Missional Offering

Mission Offering for August

The beneficiary of the August mission offering is the Mission Endowment Fund of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. The Mission Endowment Fund, established in 1999, is a mission outreach fund for use in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. The interest earned from the Fund is distributed regularly to those who apply and qualify for grants. The Mission Endowment Fund supports vital ministries that cannot be funded through either the synod or individual congregational budgets, such as the following:

· Scholarships for rostered leaders who are active members of established or developing ELCA congregations in the Gulf Coast Synod and who are enrolled in an approved seminary program;
· Grants for campus ministry programs at any college or university of the Gulf Coast Synod;
· “Seed money” to provide startup funds for congregation-based and synod-based ministry in established and developing congregations of the Gulf Coast Synod;
· “Seed money” to accelerate the growth of mission and ministry in young congregations of the Gulf Coast Synod.

The Synod hopes to increase the Mission Endowment Fund to $1 million by the end of August, in honor of the retirement of Bishop Paul Blom. For more information on the Mission Endowment Fund, see the synod website.

Special

Rally Sunday

Rally Sunday is the kick-off to the new Church School year. This year’s theme will be Equipping the Saints.

Sunday, August 26
9:45 a.m. Sunday Church School Kick-off

At 9:45 a.m. in the parish hall breakfast will be served. The children will present a small program including music for Orff instruments. Bibles will be presented to third graders, confirmands will be introduced, and children will meet their Sunday Church School teachers and take class pictures.

5:00 p.m. Barbecue Potluck with New Colleagues in Ministry

Rally Sunday activities continue in the evening at 5:00 p.m. in the courtyard and parish hall with barbecue by Goode Company. Bring your favorite beverage, sides and dessert. Suggested donation is $10 adult/$5 child.

Come by and meet the new Houston Campus Minister Bradley Fuerst and his wife Taylor, church administrator Dianne Giroir with her husband Rusty, and guest organist Sebastian Knebel with Victoria and son Alfred.

Worship

Morning Prayer

Each weekday morning at 8:15 a.m. Morning Prayer is said in the narthex. All are welcome to participate.

Prayer Around the Cross at Taizé Service on September 1

The Prayer Around the Cross will be held at the Taizé Eucharist on the first Saturday of each month at 6:00 p.m. A wooden cross on the floor of the altar sanctuary confronts worshipers with the suffering of Christ on behalf of humanity. In its presence the suffering of the world and our own burdens come to light. Christ gave salvation to all on the tree of the cross. It is the tree where life might be restored. Worshipers may choose to meditate on the cross from the pew or may enter the altar sanctuary and kneel at the cross.

Prayer Requests

To add a loved one to the prayer list please complete a prayer request card, located in the pew fronts, or on the mobile bulletin board, and give it to an usher, email the church office or call 713-523-2864. ext 21.

Prayer List Available

A complete prayer list of all the people for whom we pray can be found on the literature rack in the narthex or on the permanent bulletin board by the first floor elevators in the ministry building.

Fellowship

Join Us After Worship

Snacks, coffee, and juice will be provided after the 8:30 and 10:50 service. Please join us in the courtyard. Donations benefit world hunger.

Wednesday Night Alive! is starting September 5

Children and adults alike will fill every room and corner of the ministry building: eating, learning, singing, playing instruments, studying, praying, writing life stories, and so much more.
Stay tuned for more details!

Playgroup on Tuesdays 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Christ the King Church invites parents with babies and toddlers to participate in a playgroup on Tuesdays from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. in the nursery. Each week parents meet with children of various ages for fellowship and exchange. Playgroup will continue meeting throughout the summer on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 in the nursery. Please contact Diane Schoppe if you have any questions. All are welcome.

Parents’ Online Group

Log in to an online parent support group for quick answers to quick questions. Join the group of Christ the King Church members who take advantage of the accumulated wisdom and knowledge shared by parents of the youngest members.

To join the group, send an email to Penny Linsenmayer. Include your name and email address in the body of the message.

Luther League

Sunday nights at 6:00 p.m., all 6th grade through 12th grade youth are invited to the Luther League meetings in the youth room. Food, games, discussions, and new friends can be found during the 90 minute meetings. The meetings are led by youth director Tim Lenz along with other young adults and parents. Please contact Tim Lenz for more information. Click here to view the Luther League website.

Next Luther League Meeting

Sunday, September 2 at 6:00 p.m. is the next scheduled Luther League meeting in the basement youth room. We will be viewing and discussing parts of One, the Movie. More information on the film can be found at www.onetheproject.com . All 6th grade through 12th grade youth are invited. Friends are always welcome! Food and fellowship will precede the film.

