Rick & T Videos

Hello All,

Thank you so much for contributing to the various gifts for Rick & T. It has been a delight and an encouragement to reflect on their years with us at CTK. Many of the videos for Rick & T are just for them to see, but we do have two videos we thought you all would like to see. For those of you who weren’t in the service in person, here’s the video of the kids singing "Jesus Loves Me", and below is a slideshow of photos of Rick & T’s time with us, set to “Be Thou My Vision” by Opal Puckett.

Thanks again,

Laura
for the CTK Staff

Announcement

Join us this Sunday, August 2, for an important announcement directly after the service. There will be a Q&A at 7:30p on Zoom. There will be no “virtual coffee hour” this Sunday.

Tonight, the Cambridge Black Pastors Alliance and clergy from across the city — including from CTK — are gathering at 6pm for a George Floyd prayer vigil. This vigil will be livestreamed on Facebook and Youtube and can be watched live or after-the-fact.

Also, this afternoon, a pastoral letter was sent out via CTK Stories from the pastors and elders of the CTK Network regarding the death of George Floyd and the church’s response to this tragedy and systemic injustices that led to it. In the letter, they called for a special day of prayer and fasting on Friday, June 5 at 7am (password: 540769) and a time of prayer and lament on Sunday evening, June 7 at 7pm. The links to these events can be found at ctkcambridge.org/calendar.

The entirety of the pastoral letter can be read here.

Sunday Volunteers

Every week at CTK, in normal times and now, we serve the Lord and each other by contributing to our corporate worship through various roles.  But in these unprecedented times, the staff and leadership of CTK would like to express particular gratitude to the volunteers who have been serving on Sunday mornings these last weeks. With heartfelt thanks, we would like to recognize Tim Carter and Cara Pardo for serving on the music team, as well as Kris Sachsenmeier, Sam Beswick, and A.W. Simmons for running the livestream.

With deference, respect, and mutual love, all those involved on Sunday mornings — staff and volunteers alike — are encouraged to consider their own needs and the needs of their families, and to bow out from service at their discretion. With that in mind, the Pardos have decided that it would be best for their family for Cara to remain home on Sundays. We wanted to announce this in advance so that it wouldn’t be cause for surprise or concern on Sunday morning during the service. Their family is well. We are so grateful for Cara’s service and for Jonathan, Penny, and Maxwell’s sacrifice in doing without her these past five Sunday mornings.

Prayer and Fasting

Join us tomorrow (Good Friday) for a day of prayer and fasting. The PCA is calling all its members to join with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) in setting aside Good Friday, April 10, as a day of prayer and fasting to cry out for God’s help as well as a Holy Day of worship. CTK will participate with 4 online prayer times, at 7am, 12pm, 5pm, and 9pm, in addition to our Good Friday service at 7:30pm.

For more details and resources on prayer and fasting, as well as links to the online meetings, see ctkcambridge.org/prayer-and-fasting. There are also prayer worksheets available on that page for any children who would like to participate in the day of prayer.

Coronavirus Response (Week of 3/22) MONDAYS

In light of the CDC’s most recent recommendations that all gatherings of 50 or more people be suspended for the next eight weeks, CTK is putting in place more robust online platforms where the community can gather.

• We will continue to meet online on Sunday mornings at 10am for a livestreamed service.

• We've created a CTK Cambridge Slack site, ctk-cambridge.slack.com, as one way to stay connected, discuss what's happening with the church, ask for help, and learn about ways to help. You can join using this link. All church-wide announcements will still be made over email and on the web site.

• Tuesday morning prayer will meet online from 7-8:30a via Zoom. Visit ctkcambridge.org/prayer to find the link to the meeting and the written prayers. Download Zoom for free at zoom.us.

• Some ministries are on hiatus while others are meeting online. Please visit ctkcambridge.org/calendar to learn more.

• CGs are also encouraged to meet online. If you are a CG leader and need help setting that up, please contact the office.

• If you are not part of a CG and would like to be, please also contact the office.

Two more important points:

• If you are in need, whether that be for groceries or childcare or general connection, please reach out to the Deacons at ctkcambridge.org/requests or email them at deacons@ctkcambridge.org.

• If you are able to offer help (grocery shopping, childcare, phone calls), please also reach out to the Deacons at ctkcambridge.org/offer-assistance. Please consider making a donation to the Deacons’ Fund in this time of great need.

