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History |
What follows is a recounting of events which have
served to shape and mold our congregation into what it is today; a
caring/sharing family of God, growing in both faith and numbers, guided by
the Holy Spirit, and oneness in its belief that what we are doing is right
and what God would have us do.
It all began in late 1964. The Board of American Missions of the LCA established the “East Hampton Mission” with the vision to MINISTER in an EMERGING, HIGHLY MOBILE, MILITARY COMMUNITY. By October 3, 1965, a group of people met for the first time together in worship at the Century Bowling Lanes. This group, “The East Hampton Mission,” gave birth to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Two months later, in December 1965, they put their trust in God and held their Service of Organization at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
In 1966, The Reverend Edward Luther Counts was called to be our first Pastor. A year later, in 1967, the architectural firm of McLane, Chewning & Hoggard was commissioned to design Unit I, our first nave. In May, 1968, 2 1/2 years after our service of dedication, ground was broken for construction of Gloria Dei’s Unit I (currently the Fellowship Hall and music office, kitchen and front day-care rooms). Eight long, arduous, and sometimes panicky months later, on January 12, 1969, the first unit was dedicated. By year-end 1969, Pastor Stowe was called to lead this fledgling congregation forward in its mission to GROW in WORSHIP, WITNESS and COMMITMENT...and to do those things that God has called us as individual priests to do.
The next three years were highlighted by the purchase of our first Processional Cross, the design and rendering of the Gloria Dei banner and the first annual Gloria Dei-sponsored Red Cross Bloodmobile. In September 1973...after nearly two years of planning and from $800 of seed money that Pastor Stowe and Sally personally borrowed from the Virginia National Bank, Gloria Dei Lutheran School opened its doors to the community...this pilgrimage began with a staff of four, an enrollment of 19, three classrooms, and 1900 square feet. In less than 10 years, it would grow to become one of the five largest parochial schools within the LCA.
The years from 1974-1979 were punctuated by one financial crisis after another (partly because our LCA Program Support ended in 1975)...and yet we persevered. In the midst of these struggles, the CHALLENGE TO GROWTH (1974) and MANDATE FOR MISSION (1977) building funds kept us focused toward our vision. Ground breaking services were conducted for the construction of Unit II in January, 1975, and, by October 5, 1975, we dedicated our expansion of six additional classrooms and church offices. By 1977, we reached a milestone which later became an integral part of our ultimate commitment to build a new nave; our congregational baptized membership peaked and plateaued at 450 (six years later we were to have grown in size to only 459). As we entered
1978, we initiated construction of Unit IIIA and six more classrooms; we closed 1978 strengthened by the following inspired words of our leadership:
From the Director of Christian Education - “CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IS A COMPLETE LIFESTYLE, AS OPPOSED TO A TEMPORARY UNDERTAKING LIKE A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE...ONE NEVER GRADUATES FROM CHRISTIAN EDUCATION.”
From the Director of Evangelism - “WE KNOW THAT JUST INVITING PEOPLE TO WORSHIP IS NOT ENOUGH...PEOPLE MUST EXPERIENCE FULLY HOW WE AS CHRIST’S HANDS AND HEARTS EVANGELIZE THROUGH CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, FELLOWSHIP AND PERSONAL WITNESS AS WELL.”
From our Pastor - “AS I BEGIN MY 10th YEAR AS YOUR PASTOR, I AM FILLED WITH A SENSE OF PERSONAL COMMITMENT, PEACE, AND RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THE MISSION GOD HAS CALLED US TO, IN THIS TIME AND IN THIS PLACE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE ARE BECOMING.”
And one final interesting note from this period of our history, the Site Development Committee planted six hardwood willow oak trees “taking into considering the construction of our new church some time in the near future.”
