Friday. June 12, 2015
Dear Resurrection Family,
I’m writing from Daytona Beach where I am speaking today to 2,000 pastors and church leaders from the United Methodist churches of the Florida Annual Conference. This is the last of the annual conferences I’m speaking to this year. In the last two weeks I’ve spoken to 4,800 United Methodist pastors and church leaders in Michigan, Iowa and Florida. I’m exhausted but also energized (is it possible to be both at the same time? Those are the best words I can think of to describe what I’m feeling right now). I’d like to give you a brief update of where I’ve been this week.
On Sunday and Monday of this week I spoke in Des Moines to 1,600 pastors and laity at the Iowa Annual Conference. It was a remarkable time – I felt that God was at work in the hearts and minds of so many who were there. So many told me that they were leaving conference with renewed hope, new visions and concrete ideas of things they now wanted to implement in their churches. Many thanked me for your notes and prayers. One couple in particular sought me out to thank me for the three notes they received from Resurrection members who were praying for them – this was a pastor and his wife, in their late 50’s or early 60’s. They told me that ten days ago their son died, and receiving the notes from Resurrection members sharing that they were being prayed for each day for 30 days had felt like a sign that God had enfolded them in his care. They chose to go ahead and attend the conference despite their recent lost, I believe, because of your notes and prayers.
I was back in the office at Resurrection on Tuesday for meetings, then Wednesday morning I went to Wichita with our delegation from the church to our own Great Plains Annual Conference (all of the United Methodist Churches in Kansas and Nebraska are a part of this conference). That conference is still going on as I write. This year we elected delegates to next year’s General Conference in Portland where 800 pastors and laity from around the world will gather to consider important issues to the denomination. Both Cheryl Bell and I were among the six clergy elected as delegates to General Conference representing Kansas and Nebraska.
At 11 am yesterday morning I left our conference early to fly from Wichita to Florida in order to be the conference speaker here in the Florida Annual Conference. I spoke last night on leadership to 2,000 people then met with about 75 young clergy and lay leaders to speak about the future of the United Methodist Church and the role I hope they will play in revitalizing the denomination. As you are reading this I’ll be delivering two lectures, one on preaching and worship and the second on evangelism and missional outreach to the community. My last session is from 1 to 2:30 pm central time and is being live streamed if you’d like to watch, you can do so by clicking here.
I wish you could hear the comments from those I’m speaking to. In Des Moines people waited in line an hour to tell me of the impact you have had on their lives and churches. Last night I had multiple young clergy stop to tell me of the ideas and practices they have used from our congregation to help their churches grow. Thank you for praying and for sending me out to do this work. I’m so grateful for you.
This weekend Pastor Jason Gant will preach at the Leawood campus on the importance of working as a team, both in baseball and the Christian life as we continue our June sermon series, Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Pastor Anne will preach on the same topic at Downtown, Pastor Penny at Blue Springs, and Chris Folmsbee at Vibe. It’s going to be another great message. Wear your Royal’s gear, or at least something blue, and join us for worship!
I’ll return to conclude this series on lessons from baseball on Father’s Day weekend. One of the things I’m looking forward to sharing with you is an interview I did with Dayton Moore, Kansas City Royals General Manager. This will be a great weekend in worship with a message that speaks to everyone, but especially fathers and sons. Invite the men you know to join you for worship. We’re going to run radio spots this week on 610 AM Sports Radio, inviting men in particular to join us for Father’s Day next weekend. Here’s the radio spot, take a listen and share it with your friends
We had a great Vacation Bible Camp at Resurrection Leawood this week. I was in town on Tuesday and had a chance to stop in for a few minutes – it was awesome! More than 1200 kids had a great time learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. The children have donated over $4500 for the Zoe project in Africa. We will receive matching funds from our Missions Ministry and this will allow us to build 8 homes for orphans. The children have also brought in over 853 items of sports equipment to be distributed to children at our partner schools and children in Africa. VBC concludes today with a message about the great commission and with the grand finale – the shaving cream party! Thanks to the over 400 volunteers who made this week possible and the Leawood Fire Department and with the Big Pumper Truck that will help with our celebration this afternoon! Resurrection Downtown will have VBC next week – June 15-18 and VBC is June 22-25at Resurrection West. Blue Springs is having two mini-campsJune 19-20 and July 17-19.
This coming Thursday, June 18, I’ll be a part of a panel discussion on The Politics of Personal Destruction, focused on incivility in politics and public discourse. I’ll join former Missouri Attorney General, US Senator and U.S. Ambassador John Danforth, Terry Nelson, political director for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign and Bloomberg White House Correspondent, Margaret Talev. The event is part of The Village Square and will begin with supper at 5:30 pm and then the panel runs from 6 to 8 pm at UMKC. Here’s the link if you’d like to register to be a part of this interesting conversation.
We have several great summer serving opportunities kicking off this week.
Bless the School starts at Welborn Elementary in KCKon Monday and continues through the week. Welborn is one of our larger partner schools with a population of about 535 students and classrooms in two buildings. Morning, afternoon and evening shifts are available for volunteers to help paint, lay carpet squares, install cork and whiteboards and build and install shelving in the classrooms. To learn more or register go tocor.org/blesstheschool. This is a great way to serve and you’ll be blessed as you bless the students and teachers at Welborn.
Our Furnishing Ministry, My Father’s House, will spend the next two weeks moving and repurposing thousands of furniture items. Schools Furnishing Hope is a partnership with the Blue Valley School District to take furniture they no longer need and provide it to educational program agencies and recipients who need it. Shifts are available June 15 – 27th, and you can learn more and sign up here.
The Summer Reading Program also begins this week. From June 15 – July 24, you can read one-on-one with 1st-5th graders to help children improve their reading skills over the summer months. Serve once, multiple times or weekly at the Mary L. Kelly Center in KCMO. Learn more by clicking here.
Have you signed up yet for the Willow Creek Leadership Summit? If not, take a minute and check out the website:www.cor.org/willow. Both Resurrection Leawood and Resurrection Blue Springs will be host sites for the Summit this year. This is an important leadership event aimed at helping you become a better leader in your workplace, in your home, and in the church and community. Check out the great lineup of speakers and register today. We are able to offer registration to our members and regular attendees for $89, but only through July 7. The rate increases to $119 after July 7. To learn more about the Summit and to register, visitwww.cor.org/willow. Use the Password: GLS15HOST to receive the reduced rate. The date for this year’s Summit isAugust 6&7. Register today for this great event, you will be blessed!
Finally, as you know, in the summer of 2014 I travelled to Turkey, Greece and Italy with a film crew retracing the life and journeys of the Apostle Paul. I shared a sermon series with you based upon these journeys, but also recorded a small group curriculum while there and, over the last year, wrote a book about Paul’s life and faith called, The Call: The Life and Message of the Apostle Paul. I’m running excerpts from the book on my blog over the next few weeks. Here’s the link if you’d like to read a portion of the opening to the book.
I look forward to being back in the office this next week and in the pulpit for Father’s Day weekend!
In Christ’s Love,
Adam
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
913.897.0120
www.cor.org
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