And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Dear Friend,
As Christmas draws near, all of us at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church wish you the peace of Christ and His grace and truth. As you know, the first four weeks of December are a traditional time of preparation for Christmas, called Advent, and we would like to invite you to come and be part of this happy time with us. Because let’s face it, Christmas can be a happy time, and it can also be a lonely time. And when you are with a group of friends in Christ, the happy times are merrier, and the lonely times are much easier.
Christmas can be hard
Christmas can be a time when you remember previous moments in life when you were with people you love who may not be near anymore. Maybe you moved recently and are still working at setting up a community in your new place? Or the ones you love have moved away? Maybe your family went through a hard change this year? Divorce? Loss of a loved one? Christmas is a time when we feel things even more than usual.
People in our neighborhoods often find themselves alone, and that is hard. But Gloria Dei has a way to help. We are a church in your community that is a family gathered together around the light and love of Christ. We are a place where you will find yourself welcome, where you can connect with friends as you hear God’s word, where you can find help and comfort in the face of the challenges of life.
Advent Gathering
Over December, as we go through the season of Advent, there will be many different events at Gloria Dei where you can come and be part of a loving community in Christ. There will be twenty-four different times over the month when we will gather to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Twenty-four different times that we will share love and laughter. You are welcome at any of these times.
We will gather together to listen to God’s Word and hear the love of Jesus, singing the old hymns the way you remember. Together, we will study and discuss what He told us. We will gather to eat and share the joy of the table. Laughing and chatting, we will talk about things that are serious and things that are silly. We will gather to help the poor and needy in our community and sing carols for the elderly who can’t get out like they used to. We will gather in the beautiful bright lights and sing praises to Christ in the quiet candlelit darkness.
You can be part of this with us.
Would you like a place to hear the peace of Jesus?
A church that sticks to the simple truth of God’s Word?
A church where the focus is on Christ all year round, week in and week out?
Would you like a place where you can enjoy beauty with your friends and family?
A place where you can help bring mercy to others?
A place both where you can be part of traditions, holy and bright, and a place where new things are still possible?
You can have that here.
We are not perfect. Don’t worry about whether you will fit in. We are all regular folks with the same challenges you face. It’s true. But, here we proclaim Christ, and He has brought us together. And we find in Him grace and truth and peace. He is here for you too.
Christmas is beautiful, and yet it is also a time that can be hard. Whatever it is that is hard for you, here you can find a Savior who was born for you, and a community gathered around Him that will welcome you. You don’t have to be alone. Please, come. We will be happy to see you.
In Christ,
Pastor Jeffrey Horn