Communications Committee
The Communications Committee helps guide the internal and external communications of church information. It works to strategize and plan with church staff and ministry teams in the areas of announcements, website content, social media, and advertising. Members are those who like to write, talk, snap pictures, or create posts that tell people what is happening at Gloria Dei
Offering Counter
Offering counters work as a team, usually on Monday mornings, to record and count offerings and contributions, providing accounting control for cash/check receipts and deposits.
Office Support
Office support may include various tasks, such as answering phones, greeting guests, handling clerical tasks such as proofreading, using Microsoft Word/Publisher, duplicating/assembling Sunday bulletins or other materials. Volunteers during the week are on-call and contacted to help when regular staff are unavailable.
Shared Ministry Committee
The Shared Ministry Committee works closely with staff and lay leaders to engage members in reflection on how sharing their gifts and passions live out one’s faith and facilitate volunteer opportunities for all. Members work to produce a ministry booklet, and coordinate and monitor gift, passion, and interest inventories. They organize ministry fairs and maintain a volunteer database. The committee meets at church at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month.
Blood Drive Volunteer
Blood Drive Volunteers assist in planning and supporting tasks assigned on the day of American Red Cross blood drives hosted at Gloria Dei each year. These tasks may include greeting donors, helping them sign in using the Red Cross computerized system, and offering refreshments to donors after they are finished donating.
Card Ministry Team
Card Ministry Team members gather about once a month to make greeting cards for various church needs. Card-making materials are made available. Completed cards are used by staff and ministry leaders for distribution.
Faith and Food Volunteer
Faith and Food Volunteers prepare meals for members in need as identified by the pastoral staff, Grief Support Ministry, New Arrival Ministry Team. The Team lead will reach out to members when a need arises.
Funeral Reception Volunteer
This ministry allows family and friends of the deceased to continue fellowship following the funeral service and involves a large and enthusiastic group of volunteers. Volunteers help with setting up and cleaning up after the luncheons, attending to details so that the family can focus on being present with each other to honor their loved one. Funeral luncheons are generally held in the fellowship hall. Smaller receptions for coffee in the Gathering Place. Most luncheons are held during the week between 10:00 and 2:00 so time commitment is minimal.
Grief Support Ministry Team
Members of the Grief Support Ministry Team connect with members of the congregation grieving loss. Contact is made at the time of loss and at intervals of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after the loss to express sympathy on behalf of the congregation and provide listening and compassion.
Mental Health and Hope in Recovery Team
The Mental Health and Recovery Team seeks to bring awareness to mental health disorders and addiction-recovery issues, reach out to those in need, and offer a place of solace for participants. Volunteers participate in team discussion and offer a devotion and/or written piece to submit to the office for publication. The team meets on the second Tuesday of each month, August through May.
New Arrival Ministry Team
New Arrival Ministry Team members identify individuals who have had recent additions to their families by birth or adoption. They reach out by sending a handmade card, emailing, phoning, or visiting in person. They offer meals, prayer shawls, or other items to welcome the child.
Prayer Shawl Ministry Team
Prayer Shawl Ministry Team members (“Prayerful Knitters”) knit or crochet prayer shawls donated to congregation members who are going through difficult times in their lives. The Grief Ministry Team, Post-Hospitalization Team, pastors, and parish nurse often give prayer shawls, though anyone may request a prayer shawl. Anyone can also help themselves to a shawl from a basket outside the parish nurse office. The Prayerful Knitters include congregation members and others from the community. They meet at church for knitting, conversation, and chocolate the first Thursday of every month from 6:30-8 p.m.
Quilting Ministry Team
The Quilting Ministry Team includes members of all skill levels who gather in fellowship on Thursday mornings and/or work from home to make or contribute to the creation of quilts. These quilts are distributed to Lutheran World Relief, ELCA Disasters, Lutheran Social Service, and organizations supporting people in need, such as hospitals, shelters, and camps for the disabled.
Visitation Ministry Team
Visitation Ministry Team members visit and bring communion to individuals who cannot be in church. The visits can be in a home or a facility and the date and time are agreed upon by both the homebound person and team member.
