Resurrection Bell Ringer
October, 2006
Days of Grace . . . .
Death: Received by our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal joy in heaven was Florence Schallwig. May the comfort and hope of Jesus’ resurrection sustain Juergen and family and all who mourn her death.
Marriage: Marty Welch and Susan Shallabarger were united in marriage on September 9th at RLC. God’s Blessings!
Baptism: Received in the joy of the Christian community through Holy Baptism was Alex Christopher Dial. Alex is the son of Chris and Michelle Dial and born on June 14, 2006. Welcome to the Lord’s family!
In Our Prayers . . . .
Current prayer concerns are posted on the RLC bulletin board. If you are not currently on the prayer chain, you may sign-up to receive prayer concerns: log-on to RLCIndy.org and click on “join prayer chain.”
Resurrection Lutheran Church
445 East Stop 11 Road
Indianapolis, IN 46227
(317) 881-7854
http://www.RLCIndy.org
David P. Schreiber, Lead Pastor
Mitchell D. Phillips, Team Pastor
Julie F. Peralta,
Director of Youth Discipleship
Sherry Andersen,
Director of Worship & Music
Saturday Worship:
5:30pm
Sunday Worship:
8:00 and 10:45am
9:30am Discipleship Hour
Please join us for “40 Days of Community.” October 7th and 8th is the kickoff weekend for this great new program. The small groups start meeting on October 15th; the meetings will take place in homes or at the church once a week for six weeks. The focus will be on deepening relationships within our congregation.
Together, these groups will share in a community project – those details will be announced soon.
As a congregation, we will learn . . . .
…why we need others to fulfill our purpose in life.
…how God uses people to prepare us for eternity.
…why learning real love is life’s greatest lesson.
…how to turn bad relationships into great ones ….and much more.
Be sure to sign-up in the narthex for a small group, or call the church office.
In addition, we will focus on the 40 Days of Community in both our 9:30 Adult Discipleship Hour and Youth Discipleship Hour.
From the Staff . . . .
Therefore, let those who until now have had the privilege of living a Christian life together with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of their hearts. Let them thank God on their knees and realize: it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are still permitted to live in the community of Christians today.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Dear Friends,
The words above were written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in 1938. The Gestapo had just shut down the Confessing Church’s underground seminary at Finkenwalde, and Bonhoeffer sensed an urgency to share with the church at large the experience of intentional community – of life together – that he had lived out within the Brother’s House at the seminary. As I shared in a sermon last month, our program staff has committed to reading Life Together this fall, and the words above really struck me as I read them. I came to realize that I often do take for granted the privilege I have of spending my days in the company of other Christians.
I hope that by now you have heard the news that throughout this coming year, we will be focusing on the theme of community here at Resurrection. Let us be very clear in that we are not focusing on community because we think there is something wrong at Resurrection. Pastor Dave has led us into this focus precisely because there is something very right about Resurrection. People who visit Resurrection tell us that there is just a feeling about this place. Part of Resurrection’s history is that there has been a close sense of community here. We want to celebrate that and help everyone recognize what a special gift this is - especially those who have been here long enough to begin to take this gift for granted. Many who are coming to us from other churches have countless stories of just how non-community-like the church can be.
Let’s let Bonhoeffer speak to us again:
Christian community is not an ideal we have to realize, but rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate. The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our community is in Jesus Christ alone, the more calmly we will learn to think about our community and pray and hope for it.
What these words help me to recognize is that I don’t do anything to create community. The community that I enjoy has already been created by God - it is a gift. I have been given the privilege of living in community with other Christians. What that tells me is that we don’t need to concern ourselves with how to create a community. Instead, we simply need to be about the business of living in such a way that it reflects the community we are already a part of as the body of Christ. Now, I know that I used the word “simply” – I also know that the only simple thing about living in Christian community is that it is a gift from God. Humans beings - the sinful folks that we are - have a way of making community a not so simple matter.
That means we need to practice. Such practice happens in all sorts of ways, some of them without even thinking about it. One of the best examples is what happens in the narthex before and after worship. Folks cluster together to catch up with one another and find out how
things are going in their life. That’s great - but not everyone is included. Sit back and watch some Sunday. Notice the folks who get from the sanctuary door to the exit without anyone talking to them. Did they experience community? That’s an example of how we must be intentional about community in order for all to experience it.
