In Sympathy: Cheryl Locke, for the death of her father, Robert Brammann; Diana Deitch, for the death of her mother, Glenna Nolle

In Celebration: Steve & Patty Sorenson, for the birth of their daughter Amanda Jean; Sheri & Dirk Dudeck, for the birth of their daughter, Lauren Claire; Amanda & Steve Thomas, for the birth of their twins, Haley & Hannah

Friends and Family of the Congregation in need of God’s presence and comfort: Phillip Patterson, David Rust, Sally Crosby, Jan (Mona’s daughter), Arlene Wright

My family would like to thank all for prayers, cards, emails, visits, flowers, food and support given to us upon the recent passing of my father. A special note of appreciation to Connie Wallin and Sherry Andersen for helping make my father’s funeral service extra special. It is at a time like this that friends and loved ones are needed and cherished the most. God’s blessings to all, Cheryl Locke

From the Staff . . .

Dear Resurrection People,

What’s the point?

I had a fraternity brother in college who always asked that. He didn’t go along with a lot of the typical rituals and traditions of fraternity life, and was never shy about calling into question a practice that made no sense to him. Some of my fraternity brothers didn’t like him, but he did force us to focus on what was really important. Sometimes I think it might be healthy to have someone like him around in the church. Sometimes the church can begin to act like any human organization, staying busy at being busy, doing lots of things, perpetuating itself. But what’s the point? Why do we do what we do? What’s really important?

What on earth am I here for?

By now you must know that is the fundamental question behind our Lenten journey, “40 Days of Purpose.” It’s another way of asking, “What’s the point?” It is an important personal question, arguably the most important of all. It is also important for us as a congregation, as a community, a church – especially if we want to be more than just busy at being busy, just another human organization. What is our fundamental purpose?

40 Days of Purpose

Those questions are important enough that our congregation will spend the entire 40-day season of Lent in focused reflection upon them. We’d like everyone to do these things:

➀Attend the “kick-off” simulcast at 5:30 on Saturday, February 21^st.

➁Obtain a copy of “The Purpose Driven Life” at that Saturday evening or the next Sunday morning, beginning the daily reading of its 40 short chapters.

➂Attend worship each weekend during Lent, hearing special messages that will preview the reading of the week to come.

➃Join a small group that will meet each week to discuss the material.

We are strongly encouraging everyone to take the time to experience this journey. The daily readings are short. The intention is to take serious time to ponder, to really think through the implications of God’s desire for your life.

Why 40 Days?

It is clear from the Bible that God has often used 40 days as a time period for spiritual renewal. It was a significant enough time period that allowed for transformation, for new habits and disciplines to be established. Just a few examples are Noah . . . Moses . . . the spies in the promised land . . . Elijah . . . Jesus in the wilderness . . . and the disciples’ transformation in the 40 days with the Risen Lord from a ragtag group of frightened losers into apostles who changed the world. (But note: it is NOT that long of a time – consider your average life span is 25,550 days . . . You can do this!) I pray that the 40 days of this journey will transform your life.

Why Rick Warren’s

“40 Days of Purpose?”

Rick Warren is the pastor of Saddleback Church in California, who has written a very good – but not perfect – book. We are not following Rick Warren . . . just as we do not “follow” Martin Luther. But we are very glad to use a biblically-based, easy to read, and proven program to let God work transformation and renewal in the church. “The Purpose Driven Life” is now #1 on the top three bestseller lists – The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Publisher’s Weekly. Resurrection will be joining 2,700 other churches in the 40 day campaign beginning February 21. Let mere curiosity draw you to this journey! And may “the point” be God’s renewing presence among us!

In Christ,

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to go out and buy the book?

No. We will have plenty of free copies available to hand out the weekend of February 21^st. We will accept a donation of $10 to cover costs (it is more expensive in stores), because we want everyone to be reading the book. While couples may share a book, many have found that differing schedules make it wiser for each person to have their own copy to read, reflect on, makes notes in, etc.

Can I get it now?

Yes, if you won’t be in town the weekend of the 21^st, or if you simply have to have it now! We’d prefer, however, to have everyone slowly, reflectively reading it at the same time through the 40 days of Lent.

