Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 5872 E. Naples Plaza, Long Beach, CA VOLUME 55 JANUARY, 2017 NUMBER 1 ANNUAL REPORT ISSUE

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1 Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 5872 E. Naples Plaza, Long Beach, CA VOLUME 55 JANUARY, 2017 NUMBER 1 ANNUAL REPORT ISSUE THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION will be held on Sunday, January 22, 2017 following our 10:30 a.m. worship service. We ask every member to study the enclosed report and be present for the annual meeting. Please bring this report with you. MINUTES CONGREGATIONAL MEETING JANUARY 24, 2016 Barbara White called the meeting to order at 11:45 a.m. The congregation sang happy birthday to Katherine Stoner. It is her 99 th birthday. Frank Stanley had a numbers game with dates that were important in her life. Pastor acknowledged Marilyn Russell Bittle for her work with the community and the Interfaith Council. Christie Berg was commended for her work with the parsonage. Walt and Erika Eidam were thanked for all the work they do for the church. They will be missed. Barbara opened the business meeting with prayer. There were 42 voting members present. The minutes of the 2015 special congregational meeting of April 12, and May 3, and the congregational meeting of May 17 were approved as printed. Beth Rotsel presented the Spending Plan for Gary Bockman spoke to the areas that increased or decreased. Discussion followed. The motion carried. Constitution Conformity the amendments were presented. Discussion followed. The vote was taken. The motion carried. Parsonage recommendation to retain was presented by Everett Parker, chairperson of the committee. Discussion followed. The vote was taken. The motion carried, 39 yes and 1 no 2 abstentions RIC recommendation was presented by Phil Como. Discussion followed. Carl Irwin moved and it was seconded to close debate. The motion carried. The vote was taken on the recommendation. The motion carried 30 yes, 12 no. Barbara adjourned the meeting for lunch 12:30 PM Respectfully Submitted, Marilyn Russell Bittle Secretary 1

2 GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH CONGREGATION MEETING MAY 15, 2016 Barbara called the meeting to order at 11:45. There were 34 members in attendance. Pastor opened the meeting with prayer. Barbara announced that one person accepted the nomination for the vacant position on council. Barbara asked for nominations from the floor. There were none. Marilyn moved and it was seconded that nominations be closed. The motion carried. Marilyn moved and it was seconded that a unanimous ballot be cast for Stephanie Siemer. The motion carried. Pastor gave a presentation on monitors for the sanctuary. Questions and discussion followed. The meeting was adjourned at 12:15. Lunch was served. Respectfully submitted Marilyn Russell Bittle Secretary COUNCIL PRESIDENT REPORT for 2016, by Stephanie Siemer Gloria Dei council highlights: The proposal to become a Resurrecting in Christ congregation was passed at the January congregational meeting. The congregation also voted on the recommendation of the parsonage committee to keep the parsonage as a rental property. The computer policy was updated The congregation voted to support Lanae in a service trip to Kenya. A Synod Congregation vitality survey was distributed to members. Our results showed we connect well with each other, are faithful, trust our church leaders, are a positive force in our community, and in general we have vitality. Overall I would say we like our church and each other. We could work on sharing our faith and generating excitement for the future. In part, as a result of this survey, council voted to participate in a Synod experiment using appreciative inquiry to further evaluate our church and extended community. The treasurer began reporting a budget deficit in February that continued to grow each month. A giving analysis was done by Bob Siemer and the Finance committee to evaluate anticipated contributions through the end of As a result of the evaluation, measures were taken by the council to hold planned payments to Mission partners and property reserves. Letters were sent to the congregation to ensure their awareness and to request additional funds. As a result of council actions and additional funding from the congregation, the budget shortfall was resolved. We are awaiting yearend giving results to determine if we can fully fund Missions and property reserve. The final 2016 spending plan will be presented at the January 22 th 2017 congregational meeting for approval. The Kitchen remodel plan was finalized and a contractor selected. 2

