NEWS & EVENTS

Recordings of the most recent worship services can be found by clicking here: be advised there were some “technical” issues with this post and we apologize for the inconvenience.

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

DECEMBER WORSHIP SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENT

Beginning December 1, we will once again hold Sunday services in our Sanctuary for the Advent & Christmas season.

Sundays will be held at 9:30 am and Christmas Eve will be at 4pm.

We are happy to have the opportunity to worship together again in our beloved sanctuary, as we prepare to move forward and bid farewell, until our final service on Anna Maria at the end of the year. More details to follow on 2025 services.

PASTORAL CHANGES

Pastor Bill Beljean will bid farewell to Gloria Dei as he moves on to surgery and his future. We are so grateful to him for guiding us through the last year with a calm and steady hand. We will say goodbye this Sunday after worship. Please join us to wish him all the best.

Rev. Bill Friederich will join Gloria Dei for the Advent and Christmas season. We welcome Bill & his lovely wife Bah who were first introduced to us via our musician Bonnie.

Rev. Bill comes to us most recently serving as the Interim Pastor to the Longboat Island Chapel. He is here to lead us spiritually and help keep our ship steady during this tumultuous time as we find a new course forward. He looks forward to meeting and guiding our leadership volunteers with his energy, enthusiasm and love of music, especially drumming with Bah by his side. She will also be a welcome addition to our Gloria Dei family.

FAREWELL MESSAGE FROM PASTOR BILL BELJEAN

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I can’t believe I have been with you almost a year. From the beginning I have felt welcomed as a member of the family. Your hospitality and warmth are more than I could have hoped for. I knew from the beginning that I could not stay too long, and now my health makes it necessary for me to leave.

The past several months has been difficult for all of us, and we are losing our beloved worship space. The sanctuary at Gloria Dei is one of the loveliest I have had the blessing of worshiping in. Even as a “newcomer” I feel your pain and mourn the loss. Even though you will have the month of December and a Sunday in January to say your farewell, the loss can feel overwhelming.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers through this difficult time. As you face difficult decisions in the time ahead, I pray for God to guide you through all your contemplation and discussions. This time will be hard, but I know that God is able to bring you to a brighter future than anything you can imagine now. I ask you to deal with one another with the same love God has shown you and be open to the possibility that change may well be change for the better.

In Christ,
Bill Beljean