Ministries at Resurrection Lutheran Church
Below is a list of all of our ministry opportunities, divided into sub-categories. Just click on a ministry that interests you, and you will be directed to more information on that ministry!
1.) Worship
2.) Learning
3.) Evangelism
4.) Lay
5.) Service
6.) Donation Opportunities
7.) Support
8.) Governance/Staff Support
The Worship Team oversees the worship life of Resurrection: the Gathering, the Word, the Meal, and the Sending. The Team's goal is to receive all worshippers, regardless of where they are on their Christian journey, by offering diverse, engaging, and welcoming worship experiences. The Team coordinates the theme, order of worship, music, liturgy, drama, bulletin, and PowerPoint presentations of the Saturday evening and Sunday morning worship services, as well as the special services during Lent, Holy Week, and Advent. The Worship Team usually meets the first Monday of every month.
Acolyte Training is provided for late elementary school students during the school year in order to prepare our young people to serve in this worship ministry role.
The Adult Choir frequently sings a variety of contemporary and traditional choral settings at Sunday worship services throughout the school year. New members are always welcome.
Each week an Altar Guild member is responsible for washing and ironing the used purificators, adding liquid wax to the altar candles, and dusting altar furnishings. As needed, an Altar Guild member also lines the frontlet with the color appropriate for the season of the church year. A detailed job description is on file in the church office, and training is provided.
Through the Baptismal Banner and Cloth Ministry, Resurrection provides hand-made banners and embroidered baptismal cloths to newly baptized members as a way of welcoming them into the family of God.
The mission of Resurrection’s Drama Ministry Team is to “craft simple, heartfelt, potentially transforming moments to help lead the congregation into worship.” People of all ages and abilities are invited to participate. Possible roles include directing, acting, stage managing, running sound, designing and building props, and costuming. Every drama project also includes time for the group to pray together, share personal concerns and successes, and build relationships.
First Communion classes are offered for children in the fifth grade and their parents at least once during each school year.
Kids’ Choir is a choir for children, approximately first through fourth grade. The group provides occasional special music during church services. The choir will rehearse on Sunday mornings following the 8:15 a.m. worship service. In addition, the Pre-K and Kindergarten Sunday School classes will have music time while the older grades are practicing.
Resurrection's Music Guild exists to complement the Word and Sacrament in worship through the art of music. The Guild gives those with musical abilities an opportunity to utilize those gifts on behalf of God’s Kingdom. Currently, the Guild provides contemporary and traditional music for the Saturday Alive at Five and Sunday blended worship services. In addition, we provide music for our alternative worship services. We also, on occasion, take our music beyond the walls of Resurrection as Hosanna Sonset.
Our Puppet Ministry is an entertaining and heart-warming way of sharing the gospel with both children and adults. A puppet sermon is presented during the first and third Saturday and Sunday worship services each month. Resurrection members write and perform the plays which are based on the service’s worship themes and/or Scripture passages. On the alternate Sundays, the Pastor gives a children's sermon. Each session ends in a prayer focusing on our children's needs and concerns.
Resurrection’s Visual Enhancements Team designs and creates works of art for our worship spaces, including banners and seasonal decorations. The team also changes banners for each church season and decorates the sanctuary with flowers and greenery for Easter and Christmas.
Baptism Building Blocks (BBB) is Resurrection’s youth and children’s ministry team. The Team’s mission is to further develop a youth/children ministry that focuses on constructing the building blocks of knowledge, faith, service and fellowship from birth to adulthood. The Team’s goals include nurturing, educating, supporting and encouraging Resurrection’s youth with a Biblical base so they are prepared to make good life decisions (Knowledge); assisting families in meeting their baptismal promises by providing a spiritual foundation for Resurrection’s youth and the adults who support them (Faith); providing opportunities for youth to become the Body of Christ in action (Service); and providing opportunities for youth to be involved in a Christian community (Fellowship). Sunday School for three-year-olds through senior high students, Confirmation instruction, youth activities for fourth-grade through college-age students, Vacation Bible School, and Asset Building events are supported by the BBB Team.
Adult Education at Resurrection includes the weekly Adult Forum and long-term Bible Studies. Adult Forum meets on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Forum study opportunities are diverse in topic as well as in the manner in which they are presented. Presentations are made by pastors and/or lay persons and are offered in either a large group lecture or a small group discussion format as best suits the subject. Longer term Bible Study courses are also offered. Meeting dates and times vary with the courses. Watch for announcements about upcoming Adult Forum topics and Bible Study courses.
