Gloria Christi News. Volume 14, Issue 11 NOVEMBER 2014

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1 Gloria Christi News Volume 14, Issue 11 NOVEMBER 2014 Dear Gloria Christi Family of Faith, St. Paul writes: 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (ESV) The blessing Paul offers the Ephesian congregation I also give to you. For the last three years and two months Gloria Christi has been the church home for my family. You graciously welcomed Linda and I and made us feel like we belonged. You also did me the honor of calling me to serve as Pastor Frahm's Assistant Pastor, and that is a privilege and honor that I do not take lightly, and I thank God for it all. Now it is time for us to leave Gloria Christi and head for the mountains. In many ways we are returning "home" to a community and congregation that has truly been a huge part of our lives. At the same time we have a sense of sorrow in leaving Gloria Christi and the people who have become so dear to us there. As is always the case, parting is a sweet sorrow. It is sweet in that we look forward to the life the Lord will give us in Pagosa Springs, and it is sorrow because we will miss all of you. I am aware that my departure leaves Gloria Christi in a bit of uncertainty. No one likes uncertainty! However, I would encourage you to remember that with God the future is never uncertain. He has already been to all of our tomorrows and already knows who will be called as pastor at Gloria Christi. He is working through the Call Committee and the congregation to bring that particular man and his family to be here, and He will accomplish it! I want to publicly commend the Call Committee for their hard and good work! The members of the congregation have provided them with a strong list of excellent pastors to prayerfully consider. I encourage all of you to keep them in your prayers as they seek to do the Lord's will and recommend to the Voter's Assembly just the right name(s) for you to pray about and serve as God's instrument to call God's man to serve you. As I leave you, I also want to encourage you in your decision respecting whether or not to join with 24 other LCMS congregations in the Association of Confessing Evangelical Lutheran Congregations (ACELC). The Church Council is bringing to the Special Voter's Meeting on November 16th a recommendation to join this fine group of our fellow members of Synod in their public confession of the Lutheran faith and in their seeking to have our Synod resolve (under God's Word and our Lutheran Confessions) the errors occurring among us which are dividing our church body. This is a high calling and a part of the necessary continuing Reformation of the Church. It is always the right time to confess the true faith and to rid the Church of error! What is sought through the ACELC is to simply re-establish the unity of our Synod in doctrine and practice we once enjoyed, and I commend the work of the ACELC toward that end. We no longer live at a time in our Synod's history when the toleration of error among us can do anything but further divide us and eventually destroy our Synod. The congregations of the ACELC remain the solitary voice seeking that these errors be addressed and resolved among us and I pray that Gloria Christi will have the courage to raise their voices together with others in our Synod. We are our brother's keeper, and it is truly Christian love that seeks to correct error rather than let it continue its cancerous spread. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Linda and I will miss you dearly and you will continue to remain in our prayers and thoughts. In Christ's service, Rev. Richard A. Bolland Assistant Pastor - Emeritus

2 October, 2014 BOARD & COMMITTEE REPORTS: Pastor s Report: Pastor Bolland reported that he has been working with the Call Committee gathering information on the nominated pastors. He is also working on visiting all of our shut-ins. Financial Secretary: Third Quarter statements will soon be ready for anyone who desires one. Elders: Jim Breitweiser reported that Leah has secured organists for all of our services through the end of this year. He also shared information on a set of CDs available through CPH; they contain organ music for all of the hymns and liturgy in the Lutheran Service Book. This might be an option for a time when we may not have an organist. Jim also updated the council on the Elders progress as they try to secure a vacancy pastor. A decision will be made by 10/25. Trustees: No Report Church Council Highlights Parish Education: Tracy reported that they have decided to use funds from the SCRIP program to help pay for the Agape lighting project. Evangelism: No Report Stewardship: No Report Youth: The youth are hosting a Harvest Party on Friday, October 31st. We still can use donations of candy and snacks. Due to the fact that Larry Bol III will be getting married on Nov. 23rd, there will be no Youth meeting next month. Parish Fellowship: No Report Finance: Galen had budget worksheets for all board members. He also provided district salary information for the Call Committee. LWML: Sharon reported that the November meeting will be a board meeting; they will prepare a list of possible recipients for the funds raised at the Rummage Sale. Members will vote on recipients and amount of funds to disburse at the December meeting; this meeting will also be a time for fellowship. Memorial Committee: Alex reported that the Memorial Policy has been finalized; he will provide a copy for Betty so that additional pamphlets can be printed and made available to the congregation. The committee also agreed that they had accomplished the primary task directed to them and will now disband. Any future tasks relating to memorial gifts will be handled by the Décor Committee. A motion was made to this effect and also to change the name of the Décor Committee to Appointments and Memorial Committee. The council approved the motion. Current members of the committee are Bev Antuna (Chancel Guild), Frank Copeland (Elders), Galen Monson (Trustees), and Diane Gaudian ( at large member). Call Committee: Ron reported that the members have been working to gather individual information from each of the nominated pastors. They will then develop a short list to bring to the voters assembly on Nov. 23rd. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: ACELC: Adult Bible Class has completed the study of the Ten Concerns and had excellent discussion. The DVD is available for members to borrow and watch at home. Additionally, the video will be shown in its entirety on Sunday, Nov. 9th during Adult Bible Class time and again on Wednesday, Nov. 12th at 7:00 PM. The council voted unanimously to recommend that we become a member congregation of the ACELC. This will be taken to the voters at a special meeting on Sunday, Nov. 16th at 10:30 AM District Convention: Betty reported that our assessment for the 2015 District Convention is $319.80, based on our 12/31/2013 reported membership. This is due by 3/15/ Elections & Budget: Because of the special voters meetings coming up in November, the elections and budget will be presented to the voters at a meeting on Sunday, Dec. 7th at 10:30 AM. NEW BUSINESS: Alex reviewed the proper procedure for approval of new members; our bylaws state that all new members shall be approved by the pastor and the Board of Elders. 10:30 AM. Gloria Christi News Page 2

