Strategic Plan News

We want to keep everyone informed about what God is doing here at Gloria Dei. If you have any questions, please e-mail Karen today.

Multi-site Updates posted April 15, 2011

Last weekend Pastor Burcham talked to the congregation about multi-site ministry at the end of each worship service. In addition, there were Question and Answer sessions and feedback sheets for the congregation to ask questions and respond to the information that was presented. In the next week, we will report about what was discussed at the sessions as well as the questions from the feedback sheets.

Please check back next week for the video of Pastor Burcham's talk to congregation.

Multi-site Updates from Pastor Burcham posted April 8, 2011

This week at the end of each worship service April 9 and 10, Pastor Burcham will share what it means to be a multi-site congregation and how that would look at Gloria Dei as we seek to bring Jesus to people for the first time and for a lifetime. It is our prayer that his talk will help all of us gain a glimpse into the specific aspects of multi-site ministry. You will also receive an informational sheet from an usher that further explains multi-site ministry and how it relates to our Strategic Plan.

Following each worship service, Pastor Burcham and members of the Governing Board will be available to answer questions and to receive your feedback concerning the direction of multi-site ministry.

Saturday, April 9 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center
Sunday, April 10 from 8:45-10 a.m. in room 128
Sunday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to noon in Family Life Center

We strongly desire your feedback, so we have a separate response sheet for you to fill out. You can return now or drop it off at the Welcome Center, the church office, or to the Governing Board today or throughout the week. We appreciate your attention, prayers, and thoughts as we look to bring Jesus to people for the first time and a lifetime.

Town Hall Meetings Task Force Updates posted February 20, 2011

More than 70 members gathered at the Town Hall meetings Feb. 3, 5 and 9 to learn more about the current efforts of the two Strategic Plan task force teams. Each meeting opened and closed with prayer. A brief overview history and movement of the Strategic Plan was presented along with the findings of the two task force teams that were formed to investigate multi-site and current space options. Each presentation concluded with time for questions and discussion.

Strategic Plan History: The approved Strategic Plan called for relocation of our church, and ministry action teams have spent the last three years searching for suitable land and determining long-term facility needs. Despite the recession, owners were generally unwilling to sell or divide land or negotiate affordable rates. In the meantime, worship attendance remains steady, facility demands have grown, and our capacity for growth is limited.

As we consider the opportunities afforded by multi-site ministry, we remain committed to Gloria Dei’s purpose statement: “To bring Jesus Christ to people for the first time and for a lifetime.” Guided by our vision of G.R.A.C.E., we are called to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:18-20.

Multi-site task force: Gloria Dei staff and ministry partners have implemented creative short-term solutions to meet current demands on our facility, strengthen programs and care for congregants and the community. To carry out the Strategic Plan and explore alternative paths to meet long-term ministry and facility news, a task force was created last fall to explore multi-site ministry. A multi-site ministry would allow us to keep one staff and one congregation, but in the framework of worshipping on different campuses. In 2010, 3,000 churches (10 percent of U.S. worshippers) were multi-site, including 52 LCMS congregations.

According to the focus group, multi-site ministry would allow us to conserve resources, duplicate our effective programming DNA, and reach more people, leveraging the resources of a large church while retaining the intimacy of a small/medium church. The task force is studying geographic clusters of our current membership to identify suitable locations and start-up costs (kept low with lease options). Iowa District West is interested in increased ministry in the Johnston-Grimes area, as well as developing new models for ministry to rural congregations. Our demographic studies indicate that 23 percent or 448 baptized members of Gloria Dei live in Johnston or Grimes.

Current space issues task force: This task force explored the feasibility of moving our junior/senior high youth ministries to a nearby location. Next to children’s ministry, relocating the youth program frees up the most space in our building: nine classrooms and the Youth Center, which could be turned into a chapel and used for other purposes. Leased spaces could be used for other programs throughout the week. They estimated this plan would take 18-24 months to implement and requires an estimated 50-100 ministry partners working with existing staff and leaders. It complements our long-term Strategic Plan and Ministry Destination well, and is a smarter and more timely investment than other alternatives, such as adding onto or rebuilding on our current campus.

Historical Timeline of the Progress of the Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Magazine
March 14, 2010
Since the Strategic Plan for Gloria Dei was approved more than two years ago, we have attempted to report all the activities related to its movement. Most notably, we have reported on the driving force behind the plan, the Ministry Destination. We have celebrated as we have seen many ministry initiatives take root, such as the Wave, the preteen ministry; an increase of participation in community-focused events, such as the Patriotic Concert, Meals from the Heartland and the Giving Tree. We are also pleased with the steady growth of our Stephen Ministry and the progress to create a personal spiritual development plan through the findings of Spiritual Life Survey. We are a congregation on the move.

The approval of the plan also concluded that the best way for us to accomplish our ministry was to relocate the congregation to a larger site where we could continue to grow. It is the relocation of the congregation that has moved slower than anticipated.