Art Committee
Art Committee’s mission is: “to enhance our spiritual growth and expand our faith by experiencing the transcendent power of the arts.” The committee continually explores new ways to introduce church members and visitors to art that reflects Gloria Dei’s mission and identity as a Reconciling in Christ congregation. This can include exhibitions, gallery discussions, Forum presentations, and docent-led museum visits. The committee also manages non-liturgical art in the church building.
Facilities Committee
Facilities Committee members meet as a committee monthly to plan for maintenance, upkeep, and future use of the Gloria Dei building and grounds. The committee normally meets the last Monday of every month at 5:15 and has twice a year walk abouts. They also join for planting, weeding, and other opportunities to enhance the grounds and building
Landscape Gardening Volunteer
Landscape Gardening Volunteers help care for the foundation plantings and perennial gardens. There are both spring and fall clean up days, usually 2-4 hours on a Saturday morning. There is one morning a week that the volunteers gather which is decided by the group. Any gardening/weeding/thistle control can be done on the gardener’s own time.
Library Volunteer
Library Volunteers staff the library on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings on a rotating basis. Volunteers greet patrons, assist with book selection, check books in and out, accept donations, shelve books, design topical book displays, maintain Little Library and assist with special projects.
Sunday Forum Planning Team
Sunday Forum Planning Team Members work together to identify and schedule speakers to lead and address topics during Sunday Morning Forum. They support the mission of Faith Formation at Gloria Dei, which strives to meet people where they are by providing sustained opportunities to discover connections between God’s story and their own stories within the context of various communities.
GAPP Co-Teacher
GAPP stands for “Grace and Promise People.” GAPP co-teachers have the tremendous opportunity to offer their energy, abilities, knowledge, skills, and gifts to 5th and 6th graders during our Sunday School hour. The teacher’s responsibility is to teach young people using a prepared lesson plan, which engages them in interactive and delightful learning activities. Lessons nurture understanding, spiritual growth, transforming the young and helping them fall deeply in love with God.
GAPP Small Group Leader
GAPP stands for “Grace and Promise People.” Small group leaders have the opportunity to develop personal, trusted relationships with 5th and 6th graders during our Sunday School hour. The small group leader’s responsibilities are to nurture friendships with and among young people, seek their spiritual growth, help them make a personal application of the lessons, help them see how God is active in their lives, and model an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ.
Preschool Sunday School Assistant
Preschool Sunday School Assistants help create a safe, loving, warm, and engaging environment for preschoolers. Assistants help with lessons and activities when requested by classroom teachers. Assistants ensure that each child feels they are an integral part of the Gloria Dei community, helping them know and trust God and love Jesus.
Preschool Sunday School Co-Teacher
Preschool Sunday School Co-Teachers help create a safe, loving, warm, and engaging environment for preschoolers. They teach stories of faith, songs of faith, and prayer.
Sunday School Song Leader
Sunday School Song Leaders facilitate a welcoming and worshipful large group gathering for Sunday School kids in 1st – 4th grades from 9:30 -9:45 A.M. before they move to Water Tower rotations.
Vacation Bible School Volunteer
A team is developed each year to plan and facilitate one week of summer Vacation Bible School, which operates on a rotational model. Children visit five stations each day. Teachers prepare a new lesson every day for elementary and preschool children. Vacation Bible School assistants help teachers with lessons and activities. Other volunteers serve as managers, each responsible for the overall function and safety of a group of approximately 20 children. Managers also supervise youth who help the younger children.
Water Tower Guide
The Water Tower Sunday School program serves children in Grades 1-4. Water Tower Teachers have the tremendous opportunity to offer children their energy, abilities, knowledge, skills, and gifts. The teacher’s primary responsibility is to teach children within their area of interest, nurturing knowledge, understanding, spiritual growth, and transformation of children and helping them to fall more deeply in love with God. The Water Tower consists of several rooms, each used to offer a different learning experience during a rotation of 3-4 weeks. A teacher repeats the same experience in the same workshop during the weeks of rotation, with adjustments made for age appropriateness. Each week a different age group or class experiences the workshop. It is the task of the teacher to be prepared for the lesson, to make sure the workshop is ready for the experience, and to teach the children.
Confirmation Mentor
Confirmation Mentors meet with one mentee from 9th or 10th grade to foster faith formation throughout the school year. Mentors commit to helping the mentee nurture peer friendships, seek their spiritual growth, help them make personal application of the lessons, help them see how God is active in their lives, and model authentic relationships with Jesus Christ.
