Mini-Sabbatical

Dear CTK family,

I wanted to let you know that I’ll be taking a extended break starting Dec. 26th. It has been a long and excruciating two years of ministry for me related to the special case. Though I may not show it, I am thoroughly exhausted and need to catch my breath. The Lord has graciously enabled me to keep going through it all, but now he is calling me to get some rest.

While I would likely need a full 3 month sabbatical to really rest and recover, I don’t believe the church is in a place where we can sustain that. So, I will take roughly a month off, returning for our Winter Getaway on January 24th.

During this time I will be away from all my duties at CTK and will be off communications to try to really rest.

While I’m out, some friends of CTK will come to preach and administer communion each Sunday.  They’ve all been with us before and are familiar with our church. They are: RUF UCONN Pastor David Augustine, Emmanuel NYC Pastor Tim Chang and RUF MIT Pastor Solomon Kim.  Together they will preach through a mini series on the parables of Jesus. I’m grateful for their support in helping me get this break and look forward to hearing about the series.

I hope to rest well while I am on break. Please pray for me in that. I’m grateful for your many prayers for me during this time. I believe they are a large part of how I’ve been able to keep going.

Thank you for your support in the Lord and I will look forward to being back with you at the Getaway.

-Travis

pastoral note

Dear CTK family,

You may be feeling a variety of things today as a result of the election.  I feel many things myself.  At the conclusion of a long and contentious election, I want to share a short pastoral note to help us process this result as a community and, most of all, to help us remember the Lord as our King in the days to come.  

If you feel elated or relieved at the result –

Talk to God about these things and set them before him, first and foremost.  Be careful not to put more of your hope in the result than it can hold.  Ps. 146:3-4 says, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.”  It is not wrong to hope in this life, but this life does not last. So, in relief or elation, do not forget the only King and only hope that truly lasts and that truly sets you and others free.  He is the one our hearts need most.  He is the One whose kingdom we pray would come and whose will we pray would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Look to him most of all in this time.  And as you look to your King, do not forget or look down on your neighbor who may feel differently. You are still called to love them as yourself and to care for and about them. Because power, in the Christian life, is meant to be used for others (Mt 20:28), not lorded over them (Mt. 20:25).   

If you are discouraged, angry, or worried by the result –

Also remember Ps. 146:3-4.  The ways and plans of ‘princes’ come and go, but the Lord is enthroned forever (Ps. 9:7).  If, quite differently than your elated or relieved neighbor, the president-elect makes you deeply worried, remember there is a king above this ‘prince.’  And that King uses even the worst rulers as mere instruments in his hands to show what his loving, gracious and powerful kingship is like (see Rom. 9:17).  Though we need to process what is in our hearts and wrestle with our concerns, we are not without hope or help in that.  Rather, we have a God who gives us to withstand difficult circumstances and who makes us both know and show a resilience that is greater than the world can touch.  We are a free people in Christ – we always have been, no matter the earthly kingdom – and we always will be. We can be sad, angry or worried, but while we feel that, we are still drawn into something vastly greater by our King. Remember, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17).  

So whatever you feel today and in the days to come, invite the Lord to meet you in that.  Talk to him about what you feel.  Ask him to lead us, as the exiles and strangers we are, to the heavenly country that is our real home – even if we only see it and greet it from afar (Heb.11:13-16). 

May the Lord be near us,

Pastor Travis

Deacons

A major fire at an apartment building in Chelsea last week displaced over a dozen families. The city has temporarily sheltered them in a hotel, but they may be forced to leave next week. While La Colaborativa, a local community service organization, is working to extend their stay, the families are desperate to find other housing options to avoid being turned out on the street or forced to find space in shelters. If anyone at CTK has extra room in their homes where they could offer space to one of these families on a short-term basis, please inform the deacons at deacons@ctkcambridge.org, who will look into connecting you with La Colaborativa.

Children's Ministry Plans for Fall

We invite the congregation to an Information & Listening Session TONIGHT, Thursday, August 15 from 7:30-8:30pm on Zoom regarding the new direction and plans that the Children’s Ministry Leadership Team has been working on for the Fall. You can find more details of that plan here. The two main points are first, that we intend to prioritize teaching of all children through Grade 5 during the worship service. Because of limited volunteer and staff bandwidth, Sunday School classes for Grades K-5 would no longer be offered before the service (9:15-10:15 am) in order to shift resources for serving our children to the worship service. Secondly, we plan to introduce new curriculum materials in all children’s classes in the Fall. We realize this is a significant shift for children’s ministry, one that may raise questions and also may impact other ministry areas (e.g. Adult Ed and Youth Ministry). As we navigate these changes, we would like to hear input and feedback from the congregation, so please do join us tonight

An Update On Music Ministry Staffing

We want to let you know that, due to budget constraints and current need for the role, the Session has eliminated the role of music director at CTK. Instead, we are moving to a lead musician role, with responsibilities primarily for leading music during Sunday services. We have not yet begun a formal hiring process for this new role, but if you know of anyone who may be interested in the position, please have them reach out to jobs@ctkcambridge.org.  If you have questions about this update, you can reach out to the Session at elders@ctkcambridge.org.  Below please find a note to the congregation from former music director Amanda Holley. 

———

Dear CTK community,

It has been one of my greatest joys to lead this congregation in song, as we gave voice to our prayers and praises together. For almost 18 years, I had the privilege of worshiping, serving, celebrating, grieving, growing, praying, and doing life with the members of this church community while leading its music ministry. I am deeply saddened that my time at CTK-Cambridge has come to a close, but I am praying that the congregation will continue to sing the truths of who God is and what he has done, giving him all the honor and glory.

