Written by Katie Ahern, Office and Communications Administrator
One of my favorite depictions of Jesus is Jesus as the Good Shepherd. I love how Jesus uses the familiar role of the shepherd to demonstrate our relationship with him and who he is to us. He is a caretaker and watches over us, making sure our environment is safe and free from predators. He is both gentle and caring, yet calls us loudly and powerfully to him. He tends to us and our needs. Although we humans are not actually sheep, Jesus did know a thing or two about our human nature when he compared us to them. He knew that as our Shepherd, we would need to know his voice. Sheep only follow the voice of their trusted shepherd. The shepherd’s voice is familiar and brings them comfort. I have been thinking about how we all need the Good Shepherd in our daily lives right now. I’ve had to ask myself continuously, “Am I still recognizing Jesus’s voice in my life with everything going on? Or, have I been paying too much attention to a voice that is not of the Shepherd? Am I leaning into the comfort of knowing he is watching over me and the unfolding of all circumstances, keeping me safe? Or, have I been distracted and held in fear, allowing the consuming nature of social media, statistics, and politics to impair my discernment?” I’m not certain there’s a right or wrong way to navigate life right now, but I know that for me, I’ve needed to rely on the peace and comfort of my Shepherd. In today’s world, recognizing the voice of Jesus may not be as simple as it is for a sheep in a pasture, but he is always there guiding us. We know God will never leave us. This is a promise. So, I’ve decided to lean in closer to his message and get quiet enough to feel its truth. I’ve decided to be softer with myself and others, and to be more intentional on filling myself up with healthy activities, thoughts, foods, and conversations. In a climate filled with the voice of many unfamiliar shepherds calling our name, let’s decide to listen to the trusted voice of our Good Shepherd, Jesus.
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Written by Caleb Anderson, Sound Technician
Hello CtK! I am glad to be writing to you, and excited to see some of you at this Sunday’s drive-in service, especially since I have been even less visible than usual! As Christ the King’s Sound Technician, I’m usually hidden up in the sanctuary loft… but for the past few months, instead of mixing sound as it happens in worship, I’ve been mixing the sound for services after they’ve already been recorded. Needless to say, the pandemic has led to some big changes in how I serve Christ the King. Working with the rest of the Worship Team to figure out how to record and assemble services has been a formidable challenge. The first few months of streamed services consisted of many different videos, made in several different homes, with everyone using different audio recording devices and formats. As a Sound Technician, I’ve had to deal with a host of new problems: noisy rooms, harsh-sounding cell phone recordings, and syncing the performances of musicians playing the same song in different places at different times. With all of this came some silver linings. I have gained hours of experience editing and mixing remote recordings, and I’ve learned more about the limitations and strengths of my personal equipment. And, I have to admit, sleeping in on Sundays hasn’t been so bad either! The pandemic has also given us time to go about the work of updating the church’s equipment. Thanks to a generous grant from the Christ the King Foundation, we have been able to acquire new sound and video equipment. This new gear will help improve everyone’s worship experience when we return to in-person worship, but it will also give us ways to livestream from the sanctuary. This new capability will help bridge the gap between now and a return to in-person worship, and it will allow us to continue livestreaming services in the future for the benefit of our members who aren’t able to attend worship on a regular basis. As we move further into uncharted territory together, I feel very blessed to have my role as Sound Technician at Christ the King. I am grateful for the support of my fellow staff members, especially the Worship Team. Without our many talented musicians, our pastors who are so willing to adapt, and Worship Director Nate Crary’s leadership and video editing skills, we would not have been able to pull off services every Sunday since the original stay-at-home order went into effect. I look forward to what lies ahead: figuring out new ways to improve virtual worship, this Sunday’s drive-in service, and most of all, the day when we can finally gather together in the sanctuary once again. In the meantime, keep watching our services… and let me know how things are sounding! Written by Isaac Warner, Council President
