Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

About Us

Founded in 1855, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church welcomes all persons to join us in sharing God's grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Our community of faith is centered in Word and Sacrament in worship.

We take the Bible seriously. As a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we believe that the Bible is the written Word of God. It creates and nurtures faith through the work of the Holy Spirit and points us to Jesus Christ, the living Word and center of our faith. In reading the Bible, we are invited into a relationship with God that both challenges us and promises new life. We offer several Bible studies each week so members can read and dialog about the stories of God's people.

Baptism is the visible sign of God's grace in our lives. Through the water and word of this sacrament, God welcomes each person into the community of faith, makes us all brothers and sisters in Christ, and promises us God's daily and everlasting forgiveness and healing love.

Holy Communion is celebrated at each Sunday worship service. All who believe that Christ is truly present in the meal and who receive Communion in their home church community are welcome to come to the table to share in the feast. Children are welcome when parents decide it is time. Children who do not yet receive the meal are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing.

Lutheran Campus Ministry

Through a formal agreement signed in 2006, Gloria Dei is a partner congregation with Lutheran Campus Ministry at The University of Iowa. LCM offers worship, learning, spiritual growth, fellowship, and service to the world in Christ’s name. The student center known as Christus House (right) is located at 109 E Market Street (just east of the corner of Clinton and Market). The house is open on a regular basis for students to study, cook a meal, pray, or have conversation with friends and chat with Campus Pastor Robert Dotzel. To find out more, stop by Christus House anytime, call (319) 338-7868, view an activities schedule, or email lcm-elca@uiowa.edu.


	ELCA The members of Gloria Dei stand in partnership with the 4.7 million members of the 10,000 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA. Deeply rooted in the heritage and hope of God's Word expressed fully in the crucified-risen Jesus, the congregations of the ELCA are committed to making Christ known in their ministries of worship, education, hospitality and outreach. Gloria Dei is part of the Southeastern Iowa Synod, one of the 65 regional areas that comprise the ELCA.