The years which closed out one decade and led us into another were characterized by reorganization and focused direction. In June 1979, 45 members of Gloria Dei met for two days to hear The Rev. Don Abdon (Parish Leadership Seminars, Inc.) outline the foundation and basis for our current management structure...THE RED BOOK - ‘TRAINING AND EQUIPPING SAINTS.’ The objective was to broaden the leadership of the church from a small group of council members to an elected group of approximately 60 persons...assigned well-defined tasks, and organized around the work of the Gospel.
In early 1980, we embarked on a Pastor (Headmaster)/Wife (Principal) ministry team to lead our day school. Pastor and Sally struggled with the sensitivity of this decision more than anyone; however, the “rightness” and “wisdom” of their decision is evidenced by the fact that the school continues to grow and prosper fifteen years later. By mid year, we had celebrated the “burning” of our “Mandate for Mission” mortgage on Unit I and began construction of Unit IIIB, including the final six classrooms. With this landmark achievement, we were now able to focus our thoughts on 1985, our 20th anniversary, and our new nave. In December 1981, we held our inaugural “Hanging of the Greens” event; a unique Gloria Dei tradition of potluck, fellowship, singing, and decorating which has, to this day, withstood the test of time. In April 1982, a special congregational meeting resulted in (1) a unanimous commitment to construct a new nave (with ground breaking to occur in December 1985), (2) unanimous approval for securing fund raising counseling and support from Lutheran Lay Ministry (LLM), and (3) the unveiling of our first Gloria Dei needlepoint altar kneeler.
In the fall of 1982, “Koinonia” was introduced to Gloria Dei to enrich our lives together in Christ through a “community” or “fellowship” of true believers; to hear the Gospel; receive the Holy Sacraments; and grow in the spirit and love of our faith.
1983 and 1984 were years of “Positioning” and “Growth.”--positioning from the standpoint of our preparing for what we know we must do; growth from the standpoint of our personal commitment to do what God would have us do to meet our objectives. The Simeon Group was established and made responsible for “enabling us to hold up the Christ in the worship space we build, similar to how Simeon himself took the infant Jesus and held him up in the temple and declared “My eyes have seen thy salvation.” We also established our three basic precepts of “art” and “architecture” for our new nave:
CHURCH ART AND ARCHITECTURE SHOULD BE SIMPLE...ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE MADE OF ELEGANT MATERIAL; ITS MESSAGE SHOULD BE CLEAR AND DIRECT.
CHURCH ART AND ARCHITECTURE SHOULD BE PROPER...IT SHOULD CONFORM TO ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS AND AVOID TASTELESSNESS AND MEDIOCRITY.
CHURCH ART AND ARCHITECTURE SHOULD BE TRUTHFUL AS IT PROJECTS THE TRUE WORD OF GOD.
1985, our 20th anniversary year, was marked by several notable events. It was the year in which the nucleus for our “Acts in Action” program was conceived to more aggressively train people in evangelism skills and more actively respond to the ever-changing needs within our community. Secondly, we were introduced to the “Bethel Bible Series” and what it really means to be involved in Bible study. Lastly and most importantly, there was the cold wintry afternoon of December 15th when we broke ground for our new nave. The day was much more than a “ceremonial” one for those of us who had been a part of the Gloria Dei mission for any length of time. Officially the day began some six years before (1979)...unofficially it began in the thoughts of Pastor Stowe the day he accepted his calling (1969).
One month and a day after the ground breaking, another special congregational meeting was held to present the plan to sell $1.25 million General Mortgage Bonds. These bonds would provide the necessary funds for the construction of our church as well as pay off the existing mortgages on Units II and III. Security Church Finance was selected to orchestrate the bond issue. Meanwhile, the firm of L. Cook & Associates was well on their way with the design phase of our church.
