Weekly Updates from Pastor Adam - July 22, 2022

Dear Resurrection Family,

This has been such a great week as nearly 1,200 children across all our locations participated in Vacation Bible Camp! They learned Bible stories, played games, did crafts and memorized scripture while also helping kids in need. Tonight, is the grand finale with hot dogs, a shaving cream fight, and some of our pastors, including me, taking their turns seeing if kids can drop us in the dunk tank!

Below are a few pics. In worship this weekend, we’ll see a short video filmed across locations. Thank you to the 300 youth and adults who volunteered and made VBC possible!

THIS WEEKEND IN WORSHIP: THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL…

It’s going to be an AMAZING weekend of worship at we conclude our Summer Revival focused on God and Tractors. It’s family weekend worship with all kids 5 and up joining us in worship (they’re going to love it!). We’ll have a kid’s message and we’ll share a video of VBC. My message is entitled, “The Harvest is Plentiful…” from Jesus’ words in Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

We’ll focus on our life purpose, God’s calling on our lives, and how we derive joy and meaning from pursuing what Rick Warren called a “purpose driven life.” Our kids learned about this at VBC this week as they learned we’re called to be H.E.R.O.’s. At the end of the sermon, to illustrate the message, I’ll be driving my John Deere 3020 tractor off the chancel and out of the sanctuary! This may be the only time in their lives they’ll see a tractor parked in the sanctuary, and I’ll drive it off in my VBC cape to illustrate the point of the message.

Coinciding with the conclusion of our series and the point of this weekend’s message, Heritage Tractor just delivered a new John Deere combine to our Leawood location, loaned to us for the weekend – bring your kids, grandkids or friends and check it out if you live near the Leawood location. Here are a couple of pics of the combine. To see a 19-second video of the combine being delivered, click here.

Again, this is a Family Worship Weekend, and we will have some special elements just for kids! We will still have childcare for children 4 and under at all locations, but no KiDSCOR programs this weekend. We have Family Worship Weekends several times a year. This is a great opportunity, as parents, to model worship with your children. Please know that at Resurrection we love and welcome all – even little ones who may not always be quiet and still.

BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND

Join us in person at one of our five locations, or online or television.

• Leawood location at 7:30 am in Wesley Chapel, 9 am in Sanctuary, and 11 am traditional in Sanctuary and modern in Foundry, or 5 pm in Sanctuary
• Downtown location Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 or 11 am
• Blue Springs, Olathe (West) and Overland Park locations Sunday at 9 or 11 am
• Online at cor.org/live on Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 7:30, 9 and 11 am or 5 pm
• On KMCI Channel 38 television on Sunday at 8 am or 11 am
• On demand on YouTube throughout the week

RESURRECTION VOTES FOR CENTRAL UMC TO BECOME SIXTH LOCATION

Thank you to all who attended our Church Conference last Saturday in person or online. We voted to approve Central United Methodist Church at 51st and Brookside as a new location of Church of the Resurrection. The vote was nearly unanimous (165-3) with a lot of excitement. This is a remarkable opportunity to continue and expand upon the historic work Central has done in building a Christian community in this part of the city. The first public school classes in Kansas City were held at Central. UMKC began holding classes at Central. Shepherd’s Center International and Kingswood Manor retirement community were started out of Central. And Central UMC played a key part in starting Resurrection. Here’s a link to some common questions you might have about this new location. The planning and transition process is underway. Central will worship until September 25 when they will have their final service and close passing the baton to Resurrection. We will then begin preparing to launch this new Resurrection location in December (with activities taking place for Central members between September and December). If you live in the Plaza/Brookside area and might be interested in helping launch this location and worshipping there, can you take a minute and let us know? Here’s a link to the interest form.

OTHER ACTIONS FROM CHURCH CONFERENCE

We had two other important votes at the Church Conference. We voted to form building committees at each of our locations to begin the process of planning future renovations, or building additions being proposed at each location. I’ll be sharing more about this in the fall.

We also unanimously voted to recommended Rachel Fetter as a candidate for ordained ministry. Rachel previously served as Resurrection’s Nursery Volunteer Coordinator at our Leawood location and is now attending Saint Paul School of Theology while serving as the Grow Coordinator at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Raymore, Missouri. Rachel has a passion for faith development and Christian education and will be pursuing ordination as an United Methodist Deacon. Rachel (pictured), her husband Alex, and children Helen, Harry and Hans are active members of Resurrection, and we are privileged to confirm her call to ordained ministry and support her as she continues this journey.

DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS IN THE HOUSTON AREA, OR LUFKIN, TEXAS AREA?

