Special Congregational Meeting

The Church Council recommends refi-nancing our mortgage loan at a lower inter-est rate and seeks congregational approval. A special meeting has been called for Sun-day, April 7 at 12:15 pm to vote on their recommendation.

A congregational meeting many years ago, on May 22, 2005, approved a Council rec-ommendation to secure a 15 year mortgage at 5.75% with Thrivent Financial for Lu-therans for $1,190,000. The monthly pay-ment was $9,882. The current balance on the loan is $509,934.

The new proposal is for a 7-year loan at 4.0% with Thrivent Financial, with a re-quired monthly payment of $6,450, but we will strive to continue to pay around $9,900/month in order to pay off the loan by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

New Member Course

Our spring new member course begins on Sunday, April 7 at 9:45. It will meet in the far end of the fellowship hall for 6 consec-utive Sundays. The class will also be of-fered on Wednesdays at 7 pm, starting April 10, as an alternative to Sundays.

Music & Munchies for Malaria

In 2013 LCR will be joining the fight against malaria with other congregations in the ELCA. It is estimated that a child dies of malaria every minute of the day. A mu-sical benefit concert is being planned for Saturday, April 20 at 4 pm, featuring our LCR choirs and musical groups. Refresh-ments will be served after the concert. If you are unable to attend, there will be oth-er opportunities in 2013 for the congrega-tion to help reduce and fight infections of this disease.

Bishop Burk Visit

Mark your calendar for Sunday, May 5, when our Southeastern Iowa Synod Bishop Michael Burk will be with us to preach at all 3 morning worship services. Bishop Burk is a native Iowan, growing up in Grinnell. He is a graduate of Wartburg College and Wartburg Seminary. He was elected bishop of our synod in 2008.

This is a rare opportunity to meet our bish-op face to face and hear him preach at Res-urrection. Peace, Pastor Dennis

Adult Faith Development .......... 5

Children’s Ministry .. 4

Council News ......... 11

Fellowship .............. 8

Ministry .................. . 3

Prayers .................. 10

Stewardship ........... 11

Wednesday Youth Education…………. 9

Worship ................. 2

Young Adults ......... 8

Inside This Issue

Volume 54: Issue 4 April 2013 Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

Talk Cross

Pastor Dennis Johnson - dennis@lcrmarion.org Pastor Kevin Jones - kevin@lcrmarion.org Pastor Blair A’Hearn - blair@lcrmarion.org

SS Disciple Ship Coordinator - Tammy Evans, tammy@lcrmarion.org Praise Island & WNL Coordinator - Jill Hansen, jill@lcrmarion.org

Youth/Young Adult Coordinator - Katie Kascel, katie@lcrmarion.org Secretaries - Anne Armstrong & Emily Carson, office@lcrmarion.org

Office Manager - Evelyn Beck, evelyn@lcrmarion.org Volunteer Coordinator - Marcia Edwards, marcia@lcrmarion.org

Custodian - Pat Knight, p.knight@mchsi.com

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Contact Us Church office hours: Monday – Friday,

9 am – 4 pm Phone: 319-377-4689

Fax: 319-377-4680

Worship

April 07 & 10: My Lord and My God! The Sunday after Easter is celebrated by many churches around the world as “Bright Sunday” or “Joy Sunday.” On this day, as we hear the gospel story of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the upper room on Easter Night, we think of the Resurrection as God’s practical joke on the devil. Wear your brightest colors on this day and come expecting some jokes and other surprises in worship. April 14 & 17: What Is That to You? Jesus invites each of us to a personal path of discipleship that is unlike any other. When Peter worried about the path of another disciple Jesus reminded him, “You must follow me.” April 21 & 24: Christ in Us Marianne Williamson writes, “Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.” As part of the natural world it is difficult for most of us to fathom the possibility that God is in us. We settle into our brokenness because letting God come alive in us is a scary proposition. But through the apostle Peter, God encourages us not to fear but to recognize Christ’s in-dwelling, embrace the power of God and let that light live in and through us. April 28 & May 1: A New Commandment As Jesus met in the upper room with his disciples before he went to the cross, he said to them: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” We will explore what this new commandment might mean for us in our daily lives as Jesus’ disciples.