The mission statement for Resurrection's Confirmation is "Our confirmation ministry provides a growing, sharing, and learning environment for students to personally encounter God and respond to him through faith as giver of life and grace through Jesus Christ." Confirmation provides 7th- and 8th-grade youth with an overview of the Old and New Testaments and the Lord's Prayer, as well as the history and doctrine of the Lutheran Church. The Faith Inkubators curriculum is utilized. Classes are held on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. during the school year. Students also participate in one overnight retreat in the fall and one lock-in in the spring. Eighth-graders reaffirm their baptismal vows at a special service in May.
The DISCIPLE Bible Study will meet on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m., beginning on September 4 and ending in May 2008. Pastor David will lead the sessions. DISCIPLE assumes that the Bible is the key to renewal in the church and invites persons to bring their experiences and struggles to Scripture. The course material recognizes the human-divine nature of the Bible: the actual texts of Scripture were written by human beings like us in their cultural settings, under the divine inspiration of God. This study requires reading large portions of Scripture each week and is based on careful study and preparation. The study this year – DISCIPLE: UNDER THE TREE OF LIFE – concentrates on the Writings (Old Testament books not in the Torah or the Prophets), the Gospel of John, and Revelation. Emphasis on the Psalms as Israel’s hymnbook and prayer book leads naturally to an emphasis on worship in the study. Present through the entire study is the sense of living toward completion – toward the climax of the message and the promise, extravagantly pictured in the Revelation.
The Library, located in the Resurrection Narthex, is open to all members of our congregation and community. We seek to provide materials to inform, educate, entertain, and serve the spiritual needs of groups and individuals of all ages. The library features a variety of books, videos, audio books, music, Bibles, and reference materials. A wide range of books for children and youth are also available. Adult selections are color-coded into several categories including Christian Living, Devotions, and Fiction. Borrowing instructions for all of these items can be found at the check-out desk.
Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO), Resurrection's Senior High Youth Group (through age 21), meets on Sunday mornings and evenings and offers opportunities for Christian growth and support through Bible study and meditation, small group activities, retreats, youth gatherings, worship, service projects in Bloomington-Normal, and a summer servant trip to Appalachia.
A Prayer Partner program for everyone ages three and up will take place from January to April. Interested Sunday School students will pair up with caring adults and enjoy several opportunities to build their relationship and pray for each other during organized activities. If the partners choose, they can also sit together in church, visit each other’s Sunday School classes, or just “hang out.” To culminate the program, a Prayer Partner Celebration Banquet will be held at Resurrection in April.
Sunday School for students age 3 through high school is held on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. during the school year.
A Vacation Bible School (VBS) program for those who have completed 3-year-old-Sunday School through 6th grade takes place each summer. The program includes drama, music, crafts, recreation, Bible stories, and snacks. Numerous youth and adults also support VBS through participation or prayer. The 2008 VBS will be held from Sunday, June 22, to Thursday, June 26.
The Community Relations Team focuses on how Resurrection is presented in the community and how our facility is best used to welcome and communicate with both guests and members. The team’s current efforts include the introduction of our new logo, interior and exterior signage, development of a “standards” binder, and web site enhancement. Resurrection is a unique and distinctive congregation. The Community Relations Team’s task is to assure that the “face” we present to the world accurately and attractively reflects who we are.
The Life on the Vine New Member Ministry (LOV’nMM) organizes and implements "Life on the Vine," an intentional process for walking with our new members during their first year. LOV'nMM coordinates introductory "Rooted in Faith" Sessions and New Member Luncheons. Through the Life on the Vine process, new members are encouraged to discern where their gifts can be used in the ministry of the church. New members are introduced to community life at Resurrection through fellowship events, worship services, Bible study/small group opportunities, missional service, and acts of discipleship.
A Way with Words Writers Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at the Mennonite Church of Normal. A Way with Words was created to give energy to writing for accomplished writers, budding writers, aspiring writers, and even those who want to find new and wonderful ways to record events such as journaling, memory vignettes, etc. If you have a twinkling inside of you that embraces the friendship of words, woven into sentences, built into the fabric of stories, poems, plays, articles, journals.... come join us. The group has been meeting for several weeks, and new friendships have been formed, new projects started, old projects finished, and dreams are flourishing – all within A Way with Words!
The Funeral Meal Ministry provides and serves a meal to bereaved congregation members and friends prior to or after a funeral or memorial service at Resurrection.
The purpose of the RLC Golf Group is to provide participants an opportunity to spend time enjoying themselves with fellow Christians. The group is also structured to provide RLC members the opportunity for outreach by being open to any and all who want to participate. Those wishing to receive monthly information about tee times and dates are on an e-mail distribution list and can choose when they’d like to play. All skill levels and abilities are welcome.
