Gloria Dei: January 2009

THE DEILY NEWS-
GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH
NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2009
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Dear Friends,

As I consider the 2008 year in review, I realize we have had many “highs” in ministry and much for which to be thankful!

Some of our visioning goals from the past 6 ½ years came into being! One of the items that had been on the table for discussion throughout several councils and numerous worship and music committee meetings was adding a second worship service. In listening to members in our community of faith and in the community at large, we realized an additional weekend worship service would not meet the needs of those for whatever reason could not attend at that time. In late September, we began our mid-week Wednesday worship service. Doug and I hoped to have 15 people in attendance that first night; we had nearly 50. The numbers have gone up and down since that first service, but the feedback I continually hear is “thanks for making this worship service possible!” We have had families return to church, because they could never make a Sunday service and new members join, because Sunday worship is not an option to them. Many thanks to Doug Everson for designing the music for this service and giving more of his time to empower our worship! Many thanks to the worship committee for helping establish the worship routine and to the congregation for embracing this, knowing it increases my pastoral demands.

A second visionary goal we had when I arrived 6 ½ years ago was to increase our outreach in the community. Thanks to the Not Yet Ready for Divine Time Players, the Empty Bowls for Hunger project, and this year Bill and Peg Craig’s initiative in getting us involved in the ESTHER ecumenical community activism process, we are ever becoming more involved and recognizably involved in a mission of service to others. It has taken years of experience/reflection to grow in our service in these areas, but I’m always impressed by the commitment of the people of Gloria Dei to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to bind the broken heart, to feed the hungry, to add our voice on behalf of the voiceless in creative and effective ways. I admire too the feedback we are able to give authentically and receive to refine our outreach in these areas.

A third visionary goal we have made great strides within is building community within our church. Council President Mike Field, Vice President Karen Ebert and I sat down and made a list of learning/serving/fellowship activities we already do as part of this church, and we were astounded at what we accomplish for our size. My colleagues in ministry often marvel at the lively activity in our church with the small staff and limited resources we have. I am also always impressed with the way ideas for new groups emerge to meet needs. An example of this is the glorious young moms group; out of visits with young moms in need of support, they took initiative to begin meeting and sharing their faith and life journeys with one another. It is very likely that you are a member of some kind of learning, serving or fellowship activity yourself!

Our council this past year took the initiative to bring in Associate Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe to consider with us where God is calling us to move in the future. In order to orient us on the journey, she helped us to consider where we’ve been as a church; to revisit the stories of joy and growing pains that have shaped us. She helped us to look at what we have to give where we are now. Remember the series of questions she asked us to reflect on which we wrote on the post its? Jayne Meyer was kind enough to write down all of the responses so as we meet as a new council this year, we can continue to identify the gifts we have and where God is leading us to use them on our mutual faith journey. We have been asking the question: “What is God up to at Gloria Dei?” She has promised to return to be with us to check in on the journey.

The lows of the year are reflective of lows in our society during this economic downturn. You all received a letter in the last week noting our budget shortfalls. We simply must make our very bare bones budget. In addition to simply asking for your committed financial support, we intend to find strategies to continue to teach and empower stewardship principles and evangelize potential new members in our area.

Because of our reduced staffing (secretary and cleaning service) and our inability to invest in updated technology (copy machine, computers) I find my plate to be very full. I put my pastoral work as a priority above my secretarial duties, but struggle with finding all the time to give excellence in both areas. There are times, for example, when I may not be in the office, but I am working on documents, responding to emails and calls, or on the road for meetings, hospital visits, shut in visits, etc. If you don’t reach me in the office, please leave phone messages, send an email, or know I’m available to set up an appointment. My heart of service and devotion to you remains the same; my physical ability to be in many places at once, is the struggle.