Average Worship Attendance 2013 2012 2011 March 673 611 597 Year to Date 606 585 536

Time and Talent

Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out a Time and Talent sheet. The schedules sent out for April will reflect the new volunteer lists. If you have not yet filled out a sheet, they are available at the Welcome Center. The Pink sheets are for adults and the Yellow sheets are for 2nd grade through high school. The categories for the yellow sheets are on the back. If you want to make changes or add something during the year, let Marcia know at marcia@lcrmarion.org. You are all greatly appreci-ated!!

Ministry Medical Lending Library

Remember that LCR has a number of items that can by used while recovering from surgery or other medical needs. There are walkers, toilet helps, crutches, bathtub chairs, etc. The one item we find we need are canes. If you have a cane that is not in use and are willing to make it a part of the medical assists, please let Marcia know. We can put it to good use.

CrossRoads Mission

As we are nearing Spring weather, Cross Roads is in need of Spring and Summer clothing. Please do not send anymore winter clothes right now - they have no place to store them. Besides clothing they need paper products (diapers, toilet paper, etc) and food such as canned meat, spaghetti and macaroni, fruits and vegetables. Leave items in the bins under the coat racks and they will be taken to Cross-Roads.

Lenten Services

A special thank you to all the volunteers who helped with Lenten services this year. Having two services increases the number of people that are needed and we greatly appreciate the people who gave of their time to make this years Lenten ser-vices truly special. The images of the Holy Land and actual places where Jesus walked will stay in our minds for a long time.

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Thanks to Thanks to Thanks to Thanks to Marlin Oeltjen Marlin Oeltjen Marlin Oeltjen Marlin Oeltjen for his bangfor his bangfor his bangfor his bang----up up up up paint job in the paint job in the paint job in the paint job in the

kitchen and kitchen and kitchen and kitchen and conference room.conference room.conference room.conference room.

Thanks

We would sincerely like to thank the entire LCR congregation for your thoughtfulness and countless prayers upon the untimely passing of our beloved Tanner. Our church family has been beyond amazing. A special thanks to the compassionate pastors and staff, the spirited youth, and the awesome band With Faith for making Tanner’s fu-neral service affirming and uplifting. The love, caring, and support we have received from those at LCR has been a true blessing. May the peace and comfort of the Lord be with you all. - the Family of Tanner Baumgartner

Mission Envelopes

The Social Concerns Committee designated FLY (Feeding Lunch to Youth) as the recipient of our green mission envelopes for April/May.

Pictorial Directories

Our new directories are scheduled to be shipped on April 5. We will hand them out on Sunday, April 14, assuming they will have arrived by then.

Praise Island

SS Disciple Ship 9:45-10:45 Sunday School Program

11:00 - 12:00 Sunday School Program

Tammy Evans: SS Disciple Ship Coordinator tammy@lcrmarion.org

Jill Hansen: Praise Island Coordinator jill@lcrmarion.org

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Praise Island Preschool and Kindergarten went through the events of Holy Week and learned about the Last Supper, prayer in the garden, Jesus’ death and the resurrection.

Praise Island 1st - 5th Grade classes participated in a Seder Meal. We learned about the traditions and ceremony that Jesus and his disciples may have observed in their Passover meal that became known as the Last Supper.

EWALU Camp Registration If you signed your camper up online and wish to receive an LCR scholarship of $100 for full week campers or $50 for mini-campers please email Jill Hansen with name, date, and program your child is attending.

Summer News ♦ Preschool/Kindergarten

VBS June 25-28 Station Leaders NEEDED ♦ Daycamp 2013 July 22-26 Activity Planning Coordinator needed

GIVING TREE The one EWALU camper fund-raiser of the year is coming in April. Please consider giving a donation of any amount to help send kids to a very meaningful week of summer camp.

PRESCHOOL - KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN… Join us June25-28 for Fun Fair VBS!

