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G l o r i a D e i E v a n g e l i c a l L u t h e r a n C h u r c h

April

2017

Pastor’s Page …

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! So, are you full? Have you had enough? After the past 40 days of Lent and the intensity that comes from Holy Week, it might seem like we’ve had enough for awhile. And yet, there is still more. What more could there possibly be? Well, of course, there is Easter. Contrary to some belief, Easter is not just a holiday that we celebrate on the last Sunday of Lent, but rather it is a season. It is a time of celebrating the resurrection of Christ for the next 40 days. It all starts at the empty tomb on Easter morning, then to Jesus appearing to disciples in the Upper Room, then to the Great Commission, then to the Ascension, and then finally the Day of Pentecost, where the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to all of people of all nations in all tongues. Easter is a time for all of us to come together, to begin anew in our lives, to reflect on the season, to share in the joy of the resurrection, and to share that good news with others in word and in deed. For as much as we live in a place and world where most of us are fortunate enough to have access to plentiful food, clean water, shelter, good employment and the like, we know that others struggle to find work, to find permanent housing, to have access to food and water on a consistent basis. We know others and even ourselves may struggle against illnesses in body, mind, or spirit. Or general feelings of anxiety, doubt, or despair.

2300 Florence Avenue

Butte , MT 59701

Pastor Mar tha

McCreight

Off i ce : (406) 723 -9182

office@gloriadeibutte.org

pastor@gloriadeibutte.org

www.gloriadeibutte.org

Worship: 10:30 a.m.

ELCA

The Light

In fact, saying an “Alleluia!” or a “He is risen!” just might be the most counter-cultural thing that you can say these days. To state such assurance in the face of the fear that seems to be over-taking just about everyone whether that’s from the economy, threats of war, personal issues, and the like. To state such a bold promise in the face of such anger and hurt that seems to be griping the nation these days. And to allow our hearts and our minds to be changed by the season. A season that is marked not by death and fear and destruction, but rather that is marked by life, by peace, by a creation that sings together praises of God, by Christ who is risen from the dead and by which we are each made to arise. Arise to proclaim to all that Christ is Risen! Whatever battles that you or I or others face are over. The strife is done. For Christ is risen from the grave and in Him, we shall arise daily as a new creation, as people forgiven and healed by the wounds of Christ, free from death, free from fear, and alive to sing “Alleluia” praises to God and the Lamb forever and ever, Amen! Peace, Pastor Martha

“The strife is o’er, the battle done; now is the victor’s triumph won!

Now be the song of praise begun. Alleluia!”

ELW #366 “The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Done”

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UPCOMING EVENTS AT GLORIA DEI April 5- 10:00 AM Quilter’s Small Hall

7:00 PM Choir Practice

5:45 PM Soup Supper

6:30 PM Worship

April 4- 7:00 PM Worship and Music Committee

meeting

April 8- 9:00 AM- Noon Clean Up Day

April 10- 7:00 PM Church Council

April 10- Noon WELCA Executive Board

April 12- 10:00 AM Quilter’s Small Hall

7:00 PM Choir Practice

April 13- 11:00 WELCA

7:00 PM Maundy Thursday Worship

April 14 7:00 PM Good Friday

April 16- 8:30 AM Easter Worship 9:00-10:30 Youth Easter Breakfast Large Hall

10:30 AM Easter Worship

April 18- 11:30 AM Altar Guild

April 19- 10:00 AM Quilter’s Small Hall

7:00 PM Choir Practice

April 20- Articles for Newsletters Due

April 24- 7:00 PM Quilting for the St. James Foundation

April 26- 10:00 AM Quilter’s Small Hall

7:00 PM Choir Practice

SUNDAY ADULT BIBLE STUDY TEXTS

April 2

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Psalm 130

Romans 8:6-11

John 11 :1-45

April 9th Isaiah 50:4-9a

Palm Sunday Psalm 31:9-16

Philippians 2:5-11

Matthew 26:14

April 16th Acts 10:34-43

Easter Sunday Psalm 118-1-2, 14-12

Colossians 3:1-4

Matthew 28: 1-10

April 23rd Acts 2: 14a 22-32

Psalm 16

1 Peter 1:3-9

John 20: 19-31

Men’s Bible Study Thursday at 7:00 AM at Perkins.

