July Faith Formation Event in Gladstone. Meet Up & Eat Up. Christ the King Lutheran Church Where We Are About God s Grace For God s People

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1 July 2017 Christ the King Lutheran Church Where We Are About God s Grace For God s People Inside this issue: Pastor s Corner 2 Summer Study Opportunities VBS Update 4-5 Offerings & Attendance Synod News 9 Those Who Serve 10 Calendar 11 Special points of interest: Leaders Event For Our Faith Formation Volunteers Celebrating A Very Successful VBS Experience Godspeed To Pastor Chris, Ella, Brett, Ashton, Jillian, Carly & Trei As They Embark On the Quad Cities 3 6 Faith Formation Event in Gladstone On July 10 th, beginning at 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. our brothers and sisters in Christ at First Lutheran in Gladstone have warmly welcomed us to participate in the CROSS+GEN LIFE TOUR. What is that? The Rev. Dr. Rich Melheim of Faith Inkubators will lead us in reimagining faith formation in the following ways: Explore case studies of faith formation pioneers who have implemented various Cross+Gen ministries in their own churches, and are transforming the fabric of their congregations to include the gifts of all ages in worship and faith formation. Learn about a world of fun and effective Cross+Gen resources that draw children, teens, young adults, parents and elders into the same eduworship space, fostering cross+generational faith formation, fellowship, relationships and care. Experience a sneak peak of the new Luther Rock Opera, a great cross+generational way to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Leave with a plan to immerse and include a wider community than ever before in your lifelong learning, worship and faith formation practices. Let s get as many CTK Youth Faith Formation leaders there as possible! Meet Up & Eat Up Webster School is hosting daily lunches for the summer months for all people. Children 18 and under eat for free and adults pay $4. The lunch is served 11:30 a.m. 12:00 noon in the Webster School cafeteria. Share this with your family and friends and help them spread the word of this important ministry.

2 Page 2 Pastor s Corner Hebrews 12:28 Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. The great gift of worship is how we get to bask in the presence of God with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Worship is time spent recharging our weary, exhausted lives. Worship is meant for us to receive the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Altar as food for the soul. There really isn t much else better than worship! Worship publically makes a statement of how this bloc of time is dedicated to God because of God s never failing dedication to us. Attendance in worship is also a key indicator to the spiritual health of the people of God. For example, people who regularly see the dentist and doctor not because they have to but because they want to generally are in good health. Generally, those who avoid doctors and dentists THINK they are in good health, or at least not as bad as the next person, but are often (and unsurprisingly) not in as good of health as they thought. Does worship bring about the same kind of diagnoses to infrequent attenders, and perhaps this is why people stay away from worship like they stay away from doctors and dentists? I wonder... to themselves but to point away to the Lord who is revered and holds us in awe and wonder. This is where the connection with doctors and dentists break. Imagine going to the doctor or dentist and all they talked about was they themselves! How rude! That s not what we pay them for! So here you see how countercultural worship is: It s all about God Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. It s all about the One who created us in His image, who saves us from His own just judgement and pours onto rebels caught in treason the life giving gifts of forgiveness and faith, because He is the one who makes us holy by His own Spirit, who will bring heaven down to earth, who will one day give life to our lifeless bodies and usher in eternity where we will feast, and celebrate, and flourish and and and yes even worship too! People of God, let us always remember why we worship and worship with REVER- ENCE and AWE. Your brother in Christ, Pastor Chris One of the most important things about worship though is how worship is all about God Father, +Son, and Holy Spirit. Liturgical worship how we worship at Christ the King reflects the orderliness of the created universe which was set in place by the Creator. Worship includes us, but worship isn t about us: It s all about God. The vestments pastors wear are meant not to draw attention Worship gets you through the hardest times in your life because it shifts your focus from the problem to the problem solver