God has already created the community that we enjoy and it is God who includes us in that community. The problem is that we don’t always sense that inclusion. That’s when we need the rest of the community to remind us that we are included, that God loves us. For us to extend that love of God to others requires some intentionality on our part. It means watching for the person who nobody is talking to. It means investing time within the community. It means developing the habits and practices that keep us connected to the community.
We experience community in so many ways, and on different levels. What we experience on Sunday morning is great - but it can go so much deeper. Folks who participate in small groups - such as ChristCare or the 40 Days of Community groups that will be forming this month - know the blessing of experiencing community at a deeper level. I have had some profound experiences of Christian community in my life – and I pray for those same kinds of experiences for others. I hope everyone at Resurrection will take advantage of the opportunity afforded to us by the 40 Days of Community to experience more deeply the gift and grace of Christian Community.
Discipleship Hour
3 yr. olds – 5th graders . . . .
Unity in the body of Christ: The Bible proclaims that we are the body of Christ in community. All believers have been given gifts to be used in the service of the body of Christ. During the October 5-week rotation our 3-year-olds through 5th graders will engage in learning how they are a part of the RLC Community through Movies, Drama, Science, Games, Art, and Cooking.
Discipleship Hour
FaithBuilders & Youth Grp. . . .
We were not created to be alone! Over the next eight weeks each group will be digging deeper into God’s Word, building relationships, and sharing in prayer, and discussing how we are the body of Christ. Our gifts in Christ are not used individually, but within the whole body of believers, the gifts are brought together to become one.
October 9:30 Adult Discipleship Hour . . . .
All adults are welcomed to grow in their faith through these educational opportunities –
this month each session is a self-contained experience –
please come any Sunday, even if you are not able to attend the series.
In the Church Sanctuary:
Oct 1: Confirmation Faith Statements
As a culmination of the 6-8th grade Confirmation FaithBuilders ministry, listen to our high school freshmen share what their Christian faith means to them on the day of their Confirmation.
Oct 8: Seminary Samplarian
Listen to our high school student, Lauren George, share her experience from this last summer’s three weeks at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH, “sampling” a potential call to seminary education and parish ministry. RLC also sponsored Josh Tatum several years ago in this wonderful vocational exploration.
Oct 15: 40 Days of Community: Introduction: Why We’re Better Together
A Bible study and discussion based on this Sunday’s sermon focused on the God-given gift of community. Why is it so important to love one another?
Oct 22: 40 Days of Community: Evangelism: Reaching Out Together
A Bible study and discussion based on this Sunday’s sermon focused on the Great Commission. The Church is not meant to be an exclusive club, but an intentionally outward-focused community. We look forward to our Mission Project coming on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Oct 29: 40 Days of Community: Fellowship: What Destroys Relationships & What Builds Them?
A Bible study and discussion based on this Sunday’s sermon focused on relationships. What can we learn from God’s relationship with us that can build up relationships with each other?
In Peter’s Port (classroom in Sunday School Wing)
Oct 8, 15. 22, 29 Listening for God in Literature: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
Led by Kathy Carlson, this discussion will also function informally as one of the “40 Days of Community” groups, as the novel will be examined through the lens of community. Purchase books on your own (Borders, alibris.com, etc) Contact kcarlson@franklincollege.edu with questions.
October 1st
9:30 Statements of Faith
10:45 Confirmation
Reception following
Aaron William Daugherty
Jessica Lynn Edelman
Amanda Louise Giorgianni
Kyle Ray McDonough
Conner James Moore
Joel Christopher Petersen
William Richard Schnabel
Jenna Marie Toney
Rachel Marie Wise
Fall Celebration Fellowship
Sunday, October 29 at 4:00pm
We will begin with trunk-or-treat followed by games and a meal together. The main meat dish and drinks will be provided. Please bring a side dish (salad, veggies, or dessert). FaithBuilders and Youth Group will have their learn/explore events following our meal. Bring a pumpkin for carving or painting!
Good Luck Pastor Mitch!
Pastor Mitch has submitted an application to the Louisville Institute for a sabbatical grant for next summer. The focus of the grant is “Leadership and Ministry through Teams.” The Louisville Institute serves the church at large by funding both pastoral leaders and institutions (universities, seminaries, etc.) who study the church, and is itself funded by the Lilly Endowment. This is a nationwide competitive grant program with up to 60 proposals being funded out of over 300 submissions. Recipients will be notified by November 30th. If you would like to learn more about the grant proposal, ask one of our pastors or a council member.
