Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - January 2, 2026
Happy New Year! As we begin the New Year, I hope you’ll spend some time reflecting on the past year and renewing your commitment to God in the new one. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, led Watch Night Services on New Year’s Eve for the 18th-century Methodists, and at these services, Methodists would renew their covenant with God. The prayer Wesley adapted is now known as the Wesley Covenant Prayer. I pray some version of this prayer every morning. Pastor Scott invited us to pray this prayer last Sunday. I’d like to invite you to pause right now and join me in praying it:
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND: GOD’S HOLY, BEAUTIFUL MESS(AGE)
JANUARY SERMON SERIES: FEARLESS
Beginning January 11, I’ll be launching a sermon series called Fearless: Overcoming Fear with Faith, that will focus on common fears and how Scripture and our faith play a part in helping us live fearlessly. These sermons will be based upon your fears, and I’d love for you to take a five-minute survey to provide your input. So far, 1,976 people have taken the survey. This is a similar survey to one we took ten years ago, and I’ll be comparing your results to see how our fears have changed, how they’ve remained the same, and how you cope with fear. It is also interesting to see how our fears change across generations – in the sermons I’ll share the results broken down by generation and by gender. If you are in your teens, 20s, 30s, or 40s, I encourage you to take the survey. You can take the survey here and help me as I prepare for this series.
LEAWOOD STUDENT CENTER – GRAND OPENING AND RIBBON CUTTING
Our newly renovated Leawood Student Center opens January 11! After months of anticipation and construction, we’re ready to welcome students and families into a space designed specifically for middle and high schoolers to connect, grow, and belong. Plan to join me for a ribbon-cutting ceremony after each service with coffee and cookies to mark the occasion. Then, from 12-4 pm, stop by our open house to explore the new space, meet the Leawood Student Ministry staff, and see firsthand where students will gather for worship, small groups, and midweek programming. This renovation represents our commitment to investing in the next generation, creating an environment where young people can wrestle with big questions, build authentic friendships, and discover what it means to follow Jesus in today’s world.
JASON GANT TO SERVE UMC CAMP AND CONFERENCE CENTER IN FLORIDA
It’s always hard to say goodbye to someone who has been an integral part of the Resurrection family, but I’m also happy for Jason Gant, our Lead Director of Family and Kids Ministry, who has accepted a position in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church as the Senior Director of the Warren Willis Camp & Conference Center. Jason has led Resurrection over the past twenty years as Student Ministry Director, Location Pastor at Resurrection West and in his current role directing family and children’s ministries churchwide. During that time, he also helped launch the Vibe Worship Service, a precursor to our Foundry worship service. He’s had a tremendous impact on thousands of students, children and families. As Jason and I talked about this opportunity, it was not only an opportunity to move back home, but to have an impact on children and youth from United Methodist churches across the entire state of Florida. It would be hard to pass this up.
Jason asked me to share this with you:
“It has been the honor of my life to serve for the past twenty years at Resurrection. My daughters were baptized, confirmed, and formed by this incredible faith community. Some of my extended family are even online members. Resurrection will continue to be a large part of my family’s faith connection and development for years to come. As I transition to serve as the Senior Director of the Warren Willis Camp & Conference Center in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, please know how grateful I am to you for shaping me as a disciple, husband, father, and pastor. This decision didn’t come easily, but it is a homecoming for my wife and me as this camp is where we met and served summers through our college years. I believe Resurrection has prepared me to lead in this important role, and my family appreciates your prayers for our transition.”
Jason will remain in his current position through February.
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS WITH RESURRECTION
Resurrection has an amazing 10-week paid summer internship program for college students interested in exploring ministry, making an impact, and growing in faith. Interns serve in a variety of areas as part of a ministry team at Resurrection. If you are an interested college student (or you know one), here’s the link to learn more and apply.
NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES – SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE…
VACATION BIBLE CAMP 2026 – Mark your calendars for the week of July 12 for Vacation Bible Camp for kids, kindergarten through 5th grade. This year’s theme is GOAL (Go Out And Love), and the week will be filled with games, music, interactive lessons, creative challenges and plenty of high-energy fun! Morning and evening sessions are available, and adults are invited to volunteer and be part of the fun! Check it out here.
MLK SERVE WEEKEND – We are hosting two big days of serve events on January 17 and 19 as we honor the enduring legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is not a day off, but rather it’s a day on, where we gather thousands of people to go out into the community to serve! We have opportunities to serve on site at Resurrection but also several ways to serve out in the community! Click here to register.
FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY – Are you looking for a way to help you take control of your finances and grow in generosity? This free course will be offered at several locations and online in January, providing practical tools to manage your money well. Learn more here.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CONFERENCES IN FEBRUARY – We have some really exciting things planned for our annual conferences in February. Beloved, the Women’s Conference is Feb. 6-7, and Determined, the Men’s Conference is Feb. 27-28. Both offer great speakers, fun engagement opportunities, a place to connect with other men or women of all ages, and a way to grow in your faith. Learn more and register for Beloved here and Determined here.
RESURRECTION WELCOMES EVERYONE
That’s the message we want to share everywhere we can in every way we can, and the sky’s the limit (literally)! A couple of weeks ago, our Downtown location completed a painting on their roof that welcomes people from the rooftops and the sky. You may have seen this on the local news, where it was mentioned as one way Kansas City is welcoming people to the World Cup this summer. I love the creativity and the message!
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.
