Mission Statement Gloria Dei Lutheran Church – Coos Bay, OR “Gathered in Christ, we are called to bring light to our community”

What does this mean? Gathered in Christ…We gather as a community of believers in Jesus Christ for worship, learning, fellowship, and service. We gather in unity as the body of Christ amidst our diverse backgrounds, ideas, and talents (1 Corinthians 12). Finally, we gather around Word, Sacrament, and Music in order to hear, and taste and see (Psalm 34:8) God’s love and grace for us and for the world (John 3:16). We are called…God has a history of partnering with ordinary, flawed people to bring about God’s new reign on earth. This reign is a reign of justice and hope for all people. The Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sets us sinners apart (the church) to abundantly forgive sin and love the neighbor. (Small Catechism A.C. III)

… to bring light …The Gospel of John boldly proclaims in chapter 1 that Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is “the life and light of all people… a light that no darkness can overcome.” Seeing that we are the physical body of Christ in the world today, we are bearers of that light to broken people. We know darkness all to well (e.g. loss, disease, abuse, addiction, violence, poverty, war, crisis). Through our worship, small group ministries, and vocations, we will radiate the light of Christ. …to our community.Our community, centered in traditional Lutheran worship, begins with the members, friends, and visitors of Gloria Dei. It expands to our ecumenical partners, family members, physical neighbors, Bay Area residents and organizations, travelers, and people throughout the globe.

What does the Bible have to say about light? GOD PROVIDES PHYSICAL LIGHT God said, “Let there be light, and there was light, and God saw that the light was good” Genesis 1:3 GOD’S LIGHT IS HOPE AND GUIDANCE The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1 The lord went in front of them in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light. Exodus 13:21 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah 9:2 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:5 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. John 8:12 For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. 2 Corinthians 4:6. WE ARE BEARERS OF THE LIGHT OF CHRIST You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14 Let your light so shine before others. Matthew 5:16 Put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12 Live as children of the light. Ephesians 5:8

Core Values WORSHIP We gather weekly for worship in the name of our Triune God. We are a Liturgical congregation that is grounded in Word and sacrament. Worship Shines light on our personal darkness setting us free to serve in our community, our work, and in our church PRAYER We pray for the church, the world, and all those according to their needs in worship, in our prayer chain, and through small group ministries.

LEARNING We believe that learning leads to mission. Reading and hearing the witness of the scriptures evokes the Holy Spirit to awaken and create faith and bring light and life to the people. We teach Bible stories in our Sunday school classes with an emphasis on God’s grace. We seek new ways to study the Bible in organic, small group and large group settings. Learning is a lifelong endeavor. SERVICE We are called into ministry and service using our unique spiritual gifts. God’s passion for the least of these… the poor, the hungry, the lonely, the grieving and the sick, becomes our passion.

LUTHERAN IDENTITY We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone. We are who we are because of God’s grace – that is, God’s love for us Without our deserving it in any way. We are saved only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is our life and hope. Our works are a grateful response to God’s love for us. FELLOWSHIP We seek opportunities to gather together in large and small groups for work, play, study and eating. HOSPITALITY We welcome the stranger and strive to practice Jesus’ acts of radical hospitality and open table fellowship. We share our building with the community. We welcome diversity.

MUSIC We are a liturgical congregation that loves to sing. We have a strong choral music program. We encourage all ages to share their musical gifts in worship ECUMENISM We strive for ecumenical relationships and opportunities to gather together With our brothers and sisters in Christ from other traditions.