Special

Do you Forget to Bring your Offering Envelopes to Sunday Service?

How often do you arrive to church on Sunday with your check book but forget your offering envelope?

Here are 2 ways you can simplify your life:

forget the envelopes, just bring the check book.
subscribe to Simply Giving, the automatic withdrawal program.

Both ways eliminate the expense of mail-order envelopes and help the church to spend your contributions more effectively.
To unsubscribe to the mail-order offering envelopes, contact the church office or 713-523-2864

Save Time and Money by Switching from Paper to Online

Would you rather receive the Banner electronically and eliminate mailing? Contact the chuch office or 713-523-2864.

The mission offering is collected at the church doors at the end of worship.

Mission Offering for March - Christian Community Service Center

The mission of Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) is to serve the poor, hungry, disabled and otherwise needy while respecting their religious, ethnic, or cultural differences.
In its 27th year, Christian Community Service Center continued to meet the vital needs of our neighbors in crisis. As is the agency’s hallmark, CCSC exceeded industry standards in corporate governance and the allocation of expenses to program services. With the support of 37 covenant congregations and hundreds of dedicated volunteers, lives were changed through six social service programs (Emergency Services, JobNet, Martha’s Way, Back To School, Jingle Bell Express, The Louise J. Moran Vision Care Program) and the Sunshine Resale Shop.

In the past year members and friends of Christ the King Church donated over $7800 to CCSC’s programs and services. Many of our members volunteer with CCSC on a regular basis. Mission Offerings for CCSC will be accepted throughout March in all services of worship.

Mission Offering Envelopes

Thank you to all our members who have been contributing generously to our monthly mission offerings. If you would like your mission offering to appear on your contribution statement, please pick up a mission offering envelope from the pew and put it in the usher’s offering baskets as you leave worship services. You may also write a check and earmark ‘mission offering’.

Special

Time and Talent!

It is not too late to turn in your Time and Talent sheet. There are many ways you can minister within our congregation, in our community, and in the world. Look through your 2008 Time and Talent catalog for a myriad of ways you can serve. For more information about any of the opportunities, please contact either the person listed in the catalog for the activity or contact Beverly Davis

Worship

Godly Play Lessons Today

Pre K - 2nd Grade: The Faces of Easter
3rd Grade:

Sunday Church School and Mission Offerings

On Palm Sunday, March 16, at both services children will bring the offerings they have collected during the Lenten season to the altar at the time of the offertory. Families have begun to teach their children about the meaning of offering. Children drop money in church banks in their class rooms. Many are eager to put their (or their parents’) mission offering in the basket at the end of the worship service when they leave the nave. Thank you to all families who teach their children to reach beyond themselves and support our congregational emphasis for increasing communication about the use and impact of our resources.

Holy Week and Easter Schedules

Canonical Hours Enrich Holy Week

The eight canonical hours mark the vigil from Good Friday (midnight) until the Saturday Easter Vigil (10:45 p.m.). Every three hours a 30-minute service will occur in the narthex chapel, beginning at midnight. Everyone is invited to join the prayers at these times. If you would like to say the canonical hours at home or elsewhere, copies of the services will be available on the narthex table.

Prayer Around the Cross at Taizé Service

The congregation and friends of Christ the King Church are invited to the Taizé service on the first Saturday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the nave with Prayer around the Cross.
The Taizé service provides a unique worship experience focusing on silence and reflection. The music is simple yet uplifting. Worshipers come from all over the Houston area.

Altar Guild Vases

Members who have received the altar flowers in the past are kindly asked to return the vases to the Altar Guild sacristy.

Morning Prayer

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

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.

Music

March 16, 2008 • 5:00 p.m.
March 18, 2008 • 7:00 p.m.
March 21, 2008 • 3:00 p.m.
Abendmusik: Bach St. Matthew Passion
Bach Choir & Orchestra
Christfried Brödel, guest conductor.

For more information visit our website at www.bachsocietyhouston.org or call (713) 523-2864.
The Bach Society is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

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.

A Foyers Group?

It's all about hospitality, and debuts after Easter. Check out the table in the narthex after services today.

Easter Breakfast, Candy And Flowers

Help make Easter Sunday a delightful morning for all! You may contribute as little or much as you wish to three causes during the Easter Sunday fellowship hour at 9:45 a.m. in the parish hall and courtyard:

Bring food or a ready made dish for the Easter breakfast. Please contact Beverly Davis

Donate plastic eggs and individually wrapped candies between now and Good Friday. The Luther League will fill the eggs for the annual Easter egg hunt during their lock-in. Donations may be left in the narthex on Sundays and at the greeters’ table on Wednesdays.

Bring fresh flowers on Easter Sunday morning for the “Flowering of the Cross.” It is also possible to donate money toward flowers so that there will be enough to go around for this delightful Easter activity. Mark checks with “Flowering of the Cross.”