Brothers and Sisters, It’s hard to believe August is already upon us! Perhaps more than anything, these last few months have shown me that time is but a construct and who really knows what day it is anyway? In all seriousness, I hope you and your families are doing well mentally, physically, and spiritually. This year has been out of the ordinary for all of us, some profoundly so, and my family and I continue to pray for each of you as we journey onward. As we move into late summer, I wanted to take a moment to catch up and fill you in on what staff and your council have been up to as well as look at the months to come. First, a big THANK YOU to those who have given their time calling members. I have heard from so many in our community who have so appreciated the personal connection, myself included. It has been a joy to hear how we continue to care for each other, even when we aren’t able to gather in-person on Sunday morning. With the recent extension of our in-person suspension through 2020, we must continue to seek out ways to be together until we can safely do so in person. Since the onset of COVID-19, your council has been focused on ensuring that we continue to be able to meet the needs of our community and the responsibility we have to each other and to our staff. We are incredibly blessed to have the staff and council that we do and for their tireless work adapting to continually changing circumstances. Thanks to KC Gubrud and her efforts, we were able to secure a forgivable Payroll Protection Program grant from the federal government which allowed us to uphold commitments to our staff through the end of June and prevent any income-related staff reductions. And, thanks to your continued generosity, we remain in a position to care for those in our faith community and our community at large who have been affected by this pandemic in ways that so many of us are privileged to not know. One manifestation of this care is through our COVID-19 Relief Fund which will support members of our community directly impacted by this pandemic. I ask that you join me in increasing your giving, if you are able, to support this effort. On the staff side, a huge shout out to our entire team who have poured heart and soul (and a little time and effort too) into creating unique worship experiences for us each week and allowing us to continue to join together in Jesus Christ and proclaim the good news. Amid uncertainty, these opportunities to connect are very much appreciated and valued. I’m looking forward to the new and creative ways that we will worship and share in fellowship together in the coming month. If you haven’t been able to join us, please visit our website for more info about how you can be a part of our virtual worship. Don’t miss our drive-up service coming up this Sunday, 8/9, at 9:30am. See you in the parking lot! In peace, Isaac Warner, President Written by Pastor Peter, Lead Pastor
This past week, several dedicated volunteers (with a little help from a few staff members) completed a second round of calling everyone in our membership directory. They noted a few numbers that needed updating, left quite a few voice mails, and had a number of good and wide-ranging conversations with folks from Christ the King—maybe some of you! In most instances, both the callers and the called appreciate the connection that was made between them as fellow members of CtK. More than on the first go-round, however, they also discovered that there are folks right here at CtK whose lives have been significantly impacted by the Coronavirus, and more specifically by the economic crisis which this global pandemic has brought on. Fellow members among us have lost jobs and income, have faced mounting bills and threats of eviction, or have not been able to secure childcare in order to continue their “essential” jobs. These neighbors of ours are in great need because of the situation our world is currently in. At the same time, callers also discovered a whole group of CtK folks who find themselves moved by the stories of hardship they have heard and have offered to “give a little extra,” were CtK to set up some sort of emergency fund. At least a few of them even offered up all or part of the stimulus check they received from the federal government, noting that there must be others who need the help more than they do. They were both moved by the immediacy of the need and the depth of connection felt between members of the same congregation. For that reason, we are setting up a “CtK Covid Relief Fund,” to be used exclusively for members of our faith community who are experiencing difficulties in this time of pandemic and shut-down. While we would continue to work with community partners and make use of existing benevolences such as the “Good Samaritan Fund” for responding to needs in the larger community, this fund would be exclusively funded by special gifts by members over and above their regular pledged offerings and would be available for those within CtK who are experiencing financial difficulties. Many of us might be tempted to think that our resources are too meager, our gifts too few, or our ability to meet these neighbor’s need too limited. But Jesus shows us in today’s gospel (the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish) how he can multiply what we have to offer. He shows us how what we have is not only enough, it is more than enough. That with Christ’s help we, too, can take next-to-nothing and make it into something that feeds and heals and protects and provides—for a multitude, with a whole lot leftover as well. Let us put our compassion into action, church! Pastor Peter _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To donate to the CtK COVID Relief Fund, please indicate “Covid Relief” in the memo portion of your check or electronic gift. Written by Jennifer Willprecht Walczak, CPY Program Director
