Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

After Church Fire - A Community Kitchen

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you,              

     and pray to the LORD on its behalf,

          for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

                                                      – Jeremiah 29:7                                                                    

     For nearly 150 years, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church has been a center for community outreach and well being in the Central Hillside neighborhood of Duluth.  As we rebuild from our 2016 church fire and return to 6th Avenue East and 3rd Street, we invite you to share in our vision for the welfare of the city by considering a financial gift.

     From the beginning, our mission has been collaborative as a founding and ongoing participant in several community service efforts including: 

• Lutheran Social Service since 1916, with programs for homeless youth and young adults
• CHUM since 1973, and the Gabriel Fund since 2001, providing housing, food, and assistance for people experiencing poverty and homelessness
• Central Hillside Parish Nurse Program since 1987, focusing on community health with Essentia, St. Mark AME Church, and St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church
• Ruby’s Pantry since 2010, a food distribution program to assist those on limited income
• Since January 2006, we have conducted a Free Neighborhood Breakfast that consistently serves 150 meals on the fourth Saturday of each month
• In recent years, Gloria Dei has also been a pick up site for two different farms distributing community supported agriculture (CSA) shares downtown.

     Over the decades in a changing neighborhood, our vision has remained consistent – to seek with God’s love the welfare of the city in which we are placed.  As we prepare to return at Easter 2019, our intention is that Gloria Dei will continue to be a nurturing presence in the Hillside neighborhood and beyond. 

     To that end, one component of Gloria Dei’s rebuilding will be a new commercial kitchen.  Through upgrades and training, the kitchen will not only be an asset to congregational life but also will benefit the community.  In addition to serving our free monthly Neighborhood Breakfast, we are excited about the potential for this kitchen to be used to promote healthy food practices and support small businesses in the area, connect with farmer’s markets, and provide meal preparation space for community group fundraisers. 

     We are very grateful for the generous support we have already received from individuals and organizations in the community.  Beyond our insurance settlement the congregation has also pledged enough funding to cover the sanctuary and operational parts of the building.  But $100,000 is still needed – please consider helping us build our community kitchen.  Your gift will participate in a renewed capacity for serving an area of need.

     THANK YOU for your partnership in seeking the welfare of the city in which we live.  

   "We are Gloria Dei" 11 minute video about our building fire, our ministry programs and our congregation.