If you’re not truly grateful for something, would you consider giving it away?  Look at your calendar.  If you are over busy and there are things on your calendar that don’t fulfill you or enhance your sense of gratitude, would you consider getting out of them?

And please, allow me to take this opportunity to start my own journey of thankfulness by saying “thank you” to all of you.  This is only a start, we’d have to have many pages to make an even partly complete list but here’s a start.  I so appreciate you.  I appreciate your kindness to me, your openness with me, and your willingness to love me.  I appreciate the generous way that you support the mission of Gloria Dei with your time and your talents and your money.  I appreciate how very many gifts God has placed in our midst for the work of the church and your willingness to use them for the sake of the gospel.  I appreciate your prayers for me and for my family.  And most of all I appreciate your growing love for God.

What’s on your list and what will you do about it?

-Pastor Vicki

Report of Worship Surveys

 

The worship team carefully analyzed the data from over 240 surveys.  In an average worship attendance of 325 this is a very strong sample.  It doesn’t mean that every single person had an opportunity to give us their feedback but that a strong majority did.

 

Some observations were very clear from the data:

1. The people who attend the 8:30 service are content with the time and the style of the worship.  64% of them would be favorable to starting earlier but they attend that service because it is at the right time with the right liturgy for them.
2. The people who attend the 5:30 service have a similar commitment to both time and style of worship.
3. A majority of those who attend the 9:45 service attend primarily for the style of worship and prefer to stay at the 9:45 time slot.   Of those who would be willing to move the time of the service, 22% would be willing to move to 11:00 and only 1 would prefer to move to 5:30.
4. A majority of those who attend the 11:00 service attend for the style of worship and slightly less than a majority prefers the 11:00 time slot. Of those who prefer this style of worship and who would like to have a different time slot, 28% would prefer to worship at 10:00.

 

Conclusions:

1. The only change that would be supported would be to switch the time slots of the traditional service (currently done at 11:00) with the contemporary service (currently being done at 9:45) but even that change would only be mildly supported and there would be more people who didn’t support it than who did.
2. Making that switch doesn’t necessarily increase the number of people who attend both Sunday School and Worship.

 

Recommendations of the Worship Team

1. When we return to our fall worship schedule we will return to our current schedule.
2. We already have many worship opportunities as well as education opportunities available each week.  Pastor Vicki and the leadership of the congregation will continue to encourage all of our members to regularly attend both worship and education.
3. We will begin offering an Adult Sunday School opportunity at 11:00 (in addition to the Adult Sunday School opportunity during the regular Sunday School hour) for those who attend the 9:45 worship service.  And we will look into expanding the Children’s Church focus at 11:00.
4. Pastor Vicki and the Communion leaders at the 9:45 service will take the Communion setting to the Sacristy immediately after the Eucharist so that the Altar Guild can set up for the 11:00 service as the worship service continues to completion. 
5. We will revisit the issue of service formats and times after the New Hymnal is in use.

Changes Planned for Our Facility

Changes are under way at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church that will enhance the church’s mission in the sanctuary and fellowship hall, create a room for young people, and enlarge space for summer outdoor services.  It was determined by the congregation that some improvements would be short-term and take place within the church’s existing roofline this summer.  That is Phase One.  Other improvements including the need for an expanded narthex/welcome center, increased office space, and a permanent solution for the outdoor worship area were shifted to Phase Two.

In the fellowship hall, dividers were installed to create three separate rooms in the existing large hall.  This allows three meetings to take place without disturbing each other. Also, the shade for summer services was installed in mid-June.

Appointed by the Church Council, the Renovation Committee comprised of Dennis Huber, Greg Land, and Jim Eason, is managing phase one and planning for Phase Two.  The first phase plan was approved at a congregational meeting held on April 23, 2006.

The movable wall system is scheduled for completion by mid-July.  The youth room furnishings and set up completion will occur from mid July to August 25.  Sanctuary renovation will begin July 27 and be completed by August 20.  Sunday worship services will move to the fellowship hall and the outdoor service during this time.

Phase One Sanctuary Improvements include:

Refinishing the sanctuary ceiling, repainting the sanctuary, refinishing and reupholstering the pews, replacing the sanctuary carpet, relocating the emergency exit doors to the rear of the side walls to add more light and make more room at the front of the sanctuary, rebuilding the choir risers and praise band stage to make larger areas and better use of the space, adding additional lighting to the front of the altar area, reshaping the communion rail and altar area including the addition of swinging or sliding gates to provide additional space.

Phase One Youth Room:

The large conference room between the fellowship hall and school will be converted into a youth room complete with computers, high-speed internet access, comfortable furniture, and a big screen TV.

Phase One Outdoor Summer Worship Service Area:

Phase one calls for the addition of a temporary, sail-type shading for outdoor services. The sail will be hung on Sunday mornings before service and taken down Sunday evenings.

