Hark ! The Herald . . .

DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF GLORIA DEI CHURCH,

Of what special significance is the month of September for you? Parents, children, and perhaps even grandparents would most likely respond, “Why it’s Back-to-School Time!” And, lest we forget, retailers draw our attention to ―back-to-school‖ time with a myriad of ads for school clothes, school supplies, etc. Going ―back-to-school‖ these days is not just for youth, but also for the young at heart, or wanting to change careers. Change is not only impor-tant in the secular world, but it‘s also of great importance in the spiritual realm as we journey from being ―infants‖ in our understanding to ―mature‖ Christians. I have often said, “When I stop learning, I may as well die!”

Learning is a life-long experience. Are you still learning? Paul writes in 2 Corin-thians 3:18 – “And we, who with unveiled faces

all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Having Bible conversations with one another in small groups, living God‘s Word by sharing and developing Christian relationships opens the door for the Spirit to transform us. ―Back-to-School‖ is for every person ages 3 to 103. There are several small group opportunities being of-

fered for you. Which one will you plug into so you can enjoy learning and transformation?

GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH Rev. Helen Liesenberg, Interim Pastor 5872 Naples Plaza Website: www.gloriadeilongbeach.com Long Beach, CA 90803-5044 Telephone: 562.438.0929

SEPTEMBER 2011

Beginning: Wednesday, September 7 at 7:00 p.m. Confirmation Registration for middle school youngsters. Confirmation begins Wed., Sept. 14

th 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Please speak with Pastor Helen (310) 498-26785 for details. Sunday, September 25 at 9:15 a.m. Sunday School for Children (upstairs) Adult Bible Conversations (fellowship hall) (Return to Winter Schedule: Worship 10:45 a.m.) Tuesday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. Adult Bible Conversation (fellowship hall) Thursday, September 15 at 10:00 a.m. Lutheran Church Women (Learning, Serving, Sharing and Lunch) Happy learning! Pastor Helen Liesenberg

— VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL —

The planning for this year‘s Vacation Bible School (VBS) started in May. The theme was about caring for God‘s creation, focusing on Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9). The program was pre-sented in a new VBS format titled RE NEW/THE GREEN VBS. Different from previous VBS programs, the RE NEW program provided no decorations such as large cardboard animals, trees, or class room wall decorations. The program, in keeping with THE GREEN VBS theme, required five activity sites made of, and decorated with, only recyclable materials. The congregation was asked to donate recycled materials, and they did. The recycled materials were gathered over a three month period and included used pillows, card board boxes, paper, paint brushes, artificial plants, wheels, springs, egg cartons, toilet paper cores, water bottles, etc. Volunteers were asked to donate time and effort to paint, glue, tack, draw, tape, cut, and make scenery and decorations. Sandy Irvine, VBS Director, did an outstanding job in putting this very demanding program together. With only sketches of the activity sites (see illustrations on next page) she visualized where in the church the five sites would be located and what, and how, decorations for each site could be made with the recycled materials on hand. This was a monumental task which demanded

countless hours of her personal time (days and evenings) in plan-ning, hands on work, and directing the efforts of those who volun-teered to help with the program.

Please, when you have an opportunity, thank Sandy Irvine and all the volunteers

that made this VBS such a success.

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This year‘s Vacation Bible School was a huge success. On the last day of school, parents were generous in their praise of the program and thanked Sandy and other volunteers/teachers for this very special Vacation Bible School program for their children.

VBS volunteers included: John Irvine, Erika Eidam, Barbara White, Dianne Keil, Nancy Ferrero, Jim Fer-rero, Chris Gilissen, Judy Griggs, Twyla Karkut, Candy Wood, Laura Subke, Marilyn Bittle, Marilyn Mathes, Virginia Lane, David Kahakauwila, Ruth Whallon, Curt Whallon, Stephanie Siemer, Bob Sie-mer, Edie Graber, Frank Stanley, Roger Powell, Diane Keil, Rene Kilpatrick, Berlin Zook, Ruthanne Montague, and Lanae Caldwell.

