Christ the King Lutheran Church 402-733-3294 7308 South 42 nd Street (3 blocks south of Harrison) www.ctklc-bellevue.org Newsletter Email: ctknewsletter@yahoo.com Growing in Faith Love and Service to the God who loves us Christ the King Lutheran Church 7308 South 42 nd Street Bellevue, Nebraska 68147 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Rally Sunday is Aug. 11! Sunday School Resumes Backpack Blessing Hotdogs after worship Arrows to Aerospace Parade! August 17! Come ride on the float!
Grace and Peace! Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 This passage is the beginning of the last section of Paul s first letter to the church in Corinth. These are sections to which we typically don t pay a lot of attention. You won t find it in the lectionary for Sunday worship. Probably when you think of Corinthians you think of chapter 13; the love chapter. Good stuff beauty depth. This is just to practical. In this section he greets people he knows specifically, offers words of welcome to other apostles who might be passing through and oh yeah some words regarding the offering. Paul is giving the instruction that, just like other churches in other areas he has visited, they are to take a collection each Sunday; regularly inviting all in the community to participate as generously as each can. This is money not for their own gratification, not to spend on themselves, but to live the mission in the kingdom of God. Paul is calling the church in Corinth and as we understand scripture, calling all churches to regular, consistent and generous giving patterns that live for the good of the world. In other words, to be engaged in healthy stewardship. What do I know about stewardship? It s about generosity of heart and how filled you are in your relationship with God and with the community of Christ. it isn t about comparison about wondering if you are doing as much or more than someone else. Its about responding gratefully to what the Holy Spirit is doing in us and the world around us. It means being generous. It s a practice a spiritual practice in the very best sense of the word. Spiritual practices invite us to pattern the living of our faith so that when the unexpected happens we act out of our practice. The practice of stewardship helps us build a healthy relationship with our possessions. It s about regularly giving and regularly sharing to something bigger than ourselves. It s a form of serving others. Giving of our time, talents and our financial resources moves us into relationships motivated by something other than a potential reward. Yes, there are many blessings we experience through serving, but we don t do it as an investment, as a way to receive. As followers of Jesus we really need to be diligent to be centered in the ways of generosity and service. We need to become regular in our practice of stewardship. Faith is not all about our taking action and doing things, but the stewardship portion of our following Jesus is one of those places that invite us to do something. It is a place where faith is made outwardly visible, not to bring attention to ourselves but to give to the glory of God. As we work together to follow Jesus as a congregation, and as we grow in our relationship with God as individuals moving toward the source of all love, abundance and generosity amazing things will happen among us as God s abundant love becomes more and more real. And that is what stewardship is really all about.
August/Sept. 2013 Christ the King Lutheran Church www.ctklc-bellevue.org Newsletter Email: ctknewsletter@yahoo.com Growing in Faith, Love and Service to the God Who Loves Us Summer is here with its heat and humidity. Everyday I give thanks for an air conditioner that works. As we turn our thoughts to August and September, it seems impossible that the children will be back in school the middle of August. September is the month that many activities resume after taking a summer break. Our Bible study circle continues to meet during the summer months. We will meet on Tuesday, August 20th at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will be concluding our summer Bible Study All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly. Gayle Carmine will lead the Bible Study, Jeri Lindaur is hostess. Our Bible Study group will meet on Tuesday, September 17th at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will begin our new Bible Study on women of the Old Testament. This month we will learn about Hannah, a promise keeper. Marlys Tengvall is hostess. Lutheran Women of Omaha will meet on Tuesday, September 10th at noon at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 6201 North 60th Street. Program will be the Immanuel Village Chime Choir. Cost is $6. Reservations to Mardelle by September 8th. Gather magazine (was Lutheran Women Today) is now available in a digital format on the Women of the ELCA website and on ipad and Android tablets. Search for Gather Magazine in Google Play or on the itunes store to download the app and your free copy of the current magazine. The website is womenoftheelca.org. The three session summer study is also