Will there be child-care for the small groups?

Child-care will be available for the small groups which meet on Wednesday evenings at 5:45pm or 7:00pm at church.

40 Days of Purpose . . . .

Schedule of Events for Our Spiritual Journey

January: Sign-up for a small group which will meet on Wednesday evening during Lent at church or at other time and location as chosen by group and facilitator.

Saturday, Feb.7 at 9:30am or Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1:30pm - Training for facilitators.

Saturday, Feb. 21 at 5:30pm - Kick-off! Simulcast Presentation and book distribution

Sunday, February 22 - Kick-off and book distribution

Monday, Feb, 23 - Begin reading daily segments

Wednesday, Feb. 25 - Ash Wednesday Service - followed by meeting of small groups

(Note: After the service on Ash Wednesday, there will be no traditional mid-week Lenten services this year. Instead, at 7:00pm on Wednesdays there will be an opening hymn and prayer, followed by a brief video instruction. Then, the small groups that meet on Wednesdays will scatter throughout the church for their discussion time. Child-care will be provide from 5:45 to 8:10 on Wednesdays. Small groups may choose to meet at other times at church or at another location.)

Wednesdays, Mar. 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31 - Small groups meet at 5:45pm or 7:00pm at church for video and discussion.

Sunday, March 21 - Missions and Ministry Fair following church services

Sunday, April 4 - Palm Sunday Celebration Day

We hope everyone will be a part of this journey by reading and reflecting daily using the book, coming to the worship services, being a part of a discussion group, and discovering a personal answer to the question, “What on earth am I here for?”

– The 40 Days Leadership Team, Mike Daniel, Chair

Just a reminder as you clean out your closets, you can bring your clean, used clothes to church and put them in the wooden box in the narthex. The Board of Social Ministry periodically cleans out the box and donates the contents to a local group helping the less fortunate. Last year, RLC made clothing donations to Lutheran Child and Family Services, Breaking Free (helping battered women), and Lords Locker (Johnson County outreach).

Audit Committee . . . .

The Parish Planning Council is seeking to establish an Audit Committee. The primary role of the committee will be to determine the scope of a financial audit to be conducted by an outside CPA firm in 2004, select the firm to perform the audit, and then report the findings to the PPC.

The PPC is seeking members from the congregation to serve on this committee. Audit committee members should have experience in financial audits. Having previously served on an audit committee would also be beneficial, but not mandatory. If you are interested in serving on the audit committee, please contact Gary Myers, Treasurer, at 889-8322.

Capital Building Fund . . . .

The Serving & Saving Fund is being reallocated to a Capital Building Fund. At its January meeting, the Parish Planning Council followed up on some of the discussion at the December Congregation Meeting. The Serving and Saving for Mission fund was established five years ago to retire our mortgage debt and to fund mission efforts. There was approximately $20,000 remaining in that fund. Some of it was the balance after the mortgage was paid off, and some is from income that has continued to be designated for that fund. The Parish Planning Council has now closed the Serving and Saving for Mission fund since its purpose has been served. The entire balance of that fund has been designated as a Capital Building Fund for the purpose of providing seed money for expanding our facilities. Any income received in the future that is designated for Serving and Saving will be redirected to the Capital Building Fund.

Feb. 25^th at 7:00 pm,

A service of

repentance and renewal

with imposition of ashes

Global Missions . . . .

Meet Our New Missionaries

Dan and Cathy Smith, Sarah (10), Emily (6), Grace (5)

This is our missionary family that Resurrection is sponsoring in 2004. Here is a brief excerpt from their latest letter, written to all of their congregation sponsors:

“We have now settled into our "normal" routine back at home in Arusha. All three girls are attending International School Moshi - Arusha Campus this year. Sarah is in 4th grade, Emily is in Kindergarten, and Grace is in her final year of pre-school. We just completed our student-teacher-parent conferences at the end of Term 1, and are pleased that the girls are all doing well in school. Sarah is taking piano lessons and Emily is taking violin. Last week, the primary students presented "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (Sarah was the narrator). Cathy continues her involvement with the Christian Education committee at Arusha Community Church. This year she has also been volunteering her time helping with swimming and reading at ISM. Now Cathy and the girls are enjoying a well-deserved break until school starts again January 5^th”

