GLIMPSES OF GLENDALE: Weekly Newsletter

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale

Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter

December 1, 2022

Lutheran Foundation Community Relief Grant

At the October 30, 2022, Voters’ Assembly, the Leadership Council and Pastor Scott advised the congregation the Lutheran Foundation had approved a $5,000 community relief grant Pastor Scott submitted that we are required to use for one or more community needs. We also asked you to approach us with any ideas you might have for using the grant funds that the Leadership Council to consider. Thus far, the Leadership Council has been given several awesome and worthwhile suggestions we are reviewing but in the interest of making sure everyone has an opportunity to submit their recommendations we will continue to accept other proposals through Friday, December 9, 2022. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Leadership Council with additional thoughts you might have.

Qualified Charitable Distributions from Your IRA

Many retirees notice that Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from IRAs have negative consequences that include:

pushing them into a higher tax bracket
increasing the amount of their Social Security benefits that are taxable and/or
causing them to have to pay increased Medicare premiums, known as Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA).

If you are required to take an RMD from an IRA, did you know that you can eliminate or reduce these negative consequences by instructing your IRA custodian to transfer all or a portion of your RMD directly to a qualified charity, such as Glendale Lutheran Church? This is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution and it counts toward satisfying your RMD for the year, up to $100,000. More importantly, the amount of a QCD is excluded from your taxable income. That's worth repeating. The amount of a QCD is not counted in your taxable income for that year.

Important: This tax benefit is not available to you if you take possession of your RMD, even if you give the amount of your RMD to charity that same year. If you take possession of your RMD, it is considered a taxable event, even if you give it away. If you wish to take advantage of a QCD, please contact your IRA custodian.

Gingerbread House Decorating!

Sunday December 18th from 11:30am to 2:30pm

Christmas fun for all ages! Come to help prepare and celebrate for Jesus’ birth!

Sign-up forms and payment will be available soon in the narthex before and after worship or in the church office. The cost will be $15 cash or check for each gingerbread house. Checks can be made out to Glendale Lutheran Church.

Sponsors are needed to help pay for gingerbread houses, refreshments, and decorations. Thrivent action teams are perfect for this occasion! Contact Steph Chapa at 320-510-4862 if you would like to help.

Donations of miniature candies and pretzels, winter decorations, and large cake disks for gingerbread houses can be dropped off in a labelled box in the entry way.

Volunteers are also needed to help decorate, set-up, and serve refreshments.

Please contact Steph Chapa with any questions at 320-510-4862.

Two Advent Potlucks Remaining!

December 7 and December 14. Bring a dish to share! Dinner at 5:30, worship at 6:30.

Angel Tree

Our Seminary Families Tree in the back of church is decorated with ornaments with the names of the children of seminarians, and the moms and dads, and the families. Please select an ornament, if you wish to participate, and purchase a gift for the child or family whose name is on the ornament. Wrap the gift and place it under the tree with their name and your name and your address on it by Sunday, December 4. The gifts will be delivered to the families that week. The Seminary families really appreciate our thoughtfulness and generosity in making this Christmas extra special for the families. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Skouby.

Altar Flowers 2023

The Altar Flowers 2023 dates are now available! You can sign up online via the link, or if you'd rather you can simply email or call Michelle. Altar Flower FAQ sheets are on the kiosk as well as over by the staff mailboxes (where the physical flower chart hung in years past).

Operation Christmas Child

Many thanks to everyone who contributed one or more of our 30 Christmas boxes. I will let all of you know where our boxes were delivered as soon as I'm informed; it usually takes several months. If any of you scanned your own labels and receive any information please share with us as it is so rewarding to know where we have touched some children.

With thanks and blessings,

Carol

A Personal Message from Jesus - article by Joel Hempel

As we begin this Advent season, Jesus has a message for everyone who is paying attention:

I'm real, and I'm coming back. Only this time, I'm not coming as a cute little baby people can adore and then forget who I am and what I came to do. Rather, I will be coming in all my Godly glory to judge and make the final divide.

I don't like separating one person from the next, or identifying them as sheep and goats, as I once did. It has always been my desire to include or save everyone. But painfully, most people have chosen to separate themselves from me. So sadly, I have let them go.

But you Christians, you children of mine who have been graced to receive me, who have accepted my love and not rejected the life I have created for you, well, you have a great deal to look forward to when I return. You can try to imagine the beauty I have prepared for you, but whatever you visualize pales in comparison to the reality of heaven.

So, just continue being aware that there is a day and an hour my Father has set for my return. Continue believing and living the faith I have given to you. Live in forgiveness and generously grant mercy to others. Let me love you, and let that love pour out from you to others. When temptation or difficult times come your way, you know what to do because you know I am with you in Spirit. Draw on my strength, my courage, and the healing I will always grant you.

Be at peace. You are already prepared for my return.

Then someday in the not-so-distant future, you will see me coming. Admittedly, for some of you, my angels will come to you personally and escort you into my presence. For others, you will have to wait for that grand and glorious day of reckoning. But fear not. You will be with me in paradise.

Oh, yeah; one other thing. As you have opportunity, tell others.