And as always, we would encourage the following:

• If you are feeling unwell or have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19, we would direct you to your healthcare provider.

• See the Cambridge Public Health Department’s information regarding Coronavirus, as well as the CDC.

• For more information regarding CTK changes and announcements concerning COVID-19, please visit ctkcambridge.org/coronavirus.

• We would also direct you to a letter from Rick to the congregation regarding our response as Christ’s body to the coronavirus.

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In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.

Andy Crouch at LCA

CORRECTION: LCA is hosting Andy Crouch on Thursday, February 13 (not Friday).

Lexington Christian Academy is hosting Putting Technology in Its Proper Place: An Evening with Andy Crouch on Thursday, February 13 at 7p . This event is free and open to the public, however, registration is required. This event is geared toward adults.

Tuesday prayer

Due to the forecasted snow, Tuesday morning prayer is cancelled for tomorrow. Stay safe!

Happy Thanksgiving

Apologies

Sorry for the extra email — I realized the Upcoming Events section didn’t come through with the last Reader. Mea culpa, mea culpa. ~Laura

Ministry Safe

Today is the deadline for the MinistrySafe training. Any members who serve in the nursery, who lead Children’s worship, or who teach Sunday school who have not completed the training will be unable to serve in the future until they have done so. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you don’t serve in those capacities but would still be interested in participating in the training, please contact dana@ctkcambridge.org.

Glynn Harrison

Registration is still open for adults, but please note, we have reached capacity for childcare.

WHAT: a series of talks on the ongoing sexual revolution and the response of the church
WHEN: Saturday, September 14th, 10a-3p
WHERE: 99 Prospect St., Cambridge
OTHER DETAILS:

• Optional lunch, $5

• Walk-ins are welcome, but to opt-in for lunch, pre-registration is strongly recommended.

• More details on our FAQ page or contact laura@ctkcambridge.org

January 20th

Due to forecasted weather, Adult Ed and Sunday school will be cancelled for Sunday, January 20th. The 10am service will be taking place for those who can safely make it to the church building. Please use your judgment and exercise caution.

If you are scheduled to volunteer but don’t think you’ll be able to make it to the service, please let your team leader know:

Music Volunteers: Amanda Holley
Nursery: Lara Kastelein
Sunday School/Children’s Worship: Dana Russell
Worship Service and Welcome & Hospitality: Laura Bullock

Informational Meeting for Members

In response to inquiries we’ve received, we want to tell you that the topic of the informational meeting scheduled for 9:00am on June 24 is the report delivered to the elders by GRACE.  Due to the sensitive nature of the report, some discussion may be inappropriate for children.  Parents are reminded that our usual Sunday School classes will be open, and we request that children be dropped off at the start of class at 8:45 to avoid interruption of the classes.

All-Church Picnic

Please make plans to join us this Saturday for the CTK All-Church Picnic. Google Maps et al will only get you in the vicinity, so here are exact directions to Houghton Pond Picnic Area 5, where we will be gathering — it's just 35 minutes from Cambridge, and rides are available for those who need them. Please contact Sarah Goodman if you are able to help with grilling, games or leading a hike.

Volunteer Appreciation Month

The staff of CTK is so grateful for all the ways that volunteers serve our community, and the month of May marks the time we set apart to express that.  There are a plethora of ways in which people serve the church, and we want to take an opportunity each week to shine a light on and express our gratitude for a different volunteer role.

For this Week: Cambridge is an international city, and CTK is an international church - and so every Monday evening, our ESL Volunteers open the doors of the church to teach English classes to members of the community and the congregations of CTK.  With small class sizes, ESL develops not only language skills, but friendships.  Led by experienced ESL teachers Anna Boardman and Mary Cote, classes are offered at a variety of levels - and they are looking for new volunteers for 2018-19!  Whether you’ve never taught ESL before or have years of experience, you can play a role teaching and loving members of our international community.  Contact Mary for more information.  Thank you, ESL team, for your service to our church and city!

Last Day for Registration

Time is almost up to register for the Winter Getaway!  Feel free to email office@ctkcambridge.org with any last-minute questions.  There are still private rooms available for families and scholarships are available upon request.  Visit www.ctkcambridge.org/getaway for more information and FAQs.  Come and join us!