available for download on the website, gathermagazine.org. Upcoming Events: August 9th 11th Saved to Serve, Prison Ministry, Lincoln September 20th 22nd NSWO Convention, Kearney Please continue to save UPCs from Our Family products, UPCs from Campbell Soups (the entire label) and General Mills Box Tops for Education. A box for these items is located on the piano in the elevator room. With Back-to-School supplies showing up in the stores it inspires me to think fall, specifically fall clean up. If you re excited about cleaning out nooks and crannies or even maybe just resigned to doing it; just remember the quilters are always looking for sheets, blankets or bedspreads. Pillowcases, sheets with holes, and fabric scraps can even be used as quilt squares! This may be given to me or left in the church office marked quilts. Happy Cleaning, Phyllis Carlson
Faith & Family Night at Werner Park! August 24, 2013 ***BONUS*** All Thrivent Financial Members, for every non-thrivent adult you bring your name will be entered into $100 drawing. 5:30 to 7:30 pm Picnic 6:36 pm Game time begins Storm Chasers play New Orleans After the Game there will be fireworks and a concert by Building 429 $12 adult $8 Children ages 3 to 10 We need to get tickets in advance so the deadline to sign-up is August 19. See Sheli Rice for more details. Are you a super-mom? Catholic Charities needs your talents! Experienced moms needed to provide mentoring support to pregnant and parenting young women. Within a friendship role, mentors: - give encouragement - demonstrate positive parenting - simply just listen A new pastor about to take the pulpit for the first time decides to make an unusual entrance. He dresses down as a homeless guy and slips into the church before the service is set to begin just to see what happens. For a half-hour, he walked around and noted that only three people out of the thousands assembling even spoke to him. None of the people he asked for change to buy food gave him a cent. To add insult to injury, ushers asked him to move to the back of the sanctuary after he settled in a seat down front. When it came time to introduce the new pastor a man apparently few of them had actually seen before the elders, who were in on the joke, called out for their new preacher and this homeless man rose and walked up front. He then recites this: Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. As he then told the congregation what he had experienced at their hands, the church members dutifully bowed their heads in shame. Some even cried. Then, just before dismissing the service, he says, Today I see a gathering of people, not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples. When will you decide to become disciples? It s a great little story. It s the kind of story that all of us, deep down, recognize could easily happen in virtually any church we ve ever set foot in. There s a sense of believability inherent in it because within us there s a sense of guilt about whether we re truly doing enough to help others in need. For more information, contact: Kathy Milbrath at (402) 829-9289 or kathym@ccomaha.org Laurel Determan at (402) 829-9283 or laureld@ccomaha.org
Rally Sunday is August 11 and WOW! will it be FUN! School is just around the corner. Kids are excited about starting a new grade, new teachers, new backpacks. Christ the King is kicking off the program year with a BANG! Sunday School is back in session New this Year - Students go to their classrooms at 9am and closing in the SANCTUARY will finish before worship begins. Parents are always welcome to stay with their little ones, come to the Adult Study dowstairs, or hang out for coffee and conversation in the Entryway. After Church Picnic! After worship, Paul Dawkins will be grilling up hotdogs. Bring a side to share and let s get the program year rolling! Backpack Blessing Here at Christ the King we want to celebrate and bless the beginning of another school year. Anyone committed to learning, be it in a school, home or workplace, bring your backpacks or lunch boxes, briefcases or laptops to worship at 10:00. Pastor Bryan is even Bringing his backpack for Seminary that starts the next day! We will lift up children and students of all ages, dedicating them to God's glory as we begin a new school year. A new school year or a new year for work, we ask that God would use our supplies, our equipment, our hands and our feet to help the world; and that we would keep God in the center in all that we do and learn. Confirmation starts Sept. 7 th at 10am Yes, That is a Saturday. This year we take a walk all the way through the Bible. A year of prayer and discovery, learning and growing, a year together. For ALL families involved in Christ the King s Confirmation Ministry! If you ve got someone going into sixth or seventh grade or you were in confirmation last year, that s you! Parents are welcome to stay. Interested in a little refresher? Why not Join us? Last year was the first year we met on Saturdays and it really made a difference. No more tired minds and bodies at 7pm, dark in the winter. Don t Miss It! September 7 th at 10am!
