Annual Meeting of the Congregation

Every year CtK has a meeting of the whole congregation - it's a time to celebrate all the ministry of the previous year, talk about the ministry ahead of us, approve a spending plan for the next year, elect church council members and officers, and MORE.
There will be a light lunch served after worship, about 11:15am, and the meeting will begin following lunch.
All members (and friends!) of the congregation are encouraged to attend and participate - after all, there is no "they" in church - TOGETHER we are the body of Christ.

Following Jesus

Here's a fun cartoon based on the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Matthew 4:12-23, over at Agnus Day.

Ladies Night Out

ALL women are invited to this time of food, fun and fellowship, TOMORROW, January 21st at 6:30pm. Questions? Call the church office: 587-4131

CtK Members Continue Volunteer Work in TN

Bill and Billie Ranard, long-time members of CtK, have been traveling the country and, for the last couple of months, have volunteered with Lutheran Disaster Response in Tennessee. They're blogging about their experiences in service and in site-seeing. You can keep up with them here.

A Prayer of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shout out to the ELCA Youth Ministry Network for including this prayer in their last e-news.

O God, our heavenly Father, we thank thee for this golden privilege to worship thee, the only true God of the universe. We come to thee today grateful that thou hast kept us through the long night of the past and ushered us into the challenge of the present and the bright hope of the future. We are mindful, O God, that man cannot save himself, for man is not the measure of things and humanity is not God.

Bound by our chains of sin and finiteness, we know we need a savior. We thank thee, O God, for the spiritual nature of man. We are in nature but we live above nature. Help us never to let anyone or any condition pull us so low as to cause us to hate. Give us the strength to love our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us.

We thank thee for thy Church, founded upon the Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray, but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon thee. Then, finally, help us to realize that man was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity.

Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace, help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all of God's children -- Black, White, Red, and Yellow -- will rejoice in one common band of humanity in the kingdom of our Lord and of our God, we pray. Amen.

Hope in Haiti

From the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Mark Hanson:

January 13, 2011

One year ago yesterday, a catastrophic earthquake struck the nation of Haiti, killing nearly 250,000 people and leaving more than one million homeless.

Many of us remember hearing the news and seeing images of the devastation for the first time. We lifted up the people of Haiti in our prayers. We gave generously.

More than 40,000 ELCA members and leaders like you contributed $12.6 million to support the work of ELCA Disaster Response in Haiti. Because of our long-standing relationships with the Lutheran Church in Haiti and many partners there, the ELCA was and continues to be uniquely positioned to respond quickly and effectively.

Your gifts have:

Provided food and shelter to approximately 57,700 people living in camps coordinated by The Lutheran World Federation and more than 6,000 people who gathered on the grounds of the Lutheran Church in Haiti.
Delivered more than 14,000 quilts and 13,000 health kits.
Distributed 3,200 gallons of safe, clean drinking water to approximately 2,000 families.
Shipped four convoys of medical supplies, hygiene and baby kits, tents, food packages and other necessities.
Funded housing placement and crisis counseling to Haitian refugees and medical evacuees seeking asylum in Florida and Georgia.
And yet our work is far from over. Our long-term goal in Haiti is to help renew hope and rebuild lives and livelihoods, seeking to end the cycle of poverty and injustice.

Thank you for your continued generosity and your prayers for the people of Haiti. Together we will continue to do God's life-giving work with our hands for as long as it takes.

In God's grace,

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

P.S. The spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases have intensified the suffering experienced by our sisters and brothers in Haiti. With the help of ELCA Disaster Response funds, our partners are working hard to contain the outbreak, providing medical supplies and health care, as well as teaching people about preventative measures. Visit ELCA Disaster Response for more information about the ongoing, long-term response efforts in Haiti.

The Still, Small Voice of Love - guest post

Tom, a member of CtK, subscribes to a daily meditation from the writings of Henri Nouwen. Sometimes he forwards them to me (though you don't need to do that any longer, I've subscribed myself!). Today's meditation is further food for thought and reflection on Sunday's sermon.

The Still, Small Voice of Love
Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, "Prove that you are a good person." Another voice says, "You'd better be ashamed of yourself." There also is a voice that says, "Nobody really cares about you," and one that says, "Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful." But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, "You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you." That's the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen.That's what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us "my Beloved."

These reflections are taken from Henri J.M. Nouwen's Bread for the Journey.
Visit HenriNouwen.org for more inspiration!

Sermon Reflections

Some questions and thoughts to follow up on the sermon from 1/9 - The Baptism of Our Lord.

What do you remember about the day you were baptized? If, like me, you don't remember it for yourself, what have you been told about that day? How did the people around you feel and what did they think? How have their understandings of baptism changed and grown since then?

Are there any concrete things you do each day to remind yourself or others that you/they are loved and called by God? Martin Luther suggested remembering your baptism each day when you wash your face. Maybe you could trace the cross on your forehead - or your family members' foreheads - each morning as the day begins and each night as you head to bed.

What does it mean to you that you have been claimed by God?

Feel free to respond in the comments!

2nd Annual Moonlight Sledding

Mark your calendars for a week from this Saturday! Moonlight sledding is an event for all ages - it's even fun just to watch everyone else go down the hill! There will be hot cocoa to help keep us warm, and if everyone brings treats to share there will be plenty of goodies, too!

The 15th is the Saturday before the full moon on the 19th, we'll start off in the daylight and sled til folks are tired. Children and youth should have a parent/guardian on site with them.

Have questions? Contact the church office or a member of the Family & Youth Ministry Team!

Service Opportunity

Have you been keeping up with all the news about a homeless shelter here in Bozeman? There's (finally) a place that those without adequate shelter can go to stay warm overnight during our cold Montana winters.
If you'd like to help out, there is another volunteer training opportunity tonight from 8-9PM, Fairgrounds Building #3. Show up and staff member Jeremy will provide the training.
If you make it to the training, I'd love to hear about what you learned and heard and saw (Confirmation class goes until 8, so I won't make it myself...).

Interfaith Forum - An Invitation

Interfaith Forum at Beth Shalom, January 5th
All are invited to this academic year’s 4th Interfaith Forum at noon on Wed., January 5, at Temple Beth Shalom. The topic this month is “God and the Big Bang,” and we will hear Christian, Jewish and Muslim understandings of the relationship between faith and science, especially as this relates to creation. Rev. Leo Proxell, Rev. Jody McDevitt, Rabbi Ed Stafman, and Dr. Ruhul Amin will address the topic and answer questions from those gathered.

Bring a brown bag lunch; no pork or shellfish products, please. The forum will conclude at 1 pm. The Temple is located at2010 W. Koch. For more information call 556-0528.