country. What a blessing for pastors in Los Angeles, Portland, Houston and other cities to experience the blessing that has been experienced for six consecutive years in Kansas City. 

Thank you for being a part of the PastorServe’s vision That No pastor would Walk Alone and our mission to Strengthen the Church by Serving Pastors. We know that events like the annual Pastor’s Appreciation Breakfast can only be accomplished with friends like you. Thank you!! 

For the Glory of Jesus,

Jimmy Dodd, Founder and CEO