Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - September 26, 2025

On Oct. 5, we’ll celebrate our anniversary in worship. We’ll reflect on how God has used our church to transform lives, strengthen churches and change the world. Then during the month I’ll be sharing a sermon series that looks at our new United Methodist vision statement: Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously, and explore what this looks like and how we can live into it as a church for the next 35 years.

SERVE:
35,000-hour Challenge – The focus of our anniversary celebration is serving our community, and during the month of October, we want to demonstrate to our community what it looks like to live out our faith. We are challenging ourselves, as a congregation, to serve 35,000 hours. That’s a big goal, and it will take each of us to make it happen. We have ways you can serve with others through Resurrection Mission Ministries, or you can serve on your own and log your hours. I’m guessing that nearly all of you are serving in some way every week. Besides helping us reach our goal, logging these hours will also help us see where and how we serve. You can count any time you spend helping someone else – maybe you volunteer at your child’s school, or you coach a little league team. It may be that you help a neighbor with yard work, or you write notes and visit someone in a care center – it all counts. Whatever you are doing to demonstrate Jesus’ love to others can be an act of service. All you have to do is text “Serve” to 913-914-2600 and you’ll get a link to log your service hours. If your family serves with you, be sure to count their hours as well.

Raising the Bar Against Hunger – An easy way to serve is to join the kick-off of our Fall Hunger Drive that will support our Backpacks for Hunger program, which helps to feed the kids in our partner schools. From now through October 12, we are “Raising the Bar Against Hunger,” and we have an ambitious goal to collect 150,000 kid-friendly protein bars (like Nature Valley, Clif, and Kind bars). We know that many kids in our community need nutritious snacks to keep them fueled and ready to learn. After worship on Sunday, you can pick up a packet of door hangers, and then place them on your neighbor’s doors to spread awareness and to share your faith. (Make sure you log your time!)

Super Serve Saturday – On October 18 we’re going to blanket the city with Resurrection volunteers. We’ll have a variety of opportunities for you, your family or you small group to serve with others and make an impact on our community. We’ll be adding more opportunities, but you can check some of the available projects here.

CONNECT:
Resurrection Foundation Anniversary Dinner – A celebration dinner will be hosted by the Resurrection Foundation on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 6 pm in the Resurrection Leawood Foundry. I’m looking forward to sharing with you on this special evening as we reflect on our history and our future! Everyone is welcome, but you need to register for this celebration dinner here.

Trunk or Treat Event – This free annual event will be happening at our locations on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26. This is one of our biggest outreach opportunities for kids and families and is an easy way to invite other families, friends and neighbors to join you for a day of fun, games, crafts, and lots of candy. We also need volunteers to decorate their car trunks and distribute candy (which could be your service hours!). You can learn more and sign up here.

STUDY: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Faith will be a three-week study at all our locations. We’ll explore the five foundational practices – worship and prayer, study, serve, give and share – that can transform how you experience faith in everyday life. You can learn more and register here.

SHARE: I’d like to challenge each of you to find a way during October to share how Resurrection has impacted your life with someone. Invite them to join you for the Car Show or Trunk of Treat, or bring them to worship. Throughout the month, we will be running a campaign with some radio, television and billboard ads that answer the question “Why Church?” by sharing how the church changes lives and communities. This campaign is possible through an evangelism grant from The Resurrection Foundation. We do this to reach new people, but also so that when your friends and neighbors see the ads, you have the opportunity to say “That’s my church,” and tell them your Resurrection story.

SCRIPTURE FROM 1 JOHN 4:7-8 ON LOVE

PODCAST THIS WEEK: THE RAPTURE AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST