Weekly Updates from Pastor Adam - Feb. 10, 2023

Dear Resurrection Family,

A quick note up front: We will not have a 5 pm worship service at Leawood this Sunday night, Feb. 12, so our congregants, volunteers and staff can enjoy the Super Bowl game with their families. In 2020, when the Chiefs were in the big game, our Sunday night service had more volunteers and staff than worshipers present. In a quick poll last Sunday night, we found the vast majority planned to worship in the morning services. Enjoy worship in the morning and the big game Sunday night! And, if you are a Chiefs’ fan, wear your Chiefs gear this weekend in worship (and if you are an Eagles fan, wear your green)!

THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: THE PURPOSE AND POWER OF THE CHURCH

This weekend we’re going to ask the questions, “What does it mean to be the church?” We’ll look at what Jesus and the apostles said about the purpose, power and importance of the church. Then we’ll celebrate what God has done through Resurrection the last few years, and where we believe God is leading us over the next seven years.

In 2019 we spent a year as a congregation praying, studying and discerning the opportunities and challenges of the next decade from 2020 to 2030. We surveyed the congregation to see where we needed to focus to help you grow spiritually. We met with civic leaders in Kansas City to understand the needs and gaps in the Kansas City area. We had dozens of meetings with you, and with our staff at all locations. We prayed more. Ultimately, we developed a strategic plan for our church based upon all that we heard, and what we believed God was calling us to pursue this decade. Some amazing things have happened as a result over the first three years of this decade, and we believe that the best is yet to come.

Don’t miss this weekend as we remember what it means to be the church, reflect upon what God has done here since January 1, 2020, and what is yet to come. It will be an inspiring, encouraging and challenging message. Whether you are a visitor or a member, I don’t want you to miss this! It will be an important message!

SACK HUNGER FOOD DRIVE TAKES ON SUPER BOWL PROPORTIONS!

Resurrection joins thousands of United Methodist Churches in conducting food drives around the Super Bowl each year. John Wesley and the early Methodists were known for their food collections, their provision of medicines and medical care, clothing donations, education and a host of other ministries aimed at providing care and advocacy for those in need.

As I shared on Facebook this week, this year, the UM Bishops of Great Plains and Missouri – Chiefs Kingdom – have offered a friendly challenge to the UM Bishop of Philadelphia and New Jersey – Eagles country: Let’s see whether it is Chiefs Fans or Eagles Fans that will collect the most sacks of food to serve others this month. Check out Bishop Schol, bishop of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and his challenge video to Eagles fans to collect more food than Chiefs fans – you can see it here. And check out Bishop Bob Farr, bishop of Missouri, encouraging Chiefs fans to show our spirit in collecting just a bit more food than the Eagles fans!

While I’m hoping the Chiefs bring home a third Super Bowl trophy this Sunday, we all win in our Super Bowl Sack Hunger challenge! Resurrection members, don’t forget to bring your sacks of food to one of our locations this weekend. Here’s a link to the items needed by local food pantries. You can also donate online and our volunteers will purchase the food. There are children and families, single adults and older adults who count on the many food pantries we support with our Sack Hunger donations.

SUPPORT FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS – WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please continue to pray for the victims of the massive earthquakes in Turkey and Syria – would you stop reading for a moment and pray for victims who may still be alive, and for those rescued who sustained injuries, and for families who lost loved ones? Pray that all of these may be comforted and consoled, and will find healing from injuries and trauma. Please pray for rescue workers and government leaders, and for help to continue to flood into these regions.

But of course, we are meant to not only pray, but to act. This week we sent the first funds to disaster relief supporting one of our partner organizations, Heart to Heart, and their immediate response. We’ll be sending additional funds through UNICEF and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. We vet organizations and how they will use these funds, and 100% of what you give will go to support disaster response. LaVon and I will be donating, and I’d like to invite you to do so as well. Here’s the link to give through Resurrection’s Disaster Response efforts.