3 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PASTOR FOR 2016 Pastor Steve Beckham Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 9:23-25 This past year, 2016, was a unique mix of joys, accomplishments and challenges. We continued our robust Adult Education program with Sunday morning studies in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, James, 1 Peter and 2 Peter. As we begin 2017 we are moving into the Epistles of John. On Tuesdays, after a very long and thorough study of Genesis that took us through the spring, we moved into a fascinating study of Gnosticism and early forms of Gnostic Christianity to learn that many diverse and complex belief systems were calling themselves Christian before the establishment of orthodox doctrine. In Children s Education, we partnered again with Our Saviour s and assisted with their VBS program this past summer. Liz Asenas-Alt, our childcare provider, also provides Sunday School lessons to the children in her care during worship on Sunday mornings. In worship we began alternating traditional worship with alternative liturgical worship (guitar settings) every other week this past summer and continued that pattern into the fall. After long deliberation we voted to become a Reconciling in Christ Congregation last May and you should know that several visitors have made a point of telling me that they came to worship with us while visiting our area specifically because we are RIC. It was a joy to receive Jayne Lane as a new adult member and to bring Kennedy Michel Birdsall into the family of faith through baptism. But this was also a year of losses as Don Brown, Don Johnson, and Katherine Stoner entered the church triumphant. We also lost some treasured members, Walt & Erika Eidam, Margaret Chomin, and Derrick Skonecki to relocation as they moved to other states to be closer to family. We also saw a noticeable dip in average attendance this past year. In 2013 our average weekly attendance was 63. In 2014 it jumped to 68. In 2015 it decreased to 57. In 2016 it dipped to 53. This pattern can be attributed to a number of factors, some of them particular to us and our context but some reflect broader changes in both the church and the culture. The most significant factor for us is the average age of our congregation. A significant number of our members are retired and are free to travel, so on any given weekend some of them are out of town. We also have older members who are now homebound or who contend with physical difficulties that make it difficult to get to church or sit through a service. As for younger members and families, we, like every other congregation, are still facing the conflict of weekend activities and sports that compete for their time and attendance on Sunday mornings. These are factors we ve dealt with for some time but there is a shift happening in the broader culture that is also affecting the Church as a whole and it, too, is being felt here at Gloria Dei. To put it quite bluntly and simply, the Church, as a whole, is in decline in the United States. In October I attended a 3-day workshop led by Bishop Jim Hazelwood of the New England Synod where we looked at statistics and trends and asked the traditional Lutheran question: 3

4 What does this mean? Well, I think we re all still sorting out what it means, but here is some data to ponder. The average age of the person in the pew has increased every year since The average age in mainline churches is 62. The median age of the US population is According to Gallup (2015) 48% of people surveyed say they attend worship every week. Gallup s number for California is 31% who say they attend every week. BUT these numbers are considered inflated by the halo effect people self-reporting more frequent than actual attendance. In contrast to Gallup s numbers, according to Pew Research only 27% attend religious services at least once or twice a month -not every week. Independent tracking by the Evangelical Covenant Church of Catholic and Protestant congregations showed that only 17.7% of the population attend a Christian Church on any given weekend. While some point to apparent membership growth at megachurches, megachurch numbers also show a 14% decline in overall attendance over the past decade. Those are the attendance figures for those who still identify themselves as Christians and church members. But an even more troubling trend is the rising number of people in the United States who are leaving organized religion altogether. According to Pew Research, between 2007 and 2014: Evangelical Protestants decreased from 26.3% to 25.4% of the population Roman Catholics decreased from 23.9% to 20.8% Mainline Protestants decreased from 18.1% to 14.7% ELCA total membership went from 5.1million in 2002 to 3.7 million at the end of Meanwhile, those who express no religious affiliation or preference increased from 16.1% in 2007 to 22.8% by 2014 and the newest data from 2016 puts that number at 29% overall with the trend sharpening: among younger Millennials (born ) that number is 36%. So what do we do? According to Bishop Hazelwood, First and foremost we need to acknowledge where God has placed us. Now. We live in a time of change. The culture is shifting. The era of Church Culture is gone; we now live in a mission field. We are in the midst of another Reformation and what we do or do not do will impact the shape of the new church. The church is not dying, it is being reborn. That s the big picture. What, then, do we do at the little church with a big heart? First, we celebrate our own good news. The Congregation Vitality Survey we took in October shows that we are still a very healthy congregation and that we are just a few close steps away from achieving full vitality. That s why we re asking you to move forward with Living the Resurrection, to not only sign on to it but to participate in it with joyful good will and creativity. It s clear that the people of this congregation still love this church and are still dedicated to its mission. When we were threatened with a serious shortfall in the spending plan this past fall you stepped up in a big way. We still make mission a priority here. We still make friendship and life together a priority here. We still trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us in finding meaningful, joyful and vibrant ways to reach out into our mission field our neighborhoods to bring the truly Good News of new life in Jesus Christ to our neighbors and to invite them into this loving community of faith. The Church not just our congregation is being reborn, reshaped, and nobody really knows exactly what shape it will take. What we do know is that we will be a part of it. In our baptism 4