Hello, Christ the King members! My name is Jennifer Willprecht Walczak, and I am not only a CtK member, but also on the staff for Community Partners with Youth (CPY). For those of you who don’t know about CPY, we are a 501(c)3 after school and summer program benefitting at-risk youth in New Brighton and surrounding areas. Since 1997, we have been providing care for families in need, using the lower level, gym, kitchen, and outdoor spaces of Christ the King. Earlier this year, we were busy planning for our jam-packed summer program when COVID-19 hit, and our plans came to a screeching halt. It was a hectic spring, as our plans changed weekly with new recommendations from the CDC, MN Dept of Education, MN Dept of Health, and Gov. Walz. In late May, we made the devastating decision to cancel our summer programs for 2020. This put us in a tough spot knowing that many families rely on us for summer meals, childcare, and to help provide youth with experiences to answer the all important question: what did you do this summer? We quickly sprang into action, planning for activity kits we could send home weekly with families. Since June 15th, we have been delivering our kits to families in New Brighton, Mounds View and Arden Hills. Our kits include an arts and crafts project, a STEM activity, a cooking project, and an activity for the whole family to enjoy together. We were thrilled to be connecting with our families, but quickly realized a key component was missing: food. We approached the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, and they were excited to partner, as we serve many of the same families. They added on meal boxes to our kits, so we can ensure not only are families getting activities to keep their kids busy, but meals and snacks to keep their bellies full! To further engage our families, we have been uploading video instructions weekly, that allow our youth to connect with our staff, and see a sample of their activities. Our original goal was to send out 100 bags per week. After our first week, we realized 100 wouldn’t be enough! We have since started delivering 125 per week, with 150 not being out of the question. Each week, more families are asking to be added to our list, waiting for us outside the office of their apartment complexes, mobile home communities, or calling our office saying they heard about our kits and want to participate as well! We truly wouldn’t be able to offer our “CPY @ Home” programming without the support of our generous and compassionate community members LIKE YOU! If you are looking for ways to support the community, CPY is hosting our Annual Golf Ball Drop on Sunday, August 2nd at 3:30pm at Brightwood Hills Golf Course. We are currently selling raffle tickets for the event. They are either $10 for 1, $25 for 3, or $40 for 5 tickets. Tickets can be purchased by calling the office at 651.633.6464 or via email to [email protected]. For more information about the Golf Ball Drop, our summer plans, or to see the activities, visit www.cpymn.org. Thank you for your continued support of CPY and youth in our community! Written by Pepe Demarest, Pastoral Intern
After one year of being welcomed to Christ the King as a pastoral intern, there may be some wondering, "what crazy program has interns work in their settings for two years?" Well, I am part of the inaugural cohort of MDivX at Luther Seminary. Luther describes the program as a “holy experiment to help the church reimagine theological education in a time of tremendous change.” This time of tremendous change was envisioned well before the changes that have happened due to Covid-19. The idea was “to rethink how we cultivate Christian community in a secular age.” The plan was to bring applicants who were spiritually and theologically innovative to reimagine what the church could be. My cohort consists of 28 students of various backgrounds from around the country. At the beginning of our program, about a third of us met on Luther Seminary’s St. Paul campus for most of our classes, while the rest joined on Zoom. Now, we all only meet virtually. There are students Zooming in from Florida, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, California, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and outstate Minnesota. There are some who have just graduated from college, others who had been working in government and social services, youth ministry and business. Some of us are empty-nesters, others just starting families, but all of us knew that this experiment was going to be intense- not only for us, but also for our loved ones. You see the “X” in MDivX stands for expedited (some would say exhausting). Traditional Masters of Divinity programs last four years. The first three years focus mostly on academics and the fourth year begins the contextual learning or internship for the seminarian. But last June, when I began my internship here, I was also taking Christian Public Leadership, The Gospel of Mark, Systematic Theology, and The Old Testament. I am lucky to call Christ the King my home where I can apply some of the theological theories to a real-world community. The MDivX program has been funded for three years, and my cohort has already seen major changes. Usually each term starts with one or two weeks of intensives where all the dispersed learners get together for long days of classes at Luther. This was one of the great things about this program as we were able to share not only what each of our contexts was doing, but more importantly how God was using each of our individual gifts. Since the pandemic shut down in-person classes, we have not been able to meet and I miss my cohort so much! The second cohort started this June, and they have never gotten a chance to bond like we were able to. Please keep them in your prayers as the support of my cohort has always been one of the best things about this program. Luther is now taking applications for the final year of this program, hopefully by then they will be able to meet in person. As I look forward to my final year here at CtK, I am excited to work with the pastoral team as we try to rethink what pastoral care will look like if in-person meeting is dangerous for our community. I am also very grateful for any feedback I receive about my sermons. Especially now with service online, it is hard to judge how they are received. Finally, I love to brag about the mentoring I get from Pastors Peter and John, but also the awe I feel when I think of how open to the Spirit this community is. So, it may not be that this program is crazy, but as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:13: “If we are crazy, it’s for God’s sake. If we are rational, it’s for your sake.” Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor
