July 19, 2007
Dear Resurrection Family,
I'm on my way to Seattle as I send this e-mail. But I couldn't leave town without sending you this e-mail with a couple of very exciting things to share with you.
1. You Bought a Firetruck!
2. This Weekend: Worship You Won't Want to Miss
3. Resurrection to Worship at Starlight on Labor Day Weekend
4. Thousands Join us for Second Annual Summer Fest!
1. You Bought a Firetruck!!!
YOU DID IT!!! YOU BOUGHT A FIRETRUCK FOR THE PEOPLE OF GREENSBURG, KANSAS, and then some! This last weekend we shared with you that the city of Greensburg, Kansas, had lost its emergency equipment in the tornado. The equipment was older and the insurance and government funds given to the city would not come close to purchasing the kind of equipment that would be needed to care for the city in the future. The City of Leawood had leased a firetruck to Greensburg for $1 for the next year, but at the end of that time Leawood would have to sell the truck. We invited you to purchase the truck for Greensburg. We needed to raise $50,000. I had hoped we would raise the funds this last weekend, but wasn't sure. If we did raise the funds needed, we noted that we would split any excess funds between Greensburg and the victims of recent flooding in Kansas. As of today you've given over $76,000 towards this effort!!! I can't tell you how proud I am of you and the many generous people who have mailed in contributions having seen or heard about this effort.
Next month I will travel to Greensburg to formally present the title to the firetruck to the mayor and fire chief in Greensburg. If you had been unable to contribute so far, but wish to do so, please know that 100% of the funds given will be passed on to the folks in Greensburg and the Kansas flood victims through the Kansas Disaster Relief Fund of the Kansas Area of the United Methodist Church.
2. This Weekend: Worship You Won't Want to Miss!
This weekend Pastor Rudy Rasmus will preach at Church of the Resurrection. Rudy is one of the most inspiring preacher's I know. His life story is an amazing testimony to what God can do in transforming and using an ordinary man to do extraordinary things. Prior to coming to faith in Christ, Rudy ran what he's described as a "no-tell, motel" that was home to prostitutes and drug addicts in inner-city Houston. After his conversion at Windsor Village United MethodistChurch, he was asked to pastor a dying church of nine people in Houston. Today that church has 9,000 members, one-third of whom are, or were formely, homeless. He is pastor to the famous and the infamous; his heart for the poor is known across the country, and he's recently been asked by Oprah to be a regular contributor to her magazine. He's bringing his praise band with him and you're going to "have church" this weekend! Invite a friend and prepare to be inspired and blessed.
3. Resurrection to Worship at Starlight on Labor Day Weekend
Mark your calendar and plan to be in town this year on Labor Day Sunday. Our congregation will have one giant worship service at Starlight, joining with St. James United Methodist Church pastored by Congressman and former Kansas City Mayor Emmanuel Cleaver. Rev. Cleaver and I will each preach half of the message, and the combined choirs, orchestras and praise bands of our two churches will provide the special music. Following worship Gates Barbecue will provide lunch and then we're encouraging our two churches to enjoy an afternoon at the Kansas City Zoo. Why are we doing this? Of course it will be a great day of inspiration, worship and fellowship, but we are also hoping to make a statement about unity within the body of Christ and the hope and dream that one day Kansas City will no longer be divided along racial lines as it currently is (as most of you know, we rank as the 13th most racially segregated city in America). Plan to be here on Labor Day for what will be an awesome day of worship!
4. Thousands Join us for Second Annual Summer Fest!
What a great weekend we had at Summer Fest! I'm told that approximately 8,000 people attended one or more events at this year's Summer Fest despite the heat and humidity. Our United Methodist Women earned approximately $13,000 for women's mission projects at the rummage sale. It was amazing. We had 130 cars in the car show (up from 87 last year). We had a great motorcycle ride. Wayside Waifs found homes for homeless pets, kids had a blast on the inflatables, pastors were dunked, artists showed their art, and the Leawood Fire Department helped us stay cool and wet while helping us raise money for a firetruck. Our food vendors (which included Sunday School classes and terrific area restaurants) raised money for a host of mission projects (all of the restaurants that participated gave some, and in some cases, all, of their proceeds to various mission projects through the church). The Beatle's Tribute Band, Liverpool was great, as was Proto-Kaw, and Mark Schultz was fabulous in the evening. We had a great crowd for outdoor worship. Worship attendance for the weekend was up 1,500 over last year's Summer Fest weekend (we've had a great summer so far and most weekend's we've been up more than 1,000 per weekend over last summer's attendance). I hope we can build upon this event each year, and that it might be both a blessing to the community, a lot of fun for you, and a great way of reaching out to our neighbors and welcoming them to our church.
Well, that's just a small fraction of what's happening around your church. I want to thank all of you who made Summer Fest such a great success last weekend. This required hundreds and hundreds of people giving their time to make this happen. I want to thank each of you who have given to help us bless the people of Greensburg with a new (for them) firetruck - a blessing that will continue for many years to come.
In Christ's Love,
Adam