5 we were enfolded into the life and love of the Triune God who is forever doing a new thing. As children of God we are forever part of the Body of Christ. Whatever God is doing, we get to be a part of it. Now we need to put our heads and hearts together, to get creative, so the Holy Spirit can show us how. Living the Resurrection can help us do that. May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. May we continue growing in Faith, living in Hope, being guided by Love in Jesus name. WORSHIP COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT for 2016, by Phil Como (Committee Chair) Committee members: Marilyn Bittle, Peggy Huggard, Ruth Ann Montague, Nancy Sansum, Candy Wood, and Beth Rotsel. On behalf of the congregation, the Worship Committee supports the Pastor and Music Director by preparing for Sunday worship and other services such as Christmas Eve and Good Friday. These preparations include working with Sandy Irvine to complete sanctuary adornments appropriate to the season of the church year, communion preparation, and scheduling the assisting minister (cantor), acolytes, and lectors for each service. Goals for 2017 are to continue supporting the Pastor and Music Director in planning and preparation for our services, coordinate participation by members of the congregation in our services, and encourage participation by non-committee members in the committee s activities. The committee will be meeting regularly to review past practices and plan for future services. The committee chair will be meeting regularly with the Pastor and Music Director for feedback regarding worship activities. Additionally the Worship Committee is assisting Bob Siemer in uploading the Pastor s Gospel reading and message each Sunday to our Website (current and past messages will be found on the church s Website at to hear the most recent message or past messages select the appropriate link under Hear Us. The Sunday bulletin will be found under the News & Info tab at the top of the page and calendar information will be found under the Calendar tab all on the same Website.) Many individuals have contributed to enhancing our services throughout the past year. I would like to acknowledge Nancy Sansum, Ruth Ann Montague, and Beth Rotsel for their continuing efforts to make sure we are using the paraments appropriate to the service and season and preparing communion on Sundays. Thank you to Marilyn Bittle for scheduling the acolytes, lector, and cantor for each service; to Donna Malbon for helping with communion, to Kay Berg for leading the preparations for Stir-up Sunday. And a special thank you to our acolytes Peggy Huggard, Lanae Caldwell, Olivia Adams and to Gary Bockman and David Kahakauwila for doing so well under the tutelage of Lanae and Olivia. A special thank you to Barbara White for sharing with us her gifts and talents. The beautiful banners installed in the Sanctuary during Advent are her creation. On behalf of the committee, I want to especially thank Richard for his music which enhances our services so beautifully, the choir for bringing the message through music, and Pastor Steve for continuing to expand on our musical tradition with his liturgical settings and musical gifts. 5

6 We welcome anyone who would like to participate in the tasks of the Worship committee. Please see myself or others on the committee if you have a desire to enhance the beauty of our worship each Sunday. WOMEN OF THE ELCW REPORT for 2016, by Judi Mellow, President Our Mission: Mobilizing women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ. In 2016, we filled hygiene kits for Lutheran Social Services (LSS). Donations from the Used Book Table in the Fellowship Hall was dedicated to The Wounded Warriors Project. For Maritime Ministries, shoeboxes were decorated with Christmas wrapping by the women s group. In late September, we requested donations from the congregation to fill the boxes with small gifts such as candy, combs and hygiene product, while Laura Subke knitted warm hats to go into each gift box. Members of the group made blankets and quilts that were given to the Long Beach Police Department for those in need at times of emergency. Money was collected for The Smile Train. This organization provides free and life-changing cleft palate surgeries for poor children all over the world. Additionally, we enjoyed friendship, fellowship and many luncheons including a special Christmas gala lunch served by Marion Beckman in her new condo following the decorating of the church Christmas tree with our traditional Chrismon ornaments. During Holy Week on Maundy Thursday, the Women s Group prepares bite size pieces of lamb with fruit, nuts, Matzo and wine for The Meal in the Upper Room served by candlelight in the Fellowship Hall. We invite all ladies to join the Gloria Dei ELCW group as we perform small charitable projects with fellowship and lunch on the third Thursday of every month beginning at 10:30 a.m. SHEPHERDS REPORT, by Margie Brown Our Shepherds program was designed to help us keep in contact with each other. This year we have 18 women who reach out to you. They do that by keeping in touch with our members by sending notes, cards, celebration comments to our "sheep." This include birthdays, anniversaries, losses, holidays etc. We also notify our families if something unexpected happens or the word needs to be delivered quickly. This we do by telephone or electronically. IF you are new members, we want to add you to our list of recipients. IF you are currently a shepherd and wish to take a vacation, let me know. If you are not a shepherd, but would like to do this, let me know that too. Heartfelt thanks to all our shepherds. You do a valuable service to our congregation. Margie E. Brown Chief Ewe. 6

