Resurrection Bell Ringer
February, 2003
In Our Prayers
Recovering from Hospitalization: Rick Sarber
Prayers for healing: Joyce Schmelzer
Cancer Treatment: Marvin Tatum
Active Duty: Dan Dibble
In Celebration: Susie & Steve Johnson, for the birth of their grandchild, Nicholas Glenn Johnson.
Many Thanks . . .
“We cannot thank you enough for the use of your building during Winter Break. There was an average of 70 children here per day, and each one of the kids enjoyed themselves. The School Age Department, Holiday Program and Before/After School appreciate your generosity. Thank you so much and best of luck to each of you in the new year.” – Scott Warner, Associate School Age Director, Baxter YMCA
“Thank you so much for the carolers coming to bring such joy and the box of home-made cookies. I enjoyed each one! Thanks again for remembering me.” – Dora Rothenberger
Sermon Themes for February
“It’s All About Jesus”
Philip Melanchthon, the great Lutheran reformer, said, “To know Christ is to know his benefits.” This Reformation truth underlies this worship series. To know Jesus is to receive the promises of God and to live in them. Each worship will focus on a particular promise of God in Jesus:
Feb. 2 Mark 1:21-28 I Equip You to Confront Evil
Our societal reality is that each of us faces evil every day. How do we discover the power of Christ to confront the evil around us and live as followers of Jesus?
Feb. 9 Mark 1:29-39 I Show You How to Move On
What can we learn from Jesus to help us turn away from the judgement, ridicule, teasing, bullying, and voices of our society and move on to a new place in our life?
Feb. 16 Mark 1:40-45 I Touch You and Heal You
When Jesus touches, he is able to heal the physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational ill of each one. We need to rediscover the healing touch of Christ and the healing nature of human touch as well.
Feb. 22 March 2:1-12 I Want you to Bring Others to Me What can we learn from the faith of those who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus? We can physically bring others to Christ and, in prayer, bring them to Jesus as well.
From the Staff . . .
Dear Resurrection People,
A Council Retreat
It was long overdue. We’ve been working together for almost two years, some of us much longer. You know how it is – in the midst of busy schedules, of meeting urgent needs, accomplishing assigned tasks, it’s hard to keep perspective. You need to get away, reflect, take a breath.
Our Parish Planning Council did just that after the New Year, thanks to some fine hospitality at the downtown Marriot arranged by our member, Steve Ransone. For a Friday evening and a Saturday, we played some (don’t ask me about the Cranium game . . .), worshiped some, dined some, and thought . . . a lot. Each of us came prepared with thoughtful reflection about what frustrated us over the last few years and what worked well. How could we do better as a Council, as Board Directors, as leaders of Resurrection?
All of this “retreating” and “reflecting” was done in the context, however, of what lies ahead of us all as a congregation . . .
A Council Advance
Good retreats lead to great advances. This was a good retreat. As we left Saturday afternoon, there was a palpable sense of re-engagement with our calling, a renewal of commitment to the ministry God has given to all of us at Resurrection. This is going to be a full and, we pray, a fulfilling year.
In 2003, we will be crafting together a statement of the “Mission, Vision and Values” of Resurrection Lutheran Church. (Note the schedule included elsewhere in the Bell Ringer) Trust me, this will be more than a exercise of words. This will be a Spirit-led focusing of our entire congregation’s God-given gifts. Sure, we have grown. Sure, we have a relatively healthy and vibrant congregation. So now, what will we do with those gifts?
By the spring congregational meeting, all of us will have had the opportunity to contribute to a shared vision of Resurrection Lutheran Church. We will have a proposal of a ministry structure that will improve the shortcomings of a Board/Committee structure, making good use of the unique Spiritual Gifts of our members in Ministry Teams. By that meeting most of us will have had a chance in some way to participate in the preparation for this summer’s GroupWorks Camp in Indianapolis. By then, some of us will also have begun work on planning for the future of both our facilities and our professional staffing . . . I told you it was a Council Advance!
A Pastor’s Vision
Something else about that retreat. It was good for me. I watched Pr. Mitch skillfully lead us through reflections on our organization and leadership, grateful for the complementary gifts he brings. I observed Scott, fresh from a meeting with Luther Seminary which affirmed his plans to complete his preparation for ordained ministry next year. Most of all, I saw your church’s lay leadership, willingly carving out a significant portion of personal time, displaying a deep love for the Lord and His Church, working hard for the future of Resurrection.
