Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - December 29, 2023
December 29, 2023
Dear Resurrection Family,
This weekend, LaVon and I will spend time reflecting on the last year – the joys, the surprises, the changes – and giving thanks to God for 2023. We’ll also spend time thinking about the year ahead – what do we know is coming? What goals do we have for the year ahead? In the closing paragraph below, I’ll share a little of that as it relates to the church. Before that, I want to share some important updates as we come to the last few days of 2023.
THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: TIME KEEPS MARCHING ON
My dad recently sent me a picture of a roll of toilet paper noting that it, like time, seems to unroll faster the closer you get to the end! This weekend, Rev. Scott Chrostek, Executive Pastor of Worship and Ministry, will be sharing a message titled Time Keeps Marching On.
Here’s what Scott said about this weekend’s sermon: We fill our days with deadlines, to-do lists, and the soundtrack of time-obsessed songs and movies. But somewhere between carpools and conference calls, we hear another whisper – what if the secret to life is not speeding up, but slowing down? He’ll invite us to make a pact. Instead of counting down the minutes, let’s count the blessings. Let’s turn our anxieties into opportunities, our worries into whispers of prayer. Let’s surrender to the rhythm of time, trusting that God’s hand will guide us, step by breathtaking step, through the journey ahead.
I’m looking forward to his New Year’s Eve message! Our schedule returns to its ordinary worship schedule this weekend. This is also a Worship Together Weekend. For this special event that takes place throughout the year, we invite children ages five and up to join their families in worship. Childcare will be provided for children ages four and under.
YEAR-END GIVING: YOUR GIFTS MATTER
I’m spending part of today making our year-end donations. We fulfilled our 2023 church pledge last weekend and gave to the Christmas Eve offering – if you’ve yet to do either of these, we’d be grateful – your year-end giving has a HUGE impact on the church’s ministry and mission.
If you would like to make a year-end gift to the 2023 Ministry Fund or the special Christmas Eve Offering, you can do so today by going to cor.org/givenow. All gifts must be made prior to 11:59 pm on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, to be tax deductible in the current year. You can use a credit card, debit card, or e-check. If you have questions, contact the Donor Relations Team by calling 913-232-4113 through 4 pm on Friday, Dec. 29, or stop by the office at 13720 Roe Ave, Leawood, Building C between 9 am and 4 pm today (Friday). If you wish to give by check and mail it, please make sure it is postmarked by December 31 per IRS rules. Thank you for your year-end generosity!!!
CHRISTMAS EVE AND ANGEL SIGHTINGS!
The Christmas Eve services were beautiful. I’m so grateful for all who made this possible at each location. I had several people report “angel sightings” after worship – a woman whose battery was dead, and a fellow worshiper jumping her car in the rain. Two young adults who took two homeless people to a hotel to get out of the cold and rain. A flat tire changed by another of our attendees, ushers, vocalists, musicians, and dozens of others who were volunteering from 1:00 pm until after midnight and so many more. It was a beautiful weekend at all locations. We’ll announce the total of the Christmas Eve offering serving low-income children and their families on January 14, as we continue to receive gifts.
WINTER KICK-OFF FOR FAMILIES AND STUDENTS AT SNOW CREEK IN WESTON, MO
• Jan. 6, 2 – 4 pm – Snow tubing for families. No prior experience or special gear needed. Learn more and register here.
• Jan. 7, 12:30 – 7 pm – A day filled with tubing, delicious lunch options, snacks, s’mores by the fire, and endless fun for middle and high school students. Get more information and sign up here.
BEGINNING IN JANUARY: TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
Did you know that the various Hebrew and Greek words for love appear over 800 times in scripture? Humans were created for love, to receive, reciprocate and reflect God’s love. I’ve been reading some of the summary findings of the Harvard Adult Development study, which followed a group of 236 Harvard students, starting in 1938 until the end of their lives. Do you know the single most important contributor to self-reported happiness in this group across the course of their lives? Love.