On Sunday, July 31, I’ll be preaching at Chapelwood UMC in Houston, Texas on The Power of the Lord’s Prayer. On Sunday night at Chapelwood I’ll be speaking on A Future with Hope: The Future of the UMC. Then on Monday night I’ll be speaking at First UMC in Lufkin, Texas once more on the topic of A Future with Hope: The Future of the UMC. More information and registration can be found here.

A CONVERSATION ABOUT FAITH AND ABORTION NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT

For most of the last 50 years, abortion has been the most divisive social issue in America. We recently surveyed our congregation (you can still take the survey here) and found that, like the broader society, we are divided as well. In the light of the recent US Supreme Court decision reversing Roe v. Wade, and thus no longer stating that the US Constitution protected a woman’s right to choose to continue or terminate a pregnancy, states may pass laws outlawing or more severely restricting abortion. Kansans will be voting on August 2 on whether to pass a constitutional amendment to the Kansas Constitution addressing the Kansas Supreme Court’s 2019 decision that found the Kansas Constitution protected a woman’s right to choose to terminate her pregnancy – to have an abortion. If the “Value Them Both” amendment passes, the state legislature can pass legislation restricting, or completely outlawing abortion.

A number of our members have asked in the last few years to preach about the issue of abortion, as I have on several occasions over the last 30 years. I began planning a sermon for July, even before the Dobb’s ruling overturned Roe v. Wade. But it was LaVon who suggested that we consider a forum rather than a sermon; one where we could hear more information and from more voices than I could fit into a 35-minute sermon.

On Wednesday, July 27, from 6:30 to 8 pm, we’ll host A Conversation on Faith and Abortion. If you are interested, join us live in person at our Leawood location, or you can join us online at cor.org/live. We have a remarkable line-up of Resurrection women who will be speaking including Dr. Michelle Lentell, an Obstetrician/Gynecologist; Dr. Brenda Shoup, a Gynecological Oncologist, US District Court Judge Julie Robinson, and former Kansas Legislator Stephanie Sharp. In addition, this week I interviewed both Danielle Underwood, Communications Director with Kansans for Life and a spokesperson for Value Them Both and Emily Wales, CEO for the Great Plains Planned Parenthood. I’ll share part of each of their interviews as well.

After hearing from those on both sides of the debate, as well as medical professionals, a legal scholar and judge, and a former Kansas legislator, I’ll share the results of our survey on abortion that nearly 3,500 of you have taken – the data was fascinating and shows that we’re divided, and the “sides” are more complex and nuanced than just pro-life or pro-choice. Finally, I’ll close out the evening asking how scripture and our faith speak to the issues in the abortion debate, and help us find some common ground.

Childcare is available Wednesday for children 5th grade and under, but you must reserve a spot at this link. The discussion will be recorded, and I’ll share a link next week where you can watch it, but I hope that you will join us in person or online Wednesday.

RUMMAGE SALE AWESOME SUCCESS

Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and shopped at our women’s ministry annual Rummage Sale. You helped raise $30,500 that Resurrection’s United Women in Faith (formerly UMW) will use to provide grants to organizations benefiting women, children and youth both locally and globally.

RESURRECTION AT SPORTING KANSAS CITY JULY 30

Join the Resurrection community for a special event on Saturday, July 30, at 7:30 pm when the Sporting KC soccer team takes on Austin FC at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. There are still great seats available in the section reserved for Resurrection. Tickets are discounted to $29 and you can purchase online here. Get to know some new Resurrection people and soccer fans at this fun evening.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT AUGUST 4-5

Have you signed up yet for the Global Leadership Summit? Resurrection will be a host site for this annual event, August 4-5, at our Leawood location and online. This is an opportunity to join people from around the world for two days of high-impact, inspiring session on leadership development. Check out the speakers, and register on the website. This is a great opportunity to invite your co-workers to join you!

YOUNG ADULT SUMMER RETREAT

We have a one-day retreat coming up August 6 just for Resurrection young adults and their friends to connect and have fun. Young adults will gather at Shawnee Mission Park from 9 am – 3 pm for food, games, a message from Resurrection West Pastor Bill Gepford, and more! Register today. You won’t want to miss this!

TUESDAY NIGHT VESPERS JOINS WEDNESDAY CONVERSATION THIS WEEK

Tuesday Night I’ll be preparing for our Wednesday forum on faith and abortion and hence will not be holding Vespers this week – I’m hoping those who join me for vespers will instead join me for our Wednesday Conversation on Faith and Abortion.

FALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, AND WE NEED SMALL GROUPS LEADERS

We’ve had a lot of interest in small groups for this fall – 400 people have signed up before it’s even been promoted – and we want to make sure we have enough leaders to welcome everyone. Now would be the perfect time for you to take the next step towards leadership! Go to groups.cor.org to indicate your interest, and a member of our team will reach out right away.

I can’t wait to worship with you this weekend!

In Christ’s Love,

Adam