“The job for which we were called is Dan's work as the Finance Secretary of the Lutheran Mission Cooperation. While most of the work is done from the office, it has an impact on the leaders, workers, and members of the Evangelical Church of Tanzania. This week, Dan was reviewing a report of one of the ongoing medical projects in one of the ELCT dioceses. His job requires that he reviews projects for financial accuracy as well as comparing the results to the original goals. Assuming that the project is meeting its goals and the finances are reported truthfully, Dan's job is to send the next installment of funds. This particular project is supported by LMC members and other external sources. The project is to provide a mobile medical team for rural and nomadic people focusing on eye diseases. The report detailed the number of various cases both of eye diseases and other medical problems seen last year compared to the year before. The report also listed the number of surgeries, and pictures were attached. One particularly striking picture was captioned "Mobile Eye Clinic Under the Tree." The patients were being examined outdoors, under the shade of a tree, without a building in sight.”

“We didn't expect HIV/AIDS to affect our personal lives. Little did we know that it would impact the families of two of our full-time employees. One has lost a brother, a sister-in-law, and a nephew, and there are other sick children. We just learned that a second employee lost his sister-in-law, and that his brother and one of their children are both very sick. It is estimated that approximately one person in ten living in Tanzania is infected with HIV/AIDS. One of the major goals of the "Stand with Africa" campaign, which the ELCA has joined, is to combat this epidemic. (To learn more about "Stand with Africa" visit the ELCA website at www.elca.org.) We ask for your prayers for those who have lost loved ones to this terrible disease. Pray for the doctors and scientists who are developing treatments and cures, and that those treatments may be affordable to our neighbors and friends. Amen”

In future Bell Ringers, I will explain all of the different aspects of our sponsorship, and how we can each contact them.

– Scott Mikkelson

February 9:30 Sunday Adult Education Classes . . .

February 1^st

“Emotionally Intelligent Marriages”

Adult Forum 9:30 - 10:25 in the Church Sanctuary

Last in a series led by Carol Saviano

Sunday School Express

9:30 - 10:10 in the Choir room off of the Narthex

“Faith Active in Works of Love: The Book of James”

Led by Craig Caudill

February 8^th, 15^th, and 22^nd

“40 Days of Purpose”

Adult Forum 9:30 - 10:25 in the Church Sanctuary

“40 Days of Purpose” videotaped simulcast – A preview and overview of the 40 day journey and main concepts of the book, featuring Pastor Rick Warren, especially for those unable to attend the kick-off event Saturday night, February 21^st.

Sunday School Express - 9:30 - 10:10 in the Choir room off of the Narthex “Faith Active in Works of Love: The Book of James”

Led by Craig Caudill

February 29^th through April 1^st

“40 Days of Purpose”

Adult Forum 9:30 - 10:25 in the Church Sanctuary

“40 Days of Purpose” This will be the only adult education offering, a study and discussion of “The Purpose Driven Life.” Our children and youth will also be using a common curriculum centered on the five purposes for which God has created us.

ChristCare at Resurrection . . . .

There have been some questions posed recently concerning ChristCare Small Group Ministry here at Resurrection. We want to share with the congregation our plans for ChristCare this coming year.

We made a conscious decision at the end of last summer that the time was not yet right to work at growing and expanding our ChristCare ministry. The primary concern with ChristCare was the lack of leaders for groups. We felt that this program year would help to address that need in two ways. First, through the spiritual gifts discovery courses, we hope to identify people who may be gifted to lead small groups. Second, the “40 Days of Purpose” campaign during Lent places a large emphasis on people meeting in small groups during those forty days. We hope that this experience will increase the interest in small group ministry, as well as help us to identify leaders to go through the ChristCare training. One other concern we have is that over the last few years, we have drifted away from some of the key principles of the ChristCare model. We wanted to make sure that when we were ready to place an emphasis on ChristCare again, that we would adhere to the ChristCare Model.

