From our senior pastor

Christ Our King Lutheran Church’s Congregational Plan

Rooted In Christ, Building toward Our Future

 

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith,

just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”  –  Colossians 2:6-7

 

Rooted in Christ, Building toward Our Future: The Congregational Plan for Christ Our King Lutheran Church is aimed at stewarding and enhancing the ministry and the mission God has given Christ Our King to ensure our congregation is poised to faithfully work in His kingdom both now and into the future. This undertaking is not merely about bricks and mortar; it is a testament to our receiving gifts from God in Word and Worship as well as our joining Him in the Work and Witness to others (the four Ws from our Mission Statement). Below in each of the tabs

are some key points I would like to share with you:

The purpose of this congregational plan is driven by a deep understanding of our roles as stewards of all that God has given us. We are inspired by the faithful examples of Christ Our King’s leaders and members who, for 45 years, have been dedicated to God’s ministry and mission. We are thankful for the gifts God has given us, starting first and foremost with the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. We know God intends for us to invest His gifts for the sake of His kingdom and for our community so that we are strengthened in our mission and service to the Gospel.

May we always walk in Christ Jesus the Lord, rooted and built up in him and established in faith, always abounding in thanksgiving!

(Col. 2:6-7)

 

In His Service with You,

Pastor Joe Polzin


Congregational goals:  Get a good look at the goals we have for 2024

  • CREATE a welcoming and comfortable congregational experience that fosters greater connections with first-time guests and our surrounding communities.
  • PRESERVE Christ Our King Lutheran Church’s grounds and facilities which support our current worship, outreach, educational, and fellowship ministries by providing essential repairs and upkeep.
  • IMPROVE facilities, technology, and grounds to enhance both current and future ministry (Word and Worship) and mission (Witness and Work) opportunities.
  • PRAY for, seek, and add needed staff members to support Christ Our King in fulfilling its ministry and mission.
  • ENSURE that all work is done in good stewardship of God’s gifts and sustainably funded for future generations.


Projects:  CHOOSE A TOPIC FROM THE TABS BELOW TO VIEW THE PROJECT

As a congregation, we aim to call a Director of Family Life Ministry (DFLM) to be added to our full-time staff at Christ Our King Lutheran Church. The DFLM will be dedicated to the development of devoted followers of Jesus Christ and the overall ministry of Christ Our King (COK). The DFLM will develop, coordinate, provide for, and supervise a faithful and vibrant Christian family life at COK. As a member of the staff, he or she will seek to use his or her gifts as a means of equipping Christian family members to do the God-given work in our homes, church, and community. 


Director of Family Life Ministry- link to description.


PHASES & STATUS:  CHOOSE A TOPIC FROM THE TABS BELOW TO VIEW THE PHASES & STATUS

  • Phase 1) Determine the Congregational need and develop a Ministry Description of the position – completed March 29, 2023
  • Phase 2) Present to the congregation and vote whether to form a Call Committee – completed June 11, 2023
  • Phase 3) Call Committee contacts Michigan District of the LCMS and gathers a call list – completed August 17, 2023
  • Phase 4) Potential Candidates are contacted and interviewed by the Call Committee – completed December 2023
  • Phase 5) Desired candidates are recommended by the Call Committee to the congregation. completed January 2024
  • Phase 6) Congregation meets and votes on whether to call one of the candidates. completed January 2024
  • Phase 7) Process repeats and continues, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, until a candidate accepts the call. completed February 2024
  • Phase 8) We install our new Director of Family Life Ministry.  completed
  1. WHERE CAN I FIND A LIST OF THE INDIVIDUALS BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION?  There is a binder in the church office.  The binder cannot be removed from the church office nor can it be copied as it contains personal information of the candidates for this position.  You may view it as often as you like.

  2. IS DIRECTIOR OF FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY A NEW POSITION FOR CHRIST OUR KING?  Yes and no. Although, we have had multiple faithful servants at Christ Our King serve in a similar capacity over the years, most recently Deanna Lynch (temporarily and part-time following the pandemic), Dawn Rupe, and Dave McNeil among others, they have typically served in the role as a Director of Christian Education (DCE). For an explanation of the differences between these roles, please visit: https://blog.cph.org/study/understandig-the-differences-among-commissioned-ministry-roles

  3. IS THE DFLM (Director of Family Life Minister) JUST A "YOUTH POSITION"? The DFLM will certainly support families with children, but is also called to support families of all ages, life stages, and sizes in our congregation and our community. 

  4. WHAT ABOUT DEANNA?  ARE WE TRYING TO REPLACE HER? We are so thankful for Deanna’s service the past 3-4 years as our temporary Director of Family Life. She stepped into a part-time role on staff after our last DCE took another call and we were in the midst of the pandemic. She wrote a job description for what she knew needed to be done and has faithfully done that, and more. However, she will be the first to tell you she always expected this to be temporary, until we were ready to make a call for someone full-time. Personal family reasons has her and her family looking forward to the next chapter in their lives, but she has also said she will gladly walk alongside our newly call DFLM for as long as they need while they are adjusting to the role. We are so thankful for Deanna!