As we prepared for our new nave, other aspects of our congregational life were also changing. The addition of a third service (with all of its associated anxieties) did, however, push our average worship attendance form the 150-170 range to over 200. Our Youth Ministry program was beginning to build momentum--“a sense of unique bonding was enriching the lives of our teenage youth.” Our Social Ministry outreach, together with our resources of time and talents, and prayer and love, helped establish Hampton’s Mallory House for underprivileged boys. The Christian Education program was buoyed by an initial enrollment of 90 “students” in the first semester of Bethel classes, and Evangelism’s theme, “Quality of Worship Life,” manifested itself into the phrase, “Come Grow With Us.”
In 1987, we were introduced to Pastor Stowe’s 12 Key Elements of Growth:
1. The need for additional Pastoral leadership;
2. Bible study through the Bethel Series;
3. An enhanced music program through the professional leadership of a cantor;
4. A Parish Management System with high levels of involvement;
5. A Shepherding Program;
6. An “Acts in Action” outreach to prospective members;
7. Day School/Child Care ministries through our school and Sally Stowe;
8. An intensified Parish Fellowship Program;
9. Worship space with seating capacity for 450;
10. Excellent Sunday nursery care facilities;
11. Good parking facilities;
12. An attractive and informative Newsletter.
The first Key Element was given unanimous approval in another of our series of special congregational meetings in May 1987. The “call” process was initiated immediately and, by August, Pastor Briehl, his wife Pam and their two sons, had arrived. The third Key Element was completed by November when Cantor Brian Larson, his wife Barb, and their two children joined our ministry. The fall of 1987 saw a record enrollment of 415 students in our Gloria Dei School. The selection of Ritchie-Curbow Construction moved us one step closer to resolving items nine and eleven (ending nine months of struggles and frustrations trying to deal effectively with how to maximize the use of our construction funds)...and our new nave was beginning to grow out of the ground!! It was getting to be an exciting time.
1988 was the year we “finally made it!!” Emotions roller coasted in the months which preceded our September 18th Dedication Day. We struggled financially (what else is new), but we responded well when confronted with reality. The Capital Fund Drive (“Lift High the Christ - Phase II”) in June resulted in nearly $220 thousand in pledges for a 3-year period. We struggled with our construction; nothing major, mostly a result of those typical nagging little things that disrupt a desire for perfection...and as the pieces began to come together (e.g., paved parking lot, a “real” directory, and expansion to two nursery rooms), Pastor Briehl reflected as to how our congregation was “poised” on the edge of growth and development...and eager to fulfill our role as a “faithful body” of our Loving Father.
And then came September 18, the Dedication, over 500 people in worship, our new church, new organ, and Pastor Stowe saying “The pieces of our growth plan were carefully prayed through, worked out, and put into place...we have seen the Holy Spirit work in our life together. We have seen Him put into place component after component of the essentials for growth.”
1989...Well, it was hard to find a repeat for 1988, but it was still a special year. Parish Fellowship sponsored our second annual “Pig-Pickin’”--a new tradition was beginning to take a foothold in our lives. Evangelism sponsored our first-ever “Evangelism Visitation Day.” The newsletter received a “facelift” and remains today a publication of which we are very proud. Response Stewardship Campaign in November and some “Divine Intervention” in December went a long way to ease our concerns...and, then there was December 3rd, when we honored Pastor Stowe for his 20 years of priestly service to our congregation and community. What a day!! Emotions, surprises, and a sense of “something very powerful” in our midst as nearly 200 people attended a banquet in his honor.
The 90s were ushered in with a Parish Planning Council Retreat which stressed our “Oneness in Mission” and established 15 objectives to carry us forward through the initial 2 years of the new decade. Highlights included: (1) a desire for more direction from the Executive Committee, (2) improved congregational awareness; (3) enhanced communication; (4) revitalized membership recruiting; (5) optimized facility utilization; (6) and an increase in the general “caring” attitudinal posture toward our congregation and the auxiliaries we serve and support.
