ctáàéüëá cxçm The Power of Story

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1 July August 2017 Inside this issue: Pastor s Pen 1 Finance News 3 Save the Date 4 Faith Formation 5 President s Report 6 Music Ministry Notes 7 Council Meeting Notes 8 Ministry News 9 Reasons to Celebrate 11 Bible Readings 11 Staff 11 Calendars ctáàéüëá cxçm The Power of Story When was the last time you sat around a campfire and listened to the stories of others or shared your story? Campfires seem to bring out the best in story telling. Imagine it s nightfall. The campfire is ablaze. The logs crackle and sparks dance upward towards a starry sky. And then an elder rises, and all eyes turn and lock onto their wise and wrinkled face, and the story begins. C H R I S T T H E K I N G L U T H E R A N C H U R C H KING S KRIER Chris Anderson and the leadership team of Ted Talks believe that every person has a story to tell! Ted Talks believes that a talk is more powerful than anything in written form. Ted Talks are powerful short stories that help to spread an idea in 18 minutes or less. Inside each of us is a story. For people of faith, our story begins with God becoming flesh for us, Christ dying and rising for us. It is into this story that we live and come alive. I believe each of us can learn to be a storyteller. God s grand plan for each of us is that we might be encouraged to share our faith stories with other people. Faith is not a private matter. It is to be shared with others. Right now, as you read this message, how many encounters have you had already today with the risen Lord encounters that change the way you think and respond to others stories you want to share? Maybe this morning you came across a new revelation about God during your morning devotion and it has changed your story you want to share it! Maybe one of your prayers was suddenly answered, someone in your family was miraculously healed it has changed your story and you want to share it! Maybe someone was so incredibly nice to you that it astounded you and it changed your story and you want to share it! For thousands of years, people of faith have shared the story of Jesus Christ. In fact for many centuries during Jesus ministry, Continued on next page 1

2 death, and resurrection, there was no New Testament, no slick marketing schemes, mailers or internet. The story of Jesus was transmitted by word of mouth from one person to another. For leaders and all believers alike, the spoken word is key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing wisdom, knowledge, and promoting a shared dream. When was the last time you sat down with another person or in a small group and shared your faith story with someone? What is your story? What is our story as the body of Christ at Christ the King? One story I want to share is on Sunday, June 25, our Bishop John Bradosky came to visit Christ the King his message on discipleship and servanthood was powerful, it moved many hearts. His pastoral presence truly lifted our spirits. Thank you to all who welcomed our Bishop and received him with Christ-centered hospitality! You can listen to the Bishop s sermon on our website (ctk.centerville.com). Pastor s Pen Cont. Thank you, Bishop Bradosky, for sharing God s Word, your time and your presence with the faithful people at Christ the King! Serving Christ and sharing His story, Pastor Dona 2

3 Finance News CTK is Now a Debt Free Congregation As chair of finance, I am pleased to report our mortgage is paid in full. First, we thank God for His great mercies and generosity to us. Second, we are grateful for all who contributed and all who remained faithful to their regular tithes, offerings, and pledges of support. The CTK congregation is Christ s church which HE clearly loves. Being debt free affords us the opportunity to continue this great work of ministry in Jesus name teach, preach, baptize, anoint the sick, offer the sacrament, welcome the stranger, and serve one another in love. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Mike Johnson Chair of Finance 3

4 Save the Date! NALC National Convocation 4

5 FAITH FORMATION The Jesus I Never Knew Join us on Thursdays, 12:30-2:00pm 6 sessions on the Life of Christ Begins: June 29 thru August 3 There is a DVD segment with Yancey and a study guide. Study guide is $7.00 Yancey offers a new and different perspective on the life of Christ and his work his teaching, his miracles, his death and resurrection - and ultimately, who he was and why he came. Relating the gospel events to the world we live in today, The Jesus I Never Knew gives a moving and refreshing portrait of the central figure of history. With a willingness to tackle difficult questions, Yancey looks at the radical words of the itinerant Jewish carpenter and asks whether we are taking him seriously enough in our own day and age. From the manger in Bethlehem to the cross in Jerusalem, Yancey presents a complex character who generates questions as well as answers; a disturbing and exhilarating Jesus who wants to radically transform your life and stretch your faith. The Jesus I Never Knew uncovers a Jesus who is brilliant, creative, challenging, fearless, compassionate, unpredictable, and ultimately satisfying. According to Yancey, 'No one who meets Jesus ever stays the same! Pastor Dona facilitates. 5

