Signs of Spring Surround Us

Dear Resurrection Family,

I hope this morning finds you doing well. Signs of spring are all around us, despite a bit of snow this week in Kansas City! The dogwoods, pears and crabapples are spectacular this year! Last spring, baseball had only cardboard fans, while this year Kauffman stadium is open to 10,000 fans a game – and the Royals are in first place in the AL Central!

89 million Americans are fully vaccinated (27% of the population) and another 40 million have received their first shot. The pandemic is far from over in the United States, and we still have to be diligent, but we can see reasons for hope and plans emerging for the future.

This Saturday will be our last “first shot” vaccination at Resurrection Leawood. The numbers of people needing vaccinations has dropped to where Advent Health can handle the shots at their hospital and clinics. There are 900 vaccinations available tomorrow between 8 am and noon. If you’ve not been vaccinated yet, click here to make an appointment. The vaccines are free, and it really is awesome when you’ve been vaccinated!

This Weekend in Worship: Life After the Pandemic

This weekend I’ll be concluding our series on Beginning Anew: Life After the Pandemic by looking at where we go from here as we begin to emerge from the pandemic. I spoke with five area CEOs this week about changes in their industries which will likely be with us for a long time. We’ll then turn to how the pandemic changed how we pursue the spiritual life and how we do church.

Finally, we’ll look at the importance of human contact in our lives – the Greek New Testament word for it is koinonia – community, sharing life together, fellowship. It is captured in the hundred “one another” verses of the New Testament. Every major study on longevity, mental health and happiness that I’ve read points to the importance of human relationships – something that is at the center of Jesus’ message.

In-Person Worship Numbers Growing

Our numbers of people joining us for in-person worship is slowly increasing since we restarted a month ago. Each weekend there have been people back for the first time. I saw several weep as they walked in this last weekend.

If you are able, join us at 9 or 11 am at one of our area locations. We’re nearing capacity at 11 am Downtown (we’ve limited capacity to just under 50% to allow for social distancing) but there is still room there at 9 am. The other locations have plenty of room at both 9 and 11 am. We’ve restarted children’s Sunday School as well.

If you live in Kansas City and you are ready to be back in public, plan to join us in person at the location nearest you. For a complete list of our locations, click here.

As we return to in-person worship, we need additional volunteers at all of our locations. If you’re ready to get back in person, consider helping make worship happen as an usher, greeter or children’s volunteer. To volunteer, just fill out this simple form. Select your location, service time and volunteer preferences, and the form will go to the right person at your worship location who will follow up and get you started.

Interested in Joining the Church? Join Me for Coffee via Zoom this Sunday at 2 pm

Whether you live in Kansas City or outside Kansas City, if you’ve been worshiping with us online, television or in person and would like to make Church of the Resurrection your church, I invite you to join me and our other pastors for Coffee with the Pastors this Sunday, April 25, at 2 pm Central time.

We’ll meet via a Zoom call and I’ll be coming to you from my study at the church. I’ll share more about the church, what we believe, what it means to be both a Christian and a member of the congregation. At the end we’ll have a brief joining time, after which you’ll be official members of Resurrection.

Go to cor.org/next to sign up and join us for this informational and inspirational event, followed by an opportunity for those who want to become official Resurrection members. Grab your coffee and join me Sunday!

Young Adult Community Groups Forming

If you are a young adult who wants to connect with other young adults, grow in your faith and find encouragement, check out the Young Adult Community Groups that will begin meeting Wednesday, May 5, at 6:30 pm at the Leawood location. Each week we will begin as a large group for a devotional, before breaking out into smaller groups, and then reconvening for snacks and fellowship. You can learn more and register at this website.

Holy Land Trip Next February – Walk Where Jesus Walked

One of the most moving spiritual experiences most ever have is to take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land; to walk where Jesus walked. Next February 15-24, I will be leading a trip to the Holy Land. We’ll retrace the story of Jesus’ life in the places it occurred, starting with his birth in Bethlehem, remembering his baptism (and our own) in the Jordan, retracing his ministry in and around the Sea of Galilee and ultimately walking with him to the place of his crucifixion, burial and resurrection in Jerusalem.

The cost is $3,998 which includes roundtrip airfare, hotel, tour bus and guides, breakfast and dinner and entrance fees (based upon two people per room – singles can request a roommate or if there is none available or they wish to have a single room there is an additional charge of $998). Click here for more information.

This Tuesday night on my Facebook Live Vespers I’ll talk about the Holy Land and the power of a pilgrimage and will give more details. Vespers is from 7:30 to 8-ish Central Time and can be accessed by following my Pastor Adam Hamilton Facebook page by clicking here.

We have 200 spots available for this Resurrection-wide trip. These trips typically sell out very, very quickly. For this trip we’re using a new two-step process for registration. On Tuesday, May 4, 2021 you may sign-up on the pre-registration waitlist using this link. The Resurrection congregation can sign up for this pre-registration list beginning at 8 am (CDT) and those from other churches can sign up beginning at 8:30 am (CDT).

For the second part of the registration process, the first 200 who signed-up on the waitlist will be contacted by email within a week with a private link to complete registration. Once you receive this email you will have one week to complete registration or your spot will go to the next person on the waitlist.

If you have questions about the process, contact Debi Nixon at debi.nixon@cor.org.

Plans Resume for Summer Mission Trips

We are working with our global ministry partners to begin resuming mission trips when it is safe to travel again. If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, go to our Global Impact website where we’ll have links to sign up. We have trips planned to Honduras, Malawi, and South Africa this summer and fall.

If you can’t physically travel, we are also planning virtual serve trips to Costa Rica and Honduras coming up in May. We’ll be sharing more about those next week!

Seven Days Presentation and Panel Will Replay on Channel 38

Last night, as a part of the SevenDays events, I was privileged to be part of a discussion panel following a presentation by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, the first Palestinian doctor to work in an Israeli hospital.

During the conflict between Israel and Palestine in 2009, three of Dr. Abuelaish’s daughters were killed when an Israeli mortar struck his home. Remarkably, in the years since he has devoted himself to working for peace. He is the author of the book I Shall Not Hate and is also on the faculty of the University of Toronto.

This was a remarkable presentation. If you missed it, KMCI Channel 38 will be airing it next Sunday, April 25, at 3 pm.

Invite friends to join you for worship this weekend, in person, online or on TV:

• 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.

As I close, I wanted to give you the link to what I posted on Facebook this week following the Derek Chauvin verdict. You can read it by clicking here.

In Christ’s Love,

Adam