GLIMPSES OF GLENDALE: Weekly Newsletter

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale

Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter

September 2, 2021

Yesterday I went to a meeting hosted by Christian Friends of New Americans Lutheran Foundation concerning the Afghan crises. One thousand Afghan refugees are being vetted by the US government and headed to St. Louis. About twenty LCMS churches met to find out how we can help.

Christian Friends of New Americans is a Lutheran organization that I have worked with in the past. They give the Gospel to new Americans as well as tutor kids and help families find housing. The two things CFNA needs with this sudden influx is money and volunteers. If God is leading you to volunteer, contact me. If you want to donate money, send it to Glendale earmarked for CFNA. The Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis will match dollar for dollar any fundraising for CFNA done by our church. Our elders have approved of this effort.

Here are other needs for CFNA…

Welcome packages, Family Mentoring, Food Gift Cards, Rent Assistance, Driver’s Education, Furnishings, Trauma Counseling, Life Skills Training, Prayer.

The Bible is very clear in the Old Testament and the New, bless the foreigner in your midst. If you have a heart to help, contact me.

Daily Bible Reading

Church Picnic Next Sunday!

Worship with us at 9:15 in the sanctuary and then join us on the front patio for fellowship and lunch at 11:00. Start digging through your cookbooks for some of your favorites to share!! We will have a few lawn games out for you to enjoy and bubbles for the kids! Rainy day picnic will be the same day in the gym.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sue Schultz.

What will be provided:

Brats, hotdogs, condiments and buns
Paper products
Water and Lemonade

What can you bring:

A dish or two to share
Lawn chairs
Other drinks if you would like them

Talking with a Deacon

Ten Reasons Not to Talk with a Deacon:

The following are some of the reasons you might have for not talking with a

deacon.

I have nothing to talk about.
I’m a private person. My problems are my problems!
I don’t want to bother anyone with my stuff.
Other people’s issues are more important than mine.
I don’t know if I can trust them.
It would be too embarrassing.
It won’t do any good.
What I’m dealing with is beyond what a deacon can handle.
God and I are talking it through.
I’m too busy; I don’t have the time.

Two Reasons to Talk with a Deacon:

Talking with a deacon is like meeting with a spiritual companion, a trusted friend with special training with whom you can check in periodically – perhaps monthly. A deacon – like a spiritual companion – is someone with whom you can talk things through. Sometimes there is not much to talk about. Other times life is weighing heavy and it is helpful to have this relationship in place where you can unload your feelings, receive support, experience empathy, get impartial feedback, and be reassured that God cares even when you don’t feel it. Personally, I don’t have a deacon (although I live with one). But I do have a spiritual companion with whom I meet monthly (or more often when I need it). It took time to develop trust. But the investment has been worth it. The fee I pay for his time and expertise is minimal compared to what he contributes to my wellbeing.
Deacons are free – as is the love and mercy of God they will share with you.

Joel Hempel, Director of Diaconal Ministry

Offerings vs. Budget Update

Women's Tuesday Bible Study

Women’s Tuesday Bible Study begins Tuesday, September 7 at 9:15 am.

Whether you’ve grown up hearing Bible stories or you’re exploring Scripture for the first time we hope you’ll join us as we discover the “Seamless” thread connecting the people, places & promises of the Bible.

Financial Update

After the first month of our current year fiscal year our offerings were $25,990, which is $6,510 below our budgeted offerings for the month. This continues a trend that developed over the last several months of our 2020-2021 fiscal year. The Leadership Council wants to remind everyone that although several members blessed us in the past year with significant bequests, bequest money has restrictions and is not used for budgeted items. A simplified way to give may be electronically by using the "Bill Pay" feature of your bank's website. The service provided is usually free of charge to both you and the Church. Most financial institutions allow you to set up Recurring Payments so you do not have to worry about forgetting your checkbook or being out of town. With this service, your gift can be deducted automatically from the account you choose without you ever having to write a manual check. We ask everyone to continue to prayerfully consider their giving as we also continue to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on us.

Leadership Council Nominations

The Leadership Council is accepting nominations for the Council to consider to replace Council members whose terms are expiring in October. This year there are two members whose terms will be coming to an end. Please let anyone on Leadership Council, the Elders, or Pastor Scott know if there is anyone you would like to nominate who you believe would make a good leader for our Congregation. The Leadership Council will review those nominations at its September meeting and provide recommendations in advance of our October 2018 Voters’ Meeting.