6 President s Report June was filled with the anticipation of having John Bradosky, our NALC Bishop, come to visit us. Bishop Bradosky gave a powerful sermon, which you can hear if you weren t there by going to our web site, ctkcentervile.com. Select About Us and choose Sermons. He gave the sermon on June 25. Bishop Bradosky also attended a luncheon that CtK held in his honor. He told us about his family and answered other questions that people asked. Another exciting event is that our mortgage was paid off after the July payment. I thank all you who contributed extra money to pay down the mortgage faster than the scheduled payments. We welcomed a new member to the congregation through Holy Baptism. Emily, daughter of Amy and Chad Ploof and granddaughter of Kay and Craig Deubner. If you haven t read the baptismal service for a while, look in the hymnal on page 227. A new Bible studied started on June 29 called The Jesus I Never Knew. This class meets on Thursdays from 12:30 pm 2:00 pm. You are welcome to come even though we have started. I think your view of Jesus will be changed by this biblically based study. ALL ARE WELCOME!! Finally thanks to all of you who serve at church: altar guild, ushers, A/V personnel, Lectors, Assistants, Hospitality, flower bed angels, and property. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child and in the church it takes those who selflessly give of their time, money and talents to keep the church of our God and Father running smoothly. May God s blessings be upon each congregational member, Lynn Spatz Congregational President Constitution Update Due to several factors, the council has moved the date for the Open Forum to Tuesday, July 25 from 6:00 PM 7:30 PM. Packets with the constitution will be sent out to congregational members on July 11. The congregational meeting will be held on August 13 right after the service. A notification will be sent two weeks before this meeting as specified in the constitution. 6

7 MUSIC MINISTRY NOTES Happy Summer! Our God is such an awesome God! We are blessed to live in a country that is free and beautiful with freedom of religion, speech, and music! July and August can sometimes seem like the down time of the year liturgically, we are in the green season or time after Pentecost (which lasts up to the season of Advent). Our harp ensemble, Cláirsigh do Dhia (Harps for God), is on break in the summertime, but our Sunday morning praise band,, goes strong year round. However, starting in September, you will be able to enjoy music from the harps year round as they join forces with playing every Sunday with custom arrangements of hymns and anthems. If you are interested in learning the harp and would like to glorify God through this beautiful instrument, please contact me. I do have a few Celtic harps that I am able to loan out (on a first come, first serve basis). NEEDED: Volunteers to run Audio Visual for our Sunday service. This is an ever important ministry that is vital to worship. As we strive for excellence in worship, we need help with running the sound board, lights, and projectors. If you are interested in joining this ministry, please don t hesitate to contact me at beckybromwell@hotmail.com or call and leave a message with the church office at (937) May you have a wonderful month rich with opportunities to proclaim and share your love of Jesus with others. Blessings, Becky Bromwell, Worship Leader Song History Moment: God Bless America is considered one of our country s greatest patriotic songs. It was composed by Irving Berlin in 1918 during World War I and revised by him up until the start of World War II in The later version became notably popular by the singer Kate Smith, and this became her signature song. God Bless America takes the form of a prayer ( as we raise our voices, in a solemn prayer ) for God s blessing and peace for the nation ( stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above ). 7

8 CtK Council Highlights CTK regular Church Council meeting was held on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 2:38 p.m. Items presented at this meeting include: Council approved for Pastor Dona to bring Life-to-Life Discipleship to CTK to form faith and to make disciples for Christ. Council selected August 12, 2017 as the date for Taking Jesus into the neighborhoods. Twelve people are needed to meet at CTK at 9:15 a.m. for prayer followed by a 2 hour time period in going out into designated neighborhoods in pairs. A debriefing followed by lunch will occur from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For those persons who have limitations in being able to walk the neighborhoods, their participation is still requested for prayer and lunch preparation. The Congregational Open Forum to review the new Constitution is set for the evening of Tuesday, July 25, The vote on the Constitution by the congregation will be held on Sunday, August 13, Thank You: To the members who helped to weed the flower beds and to spread the mulch. This is not an easy job, but you stayed till it was finished. To the Hospitality Team of Jody Hill, Nancy Carey, Sandy Cole, Kay Sager, Barb Tague, Carol Dawson, Jan Ross, and Kay Deubner for providing the coordination and arrangement of the Bishop luncheon. Kay Deubner, Council Secretary 8

