Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - June 12, 2026

Next Friday, June 19, is a federal holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It marks the date in 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation – when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the end of slavery. You can read more about its historical legacy and impact on the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s website here. A variety of events and activities will honor this event in Kansas City and across the country. Resurrection is hosting a Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 20, at our Lee’s Summit location (see the next paragraph). Also, in honor of this federal holiday, Resurrection offices will be closed next Friday.

Allies for Racial Justice, a partnership between Resurrection and St. James UMC, will “Let Freedom Sing!” on Saturday, June 20, at 4 pm. Hosted at Resurrection Lee’s Summit, this Juneteenth celebration will be an amazing evening of history, music, and storytelling. Dr. James Leiker will share “The Underground Railroad: How Free was Kansas?” exploring one of the most remarkable resistance movements in American history and the complicated role Kansas played in it. A display titled “The Hidden History of the Black West” fills in chapters of the American story that rarely make it into the history books. And Resurrection’s worship leader Isaac Cates and the One AcCORd choir will bring live music that makes the whole evening feel like the celebration it is. You can find details and register here.

I had the opportunity to stop by The Hub Argentine this week and see the amazing work being done as part of our Summer Makeover Serve Project. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated supplies, led projects, and supported this effort. Your work has made a lasting difference, and we are grateful to each of you. You accomplished far more than building improvements, working together you strengthened our community and demonstrated the power of loving one another.

Our mission team reported to me that they filled 370 volunteer slots for 350 available opportunities. They even had many volunteers asking to come back and serve multiple days, a true testament to the heart of this congregation and the joy of serving together. The week was marked by the dismantling and removal of 60 pews from the sanctuary and ended with a transformed building and campus. Volunteers painted walls throughout the facility, installed new flooring in the sanctuary, refreshed outdoor spaces, and completed countless projects that will serve our community for years to come. One particularly meaningful part of the week was sharing surplus chairs that were originally part of our Wesley Chapel and our second sanctuary – what is now our Student Center. These chairs, bought by many of you back in 1994, are making ministry possible beyond our own walls! Here are some before, during and after photos of the sanctuary makeover.

Summer Makeover was about more than projects. It was a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together to serve with a common purpose. Hundreds of volunteers from all locations gave their time, talents, and energy to prepare The Hub for the next season of ministry and community impact.

COULD YOU BE A SMALL GROUP HOST?

As I travel across Kansas, I’m sometimes asked how you can feel connected in a large church. The answer is simple – you find your “group” – the people you gather with to grow in your faith, serve together, and support and care for one another. We will be launching new small groups in the fall and are looking for people willing to open their homes and lives to others. If you’ve ever thought about hosting, now is a great time to explore what that looks like. Hosting doesn’t require any special training or expertise. It’s simply creating a welcoming space where people can gather, connect, and grow in faith together. You can learn more here.

OR A GEO GROUP HOST?

If you worship online from outside Kansas City, we are also looking for Geo Group Hosts to lead geographically based groups this spring. These groups connect Resurrection worshipers across the country, creating local communities where people can gather for faith, friendship, and fellowship right in their own cities. As a Geo Group Host, you’d help facilitate gatherings—whether that’s meeting for coffee, organizing service projects, or simply creating space for people to connect beyond Sunday mornings. If you’re an online worshiper who’d like to help build community in your area, you can let us know you are interested here.