Belong, Be Curious, Be Courageous on Prairie View Road
Platte Woods Church has stood along Prairie View Road in the Kansas City Northland for more than six decades, and the spirit of welcome that shaped its earliest days still defines its ministry. A United Methodist congregation rooted in the Missouri Annual Conference, Platte Woods has grown from a neighborhood church into a multi-site community with a preschool, a Saturday gathering called Riverside United, and an active slate of mission partnerships that reach from Parkville to Pine Ridge and Guatemala.
The congregation is known for three words: Belong, Be Curious, Be Courageous. Those words shape everything from the welcome desk on a Sunday morning to the Justice Ministry Team that meets on Wednesday evenings. Platte Woods is intentional about creating a spiritual home where every person, especially those who have been kept out, is fully welcomed and included. The church affirms the full participation of LGBTQ+ individuals in every aspect of its life, including worship, membership, marriage, leadership, and ministry. Members of the Justice Ministry Team voted in February 2023 to become a Reconciling Ministry through the Reconciling Ministries Network.
The mission statement is plain: Inviting all people into full life together in Jesus Christ. Around that mission, the staff and congregation organize their common life around four shared spiritual practices, Gather, Grow, Give, and Go. Worship and sacraments make up the GATHER side of the rhythm. GrowGroups, Scripture study, and prayer shape the GROW side. Sabbath rest, financial generosity, and serving with one's time and gifts fill in GIVE. GO covers acts of mercy, acts of justice, and pilgrimage, from a Saturday morning food pantry shift to a summer trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation. Lead Pastor Yvi Martin says the point is that practices change people: Our beliefs don't change us. Our practices do.
Worship on Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Afternoons
Platte Woods offers three weekly services at its main campus on Prairie View Road, plus a Saturday evening gathering at the second site.
The 9:30 AM Modern service takes place in the Worship Center and features contemporary music led by a rotating team of volunteer musicians. Screens, lyrics, and a relaxed atmosphere set the tone. A section of seating in the back left corner is reserved for middle and high school students, complete with coloring sheets, fidget toys, and snacks.
The 11:00 AM Traditional service is held in the Sanctuary, with music led by the choir and select instruments. The feel is more formal, but visitors are welcome in whatever they happen to be wearing. Platte Woods centers belonging above conforming: jeans and t-shirts sit comfortably next to suits, and the church notes that during football season many members wear red.
On Wednesdays at 1:30 PM, an intimate Midweek Chapel service takes place in the Sanctuary. The congregation sings traditional hymns, shares joys and concerns, and hears a short sermon from one of the pastors. The Wednesday service is a quieter gathering that has become a favorite for retirees and anyone looking for a smaller, reflective setting in the middle of the week.
Worship at Platte Woods typically lasts about an hour and includes music, prayer, preaching, baptisms, and communion. All three services include the same sermon for the week, with different supporting music and elements. Visitors who need to get up and move during worship are welcome to step into the gathering space at any point, and families with young children can use the Wiggle Room in the back of the Sanctuary, which has audio and large windows so worshippers can still follow along.
Both Sunday services are livestreamed and are available afterwards in the Sermon Archive, where several years of message series are organized for on-demand viewing. The church also publishes weekly sermons, devotional content, and conversation shows as a podcast on Spotify.
Riverside United: A Saturday Gathering at Walden Middle School
In recent years, Platte Woods launched a second worship community called Riverside United, which meets at Walden Middle School on Saturdays at 5:05 PM. The address is 4701 NW 56th St in Kansas City, and the community describes itself with three commitments lifted straight from the larger church: No asterisks. No exceptions. You belong at Riverside United.
Jess Horsley, the Site Pastor, and Reyna Smith, the RU Coordinator, lead the work of building relationships in the Riverside neighborhood. The Saturday gathering is intentionally designed for people who are new to church, exploring faith for the first time, or looking for a community beyond Sunday morning. As one church in two sites, Riverside United shares Platte Woods' mission, vision, and spiritual practices, but with its own relaxed, conversational feel.
Parking is available in both the front and back lots of Walden Middle School. The back (bus) entrance is recommended, as it offers the shortest walk and the most accessible route for wheelchair users and others who prefer an easier entry. A Welcome Team greets visitors at both entrances.
Beyond Sunday worship, Riverside United runs a steady menu of GrowGroups. A men's Tuesday night movie group meets at AMC Barrywoods; a men's Thursday morning Bible study gathers at Corner Cafe in Riverside; a women's and non-binary Crafting Corner meets regularly; and a six-week support group for parents of adult children runs three times a year. There is also a trivia team that meets at Strange Days, and a Curious Conversations group that meets on Mondays at 7:00 PM at Corner Cafe Riverside.