9 Ministry News Altar Flowers We have a sign up sheet on the bulletin board for altar flowers. Please sign up if you wish to honor or remember someone. Flowers are $25.00 and should be put in an envelope designated "Altar Flowers" and placed into Sunday collection plate. If you have any questions, please call Sandy Cole (937) Castle Ministry: Christ s Gardening Angels As you know from last month, we helped The Castle members plant seeds. It turns out that it is harder than we thought to grow plants from seed. So, grown plants had to be purchased in order to plant the garden. Kay Deubner and Allen Johnson helped The Castle members plant the live plants. Going forward, Christ s Gardening Angels will be taking turns at The Castle to help with weeding, watering, putting tomato cages over the tomato plants, etc. This ministry is a little different because not all of us go each time. We are setting up a schedule to help with the weeding and watering and anything else that needs to be done. We may need to water twice a week, so one or two people will work with The Castle members to show them how to weed and how much water needs to be applied. We can t wait until we can pick the produce from our labor. If you would like to help or just see how the garden is coming along, contact any member of Christ s Gardening Angels: Kay Deubner, Carol Dawson, Jan Ross, Allen Johnson and Lynn Spatz. ~ Lynn Spatz Hospitality Team Sunday Morning Coffee : Sundays at 9:00am If you would like that extra cup of coffee and fellowship before the service, our morning Coffee needs your help. Volunteers are invited to prepare coffee and set up the coffee cart along with a goody to share. Please pick a date and sign up on the bulletin board in the narthex for a Sunday or two. For any questions, please contact Sandy Cole (937)

10 Ministry News Cont. Prayer Ministry: A Life of Prayer - Sundays 9:25-9:50am Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. Martin Luther All are invited to come and pray on Sunday mornings in the fellowship hall prior to our worship service. Here, we give thanks to God for all the ways He blesses us, confess our sins and pray for the church, the world, personal intentions and more. It is a wonderful prelude to our Sunday worship! NEW! SHINE (Seek Him In Everything) Children s Ministry One Room Schoolhouse 9:30-10:10am We have started SHINE (Seek Him in Everything) One Room School House. We begin at 9:30am and end at 10:10am when the children are brought into worship for the children s sermon and to be with their families. We work with Sola Publishing and are using their curriculum where they learn about new Bible stories through the Lutheran lens. This is an interactive class that engages children in faith formation and in the deepening of relationships. There is so much more to come in the next several months which we will keep you posted on. Our children are learning about God, how He created the earth, and how the people disobeyed God and had to leave the Garden of Eden. The children are excited. When you see them, ask them what they are learning. They like to share. If any of you would like to help, we can especially use extra hands when the children are working on a craft. Please contact Barb Tague or Lynn Spatz. 10

11 Reasons to Celebrate Birthdays: Anniversaries: Sue Weddell 07/04 Dale and Pamela Zehring 07/12 Heather Bromwell 07/14 Ralph and Orv McLean 07/16 Betty Dugger 07/17 Dolores Chandler 07/18 Bill Kolb 07/30 July s Scripture Readings July 2: Jeremiah 28:5-9; Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 July 9: Zechariah 9:9-12; Psalm 145;8-14; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, July 16: Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 65;[1-8] 9-13; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, July 23: Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, July 30: 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119: ; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, Staff 50 Nu4 Road Centerville, OH Pastor: Reverend Dona Johnson ctk.donajohnson@sbcglobal.net Ministry Coordinator: Lynn Spatz lspatzz145@gmail.com Worship Leader: Becky Bromwell beckybromwell@hotmail.com Church Website: Office ctk.sect@sbcglobal.net Office Phone: (937) Office Hours: Tues - Thurs 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Director: Rio Light uniquelyyoursfitness@gmail.com The Castle Website: 11

12 July Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 9:25am A Life of Prayer :00am 12:30pm Bible Study :25am A Life of Prayer Girl Scouts 5:30pm Council 8:00am 12:30pm Bible Study :25am A Life of Prayer 8:00am 12:30pm Bible Study :25am A Life of Prayer Girl Scouts 6:00pm Constitution Open Forum 8:00am 12:30pm Bible Study 30 9:25am A Life of Prayer 31 12

13 August 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00am 12:30pm Bible Study :25am A Life of Prayer 8:00am 9:15 am Taking Jesus into the Neighborhood :25am A Life of Prayer Girl Scouts 5:30pm Council 8:00am :25am A Life of Prayer Krier Deadline 8:00am :25am A Life of Prayer Girl Scouts 8:00am 13