Bridge to Phase Two:

Finally, plans for phase one intend to provide funding for an architectural study for a possible Phase Two. As the phase two plan develops, it will be submitted to Council and the congregation for evaluation and comment.  Phase Two could include:  narthex expansion, office space increases, the outdoor worship service location and plan., and other suggestions from the previous congregation input and future vision input provided by the Discipleship Committee.

 

Hooray for Hanna Benefit

 

On July 14 at 6:30 p.m. we will be holding a dinner/auction to help the Frostman family with many incurred expenses due to Hanna’a cancer.  It is sure to be a lot of fun and the meal, provided by Mary Beth Eichinger, is sure to be scrumptious.  We have auction items from small to large and the infamous duo of Chris Mehling and  Stan Watson will be our auctioneers.  Dr. David Martin will provide dinner music.  Tickets can be purchased at any service or by calling Jan Skavdahl, 331-0559.  If you are unable to attend please write a check to Gloria Dei-Hanna Frostman benefit.  Buy your tickets early.  If you have something to donate for our auction please contact Jonna Bluemlein at 341-2347.  

Time For A New Photo Directory!

 

Mark your calendars- the project is being launched and we will be scheduling appointments August 21 - 31; Monday- Friday appointments will be from 3:00-9:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 26 will be from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Call Bette Wappner at 342-9771 with questions or if you would like to help with this fun project.

Archives Project Being Organized

 

We are gathering old photos, slides, movies, and memorabilia representing the history of Gloria Dei.  We are looking for an area inside the church facility to dedicate to our Archival Project.  In the meantime, we would like to ask those who have these historical materials and would like to donate them to the church, to start identifying the people in the photos by name and date.  Please be very careful not to damage the photos.  The safest way would be to key each photo to a list of names and dates rather than write the information on the back of the photo.

You will also need to enclose your name and phone number along with your archives. This will be a long-term and on-going project, but we would like to have a nice collection organized and presentable for Gloria Dei’s 25th Anniversary next year (2007).

 

We also need help from those who can identify people in these photos.   To donate your time and knowledge please call Bette Wappner at 342-9771 or email:  bettewappner@fuse.net.

Thank you to the members of Gloria Dei who sponsored us for the Walk the Bridge for Life. We raised $527 from donations and will also receive $263 from Thrivent. The money will support New Hope Center in their Christian mission to help women in crisis pregnancies, provide parenting classes and present abstinence education to area schools.

-Bob and Bonnie Handahl and Lynn Holcombe

Paul Lorenz's stepsister and sister-in-law lost all their belongings in a fire that destroyed their house. Donations of household items, clothes or cash are still being requested.  Please contact Christy Lorenz at 331-2524 or Bonnie Handahl at 331-7137. The women's sizes are 16 and 5. There are two 16-year-old girls who wear size 1 and 3 in pants, medium top. The 10-year-old boy wears a size 8.

Thank you so much for the clothes for our children and the cash.  But most of all thank you for showing us God's love.  Also thanks for praying for us.  We can feel it.

 -Kelly Mooneyham, Savanna Swales, Reba Mooneyham and Kaila and Kyle

 

Have you toured the Dinsmore House in Burlington, Kentucky? No?  Then why not join the Gloria Dei Seniors on Sunday, July 9 following the 11:00 a.m. worship service? Spend a Sunday afternoon with this fun bunch- you will have a great time, I promise. See you then!

 

Volunteers for July

 

9:00 Service	July 2	July 9	July 16	July 23	July 30
Lay Assistant	Kelli Sittason	Mary Chapin	Dan Zuziak	Bob Tubesing	Kelli Sittason
Reader	Laura Clapp	Ron Carmack	Todd Kuhse	Bob Tubesing	Val Eason
Ushers	Tom Chapin Barry Dick Donna Lancaster Jean McCarter	Carole Gray Susan Bunnell George Hurley Val Eason	Tim Little Geneva Reimer Jack Mitchell Harold Sauser	Terri Stinebruner Nan Swanson Dan Zuziak Rhonda Zuziak	Rob Bosma Mary Jane Wolff Emily Barker Esther Shaffer
Communion Asst.	Katie Stinebruner	Madeline Bunnell	Andrew Bosma	Katie Stinebruner	Megan Bosma
Nursery Asst.	Lisa Miller	Jennifer Simpson	Jana Woods	Leslie Barrows	Sue Schmidt
Children‘s Church	Jennifer Simpson	Sharon Frondorf	Lynn Holcombe	Michelle Mistler	Jennifer Ables
Outdoor Set Up	Fred Miller George Hurley	Mark Miller Dan Zuziak	Jim Bianchi Donna Bianchi	Steve Kieffner David Cramer	Len Hegna Brett Hegna