Pastor Adam's Weekly eNote

Dear Resurrection Family,

Today we're hosting the Willow Creek Leadership Summit at the church. Hundreds of area pastors, staff members and lay leaders, including many from our own church, are gathered in our Sanctuary for the live simulcast of the Summit being broadcast from Chicago.

Over the last month Saint Paul School of Theology has been moving into our adult education wing along Roe Avenue. They have installed new technology into some of our adult classrooms that allow professors to simulcast their courses to Saint Paul's Oklahoma City campus located at Oklahoma City University. This week the reference library was set up in the wing – we currently don't have room to house the 100,000 volumes of the Saint Paul library, so we're hosting just the reference library – commentaries and critical books for students. The rest of the library is being housed at Avila University. Here's a couple of pictures of the reference library now located in Room 222 of our East Building.  I'll have more information next week on how and when Resurrection members can use the library.

You are a part of creating a new model for theological education – patterned after the medical school/teaching hospital model. Students will be learning in the classrooms, but also learning from you – observing ministries and programs and interacting with our pastors, staff and lay leaders. The goal is that graduates of Saint Paul will be better prepared for leading healthy vital churches when they graduate. An important part of our vision at Resurrection is to play a part in renewing mainline churches. This partnership with Saint Paul will be an exciting part of that.

Beginning next semester the faculty of Saint Paul will also be offering courses designed for laity, for those who would like to go deeper in their faith.

Currently we're only able to offer seven or eight rooms for use by the seminary. In our 10,000 Reasons campaign we are hoping to build our permanent sanctuary, then convert the mezzanine of our current sanctuary into 24 classrooms, and the main body of our sanctuary into our fellowship hall and Vibe worship space, so that the seminary can have access to most of the current adult wing of the church. This will allow them to bring their full library to our campus and expand the number of classes offered at any given time. It is all very exciting. We'll have a weekend coming up where we'll officially welcome the seminary and pray for its students, faculty and staff.

This weekend is my last two days of sabbatical. I'll be back in the office on Tuesday of this coming week. Pastor Glen Shoup, our Executive Pastor of Worship and also one of our Congregational Care pastors, will preach this weekend at Leawood, and our campus pastors at each of our campuses. Prior to joining our team Glen was the senior pastor of one of the largest Nazarene churches here in Kansas City (Nazarenes and Methodists are close cousins, both tracing their beginnings to John Wesley). Those at the Leawood Campus will enjoy hearing Glen.

I am really excited to be back into the office, and look forward to being back in the pulpit next weekend.

Blessings!

Adam

Pastor Scott's Weekly enote:

"I’m writing you this Friday morning from my second day at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit (which is being held at our Leawood Campus).  It has been a great experience to listen to and learn from some of the world’s greatest leaders and speakers.  Yesterday we heard from Gen. Colin Powell, Bill Hybels, Patrick Lencioni, Bob Goff and Chris Brown (the preacher not the singer) and today’s line-up is even better.  I hope you’ll consider attending this event with me next year when it comes back to town.  It’s a great way to be filled and inspired as we think about all that’s coming in the life of our church and community." Read more here.

Monday's GPS Insight from Chris Holliday:

"Music has long played an essential role in my connection to God. Whether I’m feeling restless, depressed, happy, or blessed, I can almost always sense God’s presence through music. So when I need to stop, breath, gain perspective, and remember that God is the source of all life – the one who gave us breath and the one for whom we breathe – I listen to songs that open my heart and free my soul." Read more here .

Tuesday's GPS Insight from Rev. Anne Williams

"One day last week, I was driving down the freeway trying to figure out what the truck in front of me was doing. His left blinker was on so I slowed down a bit to let him merge into my lane. He didn't get over. I was stumped trying to figure out what this guy was doing. I know you've never had road rage, so I won't admit to it either. A few seconds later he merged into the right lane. Yes, the right lane. Not the left lane, to correspond with the left blinker that was still blinking. I stopped trying to understand." Read more here.

Wednesday's GPS Insight from Angela LaVallie

"In verse 7 from today’s passage, Jesus tells his disciples, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” This verse speaks to me in two ways." Read more here.

Thursday's GPS Insight from Janelle Gregory

"With closed eyes, my friend began to count “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…”, and the rest of us scattered. The church was the perfect place to play hide and seek, something we loved to do when I was in high school (yes, high school). My best friend and I stuck together, moving from spot to spot, looking for the best place to hide." Read more here.

Friday's GPS Insight from Darren Lippe

"Today’s passage is “referenced” in Rhett Oric’s new public speaking book, “How to be a Greater O-Rator in Eight-Or (less days).”  Here’s a snippet of my interview:" Read more here.