 We have just surpassed 100 members!
What a reason to celebrate! In my memory the last time we reached this milestone was just before the 2013 National Conference. I would like us to pause and reflect on how we got to this milestone in our membership. In January 2018 the Board of Directors (BoD) met and decided on some lofty goals for the organization. These goals have required a great deal of time, resources, and effort on the part of the BoD and you, our members. Since January 2018 we have planned, executed and finalized the merger, revised our bylaws, launched a new website, ramped up communication, and successfully completed a re-branding effort with transparency, integrity, and professionalism. Now, we are seeing the fruits of our labor as we just received our 105th membership with GALA. What’s more it is the most geographically diverse membership in our history. We have representation in 22 US States and the District of Columbia, 3 Canadian Provinces and members in India, Mexico, French Polynesia and Belgium. We also have the most World Church leaders in our membership in our history. As of today we have five Apostles in the Council of 12 and one Apostle that will be ordained in April (for a total of 6 of 12 in April). LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE. We are doing something right. Beginning Apr. 6, 2019, all future registrations will take place directly with our new website under our new name. The new website and social media accounts will go live on the evening of April 5th, 2019. Each of you, our members, brings new perspectives, excitement and skills to our organization. Later in April we will be sending out surveys to hear from you about what your needs are for programming. We are also gearing up for our first election as the new organization. Consider how you might be able to help us further the mission of the organization. What a busy 15 months for this organization and there is still so much work to do. I anticipate we will gain many new memberships in the coming weeks leading up to World Conference. I strongly encourage you to personally reach out to friends/family/supporters/past members/congregations to spread the word about this exciting time. I am humbled and honored to serve with you at this time in our history. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Jerry M. Dale, Jr. President - GALA
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 Greetings!
We have been asked to assist with the Monday Evening Worship in the Auditorium at 7 p.m. by providing volunteer ushers. This is a great way to help spread the word about the newly merged organization. There are 10 slots available for door ushers and another 40 for extra offering ushers. We are only seeking volunteers for ushers during the Monday April 8, 2019 slots.  We're looking for volunteers to assist with staffing our exhibition table at World Conference 2019.
As this World Conference will be particularly special for the merged GALA - WCN organization with our newly unveiled name and logo, we are seeking a fully staffed table for all exhibition time slots. What this entails:
Please review the following options by clicking the button below and add your name and email to the list so that we may contact you to confirm and provide further details. All times are in CST. With gratitude, World Conference 2019 Planning Committee Clay Birks Ginger Farley Parker Johnson, Chair  Hello Members and Friends of GALA and WCN, I wanted to share that the legal merger of GALA and WCN is now complete according to the State of Missouri and the surviving organization is GALA. As we continue this transition we will begin merging the information from the WCN website on how to be a Welcoming Congregation to the GALA website and much more. Please know that both websites will remain active during this final phase of the merger and re-directs will be set up to reduce confusion in the future. If you have not heard, the merged organization is also going through a rebranding effort. In April 2019 - at World Conference - we will be announcing a new name for the merged organization along with a new logo. If you haven't already taken the time to renew your membership for 2019 or to become a new member of GALA, please do so now. This is an exciting time in the life of the organization, and we want you to be part of it! Visit the Membership tab on our website to get started. Thank you for your continued support! Jerry M. Dale, Jr. President, GALA  We are making good progress with our Re-Branding Steps. Hello GALA/WCN Members and Friends,
On behalf of the GALA Board of Directors, I am happy to report that members voted to proceed with the re-branding effort as presented with a weighted average of 4.71 on a scale of 5. We now press forward to engage with the branding agency. Thank you to everyone who cast their vote - your feedback has been invaluable and will continue to guide the Re-branding Committee. We appreciate your engagement and feedback in the process so far, and we look forward to the final product - to be unveiled at World Conference 2019! You will be hearing from me again soon as we seek your feedback concerning potential new names for the organization. Stay tuned for future GALA communications. We want your voice to be heard! Please take a couple of minutes to renew your membership on our website at https://www.galaweb.org/membership.html. All memberships received by Wednesday, February 6th at 10 p.m. EST will be eligible for this first vote. Sincerely, Parker Johnson Vice President, GALA Chair, Re-Branding Committee  As promised in the 7-Step Re-Branding process, we're conducting a membership survey and your input would be appreciated.