REGISTRATION GATHER SELF ACTIVITY COMMUNITY WORLD

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DEAR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS —Thank you so much to everyone who has faithfully send cards, notes, and e-mails of encouragement this past month as we have travelled this very difficult, sometimes nightmar-ish journey. They have truly sustained us and uplifted us along the way. You have all been so incredibly gracious and understanding. George‘s health is improving, and hopefully by the time you read this news-letter he will be back home and fairly self-sufficient. I want to personally thank each and every one who has stepped up to the plate and assumed responsibility to keep everything moving along so smoothly. I espe-cially am grateful to Pastor Hartley Lee, who offered to assist in anyway he could. Pastor Lee has made himself available to all our homebound/hospitalized to offer pastor care and share with you in Holy Com-munion. Thank you Pastor Lee. God bless you all, George and Pastor Helen Liesenberg

OUR FALL PICNIC will immediately follow worship on Sunday, September 18. We plan to go to Mother‘s Beach across 2nd

Street on Appian Way. We invite everyone to join us. Let us know if you need a ride. We thank those who volunteer to stay and help clean up afterwards. ADDITIONAL DETAILS – Street parking is allowed while meter parking is available in the lot – bring your quarters. Games will be available for those who wish to participate. Bring your own blanket or chair to sit on. Bring your own soft drinks or beverage. This is a great opportunity for fellowship — please mark your calendar and spend a summer afternoon getting to know others!

Please lift our members in prayer: JANIE DAVIS, AUDREY GILISSEN, KEANE KEIL, GEORGE LIESENBERG, DOLORES LOVOY, JUDI MELLOW, AND MICHAEL MORTON.

Katherine Stoner has recovered and is doing well. She chooses to stay at home on Sunday mornings until we get back to our regular worship schedule.

AAMONGMONG OURSELVESOURSELVES

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Here is an update on the M/V Christian and its mission with Lutheran Indian Ministries. Dear Gloria Dei Friends, We began our summer up in Hoonah. Working with the Natl Park Service & Huna Indian Assn., we took 5 master Spruce Root weavers & 10 students on a retreat, so that this culturally rich skill could be passed on to more community mem-bers. Hoonah has suffered many tragedies these past years & we want to provide respite to the women of the community & support any path which strengthens their Native identity, just the way God made them. With the boat, we were able to take them to ancestral sites in Glacier bay, which they consider their homeland, though they rarely have access to it any longer. Next we traveled to Angoon, where we caught up with our friends who live there. The harsh winter winds had prevented us from get-ting there last winter, & we were eager to catch up on their lives. Another villager and I visited 14 elders and 15 new moms, giving each a new blanket which had been donated to the boat ministry. We returned to that village this month to hold VBS and help with two weddings. Next we pulled into Kake. While there, we visited with Lutheran volunteers assisting the local churches & the community's culture camp. A highlight was singing & praying with village women at several village sites, claiming Christ's hope & power for the healing of their community. We picked up volunteers in Petersburg, got groceries, fuel, laundry done, etc, & sailed along the west coast of Prince of Wales Island. Our goal was Hydaburg for the next two weeks, to provide VBS for village kids, as well as to be servant hands & feet for their Culture camp, which again, strengthens their community & identity as Native people under their Creator. We also preached there and continued a Crossways Bible study series on the Parables of Jesus which we began in 3 villages since January of this year. On to Klawock to celebrate the completion and raising of four totem poles. We advertised and met with folk from all over Prince of Wales for a potluck & discussion of Timothy Keller's DVD, 'The Prodigal God'. Our summer season was completed then in Angoon in the last weeks of August with VBS for kids 5-9 & 10-16. Our volunteers from Pennsylvania used the parts of the boat to illustrate our faith in God. The ‗Compass‘ is the Bible, which directs us to a relationship with God. The ‗Wheel‘ is our Heart & Will, which can turn us toward God or away from Him, each with different consequences. The ‗Anchor ‗is Jesus, who keeps us safe from when we set our lives in Him. The ‗Ladder‘ symbolizes our Connection to God, always there to lead us up and out of the water. We also gifted the kids and anyone aboard with blankets — to represent the Holy Spirit, which Comforts & Revives us. We also provided movie/game nights for teens, as well as potlucks and Bible discussions on board and visits in the village completed our time there. On our last day we visited an elder & son, brought our portable keyboard and of-fered communion to another elder and sang hymns with her family, gathered for dinner with our friends as a send-off, and prayed with a grandmother who just heard about the death of her grandson. The boat is trusted space to visit, unload grief & burdens, work healing through the promises & grace of Christ, & learn ways to serve. Please keep us in your prayers, as we minister to Hoonah, Angoon, Kake, Edna Bay, Hydaburg, Klawock, Kasaan, Meyer's Chuck, Thorne Bay & Coffman Cove & anywhere else God leads us. We can only do this with the prayers & support of fellow Christians with a passion for the Lord & compassion for these People. Many Thanks! Pastor/Skipper Stan Berntson & Sharon Geldaker RN - PO Box 8416 — Ketchikan, AK 99901

