Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - July 14, 2023
I hope you’re staying cool this week! Even though it’s the middle of summer, there’s a lot going on at Resurrection. We’re in the midst of our summer revival in worship. Serve Trips are taking place across the US and internationally. 1,300 of you have been out shopping for school supplies for low-income kids. This coming week is Vacation Bible Camp, and we have four elementary school’s worth of kids joining us! And today our Resurrection Rummage Sale is in its second and final day.
THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP – “IN A BOAT ON A LAKE IN A STORM”
In worship this weekend I’ll continue our Summer Revival sermon series, Jesus at the Lake by turning to one of the most loved stories in the gospels where Jesus walks on water to rescue his disciples who are in a boat on the lake at night in the middle of a storm. Boats are mentioned 50 times in conjunction with Jesus’ ministry in the gospels – it is easy to conclude that Jesus loved boats and riding across the Sea of Galilee in them. We’ll kick off the sermon talking about the 26-foot model of a first century fishing boat that is sitting on the chancel at our Leawood location, and I’ll show you images of two first century fishing boats that our boat was patterned after.
Our focus will be on what Matthew wanted us to see in this story: That storms come in life, for all of us. He wanted us to see that Jesus comes to us in the midst of our storms, stepping into the boat with us to calming the wind and waves of anxiety, grief and pain in our lives. I’ll share with you several deeply moving stories of what this looks like in the lives of people I know, who were caught in terrible storms. Finally, we’ll look at one element of the story found only in Matthew’s telling of it – Jesus beckoning Peter to step out of the boat.
Don’t miss worship this weekend. If you can join us in person, please do. If not, join us online or TV. It’s going to be a powerful weekend of worship and a message that will speak to every friend or family member you know. Here’s a link to a two-minute video promo that you can share with your friends. If you’re out of town, please join us online. Here’s the link: resurrection.church/worship.
THE MOST EXCITING WEEK OF SUMMER COMING UP – VACATION BIBLE CAMP!
Vacation Bible Camp Beach Bash 2023 kicks off this coming Monday across all our locations with 1,501 kids and over 500 volunteer leaders. Congratulations to our team, this represents a 25% increase from last summer! We have wait lists for most grade levels and about 4 elementary school’s worth of children learning about Jesus! Each of our locations will be filled with fun as our kids experience the joy of following Jesus. The theme is built around Jesus at the lake and on the water, and includes original video sketches and music depicting the great stories of Jesus along the shore, crafts, games, and community! LaVon and I are excited to be helping out with VBC this coming week. Please join us in praying that every child would encounter Christ’s love and that God will use every volunteer to help our children grow in their faith.
YOUNG ADULT GATHERING
If you are a young adult or college students, register here right now for our Young Adult Gathering on Saturday, July 22, from 6 – 9 pm at Resurrection West (24000 W. Valley Parkway, Olathe, KS). You do not want to miss this awesome opportunity to join other young adults for a night of worship, community and fun with Pastors Bill and Melissa Gepford and our keynote speaker Wayne Simien, a former KU Basketball player.
KEVIN BOGAN DIRECTING WHITE CHRISTMAS AT THEATRE IN THE PARK
Theatre in the Park at Shawnee Mission Park is always a fun family outing, and this year we’re excited that Resurrection is a sponsor of the musical White Christmas that opens tonight. White Christmas is the Broadway musical version of the iconic movie released in 1954 starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. It features such Irving Berlin classics as “Love and the Weather,” “Sisters,” “Blue Skies,” “I Love a Piano” and, of course, the title song White Christmas. The production includes a cast of 26 and a live orchestra of 18, under the musical direction of our own Kevin Bogan, Resurrection’s Director of Traditional Music, and features many of Resurrection’s regular orchestra members. There are also church members in the cast and production team as well. This is a family friendly production that you won’t want to miss. The show runs July 14-16 and 19-22 at Shawnee Mission Park (7710 Renner Road). Performances begin at 8:30 pm, with the box office opening at 7 pm and the seating area gates opening at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance on their website: theatreinthepark.org
SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR PARTNER SCHOOLS
Last Sunday, Resurrection worshipers took 1,300+ school supply bags to fill for low-income kids in Kansas City and for kids in foster care. We have several hundred bags yet to fill. This coming week, as Stella stays with us for VBC, we’ll be taking her to help us shop for the school supplies – she loves doing this to help other kids her age. If you would like to purchase school supplies, you can pick up a bag as you leave worship with the list of supplies to fill bag, or you can give online and our serve team will purchase supplies for you. The School Supply Drive runs through July 30.
If you are one of the many people who worship with us from outside the Kansas City area, I encourage you to find a school in your community that could use some extra school supplies for children in need and let us know how you are serving!
MATTHEW’S MINISTRY FAMILY NIGHT OUT
Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity where I guarantee you will be more blessed than the people you are serving? Each month our Matthew’s Ministry offers a Family Night Out to give parents and caregivers a respite. Volunteers are paired with participants with special needs for an evening of dinner, crafts, games and more. Our Family Night Out on Saturday, July 22, will have a sports theme, so get ready to represent your favorite sports team and make some new friends. Here is the link for more details.
INVEST IN A CHILD’S LIFE: BECOME A VOLUNTEER, A TUTOR OR MENTOR
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE SEPTEMBER 27 – 29
VESPERS THIS WEEK: HERESY HUNTERS VERSUS A GENEROUS ORTHODOXY
Last week I read a blog post from a persistent critic of the United Methodist Church, outlining his case that United Methodists were abandoning essential Christian beliefs. He and others like him have often repeated this claim, and, not infrequently, attacked those they deemed heretics, often not accurately representing the views or positions of those they attack.
This Tuesday on Vespers I’ll be coming to you from KC, sharing a bit about what it means to be orthodox, why it matters, and how United Methodism, and our personal faith, in my opinion, should reflect a “generous orthodoxy” – a phrase initially coined by Hans Frei, popularized by Brian McLaren, Malcolm Gladwell and many others. I’ll explain what this phrase means to me and why I think it is an essential characteristic of people seeking to follow Jesus. Join me Tuesday night at 7:30 pm CDT as I broadcast live on Facebook.
You can join me live on my Facebook page or view it after Tuesday on the YouTube page.
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.
