Caring for Our Community and One Another

Dear Resurrection Family,

The month of September is Suicide Prevention Month. I was reminded of this yesterday when I was privileged to introduce Resurrection members Nathan and Sylvia Harrell as they were inducted into the Blue Valley Educational Foundation’s Best of Blue Valley Hall of Fame. In 2017, the Harrells’ son Chad tragically took his own life. In the aftermath of this horror, the Harrells committed to doing everything they could to prevent other families and communities form experiencing the devastation of suicide, and their foundation, called “Keep the Spark Alive,” was created.

At Church of the Resurrection, one of the focuses of our 2030 Visions is reduce the number of suicides in our community, and we join organizations like the Harrells’ foundation, the Timmons family, Zero Reasons Why and area school districts in this endeavor.

Resurrection has put together a webpage with information and resources. The website is cor.org/suicide. Please share this. In May of this year it was announced that suicide rates in our county were down 33%. These efforts make a difference.

If you or someone you know struggles with thoughts of suicide, please reach out and ask for help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and the Crisis Text Line is 741741.

This Weekend in Worship

I’ll be preaching this weekend at Resurrection and sharing a message from Romans 9, 10 and 11. I’ll begin with a lesson about failure, then turn to the question of who God chooses to love. We’ll then consider the issue of predestination, a doctrine some Christians believe, in part due to what Paul writes in Romans. Finally we’ll turn to Paul’s words about the Jewish people who, despite not embracing Jesus as their messiah, are still, as he says, “loved on account of the patriarchs.” Romans 9 through 11 are some of the most difficult chapters to understand in the New Testament. Paul’s logic is at times hard to follow. And they are at the center of one of the great debates in Christianity. Bring your Bible and a pen and join us in worship! It will be an inspiring service.

Also this weekend we’ll celebrate Holy Communion at the end of our worship services. At our locations, you’ll be given the bread, representing the body of Christ, as you leave the worship space. If you worship online, I’ll invite you to have bread or crackers and juice, wine or water ready wherever you are worshipping so you can join us in the Lord’s Supper.

Invite a friend to join you for worship, in-person worship at 9 or 11 am, at any of our locations, 5 pm at Leawood, online at cor.org or on television at KMCI Channel 38. Click here for our physical locations or for information about joining us online or on television.

Keep Reading and Studying Romans

I’ve been reminding you of this every week, but I really hope you are reading and studying the book of Romans on your own and with others. Here are the links to some tools if you need them.

Daily GPS (Grow, Pray, Study) guide provides an email each morning with the day’s scripture and some reflection questions to guide you: Sign up for it here.

It’s not too late to join one of our church-wide studies at one of our locations or online: here’s the link to sign up.

Download the weekly memory verse to you phone or computer: here’s the link.

Hurricane Ida Disaster Response

Hurricane Ida made landfall on August 29 as a category 4 storm and has devastated much of southeast Louisiana. At this time, partners in the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church are asking for funding to respond to immediate needs and that we continue to pray for families that have been affected. Funds provided to the Louisiana Annual Conference can be used immediately to provide necessary items like food, hygiene kits, and tarps. We are also working with Heart to Heart International to respond by providing support for medical teams and building hygiene kits. These kits are critically important, and will be deployed to disaster areas to help individuals and families stay healthy.

Over the years, we have learned that in the initial aftermath of a disaster, financial donations are the best way to provide support. I’ll be sharing more about this in worship, but if you would like to donate to disaster response, here is the link. I hope you’ll join LaVon and me in giving to support this effort.

As soon as it is determined that it is safe to enter the area, and that our presence will be a help and not an additional burden, we will begin sending serve teams to the area to assist with the cleanup and rebuilding. If you are interested in responding as a volunteer at a future date please fill out this interest form. We may begin sending teams by the end of the month, but as one of our disaster response team volunteers shared this week, “long after the fire trucks and the media are gone, we’ll still be there, helping people rebuild their homes and lives.”

Resurrection Recovery and Support Groups

One of our lessons from Romans has been that following Jesus doesn’t mean that you’ll never have challenges in life, but God has promised to walk with you – through whatever you’re facing – and bring something good from the darkness. As your church family, we also want to walk with you. Whatever you are dealing with, we want you to know: You are not alone!

