After having traveled many thousands of miles over a month’s time, it’s good to be back home again. Many of you have expressed your interest in learning more about our trip. I’ve found it hard to know even where to start. But here are some of our experiences ... Continue

Several times people have asked me why we chose Kansas City in retirement. There are several reasons. Jan grew up here. I went to college here. We met here. I became an American Baptist here. I entered pastoral vocation here. Jan has ... Continue

It is one thing to drive through and observe a disaster area. Curiosity seekers flock to places like Joplin. You can take pictures and see the horrific force of the nation’s worst tornado. You can say, “I’ve been there.” It is another thing to get inside ... Continue

Our son’s telephone call on our way home Sunday night changed the mood considerably: Osama bin Laden had been killed. Almost immediately, a crowd gathered outside the White House and at the WTC celebrating the killing of America’s most hated enemy. Bin Laden was the #1 enemy of ... Continue

Prairie’s Senior Pastor of 11 years, Dr. Heather Entrekin, resigned in November, 2010, to take a faculty position at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. In February, Dr. Stephen Jones began as our Interim Senior Pastor. Even though this represents a transition in pastoral leadership, People don’t attend “pastors” but ... Continue

We Are Connected! Every church needs to develop its own worship and prayer life, unlike any other. This needs to emerge from within the people and their felt-experiences. It needs to speak the church’s faith-language and proclaim its unique Good News. Last Saturday night, we combined the monthly ... Continue

What a joy to serve this wonderful congregation during this time of transition!  One of the meanings of transition is that things are not “on hold,” and that would describe Prairie during this time.  This congregation has strong lay and pastoral leadership and there is a lot of forward momentum ... Continue