1990 was a year of challenge and emotional peaks and valleys. We initiated the strenuous process (thanks to Pete Slusar) of updating the Gloria Dei Constitution to conform with the ELCA guidelines. We were privileged, in July, to host a regional conference of the
Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. We also hired our congregation’s first full-time Sexton. By late summer, we said farewell to Pastor Briehl as he moved on to serve in a parish of his own...and in December, we celebrated our 25th year in our life as a congregation. Additionally, throughout the year we greeted over 30 new families to our congregation and introduced the series of bulletin boards which continue to grace our Fellowship Hall. Yet financial struggles reared its ugly head once again; at one time, falling over $15,000 behind in our Operating Budget payments to the school...and most devastating of all, the news in July that Sally Stowe had cancer.
Like 1990, 1991 was an emotional roller coaster. We recovered from our Operating Budget shortfall and successfully completed the “Lift High the Christ - Phase III” Building Fund with $306,000 of commitments. The Youth Board expanded their ministry by forming a Junior Luther League and donating a Baptismal Banner to the congregation. Again, as in 1990, over 30 families were received as members into our family and, on May 4th, we held a Family Life Fair. Public Relations coordinated the publication of our first Congregational Picture Directory and our school won regional honors in the Battle of the Books contest in Williamsburg. In December, one of our favorite fellowship events, Hanging of the Greens, was attended by more than 200 people--a new milestone. But it will be Sally Stowe’s strength and spirit that we will remember most about 1991. On July 20th, she entered the Church Triumphant, leaving behind the memories of all she had taught us. She was truly a teacher, a guide, and a builder of lives. As we look back upon this period of time, we reflect fondly upon how we truly pulled together as a congregation and became stronger as a result of Sally’s spirit and witness. With Sally's passing, we welcomed Linda Robinson as our school Principal - she would prove to be a blessing to our school program and all of the children who walked the hallways for years to come.
1992 was a year of resurgence. In the spring, the PPC established a goal plan for the next 10 years. Presented as the June Annual Congregation Meeting, these goals dealt with the following objectives:
EQUIPPING THE SAINTS
1. Provide WITNESS ‘ONE TO ONE’ Evangelism Training to all members of the congregation.
2. Participation by 50 percent of the confirmed membership in a Christian Education/Bible Study learning experience.
3. Strengthen the Bethel Bible Study Program.
4. Strengthen Acts in Action visitation program for our new members.
COMMISSIONING THE PRIESTHOOD
5. Make Evangelism a part of every congregational event/activity.
6. Institute a congregational visitation program to hospital patients and shut-ins.
7. Integrate all confirmed members into meaningful service.
SUPPORTING THE PRIESTHOOD
8. Satisfy needs for current and timely information.
9. Initiate Spiritual Enrichment Retreats for congregational groups.
10. Provide required staff leadership to the parish.
11. Provide Christian-based services in our parish setting.
12. Enhance the worship and service life of our community of faith.
13. Equalize Evangelism and financial publicity.
These goals were intended to not only enrich our existing family of God, but also open the doors to our growth, enabling us to double our congregational size to 1200 members by 2002. Our statistical benchmarks for future comparison were set at 570 baptized members (410 confirmed), average worship attendance of 285, average Sunday School participation of 125-130, and a total annual fiscal responsibility (church and school) of $1.4 million. In the same June Annual Meeting we approved a Church Operations Budget which exceeded $200 thousand for the first time in our history.
1992 was also marked by the introduction of the David C. Cook Bible-in-Life series to our Sunday School, and new Ventures to our Confirmation class.; we said good-bye to Linda Stanzione as Pastor’s Secretary and welcomed Andrea Cerone. Our hallways and classrooms were spruced up with new carpeting and we tried (albeit without much success) to introduce an “adopt-a-bed” program for our landscaping maintenance. Meanwhile, nine of us continued the process started in 1991 to call a new Assistant Pastor. In November 1992, this process was successfully completed when Pastor Timothy Spring accepted our invitation to come “serve” and “grow” with us at Gloria Dei. We ended 1992 filled with high expectations and gratefulness of God’s Grace.
