Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - January 31, 2025

January 31, 2025

Dear Resurrection Family,

I’d like to invite you to continue to join me in praying for the families of those killed yesterday in the collision of American Flight 5342 and the Blackhawk helicopter in DC. The world goes on for the rest of us, but for these families, their world has come to a stop, the grief and pain seem unbearable.

This is true around the world at any given moment for those affected by tragedy. And while Christians face tragedy with hope, we’re also meant to “weep with those who weep.”

On a more positive note, we have some exciting things happening this weekend and in the days ahead, and I want to tell you about them. Don’t miss reading to the end – the last paragraph of my e-note is something I’d love for you to be praying about.

THIS WEEKEND: GET USED TO THINKING DIFFERENT: MATTHEW THE TAX COLLECTOR

This weekend we’ll conclude our sermon series on The People Jesus Loved with clips from The Chosen. My sermon is titled, “Get Used to Thinking Different” from something Jesus says in episode 7 of season one of The Chosen. He says this to Peter as Peter objects to Jesus’ calling of Matthew, the tax collector, to be one of the disciples.

It’s interesting that despite their being often despised by both religious leaders and ordinary people (for reasons we’ll learn in this weekend’s sermon), tax collectors were drawn to both John the Baptist and Jesus. Twenty-three times tax collectors are mentioned in the gospels, more than any other profession. Jesus upends things when he welcomes the tax collectors. This would be a great message for your friends who have experienced Christians who are judgmental, hypocritical and self-righteous. (A recent Ipsos survey found about 50% of unchurched people describe Christians in these ways.) I’m looking forward to sharing this message with you. Get used to thinking different!

READY TO EXPLORE MEMBERSHIP AT RESURRECTION?

Are you a regular visitor to Resurrection? Do you feel like it is a good fit for you, a church you’d like to call your own? Join me and our other location pastors this weekend for what we’ve called for years, Coffee with the Pastors, and which is being rebranded as Explore Resurrection! It is an inspiring event where you’ll meet other regular visitors exploring membership, you’ll get to know our pastors and staff, and I’ll share with you a bit of what it means to be a Christian, a United Methodist and a member of Resurrection. This month we’re inviting visitors from all of our locations to join us at Leawood, along with your location pastors.

We’ll gather at 2 pm either in the Resurrection Leawood Foundry (Building B) or you can join us online via Zoom. After the presentation, we’ll have a short break, and then those who are ready to join will join in a 15-minute joining time. It is a very moving experience. I’d love for you to join us! You can let us know you’re coming and get the zoom link here.

CHURCH CONFERENCE FEB. 4

Our annual church conference is Tuesday, Feb. 4, from 7 – 8:30 pm in the Leawood Foundry (Building B) or online. We will be approving elected leaders for governance committees, evaluating candidates for ministry, discussing the 2025 budget and receiving important reports. Everyone is welcome to attend and church members present either in person or via Zoom (using this Zoom link) may vote.

WE’RE IN THE SUPER BOWL – LET’S SACK HUNGER!

The Kansas City Chiefs have the opportunity to break records as the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls! That will be awesome, but I’d like to challenge you to help break a record with us in our annual Sack Hunger Food Drive! Your gifts benefit people who are struggling with having enough food right here in Kansas City! And this year United Methodists across the Great Plains Annual Conference are challenging United Methodists across Eastern Pennsylvania where the Philadelphia Eagles reside to a Sack Hunger challenge! The great thing is, everyone wins in this Sack Hunger challenge, regardless of the outcome of the Super Bowl!

You can donate in several ways: 1) collect and donate non-perishable food items listed here; 2) make a monetary donation that will help us provide fresh meat, dairy, and produce here; and 3) volunteer your time with our hunger ministries. This information is all on our website here.

Last week I challenged those of you who worship with us online from outside the Kansas City area, to find a way to help sack hunger by supporting food drives in your community. We’d love to hear how you are doing this and see your photos. Email us at online@resurrection.church.

SUNDAY NIGHT WORSHIP SUPER BOWL WEEKEND AT 4 PM

As we plan for the Super Bowl we’re moving our Sunday night service Feb. 9 up to 4 pm. I’ll be preaching live and the service will be 55 minutes, allowing time for Sunday night worshippers to make it home for the game or join us for the Super Bowl party in our Foundry Hall at Leawood.

SUPER BOWL PARTY – HOSTED BY RESURRECTION RECOVERY

Not sure where you will watch the Super Bowl? Join us in Resurrection Leawood’s Foundry Hall where our Resurrection Recovery Ministry is sponsoring a Sober Super Bowl Party, on Feb. 9 from 5 to 10 pm. This is not just for the Recovery Ministry but for anyone looking for a safe, alcohol-free place to enjoy the Super Bowl. The watch party will include activities and games, and pizza and snacks starting at 5:30 pm. Childcare will not be provided, but children are welcome to attend.

FEBRUARY PROGRAM FOR PARENTS

Parenting is one of the toughest jobs in the world, and Resurrection is offering an informative and practical program to support parents this month. “Conscious Not Crazy,” is a refreshing approach to mindful parenting led by Pastor Jason Gant and parenting expert Kori Bloom Lauritsen. On Wednesdays starting Feb. 5, we’ll explore practical ways to stay grounded while raising your children. You can attend in person at Resurrection Leawood on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 pm (childcare provided), or you can access the content through next-day digital downloads. The series runs through Feb. 26. This will be a valuable resource and a great opportunity to share with your friends, so register here today!