WE RE IN THE PARADE! August 17, 2013 Ride on the float and represent Christ the King. We would like as many people as possible to ride on the float. We will be lining up at 9:30am beside Lincoln Rd. The parade will start at 10am. This is a fun and easy thing for kids to do. Sunday School BIG PICTURE It is time to kick off the 2012-2013 Sunday school year! And we will be doing so in a BIG way this year with the start of classes on August 12. Invite your neighbors and friends to join you! Here are some BIG DATES you ll want to put on the calendar. Youth Sunday and the Christmas Program Youth will be leading two worship services this Sunday School year. September 29, 2013 Youth Sunday Each class will have a little something to do as well as the entire group leading the congregation in their favorite songs. December 15, 2013 Christmas Program The Christmas program is less class oriented and so the rehearsal on Saturday before is paramount. Please make sure that you mark your calendar for this event. It will certainly be something to invite extended family and friends to. Youth and Family Events In addition to the regular Sunday school classes, throughout the year various activities are provided for the children and their families to participate in together. September 21, 2013, 10am Creation Party Kids will a plush version of their favorite creation (stuffed animal or the like), we ll learn more about God s Creation, do some fun crafts and play games fun for the whole family! November 1 or 15, 2013, 6pm Family Campfire followed by Lock-in for the older kiddos The date is a tad up in the air, but still, sounds interesting huh? We ll sing songs around the campfire, do hotdogs and s mores. When it s little ones bed time older kids will stay and have nerf wars and play wii into the wee hours of the night. December 7, 2013, 10am St. Nicholas Party Bring the family and meet St. Nick, make a devotional decoration for Advent and start the season focused on Jesus. March 22, 2014, 10am Spring Fling Celebrate the coming of Spring! No this isn t going to be some pagan celebration. We ll talk about new birth in Christ and plant some seeds that we will later plant around the church. Plus, we ll have fun and games! Our Sunday School has an open door policy. Please feel free to come in and visit your child s class at any time. We are looking forward to a new school year and as always, if you have any questions please feel free to drop a note in my mailbox and I, or the appropriate person, will respond as soon as possible.
Attention, Choir Members Old and New There will be a brief choir meeting after church on Rally Day, August 11, to receive the singing schedule (for the whole year including rehearsals) and also to receive some folders with the music we will be singing in the next year. While we sing to the glory of God, let us also give thanks to Harriet who dedicated so much of her time and love in making our worship service so meaningful. Please keep Rally Day on your calendar, and we hope to see all of you at the meeting. We welcome any new members that would like to share their talents as well. We are looking forward to seeing all of you on Rally Day at 11:30. In Christian love and fellowship, Muffy Bratsveen, Worship and Music Chair November 9-10, 2013 36Hour Girlfriends Road Trip You were all called to travel the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. Ephesians 4:3 This is one of my favorite verses when it comes to friendship and doing life together. From the beginning of time, God knew it was not good for us to be alone. he created us to be together in relationship with him and each other. Designed in his image, our need for relationships and community comes from God who has always been in community Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I am the worst about letting life get filled up with tasks that take up all my time and leave me too tired to get together with friends. But I know God did not create me to be a human doing. I am a human being and part of that means being with my girlfriends. Even if it means we get together for lunch during our busy work day, or meet for breakfast on Saturday before the kids or Bryan are out of jammies or text or Facebook while we do laundry, It s a start. Church is even sometimes so filled with busyness that we let our relationship become centered on our doing of things rather than the doing of them together. I don t think that is what God meant the church to be. we aren t supposed to do church. We supposed to be the church together. So, maybe a road trip is just what I need! What about you? Would you take a trip with some girlfriends at church? A trip down to Oaks Indian Mission in the fall. A stop at a winery for lunch on the way the precious moments chapel worship with the people that call Oaks home and see what amazing things God is doing there. And I ll just bet that God will do some amazing things with us along the way. Think about it mark your calendar interested? Give me a call. Jesus final prayer for his friends reflected his heart s desire for us to be closely connected with each other, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you John 17:21. Sheli Rice, 402-676-3495