1. Purpose. The Health Fair is part of our Mosaic ministry that is reaching out to Cincinnati with Cross-Cultural Love. This fair is designed to care for the whole person, body and soul. On Saturday, we will serve our neighbors by providing basic health care, soul care, a meal, music, fun activities for kids, and more. We have literally truckloads of food to give away!

2. Volunteers. Some of you have signed up to be a volunteer and have been assigned to stations at the fair. If you would like to volunteer and haven’t signed up yet, we will be able to assign you a place to help on that day.

All volunteers need to arrive by 10:30am if possible, even if you can’t stay the whole time. Please park on the street or at Fairview Park so we can reserve our lots for people attending the fair.

If you would like more information about volunteering, please contact Kristen Holvey for details.

3. Mosaic T-Shirts. We have Mosaic t-shirts available for health fair volunteers. They will be $8 between now and the fair, and $10 after that. It’s a great way for guests to identify who the Ctk people are (and they look awesome!). If you would like one before Saturday, please message Michael Clary and I’ll take care of it for you.

4. Security. Since 333 Warner will have lots of guests here on Saturday, please be mindful about leaving phones, purses and other valuables laying around.

5. Canvassing. Some folks are meeting at 333 Warner on Thursday evening at 7pm to pass out flyers for the health fair. If you are available, please come and help!

5. Prayer. I have prayed about and set a goal this year for Ctk to develop relationships with 500 new people in Uptown, and this health fair is a big push towards that goal. Please join me in praying that God will lead us to meet lots of new neighbors on Saturday, and that these folks will hear the gospel and place their faith in Jesus.

I am very excited as we are nearing this outreach. God has provided so many things for us so far and I’m trusting him for great things!

The Faithmapping micro-conference is hosted by Christ the King Church on March 13th, 2013. Registration is $25. More details and registration information can be found at the link below.

http://sojournnetwork.com/faithmapping/

Christ the King Church is pleased to announce our involvement in a Christmas Store. City Gospel Mission is partnering with us to make this happen. Here’s how the Christmas Store works. Several area church partners distribute registration forms to parents they know need help. Parents are assigned a set shopping time. They pay a low, per child fee to shop, then can select one new toy item ($15 to $40 value) and one new clothing item ($20 to $50 value) for each child, and wrap their gifts there. Each year, about 350 parents from around the city shop for over 1000 children at the store.

The Christmas Store will be held December 12-15, 2012 at Philippus United Church of Christ, 106 W. McMicken, Over-The-Rhine. Here’s where you come in.

We need donations of new toys ($15-$40 value), new upper-body clothing ($20-$50 value), and cash (to purchase gifts and supplies that are not donated).  Donations should be dropped off at Ctk Church, 333 Warner Street, 45219, by Dec. 9th, 2012.

Shopping Guide

Please select items from the list below. All items must be brand new. The children’s parents will be shopping for the items, so wrapping your donation is not necessary.  Make sure to label your donations with the age & gender of child for whom those items would be appropriate.

You can obtain a printable shopping list here.

Gift Ideas for 9 – 18 YEAR OLDS ($15-$40 value)

• Handheld Video-type Games
• Watches or Alarm Clocks
• MP3 Players
• MP3 Speakers
• Earbuds/Earphones
• Boom Boxes
• Cologne or Perfume Gift Sets
• DVD’s
• Remote Control Cars
• Jewelry or Purses
• Sports Stuff: basketballs, footballs,etc.
• Makeup or Hair Care Kits
• Baseball Caps
• Board Games
• Messenger Bags

Gift Ideas for 6 – 8 YEAR OLDS ($15-$40 value)

• Toss & Catch Games
• Dolls (preferably African-American or Latino dolls)
• Board Games
• Educational Toys
• Legos/Building Sets
• Jewelry/Art/Craft Creation Sets
• Action Figures                                                

Gift Ideas for INFANT – 5 YEAR OLDS ($12-$40 value)

• Developmental Toys
• Dolls (preferably African-American or Latino dolls)
• Educational Toys
• Stuffed Animals (NEW)
• “Matchbox” Cars
• Princess Costumes
• Super Hero Costumes

Clothing Considerations for ALL AGE GROUPS ($20-$50 value)

• Coats
• Pro-Sports Hooded Sweatshirts
• Hoodies
• Fashion Sweaters & Dress Shirts
• Top & Pant Outfits for toddlers

Wrapping Supplies

• Scotch Tape
• Wrapping Paper
• Gift Boxes
• Name Tags
• Tissue Paper
• Ribbon

CLOTHING SIZE BY AGE GROUP — We need more of the LARGER sizes! 

 Please deliver items by December 9th, 2012 to:

333 Warner St. is the new home of CTK Uptown. God has graciously given us this wonderful facility, strategically placed in the Clifton Heights/University Heights/ Fairview neighborhood of Uptown.

We love being a part of the Uptown neighborhoods of Cincinnati! Our desire is to be good neighbors in our new neighborhood, and be welcoming to newcomers at CTK.

Gathering Times

We have two separate gathering times on Sunday mornings, 9:00am and 11:00am. Both times will offer the same worship format and have programming for ctk|kids.

