The start of a new school year can be expensive for families on a budget. The uncertainty of the new school year during the COVID-19 pandemic adds to the stress many families are facing. Students won't be able to share supplies, and teachers often wind up buying additional supplies out of their own pocket to ensure every student has what they need. Help set our Partner School students up for success with a donation to the School Supply & Uniform Drive.

Online Donations

Your online donation to our School Supply Drive will allow our Partner Schools Ministry to respond to supply needs as they arise throughout the year. Donations will go further as we are able to purchase and distribute supplies in bulk.

• $15 buys 8-12 boxes of tissues
• $20 buys two large bottles of hand sanitizer
• $40 provides ear buds for an entire classroom
• $100 provides 5 school uniform outfits of khaki pants and polo shirt

Make a donation online today

Donation Drop-Off

If you are able and willing to pick up an extra item or two while you are shopping or ordering online, here is a list of the ten most requested items from our partner schools:

• Hand sanitizer (Large bottle)
• Disinfectant wipes (Large container 2-4 pack)
• Dry erase markers (4 pack)
• Tissues (Large box, 3-pack)
• Washable markers (8 or 10 count, broadline, classic colors)
• Ziplock bags (quart and gallon size)
• Inexpensive earbuds or headphones
• Copy paper
• Composition notebooks (Wide-lined)
• Navy blue uniform shirt, short-sleeved, collared (sizes 5-14)

You can bring your donations to one of our drive-up and drop-off donation events. To donate, drive up the circle drive of Resurrection Leawood, Building A and a volunteer will take your donations out of your car.

To help protect our volunteers and donation recipients, please use proper hand-washing and sanitation techniques before you drop them off.

Upcoming Drop-Offs

• Monday, July 20 | 9am-Noon
• Friday, July 24 | 9am-Noon
• Monday, July 27 | 9am-Noon
• Friday, July 31 | 9am-Noon

All of our volunteers and leaders are encouraged to feel comfortable taking precautions appropriate for their own personal health situation. 

We anticipate having opportunities to help those affected by COVID-19 in our community and beyond soon. In the meantime, here are a few things you can do:

• Check our Local Impact Mission Ministries page for special events and announcements.
• Sign up to receive information about opportunities as they arise. We are working with our partners to determine how best to meet the needs of the community. If you would like to learn how you can help, please sign up.
• Give to our Hunger Ministry - Our Hunger team is preparing to respond to the needs of our partner pantries throughout this state of emergency.
• Love Your Neighbors- Check on your neighbors, your small groups and other social connections. Send an encouraging message or call them and let them know you're thinking about them. Especially ask your elderly and at-risk connections if they need anything, and offer to assist them to your comfort level.
• Check out our DIY Serve Page - These are projects you can do with your family or small group that benefit our Resurrection Missions Ministries and community partners.

Learn more about Church of the Resurrection's response to the coronavirus threat here.

Our Truck Ministry supports multiple local impact ministries. Without our team of dedicated drivers our ministries would not be able to operate at the level we do. Our drivers support hunger, clothing, computers, furnishings, partner schools and much more.

If you are interested in becoming driver for one of our ministries, your first step is to contact michelle.vanpelt@cor.org.

Our TRUCK drivers must comply with DOT regulations and the following requirements must be met:

• Successful completion of a Criminal/Credit/Driving check: click here for form
• Current automobile liability insurance and valid drivers license.
• Successful completion of medical certification if driving trucks: click here for more information about requirements. You must get a signed authorization form from michelle.vanpelt@cor.org prior to going to Care Now.
• Must be able to move and lift heavy items.

BECOME A HOLY HAULER FOR FURNISHINGS MINISTRY

Holy Haulers are the team of guys and gals who pick up donations from individuals and corporations. Vehicles range from minivans to large box trucks. Drive at your own comfort level. Join a weekday, weeknight or Saturday morning team, serving weekly, bi-weekly or on a monthly rotation. Inquiries please contact michelle.vanpelt@cor.org.

BECOME A BACKPACK DRIVER FOR EDUCATION MINISTRY

• Pick-up Empty Tubs: Tuesdays 7 am - 1 pm from Elementary Schools. Requires moderate lifting and possibly driving the church's box truck.
• Deliver Food: Fridays 8 am - 12 pm to Elementary Schools. Requires lifting and possibly driving the church's box truck.

Contact Bruce Gaddis at deliveryteam@cor.org

DELIVER TO FOOD PANTRIES FOR HUNGER MINISTRY

Help us welcome guests to worship at Resurrection! A smiling face and a warm hello puts people at ease and let's them know they are welcome and belong here. Be part of a fun group of volunteers that loves serving God and our guests.

Outside Door Greeters typically serve once per month opening doors for our guests as they arrive - rain or shine! Greeters arrive approximately 40 minutes before worship and are at their doors serving until 15 minutes after worship begins. Then you're free to enjoy the service!

