Midweek Announcements for November 24, 2021

Sunday Worship at 10:00 am! See you in church as you are able.

Can't make it to church? Watch us Live! Now Livestreaming Worship

To view our 10:00 AM 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 9:55AM 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.

New Seating Routine for Sunday Worship

At its most recent meeting, our Reopening Planning Group has proposed to try a modification of our physical distancing seating routine to accommodate larger attendance at Sunday worship. Happily, more people are coming to worship of late, but that has also presented challenges in finding seating when every other pew is roped off. Thus, beginning on the First Sunday of Advent, November 28, we will no longer rope off pews, allowing for greater flexibility in how we are seated. That said, we still ask you to maintain physical distancing as best you can, seeking to keep a three to six foot distance between you and the next individual or family. We also encourage you not to sit directly in front of or behind another individual or family. This means also making the best use of the middle sections of pews. Ushers will be available to assist you with seating options. Masks will still be required of all worshipers. The Reopening Planning Group proposes that we try this out and adjust our practice accordingly, especially with attention to how Covid infection rates are affecting our area. Thanks as ever for your patience with our practices during these ongoing unprecedented times.

Occasions for Advent and Christmas

Advent begins this Sunday, and Christmas will be upon us soon. Mark your calendars now for the following noteworthy occasions as we mark the seasons in our life together::

  • Wednesdays in Advent (December 1, 8, 15, 22): Advent Evening Prayer via Zoom at 7:00 pm featuring members who will offer reflections on what gives them hope in a seemingly hopeless time in our troubled world. The bulletins and Zoom links for these services will be sent out via Constant Contact on Tuesdays as part of the Pastor’s Midweek Messages.
  • Sunday, December 12 at 3:30 pm: Event for All Ages, Parsonage outdoors, the Light of Christ in a season of shadows.
  • Sunday, December 19 at 10:00 am: Service of Lessons and Carols as part of our usual Sunday worship.
  • Sunday, December 19 after worship: decorating our church for Christmas.
  • Sunday, December 19 at 5:00 pm: Christmas Caroling and Worship outside the Parsonage, an opportunity for those unable to worship with us indoors to share in singing and worship in anticipation of Christmas.
  • Friday, December 24 at 5:00 pm: Worship for the Whole Family on Christmas Eve.
  • Friday, December 24 at 9:00 pm: Christmas Eve Worship with Choir.
  • Saturday, December 25 at 10:00 am: Worship on Christmas Day.
  • Sunday, December 26 at 10:00 am: Worship on the First Sunday of Christmas..

Seeking Someone to Produce Sunday Bulletins and Newsletter

With Monika Carney’s departure as our office administrator and in the interim while we carefully assess our congregation’s current staffing needs for administrative support, we are seeking someone with whom to contract to produce our Sunday bulletins and our bi-monthly newsletter. This work requires someone skilled at desktop publishing, and will come with a generous stipend. While the preparatory work can be accomplished remotely from a computer at home, final production of the printed bulletin will require coming into the church office to make hard copies on our office copier. If you are interested in performing this task or know of someone who might be, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ASAP for further information.

An open invitation – Racial and Social Justice Learning Group

Over the past year, we participated in Pastor Linman’s Monday evening Bible study sessions (recently focused on “social justice” references in scripture) and the year-long monthly deep dive discussions co-led by the Pastor and Youth Director Amanda Lindamood into the challenging book “Dear Church, A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S.” These validated our belief that continual learning about social justice is needed and is essential for us and for our RELC community.

As one step in this effort, we’re offering to facilitate a regular gathering of those interested in exploring this topic and learning more together. We envision this group:

  • Broadening individual understanding and identifying how it might lead/influence actions at RELC and in our lives.
  • Self-identifying discussion topics and sources of information (e.g., books, articles, films, news events, personal experience, etc.)

To get started, we propose an in-person meeting at RELC (pandemic-permitting of course) starting after the holidays on January 19, 2022 at 7 p.m. to discuss the first few chapters of “White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity” by Dr. Robert Jones (available in local libraries, on-line, in paperback, etc.). We anticipate the group will also establish its ground rules then (meeting schedule, format, process for picking topics, etc.)