As we are now preparing to enter the “40 Days of Purpose” campaign, we are also formulating plans for re-emphasizing small group ministry here at Resurrection. While we do not think the ChristCare has to be the only model of small group ministry that we employ, ChristCare will certainly be the cornerstone of our small group ministry and it will receive priority for funding and staffing. Here then are the things we plan to do with an eye toward re-launching our ChristCare ministry in September.

• As we near the end of the “40 Days of Purpose” we will begin inviting people to be trained as a ChristCare Leader.

• Both of us will participate in the training of new ChristCare Leaders.

• We will meet with existing ChristCare Groups to discuss the ChristCare model, and ask whether each group will choose to continue under the ChristCare banner or adopt an alternative small group model.

• We will meet with previously trained leaders to see if they are interested in leading new groups this fall. There will be a one-day refresher for all previously trained leaders to make sure everyone is on the same page with the ChristCare model.

Our hope is that as we re-launch ChristCare in September, we will have a number of leaders ready to lead groups that meet at a variety of times throughout the week.

Discovering God’s Vision for Your Life:

You and Your Spiritual Gifts . . . .

There is one opportunity remaining this winter to take part in the spiritual gifts discovery course. The eight modules in the course will be covered in two Saturday sessions, February 7 & 21, from 9:00am to 3:00pm each day. Lunch will be provided. There is no registration fee, but a freewill offering will be gathered to help defray the costs of course materials and refreshments. You can register by signing up in the narthex, by going to the members’ section of www.RLCIndy.org and following the link to “Sign Up Sheets,” or by contacting Pastor Mitch at 881-7854 or PrMitch@RLCIndy.org.

1st and 2nd Grade Confirmation Instruction on Worship . . . .

Beginning Sunday, February 1, and continuing through February 22, the 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School children will be receiving instruction from Scott Mikkelson on Worship 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 the Fellowship Hall.

Mark your Calendars Ahead . . . .

June 14 - 18 Vacation Bible School

June 21-25 Confirmation Camp

July 10-18 Sr. High Mission Trip to Puerto Rico

WWW.RLCIndy.org . . . .

Please login and check out “Boards and Groups” on our website. This is for more than just the Boards. If your ChristCare Group, sports team, or any other group within RLC could use the ability to create email lists and communicate electronically, let Rich Hoffmann know and he will set you up. Chat sessions have also been added so you can actually have meetings online. – Rich Hoffmann (rich@hoffmannengineering.com)

Super Bowl Party . . . .

The Senior High Youth Group and FaithBuilders will have a Super-Bowl Party in front of our big-screen TV on Sunday, February 1^st at 5:00pm. The congregation is invited to join in on the fun. Bring a snack to share. Pizza and pop will be provided.

Super Sub Sunday . . . .

Order Your Super Bowl Subs and Support Our Youth Group!

Souper Bowl of Caring . . . .

“God has blessed so many of with our daily necessities and much more. The Souper Bowl of Caring helps us be mindful of those who do not know if they will have those things day to day.” – Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts

RLC Youth will participate again in the Souper Bowl of Caring. Share your caring spirit with thousands of others by dropping $1 in a soup pot as you leave worship February 1^st.

On Sunday, February 1, 2004, young people from 15,000 congregations, schools and other organizations are expected to participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring. Each participating group will then donate their collection directly to the charity of choice and report their amount to the Souper Bowl of Caring headquarters so totals can be announced to the media.

In 2003, over 12,000 groups raised over $3.5 million for soup kitchens, food banks and other helping charities in all 50 states, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Puerto Rico and the Marshall Islands. Since the Souper Bowl began in 1990 with a single church, over $20 million has been given to help those in need. The Souper Bowl of Caring most often benefits local food banks and soup kitchens, but world hunger organizations, denominational missions and other international ministries have also been recipients of Souper Bowl dollars.

The Souper Bowl of Caring is a grassroots, faith-based crusade against hunger led by young people who collect donations in soup pots on or near Super Bowl Sunday.