Being Grateful for Unexpected Gifts

Dear Resurrection Family,

We had a great Easter at Resurrection – it was really terrific to see so many of you in person – for many, the first time back in a year. Many more joined online and on television. Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers at each campus who made in-person worship possible!

This Weekend: Have a Pen and Paper!

This weekend I’ll be kicking off a new three-part series of messages called Beginning Anew After the Pandemic. I’d love you to share the video promo for the series on your social media and to invite your friends.

We’ll look at what we can learn from those in scripture who went through periods of disorientation and adversity and came out the other side. We’ll pause to reflect upon what we have to be grateful for, what we’ve learned, how we’ve changed and how we move forward from the pandemic with hope. My focus this weekend is on “Gratitude and Unexpected Gifts.”

Please have a pen and something to take notes on as you worship. Several times during the message I’ll ask you to write something down, and I think you’ll want to have paper and pen. If you are joining us in person, please bring a notepad and pen since we’re still touchless at our campuses.

Over 4,700 of you took the survey this week on how you’ve changed and what you’ve learned through COVID. I look forward to sharing some of this information with you this weekend.

COVID: Not Out of the Woods Yet

While our sermon series is looking ahead to how we’ll live after the pandemic, I want to remind you that we’re not out of it yet.

The latest figures from McKinsey consulting estimate that it will be July by the time we reach “herd immunity” and then only if a majority of people get vaccinated. Ten states in the last week have seen a resurgence of COVID. I want to encourage you to get your vaccinations. You can sign up for the vaccinations taking place at the church by clicking on this link to Advent Health’s vaccination website.

LaVon and I received our first shot two weeks ago and look forward to our second next Friday.

Pastor Jason Gant to Head Church-wide Ministry to Children and Families

One of our 2030 visions at Resurrection is to close the generation gap by reaching an increasing number of younger adults and families with children. Over the last year we’ve been looking at ways to strengthen our children and family ministry including working more closely across all of our campuses to strengthen our children’s ministry and offer new ministries for families.

We’ve created a new senior position: Pastor to Children and Families. This person will oversee all of our ministry to children and families at all five of our campuses and online. I’m excited to announce that Pastor Jason Gant, who has led our Resurrection West campus for the last eight years, has accepted this position. Jason has done a great job at West and in his new role he’ll now be impacting all of our campuses. He and I recorded a short video about this shift that you can watch here.

Jason will continue to serve as Campus Pastor at Resurrection West through June. Bishop Saenz has appointed Rev. Bill Gepford to serve as our next Resurrection West pastor. Bill grew up in our congregation and heard God’s call on his life here. I’ll tell you more about Bill and his family in next week’s enote.

Tuesday Night Vespers: We’re “Resurrecting” a Time Capsule

Twenty-five years ago, on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1996, our congregation buried a time capsule just outside the Wesley Chapel front door at Resurrection Leawood. The time capsule was to be opened on Easter Sunday in 2021. At that time, we had no idea that we would be worshipping at five different locations in Kansas City and television and online across the country!

I wrote in our newsletter, “These things will be sealed in the ground for 25 years to be “resurrected” on Easter Sunday, 2021. I suspect that many of you will still be a part of this church at that time, and I hope to be invited back (if at 56, I am not still your pastor!) to see these things again.”

This Tuesday night, during my weekly Vespers on Facebook Live we’ll be opening the time capsule and sharing the contents. It will be fun to see how our church has changed over the past 25 years!

I hope you’ll join us live on my Facebook page at 7:30 pm (CT).

Online Book Fair to Stock the Resurrection Bookmobile for KC Students

United Methodist Women have organized an online Book Fair, April 9-22, to replenish the Bookmobile. The Resurrection Bookmobile visits elementary schools throughout Kansas City, allowing students to select and keep two books from each visit during the school year.

Your donations will help our Partner School students improve their reading skills and enjoy adding books to their home libraries. Visit the website to learn more or to purchase books.

Want to explore the Christian faith? Alpha Course begins Monday

One of the proven ways to help you begin your journey of faith is to attend The Alpha Course.

We have enjoyed offering this wonderful course for over 20 years here at Resurrection and more than 15,000 people have participated. Alpha is a 10-week practical introduction to the Christian faith. It is all done online and will include watching an informative 30-minute video on your own and then joining with others online for one hour on Monday evenings to discuss what you watched. The next session of Alpha starts April 12 at 7 pm (CT). You will enjoy making new friends, learning with others the relevance and meaning of faith, and you can ask any questions without any pressure or expectations.

You can register online to join Alpha this Monday night.

“Be the Bridge” Class begins Sunday April 11

You can still sign up for “Be the Bridge,” an online class starting Sunday, April 11, from 3-4:30 pm (CT). “Be the Bridge” is an 8-week journey led by local facilitators that will help you unpack the spiritual and systemic root causes of racial disparities, and equip you to become a bridge-builder for racial reconciliation. Learn more and register here.

Serve Saturday Coming Up April 17

We have 100-150 opportunities available at our next Serve Saturday on April 17. Serve Saturday, from 9 am – noon, offers COVID-safe projects for individuals and families to get out in the community and serve alongside our ministry partners. Many projects are family friendly.

Check out the opportunities that have open spots and register here. If you’re looking for other ways to serve beyond Serve Saturday, go to cor.org/localimpact.

Monthly Donation Drop-Off: Saturday, April 17

Each month we have donation drop-offs for specific items requested by our ministry partners. Between 9 and 11 am, you can drop off your donations at any of our Resurrection locations in the Kansas City area. For April, we are collecting two of our most requested items from our clothing ministry partners – socks and underwear – and classroom snacks for our Partner Schools Ministry. The specific needs are:

• New men’s and women’s underwear (all types, especially larger sizes)
• New men’s and women’s socks (especially crew and work socks)
• Individually packaged snacks for kids (crackers, fruit snacks, granola bars, popcorn)

Invite friends to join you for worship this weekend

• In-person at all five Resurrection locations at 9 and 11 am (masks and social distancing required).
• Online at cor.org/live, Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 7:30 am, 9 am, 11 am or 5 pm.
• KMCI 38 the Spot, Sunday at 8 am or 11 am (click here to find KMCI on your local cable provider)
• YouTube, Saturday at 5 pm and then on demand;
• Resurrection Online channels on your smart TV via Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Google TV

Wherever and whenever you choose, make sure to let us know you are worshipping by registering your attendance at cor.org/next or by clicking here. And, while you’re at cor.org/next, check out the opportunities coming up in the next week.

I’m excited about worship this weekend as we focus on “Gratitude and Unexpected Gifts,” the first in our series on Beginning Anew After the Pandemic. Don’t forget, bring a pen and something to write on to worship.

In Christ’s Love,

Adam