Reading Luke and Other Ways to Grow Spiritually During Lent

Dear Resurrection Family,

I thought I’d begin with a quick update on your support for refugee efforts in Ukraine. To date, you’ve helped fund four shelters in western Ukraine sponsored by the United Methodist Church there (three in churches and one in a school). This week you provided funds for refugee efforts through the United Methodist Church in Romania and other eastern European countries bordering Ukraine. Our Missions team is in regular contact with leaders on the ground and is working on additional partnerships to serve the people fleeing Ukraine. We are also exploring when and if it would be helpful to send volunteers (our sense at this time is that this could happen later this spring). Please continue to pray for the people of Ukraine.

THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: PARABLES FROM THE UNDERSIDE

This weekend, as we continue our study of the Gospel of Luke, we’ll turn to Jesus’ parables. There are 16 parables Jesus tells in Luke that don’t appear in any other gospel. Among the most famous are the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, and the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. These beloved stories each teach us something about the character of God and God’s will for us. They each have unlikely heroes, outsiders and outcasts who are lifted up, and they each have people who fail to understand and to do God’s will. We spoke about the Good Samaritan briefly last week. This week we’ll focus on the Prodigal Son, the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, and the Rich Man and Lazarus. I love these parables and you will too. Don’t miss worship this weekend. INVITE A FRIEND TO WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND: Invite them to join you in person at one of our five locations: Leawood location at 7:30, 9, 11 am (traditional at 11 in the sanctuary, modern at 11 in the Foundry) or 5 pm Downtown location Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 or 11 am Blue Springs, Olathe (West) and Overland Park locations Sunday at 9 or 11 am Online at cor.org on Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 7:30, 9 and 11 am or 5 pm On KMCI Channel 38 television at 8 am or 11 am On demand on YouTube throughout the week.

KEEP READING LUKE AND USING YOUR DAILY GPS!

Each day, the GPS (Grow, Pray, Study Guide) that we email you has a short video devotion, a section of Luke’s gospel to read, a short devotional to read and a song by our COR Worship Collective. I’m finding these a really powerful way to start each day. If you don’t currently receive the GPS, sign up here. If you’ve been inspired by the music of the COR Worship Collective that is part of the GPS, you might want to watch the video from the single they have released, “Redeemer // Revival.” You can subscribe to their YouTube page for more music released throughout Lent. Here’s the link.

ARE YOUR CHILDREN BACK IN SUNDAY SCHOOL YET?

I wanted to offer a word about the importance of children’s Sunday School and student ministries. Recently I sat with our children’s ministries (KiDSCOR) teams from across all of our locations as they set learning objectives for our children at each grade level. I was grateful for, and impressed by, their intentionality and by the learning and spiritual growth objectives they set for our kids. During COVID we offered online children’s programming, but now that we’re back in person, if you’ve not reconnected your children or youth in Sunday School or youth group, I’d like to encourage you to do this. It is in Sunday School that our kids learn Bible stories, come to a deeper understanding and experience of the Christian life, and are encouraged to live out their faith by acts of love and kindness. LaVon and I worked to teach our children these things as they were growing up, but I am so grateful they were in Sunday School as well. Often they were more open to learning from their Sunday School teachers and youth group mentors than from us. To learn more about KiDSCOR children’s programming click here. To find out more about rezlife Student Ministries, click here.

GOING DEEPER AS YOU CONNECT WITH OTHERS

· We had over 100 people sign up for Decisively Go Deeper: An Online Lent Experience that began last Wednesday to explore spiritual practices of prayer, scripture reading, self-examination and holy conversation in smaller online groups. There are two more sessions, March 23 and 30, 6:30-8 pm, and you can join anytime. Register here. · Three-week in-person small groups start March 28 at all locations, so sign up here now! These Eat. Grow. Serve. small groups are a great way to meet some new people while you share a meal, grow in faith, and serve together during Lent. Register here. · Join the online class, Serving with Your Spiritual Gifts, and explore where your gifts, dreams and passions might lead you to serve. Class meets Mondays, March 21, 28, and April 4 from 6:30-8 pm. Register here.