Pastor’s message in the 1992-93 Annual Report says that “the foundation that we have built over the past 28 years around Word and Sacrament through the synergism of the priesthood we share, our staff, and our facilities, gives us what we need to move into a future with optimism. We have the potential to be a dramatic witness to the Christ as we move into that future.” In January 1993, we welcomed Pastor Spring, his wife Pam and their two daughters (Hilary and Bethany) into our ministry; our staff was once again complete. The growth that we anticipated started to happen. Congregation membership reached 625, Sunday School enrollment exceeded 200 (with average participation approaching 140) and our multi-faceted choirs (vocal and ringers) involved 135 talented people. Only July 25, 1993, a special congregational meeting was held to approve a plan to purchase 3 1/2 acres of land across the street. The land was to be used to expand our school and provide recreational space (in the near term) while providing options for the long term to construct either an elderly care facility or retreat center. In November, we were blessed with a wonderful gift from the Monroe family--three octaves of Malmark hand bells. 1993 was also the year we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our school which included a fabulous banquet and recognition for many of the staff, past and present, who provided an “educational ministry” and “holistic philosophy” for thousands of students throughout the years. In return, the school (parents and community of friends) honored Pastor Stowe with a $10,000 gift to be put toward the “Rose Window.”
1994 was characterized by Pastor Stowe as “A Time to Envision.” His Annual Report message quotes form a passage that we have hard many times before--“Where there is no vision, the people parish” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). There could be not better example of the congregation’s willingness to grab a piece of this “visionary” ownership than their enthusiasm and response to our “Lift High the Christ - Phase IV” campaign renewal program. Nearly $335 thousand was pledged, but more importantly, our program of workshops and fellowship allowed many of us to get to know more about each other and the congregation that we refer to as our “Family of God.” As our membership soared past 660, aspects of our 10-year plan began to fall into place. The format of the Witness “One to One” program was drafted (and the initial retreat was scheduled for early 1995). A Diaconate group of visitors and caregivers was established. Furthermore, Sunday morning adult education opportunities were expanded to five classes and on several occasions we were enlightened with a social or health-related seminar. Wednesday night Adult Bible Study (originally set aside for the Bethel Bible Series) was enhanced with a new course entitled Cross Signs...and, finally, we welcomed Bob Steele as our new Sexton. His professionalism and positive attitude added significantly to the attractiveness of our church and grounds.
1995 brought us our 30th Year celebration. It was a year punctuated by a series of retreats and workshops to more clearly articulate our mission and vision as well as put more “flesh” on the 10-year goals established in 1992. In February 1995, Pastor’s New Member Class included 27 new families (a new record!!). This year saw the introduction of “A Mighty Fortress,” a Sunday morning ministry fostered by Gloria Dei’s own Dick Manley—and financially sponsored by the area’s Lutheran churches. In late Spring, preparations were begun for the expansion of our school on the property purchased across the street in 1993. By the Annual Congregation Meeting in June, our congregation membership had crossed the 700-member threshold. Pastor Spring’s message to us in the Annual Report included a quote from Eberhard Arnold, “[w]hen a person makes a circle with a compass, the larger the circle, the more firmly the compass needs to be placed in the center. The more we reach out in ministry, the deeper our relationship with Christ and one another needs to be.” The programs we have in place at Gloria Dei have enabled us to expand the area of our “circle;” the commitments of our youth and adults have become a witness to others in such a way that can be interpreted only as Christ-centered. Before 1995 ended we had moved 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders into our new facilities on Harris Creek Road, rewarded Pastor Spring with a renewed “call” as an Associate Pastor (promotion from Assistant), and converted our Parish Council leadership from a “Board/Committee” management structure to a Ministry/Small Group management structure.
