Annual Report for the Year 2009
Each year all members of the congregation meet for an Annual Meeting to review the year past and consider plans for the year ahead.
A highlight of this meeting is a visual presentation of the past year's most significant and memorable activities and events. We thank Robin Rupnow for putting together the following slide presentation. Enjoy a look back at 2009 at Gloria Dei.
Each year an Annual Report is prepared by the pastors, staff, and ministry leaders of the congregation. Here are some highlights from this year's report.
- "We have certainly been true to the guiding words we embraced for the year 2009. We Lived Well. We Cared Well. We Shared Well. We embraced these tenents because God asked us to do so. The Congregation should be pleased by all the efforts and what we accomplished. It is amazing and humbling." This is how Margie Young, our Congregation Council President, summed up the year.
- "Gloria Dei is a community of people whose relationships with Jesus are lived out and nurtured. And because we are disciples of Jesus, we do the ministry of the church together. It's a partnership that belongs to all of us: pastors, members, visitors, children, adults, everyone. . . . God gives us this meaningful place to belong and work. This is the purpose of our presence here; it is the purpose of the experiences, accomplishiments, and learnings of 2009." These were Pastor Tabitha's words as she reflected on the past year at Gloria Dei.
- Our ministries experienced, accomplished, and learned much. Here's a word montage that tries to capture the breadth and intensity of our witness and discipleship during the past year.
Church and Community . . . Shepherd Groups, Community Table, World Hunger.Appeal. Seeds and Harvest. Food Pantries. Missionaries. Konkol's. Thanksgiving Baskets. Christmas Tree Cutting. Best Friends. Christmas Giving. Boys and Girls Club. Sunday Coffee Hour. Fair Trade. Hephatha.
Christian Education and Youth . . . Roller Skating. National Youth Gathering. Lock In. NEW Zoo. Sunday School Offering for World Hunger. Lambs and chickens and ducks and geese. Serving. Raising Money. Coffee House. Confirmation. More Service. Fellowship. Confirmation Camp. Vacation Bible School. Veggie Tale Pirates. Offering for Lutheran World Relief. Rotational Sunday School. God Performs Miracles. Sunday Adult Studies. Thursday Morning Bible Study. Christmas Program. Shepherds and Sheep and Savior. Easter Egg Event. Neighborhood Children.
Evangelism and Fellowship . . . Evangelizing Congregation. Fellowship of Believers. Visitors. Glorious Bean Soup. Neighborhood Walks. Reaching Out. Seeds and Harvest. Engaging those we meet. New Members. Involving each new member. Inactives. Welcome back. Big Fellowship. Fat Tuesday. Tea Party. Outdoor Movie Night. Harvest Meal. Small Fellowship . Singles Group. Dinner Groups. YAH. Communications. Logo. Come Grow With Us. www.gloriadeilc.com.
Stewardship . . . Live Well. Care Well. Share Well. Walk to Emmaus and Pine Lake. Planting and Harvesting and Sharing. Pledging. Time and Talents. Spaghetti Dinner. Sunday School Offering. Parish Nursing. Giving Challenges (Met). Non-cash Giving (Much).
Property . . . Many Projects. Many People. Repairing and Improving. Spring Cleaning Day. Bell Tower Repair. Lawn and Flower Beds. Garden (Something New).
Worship . . . Many people working together to provide a worship service. Pet Blessing. Christmas in July. Advent Holden Vespers. Blue Christmas. Doing what's comfortable and doing something different. Hearing the Gospel in a new way. Gather 'Round. Setting the stage season to season. A great year of singing.
The annual report also includes lots of facts and figures, financial reports, and the congregation budget for 2010. All might be summarized by the words of the Lord to Abraham, "I will bless you . . . so that you will be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2). We have been blessed richly as a community of faith at Gloria Dei. In response we have tried to worship, praise, witness, steward, and serve faithfully and joyfully in 2009. We pray to do the same in the days ahead.
Thanks be to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
January 24, 2010
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