Marriage: Sarah Cairns and David Smith were united in marriage on October 6^th at RLC. God’s blessings!

Baptism: Received in the joy of Christian community through Holy Baptism was Celia Kristine Yurs. Celia is the daughter of Kevin & Laura Yurs and was born on August 26, 2007.

The next Men’s Breakfast will be Saturday, November 10^th at 7:30am. We will reviewing Chapters 15 and 16 of The Measure of a Man.

The purpose of the Life Together Team, formed with a grant from Indianapolis Center for Congregations, is to “Recall the Past, Assess the Present, and Discover the Vision in order to create the Future” through strategic planning. This is a process that involves the whole congregation in different capacities. So on September 29, Life Together was privileged to be able to host a Legacy Dinner. This event was held in honor of those members who were listed in our 1988 Resurrection Directory as adult members and who remain, some 20 years later, active disciples at RLC. We rediscovered that RLC has a very interesting and vibrant past and that there are many of our members who are able to remember wonderful things about where we started and how we have gotten where we are today. After the dinner, the “Wall of Wonder” was unveiled. It is displayed in the Narthex, and reveals simultaneously where we have been as a culture and as a church body. It is vital that who we were is part of who we are now and who we want to be. To that end, we are making a DVD that will contain highlights of the dinner, the conversations, the Wall of Wonder, and individual interviews. This DVD, along with the Wall of Wonder, will go a long way to helping us remember our past, and will be a wonderful way for new members to get an introduction of who we are at RLC. Many thanks go to Burton and Susan Garten who created the Wall of Wonder, to Brian Hewitt for emceeing the event with his typical humor and class, and Betty Hewitt, Kris Hornsby, Mary Ann Meyer and Arlene Crow, who with many others helped organize, decorate, serve, and clean-up after the event.

Our next event will include the entire congregation and will give everyone a chance to be a part of the Recalling of the Past segment. Have you ever wondered how RLC became the vibrant place it is today? What has been the path we have taken until now? Did Pr. Mitch always have a beard? On November 17 at 6:30 following the Saturday night service, you will have a chance to be a part of Resurrection’s first ever “Evening of Historical Reflection” and all these questions and more will be shared. All ages are encouraged to attend this event, as there is something for everyone to learn and share about this church’s history. Refreshments and desserts will be provided. So mark your calendars for an evening of laughter, learning, listening, and love for our church. We hope to see you there as we take a trip down memory lane. You can RSVP on the yellow response form in the bulletin.

We have also been working on assimilating the information we are gathering from the 3x5 surveys that we have taken during worship. We will continue to share this as we go through it, and you can look forward to several more simple and also more thought provoking questions as we continue through this process. These questions will help us as a congregation to assess the present, something you will be hearing more about in coming weeks.

Pr. Dave, Pr. Mitch, Eric Schilling, Betty Hewitt, Daryl Huber, Beth Mansfield, Gary Myers, Mike Wise and Lynnette Browder

Thanksgiving Eve Service

Wednesday,

November 21, at 7:00pm

Join us for a pie feast,

following the service

Annual Pie Feast . . . .

RLC’s annual pie feast will be held Wednesday, November 21, after the Thanksgiving Eve worship service. Come and enjoy pie and coffee and some great conversation.

Let’s take some time before the hectic holiday schedules kick-in and remember one of the blessings for which we give thanks, a loving community of faith. Watch the bulletin for an opportunity to donate pie!

Many Thanks . . . .

Ralph and I want to thank our many special friends and wonderful family for their prayers, cards, food and being there for us during these last few weeks. God has been good and we pray for continued success. – Carol & Ralph Neiman

Thank you to the Discipleship Hour Crew Members for the first and second fall rotations: Wendy Messer, Alan Anderson, Holly Dorris, Paige & Daryl Huber, Kim Dunn, Becky Morris, Joanne Scheidelmeier, Michele Dew, Mike & Margie McCoy, Jodi Giorgianni, Ben Parker, Kelly Kinkade, Micah & Angi Johnson, Kathy & Aaron French, Holly Paquin, and Ashley & Trish Thompson.

WELCA Bible Study . . . .

