The Trumpet. From the Pastor s Heart. Pastor Jen

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1 The Trumpet Volume 17, Issue 2 A Monthly Publication of Christ the King Lutheran Church February 2017 From the Pastor s Heart. In January and February, our readings each Sunday take us through the early ministries of Jesus in the book of Luke. We hear of his baptism, his first healings and miracles, and the beginnings of his conflict with religious leaders and others in authority. Jesus lives with a sense of purpose and drive that permeates everything he does. In January, the CTK Confirmation class watched a video about Jesus' life that includes footage of Israel and interviews with Lutheran pastors, which is why I like showing it. I've used this particular video in Confirmation classes for several years, but never noticed a small point about Jesus it makes--in an interview, a pastor talks about what he thinks drew people to Jesus in droves. This pastor believes there was something charismatic about Jesus, and this includes a strong sense of humor. People are pulled to someone full of joy. This pastor claims that Jesus probably had a big smile, and that people had fun around him. It's easy to think faith has to be serious and stodgy in order for it to count. Faith is serious business and sometimes it calls for a somber demeanor. Yet if you've ever been in a room with the Dalai Lama or Archbishop Desmond Tutu--famous religious leaders known for experiencing some of life's most difficult hardships, who know and have seen suffering and oppression--you've been filled with their sense of humor and joy. In fact, they've just written a book together called The Book of Joy. That's why in January, and continuing in February, we'll be focusing on THRIVING in worship. Jesus calls us not merely to survive in this life, but to THRIVE. Not to trudge through life, but to experience it in all its fullness. We ll hear stories of Jesus healing, granting forgiveness and transfiguration as we prepare for his walk to the cross in Lent. Thank you to the people of CTK for your Christmas gift. I continue to be blessed by your generosity and am honored to partner in ministry with all of you. Pastor Jen What does it mean to you to thrive in life? What steps can you take to thrive in February? How can we use the example of Jesus life to further our own engagement of life, and to open ourselves to joy? Come to worship in February to ponder these questions and hold yourself accountable to thriving in life. Here s a hint: it starts with Jesus. Your partner in ministry, Pastor Jen

2 WORSHIP & LEARNING, ETC. February Worship 2/05: Traditional Service with Communion Scripture: Psalm 119: , Luke 7:1-17 2/12: Praise Service Scripture: Psalm 146:5-10, Luke 7: /19: Traditional Service with Communion Scripture: Psalm 130:3-6, Luke 7: /26: Praise Service / Transfiguration Sunday Scripture: Psalm 36:5-10, Luke 9:2-45 FEBRUARY ADULT ED HOUR My Neighbor is Muslim, a small group study created by Lutheran Social Services. Sunday, 10:15am: What does the Qur an say about Jews & Christians? (Led by Pastor Mehlhoff) Sunday, 10:15am: What is theislamic understanding of charity? (Led by Pastor Mehlhoff) January Pastoral Acts 2/5 Our next New Member Class will be on 2/5 following worship. At 10:15, we ll meet to learn more about CTK and Lutheranism. At 11:15, we ll join with current members and leaders of CTK for a casual lunch and conversation. Let Pastor Jen know if you re interested in attending. Staff Time Away: Marianne Mabel Johnson Baptism 01/22/2017 Margaret Olympia Dailey Baptism 01/29/2017 Pastor Jen will be on the Youth Retreat from 2/10-2/12. She will then take vacation from 2/13-2/20 (she will be back for the council meeting on 2/20). Pastor Jan Mehlhoff will be leading worship on both 2/10 and 2/19 and will cover emergencies during Pastor Jen s time away. This year s theme for Lent will be Learning to Pray Again. At the CTK fall retreat, we began discussing the helpful book Learning to Pray Again by Bishop Michael Rinehart (ELCA Bishop of the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod). This little book has 40 chapters (each only a couple of pages) that give suggested prayer exercises and ideas. Starting on March 1, I m challenging the congregation to read a chapter a day of Learning to Pray Again for all 40 days of Lent (Ash Wednesday through the Saturday before Easter, with Sundays off). We ll have sign-ups available for those who want to join a small group that will meet weekly for accountability during Lent. A sign-up will also be available for those who would like a copy of the book. More info about price will come soon. Sunday worship during Lent will use our regular Narrative Lectionary readings. Wednesday evening services will use the book Learning to Pray Again. Watch for more information soon! February 2017 Trumpet Page 2

