Our Story

We created a safe space for our youth.

Following the murder of a few youth in and around Redmond Park, a task force was formed in 2016. They are called SET (Creating Safe, Equitable, and Thriving Communities). SET stated that violence among youth in Cedar Rapids is a complex problem that, at its root, is caused by a sense of disconnectedness, hopelessness, and despair exacerbated by the relative lack of opportunities and adequate resources. These issues are coupled with easy access to weapons, which can lead to a negative environment for the youth to grow up in.

Looking at the statistics and information provided by the community and SET, we believe Cedar Rapids desperately needs a safe space for these teenagers to receive encouragement, learn life skills, and discover effective ways to find jobs. Help us bring hope to the Wellington Heights (WH), Mound View, and Oak Hill Jackson communities.

 

Core Focus

Vision: Kingdom community center exists to invest god’s love in the youth of our community.

Mission: To build up youth to find their purpose in christ to impact their community.

Core Values

Character

  • Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. phillipians. 4:8

OpporTUNITY

  • we have been called to live in freedom but don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

Relationship

  • above all, keep loving others earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 peter 4:8

eternity

  • for god so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

 

What KCC Believes

  • We believe the people of WH and MV have tremendous value which is why we are specifically focused on this community in coordinated programming to provide opportunity and hope.

  • We believe WH and MV have tremendous potential which is why we're focusing on providing after-school programs, a computer lab, gym and job training. We're doing this because we found these are the things that need to happen to create a thriving community.

  • We believe change happens when neighbor works with neighbor which is why all the staff will be required to live in the neighborhood.

  • We believe change happens when we raise up the youth which is why we want to create a place for students to be encouraged.

  • We believe that poverty is defined by broken relationships with God, with self, with others and with the rest of creation.