Confirmation Small Group Leader
Confirmation Small Group Leaders meet with small groups of 4-8 students throughout the school year to nurture peer friendships, seek their spiritual growth, help them make personal application of the lessons, help them see how God is active in their lives, and model authentic relationships with Jesus Christ.
Youth Mission Trip Chaperone
Youth Mission Trip Chaperones serve as adult guides for the week of the summer mission trip, leading teens in various friendship-strengthening activities that lead up to the trip, including fundraising, driving, Bible study, and conflict resolution.
Budget and Finance Committee
Budget and Finance Committee members oversee the congregation’s financial records and affairs, regularly reporting on the financial status to the Congregation Council.
Stewardship Committee
Stewardship Committee members plan and execute the annual philanthropic efforts of Gloria Dei. Members emphasize, promote, and engage this congregation in an understanding of the stewardship of our lives as a response to God’s grace.
Alleluia! Choir
Alleluia! is a choir for children in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Members sing and help lead worship at four or five Sunday morning worship services each season. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings from 5:00-5:45.
Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir is the principal adult choir at Gloria Dei. Chancel Choir members rehearse Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. and help lead worship at the 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning worship service each week. They also sing at significant church festivals and perform at special musical events.
Gift of Music Recital Team
Members help organize, promote, and host Gift of Music recitals and post-recital receptions.
Handbell Choir
The Handbell Choir provides special music at worship services one Sunday a month.
Matins Choir
Matins singers perform one Sunday a week at the 8:15 service. Rehearsal is at 7:30 a.m. the day of the performance.
Schola Cantorum Choir
Schola Cantorum is a choir for children in grades 3 – 6. Members sing at least once a month September-May. Singers also learn to play percussion instruments and choir chimes. They rehearse Wednesdays from 5:00-5:45 p.m.
Caring for Creation
Caring for Creation Team members promote more sustainable practices in individual lives and around the Gloria Dei facilities, and advocate for public policy addressing climate change and other environmental issues. Meetings are generally the first Tuesday of each month, 5:30-7 p.m.
Global Mission Team
Global Mission Team members facilitate the congregation’s global relationship in Guatemala and Tanzania, planning trips and coordinating communications and support. Members provide educational and outreach opportunities for the congregation.
Beacon Housing Team
Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative is a collaboration of congregations united in action. The Gloria Dei team works with the collaborative to support the development of affordable homes and advance equitable housing. Members meet monthly typically the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. and participate in various activities and trainings through the collaborative.
Faithful Hospitality Volunteer
Faithful Hospitality provides mobile shelter to help our community deal with increasing need. Launched in March of 2024 by Interfaith Action, it provides mobile shelter to help Hennepin County shelters deal with a current overflow of asylum-seeking families who are experiencing homelessness. Interfaith Action works with houses of worship to offer shelter space and volunteers, drawing on its pre-pandemic experience with Project Home shelters. Faithful Hospitality Volunteers choose various services to provide to our guests at a specific time during the month of October, when Gloria Dei hosts Faithful Hospitality overflow homeless shelter. Volunteers serve an evening at a time and the coordinators serve for one week.
Habitat for Humanity
Volunteers assist with the on-site building or rehabilitation of a Habitat for Humanity home. Volunteers who may choose not to help with construction are needed to provide lunch for one of the build days.
Project Home
Project Home has been providing emergency shelter for families facing homelessness in St. Paul for over 20 years. Previously churches, including Gloria Dei, provided overflow housing in the church. Shelter is now being provided at Provincial House on the campus of St. Catherine’s University. Volunteers provide support by serving supper one Sunday a month. They serve supper and supply dessert for up to 50 family members. They lead bingo and provide small prizes. Volunteers sign up as available.
Food Market Delivery Driver
Food Market Delivery Drivers deliver food donated by members of Gloria Dei to the Neighborhood House Food Market, serving hungry neighbors in our community. Volunteers generally deliver food Monday morning at the Montreal location, but could also go on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Giving Garden Volunteer
Giving Garden Volunteers plant, tend, and harvest the raised vegetable garden beds in the boulevard along Highland Parkway. The vegetables grown in the Giving Garden are donated to Neighborhood House Food Market, providing fresh produce for hungry neighbors living in our neighborhood.