The diligent search for land began immediately after the approval of the plan. Many steps were taken to ensure that a careful search and informed selection could be made. The Facilities Focus Group, which was charged with this task, worked tirelessly looking at dozens of properties. Unfortunately, they ran into dead end after dead end. Property owners were not willing to sell, desired more than we were willing to pay, or wanted us to purchase a larger parcel of land than needed.

We believe that God has called us to fulfill the Ministry Destination; yet we still realize that the constraints of the current facility may thwart our growth. So, we had to ask ourselves—Are there other ways that God could be directing us? Recently a weekend retreat was held where the Governing Board, Elders, Strategic Plan Implementation MAT and the staff came together to reflect on whether God was asking us to be patient or if he was directing us in other ways to accomplish our ministry. No decisions or conclusions were made at the meeting, but it was the consensus that after two years of searching for land, we should continue to explore alternative ways of allowing the congregation to grow.

Currently there are days that our facility is overcrowded. Wednesday evening is a good example. Every room in the facility is being used including the narthex where a Bible study is conducted. Our potential for growth with our current worship schedule is limited. The 7:45 a.m. service on Sunday morning has room for more people, though it does not seem to be a time that is convenient for most members and visitors. On the other hand, the 9 and 10:30 a.m. services in the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings have very little room to accommodate additional worshippers.

In the upcoming months, solutions will be explored and shared with the congregation. Currently there are many ideas on the table. When a solid plan with facts and details is formulated, we will release all the findings to the congregation for their prayerful response and feedback.

Sept. 6, 2009
This fall, we continue toward the fulfillment of our Strategic Plan by planning for our normal ministry programs, such as Faith Alive, Grace Place, Castaway, Care Night and Discovery 101 and 201; and by starting a few new initiatives. Pick up a Fall Opportunities booklet today to read about all of the upcoming possibilities at Gloria Dei.
Spiritual Life Survey
We begin the first step in fulfilling one of our ministry initiatives from the Strategic Plan—to formulate personal spiritual development plans. In October, all adults (18 years and older), who regularly attend Gloria Dei, will be asked to take the online, anonymous and confidential survey.

August 30 , 2009
What is all this talk about the Spiritual Life Survey?
In Max Lucado's book, "Just Like Jesus," he says, "God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way." In every aspect of life, God wants us to become more like his Son, Jesus.
Since part of our G.R.A.C.E. Vision is to grow spiritually, we want to gain a glimpse into how individuals grow in their relationship with Christ. As we looked into what was available, we discovered The Spiritual Life Survey. This survey takes a serious look at some of the central issues in a person's heart. From these findings, we will be able to plan for more effective strategies to help facilitate spiritual growth.
Where to find out more? Click here to read about the survey.

August 16 , 2009
This fall, we continue toward the fulfillment of our Strategic Plan by planning for our normal ministry programs, such as Faith Alive, Grace Place, Castaway, Care Night and Discovery 101 and 201. We are equally excited to start a few new Ministry Destination initiatives to add to our lineup of possibilities at Gloria Dei.

Reveal/Spiritual Life Survey
We begin the first step in fulfilling one of our ministry initiatives from the Strategic Plan—to formulate personal spiritual development plans. In October, all adults (18 years and older), who regularly attend the church, will be asked to take the online, anonymous and confidential survey that will help us understand what we can do to help foster spiritual growth. The survey was first developed and tested by Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Ill. Although the Willow Creek’s attendance and membership was steadily increasing throughout the years, they wanted to assess the spiritual growth and needs of their very large congregation. In other words, they wanted to find out if members who were involved in the church were actually growing in their faith. And so they developed a unique research method, now known as the Reveal Survey, officially known as the Spiritual Life Survey, which utilizes state-of-the art research to capture spiritual behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and felt-needs of churchgoers in a completely confidential way. The survey moves beyond reviewing the standard membership numbers and starts to look at the unseen elements of spiritual growth, such as how individual’s spiritual attitudes, needs and motivations align with spiritual behaviors, and what activities and experiences catalyze growth. More details of the survey will follow in the upcoming weeks.

The Wave
The Wave is a chance for pre-teen kids (grades 4 and 5) to come together for some fun, energetic fellowship and Bible time! The Wave will roll in every third Sunday of each month from 1-2:30 p.m.

June 14, 2009
Excerpt from Pastor Burcham:
On May 30 and 31, Pastor Burcham shared the recent Strategic Plan updates during worship services. To listen to Pastor Burcham's updates, click here.