3 Page 3 Thursday Theology 2017 Summer Focus: N.T. Wright s Surprised by Hope N.T. Wright, professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St. Mary s College in the University of St. Andrew s in Scotland, tackles the biblical question of what happens after we die and shows how many Christians get it wrong. It s not so much about going to heaven; it s more about the resurrection and how heaven comes down to earth--a difference that makes all of the difference to how we live on earth. It s about life after life after death and how that future life which has invaded this present life transforms our present visions, hopes, and mission. Each session begins with a video (about minutes) and continues with guided discussion, and the two we ve had already have been wonderful! July 13 th The Hope of Heaven July 27 th The Hope of Jesus Second Coming 2017 Prophetic Books Bible Study This summer, we continue focusing on the challenging prophetic Scriptures, this time from Ezekiel. We hear warnings of judgment and punishment; we hear promises of healing, restoration, and salvation. We see visions, both bizarre and challenging. Be challenged by these ancient words and their relevance for today. The morning Bible Study group will continue meeting throughout the summer. Here s what we ll be focusing on and when in July: July 12 th Ezekiel Accountability for Sin July 19 th No Bible Study: Youth Mission Trip July 26 th Ezekiel Wrath upon the Nations Roof Updates Stay Tuned! I would like to thank you for your support for our church. I also thank you for your faith in me and especially our dedicated Church Council. We currently are on top of our up and coming need for a new roof. Over the next month or so we will keep you updated about what is going on, where we are in the process, and so on. Look forward to receiving notification on a special congregational meeting sometime this summer perhaps later in July. Remember: Our heavenly Father knows even when a sparrow falls, knows how many hairs are on our head, and He knows the needs of our church and will graciously provide as He always has. God Bless, Mary Jo Johnson, Church Council President

4 Page 4 Vacation Bible School June 2017 Thanks be to God, we survived and thrived at this year s VBS at Trinity in Stonington!!! Numbers fluctuated day to day, but each day we had between kids singing, playing, eating, having fun (maybe getting into trouble), all for the glory of God! Wednesday was the biggest day we had over 25 people on the bus! It was an amazing, busy, and joy filled week which we are looking at doing again next summer. Be sure to check out our church s Facebook page to see some pictures of VBS. We also really need to thank the following people and businesses too: Pastor Diane Srutowski, Sue Sundstrom, and the folks of Trinity Lutheran of Stonington they did a TON of work and let us make a joyful noise (and mess) to the Lord! Pastor Steve Gauger For getting the word out up north! Cavalry Lutheran of Rapid River For a gift of money to cover various expenses Christ the King Lutheran of Esky For a gift of money to cover various expenses Nancy Norberg for driving the bus every day and volunteering all day too! Patty Lindstrom for getting the kids the food and preparing it for them too! Carrie Boudreau for joyfully serving the youth Roland Jacobson, Guy Jeanblanc, and Mike Saari for helping out at the Spring work bee at Trinity, getting Trinity ready to transform into Rome Spotlight Bus Company for the generous deal they gave us for the week Corey Kang and Gordon s Food for their generosity of food, plates, utensils, etc. Thrivent Financial for their generosity in the form of Action Team Grants! United In Marriage On Saturday, June 10th, Stacey Johnson & Chad Burie were united in marriage with Pastor Chris presiding. Also married at Peace Lutheran Church in Green Bay on June 17th was Karl Tollefson & Molly VanDeelen. Pastor Chris had the pleasure of presiding at that wedding as well. We pray that our eternal God will strengthen these two couples with patience, kindness, gentleness, and all other gifts of the Spirit, so that they may fulfill the vows they have made. Fill them with such love and joy that they may build a home of peace and welcome. Congratulations Stacey & Chad and Karl & Molly may God bless.

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6 Page 6 Offerings & Worship Attendance For June Date 5 P.M. 10:30 Total June 3/ June 10/ June 17/ June 24/ Average attendance for June: 103 Offerings For June June 4 $4, June 11 $1, June 18 $1, June 25 $2, Total Offerings for June $9, Total Offerings needed for June $13, Difference: - $4, YTD Needed: $88, YTD Received: $89, Difference: $1, Thankfulness: An Online Opportunity to Give If you need a convenient way to make recurring contributions, are out of town and would like to give, missed worship and still want to give out of the generosity of your heart, we encourage you to check out our electronic giving option. As we get back into the routine of things, you may find electronic giving a most welcome routine and an easy way to make contributions. To set up a recurring giving schedule, visit us online at and locate the Online Giving button on the right side of the webpage. Or if it's easier, complete a paper authorization form and return it to the church office. Thank you for your generosity and support of God s work through Christ the King! Samaritan s Purse Operation Christmas Child You will find a table in the narthex with ideas/information concerning this activity. Each month we will highlight a few items to be collected. We ll continue for the month of July collecting small toys such as. Yo-yo s, Jump Ropes, Balls, Play Doh, Slinky Toys, Small Dolls, Small Stuffed Animals, Cars and Marbles. These are just a few things that we thought of maybe you have some other ideas. Check out their website at for inspirational stories and additional ideas.

