Certain volunteer roles are large and require a lot of dedication. The Director of Deacons is one of those roles. For the last year, Joel Hempel has created curriculum, recruited candidates, led monthly instruction, encouraged deacons through phone, text and email, coordinated with me and the church office, and run two deacon retreats. That is a lot of work. We thank Joel for his vision, determination and heart for Jesus. We are very blessed to have Joel in this position because he has a wealth of experience. He was the manager of Specialized Pastoral Ministry for synod where he oversaw the development of chaplains, counselors and clinical educators. You may just know him as Joel, the guy who sits in the back with his wife Marcia, but he is a veteran LCMS supervisor and educator. God is using him to grow faith at Glendale Lutheran church.
We also thank the deacons he directs: Cathie Albers, Marcia Hempel, Bob Jacobson and Tony Petzoldt. They have stepped forward and opened themselves up to training, self-reflection, study, application and the work of the Gospel. They have contacted people from our church to see if they need a listening ear. God uses these faithful people to encourage other faithful people in our midst. If you need someone to talk to, contact one of these Deacons or Pastor Scott. We love to help people and show them the love of Jesus.