Flexible serve times available, but we are specifically looking for:

• 6 Greeters to serve at the Sunday 11am service once per month. 
• 5 Greeters to serve at the Sunday 5pm service once per month.

Please contact jami.felver@cor.org to learn more.

A Worship and Acolyte Coordinator serves during weekend worship services, preparing the worship spaces and training the Acolytes. This fun position requires someone who is dependable, has a great attention to detail, and who enjoys training and working with our Confirmand students. A typical day includes preparing for baptisms, getting reserved seating set, making sure the candle carts are ready to go, and providing the pastors with water. You'll also meet with the Acolytes and train them on how to process and recess the light of Christ and banner during worship.

This rewarding role is multi-faceted. You'll serve both behind the scenes by getting everything ready for worship and with others by mentoring and coaching students to serve in their role.  You need to be able to work independently, but you'll also serve alongside the ushers and staff during worship services.

We have an immediate need Sunday nights Weeks 2 and 4.

Thank you for considering serving in this way!

Explore the many opportunities available for partnering with Hondurans to transform their communities. Each trip has a purpose, some of which are listed below:

• Bless the School — Light construction and painting to keep the school in good condition.
• Bless the Youth — Engage with youth in sports activities and develop meaningful friendships.
• Bless the Teachers — Be a part of equipping teachers with resources and lessons to teach English and the Word of God. Teaching English creates bonds between people of different cultures and is life-changing for both.
• Medical and Dental – Provide needed care for the community.
• Cultural immersion – In addition to engaging with teachers and students, each trip includes time to explore.

2021 Trips:

• Resurrection Downtown Men's Trip: January 29 - February 5

School Sponsorship

For just $39.50/month ($474/year) you can provide a child with a private faith-based school education at the Juan Wesley School in Ciudad España.This amount will provide tuition, books and materials and a school uniform for your sponsored child. Your child will be able to write to you each year to tell you about their progress, and they will be monitored to assure that they achieve the school's academic goals.

Child sponsors who join a short-term serve team to Honduras have opportunities to meet the child they sponsor, interact with other Juan Wesley students and support the school. Learn more or sponsor a child by downloading and filling out this form.

To learn about other ways Resurrection is partnering with Hondurans, visit our blog.

About Honduras

Honduras, located in Central America between Guatemala and Nicaragua, is a country of mountains, forests and farms. There are more than 7 million people living in this country, which is about the size of Louisiana. Most Hondurans speak Spanish, although the Amerindian/mestizo population may speak other Spanish dialects. English is widely spoken in the north. Resurrection teams usually fly into the capital city of Tegucigalpa, and some take a day to visit the Maya ruins at Copán, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Honduras is one of the poorest regions in Central America; its economy is primarily agricultural and the annual per capital income is about $2,500 USD.

Resurrection partners with the Methodist Church in Honduras, working mostly with the Methodist Church in El Obraje and the Cristo Resucitado Methodist Church in Ciudad España.

Resurrection has been partnering with the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) since 1998 with a strong focus on children and families – specifically through education and training. Educational efforts include support for the Ditshego House of Laughter in the community of Mooiplaas. Serve trip team members work with the students, teachers and other staff to deliver requested lesson plans and participate in light renovation projects at the school. Resurrection also works with West View and Elim Methodist Churches in Centurion, South Africa where worship and the ministry of presence come together. To learn more specific trip information, click on one of the links below for one of our upcoming trips. For more about the experience of serving on a team, visit our blog.

About Ditshego House of Laughter

Ditshego House of Laughter is a non-profit organization providing multiple services for approximately 350 vulnerable children in the informal settlement of Mooiplaas. More than 16,000 people make their home in Mooiplaas at the base of a landfill in the area between Johannesburg and Pretoria (now Tshwane). Among Ditshego’s services are a pre-school, an Open School for older children, a House of Safety for foster children, and after-school services. Without Ditshego these children would not have a chance for an education because many are undocumented or immigrants.

About South Africa

South Africa is the southernmost country on the African continent. It covers an area of approximately 472,000 square miles or slightly less than twice the size of Texas. Although it is a developed and modern country with roughly 57 million people and 11 official languages, South Africa struggles with high unemployment, HIV/AIDS, slow economic growth, crime, and corruption. Even in the post-1994 era following the end of apartheid (racial separation), social and economic inequality remains a significant challenge and South Africa is one of the most economically unequal countries in the world. Despite this, South Africa is making progress toward broader prosperity and a peaceful democracy.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, we will not be holding a Bless the School event in 2020.

We will return to the The African-Centered Prep Academy in June 2021 to complete the work we started in 2019. Stay tuned for more information! Questions? Please contact Roberta Lyle - roberta.lyle@cor.org.

