Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - August 11, 2023
This week our 9-year-old granddaughter, Stella, spent the week with LaVon and me, her last week before school starts. While I was at work, LaVon did all kinds of special things with her – I’m so grateful for the Mimi LaVon is to Stella. When I got home from work in the evenings, we had supper, then Stella and I had a dominos tournament across two days (Stella won!); and one night, we went as a family to the New Theatre Restaurant to see
Dream Girls. At bedtime we read a children’s book, but just before turning off the lights, I read to Stella from the Gospel of Matthew.We started at chapter 4 and I read the temptation story one night, and we talked about temptation. The next night we talked about Jesus’ message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and we discussed what repentance means and why it matters. The next night we read about Jesus calling his first disciples, and how Jesus still calls us to “come and follow me.”
I’m mentioning this because it was such a simple thing to do, but it opened the door to great conversations about Jesus and faith. If you have children or grandchildren, even if your kids are teenagers, I’d love to encourage you to try this and see if reading a pericope – a small self-contained unit – from the gospels might lead to meaningful conversation as you share your faith with your children or grandchildren.
THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: “FAITH THAT LEAVES A LEGACY”
It was on a student ministries Sunday like this, when I was 16, that I felt God calling me to be a pastor. I want to encourage you to come and be inspired and to support our student ministries. Megan DelGrosso, Director of Student Ministry at our Leawood location, will be sharing the message in the Leawood Sanctuary services, online and on TV. Student ministry leaders Todd Davidson is preaching at the 11 am Leawood service in the Foundry, Pastor Nick Kaufmann Mamisashvili is Downtown, and Leah Miller is at Overland Park. At our other locations we have Pastor Ashley Morgan Kirk at Blue Springs, Pastor Bill Gepford at West and Pastor Wendy Lyons Chrostek at Brookside.
DO YOU WORSHIP WITH US ON TV? THIS SUNDAY ONLY, 11 AM WILL BE AT 9:30 AM ON KMCI
This Sunday, August 13, our 11 am worship service on KMCI, channel 38 “the Spot,” will be bumped to 9:30 am due to a programming conflict. The 8 am service will be at the regular 8 am time. This is for this weekend only! So, worship on TV at either 8 am or 9:30 am this Sunday. If you prefer to worship at 11 am, you can always do so online at resurrection.church/worship.
FALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND ADULT MENTORS
In worship this weekend, you’ll learn about some of the exciting things happening in Resurrection Student Ministries this fall. If you’re a student, I hope you join us at one of our Resurrection locations; and adults, I invite you to consider joining student ministries as a mentor or volunteer! We believe that students thrive when they have great adults supporting, guiding, and caring for them. If you’re interested, you can stop by the Student Ministries table after worship or go to our website to learn more.
COMING UP NEXT WEEKEND: “THREE POWERFUL GIFTS” AND PROMOTION SUNDAY
I’m looking forward to being back in the pulpit next weekend and beginning a new sermon series called Three Powerful Gifts. In this three-part series we will explore three things Jesus instituted – the Church and the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion – and rediscover how the Holy Spirit works in and through them to help us to experience God’s grace. Here’s a promo video you can share with friends.
JOIN A SMALL GROUP THIS FALL
Resurrection small groups are where we connect with others, grow in our faith, and build life-long friendships. Fall groups launch August 30, and new groups are forming now, so don’t delay, check it out and sign up here today!
JEN HATMAKER AND TYLER MERRITT COMING TO RESURRECTION THIS FALL
Mark you calendars for Saturday, November 11, when Jen Hatmaker and Tyler Merritt come to Resurrection for an evening of storytelling, hope and humor on their “Dream Again” speaking tour. Jen, became known for hosting an HGTV series, and for her NY Times bestselling book, Fierce, Free and Full of Fire. She’s also a popular podcaster. Tyler is an actor, comedian, vocalist and author. They will share their personal stories as they inspire you to find beauty in the ugliest of days and keep your mind open to the possibilities around the corner. Tickets are available now, and if you use the Resurrection code RUMC50, you can save 50% off the standard ticket price.
SERVE SATURDAY AUGUST 19
Our monthly Serve Saturday is coming up on August 19. This opportunity to serve in the community at a variety of locations is a great way to invite friends to connect with the Resurrection community. Find out about times and locations here.
ALLIES FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AT THE BALLPARK WITH THE MONARCHS!
After a morning of service on August 19, you can enjoy a fun-filled evening with your family at 6 pm Monarch’s baseball game at KCK’s Legends Field and Ballpark. Watch the hometown Monarchs face off against the Fargo Morehead Redhawks. This event is perfect for families, grandparents, grandkids, and small groups! We have reserved excellent seats in Section 101, right behind home plate. To purchase tickets, click here. Allies for Racial Justice is a partnership between Resurrection and St. James UMC.
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL!
Resurrection’s Giving Garden, located in western Johnson County, has been providing produce for our Hunger Ministry this summer, and we have a goal of 5,000 tomatoes donated to our Resurrection Food Mobile! So far we are at 3,500 harvested tomatoes, but we need your help to reach our goal! Join us any Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday from 8 – 10 am. No experience necessary, all ages and abilities welcome! Let us know you’re coming by clicking here!
SPECIAL NIGHT OF WORSHIP AT RESURRECTION WEST AUGUST 12
Don’t miss our night of worship at Resurrection West this Saturday, August 12 at 5:30 pm with Worshippers United, a dynamic team of East African worship leaders, singers, musicians and Resurrection worship leaders. After an unforgettable night of worship we’ll share a multicultural meal together. Here’s the link to learn more and register.
JOIN ME FOR VESPERS NEXT TUESDAY
CONGRATULATIONS RESURRECTION BLUE SPRINGS AND OVERLAND PARK!
Again, I want to say, Happy Birthday to Resurrection Blue Springs and Resurrection Overland Park! Resurrection Blue Springs began 13 years ago this coming week, and Resurrection Overland Park began today, three years ago. We’re proud of what God has done through these two locations of our congregation. We’re currently exploring several additional sites for new locations of Resurrection. More on that in a month.
In the meantime, don’t miss worship this weekend and invite a friend!
Adam
P.S. Make sure you check out all the exciting things that are happening at Resurrection at resurrection.church/next.
Adam Hamilton
Resurrection Senior Pastor
Reverend Adam Hamilton is the senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection and the author of 22 books. He has been married to LaVon since 1982, and she has been a critical partner in every dimension of Adam’s work. They have two daughters and one granddaughter.
Adam’s writings are known for helping readers make sense of challenging theological questions, exploring the significance of the biblical stories, and equipping Christian leaders to be more effective in their work. He earned his MDiv from Perkins School of Theology and graduated with honors from Oral Roberts University with a degree in Pastoral Ministry.
