Greetings RezDowntowners,
Christ is risen! Happy Easter! I wanted to thank you for making this year’s Easter Celebration at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts so special. It’s not often that we experience snow flurries on the Easter Sunday, but that didn’t seem to prevent anybody from coming out to celebrate. Between our two worship services we welcomed over 2000 people. During the break between services, I even had the privilege of greeting several first time visitors, each of who shared they would definitely be coming back again! The power of your invitation is amazing. Thank you for helping us build Christian community in the heart of this city by inviting your friends and family to join us on this journey! Thank you also to all of our amazing volunteers who served all Sunday long in order to make Easter so special!
It was also fun this Easter to be able to share the totals from our Transforming the Heart of the City campaign! Two months ago, as we embarked upon God’s call to continue building and growing in the heart of this city by building the first new church building in downtown Kansas City in over 80 years, we set a goal of raising $6,000,000 dollars. Easter Sunday I was able to share that we have received pledges totaling $6,401,962 dollars over the next three years. This is absolutely amazing! By your generosity we have surpassed our goal. For the last four weeks we have been saying that ‘grand vision requires grand sacrifice’ and by the grace of God you have far surpassed anything we could ask for or imagine! Because of your willingness to live, love and give sacrificially we are going to continue meeting people where they are so that the heart of the city might be transformed by the heart of God! Thank you to everyone who has participated in this historic moment in the life of our church. At the same time, if you haven’t had a chance to make a commitment or participate in this campaign, please know that there is still time! This weekend in worship, we’ll be receiving any remaining commitment cards during our time of offering, or you can simply fill out an online commitment card by clicking here. I don’t want anybody to miss out on this bold and historic moment in the life of our church and city!
Finally, I wanted to share one last exciting announcement impacting our downtown community. Starting June 1st we’ll be welcoming a new pastor to our staff team. Rev. Patrick McLaughlin will be joining our team as our new Community Pastor, largely responsible for leading our mission and outreach efforts along with our missions team and for working with Pastor Anne and our Congregational Care Ministers (CCM’s) managing the care concerns within our church community. Patrick and his wife Megan are joining us from Manhattan, KS where Patrick has been serving as an Associate Pastor. Here is a quick note of introduction from Patrick and Megan: Hello new church family! Megan and I are thrilled to begin a new chapter of our lives with you in Downtown Kansas City at the end of May! We have been married since November 2016 and look forward to the excitement and challenges that come with starting a new life together in a new city. We are both somewhat familiar with the KC landscape and though we aren't so sure about becoming Missourians, we feel comfortable so long as we are united under the Royals (and RezDowntown) banner! Scott, Anne, and the staff have already extended wonderful hospitality and have such great things to say about you. We look forward to meeting you in person and joining you in all the ways God is working through you. Feel free to email Patrick and Megan at pastorpatrick@fumcmanhattan.com to offer your greetings!
Thank you so much for being a part of this community, for volunteering, for serving, for giving, for loving, for simply doing the things that God does all so that others will come to see the light of Christ shining through you to the extent that we might together transform the heart of this city! Happy Easter!
Grace and Peace,
Scott
Twitter: @scottchrostek
Congregational Care and Support
If you need pastoral care, call 816-979-1330. (After hours emergencies: 816-875-0267.)
To submit a prayer request, contact Anne.Williams@rezdowntown.org
For more information, visit our website: cor.org/downtown
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Downtown
1508 Grand Avenue
Kansas City, Missouri 64108, United States
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