Weekly eNote from Pastor Scott Chrostek for Friday, November 11, 2016 from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Downtown of Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Weekly eNote from Pastor Scott Chrostek for Friday, November 11, 2016 from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Downtown  of Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Greetings RezDowntowners,
I hope this message finds you doing well. As I write this morning’s note I am preparing for an offsite wedding for a long-time member of the church. One of my favorite things in ministry is being able to be present for people in some of the most important moments of their lives and weddings are at the top of the list. At weddings, I often find myself remembering the power of God’s love to make perfect sense out of something that almost always begins in non-sensical ways. Typically, when one first meets another, rarely would their imaginations take them to a day in the future when they would be standing side by side professing a forever love before God and a whole community of friends and family, and yet this is how it works. I was camping out for basketball tickets in Durham, NC when I first met Wendy, and I can assure you that I never imagined that she would be my wife one day, or even that we would move to Kansas City in ministry or have Freddy in our lives…and yet here we are. I believe this is God’s doing.
God’s love connects the disconnected and it makes sense out of non-sensical beginnings. God has a way of bringing people together overcoming all sorts of obstacles. I’ve been thinking about this love all morning, and I realized that this love works not just through marriage but entire communities, cities and countries as well. Somehow God’s love leads us through all of these relationships, no matter how far apart we may feel or how unlikely it may seem. Our God is the God who is able to bring forth life from death, light from darkness, and hope from despair. Since Tuesday, I have been reading lots of posts on the election results. Some posts have been filled with pain and fear, some have been celebratory, while others still seek to point us toward a pathway forward. As I have read all of these posts and prayed for our church, city and nation, I have found myself simply praying, God lead us forward, like you always do, with your amazing love. Help us to make sense out of this divide by giving us the courage to meet, befriend and love the other, and connect our disconnectedness in a bold way that leads us all to a surprising picture of the future filled with hope you promised. My hope is that you’ll join me in that prayer, by placing your hope in God’s amazing love and seeking to love and live in the same way.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll join us in worship this weekend as we continue our sermon series on 21 Questions in 21 Days. Pastor Adam will be preaching a message focusing on Jesus, the Spiritual Life and how (in light of the recent elections) these Wesleyan questions lead us to a renewed understanding of what it takes to make America great again. I’m looking forward to this weekend in worship and I hope you’ll invite friends to join us at each of our worship services.
In the meantime, here are a variety of ways to get connected to the life of this church in the coming weeks.
Women’s Breakfast Series This Saturday! – Join us on November 12 at 9 am at 1522 McGee as we gather for a time of fun, food and fellowship. We will hear from Jessica Baron, Executive Director of Lazarus Ministries, as she shares about this organization that provides for the unmet needs of Kansas City’s urban core. Bring a breakfast dish to share, or just come and join us – we always have plenty to eat! For more information, visit cor.org/downtown/womensbreakfast or contact Pam at pamelacurry@me.com or Bobbie at bobbielcrew@outlook.com.
RezDT 20/30 - Coffee and Conversation - This Saturday, Nov 12th – 4:45-5:15pm 1522 McGee
Join 20/30 for Coffee and Conversation. Come to the McGee building before service and meet other caffeine loving 20/30s. Email Audrey Thrasher at audreythrasher31@gmail.com with any questions!
MATTHEW’S MINISTRY: FAMILY DAY OUT DOWNTOWN! Join us November 13, at 1:00pm as Individuals of all ages with special needs and their siblings enjoy a fun-filled day of crafts, activities and fellowship while parents and caregivers take an afternoon for themselves. Parents/caregivers are welcome, but not required, to stay the first half hour or the full time to help loved ones get acclimated and comfortable with the environment. This is an open event to the community. You do not need to be a member of the church to participate. Registration Deadline is Wednesday, November 9. For more information, to volunteer or to register, contact Hannah.Murray@cor.org.
SWAT Brunch: SWAT (Singles With A Twist) will be meeting for brunch on November 13 at 12:30pm at Brown and Loe in the River Market (429 Walnut St, Kansas City, MO 64106). Please RSVP on the SWAT Group Facebook page, or if you do not have Facebook access please jmburca@aol.com or call James Burcalow at 913-775-2168.
New Caregiving Group! Please join us on Tuesday, Nov 15 at 6:30pm in the 1522 McGee coffee shop, for the kick-off of our new community group of caregivers. We will meet each 2nd Tuesday of each month. This is a group of people coming together to pray and create a network of folks in the same boat. This group is open to anyone, whether you attend Resurrection or not, who is caring for a family member or friend and needs a support system. If you have any questions please contact Kris Drummond kdrummond6@gmail.com
The JOY In Serving Season is upon us: Healing House Thanksgiving and many opportunities are available through the holidays to be in mission with our community. Register for these at http://cor.org/downtown/joy. One of many opportunities to serve this Holiday season is at the Healing House Thanksgiving Dinner. Please consider donating perishable and non-perishable items to provide a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with our partners at the Healing House. Volunteers on Thanksgiving Day also needed, plan to eat if you can! There will be opportunities to sign up in the connection point this weekend or online after Sunday.
Wednesday Morning Men: Caffeine & Community! On Wednesday mornings, 6:45am, men gather at 1508 Grand to drink coffee or tea and take part in a study. Right now they are studying the The Latte Christian. All men are welcome, just show up … you will be on your way to work by 8am. Invite friends! So before you hit the office join us for an hour at 1508 Grand, 6:45 a.m. This will be a great way to start your day and is a good opportunity to connect with other guys. For questions, email rdtmensministry@rezdowntown.org Please let us know you are coming by registering at cor.org/downtown/mensgroup
Remember your 2017 Commitments As we continue to dive deeper into the fall, I want to remind you in the event that you weren’t able to be in worship last few weekends, we want to remind you to remember to turn in your commitment cards this weekend in worship. This year we’re inviting everyone to step up in their commitments in giving, growing, worshiping, serving and sharing. Returning a commitment card is not primarily about the church, but it’s an expression of our faith in and gratitude to God. It is an act of worship of God and a means of living out the Good Life. This weekend we’ll have commitment cards available in the attendance folders or you can simply give online by clicking here (be sure to select 'Resurrection Downtown').
Welcome to our New Members at Resurrection: Rosemary Arroyo, Steven Berardi, Ali Boehler, Dennis Graf, Steven Jackman, Mary Kimball, Ryan and Liz Lincoln, Jennifer Lindsay, Tara Ramsey and Lindsey and Dustin Walton.
RezDT Staff Team Opening: Office Coordinator & Asst. to the Campus Pastor. (30hrs., non-exempt, benefits eligible)
Primary responsibilities include:
Being a primary presence at the building entrance during weekday office hours.
Providing campus with administrative support including maintaining calendars, data entry, communications, and preparing accounting forms.
Assisting Campus Pastor with daily calendar and appointment schedule.
Main qualifications:
Demonstrates a passion for welcoming guests and providing top-notch hospitality.
Exceptional interpersonal skills, with proven track record of developing quality relationships; a recognized aptitude for interpersonal engagement, structured dialogue, and diplomacy.
Highly capable of learning and using functionality in the Microsoft Office Suite.
Flexible, dedicated, dependable, team builder, and highly motivated.
For more information on this postion or to apply click here
-------
It is such a privilege to be a part of this community...Have a great Friday in KC and I'll look forward to another amazing weekend of ministry with so much going on as we take a look at diving deeper into our faith! See you this weekend and I can't wait to talk about changing the world with you by the grace of God!
Blessings,
Scott@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 Boulevard

Kansas City, Missouri 64108, United States
-------