Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - September 12, 2025
September 12, 2025
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Sept.12, 2025
Dear Resurrection Family,
This week, we witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a school shooting in Colorado, threats of violence against seven historically black colleges, and even as we marked the 24th anniversary of 9/11. Our nation seems on edge. My message this weekend will speak into the culture we find ourselves in as we turn to the First Epistle of John. At the end of this eNote, I want to talk more about Charlie Kirk, a social media post I made after I learned he had died, and some thoughts on how we use social media as Christians. Read to the end if you are interested.
THIS WEEKEND – 1 JOHN: CULTURE, POLITICS AND JESUS
This weekend, we start a two-part sermon series on the First Epistle of John in our New Testament. Written to a community of Christians who had displaced Jesus from the center of their lives and had forgotten the call to love, its words speak powerfully to our lives and our society today. I planned these sermons months ago, but they seem particularly poignant today. We have a scripture memory verse card we’ll hand out in worship. On the back side of the card is a question that will help you as you discern the right thing to do in most situations. The sermon is entitled Lessons from 1 John on Culture, Politics and Jesus. After a week of tragedy that highlighted the polarization and our current culture wars, I believe John’s words have something important to say to us. Invite a friend to join us this weekend. If you can attend in person, we’ll have the scripture memory verse card for you. If you attend online, you can download and print.
NEW LEAWOOD PARKING LOT OPEN!
There are a lot of exciting things happening on the Leawood campus right now – the new Wesley Chapel is being erected, the outdoor rec space is nearing completion, and the Student Center is looking amazing (slated to open in January). One small but important component is a new parking lot between Buildings A and B, the closest parking to the entrance to Building B (Foundry, adult education and preschool) just opened this week. On Sundays, many of these spaces are reserved for those with special needs, but they are the closest spaces we’ve ever had to either Building A or B. The lot is labeled B1 in the diagram below. (You can click on the image or map to enlarge it.)
MATTHEW’S MINISTRY THIS WEEKEND: COOKIES!
This weekend we’ll be celebrating Matthew’s Ministry at Resurrection, which is a highlight of the year for me. And because our Matthew’s Ministry Sonflower Bakery produces our cookies, we’ll have cookies after worship for you to enjoy. Matthew’s Ministry provides comprehensive support for children, youth and adults with special needs and their families. Programs include respite events, Sunday fellowship groups, Sunday school support for children and students, day programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and various activities such as a drama club and a handbell ringer choir. The ministry is expanding from our Leawood location to additional sites, including Overland Park, West, Brookside, and Downtown, demonstrating the essential role these services play in the community.
The ministry’s Angel Care program offers one-on-one direct support for children and students with special needs during Sunday worship services, enabling them to participate alongside their peers while allowing parents and caregivers to attend worship. Currently, Matthew’s Ministry has a critical need for volunteers across all locations to serve as Angel Care providers. You can learn more about volunteering with Matthew’s ministry at cor.org/next.
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CHURCH? EXPLORE RESURRECTION ON SEPT. 21
If you’ve been considering membership with Resurrection, or if you just want to learn more about the church, I invite you to join me on Sunday, Sept. 21, for our next Explore Resurrection, a membership class we offer quarterly. At this gathering, we’ll share information about the church, what it means to be Methodist, and you’ll meet some of our staff and ask questions. At the end, if you’re ready to join, we’ll have a brief membership ceremony. Explore Resurrection is offered on the afternoon of Sept. 21 at all our locations. Times vary; you can go here to get more details and register for your location.
SERVE SATURDAY SEPT. 20: PARTICIPATION UP 97% YoY!
On the third Saturday of each month, we spotlight new community partners, offering you the opportunity to serve alongside them and learn about the vital work they’re doing in the Kansas City area. In September, we’ll highlight ministries addressing homelessness, hunger, refugees and foster/adopt. These events are designed to be easy ways to try something new and make a meaningful difference in the lives of your neighbors. You can check out this month’s opportunities and sign up here. I learned this week that our Serve Saturday participation is up 97% year over year! We’ve had 3,512 people participate in the last 12 months in serving others at Serve Saturday! I’m so proud of you!
