Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - June 2, 2023
June 2, 2023
Dear Resurrection Family,
I hope your summer is off to a great start! This month I’m off for vacation, reading and renewal, and a couple of conferences thrown in as well. This week LaVon and I were on the beach with family as I officiated the wedding of my little sister, Jenifer. We’ll be back tomorrow and I’m looking forward to worshiping at Resurrection on Sunday morning as we kick off our new sermon series, Becoming Better.
THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: “COME, FOLLOW ME”
For the next five weeks, we’re going to be spending time looking at the five essential practices of the Christian faith. These are five simple habits that have the power to redefine our lives and draw us closer to God. We kick off our Becoming Better sermon series this week. This will also be an opportunity to hear sermons from your location pastors. Pastor Scott Chrostek will be preaching at Leawood, online and on TV, PastorBill Gepford at West, Pastor Anne Williams at Downtown, Pastor Penny Ellwood at Blue Springs, Pastor Joshua Clough at Overland Park, and Pastor Wendy Lyons Chrostek at Brookside. Invite a friend to join you this weekend! If you are in town, worship at one of our six locations, and if you are out of town, make a point to join us online at cor.org/live or on our YouTube channel.
GREAT PLAINS ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK
This coming week, I, along with our pastors, some of our staff and lay leaders, will be attending Annual Conference in Nebraska. Resurrection is part of the Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church which includes Kansas and Nebraska. Every pastor and lay leaders and delegates for each church gather together once a year to worship, plan for the ministry of the annual conference, ordain clergy and, on the last day, the bishop assigns each clergy to the churches they will serve for the coming year.
GREAT PLAINS ANNUAL CONFERENCE DISAFFILIATIONS
This last week, at a special online session of Annual Conference, the members of the Annual Conference voted to approve the disaffiliation of 156 churches from the denomination in the Great Plains Annual Conference (comprising all United Methodist Churches in Kansas and Nebraska). Prior to this vote there were 906 churches, today there are 750 in our annual conference. Those voting to leave were mostly small rural churches (less than 50 per weekend in worship). Their members voted to leave the UMC anticipating that, next year, the General Conference (the legislative body of our denomination) will approve the removal of language from our Book of Discipline, inserted in 1972 and since, prohibiting same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay and lesbian people. Should the General Conference vote to remove this language, which I anticipate they will, the Book of Discipline, will neither require nor prohibit clergy from officiating at same-sex weddings. Further, should the language be removed, candidates for ministry will be ordained based solely upon their theological, spiritual, psychological, and giftedness for ordained ministry without regard to sexual orientation.
WELCOME SUMMER INTERNS
This summer we have 13 college-age interns who will be working with Resurrection ministry leaders. These amazing young people bring energy and fresh ideas to Resurrection, as they explore a career in ministry or simply serving in church leadership. This week, as part of their orientation, they took a bus tour, visiting each of our six locations. We have a number of people currently on our staff who started out as summer interns! Join us as we pray for them and cheer them on this summer!
VBC IS COMING JULY 17-21 AT ALL RESURRECTION LOCATIONS!
Vacation Bible Camp is always one of the highlights of the summer at Resurrection. This year’s theme is “Beach Bash” and we have lots of fun in store for kids (and volunteers!). Our kids and grandkids will enjoy games, snacks, crafts and learn about Jesus. Sign up your kids and grandkids today so they don’t miss out, and invite your friends and neighbors. Here’s the link to learn more and sign up. In case you missed, here’s the video I shared from my surfboard worship last weekend about VBC.
RESURRECTION CAR SHOW SATURDAY, JUNE 10
Make plans now to check out the 20th Annual Resurrection Car Show on Saturday, June 10, from 9 am – 1 pm at Resurrection Leawood. This free, family-friendly event will include lots of great cars, food and fun for everyone. Special this year will be a performance by the Resurrection Orchestra at 11:30 am. The Car Show benefits Resurrection’s Hunger Relief and Car Repair ministries. If you have a vehicle you’d like to show, you can register here.
FOCUS ON COMMUNITY JUSTICE IN JUNE
The theme for our kindness campaign last fall was based on Micah 6:8: “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” At Resurrection, this is more than just a campaign theme. It is the way we live our lives as Christians, striving to make the world look more like the kingdom of God. Our Community Justice Ministry, led by Pastor Cheryl Jefferson Bell, supports a Christian response to complex environmental, social, and economic challenges.
We are celebrating June as Justice Month, and inviting you to join us in supporting our various ministries dedicated to creating a more just and equitable world for all. Our Allies for Racial Justice ministry works tirelessly to dismantle systemic racism and promote racial equity in our community. The Good Faith Network is committed to building bridges across religious and cultural divides, while our EarthCOR ministry advocates for environmental justice and responsible stewardship of our planet. We offer a variety of opportunities to get involved in local politics and advocacy efforts through civic engagement. And, our LGBTQ+ ministry is dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
SCHOOL MAKEOVER PROJECT CONTINUES THROUGH JUNE 8
Our School Makeover is off to a great start. It continues on Saturday, June 3, and Monday through Thursday, June 5 – 8. Projects include painting, cleaning and mulching with three-hour shifts in the morning, afternoon and evening. You can sign up here.
PARENTING PODCAST LAUNCHES
I’m excited about a new resource for parents and grandparents. This weekend we are launching “With Parents,” a podcast where Pastor Jason Gant interviews experts, authors, and specialists on topics parents want to know. Season one launches with four episodes covering topics like youth sports culture and what to talk about in the car ride home after a game, free swim safety instructions to get your child ready for summer, and a local children’s book author who has written books to help your kids understand big ideas like grace and fear. We hope this podcast will help equip you at your most important job and be a great resource to share with your friends! Here’s a link for more information.
VESPERS THIS SUMMER: THIS WEEK – PHILEMON
I’m going to be out of the office much of June, with the Annual Conference, vacation, and a time of sermon study, planning and writing. I plan to share my Tuesday night Vespers at 7:30 pm CDT on my Facebook page when possible, but I know that there may be weeks when my schedule may not permit it. If you haven’t done so already, you may want to set up a Facebook notification for when I go live. Here’s a helpful link that explains how to set a notification. I’m planning on Vespers this coming Tuesday, June 6, where I’ll share some
stories from Paul’s shortest letter in the New Testament about a runaway slave
– the letter is called Philemon.
THANK YOU FROM QUINDARO ELEMENTARY
LEARNING TO ENJOY THE RAIN
As I noted at the top of the eNote, LaVon and I are at the beach this week for my sister’s wedding. It has rained every day we’ve been here 😊! The rain broke for the beach wedding yesterday – which felt like a gift from God as this was my sister’s special day – it stopped raining an hour before the wedding, and started up again as we went inside for the reception. It would be easy to be disappointed in the daily deluge we’ve been having – it is not the vacation we had planned. But walking on the beach in the rain is actually beautiful. So is sitting under the front porch as I’m doing now, watching it rain on the sea. We even enjoyed floating in the water as it rained. And we’ve seen a rainbow or two as well. The various hues in the skies actually made the place more beautiful. I’m grateful for the rain.
So much of life happens in ways that are the opposite of our carefully laid plans, but there is often beauty in the disruptions if we are willing to look for it, and there are always things to be thankful for.
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.
