Hi Gloria Dei!
This past weekend, over 2,500 of you gathered with us to celebrate the proclamation of the best news ever shared: Christ is risen! Thank you to all our musicians, volunteers, staff, and worship attendees who helped to make this a meaningful weekend for so many!
With all the excitement of Easter there are two very important things that we don’t want to get lost in the shuffle:
First, in two weeks Gloria Dei is celebrating its 40th anniversary with very special worship services on Saturday, May 3rd at 5pm and ONE SERVICE on Sunday, May 4 at 9:30am. The celebratory Saturday service will feature our guest preacher, Pastor Brian Mortenson, video greetings from past Gloria Dei pastors, and a root beer float social following church. Our single 9:30am celebratory service on Sunday will feature some uniquely composed and arranged music by Matt Walicke, our Church School kiddos and Heavenly Harmonies choir leading us in opening worship music, special guests (including past Gloria Dei pastors and spouses) video greetings from other past pastors around the country, guest preacher Pastor Brian Mortenson, bouncy houses for the kids, a special meal following Sunday worship, and much more. Thanks to the careful planning of our 40th Anniversary planning team, we hope and pray that these events will both remind us of the strong history of Gloria Dei as well as encourage us toward a long and blessed future of proclaiming and living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Wednesday worshipers won’t be left out of the party! Our last Wednesday worship on May 7th will feature some celebratory elements, as well!
Second, we’re sad to say that Pastor Heidi’s time at Gloria Dei has come to an end. This weekend, April 26 and 27, will be her last weekend with us. We want to say a huge “Thank You!” to Pastor Heidi for following the call to serve here alongside us and to wish her and her family well as they take a new call in Lincoln, NE. Pastor Heidi will be around before and after Saturday and Sunday worship services. There will be card baskets at the Dei Café for you to share a word of thanks with Pastor Heidi and her family. We will also acknowledge her ministry with us during worship this weekend. Please plan to attend and wish her well.
As always, the proclamation and living of the good news continues at Gloria Dei. It is God’s faithfulness that proves steady and true, through the death and resurrection of Jesus to the ever-changing ministry that we are each called to as disciples of Christ. Thank you for your faithfulness to this ministry!
Let’s GO Gloria Dei!
Pastor Chris
