Sunday School and GAPP begin September 10, 2017 Rally Sunday, the day we come together to begin Sunday School, is September 10. Kids will meet their teachers and begin the year with a special lesson “What is a Lutheran?” This year we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Much of the fall curriculum will focus on Martin Luther’s life and the changes he sparked in the church and the world. Reserve September 10 for Sunday School at 9:30 am, worship at 8:15 or 10:45 am, and the Rally Day picnic, complete with food, bouncy house, and service projects for every age, from noon to 2:00 pm.

Register for Sunday School and Ministry to Children now! Sunday School and GAPP registration is now open at this link: https://gloriadeistpaul.wufoo.com/forms/kbbr3wx0eyprpa/. All registration is online, and there is no fee. Children who are three years old by September 1 (and potty-trained) through young people in sixth grade may register. Welcome to a great new year of learning and having fun together! Adults and youth who would like to be involved in Children’s Ministry may view the large variety of ministry opportunities here: http://www.gloriadeistpaul.org/ministries/childrens-

ministry/volunteer/ and register your interest. As a part of the leadership of Children’s Ministry, you will have fun, learn along with the kids, and become engaged in the Gloria Dei community.

The Gloria Dei GUIDE August 2017

Let the fields be jubilant and everything in them. Psalm 96:12

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Save the Date for Children’s Communion Instruction The Pastors and Children’s Ministry director offer special instruction twice a year for parents/guardians and children who would like to receive communion. This year Communion Instruction is held Saturday, October 14 from 9:30 to noon and Saturday, March 3 from 9:30 – noon. There is no age restriction for this class. Parents and children can determine when a child is interested and ready to begin. The instruction is appropriate for kids age 5 – 12. If a younger or older child would like to take Communion Instruction, please speak with a pastor. Gloria Dei encourages families to include children in the sacrament of Holy Communion! Register here: https://gloriadeistpaul.wufoo.com/forms/

moktibv0qibv1n/ .

Third Grade! Waverly Church Harvest Homecoming coming soon! Last year’s second graders, remember the interesting lessons with Dan and Kendra Helvig from Waverly Lutheran Church? Waverly is our rural partner church. They invite the entire family of all third graders to their Harvest Homecoming every year. Here is the link to a short video of all the fun at Harvest Homecoming 2015: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wmoxrv1jgvxmdx3/AAAdyyyj-9f662k-e_8R6ncla?dl=0&preview=Waverly+and+Gloria+Dei+2015.m4v .

Third grade families, please register NOW for your attendance at

Harvest Homecoming, September 17, 2017. This is the registration link: https://gloriadeistpaul.wufoo.com/forms/wfuitsg0ddr1wh/ . More information is coming soon.

An Evening to Check-In On Our Lives-August 23, 6:30–9:00 p.m. We all want to be happy and live our lives with integrity. Karen Stevensen, LLC, MSW, LICSW, MDiv, is a therapist with 38 years’ experience working with individuals, couples and families. Join us for conversation focusing on self-awareness, communication, conflict skills and tips for creating fulfilling relationships. This is a great opportunity for individuals or couples, young or old, to reflect on our lives and our relationships. Appetizers and desserts will be provided. The entire event is free, thanks to a Faith and Health Grant from Fairview. Sign up with Pastor Lois Pallmeyer, or Parish Nurse Janet Bricher, or on our website at http://www.gloriadeistpaul.org/event/an-evening-to-check-in-on-our-lives-with-karen-stevensen/

Rally Sunday September 10, 2017 Hope you’ll be with us on Sunday, September 10, as we begin another program year at Gloria Dei. Rally Sunday is a chance for us to worship together, start a new year of learning, and gather for fun over a picnic lunch. Worship services return to fall schedule, 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Education Hour (Sunday School, GAPP, Sunday Forum) 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.. Picnic lunch on the front yard, beginning at 12:00 noon. Need more information? Want to get involved? Check with Pastor Lois at prlois@gloriadeistpaul.org.

