Hello Gloria Dei,
Today is Halloween. The word Halloween comes from the Old English, “All Hallows Eve” or “The Evening before All Hallows (All Saints) Day.” All Saints Day is always November 1. Therefore, today is All Saints Eve.
This weekend in worship we will celebrate the festival of All Saints. We will remember and read aloud those members of Gloria Dei who have gone to be with God in heaven over this past year. We will remember the saints in our own lives who have made a positive difference for us. And we will remember all the saints throughout the generations who, even though we never knew them, have passed on the Good News of Jesus.
And guess what? Now it is our time. Having been saved by grace through faith, we are now God’s living saints.
Our Stewardship theme for this year is “A More Excellent Way: The Way of Love.”
All that we are and all that we do stems from the love of God. God created us and desires to be in relationship with us because He loves us. God sent His son to die and rise to give us life. Why? Because God loves us.
It is out of this love of God that you and I receive our calling and purpose in life. To share the love of God by loving and caring for others. The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the church in Corinth, says at the end of chapter 12, “I will show you a still more excellent way.” And the more excellent way is the way of love, as described in 1 Corinthians 13.
As we give thanks to God for this congregation and the ways in which we all receive and share God’s love, I invite you to attend one of the two adult-only Stewardship Events, this Sunday, November 2 or next Sunday, November 9. These events take place at Vinyl Taco on Western Avenue. We will all hear stories from our fellow members of Gloria Dei about ministry happening through this vibrant community of saints. We begin at 5 pm and go until about 7:15. Food will be provided. Childcare is available for the Nov 2nd event at Gloria Dei from 4:30 until 8:00. There is still time to RSVP.
In the meantime, I want to say thank you to all of you. The way in which you use the time, talent, and money that God has entrusted you is evident at Gloria Dei. You are generous in your giving. The Bible tells us that “God loves a cheerful giver.” All of us together, inspired by the Holy Spirit, can and do make a difference.
During this time of year we all have opportunity to make our financial Estimate of Giving for the General Operation Fund at Gloria Dei. All the ministry we do together is supported by our gifts. Please use this link to make your Estimate for 2026. Or you can go to our website, or return the card that has been mailed to all members of Gloria Dei.
I encourage you to pray about your level of giving to God’s work, and to increase it if possible, as God continues to impact thousands of people for Jesus Christ through this ministry. Thanks for giving generously as you are able, as the Good News of God’s love for us is indeed the one true and lasting hope for all the world.
God is Good, All the Time. And God has shown us “A More Excellent Way: The Way of Love.” It is a joy to partner with you, the living saints of God, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
See You in Worship!
Pastor Tim