May 31, 2009
Letter from Pastor Burcham:
Dear members:
Since the approval of the Strategic Plan in March 2008, the staff and ministry partners have been diligently working on the preliminary steps for fulfilling the Strategic Plan. All of the four focus groups have spent hundreds of hours working to accomplish major benchmarks.
Personally, I am proud of the work these men and women have accomplished during the last 14 months. The strong infrastructure being built will pay great dividends in the future of our ministry. At the same time, these months have had challenges—mostly in regard to finding a suitable piece of land. The Facilities Focus Group along with the architects identified 24 pieces of property, developed a matrix for evaluating them, and then narrowed the search. As they pursued several different parcels of land, they met the following obstacles:
• Landowners were not willing to sell for various reasons.
• The cost of the land was not realistic for us to purchase or it exceeded the current-market value.
• Land owners wanted to sell more land than what we needed and were not willing to sell only a parcel of their land.
One could easily be discouraged by these challenges, and at times, I have been. Then I remembered, if this is truly God’s plan for our congregation, then it will happen on his timetable, and not ours.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
God calls us to be faithful and to put our total dependence upon him. In the fall of 2008, I shared a message series about the important cornerstones needed to build a strong foundation for the Strategic Plan. The first message, “Dependence upon God,” focused on the importance of our total reliance on God. In this respect, I welcome the challenges that are before us now. I welcome the fact that we cannot see the solution at this time. I welcome them because in the end, we will be able to say God provided everything needed to accomplish the Strategic Plan. And yes, he used us as his instruments, but there will be no doubt that his will and his goodness made it all possible.
The big question is where do we go from here? The answer is we go to our God in prayer and we listen for his leading. We continue to implement the ministry initiatives and we continue to seek out the parcel of land where he would have us continue our ministry. We do so with a renewed commitment to be completely dependent upon God and his leading, and a renewed commitment to bring the saving message of Jesus Christ to people for the first time and for a lifetime.
In Christ,
Rev. Ronald Burcham

May 31, 2009
Annual Report, Meetings and Vote
Each year the Executive Director oversees the preparation of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year which starts in July. A detailed report covering the financial and ministry projections for the next fiscal year was published and sent by mail to the congregation last week. When you receive the annual report, please review the information.
Town Hall Budget Q & A Meetings
Sunday, June 7 at 9 and 10:15 a.m. in rooms 135/137
If questions arise after reading the report, please join us for one of the two Town Hall Budget Q & A Meetings where the Executive Director and members of the Governing Board will be available to answer any of your questions.
Annual Meeting
Sunday, June 14 at 1 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Join us for the Annual Meeting where the proposed budget will be voted on and three Governing Board members will be elected. This year’s candidates are Kevin Kelley (incumbent), Mark Kramer, Casey Fluegge and Jason Hoffman. Detailed information on each candidate can be seen on page 4. Members and non-members are invited to the meeting, but only members who are 18 years or older will be able to vote. Childcare is available in the nursery.

May 10, 2009
Ministry Celebrations
Reflecting on last year: As our school year ends, we reflect on God's blessings upon our children's programs. Children and parents were able to worship together during an opening at Faith Alive. This high-energy praise music and message helped to add spiritual nourishment to the busy schedules of children and parents. We also expanded our educational options by offering six learning stations for children in grades 1-4. Similarly, our educational weekend offerings were met by practical biblical lessons to an average of 190 children a weekend.
All of our programs are designed not only to help our own children but to reach out to the children in our community. Thus, our spring break Vacation Bible School where we converted our classrooms into the swampy bayou to illustrate the powerful life of Moses was attended by 225 children, 90 of which were non-members.
We are thankful for all the possibilities that the Lord showers on our children at Gloria Dei.

May 3, 2009
Ministry Celebrations
Confirmation: This weekend we are celebrating the faith of the 37 youth who are being confirmed. "It is exciting to see their faith grow in the last three years and to see them pronounce that faith today," said Tim Kightlinger, Director of Youth. "We are looking forward to how God will use these teenagers in the years to come."

April 26, 2009
Ministry Celebrations
30-hour Famine: As a congregation we strive to be courageous in outreach. Last weekend, 61 youth pledged to go without food for 30 hours in an effort to gain an understanding of how it feels to experience hunger. They spent the night at church, participated in group activities and helped with community service projects. They also surpassed their goal in raising money by collecting more than $13,000.
AriSon Concert: Gloria Dei was privileged to host AriSon, a group from Nashville last weekend. The Saturday evening concert was attended by approximately 200 adults and children. The group of three sang an array of songs that delighted all ages. In addition. AriSon offered a sprinkling of their songs at our Saturday night service and at the H3 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday services.

April 19, 2009
Ministry Celebrations
Easter: Last weekend approximately 2,000 worshippers celebrated the resurrection of our Lord. Since a vital component of our vision is to provide various worship venues that will reach the wide spectrum of worship preferences, we offered six different worship services last weekend. Our Saturday 5:30 p.m. service used the lighting of a flame to demonstrate the impact of being a follower of Jesus. Our Saturday 7 p.m. service in the Sanctuary offered traditional music as well as contemporary praise songs in a candlelight setting. Our Easter morning traditional services in the Sanctuary expressed great joy with the offering of traditional hymns, bells and choir. If you traveled to the Family Life Center at 9 a.m., you would have been met with festive music, puppetry and families celebrating the resurrection by adding flowers to the cross. An hour and a half later, the Sanctuary was once again filled with worshippers rejoicing in the resurrection through high energy songs.
Jim and Barb Miles attended Saturday’s contemporary-blended service and Sunday’s traditional service. They thoroughly enjoyed the uniqueness of each service.
“The two services were so different,” said Barb. “We enjoyed the blend of the organ with the worship band on Saturday and the bells and the trumpets on Sunday morning.” With a reflective pause, she concluded that both services were “very moving.”
He is risen! And we are thankful for being able to worship our risen Lord together last weekend.

