A note from Rebecca

I have finished my first class at Seminary!  I enjoyed the class and am looking forward to the next seven weeks of class.  As I write this, I am having trouble grasping the idea that it is the end of October.  I am not sure where the time has gone.  Two years ago, I traveled up to Gloria Dei for my face to face interview weekend.  My life changed greatly after the phone call I received that next month with a job offer.  God has blessed me in so many ways.  I am very grateful to this community of believers for all they have given me. I love my job here at Gloria Dei and I look forward to what God has in store.

 

One topic that came up in class was should you force a child to go to church.  There were many different views on this.  One thought that came up made me really think.  If one of your family values is attending church and being faithful the words of Christ, then yes, you should make your child go to church.  If this is something that is valued, then that needs to be passed on to the children, and I full heartily agree with this.

 

In my own life, I have made promises at my Godchildren’s baptism that I would help them live in the covenant of baptism and in communion with the church. These were promises that I not only made to that child but to their parents and, more importantly, to God.   Parents make a promise to their children in baptism that they will bring them to the holy supper, live among faithful people, place in their hands the holy scriptures and teach them. These are some very big promises and something I know that is not taken lightly. 

 

One of my favorite parts of this job is watching families worship, play and grow together.  I strongly encourage everyone to participate in at least one activity at Gloria Dei together.  When families get together, powerful things happen.  Come with your youth to an event, participate in the family ministry programs, share thoughts about worship with each other, you will see Christ moving in yourself, as well as your family.  God works in many mysterious ways let him mysteriously work in you!

 

Grace-

Rebecca

 P.S.  Check out the new youth pages on the Gloria Dei website!  www.gloriadei-nky.org

Mark Your Calendar for these December Events:

 

1^st   Hanging of the greens

(decorating the church for Advent and Christmas), 9am

 

8^th   Family Ministry Gingerbread House Building and Cookie Decorating

 

15^th Youth Shopping Day for United Ministries and Angel Tree

 

16^th Youth Bake Sale to raise funds for summer mission trip

 

24^th Christmas Eve Services

 

 

Change To Worship Times

 

Several weeks ago we sent a simple survey out to the folks who attend the 8:30 and 9:45 services.  We received 46 (38 written and 9 verbal) surveys back (the two services have an average worship attendance of 134 so 34% of you answered the survey—statistically a good sampling).  85% of the surveys were positive for the change.  Therefore, when the church council met on October 7 we approved the change effective November 4^th for a trial of at least through the end of the year.  We will be evaluating the change throughout.

 

Beginning November 4 our morning worship and education schedule will be as follows:

      8:00 Contemporary Liturgical

      9:00 Praise Worship (with Children’s Church)

      9:50 Sunday School (10:00 Adults)

    11:00 Traditional Worship (with Children’s Church)

 

I want to thank you ahead of time for giving this a try.  For the past two years I have prayed about this issue more than any other single issue that affects our life together.  I have never had peace about it.  The Lord kept nagging at me about the fact that education and worship were competing with each other.  As your pastor, charged by God for the spiritual well being of this congregation and answerable to God for its ministry, I really want this for you; an opportunity for each family to have both whichever worship fits them and education.  It also affords me an opportunity to occasionally participate in the education program and it gives me a breather in the morning schedule.

I am aware that this doesn’t solve everyone’s problems nor does it please everyone.  I would however like to comment on a few questions that have surfaced:

·         This is not an attempt to eliminate the early service.  I actually envision it as a way to expand that service because we will then continue the 8:00 service through the summer.  I also know that there are people for whom a smaller service is preferred.  The size of a service is not on my list of reasons to eliminate a service.

·         For those who prefer the early worship service format and also want to go to Sunday School, I know this is difficult for you.  Please come to me with possibilities, perhaps a prayer hour, or a fellowship/conversation hour or a “service hour (help with things that need to be done here)”.

·         For those who want worship without your children please give this a try in combination with Children’s Church.  If God doesn’t bless it for you please let me know as a part of our ongoing evaluation.

 

Please note that Sunday, November 4 is also the day we turn our clocks BACK ONE HOUR with the end of Daylight Savings Time.  Please mark your calendars so you will not arrive too early for our new worship service times.