FALL PREVENTION EVENT FOR SENIOR ADULTS AND FAMILIES SEPT. 23
Falls are the number one cause of serious injuries, hospital stays, weakness and loss of independence for senior adults. In Kansas City, 1 in 3 adults over the age of 65 falls each year, but falls are preventable. Resurrection’s Silver Link Ministries and Limitless Living Solutions are presenting Saving Claire: A Fall Prevention Event for adults 50+ and their families on Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 6-8 pm in the Wesley Chapel at Resurrection Leawood. This free community program provides evidence-based information to help reduce fall risk and promote independent living. The evening includes a documentary screening, fall risk assessment, expert-facilitated discussion, and access to local health and safety resources. Family members are encouraged to attend to learn how they can support their loved ones in fall prevention efforts. You can learn more and share this event with family members here.
ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRT PICK UP NEXT SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
We’ve had a great response to our anniversary t-shirts – so great that we won’t have all the orders filled by this weekend, so we are postponing the pick-up until Sept. 21. If you ordered your t-shirt by Sunday, Sept. 7, you’ll be able to pick it up at the location you designated after worship on Sept. 21.
If you are still interested in ordering a t-shirt, we have extended the pre-orders online here, but you must order by Sept. 21 for a pickup on after worship on Sept. 28. If you would prefer, you can order directly from our vendor here and have shirts shipped directly to your home (with additional shipping and processing fees).
SOCIAL MEDIA POST AND CHARLIE KIRK
I didn’t know Charlie Kirk personally, but I had occasionally listened to parts of his podcasts, had seen his posts on social media, and last year, I read about him as I was trying to understand some of the leaders on the political right. I admired his brash way of making the case for his faith and his ideas, and his way of inviting college students to debate him. He had a keen mind, and he was great at influencing young people, young men in particular. I appreciated his desire for people to know Christ. Charlie’s politics and faith were more conservative than mine, though there were places we would agree, and others we would disagree. If he knew of me, I think he would be the first to say that.
On Wednesday night, as I was going into a supper with my future son-in-law, I got word that Charlie had died. I was shocked and felt sorrow for him and his family, and thought, this is a tragedy, and I wondered, “What has our country come to?” And I thought of the sermon I’d just finished the night before, on what’s wrong with our culture and how 1 John offers an important corrective.
As I looked at my newsfeed, I saw that some were celebrating his death. Once again, I thought, what has our country come to? It was then that I posted on Facebook and X (I don’t have the exact wording as I changed it later, but this is close), “I just learned Charlie Kirk was killed. Despite the fact that we disagreed on many things, I grieve for his family and lament that this is what American politics, at least for some people, has become. I am praying for his family. Last night, I finished writing my sermon for this weekend, titled Lessons on Culture, Politics, and Religion from 1 John. It seems more poignant now. Our memory verse this weekend is 1 John 4:7-8.”
I prayed for Charlie’s family, then went to supper. It was after supper that I came home and found my social media had blown up with people who were hurt by what I posted, or who felt I was being political, or otherwise that my comments were insensitive or inappropriate, and others who were defending them, and still others who were just jumping in to turn the conversations into political debates. Someone suggested that I turn off the ability to comment, as the conversations were getting so ugly. I didn’t know this was a possibility, but once I learned that you could limit who could reply, I did so. And, trying to understand the concerns, I realized the line that was problematic was this one: “Despite the fact that we disagreed on many things.” I edited the piece and took this line out, but I felt I needed to mention this and apologize for offending.
The last thing I wanted to do was to create a divisive post in the midst of trying to convey my sorrow for Charlie’s death. Charlie and I did hold different views on some things, and had we met, I doubt he would have held back in telling me so, but I believe as followers of Jesus we could have listened and learned from each other, loving one another despite our differences, and I grieve his death.
I quote him in my sermon this weekend, a line on his webpage which I really appreciated, “We heal our divides by talking to people we disagree with…You heal the country when you allow disagreement.” I believe that.
One last thing I want to say and remind you of, and that’s how I hope you post on social media. When I comment on social media, I try to do so with respect and love. I fail sometimes, as happened this week, in failing to understand how my words would sound to some. If you make a mistake, correct it. If you comment on my Facebook or X posts, I’d like to ask you to seek to comment and respond in a manner that follows the Golden Rule. Don’t feel the need to defend me. Don’t attack others or assume the worst of them. And often the best response is no response.
I’d also remind you that of the 70,000 Facebook followers I have, only 15,000 are Resurrection members. Someone said to me, “If the Facebook comments this week reflect your church members, I would not want to come to Resurrection.” I reminded him, 55,000 of my followers go to someone else’s churches.
Let’s be gracious when we post on social media and assume the best and not the worst of the intentions of those who post.
Please pray for Charlie Kirk’s family, his friends and all who grieve his loss, as well as all those who have lost friends and loved ones to senseless violence.
In Christ’s Love,
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.
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