Kingdom of God Sisters

08/29/2020

KGS Update:

Greetings on the Feast of Saint Augustine! This month is 2-years since I came to work at the Christian Renewal Center. It has been a blessing. Running the retreat center is everything I imagine the mission of KGS would be with the exception of me as a member of the laity as opposed to living in a community in consecrated life.

It was last summer when our Board voted to use our funds to benefit current active ministries verse saving for a what-if KGS starts in another Diocese. KGS had disposed of all assets with the exception of our legal standing. Kingdom of God Sisters as a 501c3. The cost to start a 501c3 is about $1,000 and so we have left it open. My path has crossed with a priest who wants to start a female religious order. He was referred to me and I have offered what help and assistance I could.

Our Board voted unanimously to give our 501c3 Kingdom of God Sisters to the Priest so that he can use the Federal ID number to start their new order. With this transfer, we elected Father as the new President and we each resigned from the Board of Directors. Today on the Feast of Saint Augustine, I met with Father to transition the civil organization. If you paid attention, Saint Augustine was the rule that KGS followed.

It is with both joy and sadness that I make this announcement. My trust is in God and I will continue to try and do what I feel He is asking of me. I believe KGS did good for the little time in Fort Worth and that God can continue to do good through Father and in a new diocese. I thank you all for your support and ask you to continue to pray for holy vocations to the consecrated life as well as that we each pursue our universal call to holiness.

God is love: let the Kingdom know,
Kim Brown

06/03/2019

Peace. I have come to peace with the short-life of the Kingdom of God Sisters. There is still great sadness for what could have been, but I have peace. A couple weeks ago on Good Shepherd Sunday during Mass at the same Church where I hear my call to religious life, I also heard the invitation to use KGS funds to build the Kingdom of God. As the Board of KGS, we have left the assets of KGS both financial and physical in holding during this time of discernment. It all began in 2012 with the call to rebuild the Church, and this is what my heart still desires. We do not know the future direction of KGS, but after discernment and unanimous approval of the Kingdom of God Sisters Board of Directors, we will give away all the assets of KGS for the glory of God and building His kingdom.

The physical assets such as,
- liturgical items will be donated to Churches, Campus Ministries, Religious Orders, or the Christian Renewal Center.
- Household items will be given to individuals, groups, or nonprofits, which can use them. This includes: dishes, linens, furniture, etc
- The bank account, which currently has $91,066.11, will be evenly divided between the 8 organizations listed below. When people donated to KGS they gave because they wanted to support our mission, the way we would live religious life, vocations in the Fort Worth Diocese, or women’s vocations. I have selected organizations that best represent the spirit of KGS. These checks will be going out July 1, 2019.

RELIGIOUS LIFE:
1. CMSWR: $11,383.27 supporting women’s vocation to religious life in general. https://cmswr.org/
2. Institute on Religious Life: $11,383.26 - supporting new religious communities in the USA. https://religiouslife.com/

VOCATIONS IN THE FORT WORTH DIOCESE:
3. Discalced Carmelite Nuns: $11,383.26 - religious sisters in the Fort Worth Diocese. http://carmelnuns.com/
4. Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province: $11,383.26 - religious sisters serving in the Fort Worth Diocese. https://houstondominicans.org/
5. Diocese of Fort Worth Seminarian Fund: $11,383.26 - support Fort Worth Vocations through Seminarian Education. https://fwdioc.org/special-collections-diocesan

WOMEN DISCERNMENT
6. UTA, MSU, UNT, & TWU - discernment scholarship to cover women’s travel expenses to visit convents. Give $2,845.82 each to the Campus Minister to use for this purpose.

KGS MINISTRY:
7. FOCUS: $11,383.26 - organization focused on college campuses using the same strategy, “win, build, send” https://www.focus.org/
8. CRC $11,383.26 - organization implementing the KGS model for retreats. https://retreatcentercrc.org/

I do not know what the future holds, but I place my trust in God and desire to be used as His instrument. Though KGS never became a religious order, I am thankful for what it did in its short time and the good that these funds will continue to do. I thank you for your prayers and support and know that you are in mine.

God is love: let the Kingdom know,
Kim Brown

01/23/2018

Today letters were mailed to all donors that have not received an electronic letter of their donations for 2017.

If you have not received your 2017 Tax Statement by this Friday, please email Kim at [email protected] to get your statement.

Thank you for your support!

01/10/2018

All donors through Paypal should have received their 2017 Tax Statements from KGS today through email. Please check your spam folder. If you have not received it, please email Kim at [email protected] to get your statement.

07/04/2017

Dear Friends of the Kingdom of God Sisters,

I want to thank you for your continued support of the Kingdom of God Sisters (KGS) over the past few years. Many of you have been with me on this journey. It is amazing to look back and see all the ways God is working.

On Ascension Thursday 2013, I knew that God was calling me to religious life, so I began seeking which order. Shortly after, two priests approached me about starting a new order. I then discerned forming KGS. In August 2014, I publicly shared the vision and mission for KGS.