In the midst of all the highs and lows of ministry we face together, please know what a privilege it is for me to serve with you making Christ known!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Vicki

CALENDAR OF EVENTS :FEBRUARY
FEB 1 Worship 9:00AM
Brunch & Annual Meeting 10:15AM
FEB 3 Gloria Dei Book Club 7:00PM
FEB 4 Confirmation 5:30PM
Choir Rehearsal 6:00PM
Worship 7:00PM
FEB 5 Glorious Young Moms 6ish
El Camino Mexican Kiel
FEB 8 Worship 9:00AM
Rotation Sunday School 10:15AM
FEB 10 Gloria Dei Church Council 6:30PM
Current/Outgoing council provides potluck
Outgoing members meet with oncoming
FEB 11 Confirmation 5:30PM
Choir Rehearsal 6:00PM
Worship 7:00PM
FEB 14 Happy Valentine’s Day
FEB 15 Worship 9:00AM
Rotation Sunday School 10:15AM
Empty Bowls for Hunger 4-7PM
FEB 16 Happy President’s Day
FEB 18 Confirmation 5:30PM
Choir Rehearsal 6:00PM
Worship 7:00PM
FEB 21 Junior High Youth Gathering
Park Plaza Oshkosh, WI
FEB 22 Worship 9:00AM
Rotation Sunday School 10:15AM
Return from JYG
FEB 25 Choir Rehearsal 6:00PM
Ash Wednesday Worship 7:00PM

Gloria Dei Book Clubs
The Gloria Dei Fiction Book Club is discussing Love Walked In by Marissa de los Santos on Tuesday, February 3 at 7pm. The Nonfiction Book Club will be discussing 1491 : new revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann on February 2nd at 6:30 p.m. In a riveting and fast-paced history, Mann debunks much of what we thought we knew about pre-Columbian America. Reviewing the latest, not widely reported research, Mann zestfully demonstrates that long before any European explorers set foot in the New World, Native American cultures were flourishing with a high degree of sophistication. Please join us!

Prayer Chain
• Doris and Ken Willgrubs, parents of Roxie Ruechel, special intentions
• Remy Field, cancer.
• Payton Lenhardt, brain injury
• Pastor Tim Routh, serving in Iraq

Congratulations
• Peter and Christine Goetsch on the birth and baptism of their daughter Hannah Marie Goetsch!
• Mickey and Bethany (Jensen) Wiskow on the baptism of their son Oskar Gordon Wiskow and to proud grand-parents Jerry and Pat Jensen!
• Tara Leithold, director and the many members of Gloria Dei starring in the Bauer Theater Production of “Who’s Dying to Be a Millionaire!

We Remember
• Cleora Nett, mother of Bev Rogne.
• David Wolslegel, 67, member of the original Bible Study group that formed Gloria Dei.

Memorials and Gifts
• Dee and Orv Langohr gave a memorial gift to the roof fund in memory of their parents, Donald and Evelyn Langohr and Charles and Rose Honald.
• Fred and Sarah Muermann gave a memorial gift for undesignated giving in memory of Gerald Matenaer.
• Mike and Annette Pleshek gave a memorial gift to music and worship in memory of Great Aunt Ida Odegaard.

***When You Desire a Hospital Visit***
Please read this!!! Because of the new changes in privacy laws, Pastor Vicki must be called by you or a family member if you desire a hospital visit. Even if the hospital asks you for your information, it is not always delivered, and when delivered, not always in a timely manner. Please call Gloria Dei’s office 920-898-5333 or Pastor Vicki’s cell phone 920-716-0661

Snow Plowing
Thank you to all of you who contacted people to snow plow the parking lot. As a cost saving measure, the parking lot will be plowed when there is more than 2” of snow. – Jean Haack

Electronic Giving or Simply Giving
Please consider using "Simply Giving," or automatic cash withdrawal/deposit as your method of giving. Since January we've been in a cash flow crunch with our current expenses and the building fund. Simply Giving allows a somewhat more stable cash flow picture. Contact Colleen Allee for the "Simply Giving" info. 920-889-1187’Barb Spiegel, Church Treasurer

Glorious Young Moms
We have a wonderful group of young moms meeting once a month at 6ish (because that’s the life of a mom!) on Thursday, February 5. They will meet at El Camino in Kiel this time. New members welcome at any time! If you have questions please call Rebecca Hansen, 849-9932 or Heidi Aprill 894-1348

Wednesday Worship Service
We now offer two worship services. In addition to our Sunday morning 9:00am service we celebrate worship on Wednesdays at 7pm. Holy Communion is served weekly at both services.

