Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Because of you, Gilbert Lutheran's RAGBRAI stand became so much more than a place to grab a slice of pie. Because of you, it became a place of welcome, laughter, conversation and grace. Every pie that was baked, sliced and boxed mattered. Every table that was hauled, set up and taken down contributed to something special. Every rider greeted, every hand shaken, every conversation shared, every prayer offered and every act of support made a difference.

Thanks to your incredible generosity and the riders' kindness, nearly $4,500 was raised for our youth. The pie may be gone, but the joy – and the ministry it makes possible – will last for a long time to come.

As you can see above, RAGPIE the Sock Monkey was feeling a little sad this morning. He missed the riders. He missed the energy around church and on Main Street. Most of all, he missed all of you.

But, as you can also see, he's smiling his big, big smile again. He remembered something important. Homebaked pie may have brought people to Gilbert, but it was your helping hands and heaven-sent hospitality they'll remember long after the last mile was ridden.

Thank you for making RAGBRAI Wednesday one of the very best days in the life of Gilbert Lutheran Church.

Now enjoy the photos below and relive some of the fun!

It's not what you think . . . No, we haven't forgotten the old saying . . . We've simply added a twist by returning to a couple of invitations from recent sermons.

Back in mid-June, after hearing Jesus' promise, "You're worth more than a million canaries" (Matthew 10:29-31, The Message), worshippers received a canary card to take home as a reminder of God's loving care throughout the week.

Then, two Sundays ago, after hearing the story of Jacob's rock-hard pillow (Genesis 28:10-19a), everyone was invited to take home a stone and place it somewhere they would see it every day. Whenever that stone caught their eye, they were encouraged to practice a little Holy Noticing by asking, "Where has God been today? Where have I seen God at work?"

Here are some more photos, each telling  of an ordinary place made holy by God's presence.

Have a look. Then let these photos remind you to look for God in the ordinary – and to remember that you are deeply seen, deeply loved, and worth more than a million canaries.

Everyone is invited to an evening of community and connection on Wednesday, August 5, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Perfect Games in Ames. The event is sponsored by the HAMO Foundation. HAMO stands for Henry Alan Munson Owen. Henry, the son of Susan Owen and the grandson of Alan Munson, died by suicide on September 17, 2020. The Foundation continues Henry’s legacy and also raises awareness and provides accessible tools around mental health.

Please see the information posted below. Most of all, please come!

It's getting closer to that time of year and Back to School sales are already in local stores. With that in mind, we're sharing our Lutheran World Relief School Kit list for those who like to shop during the sales.

LWR school kits provide much needed supplies to children in need. Your donations really do make a difference for these students. Thank You for shining God's light and love to others as they go to school!

If you can smile, count, know the difference between red and blue and like to have fun, then your presence is needed in the GLC Bell Choir! Director Denise Henderson and the rest of the ringers (who really aren’t “ringers”) can teach you anything else you need to know to participate in this beautiful music ministry at GLC!

Practices are on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. The first rehearsal for the coming school/church year will be August 5th. If you're interested or have any questions, please contact our Denise at (515) 450-4001 or dhn133@gmail.com.

We received the following Thank You's this week.

Each month, a group of GLCers serves as our Service Committee. These friends help with Community & Conversation on the second Sunday of their month and may be called on to help with special events and/or funerals. The Service Committee is an extremely important and valued group! We are grateful for all the ways they share their gifts.

Cathy & Dan Adams - Leaders

Kay Anderson

Emily & Peter Bowles

Amelia & Tyler Dohlman

Adrienne & Ben Drescher

Sharon Ehler

Kathy & Wayne Henryson

Andy & Beth Hochstetler

Rose Houge

Emily & Steven Leege

Jake & Lindsey Moore

Donny & Stacie O’Brien

Sharon Romsey

Anne Walden

Ellen Wilson

RIVERSIDE SUMMER CODE

Registration is live for Riverside Bible Camp summer 2026! You can register at www.riversidelbc.org. And don't forget to use our code GLC26 for $75 off.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Be ready! Sunday School Registration will go "live" next week! Which also means that we will need volunteers for teachers! More info on all thing Sunday School will come next week!

IN OUR PRAYERS, WE REMEMBER . . .

Deb Barron (friend of Cindy & Jim Clark); Sharon Berryhill; Jim Clark; Bob Cook (father of Denise Henderson); Peggy Drennan; Bob Gommel (father of Sharon Popp); Laurie Gommel (sister-in-law of Sharon Popp); Donelle Gull (sister of Denise Henderson); Jef Hadaway; Loleta Hansen (cousin of Barb Licklider); Kyra Harbacheck; Gina Hendrickson (mother of Hillary Eckert); Kathy Henryson; Jordyn Holmes (great-granddaughter of Karen Willson); Rose Houge; Rylie Hunter (granddaughter of Karen Willson); Fred Jensen; Charlotte Keller; Jacob Keller (grandson of Charlotte Keller); Cindy Kleeman (mother of Jenna Prusa); Barb Licklider; Larry McHone; Jim Munson (son of Alan Munson); David Nissen; Susan Owen; Reed Pattee (cousin of Barb Licklider); Shirley Pattee (aunt of Barb Licklider); Debbie Petersen (cousin of Barb Licklider); Lynn Peterson; Mark Peterson (brother-in-law of Robin Fletcher); Ron Peterson; Gary Pruismann (friend of Margie Scott); Scott Raymond; Kayla Rose (aunt of Rylee Tunyuck); Mike Schultz (father of Marcia Dahlstrom); Dorothy Schumer; Deb Smith (friend of Tammy Tinder); Randy Thompson; Monica Wilson (granddaughter of Ellen Wilson); Hasan Younis; Iola Zimbeck (mother of Peggy Drennan); Helen Zimmerman (mother of Shelley Taylor).

WE OFFER NEW PRAYERS OF HEALING FOR . . .

+ Bob Gommel. Bob, the father of Sharon Popp, was hospitalized last week with heart-related concerns. He has since been transferred to transitional care and is making progress, with hopes of returning to his apartment soon.

+ Jordyn, the great-granddaughter of Karen Willson, underwent surgery yesterday in Iowa City to treat a Chiari malformation. The procedure went well and she is now recovering in the pediatric intensive care unit.

+ Larry McHone. Larry will have surgery on August 3 to remove a benign growth in his neck and vocal cord area.

THE TLC COORDINATORS for the next weeks are Cindy Kruckenberg (July 16-31), Kathy Henryson (Aug. 1-15) and Nancy Doyle (Aug. 16-31).