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

Year-End Giving

End-of-Year Giving. If you're considering a year-end gift and want it to be recorded in 2020, here are some tips:

  • If you donate online, please initiate your gift on or before Thursday, December 31.

  • If you donate through your bank's bill pay service, please initiate your gift several days before December 31 so that the check is dated on or before December 31. (Mail checks to CTK, P.O. Box 390699, Cambridge, MA 02139.)

  • If you send a gift by mail, please be sure your envelope is postmarked December 31 or earlier. (Mail checks to CTK, P.O. Box 390699, Cambridge, MA 02139.)

  • To make a gift of stock, please contact giving@ctkboston.org for instructions.

2020 Giving Statements. To ensure that you receive your 2020 giving statement in a timely manner, please make sure we have your current contact information. To check or edit your information visit CTK Boston's Church Center site, enter your phone number or email address to log in, then select Profile and scroll down to Contact Information. If you prefer, you can email giving@ctkboston.org with any changes to your information.
While there, you can also see your giving history. Select Profile then My Giving then scroll down.

Interim

Update on the Interim: the Cambridge elders have officially issued a call to an interim pastor and he is excited to join us at CTK. There are, however, a few steps left to be completed: his presbytery needs to release him and our presbytery (Southern New England Presbytery) needs to approve him. Both presbyteries will be meeting in January. The elders are hopeful and excited to bring this interim pastor on board.

Clothing Donations

Aparecida Guilherme, regular attender at CTK, is gathering children's clothing to send to churches and missionaries in Sao Paolo and Minas Gerais in Brazil. She will be traveling in the new year to distribute the clothing to families in need. If you have clothing that your children have grown out of, or are no longer wearing, feel free to drop it off at the church any Sunday in December (13th, 20th, or 27th), or reach out to Rachel Thrasher to get help with delivering your clothing.

Church Assessment

A critical part of the transition process is prayerfully considering the history, mission, and vision for the church. Following a series of interviews, surveys, and interactions with a sample of the CTK congregation, including some staff, officers, and a variety of members, McGowan and Associates have compiled an assessment and a list of recommendations for CTK to consider as a congregation. The elders would invite the congregation to read these assessments and recommendations, as well as provide their feedback in a survey, all of which can be found at ctkcambridge.org/assessment. This information is also linked on the Transition web page, found on the CTK website under "About". This survey will be open and accepting responses through December. There will be additional opportunities to discuss the church’s history and mission in the new year, so stay tuned!

Candle Pick up

Join us on Christmas Eve for a Lessons & Carols service held online. While this service will be different than years past, one tradition we will be maintaining is the lighting of candles for the last two songs of the service. If you would like a candle for the service, we have some available for pick up or delivery - you can sign up for a candle here by Sunday the 20th.

Pastoral Search Announcements

PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE

The Pastoral Search Committee met for the first time last night. One of the things discussed was how important communication with the congregation is going to be in this process. With that in mind, there is now a PSC Blog that you can find on the transition web page (which lives under the About section on the website). The blog will be an informal place for the committee to share updates and reflections about the process. All important announcements will also be shared via the usual avenues (the Reader, Sunday morning announcements, etc).

In addition to the blog, there will be monthly updates in the Reader, including specific prayer requests from the PSC. While certain information during the search will need to be confidential, the aim is for the congregation to be as informed and involved as possible.

During last night’s meeting, the group decided on the committee chairs. They are

  • Chair: Gi Yoon-Huang

  • Co-Chair: Leonard Layne

  • Communications Chair: Laura Bullock

You can read more about these decisions and the meeting in the first blog post.

Finally, here are some prayer requests from the committee:

  • We have more roles to assign within the committee, so we ask for wisdom in those decisions.

  • We will have a training session with McGowan next week. Our contact at McGowan is named Ed Norton, and he’ll be guiding us through this process.

  • Please pray as we work to schedule a regular meeting time. Finding a weekly 2-hour block where nine people can consistently meet is a challenge, so please pray for that process.

Starlight Banquet

On Saturday, December 12, CTK is glad to let Starlight ministries use our church for their Annual Christmas Banquet. Starlight ministries is a branch of the Emmanuel Gospel Center and works to alleviate homelessness in Boston, and we have helped with their Christmas events in the past. Given the current situation, this will be a drop-by event where guests can come get a packaged meal and a gift. Starlight staff will use our kitchen to cook the food, but will need some help packing things and greeting the guests! Please consider signing up for some of the volunteer slots available on this spreadsheet.

Hike-a-thon

This weekend, from Friday, November 27 thru Sunday, November 29, the Massachusetts Audubon Society is hosting a Hike-a-thon. Anyone can join Hike-a-thon from anywhere! And all types of hikes are encouraged—from a stroll around the neighborhood to trying out a universally-accessible All Persons Trail to taking on a challenging summit hike. They are encouraging people to register ahead of time. There's no charge to participate, but donations are welcome to support MassAudubon’s mission. 

Gordon College Jobs

Job Openings: Applications are being accepted for the following staff positions at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. Please contact the Office of Human Resources at hr@gordon.edu for details and application procedure. Or call (978) 867-4240. Job Descriptions and applications are available on the College web site (www.gordon.edu/jobs).:

  • Admissions Counselor

  • Admissions Event Coordinator

  • Instruction Services & Electronic Resources Librarian

  • Manager, Business Development, Purchasing, and Scheduling

  • Resident Director (Aug 1 - May 31)

  • Custodian (Part time and Full time)

  • Campus Safety Officer

  • Dining Services

  • Graduate Marketing and Events Coordinator

  • Intercultural Student Services Coordinator

  • Director of Development

  • Groundskeeper

  • Licensed Plumber

Pentecostal Tabernacle

One of our church neighbors, Pentecostal Tabernacle (PT), is welcoming members of our congregation to serve alongside them for their Thanksgiving season outreach to the Cambridge community. On Saturday, November 21, PT will be distributing food and clothing to those in need with a "Pop-Up Food Pantry," and they need volunteers that morning as well as beforehand on Friday evening. Sign up here, and email Morgan Crago (mcrago@bu.edu) or Debbie Plummer at PT(debbie.plummer@ptspice.org) with any questions.

Housing Needed

Housing Needed: Michaila DeRieux is a servant team leader for RUF and a chemical engineering student at Virginia Tech. She was recently accepted into an Analytical Chemistry co-op at Entegris in Billerica, MA and is now looking for housing in the area for the Spring 2021 semester. If you know of any housing opportunities or have a room to rent anywhere between the Boston and Billerica area, please contact Michaila.

Graphic Design

Do you enjoy graphic design? Are composition, color, and fonts your jam? If so, please consider volunteering to design the sermon series graphic that lives on our homepage. A new graphic is usually needed every few months, and you can get input and feedback from the preacher as needed. If you’d be interested in this role and would like to learn more, please email laura@ctkcambridge.org.

Snow Team

There’s no business like snow business… the CTK Snow team is once again recruiting, and not a moment too soon! If you are willing to be called upon to redistribute accumulations of pretty, white ice crystals from time to time, please contact laura@ctkcambridge.org to sign up for the Snow Team email list. Shovels and salt will be provided. Masks will be required. Gloves and hats, recommended.