REGISTRATION BEGINS IN APRIL

Adult volunteers are needed to help plan and carry out the 5 stations -

Crafts, Games, Snacks, Discovery Zone, & Storytelling. Please call the church 377-4689 or email tammy@lcrmarion.org

On Maundy Thursday, March 28th, 13 4th graders received their First Communion. Congratulations to these students: Zaidin Boehmke, Nicole Clark, Sydney Cook, Allison Feigenbaum, Jessica Hediger, Hailey Larsen, Chase Luedeman, Alexandra Miller, Tate Myers, Paiden Nicks, Wyatt Ochs, Nick Sanders, Riley Schweitzer.

Elementary students had a mini rotation of Holy Week.

Adult Faith Development Sunday Morning Offerings

Beginning next Sunday, April 7 Adult Faith Devel-opment launches some new opportunities. These will run through mid-May. They are:

Serving the Creator/Saving the Creation A 6-session adult faith development series on envi-ronmental stewardship from a Christian prospective will start Sunday, April 7 at 9:45 am. It will offer background information and helpful suggestions and will utilize speakers from LCR and the wider community. The topic for April 7th & 14th is ener-gy (fossil fuel and electric). Land use is the topic for April 21 with Les Beck as the speaker. Water quality and conservation is the April 28 topic with Brian Soenen. Sessions on Blue Zones and Sustain-ability/Lifestyle will follow in May. Stay tuned for more information.

Learning to Forgive as We are Forgiven This class will focus on lead-ing participants through the often-times challenging call to forgive. Using scriptures, psychology, and prayer we will consider what it takes to forgive others. We will use nationally recognized pastor/author T.D. Jakes’ book, Let it Go as a primary guide. In it, Pastor Jakes challenges us to release ourselves and others from the crippling grudges and binding resentments that hold us back when we do not forgive others. “Forgiveness is a big idea and works best when invested into people who have the courage to grasp the seven-foot idea of what’s best for their future rather than the four-foot-high idea of recompense for what has happened in the past,” Jakes writes. He explores forgiveness as a life practice and offers specific and clear actions for readers who seek to apply it in every area of their lives. Participants are encouraged to obtain a copy of this book for their study. They will be available the first day of class. A suggested donation of $10 is appreciated to off-set the cost of the book. In addition, the book, For-giveness by Adam Hamilton will also be refer-enced. This class will be held in the LCR lounge at 9:45 Sunday mornings. 5

Bible Study with the Cornally’s will resume at 9:45 on Sunday, April 7. We’ll meet in the confer-ence room as usual and discuss the Book of Acts.

Brewing Up the Bible

In April BUTB will return to its regular time, the second Wednesday, April 10, from 7:30 - 9:00 pm. Join us at Bill’s Tap on 7th Avenue in Marion for the brew of your choice, some discussion on mat-ters of your choosing, and seeing what God has to offer through the Bible.

63 youth are planning to attend EWALU this summer. Your support will provide a $100 scholarship from the General Fund ($50 for mini-campers) and a share of the gifts from the EWALU Giving Tree to: MINI CAMPERS - Beau Breyer, Jackson Edwards, Cameron Guenther, Lucas Horn, Andrew Kniper, Henry Read

EXPLORERS - Kyra Dittmer, Katie Paulson, Sydney Beaver, Ethan Christopherson, Lisa Heidelbauer, Jessica Dolezal

TRAILBLAZERS - Jessica Hediger, Jacqueline Juett, Hailey Larsen, Abby Christiansen, Jesse Breyer, Allison Feigenbaum, Lindsay Radack

NATIVE AMERICANS - Blake Almandinger, Hail-ee Barr, Emmie Buse, Alex Campbell, Hannah Prall, Alexandra Miller, Hannah Cahill, Grace Edwards, Braeden Green, Tony Nieland, Kaitlyn Quade, Nina Taylor, Kristie Varner

PIONEERS - Taylor Johnson, Amelia McRoberts, Hannah Smith, Amanda Williams, Caleb Christiansen Austin Smith, Brodie Breyer, Angela Graf, Mikayla Quade

