Why the Barn was Magic

If you’ve been worshipping at Kaw Prairie for any amount of time now, you’ve heard about the Christmas Eve “Barn Service” again and again, I’m sure. For the last 6 Christmases, Kaw Prairie has made a ministry of presenting these Christmas Eve services to families in the west suburban communities—and beyond (attendees have told me they fly back to KC just in time to catch the late service!) Each year, a playful, kid-friendly drama about the newborn Jesus anchors the service, and a short message, Gospel-reading and candle-lit carols bring it to a touching, sometimes even sublime conclusion.

And each year, hundreds of people, sometimes over a thousand, drove out to rural DeSoto and its historic Kill Creek Farm Barn. They were there to celebrate the birth of the Savior, to build a family Christmas memory, to enjoy the Kaw Prairie worship service—and to bask in the rustic simplicity and gratitude the century-old timber exuded.

Part of the barn’s magic was its proprietor, lovable old Mr. Zimmerman, the former DeSoto middle-school social studies teacher, who purchased the old Gardner, KS barn ten years ago, organized the Amish craftsmen to disassemble, transport, and re-build it. Darrel spent the last ten years growing the relocated treasure into a community magnet for children, families, school field trips, farmers’ markets, weddings, meetings, and yes, Kaw Prairie worship services!

Year after year, new Kaw Prairiers would share with me, “Well, I came first to the Barn Service a couple years ago, and then finally I thought I’d come visit the church that started it all.” And year after year, the Gospel of Jesus Christ got proclaimed amid the huddled, eager families and the frosted strawbales. Grandparents would fly to Kansas City to see it with their grandkids. Divorcing parents would have their hearts melted by their children’s wonder, and thank God for the spirit of shalom that filled them. And grizzled old men would hold back tears as the love of Jesus Christ washed away the shame and pain of life and Christmases past.

But after a tornado blew down the barn this past spring, we faced a choice: give up on the barn service, or try to help Mr. Zimmerman rebuild it. We opted for the latter, deciding to “move the service indoors” in an effort to keep the spirit sparking while the Rebuild the Barn fund inched up far enough to launch the effort.

So this year, your Kaw Prairie family invites you to anchor your Christmas celebrations at your crazy church—the one that has an outdoor Barn Service indoors in its gym. There’ll be some strawbales to sit on (or our regular padded chairs if you prefer), hot cider and coffee, and yes, Darrel’s farm animals in the corner of the room. After a 15-minute Christmas Carol sing-along before each service, you’ll be treated to a playful, kid-friendly drama called The Big Event, in which the angelic singing group, the Heavenly Host, just scored an invitation to sing at a "Big Event" that God is planning. The service changes gears as the fast-paced play concludes and the mood turns more serious –with a brief Christmas message, a child’s reading of the Gospel, and candlelit carol-singing of Silent Night and more.

And at the service’s very end, we’ll all be challenged to give a Christmas offering to help Mr. Zimmerman rebuild the historic barn—and incarnate the love of Jesus Christ in a rough and tumble world—where even Saviors and barn services can struggle to find a home.

I hope to see you at worship on Christmas Eve—11am, 1pm, 4pm or 6pm. And I pray that this week, you’ll be praying about the one the Holy Spirit is calling you to invite to join you in celebrating the birth of the One who changed the world. And if you’ve got a Barn Service story or photo to share, please email it to me at pastordan@kawprairie.org. I’d love to pass them on to Mr. Zimmerman!