If you are interested or just want to inquire further, please contact either of us. Any and all will be welcome. We look forward to hearing from you.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. & This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ELCA Youth Gathering 2022—It's Not Too Late to Commit!

The ELCA Youth Gathering is scheduled to take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota July 24-28. This event is for high school aged students. Rising High School freshmen are eligible to attend, as well as those who just graduated from high school. If you are interested, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Collection of Food Items for AFAC on Sunday, December 5

We will receive donations of food items for AFAC on Sunday, December 5, in conjunction with our regular worship service.

Your Generosity at Work in Arlington

We have recently received letters of thanks from the following organizations we financially support to benefit those in need:

  • Offender and Aid Restoration (assistance to those released from prison in their re-entry into society)
  • Fellowship Square (affordable senior housing)
  • Arlington Food Assistance Center (alleviating hunger and food insecurity)

October Financial Update

The below chart is a summary of RELC’s finances for the year to date as of October 31, 2021. The columns titled “(a) YTD Giving,” “(b) YTD Expenses” and “(c) Giving minus Expenses” provide key data for our three primary financial funds.

This data shows that our general fund is currently running significantly below our actual expenses for the year and below our giving levels for this time last year. This trend has been worsening during the first ten months of 2021.

Please continue to donate during our newly reestablished weekly service or send in your contributions through Simply Giving, by using the “Donate Now” button on RELC’s website or by sending your contribution check to the church office in the US Mail.

Please prayerfully consider what this information means to you as we work together to support RELC’s ministries..

  (a) YTD Giving(b) YTD Expenses(c) Giving-Expenses(d) Giving as %
of Budget
(e) Change from
2020 Giving
General Fund 280,444 336,382 (55,938) 65% (8,412)
Benevolence 51,001 37,688 11,313 60% (9,602)
Renovation 12,961 2,500 10,461 100% (4,558)
TOTAL 344,406 376,570 (32,164) 65% (22,572)

Altar Flowers Sign Up

In keeping with RELC’s custom prior to the pandemic, we will resume ordering flowers for the chancel, beginning on Rally Day (September 12, 2021). If you would like to participate in flower dedications, please sign up on the calendar, which will be placed in the hallway just outside of the kitchen. Please be sure to inform the church office for whom the flowers should be dedicated to, preceding the Sunday that you have assumed responsibility for the embellishment of the Nave. There will be recognition of your dedication in the church bulletin. Please also note that you will need to submit a $40 check to the church office for the flowers. The check should be paid to the order of Resurrection Lutheran Church, and should include a memo which identifies that the donation is for the church flowers. Sending great thanks to all who partake in serving and glorifying God and RELC, through your gifts of flowers during the worship service.

Helpful Tips for Our Young Families During Worship

A bit of noise from children of all ages is indeed a wonderful blessing throughout our church. But if you feel the need for an additional space, our lounge around the corner is fully stocked for your use. Speakers in the space allow you to hear the service so you won’t miss anything. You will find a changing table and a couple of couches, which may be a welcomed sight for nursing mothers. Since we are maintaining physical distancing, we encourage you also to use our “pray-ground,” the carpeted area with table and small chairs, at the back of the church.

Faith Formation Calendar

Click below for the current faith formation calendar that includes activities and resources for all ages:

pdfRELC Home Pentecost Faith Formation Calendar 5/23/2021 - 11/28/2021.pdf

Monday Evening Bible Study on Themes of Justice in the Bible

This Bible Study continues on Monday evenings at 6:30 and will meet for several weeks. This series focuses on how themes of justice variously appear in the Bible, in both Hebrew and Christian scriptures. If you are interested in participating, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All are welcome to join in!