All members who have paid them membership dues for 2019 have been sent a ballot via email. You will have until 9 p.m. CST, Monday, February 11, 2019 to cast your vote. Thank you for your participation! Parker Johnson Vice President, GALA Please watch the video above from GALA President Jerry Dale, Jr. and GALA VP Parker Johnson as a way to provide a general update on both the merger and re-brand process.
In an email distributed late last week, the GALA Board of Directors provided details on how to lend your voice in the re-branding process. For those who have engaged already, thank you for getting involved! For those who have not yet participated, we encourage you to visit the GALA Table Facebook Group to join the conversation. For those who do not utilize social media as a communication tool, we are also providing the questions being shared there below for your convenience. You are invited to simply comment below to share your feedback to the questions below. This information will be compiled with the Facebook Group and email responses and shared with the graphic designer assisting GALA / WCN in the re-brand project.
Our goal is to unveil the organization's new name and logo at World Conference 2019. Thank you for your continued support! Sincerely, GALA Board of Directors  GALA has recently contracted with a graphic designer to assist us with our GALA / WCN re-brand. To facilitate this process, the Board of Directors plans to utilize the GALA Table Facebook Group to receive feedback directly from members, friends, and supporters quickly and efficiently. If you are not a member of this group, please click here to join. Please Note: This is all informal feedback. Any official changes will require a vote of the membership. To renew your membership with the organization or to become a new member, please click here and complete the form.
Posts on the Facebook Group will begin this afternoon and will continue throughout the week, so please check it frequently so that your voice might be heard. We recognize that this group holds members - past and present - along with supporters that have a great deal of valuable feedback concerning GALA's past, present, and future. Our goal is to unveil the organization's new name and logo at World Conference 2019. Thank you for your continued support! Sincerely, GALA Board of Directors  Today is Giving Tuesday! All around the world people are generously supporting organizations near and dear to their hearts. Organizations like GALA rely on generous donations by people just like you! Help further the mission of GALA by donating today.💲
Wondering how you can donate? There are 3 ways!
Thank you for your continuing generosity! We love our supporters! Questions? Contact your treasurer, John Billings. AuthorNiobe Bender  Provided photo taken at the 2018 GALA Retreat. Over Labor Day weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the GALA retreat held at Camp Red Cliffe in Utah. My experience there was one like no other. It was a wonderful weekend filled with the love and spirit of Christ, laughter, new and old friends, and the grace of fellowship I wouldn’t trade for anything.
One thing that I enjoyed most this weekend was the ample opportunity for sharing in story. Many indulged in sharing deep and heartfelt stories of struggles faced for simply being true to themselves. There is a certain vulnerability that comes with opening oneself up to a group. I am grateful to have been a part of that vulnerability and to hear and understand the challenges that are faced by many in this community. Even during times that were not specifically dedicated to sharing there seemed to be a raw unfiltered sense of sharing not only of our stories but of ourselves. Talking about being vulnerable, the whole weekend was a chance to be your most authentic self and to be accepted for exactly who you are. I have attended many church camps and events in my life, growing up in Community of Christ. Each one of those has been special in its own way, I’ve always known a deep sense of community and acceptance in those experiences. However, GALA embodied something completely new. It seems to me that most people have what I would call a “church self” - a side of them that they show in a church setting, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. We all have versions of ourselves for every part of our lives. Our home life, school and work, family and friends etc. GALA for me was a blending of my church self and my outside self. It was simply permission to be vulnerable in showing my most authentic self and a true genuine acceptance of that self. Attending this retreat was phenomenal. I was able to meet lots of new friends and share in love, laughter, and acceptance. I am proud to now be a part of this wonderful community working towards a goal of acceptance for all. I wouldn’t change this experience for anything. |
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