Hello Gloria Dei,
Over these past two weeks the Gloria Dei pastors have been meeting with all the 9th graders who will be confirmed in October. We have over 80 students who will make public profession of their faith.
As we meet and talk with these young adults, we are so impressed with the level of faith and maturity that they portray. We discuss everything from grace, faith, baptism, prayer, what it means to be part of Christ’s church, and service in the world. I know I speak for all four of the Gloria Dei pastors when I say that I thoroughly enjoy these faith conversations.
And the good news is that confirmation is just one of many ways in which all of us, young and old, continue to grow in our faith at Gloria Dei. From our five day per week Pre-school, to the students in Sunday and Wednesday Church School, to the Adult Bible Studies, to the four Worship opportunities each week, to Mission and Outreach in the community, to the Meals and Social Events, to the friendships made, to the Music Ministry, Pickleball, Quilting, Stephen Ministry, and on and on it goes. We will be blessed to receive another group of new members early in October.
What that means is simply that Gloria Dei is an active, vibrant church. It is a blessing to the thousands who call themselves members to the thousands outside of our walls in Sioux Falls and around the world. It means that God is working in this place. And God is working through you.
With all of that, it is important that we organize ourselves in the right way. All staff positions at Gloria Dei are important, and one of those is the Executive Pastor, vacated by Pastor Heidi Binstock when she accepted the Senior Pastor position at Southwood Lutheran in Lincoln, NE.
As you may have seen in last week’s Friday Followings, we will be having a congregational meeting in between services on Sunday, October 12, beginning at 10:00 a.m., with the purpose of calling Pastor Chris Zuraff to take on the Executive Pastor role. We will have more to say at the meeting, but I am supportive of, and encouraged by, this possibility. As with any pastoral call, the congregation will need to vote on this new role for Pr Chris, so I urge you to attend.
It is a blessing to grow in faith, hope, and love, along with all of you. God is Good… All the Time.
For this weekend, please read Luke 16:19-31. We will be blessed by the presence of some of the Mission Haiti staff. See you in worship.
Pastor Tim
