January 5, 2007
Dear Resurrection Family,
Happy New Year! My intention was to use this week's Pastor's E-mail to summarize some of what God did through our church in 2006 - I'm going to wait to do that next week as I'm a bit behind this week. Look for the summary next week - I think you'll be blessed to see the list of accomplishments - I was amazed as I began to collect these from our staff. Looking back excites me as I look ahead to the coming year here at Resurrection. It is going to be a great year!
Here's what I'll cover briefly in today's e-mail:
1. Thank You to All Who Volunteered Christmas Eve: 22,477 in Attendance!
2. New Sermon Series Kicks Off This Weekend: Conversations with an Atheist
3. Worship Changes During This Sermon Series
4. Metropolitan Opera and Resurrection West
1. Thank You to All Who Volunteered Christmas Eve: 22,477 in Attendance!
I want to thank all of you who volunteered on December 23 and 24 - in the nursery, Narthex, the Spring and Well, in the parking lots, setting up the building, singing, playing, greeting, serving communion, preparing maps for our muggers, delivering mugs, lighting candles, ushering, praying in the prayer chapel and so much more. Last year we had 18,185 in attendance on Christmas Eve - this was a record attendance - we were up over 4,000 this year with 22,477 total attendance - which included 600 from Resurrection West and 21,877 at our central campus. I had anticipated that we might hit 19,000. We had 20,000 bulletins printed, "just in case" but none of us expected over 22,000 between the two campuses. I particularly want to thank each of you who invited friends, and those of you who attended one of the lesser attended services to make room for others at the peak services. What amazes me each year is how the numbers are spread out among the various services. This strikes me as something supernatural - like Jesus' multiplication of the fish and the loaves - to have 21,000 + people attend at our central campus, with a Sanctuary that seats 3,000 people, and to have no one turned away at any service - strikes me as a "God thing." My hope and prayer is that many who do not have a church home will return this weekend for our new sermon series.
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2. New Sermon Series Kicks Off This Weekend: Conversations with an Atheist
This weekend we begin a new sermons series entitled, "Conversations with an Atheist on the Existence of God." We'll start the series by looking at the questions posed by scientists about the existence of God and the value of religion. Here's a quote from physicist Steven Weinberg, "The world needs to wake-up from its long nightmare of religious belief." He went on to say, "Anything we scientists can do to weaken the hold of religion should be done." Each weekend we'll consider some of the arguments put forward against religion - this weekend we'll focus on whether scientific knowledge eliminates our need for God, and questions we've all asked, since our childhood, like, "Who made God?" "What is God made of?" and "Why can't we see God?" while also offering what I hope will be a thoughtful response to the questions scientists ask. Invite a friend to join us! You can send a friend an e-invite to this series by clicking on this link and following the directions.
3. Worship Changes During This Sermon Series
During this sermon series we will be changing worship up a bit. We believe we could have a significant number of truly unchurched people joining us for this sermon series. Because we think many of them will be coming primarily for the message, we have moved it up earlier in the service - don't arrive late to worship if you want to hear the entire sermon. We'll have more singing and worship following the sermon, with a bit of explanation and tie in back to the message. It may feel a bit strange at first, and we'll re-evaluate after this weekend - but I want you to know that our reason for this is strictly looking at how we can best welcome persons who are not use to going to church. We'll return to our regular format, with singing before rather than after the sermon, following this series. This weekend we'll also offer communion in the Wesley and Firestone Chapels following the service, but not within the worship service. We will end the sermon series in six weeks with communion during the worship service as an opportunity for persons to dedicate their lives to Christ. We're excited and praying that there will be a number of people who don't normally attend church choosing to worship with us as we consider the kinds of questions that may be keeping them from faith.
4. Metropolitan Opera and Resurrection West
This morning I was listening to a story on NPR about the Metropolitan Opera in New York sending a satellite feed to movie theatres across the country so that people, even here in Kansas City, can attend the Met Opera. The one theatre this took place at here in Kansas City recently was sold out. I was immediately reminded of how our world is changing, and why I am grateful and proud of our folks at Resurrection West who are pioneering this new church start. Excellent worship takes place every weekend at Resurrection West - with wonderful people and fellowship - it is a lot like Resurrection was thirteen years ago when we were meeting in a school. Everything is live there at two services, along with children's programming - except the sermon, which, like the Metropolitan Opera - comes on video screen. If you live in Western Johnson County I hope you'll consider visiting Resurrection West. Services are at 9:10 and 10:50 on Sundays - they meet at Prairie Trail Junior High at 107 th and Lone Elm - just north of College Boulevard between Woodland Road and K-7.
I look forward to seeing you this weekend in worship!
Adam Hamilton