Connected: The impossible thread only God could pull together.

Just some nobodies, trying to tell everybody.

If you are new here, let me introduce you to my family- Adam and I were high school sweethearts, we’ve been married for 20 years with 3 amazing teenagers. To be honest, I was dreading the teen years. Most don’t paint them in good light. But here we are wrapping up a Junior, Freshman, and 6th grade year. Like many the last 2 years has been difficult with schooling, jobs, and community. We have hit some pretty deep lows, been broken beyond what the world would say is repairable, and we have seen victory in the most unexpected places.

We’ve tried homeschool, Christian schooling, remote, and public. Every season has had it’s gifts and challenges. To say we have it all figured out would be a lie. Adam and I have been in the construction and remodeling industry for most of our lives. I personally have been in furniture and cabinetry restoration, as Adam is in concrete. We are not fancy pastors or paid staff of any religious organization. As God restored our marriage, then our family over the last 10 years, we felt extreme gratitude for what HE has done.

We have always been a bit different than our peers. After bombing the year of giving our eldest a cell phone, we hit the brakes hard when pornography and online solicitation came dancing in our house under the pretense of “he needs to be able to get ahold of us.” We assumed believers were immune to the dangers of the world. We learned quickly we were not. So we researched tools for years. And worked to apply them. And prayed. We failed. We tried again. Four years later we saw so much fruit and our teens were thanking us. Our faithful pastors asked us to hold a conference for church members sharing the resources we had. God blew our minds with a ministry call following.

We really are just normal, busy, ball game attending, fast food eating- parents in Wichita, Ks.

Finding the thread:

Earlier this year our sons, first year junior and freshman at Heights sensed a burden to really pray for their school. Kids were dying from suicide – drugs and alcohol were rampant. During pride week, they sat in our living room and asked “why isn’t the church louder than some of the other movements to accept kids and tell them their identity?” Our hearts broke that as a body we have failed this generation. We’ve let social media be louder than our God as parents. Online algorithms have moved more intentionally than the body of Christ to meet and minister to kids and families.

We started praying and giving our God our yes. We started working to get campus ministries to come to Heights. As we talked with ministries we sensed a common thread: the last few years have been tough. Kids have been isolated. It’s hard to break back into the schools. Teachers are burnt out and everyone is struggling after the last few years of pandemic education. Well established ministry like FCA and Young Life were praying for some type of re-launch as 2022 is a new year with new needs of support and leaders ready to step up. We saw our sons ready and willing to launch things in their school, we just needed to be connected with those who could help them.

A God who connects all things..

Around that same time our Athletic director at Heights was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer- less than 14% to live. This was devastating to the community to hear. A young man, with a little boy and wife who were reeling in phrases like “12 months to live” and “low survival rate.” Coach Michael Church was in the hospital with dizziness and would leave recovering from serious brain surgery. By God’s grace, his mother, Ruth, had just began to attend our church, Freedom Church in Augusta. When she got the call that day, she was surrounded by the intercessory prayer team.

Our oldest son, Dakota asked the principal if he could hold a prayer meeting. He was moved by the notion, ready to give his yes, reminding Dakota only if it’s student led as the public school could not endorse it. The boys and some friends held a prayer meeting after 2 snow days, in the wrestling room during lunch.

Staff and kids, even some of the most unlikely kids showed.

We saw how kids were hungry to find purpose and hope in the midst of crisis.

Our principal was so looking forward to this, but could not attend, as other students were in struggles that required his care and attention. As we got to know this man the kids called “Flip”, we sensed his passion and love for his school. We also sensed the weight he carried on these dark days.

We asked God to make away to break into the schools. To use us to be an encouragement.

God did just that.

So many miraculous things happened, including a Christian artist we’ve followed on IG from Nashville, Laurel Taylor. I had shared her music and would comment on her posts. I got an occasional “thank you so much” or a heart on a comment I would make. Months before this I had commented “Hope to hear you some day in Kansas.” I was just a fan who discovered her through The Lettered Cottage about 4 years ago. Layla and her husband would go on dates. There was this gifted musician playing the piano. I didn’t know why then, but I felt a connection to her. I started following her on IG when she had about 200 followers and was just breaking into the Christian music world. I would comment from time to time and watch as her platform grew. I also sensed when things got quiet and felt a strong desire to pray for her and her ministry. The last 10 months I was marveling at her boldness and how she was going small, she wasn’t hitting the big major stages but serving the smaller hungrier churches and events. I knew God was acting as her manager at the time, because only He would urge a breakthrough artist to travel like this.

“I’ll send you the resources”

One day I received a message after I shared again, commenting on how her post encouraged me and my daughter struggling with anxiety that day. Laurel was on tour traveling from Virginia, to my surprise replying “Hey we should talk sometime!” Of course I was excited but had no idea how I could bring a recording artist here. A few days later another message comes. This time with her cell phone number and this message: “Hey, we’ve been sensing a call to Kansas. God is moving and we want to be apart of it. Let’s connect soon.” I thought for sure she had been hacked. Why would she be messaging ME?

