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Special points of interest:

Green Lake Bible Camp Early Bird Discount

Operation “Stockings Are Hung”

Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast

A Message from our Council President 2

Missio Dei 3

Last Chance to Apply for Ministry Support 3

Prayer Article 4

February Menu 4

Toiletries Drive Update 5

Inside this issue:

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Volume 56 Issue 2

February, 2020

One Day Mini-Women’s Retreat Saturday, February 29 at CTK

9:00am-3:30pm in the Fireside Room

Have EXTRA fun on your EXTRA day this year! Come for fun, camaraderie, and reflection. Spend a day getting to know others of all ages, building relationships and having fun-just for you! Key Verse “For God so loved the world” – John 3:16, NIV WonderFull World retreat is a Bible-based women’s retreat program designed to help women grow in their relationship with God and develop lasting friendships with each other. In this women’s retreat, participants explore “I wonder” questions about their purpose and identity and discover God’s world-covering love together. This is a “Mini” travel-themed adventure, where participants enjoy digging into God’s Word, uplifting fellowship, and wonderful relationship-building activities experiencing God’s story. In this Christian retreat, women discover...

God cares about me

I am loved as a royal daughter

I can make a difference

I can rely on God when life is hard

$25 covers meals and other expenses. If you have any questions, call Amy Olsen at the church office (345-5056) or Julie Hatleli at 507-381-5537.

Sign up online today!

Download Our ChurchLife Mobile App If you have already signed up on our website for myCTK (if not, do so today!), you can download the Church Life app in order to take advantage of all of the capabilities of our online portal. The app provides a complete church directory, real time church calendar with the ability to view event details and an easy method for online giving directly from your mobile device. Members will no longer need to call the church office for phone numbers/addresses! Download the free app from your app store.

Ash Wednesday is February 26th! Worship will be held at 4:30 & 6:00pm. Our Annual Soup Supper will be served

from 5:00-6:00pm. Sign up ONLINE or in the narthex to donate soup!

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A Message from our Council President... Greetings Fellow Members of Christ the King Lutheran Church!

I just wanted to update you from the perspective of your elected council, executive team, and council president.

I started on the CTK council in July of 2018 as Vice President and this has been quite a time of change for our church. It has been hard to catch our breath as a council but I believe that good things are happening at our church wherever I look.

Let’s take a look back at the timeline of events just since I started on the council that July. Billie Jo Wicks came to Christ the King the very next month and has been doing great things with faith formation! She was even ordained as a Deacon before her first year was completed. Associate Pastor Trish took another call the fall of 2018 and we wished her well on her new adventure. We were lucky enough to have Pastor Cheryl serve as our interim associate pastor for the second time at CTK and that was a

comforting feeling to have her back among us. We got started right away in January of 2019 with a call committee for the associate pastor position. I was the council liaison through that call process and the call committee did an great job! Around the same time in early summer that we were extending a call to Pastor Timothy, we were in-formed that Pastor Patrick was taking another call in Eau Claire, WI within a few weeks. That is when we began communicating with Susan Miller at the synod about our options for a senior interim pastor. I found out quickly how rare senior interim pastors were for a church our size. That is when Pastor Rick White showed up on our radar. He was currently retired but his resumé was amazing! He came from a business background and had the exact experience we were looking for. Once we met him in person, we knew he was the one for the job (but we had to convince him of that!). We really had determined as a council that the church needed to take a look at everything about how our church functioned. The business side of the church and the steps forward to the right senior pastor to lead us into the future needed to be looked at from an outside source with vast experience and knowledge. Pastor Rick had that knowledge from his business background and his pastoral experience. We identified a list of items that Pastor Rick needed to take a look at with our Executive Committee and also asked for his input on anything else we were missing. Pastor Rick agreed to work through that list with us and reevaluate his time commitment after Christmas. Regardless, he said he wouldn’t move on until the list we had created was completed. We’ve come to the end of that list. Many changes on the financial side, personnel handbook, call committee formation, and staff roles have been completed (among many other items). He is also getting our annual stewardship drive started these last couple weeks of January. Now that these items are all complete he has even found us an amazing bridge pastor to take us to the point of calling a new senior pastor. Pastor Audrey Lukasak will be an amazing fit at CTK through this call process and her experience with pastoral care is second to none. Through it all, Pastor Rick did everything we asked of him and our council couldn’t be more pleased.