March 29, 2009
Ministry Celebrations
Vacation Bible School: During spring break, the halls of Gloria Dei turned into the swamps of a bayou where Crocodile Dock rocked for more than 230 children. Each day offered children a glimpse into the heart of God as Bible lessons, songs, crafts and games unfolded.

New Beginnings: New Beginnings continues to offer career support to those who have been displaced from their current employment. Individuals are finding encouragement through the weekly support meetings. In addition, they are learning practical knowledge that will help them navigate through this time period. Last Thursday, David Van Ahn shared medical insurance information to 14 participants, many of whom heard about the group through the newspaper article the week before. There was a lively discussion time after the presentation.

Land Selection Updates
As you may be aware of, the Facilities Focus Group has been diligently searching for parcels of land that will meet the criteria and the assigned weights in the site selection matrix completed with member feedback from last fall’s town hall meetings. They have been working alongside the architects at SVPA to determine which available site would best meet the needs of the ministry at Gloria Dei. Several parcels of land have been identified as potential sites and initial communication with the land owners has begun. Although the communication process is slower than anticipated, the Facilities Focus Group is developing a recommendation for review by our members that will be available at cottage meetings as soon as all details unfold. Please continue to keep this process in your prayers.

February 15, 2009
Land Selection Progress:
In the last several months, the Facilities Focus Group has diligently searched for parcels of land that will meet the criteria and the assigned weights in the site selection matrix completed with member feedback from last fall’s town hall meetings. They have been working alongside of the architects at SVPA to determine what piece of land would be the best to meet the needs of the ministry at Gloria Dei. The SVPA and the Facilities Focus team are performing due diligence, examining topography, zoning, costs, potential building and parking lot placements and identifying the pros and cons of each property.
When all the research and data is fully completed, the Facilities Focus Group will present its final recommendation to the members of Gloria Dei in a series of cottage meetings planned this spring.
Meanwhile, it is vital to keep the entire process in your prayers as we desire to have “God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

February 8, 2009
Ministry Destinations: An integral part of our G.R.A.C.E. vision is to be an equipping center where God's Word is applied to daily life and leaders are trained. Recently, Gloria Dei has agreed to host two national simulcasts produced by Church Communication Network, CCN.

The first simulcast in the Family Life Center on February 21 will feature NFL head coach Tony Dungy, who will speak on finding the path to uncommon significance. A few weeks later on March 7, a worship summit for church worship teams in central Iowa will be held.

"We are excited to provide a place where individuals can be trained, encouraged and blessed," said Steve Kohtz, Director of Worship Ministries.

Both of these conferences will br open to anyone in the congregation.

January 25, 2009
Celebrations: As our congregation continues to grow, we are thrilled to be able to provide people with the tools needed to help them in their particular life stage.

Most recently, our Women’s Bible Connections successfully launched a morning and evening session, which offers women a time to gather for devotions and fellowship along with time in small groups to cover a variety of topics. We continued to add support groups to our Thursday Care Night offerings, and more than 20 couples are learning how to build a strong foundation for a healthy and lasting marriage in our Tuesday night pre-marriage classes. We praise God for his great provisions!

January 18, 2009
Celebrations: Part of our G.R.A.C.E. vision is to be a beacon to our community. Throughout the year, we seek opportunities to help our neighbors that have needs. Last year, we helped to launch and support the Urbandale Food Pantry, provided sack lunches to the homeless in Des Moines, worked on Habitat for Humanity houses, and most recently, organized the Giving Tree project.

Giving Tree Project: In the last several years, we have supported the Giving Tree project and have been blessed to be able to help provide Christmas gifts to those families who are financially struggling. Again, this year the members of Gloria Dei generously responded and purchased gifts for 21 families and made emergency food baskets for 18 families. Gloria Dei members were also bountiful in their time and support as they helped to organize and distribute the gifts to the families.

Packed with Possibilities Displays: Throughout the building, we have several Packed with Possibilities displays. Each display has our newest newsletter, which summarizes the movement toward fulfilling the Strategic Plan. In addition, there are postcards that can be filled out if you have any questions concerning any aspect of the Strategic Plan. After filling the postcards out, please return them to the office or the Information Center.

December 7, 2008
Finance Focus Group Updates
In the last several months each of the four focus groups has been working on the tasks needed to accomplish the Strategic Plan. Specifically, the Finance Focus Group has been working on a financial plan to facilitate the purchase of the land. The financial model will include bank financing and a capital stewardship campaign, as written in the Strategic Plan. The Finance Focus Group earlier this fall interviewed several capital stewardship consultants; they selected Capital Funding Services, a ministry of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Rev. Dr. Jock Ficken, Vice President of Large Church Ministry, recently met with the finance group to answer questions and give assistance in the funding model in regard to a capital stewardship campaign. The group has also been in contact with several lending institutions including the Lutheran Church Extension Fund and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to help with funding options.