7 Page 7 Faith Formation: Confirmation +Be sure to get in: Sermon Notes, Bible Study notes, and hour sheets! +Mission Trip Fundraisers: Elmer s Brat/Burger sale ~ Finished this month! Elmer s Grocery Store Thank You! The next time you re shopping at Elmer s be sure to thank them especially the meat department for letting us do the brat and burger fundraiser again this year! Total numbers haven t been finalized yet, but we certainly raised over $600 so far! And thanks to all of you who bought burgers and brats in support of our Youth Mission Trip too! Youth Trip Summer 2017 This month, July 16 th to July 21 st, a number of our confirmation students will be going to the Quad Cities. Four cities in two states form the Quad Cities, located in the heart of the Midwest on the Mississippi River. Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, Moline/East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois, and surrounding towns make up a bustling metropolitan area that maintains a friendly, small-town feel. The four cities are located right on the Mississippi River at the only place where the river flows East to West. As in previous years, our mission trip will be through Youth Works whose purpose is this: We exist to connect teenagers to God, each other and communities through life-changing Christcentered mission trips. We ll be teaming up with them again this summer. Read more about Youth Works here: Youth Trip Summer 2018 It s never too early to start planning! Next summer s mission trip is the big ELCA National Youth Gathering. It will be held in Houston, Texas a very diverse city and will start on June 26 th and go through July 1 st. You can perhaps see why we re starting early for planning! Starting on July 15 th of this month, if you have a student who is interested in going you can apply for scholarship money through the ELCA at this website: Scholarships can be as high as $300 and if we had all of our students receive scholarship money from the ELCA, that would make our own personal fundraising through the year much easier! Students entering into 9 th Grade after May of 2018 through 12 th Grade are welcome to come on this amazing mission trip and Spirit-filled experience where 30-40,000 youth gather to worship, to serve, and to connect. Think about this, pray about this, and let s make this happen!

8 Page 8 Northern Great Lakes Synod News Praying for our Bishops As many of you know, after 18 years of faithful service and labor, Bishop Thomas Skrenes will be retiring next month at the end of August. Cards of gratitude to the Synod Office would be warmly received. At this year s Synod Assembly in Marquette, we were led by the Holy Spirit in selecting a new bishop for the Northern Great Lakes Synod: Pastor Katherine Finegan. Please pray for Bishop-Elect Finegan as she gets prepared for bishop duties in September! Words of congratulations and encouragement would be warmly received as well! Here s the address: Northern Great Lakes Synod 1029 North 3rd Street Marquette, MI Also mark on your calendars the day of our new Bishop-Elect s installation: Saturday, October 21 st at 1:30 PM in Marquette. Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, will preside at the installation as well. Tanzania Youth Trip The Northern Great Lakes Synod brought a group of years to Tanzania this month! They flew out of Green Bay on June 15 th and return on July 2 nd. Our own, Patrick Kempf (son of Lisa Temple) embarked on this life changing trip. Keep them in your prayers as they travel back home early this month! Lay School For Mission One of the great treasures of our synod and conference of churches in Delta County is Lay School. Students have been gathering from around our conference to dive deeper into their life of faith. We joyfully graduated 4 Lay School members last May which leaves us with not enough students left! God willing, Lay School will get back in session this Fall ONLY if we have enough students. Please prayerfully consider this challenging yet very rewarding program of our Synod for Adult Faith Formation. Altar Guild Workshop The Northern Great Lakes Synod invites and encourages us to have our Altar Guild in tip top shape for the years ahead! Dr. Melinda Quivik (ELCA Pastor and former seminary professor of worship and preaching), along with the Synod Worship Committee, offers a day of learning for all those who serve on Altar Guild or might like to do so. The care and attention given to this ministry is very important! And be sure to thank the Lord for all those who currently serve at Christ the King as well. Date: Saturday, September 30 th 2017 Time: 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM Location: Bethany Lutheran Church-Ishpeming

9 Page 9 Let Us Pray For those Celebrating Birthdays On: July 1: Danielle Murray July 3: Ella Johnson July 5: Donna Eis, Roland Jacobson, Levi Kenneally July 7: Piper Savard July 8: Marissa Marshall July 10: Sara Lueneburg, Cory Tufnell July 13: Liz Schlenvogt July 14: Hailey Irving, Jennie Strasler July 18: Isabella DeCremer July 20: Evan Pascoe July 21: Nancy Tufnell July 22: Mike Smith July 23: Caydence Carter, Vicky MacBride July 24: Susie Cobb, Otillie Dimock July 25: Heather Albanez, Jerry Beattie July 26: Sarah Way July 29: Steve Weber July 30: Justin Micheau July 31: Kim Eis Readings for July Elmer s Rewards Points We have had a number of you contribute your Elmer s Reward Points to the churches Rewards Account and for that we say thank you. If you would also like to take advantage of this all you need to do is ask the cashier to transfer your points to our account. There is a minimum of 500 points that can be transferred but you certainly can do more. Donation cards, that list our account number, are available at the church July 2 The 4th Sunday of Pentecost Jeremiah 28:5-9; Ps. 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 July 9 The 5th Sunday of Pentecost Zechariah 9:9-12; Ps. 145:8-14; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, July 16 The 6th Sunday of Pentecost Isaiah 55:10-13; Ps. 65:1-13; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, July 23 The 7th Sunday of Pentecost Isaiah 44:6-8; Ps. 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, July 30 The 8th Sunday of Pentecost 1 Kings 3:5-12; Ps. 119: ; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

