Reverend Adam Hamilton – Friday, 10 January 2014 - Dear
Resurrection Family,
I came down with the stomach flu on Monday of this week. Man, do
I hate that kind of bug! The good news, in case you happen to come down with it
this season, is that the worst was over in a few hours, followed by being tired
for a day or two after that. The other good news is I lost the five pounds I
put on between Thanksgiving and Christmas in one day! Unfortunately it meant
that the one thing I was committed to get done on my day off got postponed
until next Monday - writing my Christmas thank you notes.
Last weekend, with the snow and the cold, we set a record
attendance for Resurrection online. By the time our team counted the number of
actual people who logged in and worshiped with us we had 9,274 people who
joined us online, almost exactly twice the number of people who physically made
it to church (4,608). Thanks both to those of you who braved the elements and
made it to worship and to those who joined us online. I was also grateful that
at least one UMC that closed for the snow e-mailed their congregation to join
us online last weekend.
Last weekend I announced the total of the Christmas Eve
offering. We've had a little more come in this week, so the total to date
stands at $1,062,000 that you gave in the special Christmas Eve offering to
benefit children in poverty in Kansas City and in our work in developing
countries. I am so grateful and proud of you and your radical generosity.
We had anticipated the offering would be about $700,000 this
year, knowing we had several very large one-time gifts last year. The impact of
the additional money given will be extraordinary. We'll give a report about
this at the All Church Gathering later this month (see below) where we'll hear
a proposal for how the additional funds will be used to expand our work with
low income children here in Kansas City and to extend our work addressing
Malaria and other childhood health issues beyond Malawi and the Democratic
Republic of Congo to include health projects in the communities we're working
in in Haiti and Honduras.
This weekend as we continue in our series of sermons about the
questions that are asked about Jesus we'll look at "The Humanity of
Jesus." We'll consider the meaning of the Virgin Birth and the answer to a
question I have been asked on several occasions, "Do I have to believe in
the Virgin Birth to be a Christian?" We'll also look at questions about
Jesus' childhood. Was Jesus married - an idea that some third century Gnostic
Christians seem to have believed? What did Jesus look like? Recently a Fox news
reporter created a stir when she said that Jesus (and Santa) was white. Was he?
I'll end the sermon with a word about one of the defining characteristics of
Jesus' humanity, one I find most compelling. Each of these questions we'll
consider this weekend will help us as we answer the question Jesus asked his
disciples long ago, "Who do you say that I am?" Plan to join us this
weekend!
Last night the co-chairs of our building committee, Wendell Lady
and Chuck Winters, met with the members of the District Board of Church
Location and Building to review our building and building financing plans. This
committee must give approval before a building project can proceed. After
reviewing both the plans and the financing they approved our building plans.
The next step in the process is for Resurrection members to vote on these plans
- something you'll have a chance to do at our All Church Gathering on Friday,
January 24.
The All Church Gathering is our annual vision casting and
business meeting. Last year over 1,000 of our members joined us for this event.
You won't want to miss this year's event. We have a chili supper that lasts
from 5 to 6 pm. The actual meeting starts at 6 in the Leawood Sanctuary. We'll
have a quick review of 2013, and then we'll turn to 2014. You'll have a chance
to vote on the budget, review pastoral compensation, and vote on our leaders
for 2014. Then we'll turn to the focus of the evening - our vote on whether to
proceed with our building plans.
We'll review these questions related to the building: Why? What?
When? How and how much? We'll have a new model of the proposed sanctuary for
you to see. We'll see the latest renderings. We'll have the latest cost
estimates, With this information we'll have time for Q and A followed by a time
of prayer. Then we'll invite you to vote by written ballot on whether we
proceed. This will be a very important gathering. All members have voice and
vote. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to attend but only members can vote.
Register here for to attend the All Church Gathering. There is
no cost, though donation jars will be set up for supper. If you'd like to eat
with your small group, please indicate so when you sign up to reserve a table
for your group. Childcare is also available by indicating your interest as you
register.
Finally, I want to mention that Saint Paul School of Theology is
in the midst of a search for its next President. This is a very exciting
opportunity. Please share the following information with persons you think
might have an interest:
Saint Paul School of Theology seeks a new President who is a
dynamic leader and shares our vision for a daring new approach to theological
education that unites spiritual development in our students with the
acquisition of the skills necessary for effective ministry in the 21st century.
The President is the Chief Executive Officer of Saint Paul School of Theology,
and the chief advisor to and executive agent of the Board of Trustees. The
President is responsible for leading the seminary, consulting with the Board in
a timely fashion on appropriate matters, and serving as the key spokesperson
for the seminary. The next president will have the opportunity to shape the way
theological higher education is offered and the contexts in which the best
practices for ministry are shaped in our students.
For more information about the position and Saint Paul School of
Theology, please review the Presidential Prospectus at this website
Confidential inquiries, questions and nominations may be
directed to: Ms. Jan M. Asnicar, VP Higher Education Practice, EFL Associates
at jasnicar@eflassociates.com or 913-339-8928.
See you this weekend!
Adam Hamilton
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United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, KS 66224 United States
(913)897-0120
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