2015 Newsletter

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

108 W. Brown St. Tecumseh, MI 49286

(517) 423-7510

Website:www.gloriadeitecumseh.com Email: gloriadeitecumseh@comcast.net Office Hours: Mon.- Fri. 7:00 AM-1:00 PM

Worship: 9:30 AM

STAFF

Pastor Rev. Gordon Peterson

Secretary Kim Kendrek

Choir Director Kirk Maki

Bell Director Carol Boyce

Organist Sharon Kuhlman

Accompanist Barbara Wagner Contemporary Music Julie Becker

COUNCILPresident John Wanke

Vice-Pres. Kerry Hamilton Smith

Secretary Tom Carothers

Treasurer Sarah Block

Financial Sec. Jim Feldkamp

Education Deb Flint

Mutual Ministry Jeff Brehmer

Social Ministry-External Pat HousekeeperSocial Ministry-Internal Deb Lawson & Stella Shafer

Youth Cindy Hook

Stewardship Nicholas Diggs

Worship/Music Jenny Merritt Inside Property LoAnn Smith OutsidePropertyBrent Gnodtke

At Large Kim Janeczek

STEPHEN MINISTRY

Sue SamelakJerry Watson Mary Ferguson Karen Watson

Russell WiesePastor Gordy Judy PetersonElaine Webb

PRAYER CHAIN June Macbeth 423-4182 SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPT. Jen Baur

Mission Statement: As the Body of Christ known as Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, our vision for Mission and Ministry is to gather, empower, and send people into the world as disciples of the living Christ.

On May 24th we switched to the summer worship schedule. There will be one service throughout the summer at 9:30 AM.

Watch for Time & Talent surveys coming soon. This is a good way to express your interest in an area of the church where you can be share your talents.

Consider electronic giving during the summer months when you may be traveling and unable to attend worship. Contact the church office at 423-7510 or gloriadeitecumseh@comcast.net to set up electronic giving.

Children and youth are encouraged to share their musical talents throughout the summer. A sign-up sheet is in the narthex.

The Knitting Group decided to break for the summer when their knitting needles got too hot from knitting so fast! Knitting will resume in the fall.

An EVEREST Vacation Bible School: Conquering challenges with God's mighty power! This year at VBS we will embark on an icy and possibly cold (we can pretend, right?) expedition whereparticipants will overcome obstacles with God's awesome power. Each day we will meet at base camp and participants will experience God's love asVBS leadersanchorthem in rock-solid Bible truths that will guide them through life's challenges. Children will participate in Glacier Games, Mountain Top Snacks, Sing and Play at the Summit Celebration, and learn key bible points applicable to their lives. The VBS expedition is scheduled for June 15-19 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. each day. The cost is $10 for the first child in a family and $5 for each additional child. All participants receive an iron-on logo (t-shirts not provided). Each family will receive a copy of the Everest theme soundtrack. Registration forms are also available in the church office and in the narthex. Volunteers and donations are needed and a sign-up willbe in the Narthex as well as on-line through sign-up genious. Please share the word about VBS at Gloria Dei by inviting your friends, neighbors, and relatives. If you have any questions contact any of the VBS coordinators: Jennifer Baur, Nikki Eaton or Mary Bruggenwirth.

A big thank you to all the Sunday school teachers and to Jen Baur who coordinated Sunday school and kept everything running smooth. Sunday school classes will break for the summer months and will return in the fall. Dont forget to mark VBS on your calendars for the week of June 15-19!

Saturday, June 20th is the assembly date for packaging highly nutritious, life-saving meals for starving children and malnourished children and their families in developing countries and the United States. We will meet at church at 8:00 am. Any and all help is appreciated.

Please join the Inside (aka Internal) Social Committee for an Outside church experience! On July 26 at 10:00 a.m. Pastor Gordy will lead our morning service in Tate Park, Clinton. It will be followed by a picnic. We have a pavilion with picnic tables reserved, but you may choose to bring lawn chairs along with your dish to pass. Hotdogs and hamburgers will be provided. (Activities will not be planned but you are invited to bring games for after the picnic.) Watch for the sign-up sheet to appear in the Narthex soon.

