His Kingdom Collective

We believe the Church is a highly relational collective of mission-driven communities, and we're sent to embody Jesus as diverse expressions of His Kingdom.

Why Dallas?

Dallas may not be a city that comes to mind when considering where to plant churches; however, the needs here are significant. Considering population alone, the metroplex is more populous than 39 US states, and projections for population increase is approximately 2 million in the next 10 years. This growth is international, so as we consider "going to the nations" we'd be wise to consider the nations are here.With this population growth comes an increase in diversity of worldview and religious belief systems. Additionally, we have seen a tremendous shift within Christianity where there are individuals and families leaving the Church in droves. In cities like Dallas there are many reasons behind this reality, but we must consider those who were once a part of the Church, a growing population in need of missionaries. The de-churched are not a new people group by any means, but they are an increasingly common and diverse group. We feel uniquely positioned and gifted to reach this group who, somehow, remains unreached in a city full of churches.While supporting and networking with established churches we are aimed at being everyday missionaries in our city. His Kingdom Collective exists to equip, encourage, and resource disciple-making missionaries in Dallas. Together we learn the uniqueness of our cultural context, we identify people groups, we prayerfully consider what about the gospel is good news to them, and we set out to make the love of King Jesus known to the people of our city.

Oak Cliff

Oak Cliff is a diverse and densely populated neighborhood of Dallas (the southwestern portion of the city limits, south of I-30, south and west of the the Trinity River, and north of I-20). Every corner holds a story, each street unique and full of character, and in some ways it's indescribable. There is a rich history and vibrant mix of cultures, yet it all fits within a shared identity.Within this massive swath of land there are 70+ neighborhoods, around 10 zip codes, approximately a dozen high schools and an estimated population of over 300,000 people. These are based on a generous consideration of what locals consider to be “Oak Cliff.” It’s debatable, and even a bit contentious, where exactly boundary lines ought to be drawn.Around 60% of the neighborhood is black and brown (African descent and non-white Hispanic), and approximately one fifth are non-citizens and another tenth are non-US-born citizens. This provides opportunity to see a church that is not only generationally and economically diverse but racially and culturally as well.Only about 15% of the population has higher than high school education. Median Household income is around $45,000 (approx. 1/4 in poverty). As is often the case, with poverty comes higher crime rates, fewer resources, and lower access to basic needs like equitable quality of education, healthy food, and health care.Whatever the case, the neighborhood is rich with culture, history, pride. Despite some of the drawbacks, you’re unlikely to meet a resident who would prefer to live in another part of Dallas. There is that much love and hope for Oak Cliff.

Our Story

My name is Kendrick Banks, and I help lead and serve His Kingdom Collective. There is a long version of the story of how we got here, but for now, I'll give you the short one:In 2014 my wife, Amelia, and I joined a couple other families as the founding leaders of The Crossing Church in Monroe, Louisiana. From the beginning we knew we wanted to be a sending church—starting expressions of the Church wherever the Spirit led us. My six years as a pastor there were filled with challenges, growing pains, and an abundance of God's grace. There is much to celebrate, but we also felt led to consider if God was calling us elsewhere.We were partners with the Soma Family of Churches, a church planting network, so while still pastoring in Monroe, with the blessing of our church, we chose to enter an equipping process, called Soma Sending, to discern when and where we might be sent.It was in this two year process that it became evident Dallas is where we'd move—the neighborhood of Oak Cliff specifically. For over a year we made trips to Dallas, staying in the neighborhood and prayerfully considering where and when we'd move. We visited with families at playgrounds, we talked to baristas at coffee shops, we worshiped with local churches. Like missionaries we learned the context and grew in affection for the people of Oak Cliff.In the same season, I helped equip new leaders for The Crossing Church and handed off my responsibilities. In February 2020 I preached my last sermon in Monroe and our church celebrated (with some appropriate grief) sending us to Dallas.

