Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - November 14, 2025

November 14, 2025

Dear Resurrection Family,

I spoke on Wednesday of this week to a group of 2,000 college students at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, for their quarterly convocation focused on kindness. Florida Southern is a terrific United Methodist-related college known for having the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in one place anywhere in the world. A student told his dad, “The speaker wasn’t boring.” High praise from a student required to attend a convocation :). It was Florida Southern’s kindness week, and that was the topic of my talk. Wednesday evening, I spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of mostly United Methodist laypeople and clergy on the question, “Why Did Jesus Have to Die?” My sermon this weekend at Resurrection will include two stories I included in my message to the students – hoping you find them not boring as well :)!

THIS WEEKEND: JESUS AND THE GENEROUS LIFE

As we continue our sermon series on The Generous Life, this weekend we’ll turn to the words of Jesus about wealth and generosity. He has a lot to say on this topic. Though his primary audience was farmers, fishermen, shepherds and shopkeepers, he knew that wealth could easily become an idol, and that generosity was the antidote. In my sermon, I begin with a video of a simple act of generosity that touched millions of people. Then we’ll quickly recall several of Jesus’ parables. We’ll consider a simple financial plan that leads to financial health – a plan that our kids will learn about in Sunday School this Sunday. Finally, I’ve got an insight from The Lord of the Rings before ending with the story of one of our members, and his remarkable generosity, that might just change your life… and save another.

TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN GENEROSITY AND STEWARDSHIP

In our children’s Sunday School this weekend, all of our kids will be given one of the kits pictured below. In Sunday School, we’ll teach about this simple plan reflected in these “penny banks” (not sure what they will be called in the future now that pennies are being discontinued!) to be used by the kids to set aside part of their allowance to give, save and spend. This pattern, when it comes to money, can have a profound impact on your children’s lives. As your kids come home with the set of banks this week, our hope is that you might teach your children about managing their money, the importance of giving and saving before spending, and that this habit will continue into their adulthood.

THIRD GRADE BIBLES BEING PRESENTED THIS WEEKEND!

In most United Methodist and mainline denominations, there is a special milestone tradition of presenting 3rd graders with their own Bibles during worship. This marks a significant moment in their faith journey and their church’s commitment to supporting and encouraging them. If you have a third grader, register them here for the Bible presentation on Sunday and the retreat on Friday, Nov. 21, when 3rd graders and their grown-ups learn together how to explore and use their new Bibles. This is always a terrific Sunday in worship at all locations.

CELEBRATING GENEROSITY WITH ANNUAL COMMITMENTS THIS WEEKEND

This is Commitment Weekend in our congregation, when we invite those who consider Resurrection your church family to return your Ministry Fund Commitment Card for the coming year. We ask you to pray about what you will give to God through our church in the coming year and then to bring your card forward, if you are in person, or make your commitment online at resurrection.church/commitment if you are worshiping on TV or online. It is always, for me, a moving time as I come forward with our commitment card and offer it to God.

Our hope this year is that everyone who considers Resurrection your church family will make a commitment, and that, if you are not in financial distress, you will take a step forward in your giving, towards tithing. If you don’t currently give, would you consider starting with a weekly gift of $10? If you are a regular giver, would you consider increasing your giving by at least $10 per week, more if possible, in a step towards tithing? The impact on the church is that, through your giving, we will have the resources needed to meet the needs of our ministries at each location. The last few years, our giving has not kept pace with inflation, and we’re hoping to catch up a bit this year as a result of your increase in giving for 2026.

As the service ends, we will be giving out our 2026 Resurrection Mug as a thank-you for returning your commitment card – one per household – but one for each child or teen who makes their own commitment. Here’s a pic of the mug:

WELCOME 229 NEW RESURRECTION MEMBERS

Last Sunday, we had 229 people become Resurrection members. We welcomed 96 people at Leawood, 19 at West, 13 at Downtown, 1 at Blue Springs, 15 at Overland Park, 20 at Brookside, 7 at Spring Hill, 12 at Liberty, 39 at Lee’s Summit, and 7 online. Please take a look at the list of new members so that you can greet those at your location by name. Additionally, you might see the name of a co-worker or neighbor whom you can welcome. Click HERE to see the list.

HOLIDAY JOY IN SERVING OPPORTUNITIES

We are continuing our holiday tradition of serving our neighbors. We have a variety of volunteer options for you and your friends – including helping serve Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. We’re adding new opportunities almost daily as we identify additional ways to help. Come experience the joy of being God’s hands and feet in action and discover how even small acts of kindness can create powerful ripples of positive change. Find your place to serve this holiday season here.

CHRISTMAS AT RESURRECTION DEC. 11-14

Christmas at Resurrection musical program tickets are going fast! You won’t want to miss this Kansas City holiday tradition that brings the story of Christ’s birth to life through music and performance. Featuring the 120-voice Resurrection Choir and orchestra, the Kansas City Dance Collective, actors and soloists, this year’s program, “Let Heaven and Nature Sing,” will take you on a musical journey from the Kansas City Zoo to the manger in Bethlehem. Purchase your tickets here.

KIDS CHRISTMAS MUSICAL SAT., DEC. 6

And, we’d love for you to join us the week before on Saturday, December 6 at 10:30 am at the Leawood location in Building B, Foundry Hall, for our Kids Christmas Musical called “Carol of the Toys”. Over 125 of our incredibly talented kids are going to be putting on this fun show where the toys in a toy box discover that Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus have gone missing, and they’ve got to search for them. There’s going to be great singing and dancing, and it’s a fun way to remember what Christmas is all about. Bring the whole family to this free program as we kick off the Christmas season. Click here for more information.

WORSHIP ONLINE? JOIN US FOR IN-PERSON WORSHIP WEEKEND DEC. 13-14

If you are a member of our online community, I’d like to invite you to gather in person at Resurrection Leawood the weekend of December 13-14 for a special celebration around Christmas at Resurrection. This is a unique opportunity for our online congregants from across the country to experience Resurrection in person through building tours, meaningful connection time with fellow online community members and staff, serving at and attending Christmas at Resurrection, and sharing a meal together around worship. We’d love to welcome you to Kansas City for a weekend of fellowship, service, and celebration as we prepare our hearts for the season of Advent. For more information, check out our website.

DIGITAL ADVENT STUDY COMING

This December, we are offering a 4-week digital study called Honest Advent. This study is designed to help you connect with the Christmas story in the middle of everything else going on. Based on Scott Erickson’s book, it’s both an audio resource you can take with you anywhere you go, or you can use the study guide in your small group. Either way, it will help you encounter Christ and experience Advent in a meaningful way. You can get all the details here.

2026 SERVE TRIP OPENINGS

Resurrection serve teams are forming for trips in 2026, and space is still available. If you’ve been thinking about going, it’s a great time to sign up so we can secure travel arrangements and begin team training. One trip is to the Borderlands April 19-24, where you’ll have the opportunity to serve alongside others, engage with border communities, and witness firsthand the realities facing our neighbors. We also have openings for a trip to Uganda in May and Honduras in June. You can learn more and sign up here.

That’s all I’ve got for today! I’m looking forward to a powerful weekend in worship with you!

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.

Learn More About What's Happening Now at Your Location

WORSHIP ALERT:

IMPORTANT: