Friday, March 18, 2016
Greetings Resurrection Blue Springs,
We are drawing nearer to Easter with every passing day. I can't believe it is almost here! Tomorrow Saturday, March 19th at 10 am, we host our Community Easter Egg Hunt. Our KiDSCOR team has tons of fun prepared with a petting zoo, crafts, games and more fun family activities including a big egg hunt and special visit by the Easter Bunny! It will be a little chilly so make sure you grab a jacket along with the Easter baskets. Invite your neighbors and friends for this fun event!
Sunday in worship we will celebrate Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus will spend his final week teaching and preaching before offering himself up for us. It is an important Sunday in the life of our church as we sing together our Hosanna’s. Our children will participate in a palm parade through worship in both services, so plan now to get there early so your child can help lead us in celebrating the beginning of Holy Week. Pastor Adam will be preaching and his message will move us from the triumphant entry to Christ’s sacrifice as we continue to deepen our understanding of the Gospel of John.
Next Thursday evening, March 24th, we will continue in remembrance of Jesus’ final week with a Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary. We'll begin with a simple supper followed by Holy Communion and then our Confirmands and High School Youth will be leading a special worship with dramatic presentations which will provide an opportunity to listen to some of the voices that would have spoken in those final hours leading up to Jesus’ death. Childcare for 4 years and under will be available during the worship service.
Then join us for Easter worship services Sunday at 8 am, 9:30 am and 11:15 am as we celebrate the good news of Easter together! The message of Easter is one of life, restoration and hope. This day offers us the promise of new life and new beginnings. We will not have KiDSCOR programming on Easter but we will have childcare for 4 years and under and childrens worship packets available. If you call Resurrection Blue Springs your church home, please remember our Easter adage; Park far, sit close, come early! We want to have plenty of room to welcome our visitors on the most important day of the church year. Please consider worshiping at 8 am. Please also consider serving in one of the many volunteer roles needed this Sunday.
Finally, I wanted to let you all know that, after many trips to Nashville, Olivia Ash’s 5 song EP "Breaking all the Rules” is now available at all digital outlets. The songs have a positive message and sound fantastic. To preview the songs and support her work follow this link to iTunes Breaking All the Rules -- EP. Olivia shares her amazing gifts regularly on our worship team and is a daughter to Mike Ash our Worship and Community Leader.
We’ve got some great mission and ministry coming up.
Easter Floral Tribute Donations Honor a loved one this Easter by donating a flowering plant to be displayed at worship services. Donate using the green envelopes available at Guest Services on Sunday.
Egg-cited to get involved? We could use some extra hands with the activities plannedtomorrow for our Easter Egg Hunt. Come at 9:30 am if you can help to make this a fun experience for all our families and visitors! You can also sign up online here.
Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, March 19, 10 am (rain or shine) Grab the kids and Easter baskets and hop on over for this awesome family event. Early childhood to elementary age children will have baskets of fun enjoying egg hunts, visits with the Easter Bunny, a petting zoo, games and more! This is a great community event so egg on your friends to join you, no registration necessary. Visit
cor.org/bluesprings/egghunt for more information.
Maundy Thursday Worship Service – March 24, 6:30 pm. Join us for a simple meal including Holy Communion followed by a dramatic presentation of the events leading toward Good Friday. This evening will provide an opportunity to listen to some of the voices that would have spoken in those final hours leading up to Jesus’ death. Voices that still speak to us today. As a part of their Confirmation service, our Confirmands and High School youth will lead this service.
Easter Worship – Sunday, March 27, 8 am, 9:30 am, 11:15 am. Easter Sunday will be a Family Worship day. Please bring your children to worship with you at all services. Nursery will be offered for birth – age 4. Worship bags are available for older children.
Serve for Easter worship services – Easter is a time when many folks are searching for a church to call home, and we want to welcome them. Sign up to serve as ushers/greeters, hospitality, parking assistance and muggers at Guest Services on Sunday or contact Stephanie Weigel. Our services are Sunday, March 27, 8 am, 9:30 am and 11:15 am.
Silverlink Volunteers Needed Would you be willing to help with a monthly worship service for the residents at Benton House Care Facility? We need a couple of volunteers who might be available to help with this worship servce for the residents and possibly read a scripture or lead singing, or generally be there as added hands. We could also use a pianist who could play hymns for the service. If you have interest, please contact Pastor Penny.
Men’s Spiritual Retreat: “Home!” – Friday, April 1, 6:30-9 pm and Saturday, April 2, 8:30 am – noon, Leawood Student Center. Look at the parable of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of the three characters: The Rebellious Son, The Older Self-Righteous Son and The Waiting Father. Two-day retreat features pastors Jeff Kirby and Glen Shoup and Director of Discipleship, Chris Folmsbee. Dinner and Breakfast included. Suggested donation of $30. Register online.
The Prayer Course – Wednesdays, April 6 – May 11, 6:30-8 pm. The Prayer Course is a simple, practical introduction to a vast and exciting subject. The six sessions cover the simplest foundations of prayer. It’s not pitched at seasoned “prayer warriors,” but rather at the vast majority of us ordinary Christians who simply want to get better at talking to God and hearing his voice. The interactive sessions cover topics such as intercession, dealing with disappointment, learning to listen and spiritual warfare. Sign up at Guest Services or online.
Choosing Gratitude Thursdays, April 7-May 26 (no class on April 28), 6:30-8 pm. Ladies, join Bible study leader and Christian motivational speaker, Patricia Sanders-Hall, in a course structured as a follow-up to Resurrection’s 2016 Inspired for Life Women’s Conference with the theme of “Gratitude.” Whether you attended the conference or not, this study will explore practical tips, stories and scripture, which teach us how to practice gratitude as a life style so we can stay on the path to inner peace, hope and faith. Each class is designed to be self-contained, so missing a session will not cause you to fall behind. You can purchase Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book, Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy, for $15 at Guest Services (coming soon). Register here or at Guest Services on Sunday.
Holy Land Tour - November 14-23, 2016. Have you seen any of the amazing pictures coming from the recent Holy Land trip? I've talked with several that have spoken of the powerful experience of walking where Jesus walked. Pastor Penny and Bill are excited to journey on the Church of the Resurrection's next Holy Land Tour with our campus. We hope every member of our church will one day experience where Jesus has walked. This is an opportunity to grow in faith and bring Scripture to life like never before. We will be joining with members of our West campus and Pastor Jason Gant as we journey together. Information is available at the Guest Services desk or online here.
Abundant Blessings,
Penny
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Friday, March 11, 2016
Greetings Resurrection Blue Springs,
I’ve been riding high since last Sunday remembering and rejoicing with all of you at the generous response to our one-year gift campaign for the renovations to our Blue Springs campus. We had a goal of raising $100,000 and have received pledges for nearly $157,000! I’ve been praising God all week. I’ve also watched the video of four-year old Denton reciting the Apostle’s Creed a half dozen times or more. This is all an affirmation of our hopes and dreams to build a deeply committed Christian community of all ages who are growing in their faith and willing to shine the light of Christ.
Speaking of “shining the light”, we’ve had an awesome response to our “Stop Hunger Now” FaithWork project for tomorrow. We have 90 people signed up to help. We plan to package over 10,000 meals of dried food that will be sent to school feeding program overseas for those desperately in need. We’ve broken the serving time into two shifts for some of our younger helpers. The first shift should arrive at 8:45 am and the second shift at 9:45 am. If you have questions contact Sherree Gorman.
This Sunday in worship we continue our journey with John's gospel account of Jesus' last days before going to the cross. We’ll explore Jesus’ final “I am” statement, “I am the true vine,” and what it means to abide with Jesus in today's world. We will also remember Jesus last meal with his disciples as we share Holy Communion together. We are drawing close to the end of Lent with only Palm Sunday to go before we arrive at Easter!
Don’t forget that Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday. Set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday night.
In the meantime, here are a number of ways to get connected to the life of our church:
We’ve got some great mission and ministry coming up.
Easter Floral Tribute Donations Honor a loved one this Easter by donating a flowering plant to be displayed at worship services. Donate using the green envelopes available at Guest Services on Sunday.
More Volunteers Needed in KiDSCOR to help with all ages and areas of children’s programming, contact diane.enlow@cor.org.
Silverlink Volunteers Needed Would you be willing to help with a monthly worship service for the residents at Benton House Care Facility? We need a couple of volunteers who might be available to help with this worship servce for the residents and possibly read a scripture or lead singing, or generally be there as added hands. We could also use a pianist who could play hymns for the service. If you have interest, please contact Pastor Penny.
Stop Hunger Now Food Packaging Event - We’ll gather at Resurrection Blue Springs for the first shift in the Sanctuary on Saturday, March 12 at 9 am in our Sanctuary; arrive at 8:45 am for coffee and donuts. Second shift should plan to be there at 9:45 am. We've had such a great response to this opportunity that most spots are full! We could use a few more to help reset the Sanctuary after 11 am. Please sign up online here. For more information, visit stophungernow.org.
Egg-cited to get involved? We need many volunteers at our March 19 Easter Egg Hunt to make it a fun experience for all our families and visitors! Sign up at Guest Services on Sunday or online here. We also need lots of small individually wrapped candy for filling the eggs (we've got plenty of eggs.) Bring candy donations to the barrel by the KiDSCOR desk through March 13.
Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, March 19, 10 am (rain or shine) Grab the kids and Easter baskets and hop on over for this awesome family event. Early childhood to elementary age children will have baskets of fun enjoying egg hunts, visits with the Easter Bunny, a petting zoo, games and more! This is a great community event so egg on your friends to join you, no registration necessary. Visit
cor.org/bluesprings/egghunt for more information.
Maundy Thursday Worship Service – March 24, 7 pm. Join us for a simple meal including Holy Communion followed by a dramatic presentation of the events leading toward Good Friday. This evening will provide an opportunity to listen to some of the voices that would have spoken in those final hours leading up to Jesus’ death. Voices that still speak to us today. As a part of their Confirmation service, our Confirmands and High School youth will lead this service.
Men’s Spiritual Retreat: “Home!” – Friday, April 1, 6:30-9 pm and Saturday, April 2, 8:30 am – noon, Leawood Student Center. Look at the parable of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of the three characters: The Rebellious Son, The Older Self-Righteous Son and The Waiting Father. Two-day retreat features pastors Jeff Kirby and Glen Shoup and Director of Discipleship, Chris Folmsbee. Dinner and Breakfast included. Suggested donation of $30. Register online.
The Prayer Course – Wednesdays, April 6 – May 11, 6:30-8 pm. The Prayer Course is a simple, practical introduction to a vast and exciting subject. The six sessions cover the simplest foundations of prayer. It’s not pitched at seasoned “prayer warriors,” but rather at the vast majority of us ordinary Christians who simply want to get better at talking to God and hearing his voice. The interactive sessions cover topics such as intercession, dealing with disappointment, learning to listen and spiritual warfare. Sign up at Guest Services or online.
Choosing Gratitude Thursdays, April 7-May 26 (no class on April 28), 6:30-8 pm. Ladies, join Bible study leader and Christian motivational speaker, Patricia Sanders-Hall, in a course structured as a follow-up to Resurrection’s 2016 Inspired for Life Women’s Conference with the theme of “Gratitude.” Whether you attended the conference or not, this study will explore practical tips, stories and scripture, which teach us how to practice gratitude as a life style so we can stay on the path to inner peace, hope and faith. Each class is designed to be self-contained, so missing a session will not cause you to fall behind. You can purchase Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book, Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy, for $15 at Guest Services (coming soon). Register here or at Guest Services on Sunday.
Holy Land Tour - November 14-23, 2016. Have you seen any of the amazing pictures coming from the recent Holy Land trip? I've talked with several that have spoken of the powerful experience of walking where Jesus walked. Pastor Penny and Bill are excited to journey on the Church of the Resurrection's next Holy Land Tour with our campus. We hope every member of our church will one day experience where Jesus has walked. This is an opportunity to grow in faith and bring Scripture to life like never before. We will be joining with members of our West campus and Pastor Jason Gant as we journey together. Information is available at the Guest Services desk or online here.
Abundant Blessings,
Penny
Friday, March 4, 2016
Greetings Resurrection Blue Springs,
It's shaping up to be another beautiful weekend. I am hopeful that everyone will make a special effort to be present in worship on Sunday as we announce the total for the gifts given to our one-year campaign for the renovations to our building. These renovations are being made to give us better space and tools for building Christian community. Over the last three weeks our children have been making commitments of loose change to this project as well. This Sunday our children will lead the way as they bring their offerings forward in worship and announce for us the total given for the project. I am very excited to hear the results and witness how God has been at work amongst our congregation.
Kelly Williams, our Director of Finance and Accounting, will be in worship with us to tally up any additional gifts, which might be added during our offering time. If you haven't had an opportunity to include your gift, you can do so on Sunday morning or you can go online at build.cor.org/bluesprings. This site will tell you more about our renovation plans and the next steps as well. If you have any questions about how gifts to the church are processed, I'm sure Kelly would be happy to answer them after worship.
I am imagining how awesome it will be this fall to welcome our guests into this beautiful new space as we prepare for a new school year and celebrate together our 6th anniversary as a campus of Resurrection. God is moving in mighty ways through this community and I am so thrilled to be a part of it all.
This Sunday we will be continuing our church-wide study of the Gospel of John. This week we move into what is commonly known by scholars as the "Farewell Discourse." John, devotes five chapters to what Jesus says to his disciples at the Last Supper. There is a sense of urgency to these chapters as Jesus is sharing his final charge and he wants to make sure they get the message. This Sunday we’ll cover what Jesus said in John 13 and 14, and next week, what Jesus said in chapters 15-17. This week we’ll focus on "An Example, a Command and a Promise" offered by Jesus that night. It will be a great day of worship as we continue in this Lenten journey toward Easter.
Before I close, I want to make sure you mark your calendar for March 12th! We'll be working with Stop Hunger Now to package over 10,000 meals for those overseas desperately in need of food. This is a family FaithWork project and anyone five and up is welcome to come and help. It's a great opportunity to teach our children about generosity! You're welcome to invite a friend to join us too.
We’ve got some great mission and ministry coming up.
More Volunteers Needed in KiDSCOR to help with all ages and areas of children’s programming, contact diane.enlow@cor.org.
Lenten Study of John – Open to everyone Sunday nights at 6 pm or Men's GroupTuesdays at 6:30 pm. Join a study of the Gospel of John during Lent using Pastor Adam Hamilton’s book, John, the Gospel of Light and Life. Contact Mike.Ash@cor.org for more information.
Stop Hunger Now Food Packaging Event - Help package 10,152 meals of dried food that will be sent overseas to those who desperately need it for school feeding programs. We’ll gather at Resurrection Blue Springs in the Sanctuary on Saturday, March 12, 9-11 am in our Sanctuary; arrive at 8:45 am for coffee and donuts. We need 10 people to help with set-up at 8 am, and at least 50 people to package food. This event is a great opportunity for families to serve and is open to ages 5 and up accompanied by an adult. Please sign up at Guest Services or online here. For more information, visit stophungernow.org.
Egg-cited to get involved? We need many volunteers at our March 19 Easter Egg Hunt to make it a fun experience for all our families and visitors! Sign up at Guest Services on Sunday or online here. We also need lots of small individually wrapped candy for filling the eggs (we've got plenty of eggs.) Bring candy donations to the barrel by the KiDSCOR desk through March 13.
Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, March 19, 10 am. We’ll start this event by hunting some eggs, then gather to play games, pet cute animals and visit with the Easter bunny! Invite your friends and family for this community event!
Men’s Spiritual Retreat: “Home!” – Friday, April 1, 6:30-9 pm and Saturday, April 2, 8:30 am – noon, Leawood Student Center. Look at the parable of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of the three characters: The Rebellious Son, The Older Self-Righteous Son and The Waiting Father. Two-day retreat features pastors Jeff Kirby and Glen Shoup and Director of Discipleship, Chris Folmsbee. Dinner and Breakfast included. Suggested donation of $30. Register online.