We obviously did not anticipate a global pandemic would shut down the world a few weeks into our being in Dallas; however, it was evident God was not surprised. What we faced the next couple of years was one of the most challenging seasons of life for our family, but we also shared in celebrating the faithfulness of God in unique and beautiful ways. We had already planned to move slowly, putting roots down, starting a business, belonging to the neighborhood, but the pandemic both slowed us more and helped form a more refreshing and authentic vision for the church.About a dozen adults moved over from our former church in Louisiana to be with us on mission in Dallas, and we took our first few years to learn what it means to be human like Jesus is human. We gathered as community in simple yet meaningful ways to share in communion, read Scripture, and pray together. While building relationships with neighbors, local churches, and being a blessing in whatever spaces in which we found ourselves, our mission and vision was being cultivated and we began to equip disciple-makers according to that vision.In all our ways we are submitted to Jesus, the Head of the Church. We move at the pace of relationships while remaining agile enough to follow as the Spirit leads. And, because we have the same Father, we live every day as the family of God on the mission of God. A diverse group of individuals seeking to be a diverse group of missional communities who share a vision, eyes fixed on King Jesus, united as His Kingdom Collective.God is still writing the story. . .

Our Vision

We believe "vision" is more about what God opens our eyes to see than it is about where we imagine we ought to be going. So considering what He has shown us, how He has gifted us, and the ways in which He leads us:We envision being a collective of missional communities embodying the love of God as diverse expressions of the church.We are a Family of Servant Missionaries.
- God is our Father.
We are family, eternal siblings in the faith and spiritual mothers and fathers of one another in life.
- Jesus is our King.
We are members and servants of His body.
- The Spirit sends us.
We are filled, united, empowered, gifted, and sent by the Holy Spirit as missionaries wherever we go.

Our Mission

As citizens of His Kingdom, we seek to make disciples of Jesus with authentic presence and gospel intentionality.We believe the Church is a highly relational collective of mission-driven communities meant to embody Jesus as diverse expressions of His Kingdom.We share life where there is natural overlap, and we re-orient our everyday lives around mission. This results in disciples of Jesus making more disciples of Jesus in the everyday rhythms of life.We define a disciple as an individual growing in love, becoming more truly human, like Jesus, with Jesus. And we believe disciples of Jesus are made within community, because in diverse community we more fully represent the Body of Christ.

Our Beliefs & Values

We walk into the vision and live on mission with conviction and compassion. As a community, we are missionary partners united by creed, covenant, and communion. Trusting Jesus is our central and essential commonality, but we also align with the broader Church in agreement with the Apostles' Creed and the Lausanne Covenant Manila Manifesto.Additionally, we're guided by four core values that both unite us as a unique expression of the Church and propel us to a life on mission in our particular context.

Gospel | Justice | Harmony | Being Truly Human

1. Gospel______________
Fluency | Saturation - We seek to see all things as they fit into the story of God. As we grow to be fluent in the gospel we are more aware of what God is doing in the world and how we are to join Him on mission. The world, and all that's in it, has been broken by sin and in need of renewal. The gospel is our only hope for restoration, so we seek to saturate all of life with the good news of the power and presence of Jesus.2. Justice______________
We believe justice is inextricably linked to righteousness found in Jesus. This is both a vertical and horizontal work of God. Therefore, as we are reconciled to God, we become reconcilers in the world and ambassadors for His Kingdom. Just as the presence of Jesus brought healing and life, we believe, the presence of His Church brings healing and life to the world. Wherever there is injustice we have passion to see justice. Though we will not see a complete restoration until He returns, this work of justice is wrapped up in the gospel work of His people.3. Harmony______________
We believe the more diverse the body of Christ is the more we both experience and express the fullness of God. We also believe the Spirit of God brings all this diversity together in a unity that is more like harmony than it is unison. Every individual has a story and a purpose, and we as a people are the body of Christ. We keep our uniqueness, but move in one accord. The two ways this value is intentionally lived out is growing in relationships and the honoring of our diversity.Healthy Relationships :
Interdependence - vulnerability and familial intimacy; working together to carry burdens while encouraging and equipping one another to grow in maturity.
Mutuality - shared values, purpose, passion, and compassion
Solidarity - strength of unity, knit together and sent together, loyal to the King.Unity with Diversity :
- Giftedness - one body with many parts, each gift shared and honored
- Gender - men and women are uniquely yet equally called and empowered by the Spirit to share in the mission and contribute to the health of the family. We are united as spiritual sisters and brothers, and care for one another as spiritual mothers and fathers.
- Ethnic - one people for all people; seeking to be as racially diverse as our context.
- Generational - wisdom of the old and the energy of the young
- Socioeconomic - we are blessed to bless, and the more we are united we are dependent on less.4. Being Truly Human__________
Jesus humbled Himself and became a human. In so doing, He showed us what it means to regain our place in the created order, that we'd no long reach beyond ourselves seeking to be God, nor would we bury ourselves in shame. Rather, we grow to be right-sized, learning to be truly human like Jesus and with Jesus. For us this comes with three focuses:Holistic Health :
We are whole beings, so we seek physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual health.Humility and Honesty :
We are growing in awareness of our limits and confessing our neediness.Being before Doing :
Trusting in the resurrection, we recognize our fight to survive is filled with doing what keeps us living for ourselves and our kingdoms. So we intentionally focus on being with God, filled by His love until there is an overflow of that love into the lives of those around us. There is still doing, but it necessarily flows from right being. The lives we live are in Christ and for Christ.

