“Take time to pause and thank God for the brave men and women who have given of themselves in this way and say a prayer for the families who are missing them.“
Hello Gloria Dei,
Here’s wishing you a blessed Memorial Day weekend. And as we enjoy the blessings of this Holiday weekend: Time with family and friends; barbecue in the back yard or at the lake; nice weather; we also need to stop, remember, and say thanks for all those who have selflessly given their very lives for the sake of our country and the freedoms we enjoy. Take time to pause and thank God for the brave men and women who have given of themselves in this way and say a prayer for the families who are missing them.
We also give thanks for the One who have given of Himself on the cross for another kind of freedom: freedom from the power of sin and death. Pause and thank God for the love God continues to shower down upon us, most fully in the person of Jesus, who lived, died, and rose again, so that we would have life.
Today I want to also remind you of a few staff transitions as we move into summer. As you may know, Holly Brunick, our Business and Facilities Manager, is retiring. Holly has served Gloria Dei exceptionally well and she will be sorely missed on our staff. When you see Holly, be sure to say a big word of thanks to her. Yet, we are fortunate to have hired Devin McChesney, as our Business and Facilities Manager. Devin, along with his family, is a current member of Gloria Dei. Devin has spent the past month walking through the duties of this position with Holly, and the crossover time has been very beneficial. Welcome Devin!
I also need to let you know that our long-time staff member Sandy Berven will be transitioning out of her role as the leader of High School ministry at Gloria Dei. As you know, Sandy has been integral for many years in many different aspects of our overall Children, Youth, and Family ministry. And while there have been so many who have been involved in this ministry, it is hard to measure the impact Sandy has had on Gloria Dei and its children and youth. Sandy will continue to work within Young Adult ministry, largely through the non-profit organization, tre Ministries. Sandy is founder and president of tre, and she will be spending more and more time in its continued development. Gloria Dei and its Young Adult ministry will partner with tre and be part of its exciting ministry. Sandy will continue to work with our High School ministry through this summer, as we begin our search for a new staff person within this area. Be sure to say a big word of thanks to Sandy throughout this summer.
And just a reminder, this weekend, in addition to being Memorial Day, is Pentecost weekend. We celebrate the gift of God’s Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s work in our lives and in our world. The color for the day is red, so feel free to wear red to worship services if you’d like. The reading assignment is Acts chapters one through seven.
See you in worship,
Pastor Tim
