Lenten Schedule

March 5 and March 12: Dinner at 6:00 p.m. followed by Worship Service at 7:00 p.m.

March 16: Palm Sunday Services: 8:00, 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Holy Week Worship Schedule  

March 17, 18, and 19: Prayer Services at 7:00 p.m.

March 20: Maundy Thursday Service at 7:00 p.m.

March 21: Good Friday Service at 7:00 p.m.

March 22:  Easter Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m.

March 23:  Easter Sunday Services at 8:00, 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Easter Breakfast

 

To all men of Gloria Dei who like to cook, have we got an offer for you!  Use your skills in the kitchen to help the Men's Group on Easter morning when we will once again cook and serve a hearty breakfast.  Last year 143 people attended, so we need everyone who is interested.  If you would like to be involved in any way, contact Bob Handahl at 331-7137 or bbhand@fuse.net.

 

This year, serving will take place from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The cost is $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children under twelve. Funds raised will help us sponsor the marionette show in December, and support the Angel Tree Christmas gift program.

It’s time to purchase lilies to decorate our worship area for Easter Sunday services.  These are florist quality, foil wrapped plants that you can take home following the 5:30 worship service. Sign up on the bulletin board in the narthex noting to whom your plants are in honor of or in memory of.  Your $12.00 contribution can be paid by check any time up to Easter morning.  Please note in the memo portion of your check that it is for ‘Easter Lilies’.

---

Sunday School  Update

 

Because of the popularity of our video series called “People Who Met Jesus,” the Adult Sunday School class is extending their study and discussion through the first three Sundays of March.  Each week, we’ll get to know more people who were impacted by Jesus, individuals from very diverse backgrounds.  Join us at 9:50 a.m. in Room F-1.

Please note that there will be no Sunday School for children or adults on March 23 (Easter) or March 30 due to spring break.

Chili Sale A Huge Success!

 

For the first time in four years, the Men’s Group chili sale on Super Bowl Sunday sold out shortly after the 11:00 service.  From sales, contributions and additional Thrivent funds, we received $855, which will be used to send Angel Tree children to a week long Christian summer camp.

Our thanks go to the 25 volunteers who made chili and all who donated to this cause.  Thanks also to Tim and Linda Moore (label design and promotion) and Bob and Bonnie Handahl   (promotion, sales and containers).

 

Did you know it takes approximately 50 people every Sunday for the church services to run smoothly?  So you can see the church needs help from everyone no matter where your gift lies.  Please take a moment to check out the specific needs of the church on the Volunteer Board located in the Narthex or in the bulletin.  If you are interested in helping in any of the areas listed please contact Debbie at 331-4694.  What gifts do you have that you are not utilizing to serve our Lord??

 

---

Social Ministry News

At Gloria Dei grateful and thankful hearts are reaching out to our neighbors and making a difference every day.

            From United Ministries:  Our congregation donated over $700 during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons to purchase turkeys for holiday meals.  This was in addition to countless bags of food that went to complete these meals. Many thanks to all who helped make this generous donation possible.  There were many expressions of gratitude heard from the families who received these meals and for the gifts you purchased for their children.  Your generosity and on going support continue to make it possible to meet the needs of the unemployed and underemployed of our community.

Welcome House:  Gloria Dei members provided 100 cans of soup for this food pantry in Covington as a result of our Souper Bowl collection in February.

We Care therefore We Share: The results of our shopping bag drive are not yet in, but anytime you are able to donate basic non-perishable foods, household cleaning items, paper products, or personal care products, leave them in the grocery cart in the narthex.

ELCA World Hunger Appeal:  During the month of March Gloria Dei will reach out to the far corners of the world.  Every child and adult is asked to take an empty egg home from the basket at the back of the sanctuary. Then return it with a sacrificial money offering by Easter Sunday.  You may want to skip a snack, candy bar, milkshake or latte and place the money you would have spent into the egg.  Perhaps skip going to the movies or renting a new video and put the money saved into the egg.  Eat at home instead of eating out.  Instead of buying that new pair of shoes or shirt, give that money to feed someone less fortunate.  You get the idea- Sacrifice!  Your sacrificial gift will provide food, animals, water, seeds and education in distant countries where ELCA World Hunger programs are at work.  Look for the RETURN baskets in the narthex.  Our eggs will hold cash or checks.  Checks should be made out to Gloria Dei with "World Hunger" on the memo line.  For more information, please go to www.elca.org/hunger

