October 6, 2006
Dear Resurrection Family,
Just a quick note today as we're in the midst of our annual Leadership Institute here at Church of the Resurrection. This is one of the most important things we do each year to encourage renewal within the mainline church. We have 1,600 pastors and church leaders here today. Florida requires all of their new clergy to attend our conference. I met one young man yesterday who told me, "I came here against my will - my conference made me come. After an hour and half, I am so charged up! I understand now why they make us attend. This has changed how I see ministry. I can't wait for the rest of the conference!"
The North Carolina Conference paid for an entire team of pastors to attend as well. From Chicago, the Northern Illinois Conference sent 65 Spanish speaking pastors to attend. We have nine pastors and the Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Russia and Ukraine here for the conference and a Pentecostal bishop from Russia as well. 80% of the attendees are United Methodist but we also have Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Lutherans, Episcopalians and others.
Here's what I see when I stand before these 1,600 pastors and leaders: I see the signs of renewal among the mainline church. God is using you, Church of the Resurrection, to be a part of this renewal. It is very exciting and your efforts and commitment to this work of renewing the mainline will bear fruit for decades to come.
Here's what I'll cover in today's e-mail:
1. Resurrection Award of Excellence Winners.
2. Brian McLaren to Speak Tonight - Resurrection Members Welcome to Attend.
3. Resurrection Turns 16 - We're Ready to Drive!
4. A Phone Call Brings Tears and Gratitude.
5. Resurrection Raises $130,000 for HIV/AIDS Projects in Africa.
1. Resurrection Award of Excellence Winners.
Two years ago we started presenting the Resurrection Awards of Excellence at our Leadership Institute to three churches, a small, medium, and large congregation, who have taken ideas from our past Institutes, and used them to successfully strengthen and revitalize their churches. We recognize the pastor and their team in front of the entire conference, provide a beautiful plaque, provide five free registrations to the Institute the following year when we invite the pastor to teach a workshop on how they have revitalized their church, and we provide a $1,000 award for the purchase of books or other supplies.
This morning we recognized this year's award winners. They included Bee Creek United Methodist Church in Spicer, Texas which has grown from 20 to over 200 in the last five years making use of many ideas from our congregation. Palmdale United Methodist Church in Palmdale, California, a 50 year old church, has grown from 100 to over 600 and has used ideas from our congregation to help them be a more effective congregation. And Lee's Summit United Methodist Church, a 139 year old church, which has grown from 670 to over 1,100 in worship over the last five years - during that time they have sent 46 of their leaders through our Institute. How exciting is that?! Congratulations to these three congregations.
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2. Brian McLaren to Speak Tonight - Resurrection Members Welcome to Attend
This evening Brian McLaren will address the participants at the Leadership Institute. Time magazine recently listed Brian as one of the 25 most influential Christians in America. He has written books including, A Generous Orthodoxy, A New Kind of Christian, and The Secret Message of Jesus. I've asked Brian to speak on the future of Christianity - particularly helping us understand how movements like post-modernism and "emergent" Christianity are shaping the church today. This should be very interesting. Following his talk he'll be available for signing books. In addition to Brian's talk tonight, our choir and orchestra will perform, including a song that moved so many of you earlier this year - Man of Sorrows - with the footage from The Passion of the Christ. All of this is free to Resurrection members - it all begins at 6:45 tonight - a great and inspiring way to spend your Friday night.
3. Resurrection Turns 16 - We're Ready to Drive!
16 years ago this weekend Church of the Resurrection held its first worship service, with about 90 people from the community and 130 well wishers from other United Methodist Churches. I always correlate our church's development to the place in life of our youngest daughter, Rebecca. She was born the year we began the church. The defining moment of her year was being able to drive on her own. At 16, we as a church are not quite a mature congregation, but we're now able to drive. I am pleased that as we turned 16 we gave birth to a new satellite campus. We are also planning to give a heightened emphasis to concerns regarding poverty, and we may be on the verge of purchasing several hundred acres of land for future development as a camp and retreat center. Bishop Scott Jones, our Bishop, will preach this weekend. He is an excellent preacher, and he is our chief shepherd here in Kansas. He is an excellent leader and a Wesley Scholar, having been professor of Evangelism and Wesley Studies at Southern Methodist University before becoming Bishop. This is a special honor to have the Bishop preach and I know you'll want to hear from our bishop as we celebrate 16 years in ministry. I am excited as I think about where God is leading us, and the potential I see in this congregation. This coming year will be exhilarating!
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4. A Phone Call Brings Tears and Gratitude
Several months ago we collected a special offering for a five year old girl who was kidnapped and sexually abused by the two persons who had tortured and murdered two other women. I had felt God calling us to take a special offering to invest in a different future for this girl, and to offer her hope, by providing for a scholarship to help with her college expenses one day. You committed $22,000 to this effort which will be invested by our Foundation until she is ready for college. The girl's name had been withheld and, after repeated attempts to contact the family, I was finally able to get a letter to the girl's parents last week. This week I had the opportunity to speak with her father. I spoke to him on her sixth birthday. The family is still recovering from this trauma. As I told this man what you as a congregation had done and why, the father of the little girl began to cry. He couldn't believe what you had done. It, along with the love of neighbors and friends, are part of what has sustained and helped to bring healing and hope for this family. I was blessed to spend time with this man on the phone. Our conversation ended with our praying together over the phone, and his expressing, again and again, how humbled and grateful his family was for a congregation of Christians who would try to bring good from such evil. Thanks to all who helped make this happen.
5. Resurrection Raises $130,000 for HIV/AIDS Projects in Africa
Finally, in case you were not in worship this last weekend, I wanted you to know that as a congregation you contributed more than $79,000 to the United Methodist Church's Global AIDS Fund, which will be used for medical treatment of pregnant women with AIDS in Africa. This treatment will minimize the chance that they will pass on the disease to their unborn children. Your offering will treat 7,900 women. This is remarkable. In addition the Sacred Steps 5K Run had 700 runners and raised more than $50,000 which will go to support various AIDS projects with which we're involved in Africa. Through these efforts you are literally changing the world.
Okay, I've got to run! I spoke this morning to our 1,600 LI participants on the Case for Mainline Christianity. At this time there are 78 different workshops being led by our pastors, staff and lay people. The event ends tomorrow at noon. You would be proud of your staff, and particularly many of your fellow church members who have devoted, literally, thousands of hours to make this event happen.
In Christ's Love,
Adam Hamilton