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

February is Black History Month, a time to remember, reflect, and learn as we celebrate the contributions of African Americans to our country. Allies For Racial Justice, a partnership between Resurrection and St. James UMC, has a compilation of resources and opportunities to continue to build bridges across the racial divide in our community that you can access on their website here. Mark your calendar for a special program on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 6 pm in the Leawood Foundry where we will hear stories from participants who traveled to historic Civil Rights sites with Pastor Robert Johnson last fall. The event includes the panel’s personal experiences, historical perspectives, and musical performances that highlight the spirit of the movement.

BELOVED WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

We still have some openings to attend the Beloved Women’s Conference Feb. 7-8. We’ve been talking a lot about Resurrection being a place for all generations and this is one of those opportunities for women of all ages and stages to connect with one another and hear some great speakers. A friend of mine shared with me how special it was to bring her adult daughter to a women’s conference and share that experience together. If you are a mother or grandmother of a teen or young adult daughter, this would be a great opportunity to share your faith with them in an easy, fun way. We also have a special discounted rate, simply use the discount code REZWOMEN to receive $15 off your registration fee. Check out the website here to see the great speakers lined up for the conference and the fun things planned, and register today.

DETERMINED MEN’S CONFERENCE FEB. 28 – MAR. 1

This Men’s Conference is for men of all ages and life-stages who are “Determined” to have an impact on their family, their workplace and their community by leading with action, serving with purpose and loving their neighbor. I’m excited to be one of the keynote speakers along with Pastor and Author Gerald Fadayomi from Atlanta. Panelists will include respected business leaders Irv Hockaday, retired President/CEO of Hallmark, Kevin Barth, Executive Vice President of Commerce Bancshares, Inc. and Chairman/CEO for Commerce Bank – Kansas City, and Carlos Ledezma, CEO at Cable Dahmer Automotive Group. The conference is Friday, Feb. 28 from 6 to 9 pm and Saturday, Mar. 1 from 9 am to 1 pm, and you can attend in person at Resurrection Leawood or Online. This will be an awesome opportunity for us to gain insights from influential leaders and to network with other like-minded men in our community. Check out the website here and register today.

RESURRECTION EXPANDING COUNSELING SERVICES

Resurrection Counseling Services is expanding its reach in 2025, making quality mental health support more accessible than ever through sliding-scale counseling options for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. Under the guidance of a dedicated clinical team, our master’s level student interns provide professional, affordable care in a welcoming environment, helping clients navigate emotional growth and relationship challenges. For more information, click here.

GRANDKIDS NIGHT OUT AT RESURRECTION

Join us for a special evening just for grandparents and their grandchildren. We’ll have dinner, games and a fun movie together. This is a perfect opportunity to spend quality time and create great memories with your grandkids and give their parents a night off. We have events at various times and dates listed below. Click on the location to learn more and register.

Brookside – Feb. 13, 6 – 7:30 pm
Leawood Foundry – Feb. 14, 6 – 8 pm
Blue Springs – Feb. 14, 6 – 8 pm
Downtown – Feb. 14, 6 – 8 pm
West – Mar. 28, 6 – 8 pm

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST: EVOLUTION AND FAITH

My podcast aims to bring together questions of faith and the connection between religion and other areas of life. This current week’s podcast was about Making Sense of the Bible. This coming week (the podcast launches on Tuesdays in place of Vespers), I’ll be taking to you to explore the Smithsonian traveling exhibit on human origins currently being housed at Saint Paul School of Theology in Resurrection Leawood’s building C. I’ll be interviewing Dr. Nancy Howell, a systematic theologian whose passion is the connection between science and faith. This special traveling exhibit is at Saint Paul for a limited time and you are welcome to come and explore it. For more information about it, click here. To watch or listen to my podcast, Making Sense of Faith, click here.

RESURRECTION LEE’S SUMMIT UPDATES

I wanted to share some exciting updates with you about our newest location, Resurrection Lee’s Summit. Pastors Robert Johnson and Ally Drummond have been working with their launch team to prepare for the grand opening of our ninth KC area location. We’re happy to share that Resurrection Lee’s Summit will begin worshipping together soon at The Pavilion at John Knox Village. Preview services will be at 10 am on March 16 and March 30, with the grand opening scheduled for Palm Sunday, April 13, at 10 am. If you have friends and family who live in the Lee’s Summit area, please invite them to join us at Resurrection Lee’s Summit!

We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with the amazing staff at John Knox Village to host worship at The Pavilion once we launch this new location. Since The Pavilion is a multi-use event space within the community, we’ve known that we would need to eventually find our permanent building space.

Recently, Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Lee’s Summit began having conversations about whether they might join with Resurrection as we launch this new location in Lee’s Summit. They are a terrific group of people. We’ve met with them and had a chance to get to know their staff, and they have gotten to know us. We’re both United Methodist congregations sharing a similar mission. We’re still planning on launching Resurrection Lee’s Summit at John Knox Pavillion Palm Sunday. But should Aldersgate vote to join with us, they will formally close and together we would launch Resurrection Lee’s Summit. They’ve got a vibrant pre-school and terrific buildings on 150 hwy. They will have a vote this Sunday on where God is leading them. If they vote to formally close and join with us, our Church Conference will vote on this this coming Tuesday evening. Please join me in praying for the people of Aldersgate UMC as they prepare for Sunday and this important vote.

With love,

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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