MISSION MISSION

PARTNERSPARTNERS

LUTHERANLUTHERAN

INDIANINDIAN MINISTRIESMINISTRIES

motorvesselchristian@gmail.com

www.lutheranindianministries.org

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SSPECIALPECIAL OOCCASIONSCCASIONS

ININ SSEPTEMBEREPTEMBER

Birthdays

VIRGINA LANE 9/5

DON BROWN 9/9

TED CONTER 9/9

DAVID KAHAKAUWILA 9/12

BARBARA WHITE 9/12

GUNNAR VAALER 9/14

JILL GREULING 9/16

MARGIE BROWN 9/18

KALANI CALDWELL 9/18

HANNA JENSEN 9/18

ERIK VAALER 9/18

TIANA KAHAKAUWILA 9/22

GIANNA JUNE SATARIANO 9/23

JULIE KAY SATARIANO 9/24

CRAIG MCCARTY 9/28

Anniversaries

JULIE KAY & JOHN SATARIANO 9/4 8 YEARS

NNEWSLETTEREWSLETTER TTEAMEAM

The summer is over and it is back to work and school. But those industrious Lutherans at Gloria Dei worked through the summer. The recognition of Vacation Bible School given elsewhere in this issue is well deserved. Gloria Dei and the church of Christ were well served by the efforts of those volunteers.

Less prominent is the Call Committee‘s efforts. The Committee cannot be too specific as they are in-volved in the confidential work of interviewing candi-dates. Discussion is occurring regarding candi-date‘s personal goals, their needs and wants, their vision for Gloria Dei and how it meshes with their ministry. These discussions are occurring via com-puter and in person. Committee members have traveled to hear people preach and reviewed ser-mons on-line. The foregoing is to assure you that progress is being made and we are not adrift. It may be possible that the Committee will have a rec-ommendation in the next sixty days but these mat-ters have their own life and schedule.

Longer term, Church Council recognizes that Gloria Dei needs more than a financial plan. Church Council discussed the need for a three to five year plan and identified that the appropriate time would be upon the call of new pastor. More to follow.

PPRESIDENTRESIDENT’’SS

MESSAGEMESSAGE Robert E. Siemer

Each month our team works to-gether to develop, edit, print, label & mail, and upload the current issue to the church website!

Volunteers from left to right: Robert Siemer, Don Melin, Peggy Bockman and Curt Whallon.

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Bret Engle is a Scenic Designer, Scenic

Artist and Propmaster working in the Southern

California area. Bret has been a member of Gloria

Dei Lutheran Church since his baptism in 1987.

