I truly hope that you were able to attend both Harvest Sunday and HarvestFaire recently.  This special Sunday proved to be an enjoyable day of both sharing and celebration.  During the traditional Harvest Sunday service, the RLC family shared their financial gifts for our partners at Reformation and Kikwe.  Then everyone retired to the Fellowship Hall for a celebration that included Bingo, auction items, a table raffle, Time&Talent Auction, the Sweet Treat Trot and the Men’s Harvest Dessert-Off  (Congrats Ross Wick for winning!).   Additionally, the RLC Youth Group provided a delicious soup luncheon to the crowd.

This is the third annual Harvest Sunday, our replacement for the perennial Sewerfest of yore.  But Harvest Sunday is not a stand-alone event.  It is the culmination of an almost year-long program entitled “Seeds of Love,” our outreach program.

For 2011, I was happy to hand the reigns of the Seeds of Love program over to Ron Reichert.   Ron’s previous involvements at RLC had demonstrated his passion and organizational abilities and I am so happy to see that the program was in such good hands over the past year.  Ron stepped up and took this program on with full force, getting involved in a year of activities and educational opportunities.  While we are still awaiting the final numbers for Harvest Sunday, initial reports indicate this will be a very substantial year for support to our partners.  Even beyond the financial support though, the past year helped strengthened partner relationships, provided a wealth of fellowship opportunities and increased our understanding of the challenges that our partners face on a daily basis.  Ron, I think I can speak for the entire congregation when I say “thank you” for your devotion and efforts in this key RLC program.  Outreach is at the core of the RLC mission and your efforts have helped us live our mission even further - Well done, my friend!

There’s a whole other layer of people who deserve thanks for their work on the Seeds of Love Program as well, and to name them would undoubtedly result in leaving a couple of key people out.  Recognizing this, I will not attempt to name them individually.  So “Team Seeds of Love,” please accept our collective thanks for all of your efforts!

As mentioned earlier, our partnerships are core to our mission and 2011 has been a critical year for these partnerships.   Last year, we celebrated Pastor Steve being installed at Reformation, and adding another dimension to the RLC/Reformation relationship.  This past summer, Dave Chappell, Mary Ackerman and Pam Crawford travelled to Tanzania, opening new doors for that partner relationship and providing a much greater understanding of Kikwe’s needs and challenges.  Where these partnerships will lead in the upcoming year remains to be seen, but I am confident that Resurrection’s outreach commitment will continue to grow as will the seeds of love.

Wishing you peace, love and joy in this harvest season,

Ben

 
 
I am happy to report that RLC has hired a new Director of Music. Linda Jakubowski will be coming to RLC after spending nearly 35 years at a neighboring ELCA congregation. A shared connection brought Linda to our attention and after meeting with her several times and hearing her both play and sing, Pastor Mary, Anita Marlin and I all agreed that she was an ideal fit for the position and the RLC family.   As you might imagine, after all those years, Linda has requested a later start date to help her current congregation with their musical transition. As such, Linda will be joining us on Sunday, December 1st for the first time.  

Linda’s responsibilities will include providing music for our worship services, as well as leading the choir and working with the praise band. As with our previous Directors of Music, Linda will be very involved in the planning of worship and music in conjunction with Pastor Mary and Anita Marlin, our Worship and Music Director. Linda will carry on our rich tradition of music and infuse her own personal style into our music. Linda is equally comfortable with both the traditional and electronic pianos and her demonstrations on both were a joy to experience. Her repertoire includes a wide range of musical styles that will be showcased in her prelude and postludes.   The beauty of her prelude music will no doubt enhance our new focus on quiet contemplation before our worship services begin. I am eager for everyone to meet Linda and experience her music and I feel that we have been blessed once again with someone who will enhance our “Celebration of God’s Grace.”    

No mention of music would be complete without another round of thanks to the wonderful group who has been carrying on our music program in the absence of a Director. First, a huge thank you to Anita Marlin, who has gone far beyond her worship and music role on the church council. Anita took the bull by the horns for both Amy’s departure and Pastor’s sabbatical and has coordinated interim people in both roles for the past few months. Anita, I offer my sincere thank you for all the hard work you have put into this and I know the entire congregation shares my feelings – Thank you!    And then there are our interim musicians, Pam Crawford and Caitlin Scherbert. These two have kept music alive and well at RLC and we appreciate both of your efforts and the joy that you have brought to our worship. Our thanks for what you have done and will continue to do until Linda arrives – Thank you, Thank you!!  

That’s the good news for now. Please note that I will be off the grid for a short time in early October following gastric bypass surgery. God has provided an opportunity for me to make a major change for the better in my life. I am excited and a bit nervous about the changes to come, but with God and my family’s love and support, I look forward to what lies ahead.  

One more note: Please prayerfully consider sharing your gifts of time and treasure on Harvest Sunday. Ron Reichert has put together a wonderful line-up for HarvestFaire, but please don’t forget about the Harvest Sunday service that same day and the spreading of the Seeds of Love. Our partners need our help and our contributions really do make a difference. Hope to see you there!   May God’s blessings continue to provide you with a bountiful harvest of life.   Ben