3 Congratulations to Mark & Cameo Hasselman upon the recent birth of their son, Jackson Edward, born on October 19, We give thanks to God for a safe delivery and ask God to continue to surround this family in His loving care. Leslie Von Seggern was called from this life to join the Church Triumphant on Oct. 15, We rejoice that he is no longer tied to a failing body and is now awaiting the resurrection. We also keep in our hearts and prayers Louise Von Seggern and Vicky (Les & Louise s daughter) and Randy Laughlin. May our loving Father continue to grant them His comfort, peace, and hope. Welcome, Pastor Pierson! In the ever-changing world of Gloria Christi, we have bid farewell and Godspeed to Pastor Bolland and now welcome Pastor Rich Pierson as our new vacancy pastor. Pastor Pierson is a retired pastor who lives in Evans with his wife Marge; they are currently members of Faith Lutheran in Johnstown. Pastor Pierson will step in to take on the charge of pastor and teacher while we continue in the call process. He will be in the office two days a week; at this point in time it looks to be Friday and perhaps Wednesdays. Watch your bulletins for more information. We welcome Pastor Pierson with open arms and pray that God will bless his time here with us at Gloria Christi. If you have need of a pastor due to an emergency or upcoming hospitalization, please don t hesitate to call him. Pastor Pierson can be reached at (970) or by at rapierson72@yahoo.com. Sunday, November 9th is your next opportunity to shop! The Christian Resource Center is getting ready for the upcoming holidays... thanksgiving, advent, and Christmas. We will have many new items to help you prepare for this busy time of year! If you are looking for seasonal decorative things, Christmas cards, gifts, excellent books to read or give as gifts, we have it all! And if you have heard about a new book from Concordia Publishing House and don t see it on our tables, just as Marlene, Diane, or Becky, and they will be happy to order it for you. Remember, all of the items offered through our Christian Resource Center are chosen with you in mind. We want to provide the best quality in doctrinal reading for any age. Any profit that we make (and that is very low) is shared with our Gloria Christi community. The ladies of our LWML society are gearing up for supporting mission work through various agencies. At the December meeting we will review various agencies, both local and beyond. Then we will decide how best to support them with the funds we raised from the Rummage Sale in September. We look forward to sharing our bounty with those in need of hearing and living the gospel of Christ Jesus. Gloria Christi News Page 3

4 MR. BOGAR & MRS. LUZ ELENA PEREZ along with MR. LARRY R. BOL & MRS. TRACY BOL request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their children Jaqueline Noriz Perez The Lutheran Bible Companion Set has arrived! We have the first shipment of books ordered. If you signed up on the poster, your books are in the office. The cost is $49.99 per set, and you can make your checks payable to Gloria Christi Lutheran Church. If you would still like to get the introductory price of $49.99, you will need to order them before the end of December. After January 1 st the price will go up to $ The Christian Resource Center will also carry a few. to Larry Roger Bol III SATURDAY, THE TWENTY-SECOND OF NOVEMBER TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN 3:OO - 3:30 PM Gloria Christi Lutheran Church st Avenue Greeley, Colorado Reception will be at the Riverside Library & Cultural Center 3700 Golden Street Evans, Colorado 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM HAVE YOU ORDERED GIFT CARDS THROUGH SCRIP LATELEY? Our sales have dropped off, so we thought we d give a little reminder of why we sell gift cards through SCRIP. Each company that provides cards agrees to donate a percentage of the sale back to the sponsoring organization; that s us! So, when you buy your grocery store cards or cards for clothing or fuel, a portion of your purchase stays right here at Gloria Christ. When we started the SCRIP program, we did so to help raise funds for our Preschool & Daycare Center. Now that the school has been closed, the funds raised are used for the Parish Education program, which sometimes means using funds for projects around the church. At the last Parish Education meeting, it was agreed to use SCRIP funds to help pay for the Agape Center lighting. So stop by the SCRIP table on Sunday or ask Diane Gaudian or Betty Monson how you can help support the SCRIP program and now spend any additional money than you already do. In addition to the gift cards ordered through Great Lakes SCRIP, we also have King Soopers cards that you can purchase and then reload to use over and over again. The nice thing about King Soopers is that we earn a full 5% every time someone adds funds to their cards. You can even use the cards to purchase gasoline, and we still earn 5%! Not bad for just doing grocery shopping and filling up the cars! Gloria Christi News Page 4

