Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - August 16, 2024
August 16, 2024
Dear Resurrection Family,
In the words of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.” LaVon and I had an amazing trip the last few weeks, but we’re so glad to be back home and so excited about this weekend.
I also want to thank each of you who sent cards and posted on the website for my 60th birthday. Your words blessed me. I just received the link to the webpage this week of comments you shared, so I’ve only begun reading them, but they touched my heart.
It’s going to be a fun fall kick-off weekend at Resurrection, with our Car Show and Community Event on Saturday, our children and students moving up a grade in Sunday School, treats and cool cars on display after worship at all locations, and the launch of our new sermon series using car restoration as a metaphor for God’s restoring work in our lives! This weekend, you’ll see this car at church, and I’ll tell you a bit about it, as we consider what it teaches us about the Christian spiritual life.
THIS WEEKEND: RESTORING “PROJECT CARS”
In case you missed it, here’s the TV spot we recorded for the car show and sermon series. Please post it on your social media or forward the link to your friends. There are a lot of folks you know who don’t go to church, but who love cars! We’ll also have treats after worship (ranging from frozen custard to Pop-Tarts depending on the location).
For those of you with children, this is promotion Sunday, where all kids move up into their next age or grade level group. This is an important weekend as they meet their new leaders and begin a great year of learning about Jesus’ love. Each child in Sunday School will also receive a fun car toy as we begin this new sermon series to understand the restoring work of God!
This will be a great time to invite friends, family and co-workers who have children and teens to join you for worship. If you are in town, plan to worship in person, and if you are traveling or out of town, join us in worshiping online.
- Leawood: 7:30 am – Donuts; 9, 11 and 5: Culver’s Frozen Custard
- West: Donuts (that look like tires)
- Downtown: Make your own snack mix
- Blue Springs: Donuts
- Overland Park: Kona Ice Truck
- Brookside: Pop Tarts and Toasters
RESURRECTION LEAWOOD IS THE PLACE TO BE SATURDAY WITH CAR SHOW AND FUN FAMILY ACTIVITIES!
I hope you’re planning to join me tomorrow at the Annual Resurrection Car Show and Community Event from 10 am – 3 pm at Resurrection Leawood. This free, family-friendly gathering includes classic car displays, food trucks, games, inflatables for kids, and activities for all ages. Proceeds benefit our Hunger Ministry and Bookmobile. Judging of the cars is at 1 pm, and then we’ll be showing Pixar’s animated hit movie, Cars in the Foundry with free popcorn! This is a community-wide event for all locations, so invite your friends who love cars and join me. Click here for more details, and thank you to our amazing sponsors, Balderston Automotive Group and Cable-Dahmer Automotive Group, who helped make this event possible. It’s not too late to register to display your fun car! If you have neighbors or friends with classic or interesting cars, invite them to bring them out!
SPIRITUAL “RESTORATION” THROUGH SMALL GROUPS
As we talk about restoration, one of the ways we become who we were meant to be is through our relationships with God and each other. At Resurrection, we offer a wide range of small groups for all ages and stages. Whether you’re looking for a men’s group, and women’s group or something coed, these dynamic communities gather at our various Resurrection locations and online, and they foster an environment of encouragement, fellowship, and spiritual growth. Through shared experiences, you’ll find a welcoming space to deepen your walk with Christ. Check out the fall possibilities here.
DO UNTO OTHERS YARD SIGNS AVAILABLE THIS WEEKEND
This fall we’re holding our third Kindness Campaign. These coincide with the national elections every two years. In 2020, our theme was Love Your Neighbor. In 2022, our theme was Be Just, Be Kind, Be Humble. This year we are focused on The Golden Rule with a campaign theme of Do Unto Others. We’ll be handing out yard signs this weekend for you to display in your yards. These are signs that you chose earlier this year. Next month we’ll invite you to start placing these near candidate campaign signs. We’ve got a lot of other components in this campaign including small group curriculum, service opportunities, TV and radio spots and a four-week series on Jesus, the Golden Rule and Politics. You can learn more here. Pick up signs for your yard this weekend and be salt and light in our community as we seek to reduce the polarization related to the elections.