Amanda

If you would like to reach out to Amanda, you can contact her at amandarholley@gmail.com.

Congregational Meeting

Reminder: The members and regular attenders of Christ the King Presbyterian Church are invited to the annual congregational meeting this Sunday, July 14th. Lunch will be provided before the meeting, directly after the service. Meeting will start by 1pm.

July 4th

Join us for our annual July 4th Picnic at Sennott Park on Broadway in Cambridge, at 4:30p on Thursday the 4th! Invite friends and neighbors! Head to the fireworks afterwards, if you're feeling brave! Please sign up here to bring something or to help with set up or clean up. Pulled pork sandwiches provided by church, as well as plate/cutlery/etc. We especially are looking for help with set-up/clean-up. Hope to see you there!

Hospitality workshop

Join us for a workshop on Hospitality TOMORROW. Wednesday, May 29th at 7:30p.  The seminar is geared to help us take what we’re learning in the hospitality sermon series and have it come to life more in us.  Specifically, the seminar will help you find & implement hyper-practical ways of developing and improving your welcome and hospitality practices within the following 8 weeks.  The hope is that all or nearly all the church can attend so we can work on growing in this together.  To attend in person, please register here. For those who would like to attend via Zoom, a link will be sent out tomorrow afternoon.

Maundy Thursday Meditation

As we enter into the final days of Holy Week, please take a look at Pastor Travis’ Maundy Thursday Meditation, linked here.

Holy Week Services

For Good Friday, we’ll be joining with other Cambridge-area churches for a joint service.  This year, it will be hosted at Central Square Church (5 Magazine St.) at 7:30p on Friday, March 29.  It will be a tenebrae-style service.  Please join us for this opportunity to worship alongside brothers and sisters from other area churches as we remember Christ’s sacrifice.

Special Announcement from Lara

A Special Announcement from Lara Kastelein and her family:

Dear CTK Family,

I am sad to share that I will be stepping down from my position as Children’s Ministry Coordinator beginning in September. My last day will be September 3rd. Since moving to Chelmsford two years ago, with the many moving parts of family life this past year, and with the hope to continue to connect ourselves to the community where we live, Eric and I have been discussing visiting local congregations to see if there may be a good fit for us near Chelmsford. In order to give space for us to visit we are taking a season to back away from our church staff and volunteer roles to make this possible. We do not expect this to be a quick transition and we will still be around the CTK community for a while longer, but I am saying goodbye to a role that has been immensely rewarding and a job that I have deeply appreciated. I have been honored to serve this community, teach and care for our kids, share struggles and joys with parents, pivot in and out of COVID, and pray for you all. I will miss this role very much and I thank you all for your encouragement and love for me and my family.

Please continue to pray for Dana and our Children’s Ministry, and each season please take some time to consider how God may be calling you to serve the children of CTK. It may be as simple as greeting children on Sunday or praying for them each week, but perhaps you are ready for a season of serving in Sunday School, assisting in children’s classes, rocking babies in the nursery, or planning with the Leadership Team. I am grateful for those that serve and look forward to see who God raises up in this next season. 

Holy Week

A reminder of the Holy Week services this weekend:

Friday, 7:30pm :: Good Friday Tenebrae
A joint service with other Cambridge-area churches, held at Pentecostal Tabernacle (56 Magazine St., Cambridge). Come worship with other believers in our community!

Sunday, 6:30am :: Sunrise Service
Followed by breakfast. If you’re planning on attend are willing to help during the service or after, please email laura@ctkcambridge.org.

Sunday, 10:30am :: Easter Service
Please note, there will not be Sunday School or Adult Education on Easter Sunday.

Please join us as we remember and celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Volunteer Appreciation

Every May, the staff at CTK likes to take some time to acknowledge and appreciate the many volunteers who serve the church on Sundays and throughout the week. This week, we’d like to give thanks for our volunteers who serve outside of Sundays.

This includes our Community Group leaders; our Meals Ministry leader, Erin Ward; our Missions Liaison, Morgan Crago; our Men’s and Women’s ministry and Bible study leaders; as well as our finance committee and — this year especially — our building committee. And of course, let’s not forget our valiant and faithful snow team.

We are Christ’s body Monday thru Saturday just as we are on Sunday, so thank you to all the volunteers who serve throughout the week!

Easter Services

Please join us for our Holy Week services and for our sunrise breakfast. Please register by Wednesday for any services you plan to attend (we want to make sure we have enough bulletins and bacon for all!). For more details and to register, please visit ctkcambridge.org/holy-week.

• Thu, 4/14, 7:30p :: Maundy Thursday Service :: a service centering on the Lord’s Supper

• Fri, 4/15, 7:30p :: Good Friday Service :: a tenebrae service of readings and songs

• Sun, 4/17, 6a :: Sunrise Service and Breakfast :: a celebratory service followed by a shared meal

• Sun, 4/17, 10:30a :: Sunday Worship Service

We’re also in need of volunteers to help at these services. In particular, we need folks who are willing to greet at the services and a few who are willing to help set up and tear down for the Sunrise breakfast. If you’d willing to help, please contact laura@ctkcambridge.org.

Moliere

Moliere St. Surin, a friend and faithful attender of CTK, has been undergoing dialysis treatments for over a year, and he is in need of a new kidney. He is on a list to receive a transplant which, as you can imagine, is quite long. The alternative is for him to receive a transplant from a living donor, which would expedite his treatment. The deacons would like to ask the congregation to pray for Moliere's health and pray that the Lord may raise up a kidney donor for him in the coming months. deacons@ctkcambridge.org

Celebrating 25 Years, pt 2

You can also find the slideshow of photos from the party here. Feel free to add any additional photos. If you need any help adding files, please email Laura.