Lent is coming soon!  This year’s Wednesday evening services will feature the Marty Haugan Evening Prayer.  The preaching theme is “The Jesus I Know” and our guest speaker will be the Apostle Peter.  Plan to be with us for worship every Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. 

Start Lent with the 24 hour Prayer Vigil from 8:00 a.m. February 5 to 8:00 a.m. February 6 followed by the Ash Wednesday service February 6 at 7:00 p.m.  A potluck dinner will precede the service beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.  Desserts will be provided by WELCA Board members.   Please sign up in the narthex and plan to join us each Wednesday evening through March 12 for dinner.

Midweek services will be held February 13, 20, 27, March 5, and 12 at 7:00 p.m.  Palm Sunday is March 16, Holy Week March 13-22, and Easter Sunday March 23.

The Souper Bowl is Coming!

 

Sunday, February 3 is Super Bowl Sunday!  But, at Gloria Dei we are going to make it a SOUPER day.  We are asking everyone who attends church or Sunday School on February 3 to bring  one can of soup   (more if you wish).  Leave them in the specially marked containers and your Social Ministry team  will deliver them to community food banks.  

Chili Sale 

If it’s Super Bowl Sunday, it’s time for the Gloria Dei Men’s Group “Chili for Children” event. The proceeds of our sale on February 3, along with Thrivent funds, will be used to send Angel Tree children to a week long Christian summer camp.

This has become one of our most popular activities, involving some 20 cooks and dozens of eager eaters. Volunteers are needed again to make and buy chili. Our goal is to sell 100 quarts of chili at $5.00 per quart. It’s a great way to feed your Super Bowl guests and support a worthy cause. For those who do not want to buy chili, but would like to contribute, donations in any amount are welcome. If you have any questions, contact Bob Handahl at 331-7137 or BHandahl@gloriadei-nky.org.

Committee Meeting Night is February 11

 

Committee meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for Council Liaisons and Discipleship Chairs. All Committee-Team members should arrive at 7:15 for their respective Discipleship Ministry meetings.  Please welcome Jan Skavdahl (Nurturing-Outreach), Sue Schmidt (Social Ministry) and Bob Tubesing (Human Resources) as Discipleship Chairs.  And our many thanks to Fred Miller, Donna Bianchi and Peggy Fisher for their leadership and past efforts.  Other scheduled Committee Meeting Nights for 2008 include:  April 7, June 2, September 8, and November 3rd.

More Exciting News

 The Spirit is moving our building renovation and expansion process so quickly, thus it is imperative to share the progress!   All the members of Gloria Dei are invited and strongly encouraged to attend a meeting to obtain the most up-to-date details regarding the status of the project.  All members are asked to register in advance for one of these informational meetings:

 

Sunday, February 10^th  immediately following the 9 am worship service

Sunday, February 17^th  immediately following the 11 am worship service

Monday, February 18^th  at 7 pm

All the meetings will be held in the sanctuary, and light refreshments will be served in the narthex after the meeting.  Please make your reservation by contacting the church office at (859) 331-4694 or office@gloriadei-nky.org.

---

Time and Treasures 

During the Epiphany season, I often remembered the wise men or magi who visited baby Jesus.  The Gospel of Matthew tells us they came from the East to worship the child born king of the Jews.  When they found Jesus, they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

What gifts do we have to offer Jesus?  A verse from the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Christina Rossetti, reads:

What can I give him?  Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a wise man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give him, give my heart.

 

With joy we offer to God what has been given to us: ourselves, our time, our treasures.  The people of Gloria Dei have many gifts to offer, and many opportunities to use those gifts to the glory of God.  By completing a Time and Talent sheet, you offer your gifts to God’s service.  If you have not yet completed one, please do so soon.  The Time and Talent sheet can also been completed online at www.gloriadei-nky.org/time_and_talent.htm

                 -Tom Pairan

Education & Volunteer Ministry Staff

In February, we will complete our video series called “People Who Met Jesus.”  Each Sunday, we’ll get to know two more people who were impacted by Jesus, individuals from very diverse backgrounds.  Join us at 9:50 a.m. in Room F-1.  It’s a good opportunity to discuss, learn and reflect.

The Jelly Jar is Back!