Cottage Meetings
The Finance Focus Group will continue its work on a sound financial model and will present their plan at the cottage meetings that will be held late this winter. Meanwhile, the Facilities Focus Group will continue to review the possible land selections based on the criteria solidified at the Town Hall meetings and will also present its findings at the cottage meetings. In this way when the congregation votes concerning the purchase of land, they will also understand how the land will be purchased.

Ministry Celebrations
One aspect of the Strategic Plan calls for a continued effort to produce devotions that will help worshipers grow in their relationship to Jesus. Under the direction of Pastor Meyer, a group of ministry partners wrote an Advent devotional that corresponds with the series of the holiday messages. To date, we have distributed more than 650 copies and 175 large-print editions; most of which were picked up at the church while others were delivered by Pastor Phillips to those members who are unable to attend our weekend worship services. Devotionals are still available at the Information Center.

November 23, 2008
Changes Due to the Town Hall Meetings
The Facility Focus Group wishes to express our sincere appreciation to our fellow members who took the time to attend one of the recent town hall meetings.  We were encouraged by the size of the groups attending  and the level of interest expressed in the form of questions and suggestions for modification of the site evaluation tool we are developing.  A summary of the changes made and an updated listing of the criteria and assigned weights follows.

Summary of Changes

Based on input from town hall participants the site evaluation model was modified as follows:

• The Assigned Weights were modified on 4 criteria.
• Two new criteria were added.
• Four Criteria were modified. 
• Two criteria were combined in the Image section.
• Two criteria in the Location & Surrounding Development section were clarified by adding examples.

November 15 and 16, 2008
Ministry Destination Celebrations: We have been blessed as a congregation to see some of the Ministry Destination initiatives come into fruition this fall. One of which is Care Night where people who are hurting can find comfort and support through fellowship, devotion and small groups on Thursday evenings. Pastor Phillips has led this initiative and has been pleased with the stories of people who have been helped.
“It’s been exciting to see how people who were hurting have grown in their faith in these small groups,” said Pastor Phillips. “It is equally exciting to see these people take on the responsibility to help others in similar situations.”
Last Thursday was the final session of the fall’s Care Night, but next Thursday, November 20, Care Night will offer special holiday support to those grieving or going through a divorce. See page 4 for more details.

November 1 and 2, 2008
Town Hall Meetings :
Merlin Siefken, a member of the Facilities Focus Group, discussed the criteria for land selection and gathered feedback on the criteria during last week's town hall meetings.
"It was exciting to see the turnout for these meetings," said Merlin. "We appreciated the feedback and suggestions on our site evaluation process. We will be discussing how to use the information during our next Facilities Focus Group meeting. We believe that keeping everyone informed about the process will build confidence that we are being thorough and objective in planning for our future facility. A special thanks for all those who attended."

October 19, 2008
At the upcoming town hall meetings, the members of the Facilities Focus Group will discuss the criteria for land selection and gather feedback on the criteria. In the last several months, they have been diligent in studying the criteria that need to be considered in selecting a parcel of land for our future home.

These qualified men and women from our congregation not only have a great passion for the ministry of Gloria Dei, but also represent a wide array of experience in project management and development.
If you get a chance, please thank them for their time in helping us sift through all the site criteria. It is their hard work and prayers that will help us select the best suited piece of land and will help us build a facility to hold the future of Gloria Dei.