AUGUST BLOOD DRIVES FILL CRITICAL NEED
In celebration of the 30-year partnership, all donors who show up to give at a Resurrection blood drive this month will receive a $5 gift card to The Golden Scoop, a local nonprofit ice cream shop dedicated to providing innovative and meaningful employment for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Mon. Aug. 19 – Leawood, 8 am – 8 pm
- Tue. Aug. 20 – Leawood, 8 am – 8 pm
- Thur. Aug. 22 – Blue Springs, 2 pm – 6 pm
- Thur. Aug. 22 – Overland Park, 2 pm – 7 pm
- Mon. Aug. 26 – West, noon – 6 pm
- Tue. Aug. 27 – West, 8 am – 2 pm
- Wed. Aug. 28 – Brookside, 9 am – 1 pm
INFORMATIONAL GATHERINGS COMING UP FOR NEW RESURRECTION LOCATIONS IN SPRING HILL AND LIBERTY
Resurrection Spring Hill – August 19, 6:30 pm, Resurrection Spring Hill Sanctuary, 112 E. Nichols St., Spring Hill, KS
Join me and Spring Hill Location Pastor Angie McCarty as we share our vision for Spring Hill and the opportunities and possibilities that await this location. We are preparing for our official grand opening in September. Please let us know you are coming here.
Resurrection Liberty Location Pastor, Shannon Starek, and I will share our vision and plans for Resurrection Liberty. We are looking at being able to begin worship in Gano Chapel in December but will begin to have some gatherings on the campus for those interested in being part of this congregation. Here’s a link to parking directions and registration.
RESURRECTION NORTH CINCINNATI – MASON, OHIO???
While speaking in Cincinnati earlier this year, Brad Aycock, Director of Fresh Starts and New Beginnings in West Ohio, broached the subject of collaborating with Resurrection on the launch of a new congregation in the northern suburb of Cincinnati. Bishop Gregory Palmer and the leaders of West Ohio had a vision for this. The conference has a great building in Mason (a northern suburb of Cincinnati), but the congregation closed in 2023. District Superintendent Jenn Lucas had been a part of our Young Pastors Network at Resurrection several years ago and has now been appointed by Bishop Palmer as the pastor who will launch this new congregation next year. While Resurrection has seen success in launching its own new locations in the Kansas City area, this is our first time doing something like this outside of the Kansas City metro area. Bishop Palmer has created an incredible culture of church planting and fresh expressions in West Ohio, and we think this could be a model for other annual conferences as well. The new church will share Resurrection’s name and purpose, will use our messages much of the time, and draw upon our programs and ministries, curriculum, training, and other resources, to help create the kind of experience that our congregants experience at our locations in Kansas City, but it will do so as a West Ohio congregation, with funding and oversight from the West Ohio Annual Conference. We are very excited to explore this innovative collaboration with West Ohio, and it is a great way for Resurrection to continue living into its vision to strengthen churches. Again, Resurrection is not funding this start-up but seeing this as a powerful collaboration that might be replicable in other cities across the U.S. If you know someone who lives in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, and who does not have a church home, let them know about this. And if they have an interest, click here to let us know as Pastor Jenn Lucas begins forming a core group for this new congregation.
EMERGING LEADERS COHORT OPENINGS
If you are a young adult, ages 22 – 35, feeling called to leadership within the church, I want to remind you about our Emerging Leaders Cohort. The program officially begins in September, and we are still accepting applications. The nine-month program is focused on leadership and faith development, mentoring and preparing you to be leaders both in the world, and in the church, and will help you discern how you can serve God through the church, either as a lay leader, or as a pastor or staff member. The program will include 1-on-1 mentoring once a month. At the conclusion of the program, I’ll be leading participants on a trip to England to retrace the life and faith of John Wesley and the early Methodist movement visiting Epworth, Oxford, Bristol and London. This will happen in the summer of 2025. Click here to apply.
JOIN ME FOR VESPERS ON TUESDAY NIGHT
Join me at 7:30 pm Central Time on Facebook Live this Tuesday for my weekly vespers. You can click here to go to my Pastor Adam Hamilton Facebook page where I’ll be sharing with you live. You can also access Vespers later on YouTube here.
RESURRECTION NAMED BEST PLACE TO WORSHIP IN KC
Resurrection has been named “Best of Kansas City 2024” by Kansas City Magazine in the City Life/Best Place to Worship category. I share this with gratitude to the hundreds of staff, volunteers and congregants at all of our locations who are committed to creating an environment and worship experience where everyone is welcome, where you can ask any question, and where you can be part of God’s amazing work in our community and the world. Invite someone to join you and share this experience this weekend! We know there are many outstanding places to worship in Kansas City that could have been named, but we’re humbled that we were listed by Kansas City Magazine.
See you at the Car Show Saturday and in worship this weekend!
Adam
PS: I received a text from Pastor Tom Langhofer this morning sharing that over 500 therapists and clinicians are attending a CEU (continuing education unit) about recovery held in collaboration with Cottonwood Springs. This is the 5th year that Resurrection Recovery has hosted this event! How cool is that!
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.
