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Dear faithful people of Christ the King,

Thank you for your enthusiastic response to my return to serve Christ and Christ’s neighbors with you as interim pastor at Christ the King Church. Most of you have been unsure what to say (me too!) but so far, the most astute comment came yesterday from Jaylen Wiker: “I thought we were the last people you would baptize!” Comments like that are a big reason why I love our congregation’s youth!

As you know, the official start of my pastoral service is Friday, August 1, 2025, and at least in reference to our worship life, I’m keeping to that. That said, if you have an immediate pastoral care need, you should feel free to call me at (917) 952-8410. Knowing you as I do, I’m sure you won’t abuse this information with non-pastoral care calls.

My immediate concerns are for our extraordinary staff -- their morale, cohesiveness, and powerful sense of Christ’s mission. They’ve gone through challenging times, borne their burdens well, and deserve our thanks and my support and care. I think most of you know my other pastoral passions: worship and the integrity of the liturgy; preaching and teaching; and of equal importance, pastoral care. These are and always have been my top priority.

I have two requests of all of you.

First, please pray for Carole and me.

Second, if you have any concern about anything in our life together at Christ the King Church, please speak directly to me. Please don’t just “talk among yourselves.” That creates heat, not light, and it accomplishes nothing.

Carole and I have been, and will continue, to pray for each of you individually and in our life together. Experience tells us that God hears us and uses our prayers to accomplish God’s goals.

We’ll all have much to say and share in the weeks ahead. I invite you to begin the next leg of our journey together by praying this prayer of faith active in love together:

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as 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 Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Peace and Joy – and Courage!

Mandy
Amandus J. Derr