---

Did you know that the Gloria Dei newsletter is available on-line before it is available at your home?  Did you know that special e-mails are occasionally sent out for breaking church news or event changes?  Did you know we will be sending out special e-mail updates of the renovation activities over the coming months?  Did you know that we can not e-mail you this information unless you sign-up for the e-mailing list and confirm your e-mail address? (We cannot use your e-mail address from the church database, you have to sign up specifically for the e-mailing list online.)  Just follow the link at the bottom of any GloriaDei-nky.org page to sign-up for the Gloria Dei e-mailing list and follow the link in the confirmation e-mail to get signed up today!

I am grateful to be able to serve at Gloria Dei as your Ministry in Context (MIC) seminary student.   Some good news since my last seminary update:  I passed through the “Entrance” part of the candidacy process in November, the first of three sets of essays/interviews.  In addition, I received a semester’s worth of advanced standing in my degree program due of my previous seminary experience.  While this probably doesn’t mean I’ll graduate early, I will have a lighter course load during my second and final years at Trinity.     

This semester, however, I have a very full and unusual course load.  I’m taking “Care of Souls” with the second-year middler students; “Ministry of Worship,” with my junior class; “Intro to World Religions,” with the Methodists and Roman Catholics at the Catholic seminary; “Being Lutheran in America,” with the seniors; and another biblical language, Hebrew. I thank you for your prayers and support.

-Tom Pairan 

---

The Power of Prayer

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers & requests.  With this in mind, be alert and keep on praying…  (Ephesians 6:18)

        Prayer:  Just an Extracurricular Activity?

Do you feel you take prayer seriously as you should?  Is prayer at the center of all the activities of your life?  We all know that prayer is important, but many of us really are not convinced how vital it really is.  We may often see prayer as an extracurricular activity, just another task on our “to do” list, rather than a essential part of daily living.  We may even postpone prayer to times when it is convenient or when we feel in the mood. 

So, to do a quick self check to determine your prayer priority and overall spiritual health, you might want to consider if you have ever thought or said any of the following, “When I have more time, I’ll pray.”  “I’m not sure God really wants to hear from me anyway.”  “It’s just a waste of time.  I’m not sure God will answer my prayers anyhow.”  If any of these statements sound vaguely familiar, do not fret for you are far from alone.  The evil one tries to keep these thoughts before us to distract us from the one activity that will have the greatest impact on our lives.  These inconsistencies keep us exactly where he wants us to be…busy, apathetic and doubting.  It makes his job that much easier.

Another reason prayer is so important is because God loves the sound of your voice.   He made you, He loves you and He cares about every detail of your life, no matter how great or small.  He longs to hear from you. His Word reminds us to ‘Pray without ceasing” (1Thessalonians 5:17).  In essence God is saying, “I want you to pray continuously, not when you have a minute, not when you feel like it and not only when you need something.  I just long to spend time with you and to hear your voice.”

When we strive to make prayer a priority, it becomes a solid foundation for our faith.  It allows us to experience the presence of the Living God from moment to moment.  It deepens our relationship with him, allowing us to discover a sense of true intimacy with our Lord and Savior.  Our desire to pray makes it clear that HE ALONE is the most important part of our lives and is not just part of an optional, extracurricular activity.

---

Simply Giving® News

(Thrivent’s pre-authorized electronic funds transfer from your checking/savings account to Gloria Dei’s). 

Several members have asked me about using the Simply Giving® program for upcoming renovation/building fund donations.  Donations given through the Simply Giving® program may be allocated to multiple funds.  If you would like to enroll in the Simply Giving® program at Gloria Dei, please fill out an enrollment form and return it with a voided check to Paula Ebert.  Enrollment forms are available on the bulletin board outside the office or you can contact me at 525-7042 or financial@gloriadei- nky.org for a form.  If you are already enrolled in Simply Giving®, you can add renovation/building fund donations to your current giving by e-mailing me or completing another form (no voided check is necessary).  The Simply Giving® program is a convenient and reliable method of sharing your gifts to support the ministry of Gloria Dei.  Donations can be made weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly.  There is no cost to you or Gloria Dei.  If you have any questions about the program or would like to enroll, please contact me.