Sunday Café Resumes on Rally Sunday

Sunday Café resumes on Rally Sunday, August 26 providing lunch in the parish hall at 12:15 p.m. An adult’s lunch is $5; a child’s lunch is $3. First time visitors receive a complimentary lunch; undergraduate and graduate student lunches are always complimentary.

Hey College Students! FREE MEALS! Woohoo…Oh Yeah!

Every Sunday after the late service, Sunday Café happens in the church fellowship area. Hungry’s caters, and college students eat for free. Life simply doesn’t get better than this! Come join members of Christ the King and fellow college students for great fellowship and a great meal.

Mark Sunday September 9th on your calendar! After Sunday Café (that free meal we’re talkin’ about), we will gather to talk about Lutheran Campus Ministry Bible study throughout this semester as well other Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry events happening throughout the year.

Dinner for Wednesday Volunteers on August 29

All Wednesday Night Alive! faculty and volunteers are invited to gather for dinner on August 29,  6:00-7:30 p.m. in the parish hall. It will be a time to reconnect and for general orientation. New volunteers are most welcome to join and find out about the opportunities to help and serve and be part of the program. The Wednesday Night Alive! program at Christ the King Church spans all generations living together in the faith. Look for details in the church communications throughout August. To RSVP for the dinner please contact the church office at or 713-523-2864 ext 21.

Fair Trade Coffee Sales Continue

Fair Trade coffee from Equal Exchange is on sale after services and through the church office.

Equal Exchange, founded in 1986, is the oldest and largest for-profit Fair Trade company in the US. They offer organic, gourmet coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, and chocolate bars produced by democratically run farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Yoga on Saturdays - 1:00 p.m.

The yoga class will meet on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. in the basement classroom. Bring a mat or foam for comfort. The cost is $7 per person.

Parents’ Night Out/Movies in the Hall

Mom! Dad! Need Some Quality Time Without The Kiddos? Join Parent’s Night Out!
Parents’ Night Out/Movies in the Hall (PNO/MITH) operates as an independent co-op of parents to provide affordable childcare in a safe and nurturing environment at Christ the King Church. The co-op is open to members and non-members. PNO/MITH usually occurs once a month. Two adult representatives from each family commit to work together ONCE in return for at least 10 nights of childcare during our calendar year. Our calendar year runs February through January. The Co-op offers age-appropriate care and activities for ages 5 and under in the nursery and age-appropriate activities and movies for ages 6 and up. The co-op accepts members throughout the year and offers prospective members one trial evening with no obligation to join.

Contact Barbara Scott to sign up.

Parents’ Night Out/Movies in the Hall (PNO/MITH) is an independent co-op of parents that use the church facilities at least once a month from 5:30 to 10:30 for affordable childcare. Two adult representatives from each family commit to work together ONE NIGHT during our calendar year which runs February through January. PNO offers age-appropriate care and activities for ages 5 and under in the nursery with the average cost being $10/child. MITH offers age-appropriate activities and movies for ages 6 and up in the parish hall supervised by 2 working parents. The normal cost of MITH is $1/child. The co-op uses an RSVP system to assure appropriate adult/child ratios and may limit the number of participants for an evening.

Education

Sunday Forum

Sundays at 9:45 a.m. in the basement classroom

Reading the Classics: Homer, The Iliad

Have you ever wanted to go back to college and read some of the “great books” of the West? Here is your chance to do so. In the first series of the Sunday Forum class offerings this fall we will read some of the greatest books ever written. We begin in September with Homer’s The Iliad.

On four Sundays, beginning September 9, Matthias Henze will read excerpts from this Greek classic. Please note that the rules of the Sunday Forum classes will change slightly. Participants are expected to read short sections from The Iliad before coming to class. The Iliad consists of 24 books. Below are the dates of the four class meetings. The books listed behind each date will be discussed on that Sunday; this means that the assigned books will have to be read before coming to class.

Start reading now! English translations are easily available at every major book store in Houston and on-line. It does not matter which translation is chosen, though the paperback edition and translation by Robert Fagles in the Penguin Classics series is recommended. Make sure that you bring your copy of The Iliad to every class meeting. And please don’t be intimidated: we will go through the text slowly and will take plenty of time for questions. Most importantly, you will find reading Homer immensely rewarding and will come to appreciate why The Iliad is one of the greatest timeless classics ever written.

September 9, The Iliad, Books 1 and 4
September 16, The Iliad, Books 6 and 9
September 23, The Iliad, Books 15 and 16
September 30, The Iliad, Books 22 and 2

Call for Sunday Church School Assistants and Substitute Teachers

Join the teaching team for a class by regular attendance but without a commitment to lesson preparation or be “on call” as a substitute teacher. Lessons will be pre-planned for subs.

