Schedule for the Coming Week at Resurrection Church
Sunday, November 12
9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. — Sunday School in the Parish Hall.
10:00 a.m. — Worship: Pastor Harold (Harry) Therwanger. We will bless the 12 Quilts and 99 Personal Care Kits that will be sent to Lutheran World Relief for distribution to people around the world.
Confirmation instruction is beginning and if you know a young person in grades 6 through 9 who would be blessed to learn more about our Faith, please let Pastor Harry know.
Hear the Story of St. Nicklaus on Sunday, December 3
The legend of Santa Claus is rooted in a real person, Nicklaus, Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor in the early 4th century A.D. He also participated in the Council of Nicaea.
So, he was a part of the drafting of what we today call the Nicene Creed. Come to hear more of St. Nicklaus' story in church on Sunday, December 3rd. Our own Nicklaus will share his story of giving gifts because of the gift of Jesus. Have the children bring a shoe to leave for St. Nick to fill.
Reusable Communion Glasses
The Creation Care Team has an assortment of small glass cups to give away to church members for your use during communion. Take one, keep it, and bring it back to reuse every Sunday! We encourage you to take one for every member of your family! This will help reduce the number of paper cups we throw away, thus reducing our waste and helping our church take one more step to care for creation! The glasses will be located in the Narthex.
Halloween Candy Donations for Soldiers' Angels - Treats for Troops
Wondering what to do with all of your leftover Halloween Candy? Want to give some of your Halloween candy to a great cause? Please consider dropping your donations into the basket in the Narthex on Sunday, November 5. Donations of candy will be received until Sunday, November 12. Our youth will create candy bags for the Soldiers' Angels - Treats for Troops program during Youth Group.
Music at Resurrection
Due to two of our volunteers leaving us, the Music at Resurrection committee is looking for two or three more people to join our committee. We meet once or twice a year (sometimes just by email) and we (try) to plan one or two concerts a year, normally in the spring and fall (always open for suggestions!). I, most likely, would be the coordinator of these concerts, unless you have a burning desire to do so! We also plan and bring snacks to the receptions after the concert. It is not rocket science, and more hands make less work! If you are interested in joining this committee or have any questions, please contact me, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or seek me out in the choir before or after the service. Thank you!
Lutheran World Relief Quilt Assembly Began on October 10
Lutheran World Relief Quilt Assembly started on Tuesday, October 10. We will meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. in Room 209 to layout, pin and tie quilts. No sewing experience is needed. You can sit to help us. Many hands make light work. Call 703-944-3462 if the Church door is locked. Thanks! Gail Flatness.
Lutheran World Relief Quilt and Personal Care Kit Blessing
On Sunday, November 12th, we will bless the 12 Quilts and 99 Personal Care Kits that will soon be sent to Lutheran World Relief for distribution to people around the world coping with poverty, disaster, conflict and more.
Special thanks to the members of the Congregation who donated money and items for the kits and to the young, and a few older, members who met in August to assemble the kits including Daniel Cuesta, Juan Cuesta, Christina Cuesta, Isabelle Cordero, Emily Roeseler, Nathan Bastuscheck, Kiersten Bastuschek, Gail Flatness, and Pastor Therwanger. Thanks also to our dedicated Quilt Group members Laurie-Beyer, Cindy Reese, Karen Butler and Gail Flatness.
Reserve Your Poinsettias for Christmas
Sunday, November 5, is the deadline for reserving your poinsettias in honor or memory of family and friends as part of Resurrection’s traditional Sanctuary Christmas decorations. Please complete the form provided in the Narthex along with our worship program and place them in the offering trays along with cash or a check made out to Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church with a notation that it is for poinsettias. A donation of $15 for each poinsettia is suggested. Reserved poinsettias are yours to take after the conclusion of the January 7, 2024, church service.
Collection of Food Items for AFAC on Sunday, November 19
We will receive donations of food items for AFAC on Sunday, November 19, in conjunction with our regular worship service. In the coming weeks, December 3, and December 17 will also be AFAC Sundays.