In closing, these past 18 months have been a blur. So much change. Yet, this is a normal process. It hasn’t happened at CTK in a really long time, but it happens at other churches all of the time. We just haven’t had to go through it for what seems like eternity. One thing I do know. God always has a plan. His timing is perfect. It might seem late, but he’s always right on time. Your council only wants what is best for our members. God keeps putting the best people in just the right places…at the exact moment we need them. God really is good and I can’t wait to see what is in store for this church over the next few years. I think it will include tremendous growth and a laser focus on what we are as a congregation, who we are in the community and what we do for the community. We are only just beginning and God really is doing a new thing at Christ the King Lutheran Church!

-Shannon Sinning, Council President (on behalf of our incredible council team)

Special Thanks to all the CTK volunteers who help prepare,

then serve Christmas Dinner to those less fortunate

at the Salvation Army on Christmas Day!

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By Pastor Tim Reflections On Six Months at CTK

Can you believe that I’ve already been at Christ the King for 6 months? I don’t think I can quite believe it. These first 6 months have gone by faster than I could have imagined. There have been many adjustments I’ve had to make during this time. There are questions that I had never considered before and obviously new challenges I had not encountered yet.

I think the biggest thing I want to say to everyone is thank you. I want to say thank you for welcoming me into your family and entrusting me in helping to lead

the holy work to which God has called us. It is an absolute honor and privilege to be able to come in every day and serve this community. Thank you for your patience in this time of what seems like continuous transition. I promise we will make it through together, and I emphasize together. Thank you for all the hard work everyone is doing in continuing to minister to our community. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, ministry doesn’t stop just because we don’t have a permanent senior pastor. We are still Christ the King and God still calls us forth in mission to love and serve our community.

Thank you for helping me get to know you and inviting me into your lives. It was/is a daunting task to enter a community of this size. I sincerely appreciate your continued commitment to using the nametags. It has helped me out a lot and I hope it has helped you all too. As Pastor Audrey comes in let’s continue to use the nametags for her sake (and mine still).

Thank you for continuing to ask not just about me and my well-being, but about Ally too. It means a lot to the both of us that you want to get to know her. It is a unique challenge getting connected while living a little ways out of town, and it’s a bigger challenge when she is also a pastor with her own community of faith. Thank you for your continued understanding and adaptability in helping us both get connected.

I think above all I want to say, thank you for sharing your holy moments of ministry. I think that is what I have noticed the most since my arrival. Ministry is why we gather together as a community, God’s calling and mission are what hold us together. In these first 6 months I could list off many holy moments that I have experienced, too many for one newsletter article.

Thank you for these first 6 months. Thank you for your continued faithfulness in ministry and for the relation-ships. I eagerly look forward to the next 6 months (and beyond) and how we will grow together in Christ and in common mission. Come and chat with me. My door is always open. Blessings, Pastor Tim

Library News During the winter months curl up with a good biography from the library. Look for a yellow sticker with a silhouette on its spine. A sampling of books you will find are...

Through the Shadowland by C.S. Lewis Under a Wing, a Memoir by Reeve Lindbergh A Life Interrupted by Tom Brokow Joni & Ken: an untold love story by Tada, Ken & Joni Eareckson

Continue to save books for the Book Sale in the Spring.

Our Quilters Group Needs YOU! Can you cut with scissors, tie a knot, iron, measure with a measuring tape, sort colors of fabric, or sew? Join the Christ the King quilters, who meet the 4th Wednesday of the month from 9:00am to 3:00pm in the Fireside Room. Come and go as your time permits. Bring a sack lunch if you’d like to come over the noon hour. Our next meeting will be Ash Wednesday, February 26th. We hope to see you there!

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Parish News Christian Love and Sympathy to

Barbie Doyle and family upon the death of her sister, Debra Jo Roessler-Rensvold, who passed away on January 1st. Rolf Storvick and family upon the death of his wife, Karen, who passed away on January 19th. Gordon Hedman and Kathy Hedman upon the death of their wife/mother, Joyce, who passed away January 21st.