The mission of the Hospitality Ministry is to nurture an atmosphere of friendliness and community among both Resurrection members and visitors. Its main responsibility is to coordinate meals for Rooted in Faith events and New Member Orientations. The Hospitality Ministry also plans and hosts other church social events, often working with other congregational teams.
The Meal Ministry provides meals to congregation members during times of stress or transition such as hospitalizations, births, and deaths. Please contact the church office to request meals for yourself or someone else, and one of the coordinators will get in touch with you.
At 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays, the Midweek Prayer Group, a group of members and staff, gather in the Resurrection Sacristy to share scripture or a short devotion as well as personal prayer requests. Then they pray together. Prayer is mainly focused on the church and church-supported ministries, but is not limited to these topics. Drop in and pray with us.
Resurrection's Parish Nursing Ministry assists members of the congregation to become more aware of their health and move toward a fuller sense of wholeness by providing physical, emotional, and spiritual care for individuals and families. Although a Parish Nurse does not give hands on care, she can support members through hospital and home visits. The Parish Nurse is also available by phone or email to any members who have a personal or family health concern they would like to discuss. In addition, blood pressure screening is offered at Resurrection on the first weekend of every month.
Partners in Healing Shared Ministry Projectof the Brokaw-Mennonite Association and BroMenn Healthcare System. Each month we are asked to pray for the patients, families, doctors, nurses, and staff of a particular care unit at either BroMenn Regional Medical Center or Eureka Community Hospital.
Each year, the people of Resurrection are asked to discern God's call regarding how they are to serve this community with their time and abilities. People Power – Worship opportunities include roles that enable us to worship, such as Greeters, Ushers, Lectors, Communion Assistants, and Nursery Workers. Each year, the people of Resurrection are asked to discern God's call regarding how they are to serve this community with their time and abilities. The People Power Teams for Saturday and Sunday worship services are then re-formed to facilitate new participation. Families and members of any age are invited to participate in various roles. People Power training and mentoring is provided as needed.
People Power – Non-Worship roles include assisting with office tasks, maintaining our building and property, helping with meals and hospitality, and participating in learning, care-giving, service, small group leadership, short-term projects, and many other ministry teams. All Resurrection members and friends are encouraged to discern how their gifts can support the ministries of the church through People Power.
The Prayer Chain is a confidential ministry through which concerns of the church family and surrounding community are lifted before the Lord in prayer by men and women of the congregation. Requests are passed through a telephone/e-mail tree and can be made to Toni Cunningham, the church office, or a Communion Prayer during worship services. New Prayer Chain members are welcome at any time--contact Toni to join.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry reaches out to congregation members in need of comfort and solace by creating knitted or crocheted shawls in a spirit of prayer. Handmade blankets can also be used. Patterns, instruction, and support are available. Please contact Pastor Mary or Mary Meier if you would like to participate or if you have suggestions for shawl recipients.
A new season for Small Group Ministry began at Resurrection in 2006, based upon the Growing People through Small Groups system. All existing small groups have been invited to receive support and encouragement from this process. Several people received leadership training, and several new groups were formed as a result of members' interests and passions.
Stephen Ministry provides confidential one-on-one lay Christian caregiving to individuals experiencing life transitions, losses, and grief. Stephen Ministers are trained in listening and other supportive skills. Care is offered to both members of Resurrection and the Bloomington-Normal community. In addition, RLC’s Stephen Ministers provide bereavement, homebound and hospitalization communion, and new baby ministries for the congregation.
More about Stephen Ministry at Resurrection
The Women's Ministry at Resurrection is dedicated to growing spiritually through worship and study and building relationships through fellowship, education, social awareness and serving. Several activities are planned for 2007-2008 to meet these guidelines. They will be held at different times and days and will offer a variety of relevant topics in an effort to meet the diverse needs of the women of RLC and their guests.
The Women's Wednesday Morning Bible Study – C.C.L.A.S.S. (Christ Centered Learning and Sharing Servants) is open to all who are interested in Bible study and offers a support system to women by sharing and caring for each other in their daily lives. The group meets at RLC the first and third Wednesday of each month from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
The goal of the Service Team is to coordinate, nurture, and facilitate the “beyond our walls” ministries of the outreach teams already functioning at Resurrection and to evaluate additional potential service opportunities for the congregation. The Team members act as an advisory board to the Council, rather than as the doers of service.
Adopt-a-Family takes place during the Christmas season. The congregation combines resources to fulfill the Christmas dreams of a needy family identified by the Children's Foundation.
