Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - July 10, 2026

I hope you’re staying cool during these “dog days of summer.” Did you know that the reference to these hot, sultry, and humid days in July and August in the Northern Hemisphere actually has nothing to do with pets? It’s actually an ancient astronomical term tied to Sirius, the “Dog Star.” Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and sits in the constellation Canis Major (the “Greater Dog”). In late July, Sirius rises in conjunction with the sun. Ancient civilizations incorrectly believed that the combined heat of our sun and the brilliant, “scorching” Dog Star was responsible for the extreme midsummer heat, drought, and sickness. Despite the heat, it will be nice and cool at Resurrection when you join us for a fun and inspiring week.

THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 

Interesting title for a sermon, right? You definitely want to be in worship this weekend to hear what Pastor Bill Gepford from our Resurrection West location will share about what this popular family film can teach us about the gospel message at Leawood, West, Online and on TV. At the other locations, you will hear from your location pastors. Take a look at the trailer for the film here. It will give you a chance to imagine where we will find the gospel in this hit film as we kick off our two-part series, Finding the Gospel in Family Movie Night. Don’t miss these two meaningful, inspiring and fun weekends of worship meant to inspire children, youth and adults. This will be a great weekend to invite friends and families to join you for worship.

WATCH THE MOVIE WITH RESURRECTION AT THE DRIVE-IN JULY 30

We have a fun Resurrection fellowship event coming up where you can watch the movie and share a movie night for all ages with your Resurrection family from all locations at Boulevard Drive-In on Thursday, July 30. We’ll have crafts and games for kids and watch How to Train Your Dragon together. The cost is just $20 per vehicle, and we’ll be there to greet you at 7 pm with a giveaway! You can bring your lawn chairs or watch the movie from your car. Lemonade and water will be provided, and you can bring a sweet or salty snack to share. Register here now to secure your spot and join us July 30!

ANNUAL GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Resurrection Leawood is a host site for the Global Leadership Summit on August 6th and 7th. This year’s lineup includes Priscilla Shirer, a bestselling author and thought leader; Andy Stanley, pastor and founder of North Point Ministries in Atlanta; and a number of other leaders who’ve shaped how people think about leadership. This isn’t just for people with a certain title or role; it’s for anyone who wants to grow in their leadership, whether that’s at work, at home, or anywhere else. This is also a great event to bring someone in your life who might never come to church but would connect with a conversation about leadership and purpose. Early bird pricing of $169 is available through July 17, and you can register here.

YOU COULD BE A SMALL GROUP LEADER OR HOST THIS FALL!

As we gear up to kick off our fall programs, I want to invite you to consider becoming a small group leader or host this fall! One of our five essential practices for growing in our faith is to study Scripture, and small groups are a great way to do that. In addition, small groups help us connect with others, develop authentic friendships and support one another on our journey. We are looking for hosts for all of our locations, including online, to create these welcoming spaces. If you love bringing people together and want to help create a community where everyone belongs, we’d love to have you join our team! It’s easier than you think, and we’ll equip you with everything you need. You can learn more and take the next step here.

VACATION BIBLE CAMP WEEK BEGINS THIS WEEK

Finally, this coming week is one of the best weeks of the year at Resurrection as our locations are filled with love, laughter and more than 1,400 children and 600 adult and youth volunteers for Vacation Bible Camp. There’s still time to register your children here. Please pray for these children and their leaders as they learn about Jesus and what it means to GOAL – Go Out And Love. This is a plan to join us for worship on Sunday, June 19, when all of our campers and volunteers will be wearing their VBC t-shirts. It will be a great morning in worship as we’ll watch a recap video from the week and celebrate all the ways God moved during the best week of the summer.

This weekend, while I’m traveling through western Kansas, LaVon and I will be worshiping on Sunday morning at McPherson First UMC where Andrew Conard serves as Senior Pastor. Andrew and his wife Nicole were on our staff here at Resurrection some years ago – two remarkably gifted pastors. Sometime over the weekend, I’ll also be catching worship at Resurrection as I can’t wait to hear Pastor Bill’s sermon!