Take a look at what we’re doing in 2027 at Gloria Dei!
A few weeks ago we rededicated our building following a season of construction, renovation, and repair. Rededication Sunday was a day filled with Gloria Dei’s characteristic vitality, generosity, and joy. We celebrated and recommitted our space and energies to realizing our mission of welcome and love of neighbor. And now? It’s go time!
Our 2026 Annual Stewardship campaign will focus on superheroes of generosity. We will celebrate those people who have modeled what faithfulness and living in abundance looks like. With this in mind, our 2026 Annual Campaign borrows thecatch phrase of the Disney superhero Buzz Lightyear:
Gloria Dei is called to take our mission “To Infinity and Beyond!”
From our outreach efforts and partnerships, to our diverse worship offerings and innovative contemplative practice ministry in the Looking Within Center, Gloria Dei is going to Infinity and Beyond with a spirit of generosity, abundance and joy.
Our newly renovated building is a launch pad for this one of a kind mission. And we will take it to Infinity and Beyond with three main objectives:
Enhance Worship and Music: Let’s Open the Door to our Worship Experiences Even Wider
For over 70 years Gloria Dei has had a strong worship and music ministry which has fed generations. We are investing in our four unique weekly worship offerings, our annual cantata, choirs and ensembles, as well as our technology and marketing efforts. This will enable our strong tradition to continue for generations to come, and provide fuel for the journey as we are sent as conduits of God’s love.
Bolster Our Outreach Efforts: Let’s Meet the Growing Needs of our Neighbors
Gloria Dei is known throughout southern Minnesota as a leader in outreach ministries. We embody a mission of service and love every day in Rochester and beyond. We are investing in outreach efforts to strengthen our partnerships with local organizations and agencies. We are also continuing to develop our Local Response Team so we can be nimble to meet the ever growing needs of our city.
Maintain Ministry Excellence: Let’s Continue to Thrive
We are so proud of the way we’ve lived out our mission of welcome and love. Yet we live in an era of expanding needs and rising costs. In order to maintain, grow, and ultimately thrive, we need to invest in our ongoing work, so that we can keep this ministry excellence going for years to come.
To meet the growing needs of the Gloria Dei ministry in 2027, we need an additional $1,600 a week. With this increase we plan to:
Enhance Worship and Music: Let’s Open the Door to our Worship Experiences Even Wider
We will enhance our worship experience by resourcing our music programs, choirs and ensembles, marketing, technology, and hospitality efforts.
Bolster Our Outreach Efforts: Let’s Meet the Growing Needs of our Neighbors
We will resource our outreach efforts, strengthen vital partnerships, and continue to develop our Local Response Team to meet the ever increasing needs in Rochester and beyond.
Keep it Going
The Spirit is at work at Gloria Dei! Lives are being changed, and we are blessed to be a blessing. Yet we live in an era of rising costs. We will invest in maintaining ministry excellence as we realize our mission of welcome and love of neighbor in the year to come.
join us!
We invite you to pray for Gloria Dei and our ministry for the upcoming year. Even as we renovate our building in the coming months, we will update our ministries through worship, shared meals, care for the new lives among us, and love of our neighbors. Together we will Build Beyond! Sunday, November 23 is Commitment Sunday. During worship, you will be invited to bring your Intent for Giving Card, offering your gifts to God. You may also mail your Intent for Giving Card to the church office, fill it out online, or drop it off at the church office.