Wednesday Night Alive!
(there will be no Wednesday Night Alive! during Holy Week)

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. The Wednesday Night Alive! program has grown from an exclusively children orientated ministry in its early years to a weekly congregational event spanning all generations from infant to those reflecting on their life stories. All members and friends are invited to come and see the building up of strong bones for the body of Christ.

The offerings are very similar to previous years. The schedule, detailed class descriptions, and registration packet are available in the narthex.

We need volunteers and leaders willing to commit to two or three Wednesdays a semester in the following areas:

Kitchen Help – cooking, cleaning, serving. Here is your opportunity to Praise God with a Spoon and Pot! We are especially looking for chefs and assistant cooks.
Welcome Table – we need smiling faces to greet, help with registration, and sell dinner tickets.
Godly Play – both those certified as teachers and those who can quietly assist as Door Persons are needed for the Godly Play class. No experience is required for Door Persons. We especially need volunteers who are not parents of young children for this role.
Kids Club and World Explorers – these special groups are led by Tim Lenz and Irmi Willcockson respectively. They need creative and patient volunteers who are called to work with elementary age children in games, crafts, science studies, and similar areas.

If you would like to serve as a volunteer in a position this year, please let Pastor Liebster and/or Alicia Goodrow know.

Wednesday Night Dinners

There will be no dinners during Holy Week.

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in the parish hall
Instead of cooking on Wednesday evenings, swing by the parish hall and either eat-in with friends and family, or take-out a delicious and inexpensive meal. Adult dinners are $5 and children’s plates are $3.

Life Stories Writing Workshop
(not meeting during Holy Week)

The Life Stories Workshop meets on Wednesdays from 5:00—6:45 p.m. in the council room. Weekly workshops will be held through April 2. The workshops are held for those who want to capture some of their life stories, explore story telling or tackle some personal essays. No previous writing experience is necessary.

No previous writing experience is necessary. For information contact Anna Fay Williams

Scandinavian Folk Dance
(not meeting during Holy Week)

The Scandinavian Folk Dancers of Houston invite you to check them out and consider joining the group. It’s convenient (they practice in the church basement) and it is a lot of fun. They do folk dances from all five Scandinavian countries, and perform publicly five to ten times a year. Practice is on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. For more information contact the church office.

Sunday Snack Providers!

Are you looking for a way to help out that will make a big impact without a big time commitment?
Please consider becoming a snack provider!
Most of our volunteers are asked to provide snacks for either service (your choice) twice per year. The snacks can be as simple or as complicated as you wish - no culinary degree required!
Becoming a snack provider is a great way to help make our Sunday mornings more hospitable for guests and more fun for our members. All the money raised goes directly to World Hunger Appeal.
Join us today! Contact Anita Bryant

Playgroup Invitation
(not meeting during Holy Week)

We are looking forward to a wonderful year in 2008, and hope you will join us for fellowship in Christ the King's playgroup.  This is a great way to visit with other parents who have babies and young children.  It also provides an opportunity for young children to play and interact with each other, developing their social skills in a small group setting.  The playgroup is open to all parents and their small children.  We meet in the church nursery one morning each week.
 
We will meet on Mondasy from 10:00 to 11:30 each week.
Stop by and visit!  Bring a friend!

If you have any questions about the playgroup or the field trip, please contact Diane Schoppe at or Franziska Fischer

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

The Luther League is for all 6th grade through 12th grade youth Meetings are generally held 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.

Leipzig Youth Arrive during Holy Week!

The St. Thomas Church youth and adults arrive March 19 for a nine day stay in Houston to participate in educational, liturgical, service, and fellowship events with friends and members of Christ the King Church. The two groups will have the chance to reconnect and strengthen relationships after our youth group visited them in Germany last spring. The 17 youth and 4 adult chaperones from Leipzig, Germany will be staying with seven host families from our congregation. All Luther Leaguers are encouraged to participate in the many events that will take place during the nine day visit which include worship services, trip to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, NASA, Galveston, Museum District, Texas hill country, and our annual Good Friday Lock-in.

Sunday Café

No Sunday Café on Easter Sunday
Sunday Café provides 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.

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.

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.

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 parish hall

Through March 16 at 9:45 a.m. in the parish hall: Dr. Nickelsburg will teach on Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins. Participants are invited to read the chapters ahead of class.

Literature and Faith in Jesus’ Time (Second Temple Period)

The Melanchthon Institute is pleased to welcome theologian-in-residence Professor George W.E. Nickelsburg who is offering classes on the theme of Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins in February and March. In his book by the same title he studies diversity, continuity and transformation of faith in Judaism and early Christianity in the period of the Second Temple. Dr. Nickelsburg has done pioneer work in this new scholarly field for more than thirty years.

George W. E. Nickelsburg is Emeritus Professor of Religion at the University of Iowa, where he taught for more than three decades. His many works include 1 Enoch (Hermeneia; 2001) and Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishnah (1981, 2nd ed. 2005), both from Fortress Press. Dr. Nickelsburg is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Friday Morning Bible Study

New participants are always welcome to the Friday Morning Bible Study and will find that entry into the group is easy. Snacks are served at 10:00 a.m.; the class begins at 10:30.

