Welcome

Welcome to the Christ the King website! Take a minute to discover the many ways God is calling this community to be a compassionate and compelling presence in the neighborhood. Check out the weekly Wednesday community meal, community health opportunities and faith practice for all ages! At CTK, if you show up…you belong!

An Update to Our Response to COVID-19

“Go, my people, enter your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide for a little while, until the wrath is past.”- Isaiah 26:20 -

Dear People of Christ the King,

This week the congregational leadership met and discussed how to be faithful as a community during this unprecedented global pandemic. After discussing the CDC guidelines that "no gatherings over 50 people take place over the next eight weeks" and the updated recommendation from the President that lowered the number to 10, we have decided that during this time love looks like an empty building.

For this reason, Christ the King will host no indoor in-person gatherings of any size for the next eight weeks, until May 12th.

The staff of Christ the King will continue to have a presence in the building during our regular office hours, even while some of us will be doing a larger part of our work at a distance. We are committed to being here so that we can be a dependable resource for you and our whole community during these unpredictable times. If you are in any need, please don't hesitate to call at (952) 881-8600.

We are actively planning ways to safely celebrate Easter and Holy Week. An announcement about our updated Holy Weeks plans will be out by the end of next week.

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Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the human should be alone." - Genesis 2:18 -

Our community still needs connection more than ever.

Pastoral care will be available upon request throughout this unusual season of our life together. We are also setting up calling trees so that no one in our community falls through the cracks in this time of increased isolation. (If you are willing to be a "caller" please email or call the office by Friday at noon.) We are also hosting regular times to be together virtually. Find the full schedule of our current virtual activities below.

Jesus asked a third time, “Do you love me?” And Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep." - John 21:18 -

Our community still needs generosity more than ever.

This is why we are committed to continuing our practice of feeding people. We transitioned our Wednesday night meal to takeout only so that the dozens of people who rely on that meal are still able to eat.

This morning we also learned that Hennepin county is putting seniors who are homeless in hotels and until Sunday dinner they need others to provide meals. This is why we were asked, and agreed to provide 150 meals this Sunday night for homeless seniors who are being sheltered at a hotel here in Bloomington.

Your continued generosity will give us the resources to be able to respond to spiritual and physical needs, both the ongoing needs of our community and the unknown needs that are arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, suspending in-person gatherings means will we cannot collect in-person offerings. That's why I am encouraging you to mail in your tithes and offerings, or to give electronically. You can give by going to ctkb.org/generosity or by texting "GIVE" to 320-313-1815. Thank you for making a one-time or reoccurring gift today.

 O God, my soul yearns for you in the night, my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.                                                                                                                                - Isaiah 26:9 -

Our community still needs grace more than ever.

CTK staff members and volunteers are already at work, figuring out creative ways to provide devotional and worship resources to share at home. We are committed to continuing to proclaim the good news of God's grace. We will have digital worship posted on our website, Facebook page, and on YouTube every Sunday at 9:30am and every Wednesday in Lent at 6pm. We are also sharing devotions, home worship, and spiritual practice resources. Below and on our website, you can find a full list of what we are doing currently.

During this time, we will continue to re-assess the public health situation as it changes and will update our practices accordingly to best protect and love our whole community.

We continue to invite you to wake up each day with prayer. Use the following prayer as a part of your practice to keep us mindful we are united as a congregation even as we maintain physical separation.

Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, AMEN

We call on all members to continue to follow public health advisories: frequent hand-washing for twenty seconds or more, cover coughs, refrain from handshaking, maintain a distance of three to six feet from others, stay home when you are sick.

Peace be with you,

Pastor Rory Philstrom

on behalf of your Council, Pastors, and Staff

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