Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - January 23, 2026

January 23, 2026

Dear Resurrection Family,

If you live in Kansas City, you know the temperatures have already dropped (it’s 7 degrees as I write this for those of you snowbirds somewhere else!). As of the time I’m writing this, the snow is expected to start tonight, and we’ll have somewhere between a dusting and 15 inches! Most likely between 5 and 7 inches. At this point, all of our locations will be open, but this weekend, WE WILL BE HOLDING ONE SERVICE AT EACH LOCATION AT 11 AM, EXCEPT FOR LIBERTY AT 10 AM. This will be a worship together opportunity for everyone, with no kids or youth programming. It will be a fun and moving service of worship, but if the roads are bad or if your vehicle doesn’t do well in the snow, please join us on TV or online here at our regular times.

WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND: DISAPPOINTING OTHERS, FAILURE AND ANXIETY

I wonder how often you fear rejection, or disappointing others, criticism or failure? For the nearly 1,000 young adults, Millennials and Gen Z, who took our fearless survey, these were the top personal fears. Gen X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation continue to struggle with them, though they dissipate dramatically with age. This weekend’s message will focus on these fears, and I’ll devote part of the sermon to the subject of anxiety disorders. All of these are significant concerns in the first half of life.

If you are a Millennial or Gen Z, don’t miss this and invite your friends or family members to join us. Snow or no, it will be a meaningful and inspiring weekend of worship.

CONSIDERING JOINING? EXPLORE RESURRECTION SUNDAY, FEB. 1 

Whether you are new to Resurrection or have been worshiping with us for a while, we’d love to have you join us for a casual gathering we call Explore Resurrection on Sunday, Feb. 1 (at 2 pm at Leawood and online, check your location-specific Next Newsletter for those at other locations). Hosted at each of our locations and online, Explore Resurrection is an opportunity to learn more about Resurrection. I’ll share our church’s story and purpose, along with what it means to be United Methodist (in person at Leawood, and via video at the other locations), and our staff will walk you through the different ways you can get more involved here. This is an opportunity to ask questions, meet other people, and figure out what your next steps might look like. After you’ve met our pastors and learned about the church, there will be a short break, and for those who are ready to join, there will be a brief but meaningful joining ceremony. Here’s the link to find the Explore Resurrection time at your location and to register.

ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE TUESDAY, JAN. 27

I hope you’ll plan to join me for our Church Conference from 7 – 8:30 pm on Tuesday, January 27. You can attend in person in the Leawood Student Center (Building C) or join us online via Zoom using this link. We will approve elected leaders for governance committees, evaluate candidates for ministry, approve my compensation, discuss the 2026 budget, and receive important reports. Voting is open to church members present in-person, and no registration is necessary. For more information, contact Dan Entwistle. If you’re joining us on Zoom, you can watch the meeting, but voting isn’t available online.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CONGREGANTS WITH 2025 HIGH ATTENDANCE

Each year, we recognize those of you who had perfect or near-perfect worship attendance in the previous year! This weekend, you can pick up a 2025 sticker to wear on your name tag at any of our locations at the information desk. Your faithful presence has been a blessing, and we feel honored that you continue to grow, serve, and worship at Resurrection. Here is the list of those who have had 90% or higher attendance across all our locations and online. We base this on the records of those who register their attendance each weekend, so make sure you are registering your attendance each week at cor.org/next. If you believe you had perfect or near-perfect attendance but are not on the list, please contact Stephanie Hubers and let us know.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM MLK WEEKEND

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. … You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” You are great, Resurrection! Thank you for honoring Dr. King’s legacy by serving with grace and love. Last Saturday and Monday, more than 1400 of you served at 30 different locations, assisting with projects that will have an impact on our neighbors throughout the Kansas City area and the world. (We even had eight volunteers on a Global Serve team in Uganda last weekend!) What’s exciting to me is that we had participation across all ages and stages of life – lots of children, parents, confirmation classes, students, adult small groups and senior adults.

If you are interested in finding additional ways to share the light and hope of Christ through serving, check out the many ongoing opportunities on our website here. Check out some photo highlights of the many ways you served our community at the bottom of this eNote.

2026 GLOBAL SERVE TRIPS

Over the past 35 years, hundreds of people at Resurrection have found that mission trips are a great way to grow in their faith and experience Christ in some of the most profound ways. Through our 2026 Global Serve Trips, we have opportunities for you to travel to places like Uganda, Honduras, and Costa Rica during the spring and summer, or additional trips to South Africa, Malawi and the Mexican border throughout the fall. Each one of these trips connects you directly with our long-term partners. You’ll build relationships, serve alongside local leaders, and see firsthand how sustained partnerships create lasting change. Whether it’s construction, educational programs, or community development, these trips give you hands-on ways to put your faith into action while learning from the people you’re serving alongside. We also have a family serve trip to Omaha this spring, and student serve trips happening this summer. You can check out these trips on our website, learn more in worship this weekend, and join an informational Zoom meeting on Sunday at 12 or 7 pm Central Time using this registration link.

UPDATE ON RESURRECTION LEAWOOD CHAPEL WINDOW

Last night, Tim Carey, the stained glass window artist who is creating the new window for the new Wesley Chapel at our Leawood location, sent us an update from Judson Studios in California. Just a reminder, the new chapel is designed to remind us of the boat in which Christ’s disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee (a boat or ship has also been a metaphor for the Church throughout history). The window reminds us of the night when a storm came up as the disciples sailed. Jesus had remained behind on land. In the midst of the storm, Christ came walking to the disciples on the water and said, “Be encouraged, I Am [or it is I], do not be afraid.” Here’s a rendering of the inside of the chapel and those portions of the window that are finished. As you sit in the chapel, you’ll be reminded that Christ still comes to us in the middle of the storms of life, saying, “Be encouraged, I Am, do not be afraid,” and then he steps into the boat with us. The chapel is set to open at the end of August.

FEBRUARY CONFERENCES COMING UP FOR WOMEN, MEN AND STUDENTS

I’ve previously shared that we have some very exciting and inspiring conferences coming up for 6th-12th grade students, and women and men of all ages. These are all Friday night/Saturday events at our Leawood location. You don’t have to travel far and you can sleep in your own bed while experiencing worship, teaching and fellowship that will refresh your spirit and strengthen your walk with God. Registrations are coming in, and I don’t want you to miss out, so here are the links to learn more and register today!

• Beloved Women’s Conference – Feb. 6-7
• Converge Student Conference – Feb. 20-21
• Determined Men’s Conference – Feb. 27-28

LIVE IN LITTLE ROCK, MYRTLE BEACH, PHOENIX, OKC, TULSA, DALLAS?

• Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 6 pm at Cabot UMC in Cabot, AR – Click here to register
• Wednesday, Feb. 4 at First UMC in Conway, SC
• Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7 pm at Paradise Valley UMC in Paradise Valley, AZ
• Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 pm at Acts 2 UMC in Edmond, OK
• Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 pm at Faith UMC in Tulsa, OK
• Monday, March 2 at 7 pm at First UMC in Richardson, TX

THIS WEEK’S MAKING SENSE OF FAITH PODCAST: RELIGION AND POLITICS

Last weekend’s sermon elicited quite a few responses. I had many notes of appreciation. Others who were disappointed felt the sermon wasn’t strong enough in addressing the events in Minneapolis. Still others were disappointed because they felt I was mixing politics and religion. In my podcast this week, I touch on the criticisms a bit, but focus on why our faith must shape our politics. You can check it out here and share it with your friends.

CHANGES TO WORSHIP TIMES THIS WEEKEND DUE TO WEATHER