Thank You Dudley, Again ! ! !
Several years ago our staff threw a little party for our custodian, Dudley Daniel, as he retired from his exemplary work taking care of our facilities here at RLC (following retirement from his “real” career). Flash forward a few years . . . . in need of a custodian again, Dudley missed us so much, (okay, full disclosure, we talked him into it) he came back!!!! Forward again to this September, Dudley finally expressed his desire to really retire this time. (As all of you retired folks with grandchildren know, what that means is that he is simply too busy to continue working at RLC!)
Seriously, though, we as a staff and as a congregation are deeply indebted to Dudley and his stellar work ethic, faithful support, and loyal partnership. Thank you, Dudley!
As we examine the best way to provide for cleaning and maintenance of our facilities into the future, Ed Kistler, our Director of Business Affairs, will also be providing custodial services. Thanks, Ed!
S.A.M.’s Club . . . .
The S.A.M.’s Club will meet at church in the Fellowship Hall on Monday, October 16 at 7:00pm for an evening of fun and games. Bring your own games if you wish. Snacks and a dessert will be furnished. A festive Halloween theme will greet us but you don’t have to come in costume unless you want to! All RLC adults are invited to join in the fun!
F.F.M.T. Update
The Future Facilities Ministry Team has been meeting over the summer. We have been exploring several options including the possible acquisition of some of the land next door, i.e. Perry Park. We met with the Perry Township Administration and a committee made up of School Board Members in order to discuss and understand all of the issues related to this potential purchase. We hope to assist this School Board Committee in holding an informational meeting with residents of nearby homes to discuss this issue.
You may hear comments within the community. If a response is necessary, our message is that we are exploring several options related to our facility. We have always been a good neighbor and partner with the Perry Township School System and we intend to continue that excellent relationship.
If you have any questions or comments please contact any of the F.F.M.T. members: Leslie Daugherty, Brian Hewitt, Daryl Huber, Joyce Peterson, Michael McCarty, and Tom Myers.
– Michael McCarty
Youth News . . . .
KIDS CLUB Swimming!
If you are in grades 1st-5th please join us on Sunday, October 15 from 12:15-4:00pm for an afternoon of pizza and swimming! We will meet in the RLC Youth Room for pizza; then go to Indy Island for an afternoon of splashing.
Please sign-up on the bulletin board across from Ms. Julie’s office! Parents remember we need adults to drive and hang-out with us while at Indy Island.
Faith Stepping Stone #4:
My Bible
The My Bible Stepping Sone will continue with Pr. Mitch in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings until October 22. Our blessing service for when the parents present their child the “slightly-used” bible will be on Sunday, October 29 during the 10:45am worship service.
FB/YG Team Huddle
The FB/YG Team will huddle on Sunday, October 8 from 12:00-2:00pm, location TBD.
FaithBuilders’ Trailblazer Weekend
November 10-12, 2006
at Lutheran Hills
Discipleship Hour Rotations
The Fall Discipleship Hour Rotations are seeking Crew Leaders and Shepherds. A Crew Leader is a person who prepares and leads the same station for either a 4 or 5 week rotation with the 3-year-olds through 5th graders; a Shepherd is a person who moves from station to station each week with the 3-year olds or Pre-K children (no lesson prep) for the 4-5 week rotation. Fall Rotations will be:
Nov. 5-26 Community in Worship – Drama, Games, Movies, Cooking, Art, and Music/Computers
Dec. 3-17 Christmas – Computers, Games, and Art
Please visit the Safe Harbor to sign-up for one or more of the rotations this Fall. If you have any questions please visit with one of the DH Operations Team Members.
FB - YG Ski Trip
Planning Team Forming . . . .
If you are interested in being part of the Ski Trip 2007 planning team please contact Julie Peralta by email: julie@rlcindy.org or phone: 317.696.6634. The RLC annual ski trip will be the weekend of January 13, 2007.
E.L.W. . . .
A New Hymnal
We are in an exciting time in the church. Once in every generation a new core worship resource appears: a new treasury of worship, prayer, and song to help the church renew its worship life. Later this year we will reach one of those moments in our church’s history: A new hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship will be available for us to use in our worship.