7 REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF MUSIC FOR 2017, by Richard L. Hoover The Music Department at Gloria Dei Church continued this year with the tradition of excellence in worship music. We offer monthly a variety of worship formats including setting 4 and setting 10 from the cranberry hymnal. Setting 10 uses common hymn tunes for parts of the liturgy, i.e., the Kyrie, the Gloria (or Hymn of Praise), Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus (or Holy, Holy, Holy), Lamb of God. This practice of using familiar melodies for parts of the liturgy is a very old one, and indeed, goes all the way back to the time of Martin Luther. In addition to the settings 4 & 10 from the cranberry we have continued having contemporary or guitar services at least once a month under the leadership of Pastor Steve accompanied by the Gloria Dei Band. We thank them for their service to the Lord. I also want to thank the choir for their good work in preparing these new musical selections as they are introduced to the congregation. In my duties of selecting hymns I have tried always to suit the hymns and choir anthems to both the theme of the day and scripture lessons, thus emphasizing in music what was found that day in the spoken word. The Chancel Choir led us in our Liturgy and hymns and presented an anthem most Sundays at worship services during the school year. Music was presented at all special or holiday services: Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Good Friday Tenebrae, or Service of Darkness, has been a very meaningful and moving worship experience for members and visitors for some time now. Our choir meets each Wednesday night from 7:15 to 9:00 p.m. New members are always welcome in the Chancel Choir! We have lost several voices through choir members illnesses and retirements, and this has placed an added burden on the remaining members (especially our excellent men s sections). Do consider giving us a try. You may join at any time in the year, and NO special training is needed other than the love of the Lord and singing. My sincere thanks to each choir member for their dedication again in the past year. Their support and encouragement has been very appreciated. Thanks also to our cantors: Marilyn Bittle, Phil Como, Vicki Gammer, and Candy Wood for leading us in the chanting of the liturgy. It has been a pleasure and a privilege working with Pastor Steve at Gloria Dei. O Sing Unto the Lord! 7

8 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CONGREGATION Mission Support and Connection 2016 Summary The Missions Committee serves on behalf of the congregation to oversee the benevolence, or mission work of the church. With members from both the Church Council and the general congregation, we are involved in the following. Maintaining contact and building relationships between our Members and the partner organizations we support. Recommending annual funding levels for financial support through our budget. Informing the congregation as to the progress of our Mission partners, their special needs and volunteer service opportunities. Mission giving by our church is to a blend of local, national and international organizations, many of which are actively supported through the time, talent and treasure of our members. While most have a connection to the ELCA, others are ecumenical and inter-faith. The work of our mission partners is important, effective and reflects the values of our congregation. Summary of Organizational Activities and Support Lutheran Maritime Ministry 2016 Support $2,000 This outreach serves workers from around the world who sail to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on container ships. In addition to budget support, our congregation collects and distributes warm jackets, caps, etc. as well as special Christmas boxes with hygiene products, candy and personal items. In early 2016, chaplains Ron Nelson and Chim Mandalia visited Gloria Dei, providing an up-to-date report on the ministry s work and progress. Lutheran Social Services Long Beach 2016 Support $2,000 As our local LSS, this ministry is an important outreach to our community. Many individuals and one of our Small Groups work actively with LSS staff and volunteers. Weekly food and clothing donations are collected and delivered, and our members take on many special projects benefitting LSS. Long Beach director, Dr. George Bell and his staff visited with our congregation, and while thanking us for our support, also thanked Gloria Dei for our commitment to the poor of this community Synod Benevolence 2016 Support $18,000 This is support that assists both the ELCA nationally and our own synod. South Coast Interfaith Council 2016 Support $2,000 Serving almost 400 congregations, the SCIC organizes to both identify and respond to needs throughout Los Angeles and West Orange counties. Representing a broad range of the local religious community, both mutual understanding and appreciation results from shared service. One of our members serves as SCIC president and a representative of the organization visited Gloria Dei in the fall and shared in a Moment for Missions. 8