 

Discipleship Committee Meetings

 

The next discipleship committee meeting night will be held on Monday, November 5 in the fellowship hall.  The joint committee chair/council dinner meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. with all the committee meetings to follow at 7:15 p.m.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Welcomes New Staff Member

 

For some time now the Church Council, the committee chairs and the personnel committee have been discussing various staffing needs and how we can best meet the growing demands of this dynamic congregation. As we have often learned from Pastor Vicki, prayer can be a powerful tool in our daily lives. In this case I must share with you that our payers have been answered. We would like to announce that beginning next week, Mr. Tom Pairan will become a part of the Gloria Dei staff responsible for Volunteer Coordination and Christian Education. Tom is a seminarian who is working on his Master of Divinity degree. Part of his required program includes practical experience called Ministry In Context.

Tom will be able to fulfill his seminary requirements for the MIC experience and we will be able to benefit from his past experience in Christian Education and family ministry in the Louisville area. Tom was recently married to Pastor-Anne Benson and will begin his time here at Gloria Dei upon the return from his honeymoon. In addition to his the required 7 hours per week of MIC time, he will be working part-time for an additional 10 hours per week to enhance our efforts as Volunteer Coordinator/Christian Education Coordinator.  You will all be seeing Tom and hearing from him in the next few weeks. We ask for your warm reception and prayers for this expanding ministry.

-The Personnel Committee

Angel Tree Ministry

 

            Since 2003, Gloria Dei has participated in Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Ministry by purchasing and delivering Christmas gifts to the children of prisoners.  This benefits not only the children, but also the prisoner parents by giving their children presents on their behalf.  Each child receives two gifts: one is a toy and one is clothing, each costing $15-20. 

            This year we have a commitment to buy presents for 60 children.  If you would like to be part of this ministry, e-mail Bonnie Handahl at BHandahl@gloriadei-nky.org  or call 331-7137.  Thanks for your past and continued support.

Rebuilding New Orleans

 

Want to help with the continuing rebuilding?  Can’t go yourself?  Support a group from Gloria Dei and Lutheran Church of Resurrection (20+) who are going there November 11-18.  Any size gift will help offset their considerable expenses and in purchasing the supplies they will need.  Place your gift in an envelope and mark it “Gulf Coast Support Mission”.  Put it in the offering plate or mail to the office so it arrives no later than November 4.  The team going and people of New Orleans thank you!

 

Thank You!  Thank You!  Thank You!

 

Thanks to all of you who contributed to the ELCA Clean Water Project in August and September.  We were able to send $633 to sponsor building two cisterns in Uganda.

In October your gifts to Campus Ministries have helped to make Christ known on five campuses in the Indiana/Kentucky Synod. This money provides a place to worship along with pastors and programs which minister to the spiritual needs of our college students while they are away from home. Watch the bulletin for the final amount contributed by alums, parents, sports fans and concerned spirit filled members of Gloria Dei.

 

In November, we will complete our study of the video presentation “Faith Lessons on the Promised Land.”  This study focuses on how God put His mark on a people and their land – a mark that He has extended through ancient Israel to the faithful today.  Teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals insights into scripture’s significance that you may not have thought of before.

            Join us each of the first three Sundays at 9:45 a.m. in Room F-1 of the Fellowship Hall. There is no class on November 25.

United Ministries once again needs your help to provide turkeys for the families they assist in Kenton and Boone counties.  Look for the Buy A Bird poster and box at the back of the narthex.  It will be there the first 3 Sundays in November. You may donate toward the cost of a turkey or donate the whole cost of one or more turkeys. Approximately 200 families are provided meals at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas.

In addition please consider filling our grocery cart with all the items and trimmings that go into making a holiday dinner such as potatoes, gravy, dressing, veggies, cranberries, coffee, dessert mixes, roasting pans, napkins, paper towels, etc.

The Power of Prayer

 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”    (Romans 8:28)

FATHER KNOWS BEST

          One of the most difficult concepts for us to comprehend and accept is why God chooses to answer our prayers as He does.  From a human perspective, we frequently interpret his answers in one of three ways that are outlined in the following excerpt from Encouraging Words for Women (and Men, Too!) by Darlene Sala:

          “Most of us understand that God answers our prayers one of three ways: 1) Yes, 2) No, 3) Wait a while. We sometimes say, ‘I received an answer to prayer today!’  Of course, we almost always mean that God said, ‘Yes,’ to one of our requests.  But ‘No’ is an answer to prayer, too.  And thank God that as the good parent He is, God loves us enough to sometimes say, ‘No.’

        Of course I always ask God for what I want, but with my limited knowledge and foresight, I don’t always know what is best for me.  Like a child who repeatedly begs for Skittles & Slushies, I often ask for things that aren’t best for my spiritual nutrition.  But if I ask for something that is not for my own good, I can be assured that God will say, ‘No.’ He will not say ‘Yes,’ when He should say ‘No.’