Loaves and Fishes
Loaves and Fishes Volunteers prepare and/or serve an evening meal at the Opportunity Center every other month (on the fourth Wednesday of even-numbered months) or as needed. There are three short shifts between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. available for volunteers to choose. The shifts focus on hot dish prep, cold food prep, and serving. All volunteers are required to wear a hair net, apron and gloves which are all provided.
Mass Produce Distribution Volunteer
Mass Produce Distribution Volunteers serve as representatives of Gloria Dei, assisting with Neighborhood House’s distribution of thousands of pounds of fresh produce at the Neighborhood House on Montreal Food Market. Shifts last about three hours on a weekday afternoon, approximately 2-3 times per summer.
Weekend Backpack Program Volunteer
Weekend Backpack Program Volunteers collect, pack, and/or deliver bags of nutritious food to children in need at Highland Park Elementary. Times for packing food at church vary. Delivery is on Friday mornings during the school year.
Immigrant Justice Team
Members plan and coordinate Gloria Dei’s activities in support of immigrants seeking legal authorization to remain in the United States. They coordinate and lead congregational service and advocacy on behalf of immigrants and refugees. The current focus of the Immigrant Justice Team is the Room 99 Ministry which was established by the congregation in May 2021. The mission of Room 99 Ministry is to provide safe, stable housing; community; and financial, practical and spiritual support to an asylum-seeking individual or family as they seek legal authorization to remain in the United States and work toward self-sufficiency.
Racial Justice Committee
The Racial Justice Committee’s mission is to lead the congregation in addressing issues of racial justice through discernment, discussion, education, action, and prayer by developing congregational (internal) and community (external) engagement, by serving as advisors to other ministry committees, and by being advocates who respond to racial justice issues that arise in the community, city, or nation. Full committee meetings are held on first Monday of each month 6 – 7:30 either on-line or in-person. Subgroups where members focus on a specific interest meet according to need.
Welcoming Community Committee
Welcoming Community Committee members work with other ministry areas to evaluate and enhance our external and internal signs of welcome and build and sustain relationships within the church. They build relationships with the community, all while promoting and delivering our congregational mission of welcoming within and beyond Gloria Dei.
Altar Care Team
Altar Care Team volunteers make sure the altar, choir, and baptismal font areas are clean and prepared for use in worship; dress the altar, the pulpit, and the lectern in paraments appropriate to the liturgical season. They set up for communion and clean communion ware after services of Holy Communion and launder communion linens, as needed.
Assisting Minister
Assisting Ministers aid in leading worship services at Gloria Dei.
Communion Assistant
Communion assistants distribute bread, wine, or grape juice at Holy Communion during worship at Gloria Dei.
Communion Bread Baker
Communion Bread Bakers bake communion bread for worship services as needed. Every 6-8 weeks, communion bread is baked at church.
Crucifer
Crucifers carry the cross in processions and at prayers.
Hospitality Team
Hospitality Team members welcome people to worship, collect and secure offerings, direct the flow of participants in Holy Communion and help worship function smoothly and gracefully.
Lector
Lectors read lessons from the Old and New Testament in worship at Sunday morning worship services and other occasions.
Prayer Team
Prayer Team members serve with a partner to pray confidentially for and with individuals who seek prayers for themselves, loved ones, or the world. The Prayer Team participates in the services on the 3rd Sunday each month. Prayer Team members may be invited to participate in special Healing Services one or two times a year. Team members are scheduled online.
Sacristan
Sacristans assist with the logistics of worship services and guide acolytes.
Sanctuary Attendant
Sanctuary Attendants ensure that the sanctuary appears fit to welcome Sunday worshipers by tidying the chairs, straightening hymnals, and anything else that needs replenishing or placed in order.
Worship Committee
Worship Committee members support the congregation’s worship life by attending committee meetings to coordinate worship services and seasonal observances. This includes overseeing the recruitment, training, and support of all worship assistants, including lectors, communion assistants, ushers, altar care, and acolytes.
Worship Tech Team
Volunteers operate soundboard presentation software and visual media for livestream during in-person worship services. No experience needed and training is provided.
