Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - July 18, 2025
July 18, 2025
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July 18, 2025
Dear Resurrection Family,
It’s certainly been a “Wild Kingdom” week at Resurrection, as more than 1,400 children gathered for Vacation Bible Camp, a fun-filled week of friendship and growing in faith, and discovered the joy, peace, confidence, and courage found in Jesus! And, there’s more to come! Plan to join us for the culmination of VBC at Resurrection Day at the Kansas City Zoo on Saturday, and for worship this weekend when we’ll share video highlights from the week.
WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND – WILD KINGDOM: LESSONS FROM ANIMALS
This weekend we’ll conclude our sermon series on the Wild Kingdom as Pastor Scott Chrostek continues with more lessons we can learn from animals. Throughout worship and during the sermon we will spend time celebrating this past week’s Vacation Bible Camp and all of the ways our kids across locations learned lessons of faith from animals like the kookaburra, sea turtles, penguins and gorillas. We’ll also celebrate what our kids and volunteers did in terms of making a missional impact throughout the week, and explore the connections between the dogs at Wayside Waifs, Balaam’s talking donkey, and our involvement in our growing partner school mission.
This will be a powerful and fun conclusion to this series, with something for everyone, so bring your family and invite your friends! This is also a Family Worship Together Weekend when we invite children ages five and up to join their families in worship. Childcare will be provided for children ages four and under.
RESURRECTION WILD KINGDOM DAY AT THE KC ZOO SATURDAY, JULY 19
There is still time to purchase discounted tickets ($14) until 3 pm today here. Invite your friends and family to join us! The Kids’ Ministry team will be ready to welcome you out front at check-in tables between 9 am and 10:30 am to pick up your tickets. You must arrive to pick up your tickets within that time frame. We’ll have a zoo scavenger hunt booklet for every child and also free ice cream near the Polar Bear exhibit, where cast members of Christmas at Resurrection are making special guest appearances – along with the polar bears and penguins! See you tomorrow for a great day in community together at the Kansas City Zoo as we explore God’s amazing creatures.
CHRISTMAS AT RESURRECTION PROGRAM – SPECIAL TICKET SALE JUNE 20-27
After a sneak peek at the zoo, you’ll also have the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to this year’s Christmas at Resurrection performances, December 11-14. The 2025 theme is “Let Heaven and Nature Sing,” and it will feature giant, larger-than-life animal puppets, great visuals, and, of course, beautiful music and storytelling. We are running a buy-one, get-one promotion June 20-27, so you can secure your tickets now for this year’s performance at a great rate. Learn more and purchase your tickets here, or visit the box offices in the Leawood Narthex after worship services.
BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE AND SUPPORT FOR PARTNER SCHOOLS
This is that time of year when our entire church turns our attention to back-to-school time and comes together to support our partner schools. I hope you’ll join in supporting our Back-to-School Drive, July 19-27, in one of three ways.
- Donate essential classroom supplies. You can pick up a bag after worship at one of our locations that has a shopping list for you to use as you go back to school shopping. This is a great thing to do with your kids and grandkids.
- Adopt a classroom and provide year-round support through a financial donation. Sponsors and volunteers will also receive email updates with other volunteer opportunities as they arise.
- Volunteer with a partner schools. Beyond the drive, we have expanded volunteer opportunities that include Classroom Champions who will partner directly to assist and encourage teachers and students, support students with reading and math practice, and help with other classroom tasks.You can also participate in quarterly teacher appreciation events.
There are many ways to make a meaningful impact and help our Partner Schools thrive. Our Partner Schools program plays a key role in our initiative to close the opportunity gap in KC metropolitan area and ensure every child has a future with hope. Learn more, download the supply list, and make a donation here.
LOCAL MISSIONS SERVE SATURDAY, JULY 19
This Saturday, July 19, is our monthly Serve Saturday, where we offer simple, flexible opportunities for you to make a meaningful difference in our community. Learn more about our local serve opportunities and sign up here. If you are part of Resurrection living outside the Kansas City area, I encourage you to find a way to regularly serve in your community.
STUDENT MINISTRY FALL REGISTRATION
If you are a student in grades 6-12 or the parent of a student, we have a place for everyone at Resurrection and the opportunity to be part of amazing student programs. Registration is now open for all student ministry programming. Check it out and register here: resurrection.church/students.
THIS WEEK’S PODCAST: WHY DOES A LOVING GOD ALLOW GOOD PEOPLE TO SUFFER?
In this week’s episode of my podcast Making Sense of Faith I share my response to a heartbreaking letter from a listener whose husband is battling Alzheimer’s disease. This raises one of life’s most agonizing questions about God’s role in suffering. There are no easy answers, but I do not believe God causes suffering, rather God offers us profound hope as we face these parts of life. To listen to it, click here.
In Christ’s love,
Adam
PS: I just got an update that as of this week, you have donated $50,000 to help with flood relief in Texas. Thank you for your generosity and the ways you care for others! The funds have been sent to the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church to provide direct disaster relief support to families. You can support our disaster relief fund here.
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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