The WELCA Bible Study will meet Thursday, Nov. 8^th at 9:30am.Thank Offering Boxes . . . .

The weekend of November 24 and 25 has been designated for the return of the boxes that were distributed earlier this year. So please come that weekend, making a joyful noise with your “noisy” offering! Holiday Bake Sale . . . .

The 4^th annual holiday bake sale to raise funds for global mission projects, will be sponsored by WELCA the weekend of Dec. 15 and 16. Be sure to sign-up in November to give yourself lots of time to make your favorite holiday treats. We will again be looking for Christmas cookies, quick breads, pies, cakes, rolls, and candy. Watch for more information in the bulletin and December Bell Ringer.

Throughout this program year, we are working our way through the first phases of the Life Together grant that we received from the Indianapolis Center for Congregations. The first major event took place in September with our Legacy Dinner for those who were in the 1988 directory and have remained an active member for the last 20 years. In November we will have an evening of historical reflection as we look more closely at our recent history. In all of this there are many stories being told – and most of them are about the gifts that people have shared in this community of faith.

It is very fitting for us then that this month we will be making use of the latest stewardship resource developed by the ELCA titled, “Stories to Tell & Gifts to Share.” The focus is on how wonderfully we have been gifted by God and the stories of how we have shared those gifts. This theme will guide us as we prepare to receive Estimates of Giving for next year, and it will continue to be our companion throughout the Life Together emphasis on thinking and acting strategically as the people of God.

Dinners for Eight . . . .

Dinners for Eight is an ongoing adult fellowship group that meets for good food and conversation. Normally the hosts provide the entree, while the others bring the side dishes to complete the meal. However, for the November/December meal we will be enjoying dinner for a Christmas gathering at Vito Provolone's located at 8031 S. Meridian on Sat. Dec. 8th at 6:45pm. Since it is the holidays, it will be nice to have the whole group together rather than meeting at the individual host home.

Anyone interested in joining Dinners for Eight, please call Jackie or Donn Mitchell at (317) 885-6553.

The S.A.M.’s Group . . . .

The Senior Adult Ministry Group will meet at RLC on Monday, November 12^th at 10:00am for a tour of the Indiana Repertory Theatre. The tour will begin at 11:00am and last about one hour. There is no charge. The tour will consist of a history of the building, the architecture of the building, the gallery, the theatres, and exhibit of the costumes. Parking will be at the Circle Center Mall. Use the Washington St. entrance.

After the tour, we will have lunch at the Sisters Restaurant at 12:30pm. The restaurant is located at the stoplight on the corner of the Madison Ave. Expressway and Terrace St.

The World Café

November 26^th 6:30pm

Brought to you by the Life Together Team

Mark your calendars

Details to follow

From the Staff . . . .

Dear Resurrection People,

The day that most of you pick up this issue of the Bellringer will be Reformation Sunday – a day to remember what it means to be – as Pastor Dave puts it – a Lutheran (adjective) Christian (noun). It is a day for us to celebrate being part of the spiritual legacy of Martin Luther.

I’m what we call a cradle Lutheran – I’ve never been a member of a church that was not Lutheran. I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and just weeks later was baptized at Bethel Lutheran Church. My parents were the models of what I wanted my church life to be like when I became an adult – at least until God threw in that curve that led to my becoming a pastor. When we moved to Columbus, Ohio, my parents found their way to Faith Lutheran Church. The Phillips family was often the last one out of church on Sunday morning. To say that I grew up immersed in the church is no understatement. I never questioned why we were Lutheran.

While in college I got involved in Purdue Lutheran Ministry. The campus pastors I had there helped us to explore what it meant to be a Lutheran. While I never questioned being a Lutheran, it certainly helped me appreciate the heritage in which I found myself. In those years, I became convinced that if I had not been raised in the church, the Lutheran church is where I would have eventually found my home. You might wonder, “Why?”