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Gloria Dei Receives LSS Servant of Christ Award Gloria Dei has been awarded with Servant of Christ Award, 2017, by Lutheran Social Services “in deep gratitude for empowering the faithful to greater service and generosity for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.” Particularly, the congregation was recognized for being engaged in LSS’s youth services, notably through Rezek House, a transitional housing program for homeless youth. More information about Rezek House, http://www.lssmn.org/youth/metro/rezek. Thank you to all for such faithful generosity.

Sanctuary Support Update In March, Gloria Dei voted to become a sanctuary-supporting congregation. While to date we have received no requests for support of individuals in sanctuary, members of the Gloria Dei team remain involved with other sanctuary and sanctuary-supporting congregations, as ISAIAH continues to track government actions to detain and deport undocumented individuals and as the needs within our community develop. Thank you to all of have offered to part of this ministry. We will keep you informed as we learn more.

See the Changes

Projects around the building are continuing,

using funds approved in the Capital budget

at the February annual meeting. So far,

Plaster repairs in the chapel, the ceiling of

the balcony stairwell and the wall of the

robing room are complete. These are the

repairs that were most critical. More repairs

are scheduled for next year and following

years.

Roofing and siding repairs in the steeple

were completed in July. This was a

carryover from the construction project.

The roof to the upper part of the steeple

has been replaced. Water-damaged

wood in the side structure was removed

and replaced, and new siding installed,

sealing the wood to prevent future water

damage.

The landscaping plan for 2017 is

complete. Gloria Dei members worked

on June 10 to plant perennial beds

around the building, and shrubs were

planted in July. The rain gardens were

evaluated to check progress after one

year. Parts of the perimeter of the south

rain garden will be reseeded. Some

plants in the north rain garden, which are

under warranty, did not survive, and will

be replaced.

Power door openers for the north and

south doors by the parking lot are on

order. We expect them to arrive and be

installed in August.

Together, we continue to make Gloria Dei a safe and welcoming place for our congregation and community to gather.

Healing Service On August 16 at 7:00 pm there will be an evening healing service in Gloria Dei’s Sanctuary. For those unfamiliar with what a healing service is; it’s a time to offer prayers for ourselves, loved ones, the earth or our country in a more deliberate and ritualistic way. We express our concerns to God through song, words and thoughts. For those who want to pray with one of the pastors, you may come forward and ask them to say a special prayer for your intention and be anointed with oil. Others may wish to pray from the pews. Come share this beautiful, moving time together using Holden Evening Prayer.

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Minnesota State Fair “Water Welcome”

It’s time again for the Minnesota State Fair, and as one of the Park and Ride sites, we will be seeing lots of folks passing through our parking lot on these hot summer days. To provide Gloria Dei hospitality for our fair-going friends, we are again seeking your help! Volunteering: Will you help us hand out water and smiles? We would love volunteers who have done it before, and folks who are new to the routine! One thing is for sure: it is a great way to meet new people from near and far, as well as keep them comfortable on their way to the State Fair. We will have shifts available every day of the fair. Please check our website http://www.gloriadeistpaul.org/state-fair-water-welcome-call-for-volunteers-and-supplies/ to see what’s available and to sign up for one (or more!) shifts. Donations: We need lots of bottled water to support this ministry of hospitality! Please leave your donations outside the Sharing Place (near Room 100 in the lower level hallway). We can also use cash donations, which offset the costs of ice and publicity materials. Financial contributions can be left in the church office (memo: “State Fair water”).

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Since the last visit to our companions in Guatemala in April, much has been happening! At the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala (ILAG), our partners at La Resurrección Church celebrated 25 years of ministry on Sunday, July 16. We prayed for them in church and give thanks for their witness to being Lutheran in Guatemala. In celebration of their anniversary, they sent a letter. The translated letter reads: Dear Sisters and Brothers, Receive enthusiastic greetings from your sisters and brothers at La Resurreccion. We are always thinking of you and are grateful to God for each one of you. Though we did not have a chance to see one another this year, we want you to know that your whole congregation is always in our prayers. We want to share with you that we are filled with joy as we prepare for our 25th anniversary. We would have loved it if you could have been with us in person to share this most special occasion with us, but we know you will be with us in spirit this Sunday, the 16th. We ask for your prayers, and we appreciate the care and love you feel for us. We hope we can see you soon. We remember you always with deep love. Sincerely, The Church of the Resurrection New steps are being constructed to replace the crumbling, uneven pathways down to the church in El Tuerto. Along with St. John’s Lutheran & Messiah Lutheran in Georgia, Gloria Dei contributed an offering for the stairs. This will help make La Resurrección safer and more hospitable!