Sacraments: An Open Table and Baptisms for All Ages
Platte Woods recognizes the two sacraments that the United Methodist Church has long named as such: baptism and communion. Both are practiced in ways that reflect the congregation's commitment to belonging.
Communion is celebrated with an open table. Anyone and everyone who wishes to know and experience God's love and grace is welcome to receive the bread and juice. The sacrament is part of every Sunday worship service in some form, and Platte Woods pastors and worship team members also carry communion to homebound members through the Congregational Care Ministers.
Baptism is available to people of all ages, and baptisms take place in worship on the fourth Sundays of each month. Baptism training is offered on the second Sunday of each month, and a family does not need to attend training the same month as the baptism. People can be baptized by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling, and the church provides a Baptism Request Form to begin the process. Platte Woods does not re-baptize those who have already received Christian baptism in any tradition that baptizes in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Beyond Sunday morning, Platte Woods pastors and the worship team host a Wexford Communion Service at Wexford Place Assisted Living on the first Sunday of each month at 2:00 PM. The service includes song, prayer, devotion, and communion for residents who might not otherwise be able to attend worship.
GrowGroups and Spiritual Formation
Platte Woods uses the term GrowGroups for its small groups and Sunday morning classes. The umbrella includes small groups that meet on Sunday mornings, weeknight Bible studies, topical classes, men's and women's groups, and other small group spiritual formation opportunities. Many GrowGroups continue the conversation from the previous weekend's sermon; others dig into a different topic relevant to faith and daily life.
Life is best experienced in community, the church teaches, and so GrowGroups are designed to be a place where members share joys, concerns, celebrations, burdens, questions, and ideas. New groups form each year between September and April. Examples of current offerings include Curious Conversations on Monday evenings in Riverside, Finding the Light for adults navigating difficult seasons, a Parents of Adult Kids support group, a Tuesday night movie group for men, and a Thursday morning Bible study for men at Corner Cafe Riverside.
Spiritual Formation at Platte Woods is broader than small groups. Director of Spiritual Formation Candace Shaw oversees a wide range of resources organized around the four practices. Recommended books on prayer include Paths to Prayer by Patricia D. Brown and A Rhythm of Prayer edited by Sarah Bessey. For mindfulness and presence, Right Here, Right Now by Amy G. Oden is a staff favorite. Curated reading picks for every season of the church year address Scripture, Sabbath, giving, justice, and pilgrimage.
PWKids: Birth Through Fifth Grade
PWKids is the children's ministry for children from birth through fifth grade. Director Mandy Phillips and a team of screened, registered volunteers lead a secure, computerized check-in system that assigns each family a security code worn by both child and parent. Check-in stations for all ages are located on the main floor, and the same expectation of safety runs through every ministry that serves children and youth at Platte Woods.
At the 9:30 AM service, families worship together until about 9:45 AM, when children in kindergarten through fifth grade are called to exit the Worship Center and taken to their small group rooms. At the 11:00 AM service, those same ages meet in the Kid Central room, with check-in beginning at 10:45 AM.
Babies and toddlers up to age two are cared for in the crib nursery and toddler rooms on the lower level. The nursery is filled with music, story time, and interactive play, and opens for both Sunday worship services, with check-in beginning fifteen minutes before each service.
Preschoolers experience circle time, music, crafts, and games. Kindergarten through third grade experience high-energy worship, engaging Bible stories, and small group activities. The ministry for fourth and fifth graders is called Route 45, designed for the preteen years when many young people begin asking deeper questions about faith. Route 45 offers a fun, encouraging environment where students can begin applying Bible truths to school, friendships, and family life.
PWYouth: Middle and High School
PWYouth is the student ministry for grades six through twelve, led by Director of Student Ministry Janessa Aston. The program's mission echoes the larger church: inviting all students into full life together in Jesus Christ.
On Sunday nights during the school year from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, students gather for PWYouth Night. The hour and a half is divided into group games and activities, large group teaching, and small groups by grade. The small groups are led by caring adults who walk with students on their spiritual journey.
Sunday mornings at the 9:30 AM service, students are invited to sit together in the back left corner of the Worship Center. Coloring sheets, fidget toys, and snacks are waiting. The student section is reserved seating, but visitors are welcome to sit with family instead, or simply stop by to grab a snack.
