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Concert Draws Attention to AIDS Orphan Crisis in Kenya Attendees of the CBF of Missouri General Assembly experienced a Friday night concert by Kate Campbell, celebrated singer-songwriter from Nashville. A special offering received at the April 27 concert raised over $10,000 for KidsHeart Africa, a 3-year, $70,000 commitment to build and staff a Child Development Center for AIDS orphans and other at-risk children in Kenya Africa. The project grew from a partnership between Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Buckner International, and the All Africa Baptist Fellowship. The nearly 200 people attending the concert enjoyed Kate’s singing and light-hearted banter. Campbell played guitar during the concert and chose her songs to complement the KidsHeart Africa theme. "I think the KidsHeart Africa initiative is wonderful," she said. CBF of Missouri received a grant from the Missouri Baptist Foundation to underwrite the concert. Ken Hall, president of Buckner International, also spoke during the event. Noting the existence of 143 million orphans in the world, Hall summarized a passage from the book of James: "Hurting people need our attention. They need our love." "We as Baptists – Fellowship kind of Baptists – are not going to celebrate the accomplishments of Baptists," Hall said. "We are going to be broken-hearted over the lost and the undone until every child has…the presence of God in their lives." CBF of Missouri’s first group trip to the KidsHeart Africa site in Kenya will be October 6-16, 2007. CBF of Missouri coordinator Harold Phillips and a group of 10-20 will travel to the Kilifi district in the Coast Province of Kenya to work with the Ngerenya Baptist Church and CBF field personnel Sam and Melody Harrell. Anticipated cost for the trip is $2,800 per person. Preceding the concert, CBF of Missouri hosted a Mission and Ministry Banquet, which highlighted how churches around the state are being the presence of Christ in different ways. Short testimonies and a video presentation focused on global mission efforts, rural poverty work with Together for Hope, disaster response, and service to communities. During the banquet, Scott Harrison, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit, shared about his recent trip to Kenya. Harrison was astounded by the depth of poverty and need in the country, and, in response, the church has raised nearly $50,000 to help a school in Nairobi’s Korogocho slum, which has 300,000 to 600,000 residents. |
Giving to CBF of
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