During the first five weeks of the new year, our sermon series will help us unlock the power of God’s greatest gift: Love. Join us as we seek to understand what love is, why it matters, and how it has the power to transform our lives and to change the world. Here’s a link to the series video that you can share with your friends.
MLK SERVE DAYS JAN. 13 AND 15
Make plans now to join us in January as we will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with a weekend full of service throughout the city. Sign up with friends and family for various shifts and embrace this opportunity to love others, practice kindness and do justice! Don’t miss this opportunity to make a meaningful impact in our community. The link to up to serve on our website.
LETTING GO OF STRESS AND ANXIETY – FREE EVENT JAN. 17 WITH AUNDI KOLBER
Our Care and Discipleship Ministries have teamed up to bring a special event to Resurrection at 6 pm on January 17. Trauma therapist and best-selling author Aundi Kolber will speak to how the power of love can help us break free from the pursuit of perfection, let go of stress and anxiety and find in their place a life of connection and joy. Kolber brings her work as a therapist and a thoughtful Christian faith to her writing and speaking. She is the author of acclaimed books, Strong Like Water and Try Softer. This is a free event in the Leawood Foundry and online, and I hope you’ll invite your friends. You can register here.
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
Special events designed to deepen your faith, foster connections, and leave you inspired. Space is limited, so register today. Register for the women’s conference by Jan. 1 for a discounted price!
- Women’s Conference February 2 – 3 at Resurrection Leawood. Register here by Jan. 1 for a discounted price.
- Men’s Conference February 24 at Arrowhead. Register here
Resurrection Grief Ministry offers a supportive journey of healing through a book study, Understanding Your Grief. Groups meet in person at Resurrection Leawood Thursdays, Jan. 18 – Mar. 21 from 1-2:30 pm and Online on Mondays, Jan. 15 – Mar. 18, from 6-7 pm. Learn more here.
VESPERS TUESDAY NIGHT
I’m hoping to record vespers on New Year’s Day, or early on Tuesday the 2nd. I’ll be in the air at 7:30 pm Tuesday night – I’ll tell you more about that during vespers! You can always find my posted vespers on my Facebook page after the fact.
LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD
We had so many exciting things happen in our ministries in 2023, and continued growth year over year as people continue to return to in-person worship and programs (worship attendance was up about 1,000 per weekend over 2022). We held what I think was one of our best Vacation Bible Schools ever with tons of kids. Youth group participation continues to grow. As I look back, I think of the people in our congregation who passed, whose lives we celebrated, and the important role they played in the life of our congregation. I miss them. And, I think of the babies we baptized, and the new confirmands and adult members we welcomed. We developed building plans for renovations or new spaces at all of our locations. We held a successful Generation to Generation Campaign that saw our members commit $47 million across all locations, over and above their regular giving, to fund these additions and renovations and reduce debt – my experience is that this kind of sacrifice points to a deepening faith in the hearts of those who give. We gave over $10 million to missions and ministries beyond the walls of our church and gave thousands of hours of service. I’m just scratching the surface.
As I look ahead to 2024, there will be ground breakings, building completions, and at least one new Resurrection location launching. There will be lives changed, other churches we will help strengthen, and we’ll do what we can to transform our world to look more like God’s kingdom. We’ll welcome new children, youth and adults. We’ll have our election-year fall campaign focus on Do Unto Others. We have a General Conference in April with what I hope will be important changes in our Discipline. We’ll continue to pursue our four 2030 Visions:
• Closing the Spiritual Gap – helping members grow deeper in their faith
• Closing the Generational Gap – reaching children, youth, young adults and families
• Closing the Justice and Kindness Gap – reducing polarization and inequity in our city
• Closing the Opportunity Gap – addressing the needs of low-income communities
And, before all of that, we’ll continue to seek to build a Christian community where non-religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians.
Can I tell you, I am more excited than ever to be one of your pastors!
Adam
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.
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