Pastor Ron Burcham: Pastor Burcham is the staff advisor for this group. His main task is to keep the group focused on the ministry that God has called us to accomplish.
“The emphasis is to be first on the ministry we feel God is calling us to accomplish,” said Pastor Burcham. “After that, what kind of facility is needed to accomplish the ministry. I will say that this group understands
this very well.”
Merlin Siefken: Merlin and his wife Nancy have been members of Gloria Dei for 22 years and have three children, Steven, Robin and Craig, and eight (but soon to be nine) grandchildren.
Merlin retired from John Deere Credit in 2001. From 1995 through 2000, Merlin managed multi-million dollar building projects by selecting
and developing building sites and overseeing building designs and space planning for John Deere Credit.
Greg Cushing: Greg and his wife Brenda were married at Gloria Dei in 1989 and have been members of our congregation for the past 20 years. Greg and Brenda have two children, Eric and Megan.
Greg currently splits his time between his duties as a stay-at-home dad and his part-time business as a design and construction consultant. Greg spent nine years as Vice-President of Business Development for the Hansen Company, a commercial general contractor and construction
management firm. Before that, he spent ten years with RDG Planning and Design. Greg brings his 20 years of design, construction and planning experience from a wide range of buildings, including educational and religious facilities.
Julie DenHerder: Julie and her husband Steve have been members of Gloria Dei for ten years. They have four children, Elizabeth, Hannah, John and Sarah.
Julie teaches private music lessons and directs the orchestra at Gloria Dei. With her connection to the music ministries, Julie understands how these ministries utilize our facility as well as what their special needs are. Julie is inspired to serve on the Facilities Focus Group to do her part in representing the music ministries as well as other members of the congregation.
Elaine Klinefelter: Elaine and her husband Patrick have been members of Gloria Dei since 1991 and have one son, Daniel, who is now a junior in high school. Elaine graduated from Concordia Seward with a BA in education and has taught in Texas, Kansas and Iowa.
Elaine has been involved in many aspects of the children’s and youth ministry at Gloria Dei for the last 15 years. She has been the children’s librarian for the last six years and recently started working at Gloria Dei by planning and preparing meals and food for various congregational activities.
“Because I have been involved in so many areas in the congregation,” said Elaine, “I understand some of our needs and I wanted to make a positive impact."
Kurt Mumm, Jr.: Kurt is President of NAI Ruhl and Ruhl, a commercial real estate brokerage, management and development company. Kurt and his wife Jen, along with their three children, Gavin, Makenna and Karsen, have been members of Gloria Dei since 1999.
Throughout his career, Kurt has assisted various companies in the site selection process both in the Des Moines metropolitan area and nationally. Kurt is excited and honored to devote his experience and expertise to chart a course for the growth of our congregation and the benefit of future generations.
Terry Woolman: Terry and his wife Mina have been members at Gloria Dei for 4.5 years. They have two children and six grandchildren. Terry, a retired manager from Mid-American Energy Company, wanted to serve on the group because of his background with economic development and working with architects and developers in coordinating getting gas and electric to new developments.
Ken Wunsch: Ken and his wife Lora have been members of Gloria Dei for 16 years and have three children, Allison, Nathaniel and Anjaela.
Ken is presently an Economic Development Consultant for the Mid-American Energy Company. For the last 12 years, he consulted with a number of corporate and community leaders on building projects designed to preserve or promote local economic development. Ken serves on the Facilities Focus Group because his service presents “a great opportunity” to implement a portion of the Strategic Plan that will allow Gloria Dei to bring the community of Christ to future generations.

October 4 and 5, 2008
Communication Focus Group:
The Communication Focus Group is passionate about communicating the ministry opportunities at Gloria Dei.
“It is really exciting to be a part of a ministry whose mission is to bring the good news of Jesus to so many people,” said Karen Kennedy, Director of Publicity and Promotion. “We have so many wonderful ministry happenings for the congregation, the community and even the world.”
The Communication Focus Group is also committed in receiving information from the congregation in regards to observations or questions that may arise concerning any aspect of the Strategic Plan. To help facilitate the two-way communication, postcards are available in the four Packed with Possibilities communication stations around the facility. After completing the postcards, please drop them off at the designated box in the Information Center. Town Hall meetings at the end of this month are also a great way to get your voice heard. Of course, e-mails are always welcome at karen@gloriadeionline.com.

Sept 28, 2008
Finance Focus Group:
In the last several months, Finance Focus Group has sharpened the financial model for the Strategic Plan, explored the funding options for the purchase of land and interviewed capital fund drive consultants. The group draws from a large array of financial expertise. At first glance, the team can be seen as only about numbers, loans, and money but in reality they are about spiritual lives.
“We have to be diligent in analyzing all of our financial resources, but above all we need to put the spiritual emphasis first,” said Mary Sievers, member of the Finance Focus Group. “Without the spiritual, everything is for nothing.”
Facilities Focus:
With our fall programs back in full swing, it’s easy to see how much space we need to accomplish not only our current ministry goals, but those we’ve planned for the future as well. In order to fully plan for those needs, the Facilities Focus Group has begun to work with SVPA Architects, Inc. to identify a list of site selection criteria that will guide our location decisions down the road.
“Our goal is to create an objective process for site evaluation that will help us to narrow the field of choices to a few finalists,” said Merlin Siefken, leader of the Facilities Focus Group. “When Gloria Dei’s members are in agreement on what characteristics we are looking for in a site, our ultimate selection will rise to the top.”
During October, the Facilities Focus Group will host town hall meetings to share their recommendations for site selection criteria. During those gatherings, your input will be sought to make sure the site characteristics list is complete and also to help the Facilities Focus Group establish the weighting factor for each criteria. Mark your calendars now to attend one of the town hall meetings:

Saturday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. - FLC
Sunday, October 26 at 10:15 a.m. - FLC
Tuesday, October 28 at 7 p.m. - Youth Center
Sunday, November 2 at 10:15 a.m. - FLC

Some early criteria that have been suggested fall into five categories. Each category includes several characteristics that the Facilities Focus Group will be reviewing. A more complete set of recommendations will be available at the town hall meetings. This list could change based on your input.

August 31, 2008
Celebration Weekend:

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. Psalm 145:7

We are anticipating a wonderful celebration as we prepare for celebration weekend.. God certainly has blessed us with so many wonderful opportunities that will help us grow closer to him. Praise him for his greatness! Click here for photos of the weekend.

