Hello Gloria Dei,
Back in June of this year hundreds of you attended Focus Groups to hear information and to provide input regarding a possible Capital Campaign. Because of the overwhelmingly positive response, as I communicated some months ago, we are moving forward with this Campaign. The Capital Campaign is called “Deep in Faith, Wide in Outreach.”
This campaign is focused on the following priorities and in this order.
- Pay off our current mortgage of approximately $1.6 million.
- Create a maintenance fund of $500k for current building needs.
- Expand our church campus.
Our vision is a large one. e, all for the sake of the gospel. We are confident in our ability to raise the needed dollars, but we also know that wherever God leads in this campaign will be celebrated and counted as a victory. Our desire is to not take on additional debt, so we will focus on each priority in the order listed above.
Every household will be given an opportunity for a visit to hear and discuss the vision, and to provide prayer support and/or to make a financial commitment to this campaign. Work is currently being done behind the scenes, volunteers are being recruited, and some of the visits are now taking place, but the campaign will officially launch within the next month or two. You will be hearing more as we move forward.
Today, however, I want to focus on our General Fund giving. Within these Capital Campaign visits, each household will also be given the opportunity to make a pledge to the 2025 General Fund. The General Fund is our annual operating budget. Each year, we in the congregation are given the opportunity to make a pledge, or Estimate of Giving, to the General Fund. These estimates go a long way in assisting the Church Council in putting together the Annual Ministry Plan Budget for the following year.
If you’d like to make your 2025 General Fund pledge prior to you getting a Capital Campaign visit, I’m including a link for you to do so. As you know, 100% of the ministry that goes on in and through Gloria Dei is funded by us as members and friends of the congregation. This link is also available on our website, and Estimate of Giving cards are available from the church office.
2025 General Fund link – https://gloriadeisd.breezechms.com/form/EOG2025
At Gloria Dei, we take our marching orders from Jesus and find our purpose in Jesus’ Great Commission to share God’s grace, love and forgiveness as widely as we can and in Jesus’ Great Commandment to love our neighbor as Jesus loves us. Set free by Jesus, we strive to go deep in faith and wide in outreach.
I’m excited about where God is leading us within this growing SE corner of Sioux Falls. I ask that you be open to a visit when the time comes and that you will prayerfully consider an aspirational gift to be made over the three-year period of our “Deep and Wide” campaign. And that you give generously, as you are able, to the 2025 General Fund to keep Gloria Dei and its ministry strong and vibrant. Thank you!
To God be the Glory!
Pastor Tim