Thanksgiving Day Dinner at RELC on Thursday, November 23
The Thanksgiving Dinner sign-up sheet will be in the Narthex starting this Sunday, October 22. We plan on meeting at 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23 – the church will provide the turkeys, stuffing and wine, and everyone else may bring a side dish or dessert. Everyone is welcome, but anyone who would like to attend has to sign up, so that we know how many place settings to set out (and how much turkey we will need).
There is also a Resurrection Team registered for the Arlington Turkey Trot, so come out in the morning, do your part for hunger relief, and work up a proper appetite for dinner!! For Arlington Turkey Trot registration details, please visit: https://arlingtonvaturkeytrot.org/
Holiday Wreath Making on December 3
Mark your calendars for our Annual Holiday Wreath Making event on Sunday, December 3, following the worship service, in the Parish Hall. We will also be making Chrismon ornaments. Please come help us make these beautiful gold and glittery signs of the season.
Sign-up sheets will be available in the Narthex and in the Parish Hall. The suggested donation for all of the supplies is $10.00, which will benefit our youth attending the ELCA National Youth Gathering in 2024.
Help Decorate the Church for Christmas
Please join us on Sunday, December 17, after the service to help decorate and make the church festive for Christmas. Many hands are needed, and all ages are welcome!
Please Update Member Information
Resurrection is continuing to work on updating its membership directory with the most current, accurate and preferred contact information. Member Information forms are available in the Narthex. Please complete one, even if your information has not changed, and consider including a photo!
Including a Name in Sunday Prayers
We will be returning to having individuals who request to be named in the Sunday morning Intercessions. To add a name to be included in Sunday Intercessions during worship, please email or phone Pastor Harry by Thursday evening. The name will be included for one week, and if you wish to continue having someone named in the prayers, please update Pastor each week.
COVID Update for the Fall/Winter
With Fall underway and Winter not far behind, the Council approved the RELC Reopening Group (COVID Group) recommendation that the current "Masks Optional" policy is still appropriate (see below) with one change: for communion, ushers must wear masks along with communion assistants and the pastor. Mask wearing for ushers is optional at all other times. The COVID Group will continue monitoring CDC guidelines for COVID and other infectious concerns, and act accordingly.
Congregants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the following guidelines:
Masks are not required, but everyone should feel comfortable wearing a mask at any time, particularly those at high risk for severe illness.
Pastors, communion assistants, and ushers will wear masks for communion.
To the extent possible, congregants should maintain a safe distance in the pews when sharing the Peace of Christ with prayer hands and taking communion. Hand sanitizers will remain available throughout the church.
The wearing of masks in Sunday School will continue to be guided by parents.
The CDC recommends staying up-to-date with COVID vaccines and isolating at home if symptoms do occur, if one receives a positive test or if one is exposed to someone with COVID.
Call for "Steeple Light" Articles
Thursday, November 16, at noon is the upcoming deadline for articles, news updates and calendar items for the Fall issue of the "Steeple Light." Please submit your content to editor Alexandra Mattson by November 16. Thank you!
Can't make it to church? Watch us Live! Now Livestreaming Worship
To view our 10:00 a.m. Sunday worship service on YouTube live, click on the live worship link on the RELC home page on Sunday mornings during the worship hour and be redirected to the YouTube live stream. The Live Stream will "go live" at 9:55 a.m. on each Sunday morning. To view the service at a later time, go to our YouTube Channel. Click on the videos tab to browse archives of past services. Click on the Subscribe button and create an account to be notified when Live Streams are started or when other videos are added. For any questions, please contact the pastor.
Other Announcements?
Alexandra Mattson, the editor of our quarterly “Steeple Light” newsletter, is, at present, also serving as the editor of our Weekly Announcements messages, working closely with Council President Leslie Nolen. If you have any items that you wish to communicate in the Weekly Announcements as committee chairs or those responsible for other ministry initiatives at Resurrection, please send them via email to both This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by late Wednesday mornings for inclusion in the message for the coming Thursday. Thanks!