Transition
CTK Administrator
Congregational Meeting

The members of Christ the King Presbyterian Church are called to a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, November 22, 2020 from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, preceded by a prayer meeting that will start at 6:30p. This meeting will be held virtually.

Business to be conducted at the meeting:

  1. Elect a pastoral search committee* for the purpose of recommending a pastoral candidate for Cambridge

  2. Elect church officers – the slate of candidates to be elected will be shared upon approval by the Session

  3. Share information with the church

Instructions for how to participate in the virtual meeting will be forthcoming.

* PCA Book of Church Order chapter 20-2

Transition
CTK Administrator
Congregational Meeting (10/18)

The members of Christ the King Presbyterian Church are called to two upcoming Congregational Meetings.

The first is on Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 7:00 PM and will be held virtually. Business to be conducted at the October meeting:
1. Consider the resignation of Rev. Rick Downs as Pastor of Christ the King Presbyterian Church
2. Approve a process for forming a pastoral search committee*
3. Hear more information and ask questions related to placing an interim pastor in Cambridge and the search for a permanent replacement

The second is on Sunday, November 15, 2020 at 7:00 PM and will be held virtually. Business to be conducted at the November meeting:
1. Elect a pastoral search committee* for the purpose of recommending a pastoral candidate for Cambridge
2. Elect church officers – the slate of candidates to be elected will be shared upon approval by the Session

For updates about these two meetings, please follow https://www.ctkboston.org/news-events. Instructions for how to participate in the virtual meetings will be forthcoming. Other business may be added to either meeting. If so, we will provide advance notice.

* PCA Book of Church Order chapter 20-2

Sunday Service

Children's Worship

This summer we have begun a new pick up procedure for children’s worship in order for the children to be in the service for the Lord’s Supper and Benediction.  After the sermon, there will now be a song before we take the Lord’s Supper; during the song one parent can head to the back foyer outside of the fellowship hall on the bathroom side.  Pick up will take place at the door at the top of the stairwell. Please remember your security tag when you come for pick up. Drop off will remain as usual during the Passing of the Peace.

During Sunday services, sermon worksheets will be available for both 3rd-5th graders and Middle Schoolers to pick up during the Passing of the Peace to the right of the stage. Bring your worksheet to show Miss Dana or Miss Lara what you were able to complete after the service for a treat!

Adult Ed Class

Adult Ed Class: Religious Poetry
Calling all poets! For two weeks we will explore the craft and culture of Christian poetry and analyze a few classic poems to learn how poetry can capture the imagination and ennoble the heart. Poetry is the common denominator of the Bible and can enrich the life of contemplation and praise. After a primer, we will examine the poetry of Herbert, Vaughan, and Christina Rossetti. God is the Poet Laureate of the Universe speaking to us in echos that defy normal speech. Class will be in-person in the Social Hall with a Zoom option. Starting on July 3, Adult Ed will be on hiatus for the summer.

Content Note

Parents of Grades 3-5: We wanted to give you advance notice that this Sunday’s sermon passage deals with a sensitive subject, namely the beheading of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29 ESV). As usual, younger children aged 4 years to Grade 2 will be dismissed prior to the Scripture reading and so will not be present. For children in Grades 3-5 who might find this account unsettling or disturbing, parents are encouraged to talk with them about the passage in advance. For guidance, you might refer to the passage in the ICB translation (International Children’s Bible) with language targeted to the Grade 3 level.

New Hotline Number

If you need to get ahold of staff on a Sunday morning (i.e., if you are scheduled to volunteer on a Sunday and have to cancel at the last minute, or if you’re watching the livestream and are having an issue, or need to cancel your registration for the service), you can now text the church at 617-864-5464. This is the same number to call the church office and is listed on our webpage. The old “CTK Hotline” number is no longer active.

Resurrection Eggs

Resurrection Egg Kits available: Homemade Resurrection Egg Kits are egg cartons with plastic Easter eggs filled with 12 different objects and scripture verses to help explain the story of the Passover feast through Jesus's death on the cross leading up to the empty tomb on Easter morning. We have enough for one per family and if you have not received one, completed kits will be available this Sunday for families to pick up after the service. Please contact lara@ctkcambridge.org if you have any questions.

Generous Justice

In the Adult education class, we have been pursuing the themes of Micah 6:8 - act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. During the summer, we went through Michael Card's wonderful study on Hesed. (mercy) Morgan Crago has led us through an insightful study of racism in the Presbyterian Church. In our current Adult Ed class, we are using Tim Keller's book Generous Justice to pursue what it means to act justly. In preparation, Pastor Clyde recommends this video from the Bible Project on the meaning of justice in the scriptures as well as this article on critical theory from Tim Keller.

Adult Ed (Pic)

Please note, there is no Adult Education this Sunday (9/5).

Adult Education will resume on Zoom on 9/12 with a new class: In continuation of our study of hesed, or God’s lovingkindness, and in preparation for our subsequent study on the theme of God’s justice, the Adult Ed class will be going through a 2-week study of US Presbyterian history, focusing on the history of our tradition’s response to issues of justice, particularly in the area of race and ethnicity. The class will look at teachings about race in the 20th century southern Presbyterian church, the role of African Americans in these churches, the cultural forces at play in the formation of the PCA in the 1970s, and more recent 21st-century denominational statements about race and corporate repentance.

Children's Worship

Children’s Worship is starting soon for children 4 and 5 years! Parents and children are invited to join us after the service on Sunday, September 12 for an Open House. Come tour the classroom in our newly renovated basement, preview our curriculum and familiarize yourself with the class schedule and procedures. Class will then open on Sunday, September 19 for up to 10 registered students (with a waitlist available). Kids will be dismissed from the service prior to the sermon and parents must escort children to class in order to check them in. Please contact Dana Russell with any questions.

Note from the Elders

A Note from the Elders for Young Families:

We want to express how happy we are that families are increasingly making the decision to join us in person at 99 Prospect Street. We realize that it is a complex decision for all of you. If it helps, we are all delighted to hear the sound of children again, joyful or otherwise. Please feel fully supported if you choose to worship as families. Grace is a wonderful gift when shared freely.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read: ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” - Matthew 21