The Congregational Council met for its regular monthly meeting on October 18.
Treasurer Ben Finkelstein reported that our giving in the second and third quarters was down, behind both our budget expectations and our giving last year. This decline now constitutes a trend. Council discussion reminds us that giving in the life of Gloria Dei equates to our mission and the people who, on a daily basis, help us define, design and ultimately live out that mission.
Inconsistent giving patterns make it difficult to predict how we will finish the year, and how to budget for the next year, leading to these tense months as the year draws to a close. As we are in the middle of our 2023 Stewardship Campaign, Gather Us In, please consider establishing a giving plan when you turn in those pledges. My family chooses to give electronically on a monthly basis. This offers the comfort of consistency, for the giver and the church. Speak with Beverly in the office for information about giving options.
Council discussed the ideas stemming from the October 9 Adult Forum Working Together to do Reparations Well. The Racial Justice subcommittee on reparations continues its conversations as we move toward identifying congregational next steps. It was noted that the ELCA approved, in 2021, a Declaration to American Indian and Alaska Native People. Our work on reparations is just and in step with the wider church body.
The organ, or at least parts of it, will be arriving soon! We will return to the Gathering Space for worship on Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 as the installation of the organ begins. We’re getting close!
