Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - January 12, 2024

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE NEW YEAR

The new year is always a great time for financial planning and goal setting. Resurrection is excited to offer Financial Peace University beginning this month. FPU is an 8-week course that provides practical tools and guidance to help you manage your finances effectively. At FPU, you’ll learn how to create a budget, tackle debt, save for important goals, and plan for a secure future. Join us as we explore biblical principles of financial management and take control of your financial well-being. Classes are offered at five of our locations and online. Click here for times, locations and registration.

LETTING GO OF STRESS AND ANXIETY SPEAKER THIS WEDNESDAY

We’ve had great response to our event on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 6 pm, with Aundi Kolber, Christian therapist and author of Strong like Water and Try Softer. You can still sign up here and join us for this free event either in the Resurrection Leawood Foundry or online. 

CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Although we’re rescheduling our MLK Serve Weekend, there are still many ways to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Resurrection Leawood Pastor Robert Johnson, along with Rev. Karen Nyhart from Old Mission UMC, will participate in a Martin Luther King Jr. tribute presented by TRINITY Jazz Ensemble, led by Resurrection member Mike Parkinson, on Sunday, Jan. 14, from 6-8 pm at the Westport Coffeehouse Theater. Here’s the link to learn more.
• Families and children can join Resurrection for an online interactive experience on Monday, Jan. 15, at 9:30 am. This interactive session is designed to celebrate the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and will provide an opportunity for inspiration, connection, and fun! We hope you can join us online. You will want to have some construction paper, crayons, and scissors available for this virtual event. Click here to join us!
• Resurrection’s Justice Ministry, in conjunction with Allies for Racial Justice, our partnership with St. James UMC, has put together a list of racial justice resources  for individuals who want to be prepared to engage productively in important and challenging discussions. Here’s the link.
• Resurrection is offering a Cultural Competency Workshop on Saturday, Jan. 20, at Resurrection Leawood from 11 am – 1 pm. This free, two-hour workshop is packed with practical tools to strengthen engagement and understanding while building deeper relationships in our community. Learn more and register here.
• The University of Missouri Kansas City’s 15th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture features Kevin Willmott, an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. The event is at 6 pm on Jan. 23, in the UMKC Student Union, Room 401, Cherry St., KCMO, Willmott’s lecture “Becoming Martin,” will explore King’s journey from uncertain beginnings to a worldwide figure for justice and civil rights. This event is free and open to the public, but online registration is required to ensure seating.

VESPERS SCHEDULE ERRATIC THIS MONTH! 

Most Tuesday nights I go live on Facebook for a conversation about faith and life, usually from my man-cave at our home. But this month is a bit chaotic. Next Tuesday, I’ll be speaking in Ohio during this time, then the following week we’ll have a panel in our Foundry with second generation Holocaust survivors for National Holocaust Remembrance Day. The next week, I’ll be speaking in Dallas. As I did in Tanzania, I’ll try to share Vespers another time during the week. If possible, I’ll be going on about 6 or 6:30 pm this Tuesday, but that may not be possible. If you follow me on Facebook and set your settings to notify you when I go live, you’ll get a notification. 

REPORT FROM TANZANIA

I arrived back in Kansas City this past Monday night from a quick trip to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where I was invited to speak to 175 United Methodist leaders from across Africa among whom were 160 delegates to General Conference. The event was called the Africa Forum and was organized by Africans for Africans as they contemplate the future of the United Methodist Church and their role in it.

I was asked to speak on misinformation Africans had received about the future of the UMC. The misinformation was all demonstrably wrong, and I shared this information then fielded their questions. I then moderated a panel discussion with three United Methodist bishops about the future of the UMC. My part was only a small part of this gathering. More important was simply showing up. As the pastor of the largest UMC, along with key leaders of the UMC in the US, showing up and listening spoke volumes.

The end result was that these delegates clearly indicated they wanted to remain in the UMC, and they supported structural changes to the UMC that will allow the U.S. church to adapt the Book of Discipline for its context. This will allow the UMC in the U.S. to remove words and policies inserted in 1972 and the years since concerning gay and lesbian people. General Conference meets in Charlotte, North Carolina the end of April where these issues will be taken up by these 160 African Delegates and 700 delegates from the U.S., the Philippines, Europe and other parts of the world. 

Okay, that’s all I’ve got for today. I’m heading to the Chiefs game tomorrow with JT and Jared (my daughters’ guys) – if you are heading there, or anywhere else, dress warm this weekend!