Baptized in January Madalyn Ann Druffel, daughter of David and Amanda was baptized on January 26th.

February Community Supper February 5th

Turkey Commercials

February 12th Egg Bake & Cinnamon Rolls

February 19th

BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Sweet Potato Fries

February 26th Ash Wednesday Soup Supper (Sign up to bring soup!)

Prayer Article Series submitted by Pastor Donohue Sarff With Christ in the School of Prayer – Eleventh Lesson – by Andrew Murray Believe that you have received or The Faith that Takes

So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 What a promise! So large, so Divine, that our little hearts cannot take it in, and in every possible way seek to limit it to what we think safe or probable; instead of allowing it, in its quickening power and energy, just as He gave it, to enter in, and to enlarge our hearts to the measure of what His love and power are really ready to do for us. Faith is very far from being a mere conviction of the truth of God’s word, or a conclusion drawn from certain premises. It is the ear which has heard God say what He will do, the eye which has seen Him doing it, and therefore, where there is true faith, it is impossible but the answer must come. If we only see to it that we do the one thing that He asks of as we pray: Believe that

you have received; He will see to it that He does the thing He has promised.

Green Lake Bible Camp Registrations Now Open With the snow and wind, it’s the perfect time to think summer! Green Lake Bible Camp registration is open for summer and Early Bird Discount from now until February 14th will save you $40!

Sign up for week 1, June 15-19 to have Deacon Billie Jo join you at camp. What better way to bridge home to camp and camp to home than by sharing the experience with her and others from CTK! If your son/daughter is in CLUB, talk with her about how CTK can help cover the cost. More info here.

Early Bird

Discount!!

Food For Friends How would you like to join an active Ministry of Christ the King! Join FOOD for FRIENDS! Between 5 and 8 Saturdays a year, CTK members serve meals at the Salvation Army to our sisters and brothers in Christ. The main dish, vegetable, fruit, buns and cookies are prepared for us. Our ministry is to serve between 60 and 100 guests and clean up. The whole process requires less than 3 hours of time over the noon hour. Please contact Todd Lundquist if you wish to help serve in this way.

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Operation: Stockings Are Hung 2020 A HUGE thank you to everyone who has helped us collect stockings for our outreach project next Decem-ber! As I type this, we have collected 222 stockings! We will now elaborate on this new ministry. Throughout the Mankato community, there are many groups that help collect larger gifts for children to open Christmas morning, but there wasn’t anyone addressing the idea of Christmas stockings. Following the large success of the impromptu Christmas pop-up shop, Deacon Billie Jo had the thought that maybe we could help fulfill this need in our community. We started collecting stockings this winter, and plan to slowly collect stocking fillers throughout the year. Come December 2020, we could offer an opportunity for parents and caregivers in our area to come to CTK and get a stuffed stocking for their children to have Christmas morning! See below for our drive schedule...

Book drive: February 1- March 11 Hygiene Drive: March 14-April 30 School Supply Drive: July-August

Sock Drive: September Small Toy Drive: October Candy Drive: November

How can you help? Donations to any of the above drives are appreciated! Please keep in mind that items should fit in stockings. New or like-new items are preferred. We are also looking for Thrivent members to support each of the above drives! Thrivent members can each apply for a $250 cash card, two times a year.

3rd Annual Toiletries Drive for Food for Friends a Success CTK’ers provided the following items at our December service day... about 175 toothbrushes,130 travel size tubes of toothpaste and 22 larger tubes, 75 dental floss containers, 120 travel size shampoos and 14 larger containers,130 travel size hair conditioners and 5 larger size containers, 180 travel size and 10 larger containers of lotions, 215 bars of soap, 45 travel size and 4 larger of body wash, shower gel, etc. Additionally, there were facial tissues, toilet paper, lip balms, deodorants, perfumes, razors and blades, etc. We provided those hygiene needs to 75 women, men and children to-gether with $5 Subway gift cards.