5 September, 2014 TREASURER S REPORT Gloria Christi News Current Month Thanksgiving Eve Vespers Wednesday, Nov. 26, 7:00 PM Year to Date Weekly Offerings $ 15, $ 138, Mortgage Offerings , Special Services 0 8, Non-Budgeted Income Church Income $ 15, $ 153, Church Expenses 15, , Net Church Activity $ 0.94 $ 1, District Missions $ $ 3, Bank Accounts $ 35, Memorials -9, Working Dedicated -13, Available Cash $ 12, UPCOMING ACTIVITIES Due to the wedding of Larry Bol II on November 22nd, there will be no Youth Meeting this month. Stay tuned for more activity in December! O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercies endure forever. THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE NOV. 1 - NOV/ 23, 2014 The Board of Elders is gathering donations of food and funds for families or individuals who are in need of a little extra help. The shopping cart is set up ready for your nonperishable food donations. Of particular importance are fruits and vegetables, canned meat and fish, peanut better and nuts, and dried beans, rice, etc. Our plans are to deliver food baskets sometime during the week of Thanksgiving. We also need your help in identifying people who would benefit from receiving these donations. Individuals do not need to be members of Gloria Christi, but must be contacted for their approval of the nomination. Nominations forms are located on the door directly behind the shopping cart.. Completed forms may be left in the church office or in the offering plate. Those who wish to support this mission financially should make their checks out to Gloria Christi Lutheran Church and identify the purpose in the memo line for Elders Food Baskets, or use the white special offering envelopes located in the pews. These funds will help defray the cost of purchasing meats, milk, and other perishable food. Thank you so much for your generous support. We ve been taught the truth. Now it is time to decide. On Sunday, Nov. 16th, the members of Gloria Christi will have the opportunity to take a stand for declaring the truth in our beloved LCMS. We will vote whether to join the ACELC (Association of Confessing Evangelical Lutheran Congregations). The voters meeting will begin at 10:30 AM. In the meantime, if you would like to view the entire DVD If Not Now, When?, it will be shown on Sunday, Nov. 9th at 10:30 and again on Wednesday, Nov. 12th at 7:00 PM. Page 5

6 SPECIAL VOTERS MEETING There will be a Special Voter s Meeting on Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 10:30 AM, immediately following the morning Divine Service. The purpose of this meeting is to have the Call Committee present a short list of pastors who have been nominated for the position of Pastor of Gloria Christi. The committee has been compiling information from the nominees and will narrow down the list to 3 or 4. From those names, the committee will give the pertinent information on each to the Voters Assembly. It will then be the task of the assembly to select one man to receive our call. This is a very important step in the call process, and all members of Gloria Christi are encouraged to attend and voice their selection. If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to contact one of the members of the Call Committee. Sincerely, Gloria Christi Call Committee Ron Eberhard, Chairman Jim Breitweiser Tom Johnston, President (or Alex Antuna) John Kruger Dallas Vammer Wednesday Morning Women s Bible Study has started up again. We meet each Wednesday morning at The Bridge Assisted Living, located at 4750 W 25th Street, across the street from Lowe s Home Improvement. The group meets on the 2nd floor; check with the front desk for details Denver Area Reformation Festival Sunday, November 2, :00 PM Our Father Lutheran Church 6335 S. Holly Street Centennial, Colorado The guest pastor and speaker is The Reverend Dr. Lawrence Rast, president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN. The Rev. Scott Abel and Rev. Nathan Peregoy are our hosts. Helga s Restaurant of Aurora will again be serving a meal at reasonable cost following our worship on Nov. 2 nd. We look forward to informing you of this time together and are encouraging you to mark your calendars and invite family and neighbors to this special time together. Feel free to contact Rev. Larry Ziegler, Mt. Zion, Castle Rock, CO with questions. (303) Upcoming Events in Our Area: Craft Fair & Holiday Sale Saturday, November 22nd 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Mount Olive Lutheran Church 3411 South Taft Avenue, Loveland A homemade soup lunch will be available from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm $5 for Homemade Soup & Fresh Baked Cookie (Baked goods for sale as well!) Gloria Christi News Page 6