A Confirmation Class meets on Sundays at 11:00 AM for students in grades eight through twelve. The class helps students dive deeper into faith and culminates in students taking their own baptism vows and becoming full voting members of the United Methodist Church. The class runs annually, beginning in January.
Special events throughout the year include high-energy weeks at church camp, fall retreats centered around s'mores and small groups, Saturday morning service projects followed by swim time, and local gatherings like small group ice cream outings. Scholarships are available so that any student can participate.
Care Ministry: Walking Through Life Together
Care Ministry at Platte Woods is led by Care Pastor Cassie O'Brien. The work is built around the conviction that the ministry of care is at the heart of everything the church does: intentionally creating spaces where everyone can share struggles and celebrations and experience belonging.
Congregational Care Ministers (CCMs) are volunteers who work alongside the pastors to provide Christ-like care. They visit the sick, take communion to homebound members, and pray with those who are struggling. The Care Teams include people who make prayer shawls, write cards, take communion to members, and pray for the congregation's many joys and sorrows.
A Living with Loss Support Group provides support and connection for anyone going through a season of grief. No registration is needed to attend in person; a Zoom link is available by request.
Platte Woods pastors officiate funerals for church members and associated persons of the congregation. Funeral Guidelines are available, and Pastor Cassie O'Brien coordinates arrangements.
For neighbors facing material hardship, the church maintains a Direct Assistance Intake Form and a Community Resource List that points to local partners such as the Northland Human Services Directory, A Turning Point, the Greater KC Coalition to End Homelessness, the Southern Platte Emergency Assistance Center, Hillcrest Platte County, the Missouri Department of Social Assistance, and the 988 crisis line. The church is upfront that it is not currently resourced to provide emergency assistance directly; instead, it works to connect people with organizations that can.
Justice Ministry: Inclusion, Race Relations, and Organizing
The Platte Woods Justice Ministry Team (JMT) organizes around the prophet Micah's call: To do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. The team is made up of three working committees.
The Inclusion Committee explores how the church can become a place where all people are celebrated and fully included in the life of the church, including members of the queer community. The committee partners with community groups and supports local organizations doing the work of LGBTQIA+ rights.
The Race Relations Committee brings opportunities for learning about race relations in the United States. Resources have included the Missouri Conference's Faith and Race Podcast, the book White Fragility, and studies of redlining and its continuing impact on people of color.
The Northland Organizing Committee uses the practice of one-to-one relational meetings to build relationships with local community and Christian leaders in the Kansas City area and to explore justice for the common good in the greater metro. The committee is led by Dr. Tex Sample.
Throughout the year, the Justice Ministry Team hosts classes, speakers, and events around issues of justice. Director of Missions Brandi Molina connects the team's work to the church's broader service and outreach efforts.
Serve: From Kansas City to Pine Ridge and Guatemala
Platte Woods has traditionally set aside one Saturday each month, called Saturday GO Serve, as a day for the congregation to serve together with ministry partners. The rhythm is built on the idea that serving is a spiritual practice, not just a volunteer activity.
Locally, the church partners with several organizations. Through Della Lamb Community Services, the House to Home Team furnishes homes for newly arrived refugee and evacuee families, always collecting donations and coordinating logistics. The church supports Hillcrest Platte County, a transitional housing ministry that helps families and individuals, including those experiencing homelessness or leaving domestic violence situations. Since 2019, Platte Woods has partnered with CarePortal to connect church members with families and children in the community who have immediate needs, ranging from household items to bill assistance. The church also runs the Southern Platte Emergency Assistance Center (SPEAC) pantry on Tuesdays from 9:45 AM to noon, plus second Saturdays every two to three months, training new volunteers each time. The pantry operates on the lower level of Parkville Presbyterian Church across from Park University's soccer field.
The church hosts quarterly blood drives with the Community Blood Center, supporting patients in local hospitals.
Internationally, Platte Woods has served the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota for many years, supporting local organizations and ministries that serve the Lakota people. The church collects prom dresses and men's dress clothing before prom season and school supplies before the start of the school year, and takes summer mission trips to support local work.
For more than twenty years, Platte Woods has supported ODIM (Organization for the Development of Indigenous Maya) in Guatemala, which operates medical and dental clinics and runs programs addressing childhood malnutrition, adolescent health, diabetes, safe stoves, and safe drinking water. ODIM is staffed predominantly by local Maya and Guatemalan employees, many of them women.
The church has also partnered with the Mozambique Initiative through the Missouri Annual Conference, including a commitment to give $25,000 from its Taking Care campaign to provide solar energy to ten churches in Mozambique.
