Missionary Renegade: Weekly eNote from Pastor Scott Chrostek for Friday, 23 October 2015 from The Resurrection United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Friday, October 23, 2015

Weekly eNote from Pastor Scott Chrostek for Friday, 23 October 2015 from The Resurrection United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Friday, October 23, 2015,
Greetings RezDowntowners,
I hope this message finds you doing well early on a Friday morning. We have had a great week at Resurrection Downtown. There were several things to highlight between classes, meetings and several community gatherings, but the one thing that has stood out to me was something I remembered as our staff spent a day away on a planning retreat at Tall Oaks Retreat Center. That thing I remembered was that God is able to take our mistakes, missteps and failures and turn them into something extraorinary. So often in life it seems that we will do whatever we can in order to be perfect, or to insure that everything goes according to plan or that everything is just so. However, rarely does this happen, largely because we are human, we make mistakes, we take risks and sometimes things go wrong and we fail. It's in those very moments (when things go wrong) that we are called to remember that God is God and we are not. We remember that God is the one who rescues and saves. Jesus is the Great Redeemer, who makes beautiful things even out of us! My friends God loves us and never leaves us, regardless of what we have done or left undone. Do you believe this?
On our retreat rather than celebrating our accomplishments or achievements, we spent some time talking about the times or instances when we tried something new and failed, made glaring mistakes or missed the mark entirely, and then we recalled how God used those moments in order to bring forth something beautiful. Time and time again, our failures led to new opportunities, new relationships, and new life. As a way of living into this time of sharing we watched a segment from a show called Chef's Table on Netflix where Massimo Bottura, a three-time Michelin star winning chef, described one of his most notable dishes called, "Oops I dropped the Lemon Tart." From his mistake he experienced unimagined success. Through his wilingness to take risks and in his corresponding failure he found new life. This is how it works with God as well. Out of the darkness God pours forth light and life. God calls us out of death and calls us into life previously unimagined. I hope you will join us in worship this weekend as we gather together to worship God, who rescues, saves, delivers and redeems us in order that we might experience the life that really is life. In the meantime, have a great Friday and Go Royals!

Faith without the Worry – Saturday, October 24 at 9 am.Join Pastor Anne at 1508 Grand as she talks about when Jesus invites us, “Do not worry,” but how when life gets stressful, it’s so easy to let worry creep in. Come explore some specific strategies for keeping our concerns in check. For questions, contact Pastor Anne.Williams@cor.org. To register, visit rezdowntown.org/faithwithoutworry. Also, if you would need Childcare, please email Sarah Brischle atsarah.brischle@cor.org.
Trunk R’ Treat – Thursday, October 29 – Rez Downtown supports Community LINC, a Kansas City organization that provides transitional housing for families. Community LINC has many children who are not easily able to participate in Halloween fun, but we can take Halloween to them by using the trunks of vehicles for trick-or-treating! Decorate your vehicle, feel free to dress up and bring some candy to share with the kids at Community LINC! This is a perfect way to serve with your kids and interact with children in Kansas City that you may not otherwise meet. We will be meeting at Community LINC (4012 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO) at 6 pm onThursday, October 29. You will not want to miss out on bringing the fun of Halloween to these kids! For more information, visit rezdowntown.org/trunkortreat .
KiDS COR Volunteer Extravaganza! Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate KiDSCOR and look ahead to the future on Saturday, November 7, 1-3 pm at 1522 McGee! Pastor Scott will talk about the history of KiDSCOR at Rez Downtown, and Sarah will share the vision for our children’s ministry. This will also be a day of training and workshops. Whether you’ve helped in KiDSCOR for years or are new to serving, you will learn details that you always wanted to know, with plenty of time for questions. We’ll have snacks, drinks, prizes and giveaways! Plus you’ll receive your NEW KiDSCOR t-shirt for the year. For more information visit rezdowntown.org/events .
Join us for our Annual Thankful to Serve Volunteer Celebration! Are you a current volunteer at Rez Downtown? Then we want to celebrate YOU! Join us on Wednesday, November 18, at 7 pm to hear a short message from Pastor Scott, enjoy sweet treats, build community and have some fun! You can help us to continue to build community by inviting a friend who might also be interested in serving. Everyone will receive a FREE t-shirt at the event by registering atrezdowntown.org/volunteercelebration. For questions, email Shannon.Endicott@cor.org.
Resurrection Downtown Community Minister (40 hours, Exempt)
Primary responsibilities:
Lead Congregational Care
Spiritual Formation and Discipleship teaching and connection
Direct Missions and Community Outreach
Share leadership in weekly worship services, weddings, funerals, and other pastoral functions
Add entrepreneurial leadership dreaming of where to go next.
Main qualifications:
MDiv. or comparable pastoral and theological experience within the local church.
Must either be ordained in the United Methodist Church or possess a willingness to pursue local pastoral leadership.
Understanding of and appreciation for the theology and traditions of the United Methodist Church.
To see the full job description or to apply for this position: Click Here to submit your cover letter and resume.
I am so excited to spend this weekend with you in service and in worship. I hope you'll invite friends and join us for what is shaping up to be a great weekend of dreaming in the city!
Grace and Peace,
Scott

@scottchrostek
Congregational Care and Support
If you need pastoral care, call 816-979-1330 or for after hours emergencies, 816-875-0267.
To submit a prayer request, contact Todd.Maberry@rezdowntown.org or Anne.Williams@rezdowntown.org
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