Lenten Soup Suppers and Worship
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on Wednesday, February 25th. Please join us for soup suppers for the following Wednesdays at 5:30 for soup suppers March 4, 11, 18, 25, and April 1 and 8 and stay for worship. We will be using the Holden Evening prayer for worship and sharing in Holy Communion every week, as this is our commitment for weekly worship. Pastor Vicki will be sharing a preaching series on “Identifying our Spiritual Gifts as Individuals and as a Church.” During Holy Week, we will have our traditional Maundy Thursday worship service and this year it is Gloria Dei’s turn to host our ecumenical Good Friday worship service put on by the Kiel/New Holstein Ministerium. We are interested in having another Seder Meal on Wednesday during Holy Week if volunteers will come forth to co-ordinate it. Please see PV if you are interested.

$1300
Gloria Dei needs three Thrivent representatives in order to apply for $1300 Care in Congregations funds. The money may be used for projects and supplies in the church.

One lead coordinator is needed. That person applies for funds and records how those funds were used via computer. This can be done at 4:00 a.m., 10:00 p.m. or whenever it fits in the coordinators schedule. Mere minutes are needed to apply or record events.

Funds may be withheld if the congregation doesn’t have three representatives.

Not Yet Ready for Divine Time Players
Our group is looking for new adult and young adult actors for our dinner theater group! If interested please contact Dianne Fett. Performances this year will be Saturday May 9 & Sunday May10 and Friday May 15 & Saturday May 16. Kitchen and youth help will also be needed.

Junior High Youth Gathering
The junior high youth gathering is at the Park Plaza hotel in Oshkosh, WI Saturday February 21-Sunday February 22. Forms have been passed out to our confirmation students and must be turned in by Sunday, February 1. If the forms were lost, please visit http://www.ecsw.org/ and select “youth” to print out youth health forms and covenants. Cost is $75 and checks are to be made out to “Gloria Dei Lutheran Church” as we must submit one check for payment. Thanks to Sue Salzsieder and Joe Wise who are chaperoning the event!

***Confirmation Camp News***
Because of the national youth gathering going on this year, adjustments have been made to the confirmation camp schedule and there WILL NOT BE CAMP the week we are normally scheduled to go, following the fourth of July. Instead, we will be attending the session at Imago Dei Village from June 28-July 3. Early registration for this event has begun, and you can register and pay here: http://www.crosswayscamps.org/churchgroups.htm#confirmation or by picking up a form from the church office. After March 15, an additional $25 will be charged for registration, so if you would like to save money, please plan to register prior to that date. The youth group will plan to reimburse families part of the tuition fees based on youth group earnings.

A Message from Your Treasurer
The council has worked very hard to refine our budget with everything but the very basics, yet over the course of this year cash flow hasn’t been adequate. At this time our operating and building funds are very low, with the operating fund needing serious immediate attention. Thanks to a significant gift this summer and the Not-Yet-Ready-For-Divine-Time Dinner Theater funds we had been able to meet our operating expenses.

Many individuals donate so much to keep us afloat. I haven’t seen an invoice for office supplies, postage, cleaning supplies, bathroom supplies or any of those other small day to day incidentals this year. Thank you for the many ways you give to Gloria Dei.

We’d like to thank everyone participating in the Simply Giving Program. This program makes our cash flow more consistent and accounting easier for the financial secretary.

How do we proceed? What’s the key?
God never gives us more challenge than we can handle. God has led us to grow this ministry and will continue to guide us, even in a tough economy.

Please continue to pray for the ministry of Gloria Dei. Search your heart if you are able to meet or increase your pledges to the operating and building committee or consider becoming first time givers to the operating and building fund so we can continue our mission of making Christ known! Thanksgiving in Christ,
Barb Spiegel, Treasurer

Church Clean Up and Snow Shoveling
We rely on church volunteers to do our snow shoveling, and now, cleaning. A list of jobs will be posted on the kiosk. If you or your family is able to clean during the week, please sign up! If you happen to be in the building and see a job isn’t checked off for a week and you are able to do it, your help would be greatly appreciated!