Sermon Series:
Pastor Burcham will share in a series of messages starting September 6-7 on “Laying the Foundation.”

September 6 and 7: Celebration Sunday: Laying the Foundation
The future is packed with possibilities when we put our trust and faith in God. God’s Word repeatedly shows the impossible to be possible. The same is true with our lives and the life of our church. The Strategic Plan for our congregation is packed with possibilities, but those possibilities will not become a reality unless they are built on a good foundation. The next four messages will lay that foundation.

September 13 and 14: Dependence upon God
As we move forward as a church we must make sure we depend upon God and his blessings. We must go about our Father’s business with the acknowledgement that all we do is for God’s vision, for God’s glory and done by God’s people.

September 20 and 21: Committed to God’s Mission
God’s desire is for all people to be saved through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus. The task of spreading the news of his salvation has been given to us, so we should commit to this mission. We need to know our God and his work, have a passion for reaching people and the willingness to be his hands and feet.

September 27 and 28: Sacrifice
The work God gives us is rarely easy; normally it requires sacrifice. Any major accomplishment in life, usually comes at a cost. But because of the sacrifice, the accomplishments are sweeter.

October 4 and 5: Unity
God has called us to be one in him and in our purpose. Together, as God’s people and by his power, we can accomplish much! We will need to trust and respect one another in Christian love. We also need to work together if the work is to be accomplished.

August 17, 2008
Facilities Focus Group:

The facilities focus group has been busy establishing a set of criteria for selecting potential sites with SVPA, the newly selected architectural firm. This fall they will hold town hall meetings to report their updates and to gather feedback from the congregation. For questions, please feel free to contact Merlin at sms_llc@mchsi.com.

Ministry Focus Group:
Last week Gloria Dei’s directors and ministry partners met to set criterion for prioritizing the necessary benchmarks for the fulfillment of the Ministry Destination. “We are excited to map out how we are going to fulfill all the different components that were set forth in the Ministry Destination section of the Strategic Plan,” said Pastor Burcham.

The Staff:
The staff has been gearing up for all the fall programs and activities. They are excited to begin the journey toward the fulfillment of the Strategic Plan, so they want to celebrate God’s provisions this fall. You are invited to join in their celebration on Saturday, September 6 and Sunday, September 7. So far a Saturday dinner, a Sunday breakfast, an inflatable bounce house and yard games are slated for this weekend of celebrating God’s blessings. More information will be forthcoming, but mark your calendars today

July 20, 2008
Strategic Planning Updates
Each of the four focus groups has been busy building a strong infrastructure to fulfill the Strategic Plan. Each group consists of staff and members who contribute time and expertise to their particular group. We are thankful for the individual roles they play to help us achieve the ministry that God has placed before us.
Project Manager: Deb Kesse
Responsibilities: The project manager oversees all four focus groups and develops a Gantt chart, a task list with timelines and dependencies.
Contact Information:Deb Kesse
Recording Secretary: Sue Davis
Responsibilities: The recording secretary takes written minutes at each SPI MAT meeting.
Contact Information: Sue Davis
Ministry Focus Group: Leader: Pastor Burcham
Responsibilities: Since the Ministry Destination is the driving force behind the Strategic Plan, the staff along with other ministry partners sets up priorities and timelines for the implementation and evaluates its progress.
Contact Information: Pastor Burcham at Pastor Burcham
Members: Pastor Meyer, Pastor Phillips, Tim Kightlinger, Steve Kohtz, Karen Kennedy, DeAnn McCue, Chris Onsrud, Brandon Simpson and Terry Steinke (Please note: The staff is in the process of organizing ministry partners to join them in this focus group.)
Future Facilities Focus Group: Leaders: Pastor Burcham and Merlin Siefken Responsibilities: The future facilities group develops a schematic for the future facility needs, criteria for site selection and the selection of an architect.
Contact Information: Merlin Siefken
Members: Elaine Klinefelter, Julie DenHerder, Terry Woolman,
Ken Wunsch, Kurt Mumm and Greg Cushing
Finance Focus Group: Leaders: Steve Kammeyer and Mary Sievers
Responsibilities: The finance focus group concentrates on creating funding models for the purchase of land, the construction of the new facility and selecting a capital fund-raiser to assist in the first of three capital campaigns.
Contact Information: Marv Rohn
Members: Brenda Cushing, Bob Knief
Marv Rohn, Craig Fjelsted, Jeff Monson and Mandi Holcomb
Communication Focus Group: Leaders: Karen Kennedy and Tina Hoffman
Responsibilities: The communication group develops and implements a communication plan that will foster two-way communication between the focus groups and the congregation.
Contact Information: Karen Kennedy
Members: Pamela Henkel, Mina Woolman and Matt Sheeley
Please note: We will continue to update about the progress being made to move us into the future. If you have any questions, please contact the project manager or one of the focus group leaders.