Watching all of that, I felt proud of this group of people and a sense of affirmation for my personal vision for Resurrection. Often when “Senior Pastors” speak of a future vision for their church, it may have to do with a new sanctuary, buildings, or various programs. Will we be needing to construct some addition to our facility? Of course. Will we be launching new programs in the future? I’m sure we will. (witness GroupWorks).
My vision for Resurrection, however, has not so much to do with buildings or programs as it does with people. My vision has to do with nurturing faith in people. I imagine a church where people discover their God-given spiritual gifts and are equipped for discipleship in their daily lives. I dream of a community of people experiencing the “Power Surge” of the Spirit. I see Resurrection equipping more and more people as disciples -- as was in evidence within that smaller group at the Marriot retreat.
Come with me. Come with your Church. Come with Jesus into 2003 and beyond.
9:30 Sunday Morning
Adult Classes:
Faith Walk
A Bible study and discussion of the appointed scriptures for Sunday worship. Come to learn the background of these lessons you will hear in worship, and think together about personal application – an aide to better hearing the sermon. Led by Pastor Mitch.
Lutheran Basics
A new member’s adult inquiry class led by Pastor Dave. The basics of the Christian faith as articulated by Lutherans, and an introduction to congregational life at Resurrection.
1st and 2nd Grade Students . . .
Confirmation Instruction
on the Lord’s Prayer
Beginning Sunday, February 2, and continuing through February 23, the 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School children will be receiving instruction from Scott Mikkelson on the Lord’s Prayer during the regular Sunday School hour, beginning at 9:30am. This four-week period of instruction is part of Resurrection’s Confirmation process. Parents should attend the class and sit with their children. The class will meet in their Sunday School room.
On Saturday, February 8 at 6:30pm we will have a DJ playing all eras of music. Whether you like the Monkeys, Smokey Robinson, Swing, or the Macarena, come dance with us! Bring a dessert to share if your last name begins with A-L. Bring an appetizer for M-Z. There will be a $2 cover charge at the door to help defray the cost of the DJ. We encourage both couples and singles to attend, but it is intended just for adults. There will be games as well. If you are planning to come, please use the yellow response form in the bulletin.
Congratulations to the winners of our chili cook-off:
Best Mild: John Drey
Best Medium: Colin Hewitt
Best Hot: Carlton Schlicher
Best in Show: Greg and Roxanne Dowling
Thank you to everyone that participated in the cook-off and to those that brought additional food! It was a great way to warm up a “chili”
evening!
On-going
Clothing Drive
Have you been cleaning out your closets? Wondering what to do with all those gently used clothes you need to get rid of? You can now bring them to church and put them in the new wooden box in the narthex. The Board of Social Ministry will be distributing the clothing to various local agencies such as Breaking Free, LCFS, and Lord’s Locker. We will be doing this on an ongoing basis so feel free to bring clothing anytime and place it in the box. We ask that all items be clean and in good condition. Thank you!
Your World Hunger
Funds at Work
. . . in North Dakota: Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota helps people with little or no income to find their Daily Bread, a project based in Fargo. Daily Bread recovers leftover meals and surplus perishable food from restaurants, hotels, schools, colleges, hospitals, and grocery stores. The program distributes the food that otherwise would have been wasted to 25 food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and other charitable feeding programs, helping feed more than 5,000 people every month.
. . . In North Korea: Lutheran World Relief supports an agricultural project on the western coastal plain, a major rice-growing region, to restore food projection and reduce dependence on outside food aid during the country’s ongoing famine. Through experimentation, the project has found varieties of wheat that can be grown during harsh Korean winters and before the rice is planted. The wheat has a potential yield of over 5 tons per hectare, much more than the normal yields of less than 2 tons/hectare.
Mark your calendars ahead:
March 4 - Pancake Supper
March 5 - Ash Wednesday Service
April 17 - Agape Feast
May 1 - Ladies Spring Fling
June 16-20 - Vacation Bible School
July 16-20 - ELCA Youth
Gathering
Lutheran Camps . . . .