When my sabbatical ended six weeks ago, I returned to a ministry context that was very different than the one I had left. The church building is closed, worship and faith formation take place online, and our members are physically distant and largely remaining in their homes. Right away, I started to notice the remarkable ways the congregation and staff at CtK have responded to this unprecedented reality of COVID-19. I have noticed flexibility. The CtK ministry staff adapted almost immediately to online worship, and has continued to develop and hone their skills as we enter into our fifth month leading these ever-evolving virtual services. I’ve noticed the flexibility it takes to produce such worship as we move from doing so from our individual homes to leading from the CtK sanctuary, each new step bringing both challenges and rewards. I’ve noticed flexibility on the part of faith formation leaders, who have offered BAM, Confirmation, VBS, and Adult Ed on Zoom, via podcasts, or with Google Hangouts. I’ve marveled at the flexibility of groups to restructure their meetings, such as Elders in Action holding distanced meetings on the church lawn, or the Prayer Shawl ministry gathering around a CtK picnic table. Such flexibility is not a given, and yet I am thankful that so many among us have readily embraced it. I have noticed generosity. Giving by members has kept pace with previous years, even when we are not gathering in person. Folks keep mailing in their offerings, and more and more are choosing to be generous using electronic means. Given the economic stress brought on by this global pandemic, the stay-at-home orders, and the continued limitations on “everyday life,” we might have expected to be experiencing a financial crunch right now. We are not. Our current financial position is strong, thanks in no small part to the generous support by CtK’s members and friends. Of course, we’ll need to keep a close eye on this, for there is still potential for future budget constraints the longer the pandemic continues. Such generosity is a witness to the commitment folks at CtK share for our shared life and ministry, and I am grateful. I have noticed an abundance of care. Care for one another and for the community that surrounds us. Care shown by wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, even suspending in-person worship, fellowship, and learning for the time being. Care expressed through phone calls made to fellow CtK-ers we are missing, through emails and cards sent out to one another, through folks held in prayer in our distanced meetings and virtual gatherings. Such care is the mark of us being and becoming Christ’s beloved community, one marked by our deep and abiding concern for one another. Friends, I appreciate your continued flexibility, I am grateful for your ongoing generosity, and I am touched by the care and concern you show to me, to one another, and to this corner of the world God has placed us in. Life and ministry these days is different—it can be harder, more tiring, maybe a bit less obvious in its fruitfulness. But God is with us. God is blessing us, encouraging us, walking with us, sustaining us. God is nurturing growth among us, even if we can’t always see it. We remain connected in Christ and through Christ the King. Thanks be to God! Written by Bob Benke, CtK Member
I was asked to write this blog for today, the day after Independence Day, because of my experience in the military as well as in city government. My military experience was in a Reserve status, and my only active duty was for training sessions. My contribution does not come close to that of many other CtK members and millions of other Veterans that have served, who in many cases were injured or even lost their lives. I can’t help but question, what would have been the future for my wife, Judy and I if I had been called? We likely wouldn’t have had the same life as we now know it. We are blessed to live in a good house, with plenty to eat, and all of our friends at CtK to worship with. Thank you Lord! When my Combat Engineering Unit was on High Alert for possible activation during the worst part of the Vietnam War, Judy and I had a taste of the stress on a family caused by callup separation. Judy has also experienced this anxiety when her father, an Army Chaplain, was sent to Germany and Korea during World War ll. Today, the day after Independency Day, we should honor all of those who have preserved our independence as a free country, with liberty for all. Think of all of the pilgrims, the many immigrants who risked life and limb for all of those years helping to build the country we have today. Looking forward, perhaps we should think about “independence” in another way. We often talk about our independence as a country first, and the advantages that we enjoy. But, how do we keep it growing? What about the other word, dependency? Are we not dependent on others, also? Are we not responsible for supporting others, to work against the bigotry and bias that infects us today? These problems are as deadly to civility as is the current coronavirus plague that has changed our world forever. There likely won’t be a return to ‘the normal’. What will be our ‘new normal’? What can we do to be part of the solution and not the problem? Let’s think and pray together to find the answers. Written by Priscilla Berg, CtK Member
