Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - November 17, 2023
November 17, 2023
Dear Resurrection Family,
What a beautiful week it has been this week in Kansas City! I’ve got a few things I think you’ll want to read about today so be sure to at least scan the headlines including updates on our capital campaigns, the film, Holy Frit, showing at AMC Town Center in a couple of weeks, a link to watch the conversation I had with Rabbi Art Nemitoff and Dr. Majdi Hamarshi, and I’ll tell you about a new book I wrote that was just arrived at our bookstore this week, a book I hope will help those of you who wrestle with doubt, or your family or friends.
THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: “LIVING AS THOSE PREPARED TO DIE”
This weekend I’ll conclude my sermon series on the life and journeys of Paul as we look at the adversity and suffering he faced to learn lessons for our lives on how we face adversity. Each week I speak with people facing adversity. Life is sometimes hard.
We’ll look at four keys from Paul’s life and faith that helped him persevere in the face of hardship, suffering and the prospect of death – four keys that will help us in our lives.
We’ll end by considering what it looks like to live as those who are prepared to die and to face death as those who know we go on to live. That’s how Paul lived. Paul’s story offers a powerful message for all of us.
Invite a friend to join you this week as we study The Call: The Life and Journeys of Paul the Apostle.
INTERESTED IN JOINING RESURRECTION? COFFEE WITH THE PASTORS, DEC. 3
Register now to join us on Sunday, Dec. 3, at all of our locations and online from 2 – 4 pm for Coffee with the Pastors. This gathering is your opportunity to to learn more about the church, and what it means to be a Christian, a United Methodist and a member of Resurrection. You’ll meet our pastors and staff, and others who are considering joining the church. Then, toward the end, we’ll have a brief joining ceremony for those who are ready to become members. Child care is available. You can learn more and register here.
THANKSGIVING PRAYER VIGIL TUESDAY
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, I hope you’ll spend some time in reflection and prayer, thanking God for the many blessings in your life. If you’re in the Leawood area, you can start your Thanksgiving holiday with the spirit of thankfulness at our Thanksgiving Prayer Vigil in the Firestone Chapel on Tuesday, Nov. 21, from 10 am until 2 pm. Join us as we gather to offer prayers of gratitude to God. A complimentary, light meal will be served in the Commons area just outside of the Firestone Chapel from 11 am – 1 pm. If you can’t join in person, you can download a prayer guide to use on your own here.
THANKSGIVING SERVE OPPORTUNITIES
UPDATE ON GENERATION TO GENERATION CAMPAIGN
I’m excited to report that each of our locations had amazing campaigns and I’m so proud and grateful for all who participated. You gave sacrificially to create or remodel spaces for our children and youth, to reduce debt at most locations and to create our permanent chapel at Leawood. Each location raised funds for their own projects. If you attend a location other than Leawood, please check out your location pastor’s eNote on Tuesday for details on the campaign at your location. Each location will be fully fund the proposed renovations (Downtown is almost there – just $88,000 away from fully funding their addition of children’s classrooms, but I’m hoping they cross the finish line in the next couple of weeks as our follow-up continues).
At Leawood, we had a great campaign, and I’m so grateful for you. Leawood members and visitors have pledged $37,231,085 to date with pledges still coming in each day. That was shy of our goal of $40 million but still amazing. The Building Committee and architects are working on design changes to the chapel and a few other modifications that will get us to our budget while we hope pledges that continue to come in will help us avoid some of the reductions. I’ll share all of these at Leawood in a few weeks. Thanks to your generosity we will pay for all of the additions and renovations and still be able to reduce our debt by $10 million over the next three years, leaving us with just over $5 million by the end of 2026.
Again, thank you to all who made pledges in this campaign. You made investments in the lives of future generations, these building modifications, renovations or additions will have a huge impact for generations to come. Thank you! If you haven’t yet pledged, and you would like to make a Generation to Generation commitment, click here. These pledges may be completed over the next thirty-six months.
MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS FOR FAMILIES
I’m excited about the Resurrection Kids Ministry’s Merry Little Christmas event coming up. It is a free event, open to all, and it’s the perfect way for families to get into the holiday spirit. Photos with Santa, a take-home craft that will help you reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, mission projects and treats are all part of this kick off to the holiday season. At Leawood, stick around after for the children’s musical. I’m excited to hear the children including my granddaughter. Merry Little Christmas is Friday, December 1, from 6:30-8 pm at West, Downtown, Blue Springs, Overland Park and Brookside, and at Leawood Saturday, December 2, from 9 – 10:30 am, followed by the Children’s Christmas musical at 10:30. Volunteers are needed at all locations. Here’s the link.
CHRISTMAS AT RESURRECTION – TICKETS AND VOLUNTEERS OPPORTUNITIES
SPECIAL SHOWING OF DOCUMENTARY ABOUT RESURRECTION WINDOW
- Monday, Dec. 4, 5:30 pm, Glenwood Arts Theater, 3707 W. 95th Street, Overland Park, KS. Here’s the ticket link.
- Tuesday, Dec. 5, 7 pm, AMC Town Center 20, 11701 Nall Ave., Leawood, KS. Here’s the link to purchase advance tickets.
CALLING FOR ALL RESURRECTION INTERNATIONAL PERSONS
Are you an international person seeking to connect with other international persons at Resurrection at any of our locations? Join me and other pastors for a lunch gathering on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 12:30-1:45 pm in the Leawood Parlor. Invite any other international person or a friend to join you for this “Meet and Greet” event where you will get to meet and fellowship with people from around the globe who are connected to Resurrection. We realize that Resurrection is a big place with many venues of worship, so we are offering a space where you get to meet and make new friendships as you continue to grow in your faith at Resurrection. Here is the link to register.
CONVERSATION ABOUT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
Last Tuesday night at Vespers, I hosted a conversation with Rabbi Art Nemitoff and Dr. Majdi Hamarshi, a Palestinian ICU doctor and associate professor of medicine here in Kansas City. It was an important conversation that I think you would find well worth watching. Here’s the link. Thousands have since watched the video (the counter many of you saw online last Tuesday night was not accurate, we had about 1,500 people join us Tuesday night as it ran live and thousands more since).
MY NEW BOOK: WRESTLING WITH DOUBT, FINDING FAITH
This week I received a copy of my new book, Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith. It is based on a sermon series I preached in 2022. My aim was to write a book that would address many of the most common doubts and questions that people struggle with – something that would encourage Christians, but also be easy to share with friends or family. If you are interested, I’m happy to sign copies if you are interested in giving them as Christmas gifts. In many ways, this book is like my little book, Why? Making Sense of God’s Will, but takes on other questions as well. There will be youth groups, bible studies, Sunday School classes and small groups using it across the US starting in January but wanted you to know about it as well. I filmed the small group videos at the Lake of the Ozarks this last summer and there are leader’s guides as well. Below is the cover (you helped us decide on the cover in a vote we had on Facebook) and the table of contents. If you would like to order from our bookstore, here’s the link or you can call them directly at 913-544-0240.
VESPERS THIS TUESDAY NIGHT
Often in sermons there is so much more I would like to share with you than there is time to share. This weekend, I really hoped to dig into the stories in Acts 19 about Paul’s ministry in Ephesus and how these relate to us – but had to cut them all out of the sermon. I had photos and some other things to share as well. I’ll be sharing these things on my Vespers this Tuesday night and a suggestion for Thanksgiving. Plan to join me from 7:30 to 8:15 pm CT. I’ll be coming live from my man cave in Stilwell via Facebook Live. Here are the links: Facebook, or YouTube.
Don’t miss worship this weekend!
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.