WELCA Bible study, every 2nd Thursday, is a video

series called “Loved by God.”

Please join us on April 13th for our monthly

WELCA meeting, Bible Study and

lunch. Ruth from New Hope Pregnancy

Center will be our luncheon program and will

share information on what New Hope offers

for programs and services - it should be

enlightening! The Bible Study and short

business meeting are held in the library at 11

a.m. If you can't make that portion, please

consider joining us for the lunch and program

at noon in the small fellowship hall. Doris and

Florence have volunteered to be lunch

hostesses so no need to bring your own brown

bag lunch as previously reported. If you have

questions, please contact Marilyn Krause at

490-7486 - hope to see you there!

WELCA MEETING

Soup suppers are Wednesdays at 5:45 PM alternating

between Gloria Dei and Gold Hill, followed

immediately by Lenten worship at 6:30 PM.

April 5 – Gloria Dei – 5:45/6:30 PM

All Wednesdays above are available to bring soup.

Whichever soup supper you sign up for, please

bring soup to that church. The sign-up sheet is on

the bulletin board in the narthex. Thank you!

Gloria Dei will have our

“Spring” paint/cleanup

day on Saturday, April

8th. The Property

Committee is asking

anyone who can to come

help with some basic

clean-up and paint projects

from 9:00 a.m. to

Noon. Pizza lunch will be

provided.

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Easter Lilies and Flowers! The Altar Guild will once again be purchasing an assortment of Easter Flowers from the Petunia

Factory to decorate our Altar for Easter. The cost is $12.00. Please sign up soon! Call the office at 723-9182 or sign up at the church.

SERVICE COMMITTEE REQUEST DURING LENT

Please bring the following items for Personal Care Kits for Lutheran World Relief:

April 2: Metal nail clippers (attached file optional)

In order to complete our goal of 50 Personal Care Kits, here’s what we

are missing: We need 30 more Metal nail clippers and 33 Heavy duty combs! We have plenty of towels, tooth brushes and soap! We plan to put the Care Kits together on Palm Sunday, April 9th, following worship! Thanks so much for your donations! On Sunday, March 26, we completed 72 School Kits!

Very exciting to be able to send so many kits when we ship the quilts in May!

SERVICE COMMITTEE PROJECTS

Jeremy Whelchel April 4th

Bina Boyd April 6th

Evelyne Andersch April 8th

Travis Trudgeon April 8th

Paisley Jaksha April 14th

Jim Krause April 15th

Skip Arntson April 18th

Jim Hadley April 20th

Bob Hadley April 22nd

LuWaana Johnson April 23rd

Bev Monroe April 25th

Amber Sagar April 28th

Airika Bentley April 29th

Bob & Shirley Rossman April 2nd

Jack & Judy Hendrickson April 15th

PLEASE!

IF YOU SEE ERRORS, OR IF THERE

ARE OMISSIONS OR ADDITIONS

NEEDED TO THIS LIST, NOTIFY US

IN THE OFFICE.

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Highlighting WELCA’s Working Force

The Quilting Committee

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is an international non-governmental

organization that focuses on sustainable development projects and disaster relief

and recovery. The organization was founded in 1945 to collect and send aid to

people living in post-World War II Europe.

One of LWR’s flagship programs – started in 1945 and continuing today – is its

Quilt and Kit Ministry. Each year Lutherans across the United States assemble

and donate LWR Mission Quilts, to assist people living in poverty in times of

emergency or great need.

LWR works in 36 countries with 16 field offices in three regions: Asia and the

Middle East; Africa; and Latin America. Every year Lutherans across the U.S.

sew quilts and assemble kits of supplies that LWR sends to partners around the

world that request them to meet the needs of people affected by poverty and

disaster. Mission Quilts were one of the earliest forms of aid that Lutherans sent

through LWR to reach out to people in other parts of the world. In 2013, LWR

sent $14.3 million worth of Quilts & Kits to more than 841,000 people in 21

different countries.

