Seniors (ages 85-110; 2% of Gloria Dei members)

• The senior generation had a very successful worship service on Thursday, June 16.  We had 11:00 worship and 12:00 lunch.  The senior generation includes individuals who are 85 plus years old.  Gloria Dei currently has 73 members who are at least 85 years old.  We had approximately 60 in worship that day which included spouses, caregivers and other shut ins.  Pastor Charles and Pastor Karna officiated the worship and Harold played organ.  The meal was great fun with much visiting.  Volunteers included host/hostess, ushers, lunch preparers, waiters, drivers and staff.

• The next senior generation worship service is scheduled for October 20, 2011, with the plan to do two of these worship services per year.

• A Homestead Huddle was also held at the beginning of June.  Plans are to try to arrange a Samaritan Bethany get together this fall after all residents are at the downtown location.

• Pastor Karna, Deb Sauke and Carol Fisher are working on organizing and efficiently tracking shut ins and hospital visits.  A September 28th meeting of Gloria Dei Cares Volunteers is scheduled to organize, share thoughts and a education piece.  The goal is to get new volunteers and organize current volunteers.  Additional education/sharing meetings are scheduled for November 2011 and February 2012.

  
  

Builders (ages 66-84; 16% of Gloria Dei members)

• The 12 member Builder Generational Ministry Team's most recent ministry endeavor for their generation was a seven week book study (C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity) in May and June led by Pastor Charles on Wednesday mornings.  Approximately 30 Builders consistently attended the study, providing positive feedback for this format of study and the abundant fellowship opportunities that they enjoyed each week.

• At their June meeting, the group reexamined the six values of Gloria Dei for their generation:
  Worship -- through traditional worship, the needs of the general Builder population appear to be met
  Prayer -- they are pondering a prayer chain that prays for and assists with Builder's needs
  Bible Study -- Bible or book studies are of great interest to Builders
  Faith Community -- a great need identified by Builders
  Service -- of great interest to Builders who may have more time to give to others
  Missions -- the other values are being more closely examined at this time

• Upcoming Plans for Bible or Book Study
  Wednesday afternoons, 4:00 p.m. -- book or topical studies led by Pastor Charles during his weekly class offered during Water's Edge Wednesdays

• Upcoming Plans for Building Community
  August 24 -- "Snack and Chat with Pastor Dave"
                          (a welcome/fellowship coffee for Pastor Dave Berg)
  Fall 2011 -- "BYOB" (Bring Your Own Bowl) -- a soup/bread/dessert fellowship event

• Upcoming Plans for Service
  Proposed ideas
   -- serving other Builders through prayer, rides to appointments, helping with household tasks during times of illness, etc.
  -- remaining active on church or community committees and in service opportunities offered at church

Boomers (ages 47-65; 24% of Gloria Dei members)

• The Boomer Generational Ministry Team will be seeking additional information regarding the needs of the various segments of the Boomer population.  The current GMT may also need to eventually be enlarged and diversified (by gender and age) in order to effectively make strategic plans for the Boomer generation.

  Ministry plans may encompass the following areas: Women's Ministry, Men's Ministry, Bible/Book Study, Faith Community, Service, Ministry for Single or Widowed Boomers

• Plans for Women Only Ministry (join in with the other generations)
  July 18 --  Boomers are signing up for “Ladies Only- Girls Night In” evening planned
  October 21 & 22 -- Women of Faith Conference in the Cities

• Plans for Men Only Ministry
  A better pulse for this segment of Boomers is needed

• Bible/Book Study
  Some Boomers plug into Pastor Charles' class on Weds. at 4:00 p.m., but more opportunities could be explored over time

• Faith Community
  September 10 -- a second Bunco Party is planned for Boomers
  Summer/early Fall -- welcome gathering for Pastor Dave for Boomers
  October 4 -- Boomer GMT can help host an estate planning/identity theft seminar that Thrivent will put on at Gloria Dei

• Ministry for Single of Widowed Boomers
  More time is needed in this area to assess ministry needs and possibilities

Gen X (ages 30-46; 17% of Gloria Dei members)

• The Gen X Generational Ministry Team has determined that Gen Xer’s needs include offering: -- Women Only, Men Only, Adult, Couple and Family Ministry opportunities.

• Plans for Women Only Ministry
  July 18 --  We have a “Ladies Only- Girls Night In” evening planned
  October 21 & 22 -- Women of Faith Conference in the Cities

• Plans for Men Only Ministry
  July 25 --  Honker Night for Men

• Family Ministry
  August 12-14 --  Gloria Dei Family Retreat at Good Earth Village
  Date to be determined -- Family Bonfire sometime in August or September to welcome Pastor Dave and his family.

• Adult Opportunities
  Fall of 2011 -- Back to the Basics or a Walk Through the Bible
  

• Central Park Worship -- We are evaluating the 8 week trail that we just finished of Central Park.
  We learned a few things from this trial:
  
  Time: The earlier time done in the spring of 2010 drew new worshippers, both visitors and our own members (many who normally teach Sunday School during the 9:15 session while their spouse worships and then they head home). This trial did not attract new worshippers.
  Space: It is hard to weigh out if it was the space or the fact that we were taking over an existing worship that didn’t allow freedom to try totally new approaches for the 8 weeks that resulted in a more formal and disconnected feel.
  Staff Resource:  The ability to use an already established worship team relieved the scheduling crunch, but also caused some occasional tensions in styles.
  

Gen Y (ages 15-29; 20% of Gloria Dei members)

• The Gen Y Generational Ministry Team (composed of both youth and adults) continues to reflect on the following:
  
  - "What does it really mean to have the freedom to dream about ministry in the Gen Y context?"
  - "What do you need at church as a Gen Y'er?"
  - "How can we get students from all of the various high schools feeling welcomed, connected, and involved at church?"
  - "How do we keep students connected to their church beyond Confirmation?"

• Beginning June 15, weekly youth bonfire and Bible study nights are scheduled at church members' homes (Wednesdays, 8:00-10:00 p.m.). We have had two bonfires so far with a total of 31 different youth, 14 different adults, and 9 different children attending.  Our goal for these weekly gatherings is to start to build a sense of community and develop a “critical mass.”  We are also trying to surround our youth with many supportive adults from our congregation. 

• We are reevaluating everything we currently have on our Youth Ministry Calendar, getting feedback from the Leadership Team on what we should continue, what we should put on vacation, and what we should add.                                   

• We will be looking at:
  Doing less, but what we do doing it very well
  A three or four year summer trip rotation
  Some local youth service opportunities
  Bringing TEC to Gloria Dei
  

Gen Z (birth - 14; 20% of Gloria Dei members)

• Sunday School, Wednesday night Kidz Resort, and numerous Milestone Ministries currently serve this generation and their families, but plans are in mind to form a ministry team to assess and prioritize the unique ministry needs of this generation as well.