About

Who We Are

Resurrection Lutheran Church is a congregation that values welcome. We have fun together. RLC makes space for asking questions and adapting to change, even as we are faithfully committed to God's transforming grace in our lives. All are welcome in worship, in community, and in leadership.

The community of Resurrection Lutheran Church welcomes all people because Jesus Christ welcomes us, loves us, and reconciles us to God and to one another. We believe that God gathers us together by the gift of baptism, strengthens us to love our neighbors, and sends us out into our community. We are called to do justice, to love mercy, and to serve humbly, following the example of Jesus.

You are welcome regardless of age, appearance, language, race, nationality, immigration status, brain or physical health, addiction, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political values, history of incarceration, economic status, place on your faith journey, or anything else that distinguishes between people. We are committed to the work of anti-hunger, anti-racism, and breaking down barriers that divide us from one another.

We welcome you to participate fully in the life and ministries of Resurrection Lutheran Church: attend services and events, receive communion, join as a member, fill leadership roles, belong in community, teach, serve, learn, and above all, feel loved and safe. 

What we believe

At the center of our faith is this conviction: because Jesus Christ lived and died and rose again for us, we too will live in him. God's welcome and love for us is a gift, not something we must earn but something we receive freely. Another word for that gift of love, forgiveness, and mercy is grace. We know we're not perfect, but we also know that God loves us anyway.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to live as disciples. In baptism, we are told what this call looks like:

• to live among God’s faithful people,
• to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,
• to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,
• to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
• and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

Together, we seek to be faithful to God and loving toward our neighbors, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the world.

RLC is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find details about what is distinctive about the way Lutherans understand our faith at this link. 

Our story

Resurrection Lutheran Church was chartered as a mission church of the American Lutheran Church in February 1978. The congregation met in the Ankeny Theater and the experience of coming to worship with the smell of popcorn and the stickiness of leftover chewing gum underfoot became a part of the humble servant culture of RLC. The congregation met in the Ankeny Theater until a sanctuary and small fellowship area was built in 1979, and subsequently the north and west wings were added. Later, the land to the south of the church was acquired with an eye to future expansion. In 2021, that south plot became part of Lutheran Services in Iowa's Global Greens program, allowing our neighbors to garden their own fresh veggies.