We believe the church belongs to God and that the church is, in the words of the Apostle Paul, the body of Christ. The church is to be the physical presence of Christ in the world. As such, our primary aim is to do God’s will.  We believe God has called the Church of the Resurrection to the following: (Click Below To Learn More)

1. Our Beliefs

   At The Church of the Resurrection, we are Christians who are excited to be part of the United Methodist Church. 

   What is a United Methodist?

   United Methodists are the second largest Protestant denomination in America. We are the home to both President Bush and Senator Dole, as well as President Clinton’s family when he was in the White House. Methodists have played a significant role in shaping our nation, and especially the Kansas City area. The Shawnee Mission was started by Methodists. Johnson County is named after Methodist pastor Thomas Johnson. Several of the first public schools in Kansas City were started by Methodists. Della Lamb, reStart, Spofford Home, Kingswood Manor and a host of other community agencies and ministries were started by Methodists. Baker University is one of several colleges and universities in the area founded by Methodists. 

   United Methodists hold to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith. We are evangelical, but moderates rather than fundamentalists. We value the intellect and modern science, while at the same time looking to the Bible as the authoritative guide for faith and practice. Methodists have a passionate faith with strong convictions, but we also recognize that the world is not always black and white. We are willing to ask questions, to wrestle with difficult issues, and to do so with grace and compassion. 

   Methodists have been known for our emphasis on a personal faith, lived out in concrete ways in the world. We have historically valued well-informed and passionate preaching, worship that was lively, and small groups where people could grow in faith.

   Methodists have open hearts, and open minds--and welcome anyone interested in learning more about the Christian faith.

   If you would like to know more about what it means to follow Christ, please call 913-897-0120 and ask to speak to one of our pastors or e-mail us.

2. Our Purpose

   To build a Christian community where non-religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians.

3. Our Vision

   Changing lives, transforming the community and renewing the mainline church.

4. Our Journey

   Knowing, loving and serving God.

5. Our Strategies

   The following five broad areas of ministry constitute the primary means of accomplishing our purpose and vision. They are the historic elements of the church’s mission: Worship, Evangelism, Service, Discipleship and Fellowship.

   Our first aim is to glorify God in worship; our second is to introduce people to Jesus Christ through evangelism; our third is to help persons of all ages to become deeply committed Christians through ministries of discipleship; our fourth is to build caring relationships and foster mutual ministry among the church family through authentic Christian fellowship; and finally, we aim to train, equip, inspire and mobilize members to live out their faith as salt and light outside the walls of the church through ministries of service.

6. Our Values

   It is our desire to honor God through our work on His behalf. To that end, we will do His work with the qualities we most value: integrity, grace, excellence, relevance, authenticity, passion, humility, faith, inclusivity, commitment, joy and love.

7. Our Limitations

   We recognize that certain actions could impede our ability to achieve God's purpose and vision for this church. We therefore resolve and state that the Church of the Resurrection shall not: pursue ministry which is contrary to its purpose; fail to seek to be good stewards of its financial and non-financial resources; do anything in opposition to the spirit and intent of the United Methodist Book of Discipline; stray from biblical principles and scriptures; stop discerning God's vision for Church of the Resurrection.

8. Our Story

   The Church of the Resurrection began in 1990 with four people and a dream. Our dream was to launch a church that would reach thinking people who were not actively involved in a church and help them to see how the Bible and the Christian faith could change their lives, and how they in turn could change the world. From the beginning when we worshipped in the chapel of a funeral home, we believed that if this new congregation was developed with excellence, authenticity and relevance, people would be drawn to it.

   Today, Resurrection is indeed one of America’s fastest-growing churches and one of the largest churches in the Methodist denomination. More than 15,000 people worship, study and serve at Resurrection’s campuses – Central Campus in Leawood, Kansas and Resurrection West in Western Johnson County. This year, Resurrection Downtown and Resurrection Live, our Internet campus, became our third and fourth campuses. From the funeral chapel to an Internet campus, much has changed, but our vision has never waivered. We are committed to changing lives, transforming our community and renewing the mainline church.

   Check out just a few of the highlights from our 18-year history!

