Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025

Dear Resurrection Family,

This week has filled me with optimism and excitement for the future of the United Methodist Church as we hosted over 500 pastors for three different conferences offering inspiration, encouragement and hope for these clergy. 300 clergywomen gathered for the Lead(Her) conference, 200+ gathered for the Leading Beyond the Walls conference, including 80 young clergy, 20% of our denomination’s young clergy in the US, who are part of a special cohort of clergy we will mentor over the next year. This is just one of the many ways you are investing in the lives and ministries of pastors and churches across the US. I thought you might enjoy seeing this photo of the young clergy cohort, taken from behind the Leawood stained glass window. You are helping to inspire, encourage and equip each of these young clergy in ways that will affect the rest of their lives and ministry. 

WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND – HONORING OUR GRADUATES AND BISHOP BOB FARR

INTERESTED IN JOINING RESURRECTION? JOINING CLASS THIS SUNDAY

• Darryl Burton has been appointed to serve full-time at Miracle of Innocence, the non-profit justice organization he cofounded, effective May 1. 
• Tom Langhofer is retiring as Pastor of Recovery Ministries effective June 30. Congratulations, Tom, on your retirement! You’ll still see Tom around Resurrection.
• Hyemi Lee Jones has been appointed as the next Sr. Pastor of Old Mission UMC in Fairway on July 1.

• Joshua Clough is rejoining our team as Lead Director of Adult Discipleship across all locations, effective May 1.
• Glen Shoup is rejoining our team as the Lead Director of Connection and Care at Leawood beginning May 15. 
• Claire Clough is rejoining our Congregational Care team, supporting church-wide Congregational Care Ministers, leading other care initiatives, effective July 1.
• Debbie Dellinger recently graduated from seminary and is appointed part-time as a Connection and Care Pastor at Leawood, effective September 1. (Debbie will also serve part-time at The Caring Congregation, a ministry Karen Lampe founded.)

MAY BLOOD DRIVE DATES

For over 30 years, Resurrection has partnered with Community Blood Center to provide lifesaving donations. I want to thank those of you who regularly give; you have saved thousands of lives. As we enter the beginning of summer, it’s critical to ensure that blood supplies are prepared. If you haven’t donated or it’s been a while, I encourage you to sign up to donate at one of our locations. You can click on the time below to sign up online, but walk-ins are also welcome. As an added incentive, all donors at the May drive will be entered into a drawing to win four tickets to a Royals game and a parking pass.

• Mon., May 5, 8 am – 8 pm, Resurrection Leawood
• Tue., May 6, 8 am – 8 pm, Resurrection Leawood
• Thur., May 8, 2 – 7 pm, Resurrection Overland Park
• Thur., May 8, 2 – 6 pm, Resurrection Blue Springs
• Mon., May 12, 1-6 pm, Resurrection Spring Hill
• Mon., May 12, noon – 6 pm, Resurrection West (Olathe)
• Tue., May 13, 8 am – 2 pm, Resurrection West (Olathe)
• Tue., May 13, 2 – 7 pm, Resurrection Downtown
• Wed., May 14, 9 am – 1 pm, Resurrection Brookside

REGISTER FOR STUDENT SERVE TRIPS BY MAY 9

We still have some openings for our middle and high school student serve trips, but you need to register by the May 11 deadline. 7th and 8th graders are traveling to Little Rock with Ozark Mission Project, while high school students are returning to Asheville with Carolina Cross Connections. These trips are powerful, transformative, life-changing opportunities for students to grow in their faith through serving. Here’s the link to learn more and sign up.

MAKE PLANS NOW TO ATTEND FORGIVENESS SUMMIT MAY 30 – 31

Jesus commanded us to forgive one another, and research has consistently shown that forgiveness can lead to improved physical and mental health. Yet many of us cling to our pain, anger and fear, and struggle to move forward. On May 30 and 31, Resurrection is hosting our first-ever two-day Forgiveness Summit. 

Over two days, you will experience powerful worship and hear the testimonies of some of the nation’s most notable thought leaders as they share valuable insights and practical tools from their own personal stories of forgiveness to help you release resentment, heal past wounds, and cultivate lasting peace within yourself and your relationships. I will be one of the speakers, along with: 

• Dr. Henry Cloud, psychologist and best-selling author of Integrity, Necessary Endings, and Boundaries for Leaders.
• Tommy Spaulding, leadership expert and author of The Gift of Influence.
• Mark Schultz, award-winning Christian recording artist.
• Bob and Kelly Pascuzzi, speakers, coaches and co-hosts of The Time For Forgiveness Show.

