Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - July 28, 2023

On July 1, Pastor Robert Johnson began his tenure with us at Leawood. For those not at Leawood the weekend I introduced him, I wanted you to have a chance to know a bit more about him. Across the course of his ministry, Robert served as a senior associate pastor at what was, at the time, the largest United Methodist Church in the U.S., Windsor Village UMC. He went on to start a new church, then to serve a cross-cultural appointment as an African American pastor in a predominantly white congregation in Austin, Texas.

Most recently he served as the Senior Pastor at St. Mark’s UMC in Wichita, the church where Pastor Cheryl Jefferson Bell heard her call to ministry and one of the largest congregations in the Great Plains Annual Conference. But here’s what I want you to know – he’s a genuinely good guy. He loves Jesus and he loves people. He has the gift of encouragement, an infectious smile, and a desire to see the church transform the world. His passion for Resurrection is contagious. And I’m very much looking forward to our Leawood location and the folks online and TV hearing him preach for the first time at Resurrection!

DON’T FORGET THE SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE FOR OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS

If you picked up one of the bags to fill with school supplies for the children at our partner schools, don’t forget to return the supplies this weekend so we can get them delivered to the schools. Stella and I went to Target last week and shopped, filling up our bag. The School Supply Drive runs through July 30.

OVER $100,000 RAISED LAST WEEK IN VBC EFFORTS FOR LITERACY PROJECTS IN MALAWI!!!

Every year, our children at Vacation Bible Camp raise money and in-kind gifts to serve and bless other children in Kansas City and with one of our mission partners around the world. This year they donated over 2,700 boxes of crayon and 2,300 sets of Play-Doh for kids locally, and, with a matching gift from missions, they were able to donate $15,000 to provide books for children in the small African nation of Malawi where we’ve had significant partnerships for the last decade. I’m so proud of our children and their families!

Sunday, I mentioned the vision of our partner’s in Malawi to build libraries and small community centers where youth and adults can learn to read. In the rural areas where our partnerships are, illiteracy rates are as high as 70%. I invited you to help us build a library and community center in Madisi, Malawi. The estimated cost is $40,000. Your response last weekend was overwhelmingly generous, and we will be able to build this library and community center plus at least one additional library and community center in the villages outside of Madisi.

Since 2020, in Malawi, you have built 170 clean water wells (with 15 more being drilled as I write these words) providing safe drinking water for tens of thousands of people, and provided solar light kits for 4,000 households (of these, 2,000 have been installed and 2,000 are still in process). Just this morning I received a link to a video that our partner’s in Malawi made for you and for our kids thanking them for the solar light kits. You’ve got to see this video! I’m so very proud of you, Resurrection, and your passion for positively impacting the lives of people in Kansas City and around the world!  

UPDATE ON FALL CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

I mentioned, following my sermon this last weekend, that we’ve spent the last 18 months looking at improvements we need to make to our facilities at each location that will strengthen and enhance our ministries, particular to children and youth. We’ve been working with the architectural firm MultiStudio (formerly Gould Evans) and McCown Gordon contractors on the improvements and additions. There is a building committee made up of our members at each location. Last November, we began the silent phase of the campaign, and in August we’ll be approaching our leaders at each location in a series of Advance Gatherings. Each location sets its own projects and funds them.

Here’s a brief and incomplete summary of what is being proposed at each location: Resurrection West is finishing its unfinished lower level space to create an awesome space for youth. Downtown is adding classrooms for children. Blue Springs is adding a terrific space for teens and adding a bathroom and narthex space. Overland Park is recreating the entrance to the church which will be more inviting and making our children, youth and food pantry spaces more accessible. And Brookside is addressing playground needs and some other essential improvements to facilities.

At Leawood we’re remodeling our student center after 18 years, completing the original master plan of 30 years ago for the Wesley Chapel, transforming it into the main entry to building C and creating a home on the west side of the current chapel for an expanded counseling center along with our support groups. We’re proposing an outdoor gathering area for children, youth and adults and a playground for all, including our special needs children and youth. We’ll be adding a new Wesley Chapel on the southside of building B, and we hope to do this debt free while paying off our current Leawood debt.

In August, we’ll be gathering our leaders at each location to share the plans and to invite the support of our leaders. Then in September, we’ll share the plans with the entire congregation inviting you to support these important projects. Groundbreaking would be sometime later this fall or early spring, depending on the location. All of this is aimed at remodeling or creating the facilities as an investment in children and youth and the future our our congregation. It’s exciting!

Here’s a video clip from what I shared in worship last weekend, in case you missed it. If you would like to attend an Advance Gathering at your location, you can sign up here.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, INTEL CEO PAT GELSINGER AND OTHER AMAZING LEADERS SPEAKING GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT AUG. 3 – 4

Each year we are a host site for the live simulcast of the Global Leadership Summit aimed at inspiring and equipping you and your teams at work to be more effective leaders. In addition to Rice and Gelsinger, you’ll hear from Dallas Jenkins, creator of The Chosen, Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Harvard Business School professor, Anita Elberse and many others. You can still register to join us for the Global Leadership on August 3 – 4. If Resurrection is your church home, use this code for our special pricing when you register: 23PHSHOST. The Summit is an incredible two days of transformative teaching, art, and storytelling — all designed to help you maximize your leadership and influence in your workplaces, schools, churches, communities and homes. Here’s the link.

WOMEN’S GROUPS KICK OFF FALL PROGRAMS