-Paula Ebert, Financial Secretary

Several individuals have recently made donations to the Memorial Fund to remember or honor someone or just to make a loving donation. 

         Vi Leers was remembered by Sara and Steven Kieffner.  Donald and Joy Shattuck remembered Hartmut Geisselbrecht’s  brother.  Paul B. Southers remembered Tom Hager.  Bill Huddleston was remembered by Ken and Judith Carpenter.  Ched and Susan Thornton honored Bob Frey.  Margie Conner honored several members of her family with a donation to Pastor’s Helping Hand.  Nancy Mlinarik and James and Margie Conner made a donation to undesignated.  Tom and Mary Chapin made a donation to Pastor’s Helping Hand. 

-Geneva Reimer, Memorial Secretary

---

 

Comings and Goings

 

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.  (Psalm 121:8)

 

If you are like me, the word “evangelism” strikes a chord of terror, especially when I am asked to “go out and spread the Gospel”.  But how is this “spreading of the Gospel” done and why should I do it?  As for, how is it done, it is done each time I show the love of Jesus by what I say, what I do and how I prioritize my time.  So in fact, I am an evangelist every hour of every day.  Why should I “spread the Gospel?  I do it because I want others to know God’s wonderful love for them through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  After they hear the Good News, it is the Holy Spirit’s work to grow their curiosity, causing them to desire more knowledge about the love that Jesus gives to each one of us.

I am going to tell you about a great opportunity to do just this.  On Sunday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m., Pastor Vicki will hold a Prayer Service at Gloria Dei.  Several hours before this, a group of “scared evangelists” (me and I hope, you) will go out into the neighboring community, in pairs, to ask for prayer requests.  My take on this is:  We knock on the door and introduce ourselves as members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church located at Dixie Highway and Lookout Farm Road.  We will then tell about the 2:30 p.m. Prayer Service at Gloria Dei.  We will ask if there is a concern or prayer request that they would like to be included at the Prayer Service.  If no, we thank them for their time and give them a flyer about our worship services.  If yes, we will write down the prayer request, and also give them information about our worship services. 

That is basically it.  End of story and then the Holy Spirit takes over.  All gathered prayer requests will then be lifted-up at the Prayer Service.

Have I peaked your interest?  See it’s not so bad, is it?  Come to a short meeting on April 6 before we go out into the neighborhood.  I guarantee that it will be an experience that you will not forget and neither will Jesus. 

Please contact Walda Helvie at 344-0103 for more information, or tell Debbie at Gloria Dei’s office that you are interested.

---

 

It is time for the Women’s Retreat on March 7 and 8 at St. Anne’s Convent in Melbourne, KY.  Pastor Vicki will lead the retreat.  The title this year is “Shalom (Peace) and the Brickyard”.  There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex.  Under the sign-up is a piece of paper that needs to be filled out and returned along with your $60 payment (made payable to WELCA).  You can give the check to Geneva Reimer, Marjorie Mueller, or Susan Schmidt.

Ruth Circle- will meet on Thursday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. at church to make palm crosses for Palm Sunday services.  All ladies are invited to join us for this fun activity. 

 

Mary Circle-  the meeting for March has been cancelled due to it falling on Holy Thursday.  We encourage everyone to attend the worship service that evening.  We will meet again on Thursday, April 17.

 

Hannah Circle – will join Ruth Circle and the other WELCA Circles on Thursday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. at Gloria Dei in Room F9 to make palm crosses for the Palm Sunday services.  Afterwards, we will be gathering at Margaritas Restaurant in Erlanger for a late meal.  Hannah Circle welcomes all women of the church to our meeting.  Please contact Tina Smith at 859-261-6030 or hannah@gloriadei-nky.org if you need additional information.

 

Martha Circle – will meet on Monday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Paula Kiser.  Lisa Miller will co-host and give the devotions.  All ladies of Gloria Dei are welcome to join us.  Call Lisa at 331-8655 for car pool information.