Baptized into Christ - Luther’s Small Catechism

Not meeting during Holy Week
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 class is on Wednesday, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the council room and will be taught by Pastor Moore. The series is scheduled through April.

New Member Class

If you are interested in becoming a member of Christ the King Church, you are invited to attend the Adult Catechesis class.
We will offer a 2-day class on Friday, April 25, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 26, from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

These classes, based on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, are open to inquirers, those seeking membership, and members wishing to refresh their memory on the basic tenets of our faith.
You may sign up on the bulletin board or contact the church office. Childcare is available when requested the Monday prior to the class.

Young Adult Bible Study on First And Third Mondays

Campus pastor Brad Fuerst is offering a Bible study specifically for young adults on first and third Monday nights of each month. There will be no Bible Study on March 17. Pr. Brad will be accompanying UH students on a mission trip to New Orleans. The next meeting is April 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the second floor council room at Christ the King Lutheran Church. The meeting ends at 7:30 p.m.; participants go out afterwards for fellowship.

The Bible study complements the ministry of service through “Feed the Homeless” which happens every second and fourth Monday of the month. The focus of the Bible study is on Christian ethics and discipleship. Our liturgical worship together will serve as a framework for this study. Participants are encouraged to bring snacks to share…oh, and do bring your Bible as well. Preferably, the New Revised Standard Version.

Service & Care

Walk to Jerusalem

Our “Walk to Jerusalem” began February 1. Compared to “walking to Bethlehem”, we have half the time to reach our goal of 7,097 miles to Jerusalem. We need EVERYONE to walk in order to make it. Remember, you can track your actual miles or use the formula: 20 minutes of exercise equals 1 mile. Post your miles on the mobile bulletin board or email them to Linda Schoene.  Let’s keep walking!

March is National Peanut Month!

You are invited to bring jars of peanut butter to contribute to Christian Community Service Center’s Food Pantry. You may drop off your peanut butter in the basket in the narthex on Sundays, along with any other canned goods or non-perishable items. In 2006, the majority of the food given to CCSC’s clients came from food donations and was worth $157,723. The food we donate adds great value to CCSC’s bottom line and more importantly feeds the hungry in our community. THANK YOU!

Make Your Reservations Now!!
CCSC’s 12th annual Azalea Dinner, March 27

All the believers were one in heart and mind…they shared everything…and much grace was upon them all. Acts 4: 32-35
Needed: Attendees, Auction Items & Table Sponsorships!! For more information please call Kelly Finkenbinder-713-961-3993.

Measure Up! Rule Out Debt to Fight Global Poverty

Christ the King Lutheran Church has been a One Lutheran congregation for several years. As a One Congregation, we will join with faith communities around the world on Sunday, April 13, to raise awareness and to advocate on behalf of the world’s impoverished. Please pick up a Measure Up! post card from the bulletin board and ask your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Jubilee Act.

As a One congregation, we are actively engaged in advocacy on hunger and justice issues and we join others in supporting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDG’s are 8 interrelated targets toward the elimination of extreme poverty by 2015. More than 180 countries, including the United States, have endorsed the goals, which include:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other disease
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Create a global partnership for development

The Jubilee Act (HR 2634/S 2166) which calls for expanded debt cancellation to all countries that need it in order to reach the UN Millennium Development goals is one of the major 2008 legislative priorities for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Washington Office. The Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of more than 80 religious denominations and communities including the ELCA, along with human rights, environmental, labor, and community groups working for the cancellation of debt and ending poverty, has launched the Measure Up! Rule Out Debt! campaign to build support for the passage of the Jubilee Act. The Jubilee Act is the most important piece of debt legislation in the past seven years and is one of the most widely supported anti-poverty bills in Congress.

Volunteer at the Houston Food Bank

Please resolve to join the volunteers going to THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK on the second Saturdays of odd numbered months. You can perform a wonderful service, burn calories, build muscles, and make new friends all at the same time. Please mark your calendars now for these 2008 dates: May 10, July 12, September 13, and November 8. 

We leave the church at 8:00 and return about noon. You will be glad you did.
For more information, contact Anna Stock

Feed the Homeless

The Feed the Homeless Ministry meets on Monday, March 24 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.

Fair Trade Coffee Sales Continue

Fair Trade coffee from Equal Exchange is on sale after services and during the week in 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, hot cocoa and baking cocoa, and chocolate bars produced by democratically run farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Order these items online

Printer/Ink Cartridges Needed!

Luther League needs your ink cartridges! The youth of Christ the King urge you not to throw away that printer cartridge when it’s empty – recycle it! The youth group is starting a recycle drive in cooperation with Cartridge World in West University. Cartridge World will make a donation to CTK for the benefit of Luther League for each cartridge we recycle. That can add up to big bucks for programming, youth gatherings and mission trips. If you are already refilling your cartridges, please consider taking them to Cartridge World (located at 4036 Bellaire Blvd, next to Whole Foods) and telling them “Christ the King sent me!”