Good Faith Network
CALL-TO-ACTION
If you live in Lenexa and are willing to make public comment in favor of the Homeless Services Center, Good Faith Network would like to facilitate that for you! Fill out this form to let us know that you are ready to speak up!
Lenexa City Council will be voting on the Special Use Permit for the Homeless Services Center in its September 17 meeting and Good Faith Network aims to ensure that the amount of public commenters be overwhelmingly positive, leaving no doubt for City Council that the community supports this is a much-needed initiative to make Johnson County a better, safer place.
Read on to see the latest update on the Homeless Services Center!
Good Faith Network Kicks Off Fourth Annual Listening Process… With A BANG
Aug. 26th– Good Faith Network kicked off the annual Listening Process at Lenexa United Methodist Church with a training event for team leaders!
Team Leaders received new materials to help keep them organized and track their power building throughout the year, and materials needed to host their own listening session. They were also all informed that this year Good Faith Network will be voting on a new issue campaign! We need as many voices as possible to participate in this year’s listening sessions, so we can gather some of the most popular concerns people have within Johnson County.
Over the past 3 years, Good Faith Network has made leaps of progress with the existing issues of mental healthcare, affordable housing, and ending homelessness. Although these issues are not quite solved, Good Faith Network can see the finish line more than ever before. For this reason, we are ready to take on another issue for Good Faith Network to solve! The new issue will be voted on at this year’s Community Problems Assembly (CPA).
Network members– now that the listening process has commenced, reach out to your team leader for information on your congregation’s listening session dates!
This year’s Listening Process Kick-Off (LPKO) also proved to be different from the years’ past. For the first time ever, this year’s kick-off was hosted by a non-member congregation. Lenexa UMC is still discerning GFN membership, but they were kind enough to lend us their space in the meantime.
The reason?
This year’s LPKO immediately transitioned into a collective action!
Lenexa Planning Commission Takes a Vote on the Homeless Services Center
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Aug. 26th– With dozens of Johnson County residents spilling out of the conference room and into the lobby of Lenexa City Hall, the Lenexa Planning Commission prepared to hear the presentations for the evening that would inform their decision on whether they feel reStart, the Kansas City-based nonprofit organization that aims to tackle homelessness in communities, should be granted the Special Use Permit needed to utilize the abandoned La Quinta Inn Hotel off of 95th & i35.
Familiar anti-shelter cartoons blown up big enough on some oversized banner caught the eye of spectators (examples of these circulating cartoons can be seen here), but Good Faith Network showed up with its own tour de force, as well.
Following the Listening Process Kick-off, approximately 150 team leaders and network members showed up in support of the Homeless Services Center, donning Good Faith Network shirts and buttons while waving paper hearts proclaiming “YES HSC” in the midst of tightly packed bodies. Good Faith Network aims to love out loud as visibly as possible, and this was no different!
Out of immense love the network feels for our fellow neighbors, especially the most vulnerable within our community, Lenexa-resident members of the Good Faith Network also gave public comments at the planning commission meeting.
Our spokespeople for the evening were the brave Melissa Guinto of Redemption Church, Mark Mears of Resurrection, Renee Loya of Salem Lutheran, Reverend Ali Haynes of Indian Heights UMC, and Jim Schmidt of Redemption Church and Project 1020.
These public commenters touched points on the county’s redlining past, how businesses thrive when homeless people are housed, and how much the faith leaders of Johnson County approve of this initiative, after many years of faith communities witnessing the shortcomings that came with trying to help the homeless population.
Thank you to these courageous speakers for representing the Good Faith Network, standing up for Johnson County’s vulnerable communities, and praying with your feet!
Out of 60 speakers, the comments in favor of the shelter outnumbered the comments against the shelter. But by the end of the meeting (at 12:30am, to be exact!) the Lenexa Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend denial of reStart the Special Use Permit to remodel the La Quinta.
However, the push for the Homeless Services Center is still not over!
On Sept. 17, the Lenexa City Council will be the final vote in determining if reStart is granted the Special Use Permit.
Good Faith Network will show up bolder than it ever has before. And you can help us achieve it.
If you are Lenexa-based Good Faith Network member and you believe that Johnson County’s homeless population deserve to be housed as the first step to transforming their lives, fill out this form here so we can facilitate your being a public commenter. Good Faith Network staff will provide you with support to assist you in crafting your statement.
Together, we can create a voice so big at Lenexa City Hall, that it can’t be ignored!
Keep scrolling to check out the Good Faith Network members who showed up at Lenexa City Hall!:
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What’s Next?Lenexa City Council Votes on the Homeless Services Center Not only does Good Faith Network plan on showing up to the City Council Vote, but we will also be holding a Prayer Vigil right outside City Hall where network members can show up! Prayer Vigil WHEN: Tuesday Sept. 17th @ 6PM WHERE: Commons Outdoor Stage (pending City of Lenexa approval – this is on the plaza outside City Hall) 17101 W 87th St Pkwy, Lenexa, KS 66219 Lenexa City Council Vote WHEN: Tuesday Sept. 17th @ 7PM (please plan on showing up at 6:30 if you can’t attend the Prayer Vigil to ensure you get a good spot inside City Hall!) WHERE: Inside Lenexa City Hall (17101 W 87th St Pkwy, Lenexa, KS 66219) *MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FIRST GOOD FAITH NETWORK EVENT OF THE YEAR* Community Problem Assembly WHEN: Sunday Nov. 3rd @ 3PM-4:30PM WHERE: Congregation Beth Torah (6100 W 127th St, Overland Park, KS 66209) *CARPOOLING IS ENCOURAGED* |
2025 Good Faith Network Calendar is OUT NOW