NIGHT CAMP - Seth Paulson, Delaney Akiens, Madeline Evans, Brogan Freese, Tyler Green, Darren Heyd, Riley Higgins, Kirsten Loynachan, Nora Read, Sophie Reider, Chayse Schultz, Kylie Stock, Andrew Szewc, Jacob Varner, Hal Versteegh

MAD CAMP - Hannah Pearce

PACK AND PADDLE - Elijah Boyd, Jared Feigenbaum, Ben Hediger

ROCK & RAFT - Bonnie Morrison

HOUSEBOATING - Jared Almandinger, Garrett Heyd

EWALU CAMPERS

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60th Anniversary Reception

Happy Anniversary to Everett & Marg Dryden who are celebrating their 60th! Their children invite you to join them at the church for a reception on Satur-day, April 6 from 2 - 5 pm. All are welcome.

XYZ Film & Fellowship

We’ll meet in the fellowship hall on Friday, April 12 from 9:30 am to 12 noon to watch “The Final Season.” Coffee and a morning snack will be pro-vided. Bring a friend! This is an inspiring film.

Empty Nesters

Empty Nesters will meet Saturday, April 13 for a progressive supper. Each course will be at a differ-ent location, starting with appetizers at 5:30 pm. We’ll need volunteers to host each course. Sign up on the church bulletin board or contact Janet Dett-barn or Linda Erlandson by Sunday, April 7th.

Spring Fling at Marion Bowl

Come out to Marion Bowl on Saturday, April 20 from 1:30-4:30 pm for a free bowling event spon-sored by Thrivent Financial. Shoes and bowling balls are provided, and free, supervised child care will be available for toddlers and preschoolers. There will be a live band and door prizes. In addi-tion, there will be a silent auction to benefit the Marion Food Pantry. This is a great chance to fel-lowship with members of other Marion Lutheran churches, but feel free to invite your friends and neighbors, too!

Follies at the Paramount

Pastor Blair & Lyn A’Hearn will be participating in the annual “Follies at the Paramount Theatre” in April. LCR bought a block of 30 tickets at $29 each for the Saturday night, April 27 performance at 7:30 pm. Call the church office (377-4689) or email us (office@lcrmarion.org) to reserve your seats. These will be first come, first serve until they are gone – please pay in advance by Sunday, April 7 to reserve your tickets.

Fellowship Young Adult Ministry

IGNITE

Wee Wisdom Preschool News Registration for the 2013-14 school year is underway. The 3-day is full and there are two spots in the 2-day program. Waiting lists have been started for both. Brochures/registration forms are available at the Welcome Center. Please call the church at 377-4689 or email weewis-dom.lcr@gmail.com GARAGE SALE Fri May 3rd 3-7 & Sat May 4th 8 –1 Items to donate can be dropped off Thurs 5/2

Our Young Adult Ministry is available for anyone 18-25. We meet the 3rd Thursday of each month. Please contact Katie Kascel if you plan on attend-ing or have more questions: Katie@lcrmarion.org

Words of Thanks

Thanks to everyone at LCR who prayed, sent cards, called, and inquired from John on my condi-tion during our multiple myeloma journey. Every single gesture was so appreciated. Last week, after many sophisticated tests (the doctor's words) I have been declared "in remission!" This is such wonderful news for us and our family, and we know where the healing came from. What a lovely Christmas gift - I got my stem cells back Decem-ber 27th and now it's Easter, the time of resurrec-tion and new beginnings. How very appropriate! Thanks be to God. Sheryl Knodle We wish to thank the members of Resurrection Lutheran who called, sent cards, and sat with Eloise during Dennis's surgery. A special thank you to Pastor Dennis for his hospital visits. Choir members and Older Hymns also sent support. We appreciate all the kindnesses shown. Eloise & Dennis Heppler To my family at LCR, I send my deep gratitude for all the ways in which you have supported me through this past year - prayers, cards, phone calls, and conversations. It has been a great source of strength to me, and with your expressions of love and friendship I know that God has been with me throughout the entire process and that I will be walking my faith journey path with you all again as soon as I am able. Blessings, Cathy Soppe

E.D.G.E.: High School, Grades 9-12

Wednesday Youth Education Wednesday Night Live: Grades 3, 4, & 5 meeting from 6:30–7:30 pm

April 3 - Game Night in the YAC April 10—Fellowship Hall April 17— YAC April 24—Fellowship Hall

Confirmation & Middle School: Grades 6, 7, & 8

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April 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th - Large/Small Group

Thank you to everyone who came and supported our Easter Breakfast Fundraiser! We were able to raise

$1,400 that will go toward our High School Summer Mission trip to

New Jersey to help with Hurricane Relief!

