A Prayer for the National Election 2012

A prayer for Responsible citizenship
Lord God, you call your people to honor those in authority. Help us elect trustworthy leaders, participate in wise decisions for our common life, and serve our neighbors in local communities. Bless the leaders of our land, that we may be at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations of the earth; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen
From Evangelical Lutheran Worship p. 77

ELCA Responds to Hurricane Sandy

Rostered leaders of the ELCA received this email and video from our Presiding Bishop earlier this week. We continue to pray for all those affected by the storm and all who help in recovery efforts. Want to help? Donate to Lutheran Disaster Response online or in worship this Sunday.




Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

God's word of promise is given to all who are facing uncertainty, damage and disruption following Hurricane Sandy and its subsequent storms.

That word of promise is Christ is with you always. With Paul we can say, "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." (1 Corinthians 12:26)

As members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we remain in prayer, responding generously and working tirelessly to rebuild lives, congregations and communities.

We are not doing this work alone. Through ELCA Disaster Response, we are joining with our congregations, affiliates and other partners in our shared commitment to restore communities. As we have shown in past disasters, we stay until the work is done. That is the ELCA's commitment.

Please continue to respond with prayers, generous gifts of time and money, and the commitment to a sustaining presence. Visit ELCA Disaster Response at www.ELCA.org/disaster for updates, worship resources and ways to make contributions online.

Thank you for your prayers and generosity as we respond together and do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.

In God's grace,

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Affirmation of Baptism on Reformation Sunday

Congratulations to the 9th graders who affirmed their baptism on Reformation Sunday! May God bless and keep you always!

The face and hands of Christ

Earlier this week we learned in the church office of a young couple who are working multiple jobs in order to make ends meet. The couple came to us seeking assistance for transportation to a work site.

The young couple is trying in this trying economy to make a go of it. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it does not.
We were able to offer them assistance through the Good Samaritan Fund.
None of this could have happened without your generous weekly offerings.
A portion of the monthly offering (less than one percent) is set aside in our “Good Samaritan Fund.”
Members and friends of Christ the King have benefitted from this fund to help people in need. And total strangers, too! Bags of groceries, tanks of gas, a month’s rent, a late electric bill, and emergency shelter have all been made available through the Good Samaritan Fund.
We forget sometimes that we are the helping hands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The simple act of hospitality and generosity can show God’s love in a very human form.
Thank you for being the hands and face of Christ in the Gallatin Valley.

This congregation: A Community of Disciples

Christ the King: A Community of Disciples

“We are a Christian community practicing discipleship as we worship, learn, and serve.”

Any effective organization must revisit and recommit to their mission and purpose from time to time. With this in mind, the Pastors and church council have discerned that the true and simple purpose of our church is to be disciples of Christ and to make disciples of Christ. We intentionally and actively move towards fulfilling this purpose by connecting with God, connecting with others, and connecting to the world through opportunities to worship, learn, and serve.

Our simple mission statement of “We are a Christian community practicing discipleship as we worship, learn, and serve” calls us to engage in activities both inside and outside of our church walls. The diagram of three intertwining circles reminds us of the tri-fold mission to worship, learn, and serve, and demonstrates that by engaging in all three we grow as disciples. The cross in the center of the diagram emphasizes that Christ is the center of our very being, the perfect servant, and for whom we strive to be disciples.

With our affirmation of practicing discipleship comes the task of aligning our processes and activities with this mission. The most notable implication of this task will be a commitment to support and encourage citizens in their paths toward, in, and of discipleship.

Moving forward, you may expect to find a more consistent and personal invitation to worship, learn, and serve. It is with this intention towards developing a path toward richer, deeper spiritual life - one of discipleship - that all who walk through the doors of Christ the King will be mindfully and intentionally presented with:

· opportunities for worship, Bible study and theological discussion,

· opportunities to connect with others through small group interaction, and

· opportunities to serve Christ's world both within the church and outside the church.

Walk with Jesus

Every day is a walk with Jesus. We Christians believe life is spent in the presence of our Lord. Therefore, we can talk about every day as a day during which we walk with Jesus. Some days we feel Jesus' presence. Some days we feel quite a distance from Jesus. We boldly proclaim that, regardless of how we feel, Jesus is there. Jesus walks with us every day.


As we who are Christ the King Lutheran Church consider our financial stewardship over the next few weeks, you will be asked to think about your use of money and possessions as a part of your walk with Jesus. This is most appropriate, because when Jesus walked this earth with his disicples, he often talked about money and possessions. If money was a part of Jesus' first walk on this earth, it should be a part of our walk with Jesus today.

We believe that everything we have is a trust from God, given to us to care for and manage. What we do with our money is very much a part of our relationship with our Lord. This will be our focus in the coming weeks.

For three consecutive Sundays we will read a bulletin insert and hear a talk in worship. For three weeks, we will each receive a letter from the congregation. All of these will focus on our walk with Jesus, and how money plays an important part in this walk.

Then, on Sunday, November 11th, each member of Christ the King Lutheran Church will have the opportunity to complete an estimate of giving card. On this card, each of us will indicate our plan for giving for the coming year. This will not only be a plan for giving to Christ the King Lutheran Church, it will also be a plan for how we will walk with Jesus in the coming year.

Cereal drive update

‘If you really fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.’ James 2:8

As of September 11th we have collected eighty boxes/bags of cereal for the cereal drive benefitting the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Our goal is 325 boxes/bags collected. We have reached twenty percent of our goal.

We will keep you posted as to the number of boxes/bags collected. Imagine a tower of cereal, given to the food bank, to be placed in the hands of hungry people here in the Gallatin Valley. Together we can fulfill the Great Commandment to love neighbor as we love ourselves.