MEN’S MINISTRY PROGRAM DIRECTOR POSITION OPEN

Last week, I shared with you the appointment of Pastor Tino Herrera to pastor Trinity UMC. This leaves an opening on our Adult Discipleship Team. This week we posted a position for a Men’s Ministry Program Director who will collaborate with our discipleship team at all locations to engage Resurrection men in fellowship, small groups, study and serving. The director will provide ongoing leadership, vision and strategic planning for volunteer leadership teams to support all ministries and programs related to men at the Leawood location, as well as serve as the churchwide model and resource for similar ministries and programs across all locations. We envision programming for men with children in the home and focusing on building better dads, as well as activities for men without kids or whose kids are grown. We hope to fill this position before Pastor Tino leaves for his new position this summer. If you, or someone you know might be interested, please share the job posting with them. This position, as well as other openings are on our website.

GLOBAL IMPACT MINISTRY – GO ON A SERVE TRIP

This month, we’re going to be highlighting our Global Impact Ministry, sharing ways you can Grow, Go and Give. This weekend we’re focusing on the “GO,” through global serve trips. There are many reasons to go on a mission trip, but to put it simply, your life will be transformed. Stepping out of our comfort zone, opens our eyes to our common humanity, changes our worldview, and inspires and humbles us. I hope if you are able you will explore this opportunity. Here’s a link to our upcoming trips. I also encourage you to learn more about our global impact ministry by checking out the Bridging Cultures podcast.

Global Impact: Grow – Go – Give →

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

Attention College Students: Equipping future ministry leaders is at the heart of Resurrection. We’re taking applications for summer internships which provide an incredible learning experience with ministry experts while doing hands-on meaningful work. Click here to find out more and to apply for a summer internships.

SERVE SATURDAY AND MONTHLY DONATION DRIVE TOMORROW

We still have some openings to join our teams serving in the community tomorrow, Saturday, March 19. Go to the Serve Saturday website, select an opportunity and reserve your spot. You can also participate in the monthly Donation Drive on Saturday between 9 and 11 am at all our locations. This month we are collecting books for our bookmobile and personal care items for our partner schools. Here’s the list with specific items requested. Last weekend in in-person worship at Leawood I challenged our children to bring new or gently used books for the bookmobile, to share with kids in KC.

JOIN ME TUESDAY NIGHT FOR VESPERS

Join me this coming Tuesday at 7:30 pm CT on Facebook Live, on my Facebook page: Pastor Adam Hamilton on Facebook for Tuesday Vespers. During this Lenten season I’m focusing on stories in Luke that we’ll not be covering in weekend worship. I’ll be coming to you live from my home. You’ll also be able to view it on my Facebook page or the church’s YouTube page or cor.org/next after Tuesday night.

DENOMINATIONAL UPDATE

Fifty years ago this spring, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church met in Atlanta. The General Conference is a gathering of elected clergy and lay delegates that meets once every four years to set policy, priorities and budgets for the denomination. That year a phrase was proposed for addition to our Discipline (our constitution) that “Homosexuals no less than heterosexuals are persons of sacred worth, who need the ministry and guidance of the church.” Conservatives proposed adding, “though we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” Both lines were approved, and the denomination has been fighting over these words ever since.

Some conservative United Methodists are forming a new denomination whose essential doctrines are virtually identical to those in the United Methodist Church, but who will continue to emphasize the incompatibility of same-sex marriage and call gay and lesbian people to celibacy. Meanwhile it is anticipated that the United Methodist Church will remove the “incompatible” language from our Discipline.

A General Conference was to be held this fall to approve a plan to allow those churches who wish to leave the UMC to do so, after which it was anticipated that the language would be removed. This General Conference has been postponed to 2024 due to concerns that COVID might prohibit delegates from less vaccinated countries from being able to participate. As a result those forming the more conservative denomination have announced plans to launch in May.

Our Church Council recognizes that we have people on both sides of this debate, that a majority of our congregation supports inclusion and welcoming LGBTQ persons, and that we are firmly committed to being a part of the United Methodist Church. There are 30,000+ United Methodist Churches in the US and we anticipate that most will remain United Methodist. It is estimated that somewhere between 10% and 30% of US congregations may leave.

There is much more that I wish I had time to share here, but I’ll plan to devote a vespers or special e-note to it in the future.

Resurrection, I’m grateful for your passion for Jesus and for loving and serving people. I’m proud to serve as one of your pastors.

In Christ’s love,

Adam

SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YOUR RESURRECTION LOCATION!

Watch for the “Next” newsletter in your email on Tuesday. This newsletter includes a personal message from your location pastor (Wendy, Anne, Bill, Penny, Joshua and Ashley) and opportunities for you to engage and connect at your location. If you’re not receiving it right now, you can sign up here.