The Inside Property Committee is looking for volunteers to sign up for one month at a time to set the church garbage out to the curb each Wednesday after 4:00 pm. Please contact LoAnn Smith at 423-2848 if you would like to help.

Mark your calendars!

June Vacation Bible School 15-19th - Kids Against Hunger 20th

July Youth Group National Gathering 15-19th - Outdoor Worship at Tate Park 26th Sept. - Rally Day 6th Oct. - 5K Run/Walk 3rd

High school & college graduates will be recognized at 9:30 am on Sunday, May 31st. A special coffee hour will be held in their honor. Congratulations graduates!

Have you had the conversation yet? This question has recently been asked throughout the country over and over again in honor of National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is celebrated each year on April 16th. However, Hospice of Lenawee is determined to keep asking the question. Having the conversation is really about making your advanced healthcare wishes known to your family and yet is just the first step in a very important process.

In collaboration with Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Hospice of Lenawee will have available Advance Directives forms called 5 Wishes which will allow you to designate who you would want to be your voice in the event you are unable to speak for yourself. They also provide an opportunity to write down in great detail your choices for advanced healthcare.

None of us know the future and choosing to be proactive and make your wishes known to your family, both written and through conversation, is not only the smart thing to do, but it is a gift to those you love.

The booklets are available at no cost in the Narthex. Hospice of Lenawee will also provide a speaker to address questions on Advance Directives or any hospice related topic. Just call 517-263-2323 and ask for Susan Turner or someone from the Speakers Bureau.

We have an abundance of junior choir and acolyte robes in the choir room that are no longer being used. If anyone has a use for them, please contact the church office.

The May baskets put together by Social Ministry and the Sunday school children were very much appreciated by all the recipients. Here are a few notes we received:

A special thank you to all those who helped make up the May baskets for my Mother, Betty Andrew, and other shut-ins. Many thoughtful items were included like cards and crafts created by our Sunday school children. Also potted flowers, a knitted washcloth and homemade cookies were made by the Social ministry members. Your kindness was appreciated!

Blessings to ALL,

Sarah Frenzen

Thank you so much for the lovely gifts you brought me. I am enjoying the thoughtfulness.

God Bless,Bonnie Purkey

I would like to thank the following children for the Spring basket: Alex, Megan, Kyle, Mariah, Ben, Mike< Garret, James & Laura.

Mr. & Mrs. Jim Lawson brought it last weekend when they came to visit in Grand Rapids. The cookies were very delicious. You all did a wonderful job. Keep up the good work. May God bless all of you.

Sincerely,Doris J. Mitchell

To Tyler, Ben, Cindy, Alex, Mariah, Aubrey, Penny, Garth, Jackson, Kyle, Cameron & Laura,

I received one of your beautiful May baskets and want to thank you so much. The lovely Happy Spring card by Laura, the gum, protein bar, and hand crocheted dish cloth are so thoughtful. The beautiful book marker with Trust in the Lord will be used by me and remind me of all of you everyday, as I read many books. The basket you made to put all these things in is so pretty and what a great idea. Your basket was a gift to me from Mr. & Mrs. Lawson. They were coming to Grand Rapids and thought I would enjoy one.

I wish you and all your teachers in Sunday school a very nice summer.

God Bless you all,Mrs. Marie Johnson

Women & Wine Book Group

The next meeting will conclude the Mary & Martha study on Monday, June 1st at 6:30 pm at the home of Vicky Kirsch. Read chapters 9 through the end. Suggestions for a new study will be discussed for September when the group resumes.

There was a delay in the processing of directories but they are in the printing process and will be here shortly. June 7th is Directory Sunday so they will be available at that time.

Chiaroscuro Community Mens Chorus Open Rehearsals / Auditions

Male singers interested in joining Chiaroscuro (Key-AH-row SCOO-row) for the summer season are invited to attend Open Rehearsals and Auditions beginning on Tuesday, June 2 and continuing throughout the five Tuesdays of the month (June 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30) from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. in Room 115 of the Verheyden Performing Arts Center on the campus of Siena Heig