Choosing Gratitude Thursdays, April 7-May 26 (no class on April 28), 6:30-8 pm. Ladies, join Bible study leader and Christian motivational speaker, Patricia Sanders-Hall, in a course structured as a follow-up to Resurrection’s 2016 Inspired for Life Women’s Conference with the theme of “Gratitude.” Whether you attended the conference or not, this study will explore practical tips, stories and scripture, which teach us how to practice gratitude as a life style so we can stay on the path to inner peace, hope and faith. Each class is designed to be self-contained, so missing a session will not cause you to fall behind. You can purchase Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book, Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy, for $15 at Guest Services (coming soon). Register here or at Guest Services on Sunday.
Sign Up for rezlife Mission Trips Students are invited to grow in faith by serving on a mission trip. Adult volunteers are encouraged to serve alongside students. Upcoming trips include (grades based on fall 2016:
• March 10–14, St. Louis, 9th-12th grades
• June 6–10, Omaha, 8th grade
• June 12–18, Dallas, 9th-12th grades
• July 9–14, Chicago, 9th-12th grades
• July 9–17, Jamaica, 10th-12th grades
• July 20–24, Surge KC, 7th/8th grades
• July 24–31, Honduras, 10th-12th grades
Students can also travel on our adult Global Impact serve teams with a parent or guardian. Age restrictions vary by country. Click here for upcoming trips.
Holy Land Tour - November 14-23, 2016. Have you seen any of the amazing pictures coming from the recent Holy Land trip? I've talked with several that have spoken of the powerful experience of walking where Jesus walked. Pastor Penny and Bill are excited to journey on the Church of the Resurrection's next Holy Land Tour with our campus. We hope every member of our church will one day experience where Jesus has walked. This is an opportunity to grow in faith and bring Scripture to life like never before. We will be joining with members of our West campus and Pastor Jason Gant as we journey together. Information is available at the Guest Services desk or online here.
Abundant Blessings,
Penny
Friday, February 26, 2016
Greetings Resurrection Blue Springs,
This past Sunday was an amazing experience in worship. The Holy Spirit was clearly moving as we listened to our children sing "This Little Light of Mine" and brought our commitment cards forward with the gifts for our Renovation project and lit candles expressing our prayers to let our light shine brighter for Christ. There were more than a few tears being wiped away as I looked out over the congregation after offering our gifts at the altar. My own heart was overflowing with joy to see the desire in our congregation to continue our mission reaching the non-religious and nominally religious as we work to build a deeply committed Christian community together.
With 56% of our membership returning commitment cards, we're off to a great start. I will be anxious to see the final total when we announce it on March 6th during worship. For those of you who have not had a chance yet to turn in your cards, we will be collecting cards during the offering this Sunday and next before we make our announcement in worship. You can go online to review the remodeling plans and make a commitment at build.cor.org/bluesprings.
This Sunday Pastor Adam is back from his journey to Egypt and the Holy Land and will be continuing our church-wide study of the Gospel of John as we explore the “I Am” sayings. This will be a moving and inspiring sermon as we gather together to sing, pray, and be sent out as Christ's disciples! If you haven’t started to read the gospel of John this lenten season, it's not too late. Download the daily GPS (grow, pray, and study) guide each day at cor.org/gps to guide you through it or join one of our study groups on Sunday evening's at 6 pm or for men, Tuesday's at 6:30 as we continue to prepare our hearts and minds for Easter when we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus. We encourage you to participate in prayer, scripture reading and study during this time to focus your attention on growing closer to Christ.
Please continue offering prayers for our church as we finish our commitments to the Renovation project these next two weekends: Lord, grant us the vision for a future that enables us to be a light to our community and a beacon that guides to You. We trust You with all things. Amen.
We’ve got some great mission and ministry coming up.
More Volunteers Needed in KiDSCOR to help with all ages and areas of children’s programming, contact diane.enlow@cor.org.
