September 14, 2007
Dear Resurrection Family,
I just finished assisting pastor Prudy in the memorial service for Rod Cooper. Rod was 53 and a remarkable man. He had been fighting a battle with cancer. Mary, his wife, told me that their last "date" together was to Sunday evening worship and then out for supper. When I saw him in the hospital several weeks ago - a visit on which I hoped to encourage him, I found that it was he who encouraged me. I was surprised by his confidence and trust in God. He hoped to be healed. But he also trusted that no matter what happened, he belonged to Christ. I was reminded today of the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica after some of the believers there had lost loved ones. He said, "Brothers and sisters we don't want you to be ignorant about those who have died, or to grieve like the rest of humankind who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have died in him, upon his return." It is important for us to grieve, but because of our faith in Christ, we grieve as people who still have hope.
In my email today I'd like to share with you some things you may not know, or may have missed hearing about and to tell you what's coming up this weekend. Here's what I'll cover today:
1. Neil Sedaka and the Kansas City Symphony in our Sanctuary Tonight
2. Attention Men: Join Me for Breakfast Tomorrow Morning
3. 1.2 Million Children "Sold" Last Year - Justice Brunch Saturday Morning, 10 am
4. Pics of the Presentation of the Fire truck in Greensburg
5. This Weekend: Final Voyage Sermon - Three Keys to a "Great Voyage"
6. Stick Around for Bratwursts After Worship this Weekend!
7. Results of REVEAL Survey are Revealing
8. Attention Visitors: Join the Church This Weekend
1. Neil Sedaka and the Kansas City Symphony in our Sanctuary Tonight
Tonight the Kansas City Symphony kicks off their second season in which they've held their Pops Series in our Sanctuary. This is our church's opportunity to bless the arts community, our neighbors and to enjoy great music right here. To see if there are still tickets available, call (816) 471-0400.
2. Attention Men: Join Me for Breakfast Tomorrow Morning
Tomorrow morning I'll be speaking at our United Methodist Men's breakfast. I will be speaking about three key principles of leadership that apply in business and church. (The men collect a donation to cover breakfast and to help with their missions projects). We'll meet in the second floor of the children's Sunday School wing. Breakfast starts at 8 am. Confirm your attendance by email or call 913-544-0299.
3. 1.2 Million Children "Sold" Last Year - Justice Brunch Saturday Morning, 10 am
Our young adults are sponsoring a brunch tomorrow morning at 10 am to invite persons to consider ways that they can be involved in working for justice for children both around the world, and here in Kansas City. Rob Morris will be speaking. He is the co-founder of Justice for Children International - an organization which works to abolish human trafficking - modern day slavery. Last year, human slavery/trafficking was a $32 billion business around the world. UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children are "sold" each year - primarily for sexual exploitation. Chris Jehle with the Hope Center here in Kansas City will also be speaking. The Hope Center is focused on helping raise up Christian leaders out of inner city kids in the most dangerous neighborhoods in our city. If you're looking to make a difference, here's your chance. Email Janelle Baker with questions.
4. Pics of the Presentation of the Fire truck in Greensburg
On Monday LaVon and I and Leawood city councilman Gary Bussing were flown by Dave Webb, one of our attendees, to Greensburg, Kansas, to present the Mayor and the fire department of Greensburg with the title to the fire truck you donated to them. We gathered around the truck and prayed for it, for the people of Greensburg, and for the fire crew. I shared with them that this truck was a sign of your concern and love for them, and of God's love for them. We placed a dedication plaque on the side of the fire truck, and the firemen took us for a ride in the truck through the streets of Greensburg. 95% of all the homes were destroyed in Greensburg. It was astounding to drive past block after block of nothing but holes in the ground where houses once were. Most people are living in FEMA trailers there. After the tour we were joined at the makeshift fire station by the captain and leaders of the Leawood Fire Department who have given terrific support and training to the fire crew in Greensburg. They cooked out hamburgers for everyone. Click on the link below to see a few photos we took on that chilly and rainy day. One of the photos you'll see is of a church bell - look carefully at it - that is all that is left of the United Methodist Church of Greensburg. [Greensburg Photos]
5. This Weekend: Final Voyage Sermon - Three Keys to a "Great Voyage"
This weekend we'll end the Voyage sermon series by looking at three keys to experiencing the kind of life God intends for each of us. We'll look at specifics on how we grow in our relationship with Christ, and we'll look at discovering our life purpose. We also have a small gift for each worshiper to help you remember these keys. We're also blessed to have our Matthew's Ministry assisting in services this weekend. I'm so proud of our ministry to children and adults with special needs. We have 64 special needs children and adults who participate in this remarkable ministry. This will be an awesome weekend of worship.
6. Stick Around for Bratwursts After Worship this Weekend!
Our United Methodist Men will be serving Bratwurst and other delicious treats after each worship service in support of our Matthew's Ministry this weekend. Plan to stick around after worship and enjoy food and fellowship as you support our ministry to those with special needs.
7. Results of REVEAL Survey are Revealing
Some time ago we invited you to participate in an online survey about your spiritual life. The survey was a part of a project conducted by Willow Creek Church in Chicago. A group of 24 of America's leading churches were asked to participate. A total of 16,000 people took the survey, and the results were analyzed by the largest market research firm in the world. We just received the results this last week. We had 448 people participate in the survey. I'll be sharing a few of the results with you this weekend in worship. Overall they were quite positive, but they also pointed out some areas we need to work on. Whether you participated in the survey or not, I think you'll find the data revealing!
8. Attention Visitors: Join the Church This Weekend
If you have been a visitor to our church and thinking about joining, this weekend is your next opportunity. On Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the Wesley Chapel we'll hold our Coffee with the Pastors. I'll share with you what's involved in joining the church, and a bit of information about who we are and where we're going as a church. You'll get to hear about our programs and ministries. At the end, if you wish to join, we have a very moving 15-minute joining service.
This week our leaders spent time involved in our annual Strategic Planning process. Over the last month we had each of our ministry divisions complete an analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to their ministry (a SWOT analysis). We then summarized those findings and looked at other data about our church, as well as the results of the Reveal Study I mentioned above. All of this became a part of the information our Church Council used to develop a preliminary list of possible strategic objectives for 2008. These were taken back to the director staff for their feedback. The Church Council will meet this week to prayerfully select three or four of these for church-wide emphasis in the coming year. This process is bathed in prayer, and our desire is that the Holy Spirit guides us so that together we might lead the church where God wishes it to go in the next year. Our goal is to continually be open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit as we look at how to help our church, and each of our members, to become all that God wishes us to be in the years ahead. I thought you might enjoy knowing a bit of how our strategic planning process works here at the church.
I hope to see you this weekend in worship!
In Christ's Love,
Adam