Questions? Contact: Katie@lcrmarion.org

Contact Jill Hansen with questions jill@lcrmarion.org 319.377.4689

Students used their Spring

Break to serve their

community! We had an

awesome time helping out at Crossroads Mission!

Thanks to the families who participat-ed in our Family Movie Night. We watched Wreck It Ralph on the big screen and en-joyed pizza after the show.

I have been in contact with the organization Trees Forever and they are looking for a Tree Planting Project for WNL to participate in this spring. Due to last year’s drought many places are hesitant to plant trees yet, so we will have to see what they can come up with for us.

After a meditative Lent & Holy Week we are back!

April 03 – Large Group Lesson #12: Healthy Personal Relationships April 10 – Small Group Gathering April 17 – Large Group Lesson #13: Relationships of All Sorts April 24 – Family Night: No Confirmation

Special Thanks to the 8th grade confirmation class who raised over $500 at the pancake supper for the ELCA Malaria Campaign! Great job!

Prayers

Those hospitalized in March: Ken Meisinger, Cathy Soppe, Dennis Heppler, Norman Nesley. Those dealing with, or recovering from, illness or surgery: (Resurrection members) Amanda Kacena, Harriet Van Gilder, Cathy Soppe, Ken Meisinger, Miki Mil-ler, Don Schantz, Dennis Heppler, John Wilkinson, Lois Johnson, Trudy Albaugh, Lareen Gull, Heide Sletteland, Lori Morgan. (Family and friends of our members) Ira Hardman, June Daillargeon, Patricia Lalley, Robert Ditzel, Jeffries Oliver family, Schneider family, Gary Driev-old, Ron March, Charlene Jeffrey & family, Steve Downey, Geraldine Daisy & family, Wavia Baack, Blayne Medema, Lynn Farmer, Logan Meyer, Rob, Amy, & Taylor Blanchard, Paulette Bendixen Brown, Rev. Dan & Carolyn Cronrath, Todd Doane, David Weber, Greta Stock, Cave family, JC Jones, Kay Strauss. Those living in care facilities: Edna Miller (Meadowview Village), Bernice Harstad (Keystone Cedars), Myrtle Lindstrom & Dorothy Luedtke (Linn Manor), Virginia Smart (Winslow House), Delores Anderson (Westridge), Marilyn Sell (Village Ridge).

Those in military service: Nate Swenson, Steven Anderson, Michael Berridge, David Berridge, Nate Swenson, Drew Bixler, Trevor Anderson, Jacob Anderson, Thomas Mastroddi, Juanita Cooper Carlson, Kyle Cirkl, Eric Krause, Matthew Courter, Nate Hatch, James Vick, Adam Eilers, Andrew Zimmerman, Caleb Redell, Alex Bruce, Jonathan Almestica, Kyle Harding, Todd Christopherson, Ashley Parker, Nicholas Eilers, Nick Thompson, Matthew Clark, Joe Hollister, Garrett Wood, Jason Sams, Brad Kielty, Anthony Martin, Matt Carson. Those who rejoice:

♦ Justin & Amber (Dullea) Hoff on the baptism of Blake Hoff on March 17th.

♦ Jeff & Jennifer (Vanourny) Mitchell on the baptism of Evan & Elisa Mitchell on March 24th.

Those who mourn: ♦ Ron & Bonnie Conrad on the death of

Bonnie’s uncle, Bill Christianson, on March 1. ♦ Jackie Sanders, Kris Klaman, Bob & Kim

Sanders on the death of Tanner Baumgartner on March 12th.

