A new church plant project, and more!
Hello Everyone!
We at the KKF pray that 2021 is going well for you. In some respects it seems very similar to last year with the pandemic still impacting most parts of the world. In Rome, Italy we are once again in lockdown. This time last year we would have never imagined that in a year's time we would once again be in lockdown. Yet here we are! God is sovereign, however, and his timing and his plan are perfect for all aspects of life, and certainly a global pandemic does not escape his sovereignty. That is the hope for the church and for the believer; knowing that God is always at work and always has a plan.
We would like to share a few updates concerning the KKF's involvement in ministry initiatives in Italy. Please rejoice with us in what the Lord is doing through your generosity and through His goodness and grace.
Our mission is still to serve and support the local church in whatever way possible. Decisions on how to contribute to ministry are made together with the local church, and we are always careful that our service in no way creates long-term dependency.
It is also true that all initiatives and ideas do not always turn out the way we hope they will. For example, last year the KKF decided to fund the translation of a Ravi Zacharias book into Italian to commemorate his life and ministry. We had invested 1500 euro into the project when the news about Ravi's moral failures came to light. The publishing house here in Italy that we work with understandably decided to halt the project, and that is where it stands. Ravi is no longer with us, but his sin that he chose to hide continues to have consequences.
But there is some really good news to share as well! Our small network of churches in Rome recently announced plans for a new church plant project! In January 2010 Breccia di Roma was planted in the city center of Rome. The Karrfamily would join the church later in the year. In September 2018 Breccia di Roma San Paolo was planted, in the neighborhood of San Paolo. Reid was the founding pastor of the church plant, and now serves alongside Gianluca Piccirillo. Lord willing the new church plant project will be in the neighborhood of Trionfale (Triumphant). The Karr family will leave Breccia San Paolo and Reid will be the founding pastor of the plant. They will be joined by a young Italian family from Breccia di Roma in city center. They are Raffaele and Chiara, and they have a one-year-old daughter named Sarah (see photo below). The idea is for the families to move to the Trionfale neighborhood in September of this year, before the school year begins, so as to begin establishing a presence and getting to know people. The actual church plant will launch (again, Lord willing!) in September of 2022.
The location of the neighborhood of Trionfale is VERY strategic. It is basically in the shadow of the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica, and in the direct vicinity of the Vatican. If you care to look on Google Maps, it is near the metro stops Cipro and Ottaviano. The easiest thing to do is look for Vatican City!
Once the families have moved to Trionfale, both Breccia churches will collaborate together for evangelistic events in the area. The Karrs will continue to attend and serve at Breccia di Roma San Paolo, and Raffaele, Chiara and Sarah will continue to attend Breccia di Roma in the city center of Rome until the church launch. Certainly more news will be shared about this project in the coming months and year, but the KKF will have plenty of opportunities to contribute to the new church plant. Please rejoice with us! This is very exciting!
Your generosity has continued to contribute to the theological development of our church members and leaders. Both Reid and Gianluca (the elders of Breccia di Roma S. Paolo), are students at Union School of Theology in Oxford, England. The KKF has contributed to their theological studies, which has been a huge blessing to them and the churches and networks they serve. The KKF also continues to support our pastoral residency programs, and the Lord continues to provide new candidates, which is a tremendous blessing and a huge reason for praise. In order to see more churches planted in Rome and throughout Italy, we need leaders and pastors that are theologically sound and well trained. The pastoral residency program contributes to that vision. Key partners of the KKF, such as the Journey Church in Lebanon, TN, and Cumberland Fellowship in Crossville, TN, have been and are important contributors to this program.
In the coming weeks we will be launching an updated version of the KKF website. We are migrating from Wordpress to Square space, which we believe will provide for a more user-friendly experience for our supporters. Our partner and collaborator Clay Kannard has been hard at work on this, and we will be sure to let you know once we make the switch.
Please prayerfully consider becoming a monthly donor to the Kyra KarrFoundation. As we work towards growing our capacity to serve and support church planting and ministry initiatives in Italy, and as more opportunities present themselves, monthly donors afford us the opportunity to plan ahead and know our capacity for contributing to projects. However please do not sign up for recurring donations before we launch the new website. Part of the appeal of the new site will be a more user-friendly donation experience. Again, we will let you know once that is ready.
Thank you all for your support of the KKF. We take your support seriously and do our best to steward your generosity well.
More news to come! To God be all the glory.
Sincerely,
The KKF
