Project Plan
After nearly 20 years, the Friendship Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri is poised to make real our vision of a state-of-the-art space dedicated to Christian education for children and youth. The new one story, 7,750-square foot Emanuel Lisk Center for Youth Development will be designed to blend seamlessly with the brick exterior of our existing church.
Emanuel Lisk Center for Youth Development, view from northwest
Key Features
- Eight new classrooms, one for kindergarteners, two rooms for primary students that feature a movable partition wall, and two junior-high, one senior-high, and two general-use classrooms for workshops, conferences and other special events
- Three Restrooms, all handicap accessible, with appropriate amenities for men, women and toddlers
- A 125-seat multimedia-enabled chapel featuring enhanced acoustics for smaller worship services, weddings, and community events, and movable partition walls to further divide the space for breakout sessions and other small-scale meeting needs
Emanuel Lisk Center for Youth Development, floor plan, Spring 2023.
The center will be readily accessible to the existing building through an enclosed hallway. The architect of record, Mantel Teter and general contractor, Kelly Construction Group continue to partner with the FBC Emanuel Lisk Project Committee to ensure the final product will meet the needs of Friendship’s vibrant congregation today and well into the future.
The Emanuel Lisk Center is slated to open in the fall of 2024.
Who Was Emanuel Lisk
Emanuel Lisk was born June 24, 1889 in Brookhaven, Mississippi. An Army veteran who received his formal education at the historic Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, Lisk served his country abroad in Bordeaux, France. At the age of 36, on November 25, 1925, Lisk married Elizabeth Price in Kansas City, Missouri.
Deacon Emanuel Lisk served as general superintendent of the Friendship Baptist Church Sunday School ministry for more than 35 years. During his tenure, the ministry flourished, growing from three individual classes to a full-fledged Sunday School department with nine classes, trained teachers and a consistent curriculum. Lisk’s Christian service also included Chairman of Friendship Baptist Deacons, and District President of the Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress. He was known as a profound bible scholar, whose favorite hymn was “Trust and Obey.”
Lisk lived in Kansas City for more than 55 years until March 19, 1977, when he was called home to be with the Lord. Emanuel Lisk was 87 years old. Our new Youth Development Center will be a testament to his leadership, vision and unwavering passion for Christian education.
Our Timeline
In 2006, Friendship Baptist Church of Kansas City Pastor James A. Terrance, Jr., paused during morning worship to share a dream God had given him of an opulent, full-service facility dedicated to Christian education for the community’s children and youth. Check out our Timeline to Glory to follow the path that has finally put that dream on track to becoming a reality.
Ways to Give
WAYS TO GIVE
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.” Pastor Max Lucado, best-selling Christian author
For nearly 20 years, Friendship Baptist Church of Kansas City members have been faithfully supporting a capital campaign to fund a new facility dedicated to Christian education. Through their generosity, the church has already made significant progress towards securing the estimated $2.9M needed to bring the Emanuel Lisk Center for Youth Development to life.
But our work is not done. We still need help from members, families, friends and the community to secure a legacy that will ensure our youth have access to high-quality Christian education for years to come. Whether you give $1, $10,000 or more, your support enhances our ability to use faith-based teaching and training to empower our youth to grow spiritually, worship boldly and live prayerfully.
Ways to Give
1. Make a pledge.
Pick up a pledge card from the Lisk Center information table in the church lobby and sign up to commit to a specific amount.
Pledge Levels
- Legacy Builder: $10,000 and above
- Visionary Partner: $7,500 to $9,999
- Classroom Dedicator: $4,500 to $7,499
- Tree of Life: $1,000 to $4,499
- Gideon’s Faithful: $540 to $999
- Cheerful Giver: $1 to $539
Not sure how much you’ve contributed to date? Fill out an Emanuel Lisk Contribution Request Form and place it in the box in the church lobby, or email it to .
2. Use regular giving options.
Request a special Lisk Center envelope, or enter your contribution amount on the “Building Fund” line of the standard offering envelope; text your amount and our ministry name, i.e., “$50 Lisk,” to 816-226-4618; or give digitally online or through the “Giving” link in the Friendship Baptist Church KCMO mobile app. Simply select “Lisk Building Fund” from the drop-down menu and follow the instructions.
Questions? Email for complete pledge level descriptions or other information.