One of the ways we do this is through our Resurrection Recovery and Support Groups. This week, I will join Tom Langhofer, Resurrection Pastor of Recovery Ministries, for the fall kickoff of Resurrection Recovery on Thursday, September 9. You can join us in person in the Foundry Hall at Resurrection Leawood or online at cor.org/recovery.

Come at 5:30 pm for fellowship and pizza followed by Tom’s compelling testimony of how he overcame his addiction to alcohol that almost cost him his family, career and life and how he has maintained his faith and sobriety through the tragic loss of his daughter Erin who was murdered two years ago.

After Tom’s testimony, I’ll share about how our faith speaks to addiction and host a Q&A session with Tom. You’ll also learn about other Resurrection support groups offering care and connection for whatever you are going through. After this time together you’re invited to stay for small group time which begins at 7 pm.

Learn More About Support Groups →

Concerned You Might Have COVID? Get Tested!

The first week of July the United States averaged 188 deaths a day due to COVID. This week we averaged 1,521 deaths.

If you are feeling sick, get tested, even if you’ve been vaccinated. It’s free and could keep you from spreading COVID to someone you love. At our Leawood location we’re still hosting free COVID testing. You can sign up for a rapid test that gives you results in less than 30 minutes, or you can sign up for a more accurate test that takes a bit longer.

We can all do our part – wearing a mask, getting tested, getting vaccinated, washing our hands – all ways to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Welcome New Members

Last weekend, we had the joy of welcoming 115 people (93 adults and 22 children) into membership with Church of the Resurrection. They represent 67 households – 61 from throughout the Kansas City area and 6 who worship online from outside Kansas City.

As I shared with these folks, you don’t have to be a member to participate in any of our worship, ministries or programs. Membership represents your public commitment to follow Jesus and to grow in your faith and serve God through the mission and ministries of this church. Our next Coffee with the Pastors will be in December.

Disciple Bible Studies Launching This Week

More than 100 people signed up last week for one of our Disciple Bible Study classes. If you are looking for an excellent study to guide you through the Bible, please consider Disciple. As you study, reflect and pray together with a small group, you’ll learn more about the Bible, grow deeper in faith, and develop deep, lasting friendships. Classes are offered online and at all locations on a variety of days and times.

See Details About Disciple Bible Study →

Tuesday Night Vespers

Join me this Tuesday night for Vespers. I’ll be coming to you live as we look at Romans 9-11. Have your Bible with you. You can join me at 7:30 pm Central Time on my Facebook page: Pastor Adam Hamilton on Facebook. You’ll also be able to view it on my Facebook page or on cor.org/next after Tuesday night.

Resurrection Car Show Next Saturday

Don’t forget, next Saturday (a week from tomorrow) is our annual Resurrection Car Show. I’m excited to be at the show and will have my Mustang there. If you’ve got a fun car, or have a friend who does, plan to register and share your car with others. If you just love seeing cool cars, invite a friend to join you and just show up – its free for spectators. Funds raised from registration and sales are going to our hunger relief efforts and our car repair ministry.

Learn More, Register or Volunteer →

Update on Afghan Refugee Support

As I mentioned last week, we are closely following the Afghan refugee situation and exploring how we as a church can best help. We anticipate that more refugees will be allowed to enter the United States, and some may be relocated in Kansas City. There are some amazing organizations in our community that we support in their ongoing work to help refugees rebuild their lives.

If you are interested in learning more or volunteering with one of the agencies, please contact juliedoane@icloud.com to sign up or ask questions.

Blood Drive Results

Over the past two weeks, we have had blood drives at our Leawood, Blue Springs, Overland Park and West locations. I’m thrilled to report that during this unprecedented time of blood drive shortages, a total of 766 units of life-saving blood were collected at Resurrection. We’ll be looking forward to our November drives as I know we can top that!

As we prepare for Labor Day weekend, I hope each of you will find time to relax and spend time with family and friends. Just a reminder, our church offices and buildings will be closed on Monday. If you need emergency pastoral care after hours or when our offices are closed, please call our pager number at 913-544-0799, and the pastor on call will return your page as soon as possible. I can’t wait to worship with you – in person or online!

In Christ’s Love,

Adam