Evangelical Lutheran Worship is the result of a five-year process during which Lutheran congregations all across North America were invited to test new worship materials and provide feedback to help build the best worship resources for the whole church. These new resources have truly been prepared by the whole church, for the whole church. They reflect the riches of our past, the gifts of the present, and the hope that we have for the future of God’s church.
On November 19th we will begin using Evangelical Lutheran Worship. We will be taking special offerings to help us with the purchase of these new hymnals. Look for special offering envelopes that you can use to contribute to this special effort starting in the middle of October.
In worship we receive God’s grace, freely given to us in Christ. In worship we respond with praise and thanksgiving to that freely given gift. As you prepare to support our church’s worship life through the gift of new worship resources, I invite you to respond with a grateful heart.
Joyfully, Sherry Andersen
Ministry Workshop
Saturday, October 7
8:30am – 2:00pm
8:30 Gathering Time with Coffee, Juice, and Goodies
9:00 Opening Devotions / Pastors Time
9:30 “How does the ministry I care about fit into the overarching vision of RLC – and how do I communicate that to others?”
11:30 “How does a ministry get started and how do I get the resources I need for my ministry?”
12:00 Lunch will be provided
12:30 “How do I get a team, make good use of a team, and ensure the team continues?”
1:30 Wrap-Up
This workshop is being planned for everyone who is committed to seeing RLC realize the vision that God has placed before us. That includes current ministry leaders and anyone who has an idea incubating for a new ministry. The workshop will also help ministry leaders prepare for the upcoming Ministry Fair on November 12th that will be part of the 40 Days of Community. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Mitch at PrMitch@RLCIndy.org.
To help us plan for lunch, please indicate your intent to attend the workshop on the yellow response from in the worship bulletin, or contact Pastor Mitch at 881-7854 or PrMitch@RLCIndy.org.
Now that school is back in session, the number of children in the nursery during worship has increased! For the children's safety, we would like to keep a ratio of children to caregivers at 5:1 or better, but recently it has been closer to 12:1, especially during the 10:45 worship time.
Please consider being a minister helper in the nursery during a worship service. These ministers only need to play with the children. The paid caregivers deal with all of the yucky stuff including diaper changes and potty breaks. It is a great opportunity to have some fun with the kids and help their parents focus on worship.
There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board across from the bathrooms in the narthex. Please stop by the nursery or talk to Jennifer Barrett if you have any questions.
– Child Care Ministry Team
Don’t forget to set your clocks back on Sunday, October 29th – Reformation Sunday!
Stephen Ministry Corner . . . .
In times of trouble, we look to caring friends to listen to us while we work through our feelings. A Stephen Minister can be such a friend, either to you or to someone you know. On September 24, Resurrection’s first class of Stephen Ministers was commissioned. These men and women gave 50 hours of their personal time to learn ways of caring for people with needs. They worked hard and contributed much to each of their classes. Now they are ready to serve.
They are committed to providing Christian care for others experiencing many different needs. If you or someone you know could benefit from the trained, caring presence and listening ear of a Stephen Minister, please contact either Pastor Dave or Pastor Mitch. (Please do not report a friend’s need without first asking his or her permission to do so.)
Please watch the bulletin board for information about each of our new Stephen Ministers. Congratulate them on their call to this ministry and their dedication to it.
Your Stephen Leaders,
Gloria Aplin, Joanne Daniel
Choir News . . . .
Do you like to sing? Short on time? We are looking for singers that would like to sing with the Senior Choir for Christmas Eve and/or any of the Sundays in December during Advent! Rehearsals for Advent will begin Wed. November 1st and rehearsals for Christmas Eve will be on Wednesday, December 6th. Please join us! Contact Sherry Andersen 881-4149 with any questions.
Angels - Shepherds - Kings
Children’s Musical . . . .
Our 2006 children’s Christmas musical will be on Saturday, December 16 during the 5:30pm worship service. Mark your calendars NOW! Watch your mailbox for more information coming soon!
ChristCare Update . . . .
People who participate in ChristCare groups know the blessing of experiencing Christian community. Because of this, many of our ChristCare groups are playing a pivotal role in the 40 Days of Community. Some groups will become a 40 Days of Community small group and invite others to join them during that time. Other groups are taking a hiatus during the 40 Days so that the group members can serve as facilitators for 40 Days of Community small groups, thereby enabling more people to participate in this small group experience.