Please e-mail Marie Monroe if you would like to join our fantastic teaching team this year.

Friday Study Group to examine the Patriarchal Narratives in the Book of Genesis

Everyone is invited to a new study with the Friday Morning Bible Study beginning September 7 at 10:00 a.m. We gather for snacks at 10:00 and conduct the study from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Pastor Moore will lead the study.

We will turn our attention to the biblical narrative of Genesis 12 - 50 concerning Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel, and Joseph. These sweeping narratives are foundational for the Hebrew and Christian understanding of the promissory character of faith.

The realism of the patriarchal narratives invites readers to participate in the developments, the threats, and deliverances that occur. God reigns magisterially over events, but God remains an “illusive presence” throughout. God is known through the experience of the events and the promise that brings meaning to the vicissitudes of human evil and folly.

Baptized into Christ - Luther’s Small Catechism

Persons wanting to deepen their understanding of faith or wanting to prepare for baptism are invited to this study of the most significant text for the Lutheran understanding of faith.

The Small Catechism was written almost 500 years ago by Martin Luther as a means to teach adults the basics of Christian faith. Like most catechisms of the day, the Small Catechism included sections on 1. The Ten Commandments, 2. The Apostles Creed, and 3. The Lord’s Prayer. Luther added sections on 4. Holy Baptism and 5. Holy Communion.

The class begins on Wednesday, September 5, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the council room on the second floor and will be taught by Pastor Moore. The series is scheduled for September through November and January through April.

Service & Care

Feed the Homeless

The Feed the Homeless Ministry meets on Monday, August 27 at 5:45 p.m. in the kitchen at Christ the King Church.

Join us on the 2nd and 4th Monday evenings of each month at Christ the King Lutheran Church to make sandwiches and prepare meals, and then deliver them to downtown homeless individuals. Our schedule is as follows:

5:45 p.m. - Meet in the kitchen and parish hall to set up and prepare the meals
7:00 p.m. - Leave CTK for downtown to deliver the meals

All are invited to help out with meal preparation, downtown delivery, or both! All are welcome.Contact Wendy Wiker for more information.

Shoes Needed For Orphan Souls!!

There are millions of feet all over world that belong to kids without shoes.

Today is the last day to make donations to the Shoes for Orphan Souls project. Shoe sizes needed are youth 1 through adult 10.
Due to customs regulations, shoes for the children need to be new. We also need new white socks for those beautiful feet! If you’d prefer to give a cash donation, make the checks out to Christ the King Lutheran Church, memorandum Shoes for Orphan Souls.

Get Ready

A graph of hurricane frequency over the past 100 years indicates that the majority of hurricanes form in September. As we draw closer to that busy month, it pays to repeat the preparedness message. Persons living alone should find a family member or friend with whom they can either evacuate or shelter in place, No one should be alone. The Care Team here at CTK has been evaluating this situation within our congregation. If you have concerns about yourself or someone else, please contact Linda Schoene, Congregational Nurse.

In addition, avoid the long lines and frenzy that occur when a hurricane threatens by taking time now to stock up on water and non-perishable food items. Make sure the flashlights have fresh batteries and the first aid kit is stacked. Keep all medications up to date and phone numbers and important papers handy. Being prepared readies us care for ourselves and our families and positions us to help others!

Donate Blood
Deep in the Heart of Texas

Christ the King Church will host a blood drive August 26, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
The M.D. Anderson Blood Mobile will be in the vet clinic parking lot across the street.

Thrivent Builds with Habitat

Thrivent Builds is sponsoring two Habitat for Humanity home builds in Umland Park September 28, 29, and October 5, 6, 13.. If you are interested in helping a family build an affordable home, contact Torsten Louis for further information.

Food Service Ministry Continues this Fall on Wednesday Nights: Calling all Cooks and Bottlewashers

Our Food Service Ministry Team will continue to delight our hungry Wednesday Night Alive! participants again this school year. We are blessed with great cooking, as well as serving and cleaning talent, in our congregation. All members who enjoy good food and good fellowship are invited to join us by volunteering one Wednesday night during the fall semester. Food service will be from 5:30-7:00 p.m. each Wednesday from September 5 through December 5. We have a full range of positions available from skilled to unskilled (from cooks to servers to dishwashers). And not only do Food Service Ministry Team volunteers get the satisfaction of serving others, but they also get a free meal. How’s that for a great deal?! For more information or to volunteer, please contact Beverly Davis