Resurrection's sixth annual Adult Work Trip to Sunset Gap Community Center in Cosby, Tennessee, will take place in the spring of 2008. The group will live in the Sunset Gap dorm and eat meals in the dining hall. Home repair and construction projects will be selected based on the various participants’ skills and interests.
Central Illinois Organizing Project (CIOP) is a multi-issue, faith-based community organization composed of 32 Central Illinois congregations and grassroots groups, of which Resurrection is a charter member. CIOP organizes people and congregations by identifying local issues people wish to change and then meeting with decision-makers to make change happen. CIOP staff has special expertise in identifying predatory lending, anti-foreclosure strategies, and high cost home lending issues. Farmers Supporting Independent Agriculture (FSIA) is a CIOP member group that focuses on issues facing rural families and communities. FSIA works to save family farms, preserve local communities, and promote sound stewardship of God's creation.
Clare House provides a food pantry and a twice-weekly soup kitchen for the hungry and homeless of McLean County. Resurrection members donate food, supplies, and funds on a regular basis.
Resurrection participates in Faith in Action, an interfaith ministry to the elderly. Faith in Action volunteers assist senior citizens and their families in Bloomington/Normal with maintaining their independence by providing volunteer assistance with transportation, telephone reassurance calls, friendly visits, and respite for caregivers. To learn more about Faith in Action, obtain an application form, or register for the required two-hour training class, contact the church office.
Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization whose medical missions bring healing, health, and hope to thousands of impoverished Haitians each year. FOTCOH operates a free clinic in Cyvadier, Haiti, providing diagnosis, treatment, and medication for people who would otherwise never have the opportunity to see a doctor. Various Resurrection ministry groups support FOTCOH through prayers, personal hygiene kits, special offerings, and child sponsorships. In addition, several Resurrection members will participate in the 2007-2008 medical missions to Haiti.
Habitat for Humanity is an inter-denominational ministry in which volunteers help build homes for people with limited resources. Resurrection is a member of a multi-Lutheran church team that builds a home each year. We provide a construction team and snacks one Saturday a month. A fundraising team acts to create a means for RLC to help subsidize the materials costs of the home.
Resurrection participates in the Lutheran World Relief Coffee Project, a ministry which helps small coffee farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia earn enough money to support themselves and their families using sustainable, environmentally friendly farming practices when possible. Equal Exchange, a fair trade organization which has partnered with LWR, buys coffee directly from small coffee farmer cooperatives and then sells it to Lutheran congregations. Equal Exchange organic, shade-grown coffee is served during the Sunday School hour and other fellowship events. In addition, Equal Exchange coffee, tea, chocolate, and cocoa products can be purchased in the Nursery Alcove. Taste some justice for yourself!
RLC has pledged to provide financial support to Doug Cox as he serves in Madagascar as a part of Project Shalom, a ministry of the Malagasy Lutheran Church in partnership with the Norwegian Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Project Shalom is a holistic outreach to Muslim people combining health care with efforts at interpreting the Gospel for Muslims. The Tolagnaro and Ambovombe Synods of the Malagasy Lutheran church are companion synods to the Central/Southern Illinois Synod. We also partner with Manna for Madagascar by sponsoring handicraft sales and other fundraising projects. Led by Monica Cox, Manna for Madagascar is a network of handicraft centers formed to empower women to sell their products, thus enabling them to provide food, medical care, school, and basic needs for their families. Manna artisans produce valuable handcrafts in community with other women, receive a fair wage under appropriate working conditions, and find a source of spiritual nurture through this unique ministry.
Safe Harbor is a downtown Bloomington homeless shelter sponsored by the Salvation Army. On the first and third Monday evenings of every month, Resurrection members contribute, prepare, and serve meals at the facility.
The Compassion Center is a daytime homeless shelter currently located at Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Bloomington. Several RLC members volunteer at the center on a regular basis. A list of Compassion Center needs and a box for contributions are available at Donation Station in the church Narthex.
Give the Gift of Sight provides free vision care and eyewear to underprivileged individuals in North America and developing countries around the world. An RLC member has served on several mission teams. A box for used eyeglasses is located at Donation Station in the church Narthex.
Jesus House holds church services and provides a Christ-centered shelter for Bloomington’s homeless, hungry, and hopeless individuals. Pamphlets outlining their ministry as well as a list of cupboard supply needs can be picked up from Communication Station. A bin for contributions of coffee, hot and cold drink mixes, snack items, and paper products to serve those who come to the house is available at Donation Station.