3 OPPORTUNITIES! Snow Tubing at Green Acres in Lake Elmo Sunday, February 26, 1-3 pm COST: -13+ $12 -Under 12 $11 -Under 42", riding with an adult, free Ash Wednesday will be March 1. Soup supper will be at 6pm with worship following at 7pm. There will be NO Gala of Gifts at CTK this winter. We encourage you to check out the Fools for Christ Dinner Theater. Start looking through those recipe books now. We ll be asking for people to sign-up to bring soups and help in the kitchen Women's Ministry "Save the Date" Saturday, April 29th Annual Spring Luncheon 2016 THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS EXPIRE SOON! BASED ON MEMBER REC- OMMENDATIONS, CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH RE- CEIVED $2,090 IN CHARITABLE OUTREACH FUNDING IN As a reminder, 2016 Choice Dollars expire on March 31. Thanks to all who have supported CTK in this way!!! Giving to CTK: In addition to using offering envelopes and automatic electronic giving, you may now give to CTK online through our website at Click on the Give tab on the front page. You may also use Amazon Smile: simply go to smile.amazon.com before you shop at Amazon, choose CTK as your charity of choice, and 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases will be donated to CTK. February 2017 Trumpet Page 3

4 THANK YOU MISSIONS Bread Ministry Saturday Mornings 7:00 am Cub Foods run (Rice St.) to pick up bread to give away at CTK Instructions & sign-up on the kiosk THANK YOU to the outgoing council members who served faithfully in recent years, and whose terms ended after the Annual Meeting on 1/29: Beth Tradup (President), Sheila Kent (Secretary), Dawn Caldecott, Amy Elholm and Tim Klecker. We appreciate your dedication to CTK! Jason Clapper, President Mike Stepan, President-Elect Craig Carlson, Secretary Mike Nollan, Treasurer Dear Pastor and Congregation, Thank you so much for having the Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge Choir out to your church! We appreciate the opportunity to share our message of hope, restoration, and redemption through the love of Jesus Christ! The clients benefit in so may ways from sharing their testimonies and what God is doing in their lives. Thank you for your support! God Bless, Church Relations 2017 Council Members: Please keep the new council in your prayers. At-Large Members: Scott Freburg Barbara Engler Chris Johnson Howard Juni Sarah Rust Thank You from Scout Troop 494 of St. Stephen for allowing them to store their trailers at CTK! 2nd Harvest Tuesday, Feb. 21 5:30-7:30 PM Packing Food for Minnesota Families 1140 Gervais Ave Maplewood, MN CTK Coordinator - Sue Kohler Family Shelter 4-5 Servers Needed Tues., Feb. 28 5:00-7:15 pm Serving a Meal to Homeless Families Contact Mike Wallace for directions: or IMMAVEN120@comcast.net Please sign up on the kiosk to help. Thank you to January Servers: Sharon Burback, Corrine Erlandson, Patti Rund, Cyndi Frankel, Joan Macheledt, Polly Morrison The SPOT (Sober Place of Teaching)......is a community outreach faith based, non-profit, addiction recovery program. SPOT uses a combination of traditional rehabilitation alongside a spiritual approach to recovery. Meeting Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 pm Britney Engler Barbara Engler thespotatctk@yahoo.com February 2017 Trumpet Page 4