9 Fe y Esperanza 2016 Support $2,000 A mission congregation of our synod, this Hispanic outreach in South Gate offers local children and youth a safe, after-school experience, worship activities for the family, and practical seminar/workshops for neighbors. ELCA Global Support 2016 Support $2,000 The congregation is blessed by our relationship with Dorcas Wang, serving in China. She spent a weekend with the congregation while on home leave and provided keen insight into her work in China. Pacific Lutheran Seminary 2016 Support $2,000 Preparing men and women for ministry, the seminary is located in Berkeley, CA, and has become affiliated with Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Our pastor is a graduate. Centro Shalom 2016 Support $250 Centro Shalom provides support services in Long Beach for new immigrants, the homeless and poor, serves a completely multicultural, multi-ethnic community, free of charge. Unplanned to Synod and Direct Giving (Non-Budgeted) When members and friends designate gifts to efforts supported by Gloria Dei and our Synod, that money is processed by the church and sent to the Synod for distribution. In 2014: World Hunger $6,465 ELCA Global Dorcas Wang $1,030 Crossways International $120 Disaster Relief Int l $1,040 Disaster Relief Domestic $ 145 Peace Without Walls $ 160 In addition, some members and friends desire their gifts go directly to a designated activity or organization. The church also processes these gifts and makes Direct Payments to the designated ministries. In 2016: LSS General, Food Pantry and Capital Improvements $4, Kenya Mission Lanae Caldwell $1,875 LSS Christmas Toys $155 Looking to 2017 The Church Council believes it important to support our mission recipients to the fullest extent possible. Still, at times during 2016, church giving levels required us to suspend mission support for a few months. We were blessed with end-of-year income that allowed us to fully distribute budgeted amounts. For 2017, we propose designating and distributing 10% of church income to our mission partners. With less income anticipated in 2017, each organization will see significantly reduced gifts from Gloria Dei. Amounts are listed by line item in the 2017 Budget. 9

10 INVITATION/FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE, by Marilyn Russell Bittle The Invitation/Fellowship Committee is responsible for fellowship activities that are sponsored by our church. The activities include the congregational luncheons, and other special luncheons and dinners. We are also responsible for kitchen set-up and clean up. There are sign-up sheets on our bulletin board. We always need persons to sign up for kitchen detail and Cookie Sunday. Please don t be bashful and join us for the fun of serving. Our committee is Twyla Karkut, Nancy Sansum, Peggy Huggard, Karen Como and I. We are also responsible for getting our members to act as greeters for each Sunday. Greeting is a great way to get to know our members and visitors. Please let me know if you are interested in any or all of the ways to serve on our committee. SOUTH COAST INTERFAITH COUNCIL, by Marilyn Russell Bittle The South Coast Interfaith Council has over 150 member congregations and serves 1.8 million people in the greater Long Beach/South Bay area. Our congregation financially supports the Council as well as participating in the many activities of the Council. The Interfaith Council allows people of all faiths to dialog on the social issues that are common to all people of faith. Working together the Council can achieve positive results for members of our community. Gloria Dei congregation members have supported the many activities sponsored by the Council, such as the Hunger Walk in October. Lanae, Kalani, Teri and I walked the 5k walk. I guess I should say that I walked and Kalani and Lanae ran. We raised over $800 for the cause. The Walk had over 200 walkers and raised $19,000. We also supported the Benefit Concert and Awards dinner. This last November the Council celebrated over 60 years of service. The Gala was held at the Toyota Events Museum. Pastor, Nancy Sansum, Twyla Karkut and I attended and were seated with our Bishop. I am now serving on the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and I am the Council s representative on the Harbor Area Farmers Board of Directors. PROPERTY REPORT No report was submitted. 10

11 FINANCE PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT for 2016 by Beth Rotsel First of all thank you to all who responded to the requests to catch up on pledges and for those who gave extra when it was advised that we were falling behind expectations and had to make adjustments to the budget. In the end, for the year ended 12/31/16, Gloria Dei s expenses and planned giving were covered. After fully funding our 2016 Mission Partner commitments Gloria Dei ended 2016 with a $10,219 surplus. Planned giving was $10,913 short of the amount budgeted, but due to our financial expense reductions begun in September totaling $13,584 and reduced spending in other categories, we were able to cover this shortfall, meet all of our financial obligations and end with a surplus. Expenses for 2016 averaged $18,457 per month, while income averaged $19,309 per month. Of our total (budgeted) receipts, 13% were given to our Mission Partners in versus 13.5% in Members also contributed an additional $6728 directly to LSS, ELCA Disaster Relief, ELCA Missionary Support, World Hunger and other organizations (through Gloria Dei). COUNTING COMMITTEE REPORT for 2016, by Marilyn Russell Bittle The Counting Committee is responsible for submitting your church offerings. We would love to have you join us as a counter. You would only serve about once a month. Everything is on the computer thanks to Bob Siemer who is always around to help us when the computer doesn t like us. We count in pairs and it goes quickly. A special thank you to our counters; Peggy Huggard, Twyla Karkut, Karen Como, David Kahakauwila, Barbara White, Lanae Caldwell and Marilyn Russell Bittle. You can help us by using your envelopes, putting the amount and name on the envelope. It is also important that if you are designating your offering for a special purpose other than regular offering that it is stated on the envelope and check memo line. This task would help us do our job easier and faster. Thank you for your support. 11

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