In November the seasons of the Church Year finally come to a close with Christ the King Sunday. It is the ending of one cycle and the beginning of another. This passing from one time to another is particularly significant at Resurrection since we are in a time of change for our Church. One of these changes has been through the task force on committees. The work of this task force has already begun but we are just beginning to reap the rich rewards from that work. Our New Stewardship committee has Chosen Christ the King Sunday as a day set apart to celebrate our personal commitment to Christ, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We do this by dedicating our lives, and our time, talent and treasure to the work of God here at Resurrection Lutheran Church. As we pass through November take the time to consider how God is calling you to participate in the ministry Jesus has entrusted to us. Take time to understand this mutual ministry and what role God is calling you to play in this Christ centered Community and then offer it as your living sacrifice to God on Christ the King Sunday.

The other new beginning is the ending of the process of discernment we have been involved in with Speed Leas and the ad hoc committee over the last two years. Arriving at a unanimous decision the council and the ad hoc committee have guided us to a place of new beginning, a time when we need to discern God’s will and seek new direction for Resurrection Lutheran Church. We have a rich history as a congregation we should draw upon. We have a purpose statement that tries to describe the vision or purpose God has for us as a people of God.

Our Purpose: (Who God has called us to be) is to be an inviting, life-changing community in Christ where people experience God in worship, in spirit and in relationships.

This is our core identity as a congregation. How we accomplish God’s will, must proceed from this core statement of our identity as a people of God. Much thought and study went into coming up with a simple description of how we are to accomplish God’s purpose here at Resurrection. It is a kind of to do list for each one of us as well as our congregation as a whole. Based on a study of Jesus’ own ministry it is not a linear progression. It is a circular process that continually renews itself as new people are invited into the ministry

Invite - Others to a relationship with Christ
Grow - Together as Disciples of Christ
Serve - Our Church, our community and the world as Christ calls us

No one is born into Christ; we are all invited and adopted by God’s will and our own choosing.

The recommendations of the ad hoc committee also left us with some tasks which they believe will help us to come to a place where we can grow stronger as a people of God. Some of these recommendations are specifically for me and I will seek the help and guidance needed to continue to improve in the areas that have been outlined. Other recommendations involve decisions and actions which will require study and consideration by the council and congregation as a whole. It is time to put away the difficult season we have passed through and look once again to the bright future Jesus has in store for us as a congregation. Look at the hard work of the ad hoc committee in this news letter and talk to one another and the council about the ways we should begin the task set before us. We cannot accomplish this in a brief period of time but I have faith that Jesus continues to walk along side us in this next step in the life of our congregation.

Being a true disciple means you have to walk the Masters path. Let us all set aside time in November to consider our personal commitment to God and the work set before us as a people of God here at Resurrection Lutheran Church.

Pastor Jim Bliss
November 2008