♦ Aloha Franklin on the death of Donald Strobel on March 11th.

♦ Janet Nesley & family on the death of Norman Nesley on March 31st.

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Prayers are Requested for:

Please let the office know about prayer needs or when you wish to have a name removed. The names of friends and family who are dealing with illness will be listed for 2 months.

Treasurer's Report for February 2013

February Year to Date One Year Ago General Fund Receipts $ 45,372 $ 93,419 $101,538 General Fund Expenses $ 53,369 $106,203 $ 99,611 Cash Balances 2/28/2013 2/29/12 2/28/11 General Fund $ 20,794 $ 17,923 $ 13,363 Clearing Accounts $ 48,984 $ 54,150 $154,345 Building Fund $ 34,846 $ 35,341 $ 43,873

Stewardship General Fund Update

Thanks to our members and friends for your faithful, generous giving through the first quarter of 2013. With five Sun-days in March, we will end the quarter in a solid financial position as we move forward. In April we will distribute the Lenten, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday offerings to our mission partners.

Here are a few thoughts on giving from Mark Allen Powell: “Giving is a natural expression of love. Friends do it. Parents do it. Even children do it. We give pre-sents to those we love.

The word for this “giving” in the Bible is grace. Jesus gives his life for us. Eternal life is a gift, as is the faith necessary to receive it. Why does God give us these things? Because God loves us. The best known verse in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son...” And when we give our offerings to God as an act of worship, we reflect that love. We love God back. “

(from Giving To God, by M. Powell)

Church Council The Church Council met on Tues-day, March 19 at 6:30 pm. The sec-retary’s, treasurer’s, and pastors’ reports were approved. The General Fund balance on 2/28 was $20,794. A purpose champion report was giv-en from the Worship Committee.

Approval Items: Re-financing - Bob Patterson presented a refinancing proposal for the current mortgage. Our current mortgage is at 5.75% and is scheduled to be paid off in early 2018. We have received two competitive proposals at significant-ly lower rates from Thrivent Finan-cial for Lutherans (our current lend-er) and Community Savings Bank. The Council approved a motion to “refinance the existing mortgage, empowering the LCR Office Manag-er, Evelyn Beck, to take the neces-sary steps to lock in a favorable rate

and complete the transition by May 1, 2013.” Special Congregational Meeting – the Council called a spe-cial meeting of the congregation for Sunday, April 7 at 12:15 to share details about the proposed refinanc-ing and seek their approval.

Fundraiser approvals – The Malaria concert on April 20 and the May 4 Wee Wisdom/Africa mission trip garage sale were approved.

Discussion items: Vision Goals – The 10 Vision Goals had already been assigned pastors, council pur-pose champions, and staff members. The Council then looked at which committees or teams would work on the various goals over the next sever-al years.

Building Fund Update

Building Fund gifts through 2/28/12 $22,948

Rejoice-Envision-Celebrate pledged to date $31,069

Received toward those R-E-C pledges $21,451

% of pledges received 69%

The first quarter tithe from Building Fund gifts will be sent to EWALU for Cherry cabin renovations and to San Lucas Lutheran in Eagle Pass, TX for their building renovations.

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As spring arrives and summer draw near with vacations and weekends away, many families and individuals find that using Simply Giving works well for keeping up with their financial commitment to Resurrection. Simply Giving is an automatic funds transfer program. You can elect to have a weekly or monthly gift withdrawn from your check-ing or savings account. This makes it simple for you to give, and benefits LCR by having a steady income stream year round. Enrollment forms are at the Wel-come Center information rack.

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www.lcrmarion.org

Do you want your CrossTalk online? Let us know your preferred email address and we’ll send it your way each month.

Every page of the online CrossTalk is in glorious technicolor!

Music & Munchies for Malaria

A special choir concert to benefit the ELCA Malaria Campaign

7:00pm Saturday, April 20th

Free will offering Refreshments following concert

Working though Lutheran churches in Africa, the ELCA Malaria Cam-paign is uniquely positioned to pro-

vide mosquito nets, insecticides, med-ication, health care, education and more to help eliminate deaths from

this disease—for good.