After his education at Naples Elementary School,

Rogers, Wilson High School and Fullerton College,

he is currently finishing his Bachelor‘s of Arts Degree

at CSULB in Technical Theatre with an emphasis in

Scenic Design and will be graduating in May, 2012.

His scenic designs have been seen at Fullerton

College, BIOLA University, CSULB, Cal Rep, Golden

West College, Buena Park, the EXPO, and Summer

Repertory Theatre (SRT).

Bret has designed the sets for many plays and musi-

cals including productions of Don’t Dress for Dinner, Our

Town, Bugs, Beautiful Child, Fuddy Meers, The Great Big

Birth Machine and Art and was assistant scenic designer for

Pippin. He has worked as prop master for Cal Rep‘s produc-

tion of The Kentucky Cycle and Fullerton College productions

of Guys and Dolls and Les Miserables. Bret was the scenic

charge/master painter for the Fullerton College production of

Les Miserables and Biola College production of The Marriage

of Figaro. He has served as a production stage manager for

the summer season at SRO Conservatory in Santa Rosa,

California and for many plays and musicals at Fullerton Col-

lege.

Bret is currently designing sets for two upcoming pro-

ductions – The Importance of Being Earnest and Cabaret.

Bret is planning to enter a MFA program in Scenic Design in

Fall, 2012 and is looking at universities all over the country

before he decides where to attend. He hopes to have a long

and exciting career as a scenic designer for plays, musicals,

films, television, commercials, online venues or theme parks.

His ultimate goal is to have his scenic designs on Broadway.

You can see all of Bret Engle‘s designs at www.scenicchaos.com.

BBRETRET EENGLENGLE——MEMBER SPOTLIGHTMEMBER SPOTLIGHT

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

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A.A. Mtg. 1 PM

D.A. Mtg. 6 PM

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Worship @ 10:00 AM

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Labor Day Holiday

Labor Day BBQ @ Laura & Stu Subke’s Home @ 3pm in Belmont Shore - RSVP: 9/3

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Church Council Meeting 7:00 PM

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8 Come to the

QUEEN MARY for a banquet honor-ing Int’l Seafarers’ Center & the 100th Anniversary of the Port of Long Beach

5—9pm Contact: Chaplain Chim 562.424.87898

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A.A. Mtg. 1 PM

D.A. Mtg. 6 PM

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Worship @ 10:00 AM

9/11 Interfaith Celebration First Congrega-tional Church, 4 pm 241 Cedar Avenue

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15 Lutheran Church Women 10 AM

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A.A. Mtg. 1 PM

D.A. Mtg. 6 PM

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18 Rally Sunday-Worship @

10:00 AM Holy Communion by Intinction

AANNUALNNUAL CCHURCHHURCH

PPICNICICNIC ((FOLLOWINGFOLLOWING

WORSHIPWORSHIP SERVICESERVICE))

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A.A. Mtg. 1 PM

D.A. Mtg. 6 PM

24 ‘Take Control of Your Money’ event by Dave Ramsey, 1-6pm Christ Lutheran Church Promo code: CLCLP for $17 discount when registering online www. Daveranmsey.com/live/home

25 Children Sunday

School Begins @9:15 AM

Worship Service 10:45 AM

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Adult Bible Conversation in Fellowship Hall 7:00 PM

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CCHURCHHURCH CCALENDARALENDAR

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DEADLINEDEADLINE::

SSEPTEMBEREPTEMBER 18 18

Join us at Mother’s Beach

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage paid Long Beach, California Permit No. 25

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 5872 Naples Plaza Long Beach, California 90803

MISSION STATEMENT

—Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is a family of people called by God, saved by grace through Jesus Christ, and nourished by the Holy Spirit. We are a congregation of Christian servants dedicated to serve the needs of the local community and the worldwide mission of the church. We seek to accomplish this through prayer, worship and music, Sacraments, Christian stewardship, Scripture-based youth and adult education, community outreach, and fellowship. We do this in Thanksgiving for God‘s blessings.