Our Plan

Living as the people of God, every day of the week, we seek to see all of life saturated by the good news of what Jesus has done and is doing in the world. This results in disciples of Jesus being equipped to make more disciples. That's the mission, to see His Kingdom come.These disciple-making groups are our missional communities. As we grow, pastors will function as shepherds of the church by caring for souls; teachers will teach the Word applying the truth to our context; and apostles, evangelists, and prophets will play their role in mobilizing and equipping the saints for the work of ministry and multiplication.Rather than casting a singular narrow vision and calling the whole church to come along and follow it, we have a broad vision that calls each missional community to function as a micro-church, sensing the Lord's guidance and following the Spirit into a particular mission. This may result in multiple missional communities living somewhat autonomously on mission in their neighborhoods, partnered with non-profits, or even establishing non-profits themselves. Some will offer mercy ministry to the unhoused individuals in our neighborhood. Some will befriend and care for families with special needs. Others will engage internationals and immigrants. And the task of church leaders will be to equip, encourage, resource, and care for the souls of these missional community leaders.His Kingdom Collective, a collective of missional communities functioning as decentralized expressions of one church. When we gather it will be to celebrate what God is doing in and through our lives as missionaries.Our church isn't primarily about programs and events, and our membership is more about contribution than consumption, but we are still a family, loving and serving one another, growing in the rhythms and practices of a people who look like Jesus.Partnerships
- Soma Family of Churches
- Tribe Collective
- Various local churches and pastors are relational and spiritual partners.

How You Can Partner

1. Prayer Support:
We believe the Lord works as the saints pray. We ask that you commit to pray regularly for us, the people of Oak Cliff, and for continual wisdom and patience living out the mission. The affirmation that you are with us in spirit will be cherished. We’ll continue to send updates and prayer needs through our newsletter. If you’d like to be subscribed hit the button at the bottom of this page.If you'd like, you can send some encouragement now. Just click here.2. Financial Support:
To further establish and sustain our church plant we’ll need ongoing financial resources. Your contributions will go towards a general budget that frees us to bless our community and provide for the needs of those we serve (this budget can be made available upon request). We also seek to invest in equipping and training our members as missionaries.Our people have a lot to offer, but currently financial support isn’t abundant, and given our context it’s difficult to determine when/if it will be. In light of this, there is also the option of supporting the Banks Family directly. We’re seeking to raise a salary—like an international missionary—to enable us to continue moving at the pace of the Spirit without presenting our growing church with the full weight of this burden.Our Goal:
For 2024 we'll need to raise ~$5,000/month.
Thinking of that as 100 donors giving $50/month may help you consider how to contribute. Some will give more, some less, but anything would help.No contribution is too small, even a gift as a gesture of solidarity will be meaningful; but, for your prayerful consideration, we are seeking both one time gifts and reoccurring gifts. If you'd like to give reoccurring sign-up and let us know here, so we can budget accordingly. Thank you!All donations are tax deductible, and links are at the bottom and top of this page.3. Open Doors:
We’d be grateful if you would consider reaching out on our behalf to help us build connections for support with donors and intercessors within your network. We believe in Kingdom collaboration and we know God’s resources are not limited, so we want to be faithful to ask for the help from whomever may be willing and able to show it. I’d also be willing to speak directly with your pastor or congregation about this work if that’s a possibility.Your support, whether through prayer or financial contribution, brings glory to King Jesus. Together, we are His Kingdom Collective.

We'd love to connect!

Please feel free to contact us with any questions, prayers, and/or encouragements. We'd love to hear from you.Also, if you're in the neighborhood, you're invited to join us for a gathering. Shoot us a message and we'll share more about what that looks like.

Thank You

We're glad to have you join us on the mission. Your prayers are invaluable.