7 The Gospel outreach radio broadcast of Lutheran Hour Ministries can be heard each Sunday on the following radio stations: KOA (850 AM) 6:00 am KFKA (1310 AM) 9:30 am XM Satellite - Family Talk (XM170)12:00pm Broadcast sermons for November 2014 are: November 2 ~ "Blessed in Hard Times" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz During hard times, God is still with you and at work for you. (Matthew 5:1-12) November 9 ~ "God is Not Against You" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz Christ's work on the cross shows that God is really on our side and wants what is eternally best for us. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18) November 16 ~ "S.O.S... Call Upon Jesus" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz God's SOS brings real lasting hope and rescue, an SOS that shows us our Savior. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11) November 23 ~ "Clean - And Thankful" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz Thanksgiving is not just a made-up holiday; it's an attitude that is the key to life. (Luke 17:11-19) November 30 ~"Watching and Waiting" Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour: Rev. Ken Klaus Christians serve God and their neighbors as they watch and wait for Christ's return. (Mark 13:33) Gloria Christi News November 2 ~ All Saints Say (Observed) Revelation 7: John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 November 9 ~ Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity Genesis 1:1-2:3 Ephesians 6:10-17 John 4:46-54 November 16 ~ Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity Micah 5:5-8 Philippians 1:3-11 Matthew 18:21-35 November 23 ~ Last Sunday of the Church Year Isaiah 65: Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:1-13 November 30 ~ First Sunday in Advent Jeremiah 23:5-8 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 21:1-9 Please study these Scriptures each week to prepare yourself for Sunday services. You are also encouraged to read the Christian Questions and Answers for communicants in the Small Catechism to prepare to receive the Lord s body and blood faithfully in the Divine Service (p.329, 330 LSB). For those who would like a daily Bible reading schedule you are encouraged to use the one listed on page 299 in our hymnal, Lutheran Service Book. The Bible, the Catechism, and our hymnal are the three key books for Lutherans to use in devotions. Besides this, it is good to be familiar with our Lutheran Confessions, the Book of Concord, which includes the Catechisms. See Diane, Becky, or Marlene to get a Bible, Catechism, Lutheran Service Book or the Book of Concord. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 Page 7

8 Deadlines for Newsletter and Sunday Bulletin Gloria Christi Staff Pastor Richard Bolland Assistant Pastor - Emeritus Tom Johnston, President (970) (970) (H) Alex Antuna, Vice-President (970) Jim Breitweiser, Head Elder (970) Tracy Bol Sunday School Superintendent Betty Monson, Secretary (970) (970) (C) We welcome and encourage submissions for our newsletter and Sunday bulletin. Please make all submissions in writing, on disk, or by . All material is subject to editing for content, clarity, and style, as needed. The deadline for the newsletter is the 15th of every month. The deadline for the Sunday bulletin is Wednesday at Noon. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith... Galatians 6:10 Gloria Christi Lutheran Church (LC-MS) st Avenue Greeley, CO Phone: Fax: gloriachristi@gloriachristi.com Website: Return Service Requested 2014 Thanksgiving Eve Vespers Wednesday, Nov. 26, :00 PM

9 Welcome to the Young Investors (Y.I.) Club Where saving money is fun... and helps others learn about Jesus. You know it's important to teach children to give thanks for God's many blessings and use those blessings wisely to serve Him. Learning to understand the value of sharing, saving and spending money is a good place to start. When you help your child save for the future through the LCEF Young Investors (Y.I.) Club, those dollars can also help someone else learn about Jesus. Through the Y.I. Club activities, newsletters and web pages, your child can learn valuable stewardship concepts while empowering ministry through LCEF. Join the Y.I. Club with a Y.I. StewardAccount With an investment of just $25 to open the Y.I. StewardAccount, your young investor becomes a Y.I. Club member with special fun activities that grow with three different age levels. Y.I. StewardAccount Features: Minimum of $25 to open account Premium interest rate on balances up to $1,000 Savings grow with the child, but are accessible Checks and debit card available to custodian Debit card available at age 16 Interest compounded and paid monthly Make additional investments with checks or Y.I. Stamps Exchange Your Minor's Existing LCEF Investment to a Y.I. StewardAccount Today! Does your young investor have a current LCEF investment, such as a Dedicated Certificate, Family Emergency StewardAccount, or a StewardAccount? If so, now is the time to close and transfer the current investment to a Y.I. StewardAccount! Complete the Fast Form application and send it in with the custodian's signed instructions to transfer the funds. Soon, your young investor will enjoy all of the wonderful features of being a Y.I. Club member!