The Church of the Resurrection is working to empower Malawians to give them a fighting chance for a future with HOPE. How are we making this happen? Through the Methodist Church, we partner to provide opportunities for abundant life, address basic needs, develop self-sustaining economic empowerment, offer health education and medical rehabilitation. Resurrection also works with our partners to support opportunities for spiritual formation and pastoral leadership, early childhood education, and life skills training. To learn more, visit our blog.

About the Malawi United Methodist Church

On January 1, 2009, the Malawi United Methodist Church celebrated their status as the new Missionary Conference of the United Methodist Church. Their status reflects the dedication, sacrifices and prayers of Malawian pastors and laity who have planted and nurtured this young church over the past two decades. They grew from a handful of churches to a thriving conference of 22 circuits and more than 140 churches, based on the passion and commitment of John Wesley to preach the Good News. They work to serve those in the most rural villages, hoping to set Malawi on fire for Christ.

Rev. Daniel Mhone, the Church's District Superintendent, supervises 24 pastors appointed in largely rural circuits where 85 percent of the church members survive day-to-day as subsistence farmers.The 22 circuits of the Malawi UMC are each served by one pastor who is responsible for 3 to 20 local churches within a 150-300 square mile region. The pastors work tirelessly as advocates for vital infrastructure in the communities where they serve, such as borehole wells that can provide clean drinking water for families as well as water for washing and irrigation for gardens.

Our Partnership with ZOE
The Church of the Resurrection partners with ZOE, a three-year program developed in Africa that empowers orphans and vulnerable children around the world to overcome extreme poverty, become fully self-reliant, and learn of God’s love for them. ZOE is currently active in Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Liberia, Guatemala and India.

ZOE’s indigenous program facilitators ensure children know about their rights, are free from abuse and exploitation, and can find a safe place to live. Children learn skills such as farming and animal husbandry at monthly meetings. ZOE then provides tools, seeds and farm animals to the children so they can grow and raise their own food.

Learn more at http://www.zoehelps.org

About Malawi

Malawi is a landlocked country of 10.5 million people, most of whom live in rural areas east of Zambia, west of Mozambique and south of Tanzania. Like Zimbabwe, it was colonized by English-speaking Europeans in the 1800s. Malawi gained its independence from Great Britain in 1964, and became a democratic republic in 1994. Lilongwe is its capital city. The annual per capita income is $800. Some 80 percent of the population is Christian, 55 percent of whom are Protestant.

Clothing and More Ministries support 22 local pantries and ministry partners in the Kansas City area! Want to be a part of this great ministry? There are several ways for you to plug in. We have opportunities for you to serve on an ongoing basis as well as one time pop in as your time allows.

Donation Sorter:

Join the team and help sort the large quantity of donations dropped off at the church every week. Fun, fellowship and sorting occurs on weekday mornings in the Missions Sorting Area in the lower level of building A.

Beginning March 16th until further notice (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) we are making minor adjustments to our sorting time.  Our team will meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10 am and work until we are done (generally 2-3 hours).  We are continuing to monitor events and recommendations by the CDC and community leaders.  However, we are committed to continuing to serve the vulnerable population and need the help of those that are healthy and willing to do so.

The sorting team meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, 9 – 11 am

Other ways to volunteer:

Please click here for information about how to help as a Clothing and More Team Driver.

If you're looking for serving opportunities to arrange on your own, click here for an informal list of organizations we enjoy working with here in Kansas City.  Please feel free to reach out to any of the organizations that interest you or your group!

DONATE:  For information about how to donate please click here.

The Hunger Stopper Ministry delivers approximately 70 tons of food each year, through donations from within the church and special food drives held in the community. Donations are delivered monthly to local pantries and urban ministries to help feed those in Kansas City area who are hungry or food insecure.

ONGOING:

• Monetary Donations: Donations in any amount will be used to purchase needed food in bulk or supplemental funding for our pantries to purchase proteins, produce and items not received. Please mark the donation for "Hunger Stoppers" and mail to the church. Mailing address: 13720 Roe Ave. Leawood, KS 66224
• Donate Non-Perishables: Please no glass containers or expired product. Desirable donations include:
  • Cereal
  • Canned meats (chicken, tuna, Vienna sausages)
  • Chunky stews/soups
  • Peanut butter & Jelly
  • Canned/boxed meals/Macaroni & Cheese
  • Shelf stable milk products
  • Pancake mix (add water only) & Syrup
  • Canned fruits and vegetables.

Check out our Local Impact page for a list of upcoming "Pop-Up Donation Drives" across our campuses.

Stay informed about upcoming events and information by signing up to receive the Hunger Stopper Newsletter. Sign up to receive Hunger Stopper Newsletter today! (Select "Resurrection Leawood" and then scroll down to Leawood Connect and Serve Newsletters and select "Hunger Stopper Food Donations")

We'd love to have you join our team of volunteers to help this ministry happen! Please see our Hunger Volunteer Ministry page for more information.

PANTRIES WE SERVE:

Click here for the full list.