It is all about Grace

The bedrock in which Lutheran theology is anchored is the grace of God. Martin Luther led a life of spiritual anguish as he tried to deal with a just and righteous God. The image of God that he grew up with in that time was of a harsh, judging God who cataloged our sins and meted out punishment for them. Then one day, Luther was meditating on the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans and he came across verses 16 and 17:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17, NRSV)

It occurred to Luther that the “righteousness of God” which is discussed in this chapter was not to be understood as a characteristic describing God – which leads then to terror and fear – but rather, the “righteousness of God” is to be considered a gift, which God gives to us without concern for our merit, but based solely on the deliverance through Jesus Christ.

It is all about the Cross

It is through the cross of Christ that God has worked our salvation. As Jesus went to the cross, he bore upon himself the entire weight of human sinfulness. He died the death we deserve so that we don’t have to – so that we might be freed from the bondage to sin and death. We don’t need to go searching for God – in the cross, God meets us, in the midst of all of the dark, ugly stuff that comes with being human. God did all of this for us because of God’s great love for us, with no concern for how loveable or how deserving we are.

It is all about Faith

We take hold of this salvation through faith – simply trusting that God has done everything necessary for our salvation. And even this faith is a gift from God. In his explanation of the third article of the Apostles Creed, Martin Luther states:

I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in true faith . . .

Luther strives to make it clear that we are unable to earn God’s favor, there is nothing we can do to cause God to love us, we are wholly incapable of earning or deserving salvation. It is a pure and simple gift, as plainly stated in the New Testament letter to the Ephesians:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8, NRSV)

It is about Response

It is an important distinction: our God functions in a “Because-Therefore” mode, not an “If-Then” mode. God does look at us and demand, “If you live in thus and such a way, then I will give you the gift of life.” Instead, God says, “Because I sent my Son to die for you and have taken care of everything necessary for your salvation, therefore I call you to live a life in response to this gracious and loving gift.” Because in Christ our salvation is assured, we are freed to live a life of response, seeking to share the love of God with others by using the gifts and abilities God has given to us.

I don’t know about you, but that is a load off of my mind. Sure, I still struggle with living that life of response in the midst of a sinful world, but I can’t imagine what it would be like if I knew that I had to earn my own salvation. It was that same knowledge that allowed Martin Luther to live the bold life that he did, and I am grateful for the legacy he left and the heritage of the Lutheran church.

RLC Youth . . . .

Launching

November Rotation

Jump on board for a 5-week rotation learning about Mary and Elizabeth’s First Christmas. The rotation begins November 4 and will conclude December 9; with a special event on December 4. If you are interested in exploring the first Christmas please visit the Safe Harbor or contact Ann Buie.

Faith Talk . . . .

Read Matthew 25:34-40 together.

➞ One particular thought I have when I think of people who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, without clothing, sick, in prison, or who are strangers is . . . .

➞ People who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, without clothing, sick or in prison need me to . . . .

➞ Some reasons why people don’t help others are . . . .

(“Scripture Talk” resource from The Youth & Family Institute.)

10 Tips

to Get Your Family Active . . .

➀Schedule a regular time throughout the week for physical activity.

➁Take turns selecting an activity for the family to do as a group each week.

➂Start a log of daily fitness activities for each family member.

➃Adapt all activities to suit those with special needs and preferences.

➄Help everyone to find something active that makes him or her feel successful.

➅Designate indoor and outdoor play areas where rolling, climbing, jumping and tumbling are allowed.

➆Buy toys or equipment that promotes physical activity.

➇Select fitness-oriented gifts with the recipient’s skills and interests in mind.

➈Limit time spent watching TV programs, DVDs and video tapes. Also, limit time spent playing computer games.

➉Use physical activity rather than food as a reward (e.g. family goes in-line skating).

Playtime Port . . . .

Did you know we have two paid staff members who are in the nursery on Sunday mornings from 7:45am-12:30pm? However they would love your assistance playing, reading, and entertaining the children. There is no diaper changing! Please sign-up on the bulletin board across from the nursery if you are interested in assisting our staff members.

RLC Youth . . . .

FaithBuilders . . . .

Trailblazers has been and continues to be a part of our FaithBuilders Confirmation program at RLC. It is a programmed weekend event for middle school youth groups led by the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries professional staff and summer camp staff of the Indiana-Kentucky synod. Throughout the weekend there will be opportunity for Bible study, games, meals, campfires, and more.