After the Second World War when quilts and kits in Europe were needed so

desperately, the economy here in the states was also at a low point. Quilts at that

time were made from almost any kind of material available and definitely not

much new material. Used clothing, household items such as drapes, sheets,

blankets, anything that could be put together to make a quilt was used. These

were readily accepted and filled the needs in different areas of the world at that

time.

The quilts that Lutheran World Relief requires today bear little resemblance to

those put together several years ago. LWR keeps updating the making of quilts

to improve them to better meet the needs of disaster victims. This makes it more

difficult and costly to keep up with these rules and regulations because new

materials are required and most of the increases fall on the quilters to supply.

When you view the beautiful quilts on the church pews, also give some thought

to all that takes place before and after you view these quilts. Over and above

obtaining supplies, the cutting out blocks, sewing, layering, tying and finishing,

there is the job of packing for shipment to the warehouse, weighing, marking

each box, getting them ready for pick up. There is also the final request for

funds to help with the cost of shipping to the needed crisis areas. The WELCA

quilters rally behind their quilts from start to finish.

Gloria Dei WELCA’s Quilting committee is led by Diane Kocher and Betty

McDaniel. Quilters meet every Wednesday from January through May from 10

a.m. to 3 p.m. The average attendance for quilting is around ten ladies but this

doesn’t mean that more workers, donations and prayers aren’t welcomed. In

2016 nearly 200 quilts were shipped to the holding warehouse in Minnesota.

Quilts were also given to the graduating seniors of Gloria Dei, Flathead Bible

Camp, Hospice and Safe Space in Butte.

There is a charted poster on the back wall in the small Fellowship Hall that

shows where quilts have been shipped.

The Quilters appreciate all the help and prayers that you bring to them and also

the prayers that follow the quilts all over the world.

April WELCA Cookies

Diane Delaney

Dottie Heath

Evonne Holman

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Flathead Lake Bible Camp Blessing Bags

Please help me to fill our bag (located in the church library). Bags

may be filled with many things, such as: cleaning supplies (brooms,

dustpans, cleaning wipes); arts and craft supplies (paint, color

crayons, old candles, white shirts and socks for tie-dying); office

supplies (printer paper, stamps, envelopes); kitchen items (pot

holders, aprons, paper towels, ziplock bags, utensils); and

maintenance items (rakes, shovels, hammers, nails, screwdrivers).

These are just a few examples of how we can fill the BAG OF

BLESSINGS TO BENEFIT FLBC.

For more information contact Bob Bentley. Bob is currently serving on the

Board of Directors for the Flathead Lake Bible Camp.

WOMEN’S SPRING RETREAT May 5-7, 2017

Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp SAVE THE DATE! Plan now to attend the WOMEN'S WOMEN’S RETREAT. Motivating speaker, Fun, Fellowship, Service projects, Music, Great food (no cooking!) Bring your friends, daughters, mothers, granddaughters (14 and up) along for a fun, restful, spirit-filled weekend on beautiful Flathead Lake. Registration open! Register online (credit cards accepted) or use attached registration form. Check out www.imluchurch.org/womensretreat for more details, to get on our mailing list and to register!

Gloria Dei’s week up at FLBC this

summer will be: July 30th – August

4th.

The earlier that you sign up for

camp, the cheaper that it will be.

Gloria Dei will be offering

camperships to all those in need of

financial assistance for camp.

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I don’t know about you but I’m ready for winter to be over. Time to come out of hibernation and greet the sun. My grass needs raking, garage needs purging, and those golf balls aren’t going to hit themselves!

I feel it in my Gloria Dei life, too. Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Lent are times when I turn inward, hearing and re-hearing the stories and lessons of Jesus’s birth, life, and road to the Cross. As I write this, I realize it’s still too early to bring back the Alleluias, but I can feel it coming. Until then, please join us for the remaining Lent soup suppers, Palm Sunday (the Sunday School kids processing and singing “Hosanna”!), Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.

Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to cleaning out my garage. Not so surprising, I’m also looking forward to once again getting our and sharing the Good News here at Gloria Dei and all over town.

Yours in Christ, Ross

Council President

Notes