In San Lucas Tolimán, the Café Juan Ana coffee project continues to go strong. A crew of 6 work full-time, year-round to roast and package coffee. The project also employs 5 additional temporary employees during harvest season. Although a leaf-rust fungus diminished the 2016-17 harvest, Café Juan Ana continues to pay farmers about $10 more per 100 pounds of coffee. You can support fair-wage, direct-trade coffee from our companions by purchasing Juan Ana coffee either in the church office or on the first Sunday of the month in the Gathering Place! Another visit to our companions is being planned for early 2018. Stay tuned for more information!

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The original letter from La Resurrección Church.

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Thank you for your support for our Kansas City, Missouri

Youth Works trip!

14 teens & adults traveled together for a

full week of service and learning, June 25-

July 1. The theme for the week came from

John 10:10, that Jesus came that we might

live an abundant life. We studied this

passage throughout the week,

contemplating what it truly means to live

“The Good Life.” Through many activities

that stretched us, we were led to discover

that the Good Life is lived when we give

our lives away for others. We served by

providing maintenance in two community

gardens, helping with customer service at

Blessings Abound Thrift Store (which

donates 100% of the profits to local non-

profits), leading a

kid’s club and re-organizing a food

distribution ministry from Children’s

Memorial Lutheran Church (ELCA),

weaving sleeping mats for homeless

people from Plarn” (plastic bags that are

woven together), tutoring with Upper

Room reading and math tutoring, and met

new friends from Texas and Minneapolis

suburbs.

Before we returned home, the team had

an extended meeting to discuss next

steps in our faith journey, one goal of

which includes returning to visit Pastor

Ann at Children’s Memorial Lutheran.

Other highlights were lunch at Toot Toot’s buffet, the World War I museum, Arthur Bryant’s BBQ, Shoal Creek Living History Museum, a scavenger hunt on the Plaza in KC, and the Mark Twain Mississippi River Boat dinner cruise. 100s of pictures from our trip are here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm3362tt

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Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

700 Snelling Avenue South

St. Paul, MN 55116

651-699-1378

By God’s grace,

we are called to be a

caring, healing and

welcoming community

who proclaim and

celebrate the love of

Jesus Christ,

live as God’s servants

and seek justice for

all people.

Capital Fund Information

Contributions Year to Date $ 178,962

Monthly mortgage payments $ 18,752

Capital Improvement Costs Year-to-Date $ 17,199 Balance in Capital Accounts

June 30, 2017 $ 311,667

Mortgage Balance

June 30, 2017 $ 2,920,173

FINANCIAL UPDATE

Operating Information June 30, 2017

Total offerings $ 86,049

Ahead (Behind) $ 4,422

Total Income $ 109,712

Total Expenses $ 99,829

Net for Month $ 9,883

Total YTD Offerings $ 577,421

Ahead (Behind) $ 846

Total YTD Income $ 706,868

Total YTD Expenses $ 659,537

Net for Current Year $ 47,331

Financial Update Submitted by Jeanne Hanson, Administrator

Financial Update By Jeanne Hanson, Administrator

Concerned about poverty in our community? Want to help, but don’t know where to start? A “first of its kind” program is about to launch in our city!! Interfaith Action (formerly St Paul Area Council of Churches) is building a cohort of 100 volunteers called Opportunity Saint Paul. Interfaith Action will train and deploy volunteers for meaningful weekly tutoring and coaching assignments at select non-profits in the east metro. Then, volunteers will have the chance to participate in "learning community" events during the year to have dinner and study together about how to understand different aspects of poverty and how to make an effective difference in community. Join Pastor Javen in this exciting new way to make a real difference in St Paul!! Please contact Pastor Javen or Marcia Ballinger Marcia@ballingerleafblad.com for more information.

Gloria Dei Guide August 2017