Weekly Update from Pastor Adam - September 29, 2023

September 29, 2023

Dear Resurrection Family,

I’m sorry your note is coming a bit late today, as I write this we just finished sending out over 1,700 pastors and church leaders out from our 2023 Leadership Institute. It has been an awesome three days!!! Great speakers, amazing workshops, powerful worship and terrific fellowship. I wish you could have stood listening to the conversations I had with people. So many people speaking about how you, Resurrection, have given them hope. They described the ideas and ministries they have implemented from our congregation with great success. Some said they came here ready to quit the ministry, and are leaving excited and renewed once more.

This is one more way that you, Resurrection, have an impact far beyond Kansas City.

THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: DAVID’S FINAL JOYOUS ACT

This is an exciting weekend in worship! 33 years ago this Sunday, Resurrection held its first worship service. This weekend you’ll hear from three of those who were founding members about their hopes and dreams from the church in the midst of my sermon on the final story from King David’s life as he instructs his son, Solomon, to build a temple. David gives him the plans and provides some of the resources, then the leaders of Israel provide an offering, after which David dies. We’ll also look at his last Psalm in the Psalter, Psalm 145, in which he speaks about one generation passing on their faith to the next generation. I’ll give you a couple of very specific ways you can share your faith with future generations.

GENERATION TO GENERATION COMMITMENT WEEKEND

This weekend, at each location, we will present our commitments to God for the 2024 ministry fund as well as our commitments to the Generation to Generation campaign to renew or construct ministry spaces for children, youth and adults. Each location is raising funds for projects at its location.

Your 2024 ministry fund commitment makes possible everything that happens here at the church. I can’t begin to express the impact of every dollar you give – it’s astounding – from children and youth ministry, adult discipleship, pastoral care, Matthew’s Ministry, senior adult ministry, recovery and support ministries, worship, Leadership Institute, and more missions activities serving in the community than I could count. Thank you for your faithful giving.

Your capital campaign commitment, a commitment that can be fulfilled between now and and the end of 2026, will help us create critical spaces for ministry at each location. Every location is raising funds for its own projects. You can get detailed information, learn more about the projects at each location, and complete your commitment card online at our Generation to Generation website.

This weekend is when everyone at each location will return their commitment card. You can bring your commitment card, or we’ll have them in person at each location, or you can make your commitment online. We’ll be giving the new 2024 coffee mug to each household or person who pledges (youth and kids too) as a small token of gratitude and a reminder of what you are doing to to create a church community for all generations.

GENERATION TO GENERATION ONLINE AND TV CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE

If you consider Resurrection Online and TV you church home, join me and Pastor Ashley Morgan Kirk on Thursday, November 9 from 6:30 pm CST for a Zoom meeting. We will dive into the future of our Generation to Generation Capital Campaign plans for online and television. This virtual gathering will be an opportunity to explore the boundless possibilities that lie ahead, as we share our aspirations for expanding our presence and our depth of options for going deeper in faith both online and on television. This meeting’s aim is to walk through our plans so that you can have the most information possible as you discern your commitment. To secure your spot and receive the Zoom link, simply click here.

THE FUTURE OF UNITED METHODISM: IMPORTANT PANEL DISCUSSION WITH THREE BISHOPS

Last night at Leadership Institute, we had an amazing evening at Leadership Institute focused on the future of the United Methodist Church. After a beautiful opening worship service and music from our bells, choir and orchestra, I shared a bit of where we are as a denomination today.

We then had Bishop Tracy Smith Malone of the East Ohio Conference, Bishop Tom Berlin of the Florida Area, and Bishop Mande Muyombo of the North Katanga Area of the Congo Central Conference (the largest of the United Methodist Churches in Africa) discussing what the future looks like. It was really a remarkable conversation.

Following this, Dr. Paul Chilcote, director of The Center for Global Wesleyan Theology at Cambridge and author of the book, Multiplying Love: A Vision of United Methodist Life Together shared an outstanding 15 minute message to end the evening.

You can watch the conversation here. Feel free to share it with friends at other United Methodist Churches – it was realistic, surprising and hopeful and should be watched by every United Methodist Church.

STRENGTH TO LOVE CLASS BEGINS MONDAY, OCT. 2

You can still register to join us for a unique opportunity to connect with others from Resurrection and St. James UMC for study and reflection of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Strength to Love. The class is on Mondays, October 2 – 23 from 6:30 – 8 pm. Here’s the link to register.

MONDAY, OCT. 9: MATTHEW’S MINISTRY PERFORMING ARTS CONCERT AND ART EXHIBIT 

Please note that we shared the incorrect date for this event last week. The Mathew’s Ministry Performing Arts Concert and Art Exhibit is at 6 pm on Monday, October 9, in the Leawood Commons (Building B). Explore inspiring artwork crafted by the Sonflower learners from 6 – 7 pm, then into the Foundry Hall where you will be captivated by the extraordinary talent of the Matthew’s Ministry drama groups and the Sonflower Ringers. This is an event you don’t want to miss! Click here to learn more.

TRUNK OR TREAT AT RESURRECTION LOCATIONS

October is here, so get ready for a spooktacular good time at Trunk or Treat! This free, family event includes decorated trunks, exciting games, and loads of candy at all of our Resurrection locations on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 3-5 pm at five Resurrection locations (on Sunday after the 9 am & 11 am services at Resurrection Downtown)! This is one of our biggest outreach events all year to families with young children, but we need trunks! Sign up now to decorate your trunk and join in the fun here!

RESURRECTION STUDENTS FALL RETREATS IN NOVEMBER

Registration is open for middle school and high school students coming up this fall. Both take place at YouthFront West – Meta Middle School Retreat Nov. 10 – 11 and Activate High School Retreat Nov. 17 – 19. These will be transformative weekends with fun activities, worship and deep discussions that will ignite your spiritual journey. Register here.

SPRING BREAK SERVE TRIP FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES!

Big Garden in Omaha, NE! Studies show that serving with their families has a major impact on a child’s faith and their involvement in church long term. The Big Garden’s mission is to cultivate food security by developing community gardens, creating opportunities to serve, and providing education on issues related to hunger. This trip, March 10 – 13, is open to families with children of all ages, but 4+ is recommended. Registration closes November 13. Register here. 

VESPERS THIS TUESDAY NIGHT: LECTURING IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE

Each Tuesday from 7:30 to 8:15 pm Central Time, I go live on Facebook to talk about where faith meets daily life. Join me this Tuesday as I share a bit about my upcoming journeys in October lecturing in the lands of the Bible. You can join me live, or catch it on the replay on my Facebook page here, or on the church’s YouTube page after Wednesday.

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF – YOU ROCK!

Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly preparing and the serving our guests – you ROCK!! And so many of our staff who gave so much of themselves to make this happen. I should mention dozens of staff but I need to single out our Share Church team, led by Yvonne Gentile, and our tech and video production teams – they have virtually slept here the last three days. And the tech and video team is still here as we’re now preparing to record the sermon for TV and online in just a few minutes. This was one of the best Leadership Institute’s yet!

Adam

P.S. Check out your location newsletter on Tuesday for more opportunities to get connected with Resurrection. Here’s the link to subscribe.