 

We like to provide jelly to accompany the peanut butter frequently supplied by the government commodity program for our UM food bank clients.  You can help in two ways: 

1) Purchase jelly and place it in our grocery cart or

2) Donate cash to our jelly jar and someone else will shop for you. 

            Look for the jelly jar at the ushers station as you leave church.

 

The OWLS closed out 2007 with a Christmas Party that was held at Gloria Dei.  Everyone brought really good food and Pastor Vicki joined us for lunch.  We exchange gifts and had a great time.

In February we are going to the Interfaith "Have A Heart" fundraiser at the Point Pavillion in Covington.  Starting in April we have a lot of fun things lined up to do.  If you don't join us, you will be missing some good times.

WELCA is spearheading an effort to get all of the new hymnals donated.  The hymnals cost $20 each with bookplates to fill out so that they can be given in memory or in honor of someone.  Ladies from WELCA will be available around service times for the next three weeks.  We will also have a table set up at the Lenten dinners. 

We Care – We Share

Valentines Day brings the opportunity to remind loved ones that we care for them by doing something special for them or with them.  It is also a good time to show people in our community that God loves them and so do we.  We love them because God first loved us. 

 

You will have another opportunity to share God's love and blessings later this month.  Watch for it!

 

The Power of Prayer

 

 “And since only Your rules can give me wisdom and understanding, no wonder I hate every false teaching.”           (Psalm 119:104)

 

Stay Tuned…

Prayer is like a radio signal.  It keeps us tuned in to God.  If the signal is clear and strong, we are more likely to hear the voice of God speaking to us, giving us direction.  But, on the other hand, if the signal is weak due to a lack of prayer, the evil one often uses this to his advantage causing us to struggle with deciphering the truth from his twisted lies.

A good example of this ploy is in the story of Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge.  Satan, disguised as a serpent, takes what he knows to be the truth and cleverly distorts it to accomplish his deceptive objective, persuading Eve to taste of the Tree’s fruit so she may have the knowledge of Good and Bad.  Even though Eve is fully aware God’s warning of the consequences of eating from this tree, she pauses to consider the serpent’s argument and the advantage of acquiring this new- found knowledge.

“It’s a lie!” the Serpent hissed.  “You’ll not die!  God knows very well that the instant you eat it you will become like him, for your eyes will be opened—you will be able to distinguish good from evil!”  (Genesis 3:4-5)  But it is obvious signal breakdown has already occurred, for Eve dismisses the warning of God and listens to the reasoning of the serpent instead.

Imagine the story rewritten with Eve first turning to God in prayer to seek His will and guidance to make her choice.  How different the world would be.  But aren’t we often like Eve, relying on the opinions of others, our own ideas and the voice of “reason” to guide us, instead of the voice of God through prayer?  Unfortunately, we frequently make choices relying solely on our own intellect and what the world teaches.  We are not intentionally trying to disobey, it just happens because we are not completely tuned into God, relying on Him and His Word to help us make our choices & decisions.

 

So the next time you are considering right from wrong in your decisions, don’t be fooled like Eve.  Remember that there are serpents around us everyday, waiting for a chance to tempt you into making “earthly” choices.  But if we are tuned into God through prayer, we do not have to rely on the “voice of reason,” we can rely on the voice of God to guide us and help us make the right choices, choices that please him and bring us peace.

February 2008 Finance Discipleship

Come and Follow Christ!  2007 was a great year for Gloria Dei Stewardship and Finance as we followed Christ and gave generously to Gloria Dei.  We finished the year at $490,743 in General Giving- some $10,000 over budget for the year.  Thanks to all givers for their commitments.

Pledges have set another new record both in numbers of members making pledges and in the amount of their pledges.  More and more members are coming to understand that committing to the Lord and following Christ by pledging each year is sound for them and sound for the church.

An increasing number of members are using the new automatic checking account payment.  It is a big help in family budgeting, convenient, and helpful to Gloria Dei.  See Paula Ebert to get signed up.

The congregation approved unanimously the Phase II Building Renovation Plan.  The Capital Campaign begins January 27.  Each of you will be asked to make your commitment of a three-year pledge to make this plan possible.  Come and follow Christ. 

Thank You

I would like to express my heart felt thanks to all those who have volunteered to be greeters and visitor hosts for the 8:00 and 8:30 worship services.  I no longer will be doing the scheduling.

- Janet Simon 

Volunteers for February