10 Page 10 Those Who Serve Readers July 1/ 2 5:00 Sam LaMarche 10:30 Carrie Boudreau July 8/ 9 5:00 Nancy K. Norberg 10:30 Marlene Raeder July 15/16 5:00 Lin VanEffen 10:30 Fern Hedman July 22/23 5:00 Deb Wayne 10:30 Linda McDonald July 29/30 5:00 Dawn Martin 10:30 Heather Albanez Acolytes July 1/ 2 5:00 Jillian Cobb 10:30 Evan Burroughs July 8/ 9 5:00 Elizabeth Brandel 10:30 Isaac Berthaume July 15/16 5:00 Brett Schlenvogt 10:30 Ashton Moran July 22/23 5:00 Camree Bonifas 10:30 Mackenzie Jensen July 29/30 5:00 Caydence Carter 10:30 Ella Johnson Altar Guild July 1/ 2 Sandy Jacobson & Judy Anderson July 8/ 9 Mary Jo Johnson & Tammy Jensen July 15/16 Lin & Bob VanEffen & Judy Anderson July 22/23 Laverne Picard & Connie Schmidt July 29/30 Julie Smith & Marlene & Tom Raeder Assisting Minister July 1/ 2 5:00 Sam LaMarche 10:30 Roland Jacobson July 8/ 9 5:00 Nancy K. Norberg 10:30 Lance Lindstrom July 15/16 5:00 Bob VanEffen 10:30 Julie Smith July 22/23 5:00 Lance Lindstrom 10:30 Connie Schmidt July :00 Sam LaMarche 10:30 Lance Lindstrom Communion Assistants July 1/ 2 5:00 Sam LaMarche 10:30 Roland & Sandy Jacobson July 8/ 9 5:00 Nancy K. Norberg 10:30 Lance Lindstrom & Pat Johnson July 15/16 5:00 Bob VanEffen 10:30 Mike & Julie Smith July 22/23 5:00 Lance Lindstrom 10:30 Leigh & Connie Schmidt July 29/30 5:00 Sam LaMarche 10:30 Lance Lindstrom & Sandy Herlik

11 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 5:00 Communion 2 9:30 Coffee Hour 10:30 Communion :00 Quilting 6 10:00 Coffee with the Staff 11:00 Property Mtg :00 Communion Church Office Closed 9 9:30 Coffee Hour 10:30 Communion 10 8:30-5:00 Faith Formation Event, First, Gladstone :00 Quilting 9:30 Bible Study 3:30 Stewardship Mtg. 6:00 Executive Committee Mtg :00 Coffee with the Staff 11:30 Thursday Theology :00 Communion 16 9:30 Coffee Hour 10:30 Communion :00 Quilting 20 10:00 Coffee with the Staff :00 Communion Y o u t h M I s s I o n T r I p 23 9:30 Coffee Hour 10:30 Communion 24 10:30 a.m. Audit Committee :00 Quilting 9:30 Bible Study 1:00 Finance Mtg. with Brian Pahnke 27 10:00 Coffee with the Staff 11:30 Thursday Theology :00 Communion 30 9:30 Coffee Hour 10:30 Communion 31

12 Christ the King Lutheran Church 1230 North 18th Street Escanaba, Michigan Address Requested Phone: (906) We re on the Web! This issue of the King s Herald is given in loving memory of James P. Stasewich & James A. Stasewich by Gayle Stoykovich KING S HERALD July 2017 CHURCH OFFICE PASTOR Rev. Chris Johnson address: pastorchris.ctk@gmail.com CHURCH OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Arlene Cody address: c.lutheran@att.net Website: WORSHIP SCHEDULE: Saturday 5:00 p.m. Worship Sunday 9:00 a.m. Youth Faith Formation; 9:30 a.m. Coffee Hour; 10:30 Worship Holy Communion is celebrated at every Saturday and Sunday service. At the 10:30 a.m. service communion will be distributed using continuous communion.