July 13, 2008
Each of the four focus groups has been busy building a strong infrastructure to fulfill the Strategic Plan. Each group consists of staff and members who contribute the time and expertise to their particular group. We are thankful for their individual roles they play to help us achieve the ministry that God has placed before us.

May 18, 2008:
The Strategic Plan Implementation Ministry Action Team (SPI MAT), which consists of two members from each of the four focus groups, Ministry, Future Facilities, Finance and Communication; a project manager and a recording secretary met for the first time on Tuesday, May 6 to begin the necessary steps to implement the Strategic Plan.

Deb Kesse has agreed to be the project manager. Since volumes of research, studies and tasks will be accumulated, she will develop a Gantt chart, a task list with timelines and dependencies that will be used as a communication mechanism to help each focus group accomplish its individual goals set forth in the Strategic Plan.
Deb is not new to Gloria Dei. She was married in the old sanctuary 28 years ago to Vic Kesse. Both of them have been active at Gloria Dei and have raised two children, David and Sarah. Deb has helped with summer Sunday school and camps; served as the board of education secretary; church council secretary; board of education Chairwoman; served on the Governing Board for six years, two years as vice president, and three years as president; served on the dedication committee for the new sanctuary; chaired the 1999 building committee; assisted in the development of the facilities-use policy and employee handbook; served on the committee for latest rewrite of the constitution and bylaws; and currently organizes the Scrapbook Fellowship group and proofs many of the church's publications.
Deb states that she has seen lots of changes throughout the years at Gloria Dei, but the strength of the message, the exciting programs and the welcoming attitude of the members have remained constant.
"Even though we've grown in numbers, the same things that attracted me then are attractive to me now," said Deb.

Sitting across the table from Deb, was Sue Davis, the recording secretary. Sue, a retired administrative assistant from Pioneer Hi-Bred International and a member of Gloria Dei since 1986, has served as the church council secretary and currently answers the church-office phone during staff meetings, helps Pastor Meyer coordinate the adult Ministry library and volunteers on the first and third Friday afternoons as needed.
"I had enjoyed working with the church council in the past and since I am now retired, I am happy to help wherever I can," said Sue. "God gives us all different gifts and we should use them to his glory."
Sue has been married to Les for almost 23 years and has two daughters, two sons and seven grandchildren. She has enjoyed the growth she has seen at Gloria Dei, such as our current sanctuary, new worship times, Grace Place, Tiny Treasures, Women's Connections and the addition of two full-time pastors.
"It is exciting to witness the growth of the congregation and to learn about the plan on how to accommodate that growth," said Sue.

May 4, 2008:
The Strategic Plan Implementation Ministry Action Team (SPI MAT) is actively laying a strong infrastructure to help us usher the Strategic Plan into the future. Thus, they have defined a few key areas of concentration within each focus group for the upcoming months.

The Ministry Focus Group will concentrate on:

• Overseeing the current ministry activities.
• Developing criteria for prioritizing the initiatives of the Ministry Destination.
• Evaluating the best use of the current facility, so that each ministry can flourish within it.
  

The Future Facilities Focus Group will concentrate on:

• Developing a schematic of future facility needs based on anticipated ministry, congregational growth and Ministry Destination.
• Developing the criteria for site selection
• Selecting an architect for the project.

The Finance Focus Group will concentrate on:

• Creating funding models for the purchase of land and construction of the new facility.
• Selecting a capital fund-raiser to assist in the first of three capital campaigns.
  

The Communication Focus Group will concentrate on:

• Developing a comprehensive communication plan to inform the congregation of the progress of every aspect of the Strategic Plan.
• Implementing the communication plan in an effective and timely fashion.
• Exploring avenues for the congregation to provide input concerning the progress of the Strategic Plan.

In the upcoming weeks, we will keep you posted as these focus groups begin the tasks in front of them. We appreciate your prayers as we move forward to fulfill our Strategic Plan.

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Kesse, SPI MAT project manager, at 251-8324.

Strategic Plan Voting Results

March 9, 2008:
The Governing Board requested a congregational vote on March 1-2, 2008. The results are as follows:

The Strategic Plan has been approved.

Yes votes:  ( 72.5%) 

No votes:   ( 27.5%)

Votes Cast:    661 

We look forward to moving ahead with the ministry at Gloria Dei as we seek to bring Jesus Christ to people for the first time and for a lifetime. As we progress forward, we will keep you posted by posting articles and information on the Web site and in the Weekly Word.

Weekly Word Archive Articles
If you cannot view the videos, take some time and read the articles that correspond to the videos.
Past Successes: September 23, 2007 (page 2)
Worship Trends: October 14, 2007 (page 2)
Life Cycle of the Church: October 21, 2007 (page 2)
Facilities Usage October 28, 2007 (page 2)
Stewardship November 11 (page 2)
Demographics December 9 (page 2)

For more information:
Governing Report

For archive videos and other information

Several questions surfaced during the recent Cottage Meetings and Open Forums, click here to review them.