Empty Bowls for Hunger
Once again, Gloria Dei will be the host sight for the Empty Bowls for hunger event, working in cooperation with the Kiel Quest kids and other area churches to raise funds for food pantries in our area. Please join us Sunday, February 15 from 4-7pm. A simple soup and bread dinner will be provided (with each congregation providing two soups – you can try them all if you like!) with a suggested donation of $10 per ticket. As a touchstone of the event, you will receive an “empty bowl” to take with you, which church members and Quest students have created, reminding us that there are empty bowls and hungry people in the world. Kris Stephany will be contacting all members to see who might help provide or serve soup, set up, clean up, etc. If she does not reach you, and you would like to help, please contact Kris at 920-838-1602.
Youth Events – Save the Dates
The youth group met on Monday, January 26 and has planned some up-coming events. Sunday, March 15 will be the annual spaghetti supper. Please plan to have your youth work the event, as proceeds go to fund confirmation camp and youth events. The youth are also planning to have a lock in at church on March 20-21.

A Bunch of Thanks
• To outgoing council members Rachel Barrett, Sue Immich and Louie Kolberg.
• To outgoing facilities and events task force and Thrivent coordinator, Jean Haack.
• To Sue and Selia Salzsieder, Blanche Brenwall, Mike and Carol Field, Dianne Fett, Ruth Cammomilli and the Stephany Family for spending time cleaning at church!
• To Bill and Peg Craig, serving as our ESTHER contacts. ESTHER is a social ministry program that helps us to work on challenging issues we face in society. Please see Bill and Peg for more information!
• To Coleen Allee for her work as our financial minister!
• To Barb Spiegel for her work as treasurer!

From Your Financial Secretary, Coleen Allee
2008 Statements are available – pick them up, look them over, and if you have any questions please see me!

Please pray for our bishops and their families as they travel in the Mideast. Our Bishop, Jim Justman, is among the travelers. See below.

The long-awaited Middle East visit by the ELCA Conference of Bishops and bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada has begun. Participants will meet with Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian religious, community and political leaders, visit congregations and schools, and sites of religious significance. The Lutheran bishops' visit to Israel, Jordan and Palestine is a part of the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine. Bishops and spouses provided synod and personal funds for the visit. Bishop Justman flew out on Monday afternoon, January 5^th.

ELCA Communication Services has provided a Web site for the trip that includes a blog, plus links to blogs and reports from bishops, photographs and video from the Middle East visit. You can find the blog and links at http://blogs.elca.org/09cobacademy/

Following is Bishop Mark Hanson’s message on Gaza:

December 31, 2008

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

"For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." (Isaiah 9:5-7)

In this New Year, we turn again to the Lord of hosts – praying urgently for the justice, righteousness and peace hailed by the birth of the newborn babe in the manger, the humble child, the Prince of Peace.

In these days of terrible violence, death and destruction in Gaza and southern Israel, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) joins its voice with all in the region and around the world who call for an immediate ceasefire. The continuing loss of life, infliction of serious injury and devastation of property will only deepen hatred and divisions, and will serve no good end. Lamenting the recent escalation of violence, only negotiations, leading to a two-state solution, will bring about a durable peace with justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.

The ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) are carefully monitoring events in the region as their bishops prepare for their upcoming Academy visit, the planning for which began two years ago. Bishops of both churches have met several times this week by phone, and are united in their assessment that the trip is timelier than ever and should proceed. In keeping with the 2005 ELCA "Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine," the trip emphasizes accompaniment with its Lutheran partners in the region, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF). In this very difficult time, the bishops hope that their presence can be a source of comfort to these partners and manifest support for these ministries.

ELCA congregations are invited to join with the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, including Bishop Munib Younan of the ELCJHL, who have called for this Sunday, January 4, to be "a day for justice and peace in the land of peace." The ELCA joins them in calling upon, "officials of both parties to the conflict to…refrain from all violent acts, which only bring destruction and tragedy, and urge them instead to work to resolve their differences through peaceful and non-violent means." And the ELCA joins them in praying, “for the victims, the wounded and the broken-hearted. May the Lord God Almighty grant all those who have lost loved ones consolation and patience. We pray for all those living in panic and fear, that God may bless them with calm, tranquility and true peace.”

The ELCA and ELCIC bishops invite the continuing prayers of their church members for building peace among Christians, Jews and Muslims and all of the region’s peoples. On behalf of their churches, the bishops offer to their Christian sisters and brothers and to all people affected by the conflict, their steadfast support and their efforts and prayers for peace to prevail and healing to begin.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Gloria Dei

Friday, January 30, 2009

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Confirmation Class Resumes January 7 @ 5:30pm

Ordinary Miracles for 2009

Bishops Travel to the Mideast & Message from Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Mark Hanson

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