5 Sunday School CHILDREN & YOUTH February 5 th Healing the Sick & Raising the Dead February 12 th A Messenger Prepares the Way (Laura at Youth Retreat) February 19 th A Sinful Woman Forgiven (Laura gone) February 26 th Cross-Gen. - Lent: Season of Reflection Join us for our next crossgenerational education hour where we will be learning about Lent. We will be seeing the process to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday as well as creating some great things to use throughout the season of Lent. This will begin at 10:15 in the Fellowship Hall. 5 th -- TBD 12 th -- NO SUNDAY SCHOOL - Spring Break 19 th -- The Lost Has Been Found 26 th -- The Rich Man and Lazarus Looking for a way to help with Sunday school? Laura is looking for people who can lead the large group closing for the weeks that she is gone. All of the material is ready to go and takes all of 5 minutes at the end of Sunday school. If interested in volunteering or learning more, please contact her. Thank you for your generous Christmas gift. It was touching to read the card from the congregation! Laura Gorton Cherub Choir Sings in Worship Sunday, February 5 Confirmation & Wednesdays at 6:30 pm February 1 st -- Confirmation Class February 8 th - Confirmation Class February 10th-12th - JOINT YOUTH Winter Retreat at Camp Onomia All registration forms and fees for the Winter Retreat are due to Laura by Wednesday, February 1st. This retreat, at Camp Onomia, is a great time for the youth to come together. It will be held February 10th (departing around 5:30 pm) to February 12th (returning around 1:30 pm). It is required for all Confirmation students. Forms are available on the bulletin board across from the restrooms. If you have questions, please contact Laura. February 15 th - No Confirmation or High School February 22 nd -JOINT YOUTH GROUP March 1st - ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE 7:00 PM All youth are encouraged to attend the Wednesday night Lenten Services. We begin with Ash Wednesday, March 1. The Confirmation youth will be meeting with their chosen mentors at 5:45 pm as part of the class requirements. Don t forget to come for soup suppers at 6:00 pm All first payments to the mission trip are due to Laura by Wednesday, February 8th. Please make a note of mission trip payment on the memo line of checks. The total for this payment is $200 per youth participant. February 2017 Trumpet Page 5

6 February 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat TRADITIONAL Communion CHERUBS SINGING New Member Class 10:15 A 12 PRAISE Adult Ed. Hour 10:15 A Cherub Choir 19 TRADITIONAL Communion Adult Ed. Hour 10:15 A Cherub Choir 26 PRAISE Cross-gen. Edu. Hour 10:15 A 5 Snow Tubing 1:00-3:00 P TRADITIONAL Communion Cherub Choir 11:15 A 6 13 Worship Team Pastor Jen on Vacation Feb Council Mtg Admin./Finance 7 P 21 2nd Harvest 5:30-7:30 P 28 Family Shelter 5:00-7:15 P Confirmation & Mission Trip Payment Due Confirmation & Joint Youth Group Property Team 7P Mentor Orientation 5:45 P Soup Supper 6 P Ash Wed. Service 7 P Property Team 7P Soup Supper 6 P Lenten Worship 7 P Camp Onomia 17 DINNER THEATER AT ST. STEPHEN FEB February 2017 Trumpet Page 6

7 T h e T r u m p e t Christ The King Lutheran Church 1660 Birch Lake Avenue White Bear Lake, MN Address Service Requested February 2016 Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Thu. 9:00 am-4:30 pm STAFF Pastor Rev. Jennifer Hackbarth pastorjennifer@ctkwbl.org Organist Betsy Murray Director of Children & Youth Ministries Laura Gorton lauragorton@ctkwbl.org Office Manager Mary Roos office@ctkwbl.org Join us on Sundays Worship - 9:00 am Lynette Campbell King s Choir Director Lynette Campbell Education Hour - 10:15 am During the school year. Children s Choir Elida Olson Custodian Joe Johnson Christ the King Lutheran Church 1660 Birch Lake Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN Phone: Fax: office@ctkwbl.org