We were so excited to have made a connection with her but had no money to bring her. We also struggled to think of who or when she could play. We begged God to connect us with SOMEONE who could pick up this opportunity. She and her team were ready to come, we just needed a means. Adam and I fasted as we felt the Holy Spirit saying he was connecting things. As we prayed that night, God spoke. We have prayed Revelation 21:5 for a decade over our family and situations. He showed us that is what our ministry is to be called, and he also convicted our hearts. We sensed Him saying while we prayed, “WHY are you waiting for someone else to pick up the vision I have given YOU? I have connected Laurel to YOU. I have broken YOUR hearts for the students and families needing to be connected to hope. I have broken YOUR hearts for the campus ministries needing fresh support and leaders. I have given YOU the resources, now be the river and pass them along!”

I called Laurel that day. In tears and with no idea if she would laugh or mock me. Here we were, a ministry not only in it’s bare bones stage, we were no bones! I released our story and our vision to her. I told her we have no means to make any of this vision for a night of worship and connection possible. She sat across facetime and wept with me. I couldn’t tell if she was uncomfortable or overwhelmed with God’s voice until she spoke.

It’s all connected.

“Let’s do it.” Laurel said. We started brainstorming ways to save money in the following days. She asked about our son, Dakota – who is also a gifted drummer.

We knew Dakota’s lost friends that declined church invites would come to support him playing drums for a concert but leave hearing about Jesus. It clicked. This was how ministry would launch. It was bigger than just getting a Bible club at Heights, it was about bringing the body together as a whole to support ministries across the city. Not to endorse one organization but them ALL. We felt the Lord telling us to be a River- to gather the resources and then send them out. We asked God to bring us the people and places. We would connect them all, flowing through our new calling 21:5 ministries.

Laurel contacting us was God providing a worship leader. Our conversation with campus ministries was God providing the organizations. Our incredible church, Freedom church was supporting and believing for this call- donating the sound equipment and members of the worship team giving their time to back up Laurel.

Field of Victory

We just had to find a venue, and trust God to provide more resources to make this work.

As the year went on- the AD, Michael church was being radically healed from brain cancer before our eyes- and he was fearlessly sharing it was Jesus healing him. That prayer meeting back in February and his healing, Laurel’s heart hearing come to Kansas- created The Connected Concert. We felt this tug to ask Michael to share his story, but he was still undergoing intense chemo and radiation. I prayed if God willed it, he would connect us at the right time.

Mike finished his last round with worship music blaring on his Bluetooth speaker and gathering his doctors and nurses in prayer on his knees. The city was watching.

His first week back to work, he was running a track meet at the stadium while we played a baseball game down the road. He popped by to say hi. We sat on the baseball bleachers as he told us he has not been sick, or had any devastating side effects. In fact he ran 3 miles that day. I then said, “I would love to share about a worship night we want to host some day soon with you.” God moved and he said “tell me about it!” We shared and Mike said, “what do you need?” We told him we were still looking for a venue.

“Want to do it on the football field?” Our mouths must have dropped wide open. The next week I worked relentlessly on marketing materials and asking for others to come along side us. The Church’s were headed to MD Anderson for his scans, so I couldn’t ask him to follow up on the field. I knew God was asking us to be bold. I shared the flyer with our principal , noting the only thing lacking was a venue. God moved again and the district agreed as long as a USD 259 engineer could be paid to do the lights and electrical. We had no money… but believed. We walked into the board approval meeting and the Heights building engineer is a believer and said “I’ve been praying for these kids and this school for years. I’m in and I’ll give my time.”

Adam and I, Barry the engineer, and Michael sat there with our principal feeling overwhelmed as we shared the vision was to connect our community, and to let God move in the hearts of people all over this area hoping for a shift. I had the event flyer ready to go-

The only piece as the Location, note below it read “TBD.”

I called Laurel and Heather (Laurel’s road manager and prayer warrior) in Nashville and asked them to pray. It was not coincidence that on this day, a long awaited powerful anthem of Laurel’s was dropping on all platforms, “Sound of Freedom.” (Do you have goosebumps yet? )

Our conversations with local ministries confirmed this event was perfectly timed. Kansas FCA got on board and offered to insure the event for the districts contract approval. Young Life got on board and is helping with signage. Freedom Church has team members and sound crew, as well as equipment for the event. Pastors and families who have prayed for their schools and communities are sensing God answer their prayers through this event.

Confirmation and Connection..

We now have kids and families coming from all over the Wichita metro area. We had just heard of The Send at Arrowhead Stadium last week, and jumped on the live stream. We wept in our living room as everything that we had sensed god calling us to do was being said. And the prophetic vision of the massive send on a football field in Kc was going to be replicated on a football field in Wichita a week later.