For those who signed-up to attend the weekend, November 9-11, 2007 we will depart from RLC’s parking lot at 6:00pm on Friday evening. Please eat dinner before you come or bring something with you; we will not be stopping on the way to Lutheran Hills. Details are forthcoming in the mail! Please contact Julie Peralta if you need more information. It will be a great weekend for fun and Christian growth through learning and fellowship!

Youth Group . . . .

RLC Youth Group Olympics! On Saturday, November 10 from 1:00-4:00pm the Youth Group will have an afternoon of Resurrection Olympics. A list of events will include football, egg toss, frisbee fling, ping pong, and more! After an afternoon of events we will close with pizza. Please sign-up on the bulletin board across from Julie’s office soon so we can randomly select teams for the events.

Attention H.S. Seniors!

Faith Stepping Stone #8

If you are a current senior in high school we invite you and your parents to participate in the Faith Stepping Stone #8 Graduation. We will gather three times through the year looking to your past, reviewing your present, and looking ahead. Please join Julie Peralta in the RLC Fellowship Hall for the first session on Sunday, November 18 for breakfast at 9:15am and concluding at 10:30am.

Kids Club

Indy Island

November 11^th

watch your bulletin for details.

Mark Your December

Calendars Ahead . . . .

Dec. 2, 5:30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Youth Group

Dec. 2, 5:30pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FaithBuilders

Dec. 8, 6:45pm. . . . . Dinners for Eight at Vitos

Dec. 9, 9:30am. . . . . . . Congregational Meeting

Dec. 9, 12:15pm. . . . . . . . KC, FB, YG Caroling

Dec. 15, 9:00am. . .Children’s Program Practice

Dec. 15, 5:30pm. .Children’s Program/Worship

Dec. 15 & 16. . . . . .WELCA Holiday Bake Sale

Dec. 16, 8 & 10:45. . . . . . . . . . . .Choral Sunday

Dec. 24: 5, 7, & 9pm. . . Christmas Eve Services

Kids Look Ahead . . . .

➞ The children of RLC will lead our 5:30pm worship service through word and song on Saturday, December 15. We invite all of you to come join us for an evening celebrating Advent and Christmas through the eyes of children.

➞ Kids Club, FaithBuilders, & Youth Group will gather on Sunday, December 9 at 12:15pm for baking cookies and Christmas caroling. Remember to sign-up by going to www.rlcindy.org; log-in; click sign-up sheets (on the left column); click Christmas Caroling. Sign-up deadline will be December 2!

➞ FaithBuilder & Youth Group Annual January Fellowship on Jan. 19-21, 2008 – Skiing at Swiss Valley!

RLC Staff Email . . . .

Pr. Dave. . . . . . . . . . . . PrDave@RLCIndy.org

Pr. Mitch. . . . . . . . . . . PrMitch@RLCIndy.org

Julie Peralta. . . . . . . . . . . . Julie@RLCIndy.org

Sherry Andersen. . . . . . .Music@RLCIndy.org

Ed Kistler. . . . . . . . . . . . . .EdK@RLCIndy.org

Susan Garten. . . . . . . . . .Susan@RLCIndy.org

Operation Christmas Child!

Please help create gift-filled shoe boxes for children around the world who are suffering the sorrows of war, disease, poverty, and natural disaster. Brochures are available at church which will give you step-by-step directions for creating a shoe box gift. Bring your shoe box to church by Sunday, November 11 and place it in the receptacle for Operation Christmas Child located in the Narthex. Your shoe box will travel around the world and be delivered into the hands of a child who will experience the joy of Christmas and the Good News of Jesus Christ. Questions? Call Steve & Pam Geniec at 885-8791.

Quilt

Marathon

WELCA is making quilts for Lutheran World Relief on Nov. 1-3 in the Fellowship Hall. They will begin Thursday, Nov. 1^st at 3:30pm to ???; Friday, Nov. 2^nd 9:00am-1:00pm & 3:30pm-???; and Saturday, Nov. 3^rd 9:00am-5:00pm. Come learn something new, renew your spirit of creativity, and enjoy the fellowship. Call Pat Hamby at 889-9218 with questions.