During the past three years, I have given parish missions and retreats, assisted women discerning their vocation, raised funds, and took formation courses. In just the first year and a half, 80 women contacted me to discern their vocation with KGS. I met with each woman individually to help them build a foundation in their prayer life. The women then discerned if they were called to religious life or married life. If called to religious life, KGS helped them by identifying a community.

In April 2016 my work in the Vocations Office for the Diocese of Fort Worth began when I was asked to take the Associate Director for Vocations position. I am pleased to announce that another 80 women, for a total of over 160 women/high school girls are currently discerning their vocation in our area.

This past November, KGS moved into the TWU house (Father Kyle Walterscheid’s rectory) on a 3-year lease from the Diocese of Fort Worth to establish as a community. In February 2017, volunteers began helping get the home set-up to serve as a convent.

On Ascension Thursday (May 25, 2017), I had a meeting with Bishop Olson where he informed me that KGS would not be established in the Fort Worth Diocese and suggested other dioceses that he felt would be open to starting a new religious order.

I made the decision to wait on this announcement until the events that KGS was hosting or participating with were completed to keep the focus on the events and not on KGS leaving the Diocese of Fort Worth.

I am sure as you read this letter you are surprised. I understand those feelings. I have gone from one event to the next and still have not had time to truly process the Bishop’s decision that I have obediently accepted.

Effective July 1, 2017, I will no longer serve as the Associate Director for Vocations of the Diocese of Fort Worth and KGS will no longer reside in the TWU house. I plan to take the time to discern God’s will and ask for your prayers that I may know and do His will.

I know that God led KGS to start in the Fort Worth Diocese and the last three years have been such a blessing. The question remains as to whether KGS is to seek another diocese or if it has served its purpose. If the purpose for KGS has been completed, then donors will be contacted to see what they would prefer to do with their donations (example: donating to another religious order such as the Carmelite Nuns or the Seminarian Fund or requesting a refund). If KGS is to find its home in another diocese, then a time of discernment will take place with the Bishop of that Diocese.

I believe in my heart the following four things: the charism of KGS, “God is love: let the Kingdom know”, the need for the ministry of KGS by focusing on personal faith and dogmatic faith to lead the laity to authentic evangelization, the importance of authentic religious life, and most importantly, God is a good Father, and He is faithful.

Thank you for your prayers and support during this process and for the time ahead.

God is love: let the Kingdom know,
Kim Brown

06/09/2017

Prayers for the 93 middle school students and their chaperones attending this weekends Foundation of Catholicism Retreat. This is the 3rd year in our cycle and the focus is on Salvation History and understanding the scriptures.

05/22/2017

Last chance to order your t-shirts is this Tuesday for the ICC Family Rally. ICC Family Rally is less than 2-weeks away!

The ICC Family Rally is on Saturday, June 3 from 8:30am - 2:30pm and includes a day of formation for the entire family. Kid tracks with activities and crafts, teen tracks with dynamic speakers, and adult tracks featuring a variety of speakers will foster formation for the entire family from the youngest to the oldest. That's right we have added a grandparents track this year! This year's keynote is Dr. John Bergsma, professor, author, and father of eight! The teen track will include talks on dating and discernment and New Testament overview with Dr. Bergsma. The cost is only $30 per family and includes breakfast and lunch. Register online at https://iccdenton.ticketleap.com/familyrally/

This half-day rally, Saturday, June 3 from 8:30am - 2pm is dedicated to providing opportunities for the entire family to strengthen their faith, nourish spirituality, and deepen theological understanding. Featuring Dr. John Bergsma as the keynote, the adult sessions also include speakers Deacon Walt...

05/20/2017

Prayers for the youth attending this weekends Camp Fort Worth 2! CFW2 focuses on spiritual, leadership, and service to prepare students for leadership roles at this summers Camp Fort Worth!

05/17/2017

This Thursday, May 17 the ticket price for the North Texas Night of Scripture at Immaculate Conception in Denton from 6:30-8:30pm with Dr. John Bergsma increases from $10 to $15. We currently have close to 400 attending but have room for many more as the event will take place in the Church. Dr. Bergsma will give an overview of the Bible from Creation to the Church focusing on the Covenants. Dr. Bergsma is a bible scholar and it has been since 2010 that Denton has had a bible scholar of this caliber (Dr. Hahn at the ACTS sponsored Marriage Conference). Dr. Bergsma does an amazing job connecting the different stories of the Bible and lays it out in an easy to understand manner while teaching some amazing connections!

Tickets can be purchased at https://kingdomofgodsisters.ticketleap.com/scripture/

The North Texas Night of Scripture Salvation History: Creation to the Church by Dr. John Bergsma Hosted by Kingdom of God Sisters & Immaculate Conception Church (ICC) in Denton During this Night of Scripture, Dr. John Bergsma, Full Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville,…

05/14/2017

Wishing all mothers a very happy and blessed Mother's Day!

05/12/2017

Over the last three days the wall got textured and the doors for the chapel were hung. It's all coming together!!!