A young man named Asher Byrd shared “there is no school too dark or heart to hard for God to reach. All He needs is your unshakable YES!” We sat on our living room floor shouting as if we were there, “YES!”

Ephesians 4:16 reminded us that we are stronger when we are connected. We named the event “Wichita Connected Concert.” Not to promote an artist, organization or name. Just to connect local students, families, and ministry on mission to transform our city through the message of Jesus Christ.

The event flyer went up and we are being overwhelmed.. the local news just picked it up here and shared it. Michael was given news most oncologists don’t give stage four Glioblastoma patients, “We see no signs of cancer.”

Our amazing God even connected me with a woman from my KSU days, that she lived on the 5th floor of the dorms my sophomore year when the Lord led me to be on KSU Christian Challenge, “Dorm team,” This was the first calling I ever had to live my life on mission as a believer. One of those girls is now on the Wichita Board Of Education. She has encouraged us, and covering us in prayer, and bringing her family to the event! Only God could connect us after 22 years for such a time as this.

We covet your prayers. We want you, dear reader to be apart of this story. We want you CONNECTED to what God is doing. We walk around with devices in our pockets connecting us to millions of people every day yet we have felt more alone than ever.

Divine intersections..

We know every volunteer, every WPD, maintenance and staff member, every band member and sound manager, every campus ministry, t-shirt business, our talented photography and videography friends who are documenting this, are divine friend intersections at different stages of our lives connecting for this purpose.

Our best friends son, Jack, a gifted videographer and recent WSU grad, filming a promotion with Coach Church on the field.

Every person and place is connected to this vision and calling. Michael’s healing and passion to share Jesus with boldness, Laurel’s detour from promoting her new songs to come to Kansas, Adam and I believing we are to step away from furniture restoration and share soul restoration, the campus ministries that make such a impact on kids like FCA and Young Life/ Young Lives- churches like Freedom church whose team members will give of time and costly resources, teams of intercessors from across the globe: ALL are connected to this story.

What would change in this generation if we moved as one body, the way the birds and the fish do created on the 5th day? Imagine how hope would spread faster than depression if the seed that was created on the 3rd day representing the word of was spread by the body the way the fish and the birds spread the seed? What would happen if we called upon the resurrection power of Jesus who died on a HILL for the worst of these? What if we ran to the messy, addicted, broken parts of the body and not away from them?

I invite YOU to come to the divine intersection of 53rd and Hillside on 5/22/22, as we start the summer the BEST way we can, in praise and worship, CONNECTED as one body, one church.

You are a part of this story!

Let’s shout our praise for a hurting world to hear. Let’s bring every friend, family, team, and class mate. Even if your children are in a hard place, just come. Be in the atmosphere. Even if you have no children, but want to stand in agreement with us for a shift, come. If you have been healed of anything and want to testify with a cardboard testimony, reach out to me!

Our Principal at Heights recalled a moment he was greatly struggling during a dark day in the school, marked with news of suicide and crisis students were facing that our son was a light to him. He didn’t preach, he didn’t judge, he just said “I got you.” While promising him hope and better days were ahead.

Sunday May 22nd, we believe is the Kickstarter for many more days of light in the midst of heavy dark ones. We believe in Jesus name this ministry and this event will bring: marriages restored. Families connected back to the heart of God and not a screen. Kids who feel alone connected with people who can help them. Leaders who are sensing the call of God on their lives but just waiting to find their launching pads. Believers who have sewn seeds in dark dry times for years will get restored as they see the community they have prayed for coming together to praise.

Pray for every person who is stepping into this event with faith and time. God is going to move. We have felt the attack but more so the boldness to stay strong..

What better resources than the gift of worship through Laurel and the testimony of Michael could we pass along?

Praying for provision…

When you pray, give, and sew into this dry land, we KNOW God will connect us all to His restoration, seeing new life spring forth in our area!

Our family has stepped away from over half of our income to build the vision God has given us. We know without a doubt we are exactly where he wants. We are about 6 weeks into full time days putting this vision together. Laurel is coming in faith as well. If you feel God stir your heart to give, will you please donate any amount he leads. Every penny will be used to bless those making this possible as well as support our family as we continue to use our ministry to connect families back to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The foundation of 21:5 is speaking engagements sharing resources on parenting in the digital age as well as marriage restoration. We laugh as we told churches we are not professionals, just passionate parents with good resources we want to pass along.

Financial gifts of connection can be given on the 21:5 Venmo ( @KS21_5ministries ) or Paypal Fundraiser.

Please follow and share on Social Media! Wichita Connected Concert FB and Instagram. Follow 21:5 Ministries on FB and on Instagram.

If you would like to help volunteer for this event (water bottle donation, welcome or clean up crew) please contact me at 215ministry@gmail.com

OR if you have an organization or youth ministry you’d like to share, please email me as well.

In HIM- and because of HIM,

The Doll family