Many thanks to Chef Clayton Reedstrom for preparing the main dish of shepherd's pie, Jan and Bob Meier for preparing the buns and cookies, and the Downtown Hy-Vee for catering the fruit. Special thank yous to Jeanette and Armin Schull, Jodi Wallschlaeger, Dory Wobbrock, Mary Fitzsimmons, Kathy Kachelmyer, Karen Moritz, Kris Schneider, John Frey, Doug Kalahar, Ken Wagner, John Love, AND Christine, Andy, Liam and Margo Nessler for serving our guests, handing out the "toiletries" and gift cards and leaving the kitchen and dining room "spic and span"!

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Visit us online!

www.ctkmankato.org

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 252

Mankato, MN 56001

Contact the Staff Christ the King’s Phone Number: 507-345-5056

Pastor Audrey Lukasak: ext. 23 / audreyl@ctkmankato.org

Pastor Timothy Bowman: ext. 26 / timothyb@ctkmankato.org

Pastor John Petersen: ext. 24 / johnp@ctkmankato.org

Billie Jo Wicks, Deacon of Faith Formation : ext. 19 / billiejow@ctkmankato.org

Accounting Office: ext. 22 / accounting@ctkmankato.org

Al Lee, Technology Arts Director: ext. 36 / all@ctkmankato.org

Amy Olsen, Communications Director: ext. 21 / amyo@ctkmankato.org

Chuck Hoogland, Organist: ext. 25 / chuckh@ctkmankato.org

Garrett Steinberg, Director of Creative Arts: ext. 37 garretts@ctkmankato.org

Rick Weber, Property Manager: ext. 11 rickw@ctkmankato.org

Robin Hughes, Choir Director: robinh@ctkmankato.org

Wendy Paulson, Director of Children’s Ministries: ext. 20 / wendyp@ctkmankato.org

222 Pfau Street Mankato, MN 56001

Deadline for Newsletter Articles Next Month: Monday, February 24

Phone: 507-345-5056 Fax: 507-345-6115

Address Service Requested

CTK Lutheran Church is a caring community committed to empower all people

to know Christ and to make Christ known.

Weekly Worship Schedule

Wednesdays

6:00pm

Saturdays

5:30pm

Sundays 8:15am, 9:30am

Communion Served at Every Service

————

Worship services are broadcast on

Charter channel 181 and

Consolidated Communications

channel 7 Sundays at 3:00pm and Tuesdays at 10:00am.

Church Office Hours Monday-Thursday ~ 8:00am-4:00pm

Friday ~ 8:00am-2:00pm Saturday-Sunday ~ By Appointment

XXX XXX

Dear Congregants, I bring greetings from your Senior Pastor Call Committee. Please consider this the first of our updates, which will be monthly at a minimum.

We first met on January 9th and have chosen to meet weekly so that we might accomplish, with all due speed, the task that you have entrusted to us. We have met with the Assistant to Bishop Hassanelly - Pastor Matt Larson. With his assistance, we have reviewed the Synod's suggested procedural guidelines for a call committee. We look forward to working with him in the future as we move forward creating the Senior Pastor Site Profile and receiving candidate names from the Bishop. Speaking of candidate names, we have received many at this early date. Please, prayerfully consider providing potential candidate names at your earliest convenience. REMEMBER, PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH A CANDIDATE DIRECTLY to learn of their desire to serve CTK. Feel free to share any ideas with Call Committee members. That member will bring congregants ideas to the Committee for thoughtful consideration. Please remember while we will do our best to make all aware "where we are" and "where we are going", some matters must remain confidential. We ask for your prayers as we seek God's wisdom and that we all have peace of heart knowing we will find the Senior Gentle Shepherd that God prepares for us. -Todd Lundquist, Chairperson

Birthday Celebrations Marilyn Bigbee recently celebrated her 88th birthday on January 26th. Her husband, Kent Bigbee will be

celebrating his 90th birthday on February 12th. Their family invites you to participate in a card shower in their honor. Please send your birthday greetings to them at 301 S 5th St., #119, Mankato, MN 56001.

There will be an Open House 90th Surprise Birthday Celebration for Marlys Jorgenson, held on Saturday, February 22nd from 1:00-3:00pm in the Christ the King Fireside Room. All Christ the King family and friends are welcome to stop by and enjoy a piece of cake and coffee with her. Shhhhhh… it’s a surprise!

Yarnworks Prayer Shawl Ministry meets the 3rd Saturday of every month in the office lobby from

10:00am to Noon.