Located in Butler, Illinois, Love Packages relies on volunteers of all ages to donate, sort, and prepare Christian materials for shipment worldwide. RLC is partnering with St. John’s Lutheran in Bloomington to collect Bibles, Christian books, and bicycles to be sent overseas. A large donation barrel is in the church Narthex.
The Midwest Food Bank gathers large food donations from nationwide corporations and distributes them to social service organizations, free of charge, to help those in need. Resurrection volunteers help sort and pack items as youth and congregational service projects.
Secure the Call Foundation is an organization that collects old cell phones and recycles them to be used as 911 emergency phones for domestic violence shelters, neighborhood watch groups, crossing guards, and other agencies with an immediate need for 911 access. Old cell phones may be placed in the designated bin at Donation Station.
The Personnel Team develops and reviews Resurrection's Human Resources guidelines and policies. More specifically, the Personnel Team oversees compensation issues, evaluation and supervision of staff, and hiring and dismissal of staff. The Team also serves as a resource for staff member concerns.
The Support Team establishes and guides processes by which the church maintains and improves its facilities, grounds, and associated systems. By utilizing the talents and abilities of Resurrection members and partnering with other teams, it completes a diverse range of projects that support the ministries, missions, and activities of the church and prepare it for future growth.
Through our Child Protection Code of Conduct, Resurrection strives to protect children of all ages who participate in our church-related activities. The goal of the Code of Conduct is to prevent abuse of our children and to protect our church staff and volunteer workers from potential allegations of abuse. Significant measures in the Code include criteria for who may serve in children's ministries at Resurrection; mandatory training on preventing, recognizing, and reporting abuse for all staff and volunteers who are likely to be alone with children; and procedures regarding reporting and investigating allegations of child abuse.
The Gifts and Graces Team (formerly called the Stewardship Team) leads our members toward growing in grace and in giving of themselves to God and to the ministries and mission of Resurrection. This work includes financial and stewardship education, worship and prayer, and completion of faith promises for giving our time and abilities and our financial resources.
The Memorial and Investment Trust Team (MITT) oversees the investment of RLC’s assets and reserves. The Team also serves as a resource for congregation members wanting to explore options available for financial support of our mission and vision. The MITT holds meetings on an as-needed basis to make purchase/redemption decisions, discuss possible uses of the funds for the congregation, and discuss possible informational forums to offer to the congregation.
Resurrection participates in Simply Giving, a voluntary Thrivent-sponsored program that coordinates free automatic electronic funds transfers for offerings. Simply Giving simplifies giving for individuals and families and ensures giving to God first.
Resurrection’s weekly newsletter, the Spirit, strives to communicate what happens at Resurrection as well as why or how our various ministries occur. Regular features include a nine-day calendar, letters from staff or lay leaders, articles about events in the life of the congregation, bulletin board items, and birth, marriage, bereavement, and address change announcements. You may e-mail articles to Mary Meier. All submissions are subject to editing.
The Congregation Council’s duties include leading our congregation in stating its mission, doing long-range planning, setting goals and priorities, and evaluating its activities in light of its mission and goals. The Council also seeks to involve all members in worship, learning, witnessing, service, and support and to help empower and engage the lay ministers of our congregation. In addition, the Congregation Council is responsible for the financial and property matters of the congregation. Council meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month.
The Executive Team oversees the management of the congregation between regular and specially called meetings of the Council. The Team reports its actions regularly to the Congregation Council and the Congregation. Members of the Executive Team are the Congregation Council President, Vice President, Secretary, and Immediate Past President as well as the Pastors and the Professional Staff.
The Mutual Ministry Team is a small group of congregation members who meet regularly to maintain a healthy relationship between the congregation and its pastor(s). This assures the congregation and pastor(s) work together toward a common goal – to seek and serve the vision and mission of the congregation in a “mutual ministry” of God’s service.
Summary of Ministry Links:
Hosanna Sonset: http://www.myspace.com/hosannasonset
Confirmation: http://ballz.ababa.net/rlcgodsquad/
LYO: http://www.rlclyo.org/
Adult Work Trip: http://www.sunsetgap.org/
Central Illinois Organizing project: http://www.ciop.org/
Faith in Action: http://www.fiavolunteers.org/
Friends of the Children of Haiti: http://www.fotcoh.org/
Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitatmclean.org/
and http://www.habitat.org/
Project Shalom: http://www.projectshalom.org/CSK/default.aspx
The Gift of Sight: http://www.givethegiftofsight.com/
Jesus House: http://www.jesuscoffeehouse.com/
Love Packages: http://www.lovepackages.org/
Midwest Food Bank: http://www.midwestfoodbank.org/?link=home
Secure the Call: http://www.donatemycellphone.org/
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