Sunbeams Preschool: Fifty-Five Years and Counting
Platte Woods is the home of Sunbeams Preschool, an early childhood education program that has served the Northland for more than fifty-five years. Parents' Day Out and Sunbeams have always been under one roof, and now they are under one name.
Sunbeams serves children from six weeks old through Pre-K. Main operating hours run 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with extended care from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. The program follows the Park Hill School District calendar and is a state-inspected facility. Communication with parents runs through Brightwheel, which delivers photos, updates, and payment records in one place.
The classrooms are organized by age. The nursery serves children six weeks to twelve months, with separate classrooms for younger and older babies and a low child-to-teacher ratio. The 1-year-old classroom is built for toddlers on the move, with safe open floor plans that encourage walking, climbing, and pushing carts. The 2-year-old classrooms channel budding independence into routines, self-help skills, and potty training readiness, with separate rooms for younger twos not yet potty training and older twos ready to potty train. The 3-year-old classroom introduces foundational concepts through hands-on discovery, transitions, sharing, and empathy. The Pre-K program, open to children who have turned three before August 1 of the school year, offers a small child-to-teacher ratio, five rotating centers each day, and a curriculum built around the Jolly Phonics system.
Director Sue Arensberg and Associate Director Miranda Wingett lead a Christ-centered environment where children are encouraged to develop their God-given talents in a secure atmosphere of love and acceptance.
Building Stewards: The Taking Care Campaign
Platte Woods Church occupies a building that has grown in stages over more than six decades. Two earlier capital campaigns in 2014 to 2016 and 2017 to 2019 together raised $13.1 million to build the Worship Center, the gathering space, and the Student Center. Through two more decades of generosity, the congregation reduced the remaining debt from $1.078 million in June 2020 to $482,000 by July 2024.
The Taking Care Capital Campaign, launched in 2025 with a $1.25 million goal by the end of 2026, is organized around three priorities: Past, Present, and Future. The Past priority pays off the remaining mortgage before its December 5, 2025 maturity date, when interest rates would otherwise increase. The Present priority covers roof replacement and HVAC upgrades for the education wings built in 1964 and 2003, which currently host nearly one hundred children and volunteers each week through PWKids, plus GrowGroups and Sunday school on the floor above. The Future priority invests in solar arrays and other energy efficiency improvements to bring down the building's average $10,000 monthly utility bill.
The campaign also commits $25,000 to the Mozambique Initiative, providing solar energy to ten United Methodist churches in partnership with the Missouri Annual Conference. Campaign gifts can be made through the Church Center giving platform, by text, by mail, by EFT, by stock transfer, by Venmo, or by Qualified Charitable Distribution. The Legacy Society also exists for those who wish to include the church in their estate plans.
Pastors, Directors, and a Welcoming Team
Yvi Martin has been Lead Pastor at Platte Woods since August 2020. A graduate of Candler School of Theology at Emory University with a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theological Studies, Yvi also serves on the Missouri Conference Congregational Development Team and on the Board of Directors of Della Lamb Community Services.
Jess Horsley, an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, leads the Riverside United launch. He came to ministry after service in the Marine Corps and a combat tour in Iraq, and holds a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, where he received the Grauer Award for Pastoral Promise.
Cassie O'Brien serves as Care Pastor, an ordained Elder who holds a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology, where she earned the Roy M. Brady Preaching Award, and an MBA with an emphasis in Practical Church Leadership from Dakota Wesleyan University. She serves on the Missouri Conference Council on Finance and Administration.
Mary Saou, the Worship Pastor, is an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church who holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Duke Divinity School and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Florida State. She chairs the Order of Deacons on the Board of Ordained Ministries for the Missouri Conference.
Mat Thornton, Executive Pastor, is a Licensed Local Pastor in the UMC and a lifelong Methodist and Missourian. He joined Platte Woods in 2013 as the NEXT Worship Leader, later earning a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology.
The ministry directors complete the team. Janessa Aston leads student ministry. Walter Bryant is Music Director. Brandi Molina oversees Missions. Mandy Phillips leads PWKids. Candace Shaw directs Spiritual Formation. Sue Arensberg directs Sunbeams Preschool.
Together, this team and dozens of weekly volunteers make Platte Woods Church a community where everyone can belong, be curious, and be courageous. Visitors are invited to come as they are, ask what they ask, and find a spiritual home that has been making room for the people of the Kansas City Northland for over sixty-five years and counting.