All knitters/crochet’ers are welcome – we will supply a

pattern for you. New to the craft? That’s okay! We’ll show you how to

make them. See you Feb. 15th!

Worship Serving Ministry

Prayer Chapel Feb 2 8:15 – Marlys Jorgenson 9:30 – Linda Eisenbeis Feb 9 8:15 – Lonnie Reemer 9:30 – Kathy Sallstrom Feb 16 8:15 – Ann Stewart 9:30 – Chuck Dahline Feb 23 8:15 – June Borseth 9:30 – Todd Lundquist

Readers Sat Feb 1 5:30 Dick Bautch

Sun Feb 2 8:15 Jackson Stensrud

Sun Feb 2 9:30 Stan Bruss

Wed Feb 5 6:15 Jess Smasal

Sat Feb 8 5:30 Todd Lundquist

Sun Feb 9 8:15 Becky Menk

Sun Feb 9 9:30 Doug Kramblit

Wed Feb 12 6:15 Anna Toth

Sat Feb 15 5:30 Pastor Sun Feb 16 8:15 Becky Menk

Sun Feb 16 9:30 Jody Rittmiller

Wed Feb 19 6:15 John Petersen

Sat Feb 22 5:30 Dick Bautch

Sun Feb 23 8:15 Cindy Kehoe

Sun Feb 23 9:30 Jim Hatleli

Wed Feb 26 6:15 Robin Hughes

Ushers 5:30 L’Myra Hoogland, and Guest Volunteers 8:15 John Frey, Michael Kerdit, Ken Wagner, Dave Raasch 9:30 Matt Norland, Dave Haugh, Nate Kube, Duane Olson 6:00 Rotation between: Adam Schendel, Dan Schwamberger, Jessica Joyal, Mike & Wanda Lloyd

Greeters Sun Feb 2 Ann Stewart

Robin Courrier

Sun Feb 9 Dave & Becky Menk

Kris Schneider

Sun Feb 16 Todd Lundquist

Larry & Pam Anderson

Sun Feb 23 Stan & Kathy Bruss

Kris Schneider

Sunday, Feb. 16th

No JAM or Rainbow Room

Feb. 26th Ash Wednesday

~ no Rainbow Room or Kids Klub

Rainbow Choir

Mark your calendars...the Sunday morning Rainbow Choir will sing at

the 9:30 worship service on February 23rd!

The Communion Faith Lab is coming up in March for children who have not yet taken their first communion, or parents wishing to give their child a better understanding of this Holy Sacrament. Registration is open on the CTK website.

Communion is not a snack during worship; it’s the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, given for you. Come, learn, understand, participate.

It’s time to start thinking about summer camps, so mark your calendar for Vacation Bible School at Christ the King.

July 27-31

Operation: Stockings Are Hung 2020

How can you help?

Donations, donations, donations!

Please keep in mind that items should fit in stockings.

New or like-new items preferred.

Different donation drives will be held through November (see full

article in this newsletter)

Book drive:

February 1- March 11

CTK YOUTHF E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

Some Highlights for Youth Grades 6-12

10-31 NO CLUB

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Christ the King will be at Green Lake Lutheran Bible Camp June 14--19 (week 1 of camp). All CLUB students are required to attend one year of camp. Transportation andregistration fee are the family's responsibility and fundraising will bemade available to cover the rest. Register online at gllm.org andBE SURE TO SELECT CTK from the dropdown menu. Lookingforward to seeing you at camp! Early Bird discount throughFebruary 14 to save $!

Once again, our preparing and serving anEaster morning breakfast as away to raise funds for camp,future youth trips and otheryouth programming. Help usmake this year a success!

CTK at GLL

Have a game? Maybe a dance show?

Be sure to let Billie Jo know! Text or

email me YOUR special events

because I want to cheer you on!

February YouthActivities

Students in grades 7-12 areinvited to gather for some fun

and fellowship this month!Wed 2/12, 7:50-9 pm:Valentine Making &

Cookie BakingJoin us to share love

throughout the community!Wed 2/26 7:50-9 pm: Why

Ashes?Together we will dig into Ash

Wednesday followed up somefun & games

Save The Date!Youth Fundraising BreakfastEaster Sunday: 4/12