As 1996 unfolded, our journey brought us to the realization that “our success” renewed the challenge we have as Christians to respond to our needs for ministry and service. The music program, under Brian Larson’s leadership, had grown to a level (>150 participants) that had become increasingly more difficult for him to manage/administer. But as has happened in the past, our congregation responded with numerous individuals stepping forward and taking leadership roles to assist Brian in the management of the music program.
Pastor Spring’s Annual Report message quoted a Martin Luther maxim, “One Christian, no Christian.” Pastor Spring went on to say “[t]o be a Christian is by definition to not only have a relationship with the God of Jesus Christ but also to be a part of his body, the Church.” From this maxim and Pastor Spring’s recent training evolved the beginning of our small group “discipleship” ministries.
In 1997, Pastor Stowe, following our record breaking response to the 10th Building Fund Renewal (Seeing Through Christ’s Vision—160 commitments for nearly $540K), commented in his Annual Report message that we (Gloria Dei) have come to another “moment of destiny.” (It is interesting to note that the term “destiny” would reappear as an integral part of our 11th Building Fund renewal three years later.) We were challenged as a congregation to build upon the established Gloria Dei ministry foundation by “determining areas of ministry that Christ would have us enhance and develop.” The seeds were planted for (a) what ultimately would become an Adult/Elder Care Facility (Sunrise House) and (b) the initial thought process/identification of program and facility requirements leading us toward the next phase of facility enhancements. 1997 also saw formal introduction of small group discipleship ministries (12 such groups the first year) and the retirement of Alex and Margo Hooks following 17 faithful years of service as our Kindergarten Sunday School teachers.
1998 brought our 25th year celebration for the school. What began with 19 students and an $800 loan from Pastor Stowe and his wife back in 1973 had grown to 585 students (over 700 including child day care). As part of the celebration, we completed the development of the Harris Creek “campus” thereby enabling 1st through 5th graders to be across the street, freeing up much-needed conference areas. Parish Council met with representatives from various city agencies (Planning, Chamber of Commerce, and Youth) to help better understand the needs of the community (as they pertained to our efforts to expand/enhance our ministries). As Pastor Spring stated in his Annual Report message, “if a person does not know what port he or she is steering, no wind is favorable (Seneca).” 1998 also saw (a) the development of Sunrise House coming closer to reality, (b) our baptized membership exceeding 800, and (c) installing a new organ console (a gift from the Monroes).
As the century came to a close in 1999, Pastor Stowe introduced us to the word “Charismata.” Charismata (or grace gifts) is “the New Testament Greek word for the Holy Spirit equipping us for the work of ministry.” Pastor Stowe goes on to say, “I believe that we are at a point of beginning to expand our church home to a parish village.” For nearly 35 years, we have been developing and enhancing our programs and facilities in support of the church, school, child care, and Christian education. 1999 saw the introduction of our long-awaited adult/elder care facility—Sunrise House.
1999 was also a year of change. We said good-by to Brian Larson, rejoicing for the 12 wonderful years he gave us as the Cantor and anguishing over how we were ever going to replace him. For Pastor Stowe and Joy Hough, it was a year of culminating their relationship into marriage. For John Liesman, it was “retirement” from what has seemed like 100 years of faithful leadership service. For our congregation, it was recognition of the fact that we desperately needed a third Pastor to help usher us into the next century—as such a “call committee” was established under the leadership of Rita Foringer. 1999 saw participation in the small group discipleship ministries exceeding 100 members. 1999 was also a year of “record highs” from the school—over 1800 hours of community service, over $16,000 collected for the American Heart Association (Jump Rope for Heart program), and an enrollment of 625 students.
As year 2000 unfolds, we are again introducing new territories and new faces. For the first time, our youth participated in the ELCA’s National Convention in St. Louis. In August, Dr. Martin Sunderland was installed as our Director of Parish Music.