Lenten Study of John – Open to everyone Sunday nights at 6 pm or Men's GroupTuesdays at 6:30 pm. Join a study of the Gospel of John during Lent using Pastor Adam Hamilton’s book, John, the Gospel of Light and Life. Contact Mike.Ash@cor.org for more information.
Serve those affected by unexpected disasters on Resurrection's Early Response Team. Information and training offered Saturday, Feb. 27, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, Leawood Campus. Register online.
Stop Hunger Now Food Packaging Event – Help package 10,152 meals of dried food that will be sent overseas to those who desperately need it for school feeding programs. We’ll gather at Resurrection Blue Springs in the Sanctuary on Saturday, March 12, 9-11 am in our Sanctuary; arrive at 8:45 am for coffee and donuts. We need 10 people to help with set-up at 8 am, and at least 50 people to package food. This event is a great opportunity for families to serve and is open to ages 5 and up accompanied by an adult. Please sign up at Guest Services or online here. For more information, visit stophungernow.org.
Egg-cited to get involved? We need many volunteers at our March 19 Easter Egg Hunt to make it a fun experience for all our families and visitors! Sign up at Guest Services on Sunday or contact diane.enlow@cor.org. We also need lots of small individually wrapped candy for filling the eggs (we've got plenty of eggs.) Bring candy donations to the barrel by the KiDSCOR desk through March 13.
Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, March 19, 10 am. We’ll start this event by hunting some eggs, then gather to play games, pet cute animals and visit with the Easter bunny! Invite your friends and family for this community event!
Men’s Spiritual Retreat: “Home!” – Friday, April 1, 6:30-9 pm and Saturday, April 2, 8:30 am – noon, Leawood Student Center. Look at the parable of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of the three characters: The Rebellious Son, The Older Self-Righteous Son and The Waiting Father. Two-day retreat features pastors Jeff Kirby and Glen Shoup and Director of Discipleship, Chris Folmsbee. Dinner and Breakfast included. Suggested donation of $30. Register online.
Sign Up for rezlife Mission Trips Students are invited to grow in faith by serving on a mission trip. Adult volunteers are encouraged to serve alongside students. Upcoming trips include (grades based on fall 2016:
• March 10–14, St. Louis, 9th-12th grades
• June 6–10, Omaha, 8th grade
• June 12–18, Dallas, 9th-12th grades
• July 9–14, Chicago, 9th-12th grades
• July 9–17, Jamaica, 10th-12th grades
• July 20–24, Surge KC, 7th/8th grades
• July 24–31, Honduras, 10th-12th grades
Students can also travel on our adult Global Impact serve teams with a parent or guardian. Age restrictions vary by country. Click here for upcoming trips.
Holy Land Tour - November 14-23, 2016. Have you seen any of the amazing pictures coming from the recent Holy Land trip? I've talked with several that have spoken of the powerful experience of walking where Jesus walked. Pastor Penny and Bill are excited to journey on the Church of the Resurrection's next Holy Land Tour with our campus. We hope every member of our church will one day experience where Jesus has walked. This is an opportunity to grow in faith and bring Scripture to life like never before. We will be joining with members of our West campus and Pastor Jason Gant as we journey together. Information is available at the Guest Services desk or online here.
Abundant Blessings,
Penny
For our Resurrection Blue Springs Campus Calendar: click here
Contact Our Staff
Church Office Phone: (816) 389-8900
Rev. Penny Ellwood, Campus Pastor penny.ellwood@cor.org
Mike Ash, Worship Leader/Director of Community mike.ash@cor.org
Diane Enlow, Director of Children's Ministry diane.enlow@cor.org
Riley Ledford, Technical Producer riley.ledford@cor.org
Heather Sooley, Operations Coordinating Assistant heather.sooley@cor.org
Stephanie Weigel, Guest Services Coordinating Assistant stephanie.weigel@cor.org
Caitlin Willis, Nursery Coordinator caitlin.willis@cor.org
Lori Wolverton, Nursery Staff lori.wolverton@cor.org
Resurrection Blue Springs
601 NE Jefferson Street
Blue Springs, Missouri 64014, United States
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