   • On October 7, 1990, approximately 100 people attend Resurrection’s first worship service in the McGilley Funeral Home. The night before, they prayed for “those to come.”
   • By 1992, worship attendance has grown to more than 230 each Sunday, and the church begins meeting in the gymnasium of Leawood Elementary School.
   • In June of 1992, 16 members go on the first Resurrection sponsored mission trip to Brownsville, Texas. In January of 1997, 26 members participate in Resurrection’s first international mission trip to help construct the Oberlin High School in Jamaica.   Since then, hundreds of people have participated in mission trips to Russia, Ukraine, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Africa, and a variety of locations within the United States including the Gulf Coast, Navajo Nation and Greensburg, KS.
   • The Joyner family visits Resurrection in 1993, and in response to Mathew’s special needs, Matthew’s Ministry is formed to minister to developmentally disabled children and their families. Today, more than 64 families with special needs children or adults continue to experience a church that welcomes and extends the love and message of Jesus Christ to all persons.
   • Following the “Lift High the Cross” campaign to build a permanent church home, construction of a Sanctuary is completed in the fall of 1994. More than 1,700 people attended the inaugural Christmas Eve services in the “new Sanctuary,” which today is our Wesley Covenant Chapel.
   • In 1992, the first Disciple Bible Study class launches, and since then, the Disciple program has become one of Resurrection’s primary tools for helping people become deeply committed Christians, with more than 5,000 participants in Disciple I alone. Alpha, an introduction to the Christian faith, is added in 1999 to encourage people to take the first step on their spiritual journey.
   • In 1996, Discovery Ark Children’s Day Out opens with two classes. Today, 187 preschool children in 9 classes learn and grow in a warm loving, Christian atmosphere.
   • A new education wing is completed in 1997 and children’s Sunday School attendance doubles. This year KiDS COR programs will share the love of Jesus Christ with more than 1,500 children each week.
   • From the beginning, Resurrection members have committed their time and resources to transforming our community. In 1996, the Missions team organizes the first “SOUPer Bowl” Sunday to collect canned soup for a local food pantry. This ministry grows to three food drives a year, and collects more than 150,000 pounds of food annually to feed the hungry in our community.
   • Another “new” Sanctuary, seating 1700, is completed in time for Christmas Eve of 1998, and 8,400 people attend one of six services. Today, this space is our Student Center, which opened in 2006, and is home to a student ministry that is reaching more than 1,000 teenagers each week.
   • More than 1,300 church leaders from across the country attend our first Leadership Institute in 1999. Committed to helping renew the mainline church, Resurrection staff and volunteers continue to share ministry experiences through the Leadership Institute and other conferences and speaking opportunities.
   • To accommodate growing worship attendance in 2002, Resurrection begins holding six services each week, including one on Sunday mornings at the Ritz Charles, an offsite conference facility. A seventh service is added in 2003, and then in March of 2004 we open the doors to a new 3,050-seat Sanctuary, educational wing and prayer chapel. That year, more than 18,000 people participate in Christmas Eve services.
   • Recognizing the importance of connecting and supporting one another as we grow in faith, Resurrection launches home-based small groups in 2003. Today, new groups are forming each week, as our congregation embraces the knowledge that our journey of knowing, loving and serving God is not meant to be traveled alone.
   • In July 2006, Resurrection hosts the first Summer Fest, a full day of fun activities and entertainment for our community. At the second annual Summer Fest, we help our community reach out to a neighboring city, Greensburg, Kansas, that has been destroyed by a tornado. We raise $76,000, more than enough to purchase a new fire truck for Greensburg.
   • A second campus, Resurrection West, is launched in western Johnson County in 2006, and more than 600 people are worshipping regularly at Prairie Trail Junior High in Olathe.
   • In 2007, more than 18,500 persons participate in 28 Easter service in 20 locations, including 16 area nursing homes and Grand Avenue Temple.
   • On Labor Day Weekend, 2007, Resurrection joins with St. James United Methodist Church for CommUnity Sunday--worship and fellowship at Starlight Theatre. We celebrate the Body of Christ and the diversity of the Kingdom of God and publicly demonstrating that our congregations are committed to following the example of Christ—loving one another and transforming our community.
   • In the Fall of 2008 we launched our Vibe Service – an edgy, casual and contemporary service for young adults, teens and their families—meeting in out Student Center on Sunday mornings.  We also made a renewed commitment to The Journey: Knowing, Loving and Serving God. Learning Communities, Community Life and Group Life are all part of a process for growth, connection and support as we move toward becoming deeply committed Christians.
   • A highlight of 2008 was Candlelight Christmas Eve. In 16 services in four locations on December 23 and 24, more than 23,000 people celebrated the Savior’s birth. A special Mission offering resulted in $423,000 to be used for projects in inner city schools and Sub-Saharan Africa.
   • As 2009 unfolds, we are developing additional worship venues through our Internet campus and Resurrection Downtown, a partnership with Grand Avenue Temple in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.