For Your Prayers at Home

In addition to our usual prayers of intercession in our home worship, we encourage your prayers throughout the week for the following:

  • Roy Guenther
  • Nancy MacDonald
  • Bob MacDonald
  • Grant Aldonis
  • Norm Olsen
  • Ellie Barnes
  • Judy Frank
  • Effie Stallsmith
  • Malcolm Stark
  • Barb Jensen
  • Charlotte Boeck
  • Lynn Kiewel
  • Phillip Swingler
  • Maria Liwski
  • Tucker Dean
  • Irene Belcher
  • Sharon Kravetz
  • Analyse, Ramon, and Nicky Villatoro
  • John and Anneliese Arnold
  • Julie Bates
  • The family of Janet Wray
  • The family of John Showman

For those whom you know, consider sending a card, or an email, or make a phone call. These additional expressions of prayerfulness can make a big, healing difference in people’s lives and promote their sense of well-being. For current contact information, if you don’t have it, kindly reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Prayer Requests

Should you desire to make prayer requests for persons you care about, or desire prayer for other concerns, please contact Pastor Linman with those requests: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 703-972-2076. Pastor will make certain that the names you provide will be included in the Prayers of Intercession for Sundays, and for your prayers throughout the week. Making your requests known to Pastor Linman will allow him to follow up with you directly – as your requests for prayer help set the agenda for our Pastor’s ministry at Resurrection Church.

Arlington County Covid-19 Response

Click here for the latest updates on our county’s pandemic response as well as official and current information concerning vaccinations.

Secret Santa Project: Target Gift Cards for Arlington Public Assistance Clients

You can help make Christmas brighter for some of Arlington's most vulnerable residents by making a donation to our Secret Santa Project from November 7- 28.

Make all checks payable to the Church and put Secret Santa on the memo line. Drop checks in the offering plate or mail them to Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church 6201 Arlington Blvd. Arlington VA 22205- 2034. You can also use the Donate Now link in the upper right corner of our website. Or you can purchase your own Target gift cards in amounts of $25.00 or less and use the same methods mentioned above for getting them to the Church.

Many of our Benevolence partners use the gift card model because, among other reasons, the recipient of the cards gets to choose just the right gifts for the members of their family and it's been shown to help strengthen family bonds when gifts are selected by parents or other loved ones.

If you have questions contact Gail Flatness 703 944 3462 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you for your generosity,
Your Social Ministry Committee

Current Routine for Worship Indoors

We continue our worship indoors this Sunday at 10:00am. To alleviate any concerns and to help prepare you for your return, here is what you can expect:

First, out of loving concern for young children and others not yet able to be vaccinated, we ask that ALL worshipers wear facial masks. Secondly, we will maintain physical distancing, erring on the side of caution. These two basic practices serve as the foundation for safety and guide all other practices.

Upon arrival: kindly find your seats promptly on arrival to avoid congregating in the narthex. Every other pew will be available for seating. Please do not try to sit in pews taped off. Ushers will be available to assist you with seating options.

Offering: your offerings will not be collected. However, offering plates located near the front of the church are available for your use. When you come forward for communion, you may place your offering in one of the plates on stands near the chancel.

Communion: Holy Communion will be offered in both kinds, with bread being dropped into your hands, palms facing up, and wine administered from a pouring chalice into a container you bring from home. Intinction, dipping bread into the cup, is not permitted for reasons of hygiene. Communion will be continuous, with worshipers forming one line in the center aisle to receive both bread and wine at the direction of ushers. One side of the church will commune first, and then we’ll move to communing the other side. Return to your seats via the side aisles closest to you.

Upon Departure: kindly leave the nave promptly at the direction of ushers and avoid once again congregating in the narthex. If you wish to remain on church grounds for conversation, and we hope you do, please adjourn to the fellowship hall downstairs or outdoors beyond the Washington Blvd. entrance.

Misc. Considerations: Automatic hand sanitizer dispensers on stands are available for your use in several locations in the church building. If you forget your face mask, we have extras for you, and likewise small paper cups if you forget a container for communion. Worship indoors will be very similar to that which we have been doing outdoors, a simplified, somewhat shorter version of Resurrection’s normal worship practice.

We very much look forward to seeing you in church!

The best ways to contact Pastor Linman

Here are the best and most direct ways to contact Pastor Linman. The email address given for his professional and pastoral use is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Pastor Linman’s direct dial phone number in the church office is: 703-972-2076. Please leave a message there if Pastor does not answer. He monitors and responds to his messages throughout the day even when he's not in the office. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Other Announcements?

Should you have announcements that you wish to communicate in this weekly message as committee chairs or those responsible for other ministry initiatives at Resurrection, please contact 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!