Year 2000 also saw our 11th Building Fund renewal campaign take on as its theme “Destiny is a Choice” (remember that word destiny from 1997)—we are reminded that although we are chosen by God, it is up to us to decide (a) to what level we elevate our commitments and (b) where we go from here. Several groups are activated (and reactivated) with the expressed purpose of assimilating all of the information gathered these last 3 years into a definitized proposal for our next stages of facility expansion—the atrium and the multi-purpose facility.
The momentum from the overflow spirit of the “Destiny is a Choice” campaign helped us close out 2000 and set the stage for 2001’s “main event” – our May 5th Burning of the Mortgage ‘BOND’ fire. Pastor Spring’s message to us in our annual report stated that “[t]he ashes of that fire provide the starting point for continuing the journey of faith God began with the people of Gloria Dei over 35 years ago.” And what a night it was – carnival like atmosphere, marsh mellows, popcorn, music, wind (almost too much), and recognition for the Grob’s (Sir Speedy) and our charter members who have served as God’s earthly priests for so many years. Looking back over that night and the recollection of all the things that preceded that event, there can be little doubt as to the power of the Holy Spirit and the role that our faith has played throughout our journey. And our journey continues.
In addition to the “BOND” fire, 2001 became a cornerstone for several critical building blocks in our 15 year goal for staff expansion and development. We welcomed Laura Ann Madott (and husband Mark) as our associate Director of Music with leadership responsibilities for both our church and school. Dee Lowther was appointed as our Christian Education Director, re-energizing our commitment to the fact that “learning is a lifetime experience”. And finally, on December 2, 2001, the congregation voted to extend a call to Pastor Freeborn; a truly unique opportunity to welcome into our family a Presbyterian Pastor from Upstate New York.
Pastor Freeborn and his wife Debbie officially joined us in February, 2002. In his initial Annual Report message, just a few months later, Pastor Freeborn remarks about how “the people of Gloria Dei are genuine in their desire to follow Jesus Christ and live Christian lives. There is a tremendous vulnerability, openness and love here. I am confident that as we pursue our 15 year plan together, we shall be successful (emphasis added). It is clear to me that God has blessed us, is blessing us, and will continue to bless us.”
Other 2002 highlights included our Sunday school sponsored “Record Breaker Sunday” (in February) with the goal of 151 attendance; 195 attended. On August 18th, the congregation met for a celebration dinner at the Holiday Inn and were presented with and voted on our approval for the design of our “connector space”. Plans for groundbreaking ceremonies are targeted for the fall. The Gloria Dei Lutheran School choirs were selected to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association in November 2002. The school, the youth groups, the scouts and the small group ministries all reached out into the community through a series of fund raising events and contributed many hours of hard work and literally tens of thousands of dollars to help those in need.
Each year, through matriculation, job transfers and retirements, children and their families leave our school and community of faith and take with them the Gloria Dei experiences and blessings that Pastor Freeborn spoke about in his Annual Report message. Although we hate to see them leave, we sincerely believe the world becomes a better place as the result of these transitions. Such is the case, too, for Pastor Spring, his wife Pam and their two daughters as they “matriculated” to the college campus ministry atmosphere in Bozeman, Montana. We all were blessed by the gifts they gave us throughout the 10 years they graced our community of faith - - and now as Pastor Spring fulfills a calling that has always been one of his dreams, they take with them the blessings and rich experiences of having been a member of Gloria Dei.
As we continue our life together as a congregation, one
thing remains inordinately clear. Each step we take is empowered by and
embodied with God’s Spirit. YOU—the congregation, have spoken through
surveys and a series of “town meetings” that the things that are important
to our future can be summarized as follows:
(A) A wide band of worship opportunities.
(B) A life of Christian learning and contribution.
(C) Proactive care thorough assisted life transitions and interactive family support.
(D) An active, vibrant youth ministry.
(E) Lay leadership development.
(F) An active process of identifying talents and gifts; ways to better help people find meaningful service.