WE WELCOMED 288 NEW MEMBERS THIS WEEK

Last Sunday we had 236 adults and 52 children officially join Resurrection. This includes 141 at Leawood, 24 at West, 26 at Downtown, 19 at Blue Springs, 19 at Overland Park, 34 at Brookside, and 25 Online from outside Kansas City. Here’s a link to see the names of all these new members. Take a look and see if you know someone you can welcome personally. To those who joined, welcome! We are so excited that you have become a part of Resurrection. We’ll welcome new members in worship this weekend at the beginning of our services at each location.

A WORD TO UMC MEMBERS WHOSE CHURCHES ARE LEAVING THE DENOMINATION

In the last year, 6.7% of United Methodist Churches in the US disaffiliated, about half to join a new denomination, and the other half to become non-denominational churches.

Several of the people who joined Resurrection online last Sunday chose to do so because their churches were disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church. When a church leaves, there often many people who wish to remain UMC and they are left without a church home. If you are from one of those churches, and you would like to remain United Methodist, but your church is no longer United Methodist, we’d love for you to worship with us online until a new UMC is formed in your community. We’d be honored to welcome you, support you, and be a spiritual resource for you.

If we can help you in any way during this transition, please reach out by emailing Cathy Bien, one of our senior staff, at cathy.bien@cor.org and someone from our team will get in touch with you.

RESURRECTION BLOOD DRIVES IN FEBRUARY

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a gift from the heart – literally. You can help those with medical needs in our community by donating blood at one of our blood drive locations listed below. Reservations are recommended, but not required. Just click on the date link to make a reservation:

–Leawood: Monday, Feb. 13, 8 am – 8 pm or Tuesday, Feb. 14, 8 am – 8 pm
–Overland Park: Thursday, Feb. 16, 2 – 7 pm
–Blue Springs: Thursday, Feb. 16, 2 – 6
–West: Monday, Feb. 20, 10 am – 7 pm

VESPERS FEBRUARY 14 AND 21

Join me this Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 pm CST on my Pastor Adam Hamilton Facebook page. Knowing many of you may have date night plans onValentines Day, you can always watch the replay on my FB page or on our YouTube channel.For this week, I had a conversation with five Resurrection members, youth and adults, who recently were part of one of our Resurrection International Serve Trips – two went to Costa Rica, one to Honduras, one to South Africa and another to Malawi. One of these, a 16-year-old named Emerson, went with this mother and his grandmother to Malawi. Here’s their picture! View it here.

For February 21, I have interviewed our new bishop, Bishop David Wilson. He is the first Native American to be elected bishop in the United Methodist Church. He is from the Choctaw Nation and grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma. You’ll enjoy getting to know him and hearing his story.

EXPLORE WAYS TO GET CONNECTED WITH RESURRECTION ON OUR NEW WEBSITE

Take some time this week to check out our new website. It’s filled with opportunities to grow in your faith and serve in the community and world. Just go to resurrection.churchand explore. Two cool things that can help you navigate are the gold button on the top right corner which takes you to Next Steps where you’ll find current and upcoming opportunities – both churchwide and online, as well as at our six locations.

DEPARTING FOR THE HOLY LAND

Finally, this week I’m heading to the Holy Land to lead 188 Resurrection members and staff to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. This will be a remarkable pilgrimage and I’m really excited to be leading this journey. Our tour company is always extremely careful about the safety of all who travel there. I’ve been to the Holy Land on many occasions when tensions and conflict have flared between Israelis and Palestinians. Itineraries are modified, if needed, to steer clear of any locations where there is concern.

After this first group has completed their pilgrimage, I’ll be leading a group of 44 young adults who are part of our Emerging Leaders program here – Resurrection members who have been in a mentoring program the last year. It’s going to be a great pilgrimage for both groups.

That’s all I’ve got for today. I can’t wait to see the sanctuary filled with Chiefs’ red in worship this weekend as we focus on The Purpose and Power of the Church!

In Christ’s love,

Adam