A New Training Group . . . .
At the end of August, Pastor Mitch formed a new ChristCare group for the purpose of training some new ChristCare Group Leaders. Participating in the group are Chris & Kathy Kinnett, Jim Locke, and Ashley & Trish Thompson. They will meet together for sixteen weeks to experience life in a ChristCare group and to prepare for leading their own groups. The new groups will be ready to launch in January.
If you have any questions about ChristCare, please talk with or e-mail Pastor Mitch (PrMitch@RLCIndy.org).
“Partners In Grace” . . . .
October Mission Trip
The “Partners in Grace” Ministry Team has developed a plan to continue efforts in helping the people of the greater Gulf Coast Community in their rebuilding efforts. The plan involves a 3-5 year commitment of service to that community by sending work teams to complete assigned tasks through a work order system developed by the City of Pass Christian Volunteer Services organization. Both skilled laborers and volunteer workers are needed to assist with new construction, refurbish existing homes, debris removal, as well as working in the library or helping with data entry for the city. Throughout the summer, these communities have seen a decrease in volunteers, but still have a great need for assistance. A team of volunteers from Resurrection will be in Pass Christian during the week of October 14-21.
Book Drive for Long Beach, Mississippi
A second part of the plan is to identify specific projects that will help in restoring resources within the community. Our first such project is the hosting of a book drive for the benefit of the Long Beach Public Library. Donated books, audio books, DVD’s, videos and CD’s are being collected through the end of October. A wish list of award winning children’s series books has been established on www.amazon.com/wishlist in an effort to restock this library with the volumes of children’s books that were washed away in the storm surge. The wish list can be viewed by entering Resurrection Lutheran Church in the appropriate space. New books will be shipped directly to RLC. Used books are also acceptable, but third party sellers may not agree to ship directly to the church. They can still be purchased and then dropped off at the church in the collection box in the Narthex. Another team will be formed to deliver these resources to the Long Beach Library once they have moved into their refurbished building. Watch for a possible trip some time in January.
For more information about these programs, or to assist the committee, please contact Joyce Peterson at 887-1899 or Paul Wessel at 889-8002.
Many ❝Thanks❞ . . . .
❖ Donna and I want to thank everyone for their kindness and their prayers for my mother, Eva, during her final months. For all of you who faithfully sent so many cards and notes, we want you to know that it helped to brighten her day in the nursing home when we would open and read them to her. And of course, knowing that you were there made it that much easier on the both of us. Thanks again. – Bob Schofield
❖ Thanks to everyone for the cards, calls and prayers during my brother’s illness. God bless you all! – Judy Lewis
❖ Thank you for the kind expression of sympathy for the loss of my husband, Don Newswanger, in Minnesota. – Jean Newswanger
Seminary Samplarian
Thank You to RLC . . . .
Some of you may not know, but over the summer I was lucky enough to spend three weeks at Trinity Lutheran Seminary for Summer Seminary Sampler. Seminary Sampler gave me the opportunity to work with inner-city kids and participate in leading a worship service. I was also able to help troubled families by working at the YWCA, Ronald McDonald House, the Mid-Ohio food bank, and many other organizations. I also had the opportunity to learn systematic theology, look deeply into the New Testament, and grow in my faith through classes taught by seminary professors.
With Seminary Sampler I have explored in finding God’s call for me in life. I would like to thank the RLC staff and the congregation for supporting me and giving me this once in a life time experience! Thank you, Lauren George
(note . . . Lauren will share her experiences during the 9:30 adult discipleship hour on Oct. 8th.)
QuiltMakers . . . .
WELCA QuiltMakers will be meeting at Pat Hamby's Basement Sewing Room on the following Monday mornings and evenings in October. We look forward to having more come to cut out blocks and begin sewing blocks together to make quilt tops. A special sewing day will be scheduled after the first of the year to put tops, batting and backs together. But for October, the sewing room will be open from 9:30 to noon and 7-9pm on Mondays, October 10, 16, 23, & 30, unless Pat is called out of town. Please call office for any schedule change.
Sign-up for a
40 Days of Community
Small Group
on the tables in the Narthex