This time of social distancing in response to a pandemic has made us long for the time when we can gather again as a Christian community. At the same time, it is made clear that church is not a building. We, as God’s people, live our Christian lives and witness beyond the walls of a physical place. Christ the King has a long history of supporting the needs of our community. The weekly Herald newsletter highlights many of those needs. The Social Ministry Team encourages you to read those highlights carefully and consider how you might be involved. Here are two that serve our immediate neighborhood: Ralph Reeder Food Shelf has had a 30% increase in demand. The needs will only increase now that children don’t have access to school meals. Unfortunately our SUNNY program, which in the past has tried to fill some of that gap, had to be cancelled this summer due to COVID-19 concerns. If you would like to donate to Ralph Reeder you can mail a check to: 2544 Mounds View Blvd, Mounds View, MN. 55112 or do so online at: https://www.moundsviewschools.org/Page/173 The Community Support Center (CSC) works to prevent homelessness by preventing evictions and working long-term with participants to move toward stability. The CSC has continued to work with participants via Zoom or conference phone calls. The CSC expects a surge of demand when the emergency moratorium on evictions ends. Thanks to those of you who donated to the online “Un-luncheon” in lieu of the CSC annual fundraiser. Donations can be made to the Community Support Center, 1600 Silver Lake Road Northwest, New Brighton, MN. 55112. I have long had a quotation from Martin Luther King above my desk. It’s from his “Mountaintop” speech on April 3, 1968, one day before his assassination. It reads: It’s all right to talk about “long white robes over yonder”, in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here! It’s all right to talk about “streets flowing with milk and honey”, but God has commanded us to be concerned about slums down here, and his children who can’t eat three square meals a day. It’s all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God’s preacher must talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennesee (the new New Brighton). This is what we must do. As I have watched a resurgence of activism for racial justice following the killing of George Floyd and the recent Supreme Court decisions providing protections for LGBTQ individuals, and at least temporary protection for DACA “dreamers”, I have renewed hope that we as individual Christians and as a Christian community can look for those places where God moves us to make a difference. Written By Ana Becerra, Seminarian & Cristo Rey Mission Developer
There are many changes in life. Some are easy to adapt to, others are hard and difficult to admit, but indeed- we never stay the same. It has been very hard for Cristo Rey members to not meet in person. Many of you have witnessed how our Wednesday night bible study has extended from one hour to three hours long. Indeed, Latinxs love to talk and we love to cook together! Typically during summer it is mandatory to attend at least one carne asada (barbecue) a week. The host starts the cooking process when the first guest arrives, and we believe that food tastes better if you cook it while you talk. There is no start or end time to these gatherings. You leave when other guests are showing some signs of tiredness or when you realize you have spent five to six hours with the host. This year has been different, it changed. There will be no carne asadas. Instead, we talk over the phone or Facebook. Cristo Rey is suffering without in person connection. We tremendously miss you and want to see YOU. Especially now when Latinxs need to feel surrounded and supported by Caucasians and our church. We recognize we are different. We have different cultures and languages, but we belong to a church that continues moving forward. We are not the church we were in 2009. I'm no longer the only Latinx family who is invited to participate in programs. I’m a Christ the King and Cristo Rey member and soon to be an ordained minister. I'm your sister in Christ that shares concerns, pains and joy with you. I'm a team member who helps to plan worship. I'm a non-voting member who attends and reports to our council. I'm your sister in Christ who is eager to share the Gospel with the same Lutheran foundation as you, but with a different perspective! Siblings, I am so glad we changed! Cristo Rey has met unofficially over Facebook and phone, but starting in July, we will have a weekly devotional meeting. We will also continue to have a monthly service the fourth Sunday of the month shared on Facebook Live. The change is not easy, but at the end of the day I smile when I look back to my first day at CtK. I recognize the love and hospitality I have received. I remember the struggles, and praise God for all the ways the Holy Spirit keeps tapping on my shoulders to invite me to witness Jesus Christ’s power and love among us. Let’s keep changing in the love of the one who died for us. Tu hermana en Cristo, Ana. |
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July 2024
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Christ the King Lutheran Church
1900 7th Street NW New Brighton, MN 55112 Phone: 651-633-4674 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: 9 am - 2 pm Mon - Thurs or by appointment Sunday Schedule Morning Worship at 9:30 am |