          Did you ever notice that God the Father answered Jesus’ prayer with a ‘No’ answer?  On the night when Jesus was betrayed and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, three times He prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me’ (Matthew 26:39).  God the Father answered His Son’s prayer, but His answer was ‘No.’ Because the Father said, ‘No,’ you and I have salvation from our sins and will spend eternity with Him.

         ‘We do not know what we ought to pray,’says Paul, ‘but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will’(Romans 8:26-27).  God helps us in our ignorance and lack of wisdom.

          When you’re praying for something specific, be encouraged.  Today God may say, ‘Yes.’  Then again, He may say, ‘Wait a while.’  But if He says, ‘No,’ remember that truly our heavenly Father knows best!”

Basket of Blessings for United Ministries

 

Have some fun and support a very worthy cause by attending the annual United Ministries Fashion Show and Luncheon.  This event will be held on Saturday, November 10 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Ft. Mitchell Country Club.  This year’s fashions will be presented by Talbot’s of Crestview Hills Town Center.  Single tickets are $30.00 and patron tickets are $60.00.  An original Tom Bluemlein oil painting will be raffled and there will also be a silent auction.  The committee is requesting that a gift of a non-perishable foods item be brought for United Ministries “Basket of Blessings” to help those in need for the Holiday season.  For more information call Jonna Bluemlein at 341-2347, Sara Kieffner at 341-5131, or Nancy Bunnell at 341-2053.

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Annual WELCA Dinner Set for Nov. 15

 

The annual WELCA Dinner and Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 15 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall at Gloria Dei.  The speaker will be Sister Paula S.C.Phd.  She will speak on Eco-spirituality.  Please bring money for Christmas shopping from Lutheran World Relief Handcrafts and Fair Trade Food.  Tickets are $20 and will go on sale beginning October 28.  Call Margaret Berwanger at 344-9643 for additional information.

Martha Circle- will meet on Monday, November 26 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Linda Byrne.  Shelley Dick will co-host and give the devotions.  Tollie Chavis will have the program.  All ladies of Gloria Dei are welcome to join us for a fun evening.  Call Shelley Dick at 344-8334 for car pool information.

 

Ruth Circle- will meet on Thursday, November 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the church parking lot.  We will pair up to “go out unto the world and spread good news” and cheer with our church family members who are home bound.   After our visits we will meet at the Greyhound Grill, 2500 Dixie Highway, to have our meeting.   Come join us for a wonderful evening.   For more information call Pauline Kendrick at 384-6546.

Ladies!  Mark your calendars for  Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8 for the women’s retreat in 2008 at Queen Anne’s convent  in Melbourne.  This is a great time for our ladies, young and old, to enjoy Christian fellowship, and to learn from several of Pastor Vicki’s excellent lessons.  It is a great time for sisters, mothers and daughters, mothers and daughters-in-laws, friends, grandma’s and daughter and granddaughters, or any other combination I may have omitted.  Please mark your calendars and save that time to join us.  We would love to see you there.  Questions can be directed to Geneva Reimer, 356-7911, or any lady who has attended in the past.

Time and Talent- What Can You Offer?

 Proverbs 11:25 says, "The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped."  In a nutshell, this proverb speaks of the resulting power of the Time and Talent Survey.  By serving God as a Council Member, Team leader, an usher or lay assistant, one is truly blessed by God's abundant grace for their time and energy in carrying out our mission at Gloria Dei.  How is one blessed?  By receiving the joy, comfort and satisfaction knowing that we are answering God's call in the Gospels to serve Him.  By serving God, whether it be through volunteering during our church worship services, or by helping with the Interfaith Hospitality Dinners, we again receive the power of God's blessings knowing that we are helping others, which in turn helps us to realize God's love for us and others.  Please take the time to explore what you can do for Gloria Dei and our community by completing the Time and Talent survey offering to serve God with your skills and your gifts!  (Click here to fill out the survey on-line)

 Financial News

          We are having a good Stewardship year with income through the first nine months up 12. 5% over last year and a surplus of $9425 versus budget through September.   Thank you all that pledged and thanks to all for their giving.  Pledging is the method that the church can count on you.   More and more people are signing up for the automatic bank deposit of their pledge to Gloria Dei.    Signing up is real easy- Paula Ebert will show you how.   Take advantage of this convenient way to meet your commitment to Gloria Dei.  
         The 2009 Stewardship campaign is now.   If you have not yet made your pledge to Gloria Dei, please fill in you giving card and send it in!   We have a number of outstanding giving units that we have not heard from.   You can save us from follow up by sending in your card.