The Forgiveness Summit will be in-person at Resurrection Leawood, and we
will also have an online option. Registration information and details are here. If you are part of a church or group outside the Kansas City area that is interested in participating in the Summit by streaming to a group at your location, you can register your group, and Resurrection will provide resources for leaders and participants. If you are interested in this, contact Lauren Cook.

KNOW SOMEONE IN CINCINNATI? I’LL BE SPEAKING THERE MONDAY NIGHT

As you may recall, the West Ohio Annual Conference is partnering with us to launch a location of Resurrection in Mason, Ohio (northern suburb of Cincinnati) this October. On Monday night, May 5, at 6:30 pm, I will be in Mason, Ohio, with Rev. Jenn Lucas appointed by the bishop of West Ohio, for an informational meeting with people interested in being part of Resurrection Mason/Cincinnati! The new church will launch on our 35th anniversary of our congregation in October. It will share Resurrection’s name and purpose, will use our messages most of the time, and draw upon our programs and ministries, curriculum, training, and other resources to help create the kind of experience congregants have at our Kansas City area locations. Funding and oversight will come from the West Ohio Annual Conference. If you know someone who lives in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati and who does not have a church home, let them know about this.

And, if you’re in the Cincinnati area, join us at 6315 S. Mason-Montgomery Road in Mason, OH, at 6:30 pm this Monday. We’ll share the mission and vision for this new church. This will be a great opportunity to hear the heart behind Resurrection, ask questions, and connect with others interested in shaping a new faith community in Ohio. Here’s a photo of Pastor Jenn and me, and an image that you can download and share, along with the website link: cor.org/mason.

RESURRECTION INTERNATIONAL GATHERING

If you’re an international person at any one of our Resurrection locations, and would like to build meaningful connections with others, don’t miss this lunch gathering on Sunday at 12:30 pm in the Resurrection Leawood Parlor (Building A). Bring along a friend and join us for a “Meet and Greet” with individuals connected to Resurrection from around the world. Recognizing that Resurrection is a big place with several locations, we’re creating a space where you can cultivate relationships and continue your faith journey within our vibrant community. To learn more, click here. 

MISSION TO UVALDE, TEXAS TO BLESS AND HEAL

In May of 2022, a school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas left 19 children and 2 teachers dead, and 17 more injured. In the years after, Resurrection student Sammie Magee felt called to take gifts and visit Uvalde with a message that “you are not forgotten, and others across the country love you.” I’m proud of what she’s done and have highlighted her work in a sermon a couple of years ago. She’s leading a mission trip this summer for ten high school students, recent 2025 graduates, and adult chaperones to convey this message of love and care once more. I wonder if some of you, youth and adults, want to join the team as “ambassadors for Christ” and for love? We have eight openings, and I’d love to see us fill this trip, and I am certain you’ll find your heart filled by being a part of it. For more information click here.

PRAYERS FROM 28 YEARS AGO EXPOSED IN LEAWOOD RENOVATIONS

This week, the Leawood Student was being prepared for our renovations. As the oak paneling on the north wall (what used to be the choir loft) was removed, the prayers, hopes and dreams of our members from 1997, sealed in the walls 28 years ago, were revealed! I thought you might enjoy a picture of one of these sections. I’ll share more in the weeks ahead as the rest of the oak walls are removed. It was so meaningful for me to stand and see these notes. At the time, we had about 1,500 members and no idea all that God had in store for our congregation! Click on the photo to enlarge – many of these people are still a part of our congregation.

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST: TEARS, TRIUMPHS AND NEW BEGINNINGS

This week on my podcast, Making Sense of Faith, I spoke with a former Afghan special forces officer who resettled with his family when Afghanistan fell, another young woman who resettled to the US from Burma as a refugee when she was a child, as well as the director of Jewish Vocational Services, Hilary Cohen Singer, and Julie Doane, one of the 45 Resurrection members who help welcome refugees in Kansas City. It was a moving interview. You can listen or watch the podcast by clicking here.

Looking forward to seeing you in worship this weekend!  

Adam