Its time to sign up for camp at Lutheran Hills! Lutheran Outdoor Ministries is currently accepting applications for their various summer programs. Last year many Resurrection members spent time at Lutheran Hills (20 miles N.E. of Bloomington near Nashville, IN) and had a blast! Children can attend beginning the summer before 1st grade through senior high. Campers may request to be in the same cabin with a "buddy" and last year most kids from Resurrection seemed to be housed together. All the kids who went last year had FUN in a safe, structured, Christian environment. There are also special opportunities for family camp experiences. More information is available through www.lomik.org. Don't delay - register today!
On a related note, the Crusaders ChristCare group has done a lot of volunteer work at Lutheran Hills (fixed a roof on one of the cabins last fall) and is hoping to build a new cabin this spring. Wouldn't it be great to stay in a cabin that you worked on? Stay tuned for more information on how you can help with projects to improve Lutheran Hills this spring.
– Stephanie Deitz
This is one of a continuing series of monthly articles based
upon our stewardship theme for this year.
Cheerful Givers
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
Shorty is a steady, no-frills kind of guy. He’d worked the same job for most of his life. Slowly, over the years, he had built up a comfortable financial cushion on which to retire. Not a lot of extras, but enough. Those who knew him well knew he was a kind person. Some of the little kids were scared of him. He didn’t smile much, but you could count on him. Steady. Some might say faithful.
Shorty was practical, too. He could fix almost anything. It was his diligence that kept the boiler in the church basement limping along two years longer than it ever should have lasted.
When the boiler finally gave up its last rumble, Shorty knew enough to throw in the towel. The call went out. Donations were needed for the new furnace. It was a small congregation. Some joked about breaking up the furniture for kindling.
The check arrived in the mail in an unmarked envelope. It was a generous gift. Enough for an entire furnace. There were conditions. No one was to know. No plaque or announcement. Just the hum of heat warming those who came to worship.
Shorty’s gift to his church came from the heart. Not many of us could make the kind of financial gift Shorty made, but if we keep our eyes and ears and heart open, opportunities to give and to serve will be numerous.
Copyright 2002 Augsburg Fortress. Permission is granted to reproduce this material for local, congregational use only.
Mission, Vision, and Values Statements for RLC
In February we are going to launch a process to review our congregation’s mission and vision and values. Ten years ago, a Mission Statement was developed for Resurrection. In Parish Planning Council and Adult Forum discussions this past Fall, there was a consensus that we needed to revisit that statement. That statement has served us well, but there was some question as to whether it was the best statement for our current situation at Resurrection.
Our goal is to have new Mission, Vision, and Values Statements ready for the congregation’s approval at our Semi-Annual Congregation Meeting in June. This will be a three stage process involving a survey and small as well as large-group events.
Stage 1 - A survey will be distributed to every household in the congregation. This survey will ask some open-ended questions about Resurrection, our core values, and our ministry. All of the responses will be compiled and our pastoral staff will prepare a summary of the responses. This will take place during February.
Stage 2 - There will be a number of small-group discussion meetings. The summary of the Stage 1 survey will be mailed to each household along with an invitation to attend one of the discussion meetings. These discussion meetings will review the results of the survey and engage in dialogue concerning the mission, ministry, and core values of Resurrection. The discussion meetings will take place during March and each will be led by Pastor Dave or Pastor Mitch. A summary of all of the discussions will be prepared by our pastoral staff.
Stage 3 - A large group event will be held on Saturday, May 3 to prepare a new or revised Mission Statement. In preparation for this event, the summary from the Stage 2 discussion meetings will be mailed to each household. Everyone will be invited to the Saturday event to refine both a Mission and a Core Values Statement. We anticipate that one or more drafts of a Mission Statement will be prepared in response to the survey and discussion meetings. We also expect that Pastor Dave will have a draft of a Vision Statement ready to share on May 3.
If we can arrive at consensus at the May 3 congregational event, we will then publicize the new Mission, Vision, and Values Statements to the congregation. They will then be placed before the congregation for its approval at the June 1 congregation meeting. That will be just in time to plan a celebration of the new Statements for the following Sunday, which is the festival of Pentecost.
If you have any questions about this process, please speak to Pastor Mitch or Pastor Dave.