Note: Service times are scheduled to be 85 minutes.  In case of an emergency you need to leave the sanctuary, please do not use the door by the stage (leading to the ctk|kids Check-In Area). You may exit in the back of the sanctuary.

Facility Layout Details

On-Site Parking Options

The above map shows all of the prime parking locations closest to the building reserved for CTK. Most of this parking will be reserved for our guests and parents of ctk|kids. Please respect reserved parking spaces for handicapped, guests, and ctk|kids, as well as traffic pattern arrows (as seen on map). Only a limited number of spaces will remain for everyone else. If you are able, please make plans to first try and find parking elsewhere (see Off-site parking map, page 5). 

(A) Upper Lot. This lot will have prime parking spaces reserved for guests. There will be a limited number of spaces in the rear of the lot and behind the building open to all.

(B) Drop-off zone. This area will be used as the loading area for the Shuttle. Anyone else may use it to drop off as well.

(C) Lower Lot. This lot will be reserved for parents of ctk|kids.

(D) Coon Street. This side street has about a dozen street parking spots reserved for CTK. Park on the fence side of the street in order to give our neighbors space to enter and exit driveways.

On days other than Sunday you are welcome to use the lot freely. However, it is important to know that early Sunday mornings (around 3:00am), a towing company will patrol the lot and tow any car parked in it, and they will tow you. We have this service to ensure that the lot is cleared for our use on Sunday mornings.

 Off-Site Parking Options

The above map shows the best options for off-site parking. These areas should be utilized by anyone capable of doing so. Please respect our neighbors by parking with courtesy (not taking up two spots, blocking driveways, etc.). This entire map represents parking options that are within a five-minute walk of 333 Warner St.

(A) Street Parking. Street parking in the neighborhood is variable but typically plentiful. Keep in mind Flora Avenue past 333 Warner St. is a dead end. Be mindful of all parking signs, fire hydrants, etc., in order to avoid parking tickets.

(B) Fairview Park. The park is a short walking distance from the building and provides street parking along Fairview Park Rd. Keep in mind, Fairview Park Rd. is a one-way street and is only accessible from W. McMillan St. at the far end of the park.

(C) Old Fairview German Language School. The Lower Lot of the building behind the former Fairview German Language School may be used by anyone serving on a Sunday Team, and is less than a five minute walk to 333 Warner St.

I took some time to discuss this in my sermon last Sunday, but we need everyone to be aware of a great opportunity we have as a church.

As you are probably aware by now, Ctk church has been given a new church building in our neighborhood recently, and we are in the process of cleaning and repairing it now. We started raising funds for the new building project in Uptown a couple of months ago, and we are pleased with the way many folks at Ctk have responded. Yet we are still short by about $65,000.

I recently spoke to one of my ministry partners and he has generously offered to help us fund the building project through a matching grant! This is a huge blessing and an answer to prayer. Here’s how this works.

First of all, he will match every gift given to the building fund dollar for dollar between now and the end of August. He is essentially doubling every building fund gift!

Secondly, he will also kick in an extra $300 bonus for every new donor who gives a minimum $200 gift to the building project. The goal here is to get as many people as possible involved in giving to the project.

So here’s the bottom line: we are trying to get as many individual people as possible to give at least a $200 gift. The matching grant will kick in and multiply these gifts to more than $700 each.

I’m just blown away by how God has continually provided for our needs as a church time and time again. We’ve asked God for a building and the means to renovate it and he’s provided for us in amazing ways.

There are three easy ways to respond.

First, we have online giving available through Google Wallet. Simply click this link and you will be taken to our giving page through Google. Make sure to select “Fairview Building Fund” as the fund you are giving to.

Secondly, you have the option to mail in a check. If you choose to mail in a check, please indicate on the check “Fairview Building Fund” in the memo line so it goes to the right place.

The address is: Christ the King Church, PO Box 198029, Cincinnati, OH, 45219.

Thirdly, you can use an envelope to give at our worship gatherings. On the envelope, make sure to mark “Fairview Building Fund” on the envelope.

Its always cool to see the many ways God provides. Please join me in thanking God for his continual provision!

Grace,

Michael

But now, in Christ, we are able to see all the full grandeur of God’s redemptive promise that he initiated through Abraham. We share the faith of Abraham, but we cling to better promises (Hebrews 8:6), built on a better sacrifice (Hebrews 9:23), and provides for us a better possession (Hebrews 10:34) as we await a better life (Hebrews 11:35) and a better destiny (Hebrews 11:16).

This following list is the content of that better promise provided for us by Jesus Christ. God’s promise to Abraham was a shadow of the things to come; but here are 23 life-changing, rock solid promises of the New Testament that we have to hope in.

1. God loves you (Galatians 2:20).
2. God chose you before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
3. God knows you and you know God (Galatians 4:9).
4. God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3).
5. God set his affection on you and adopted you into his family (Ephesians 1:5).
6. God is Our Father (Matthew 6:9).
7. God has redeemed us from all sin: all past sin, present sin, and future sin (Ephesians 1:7).
8. God is also sanctifying us from sin (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 6:11).
9. God has united all of us together as a family; we are members of one another (Ephesians 2:14, 4:25).
10. God has made us together the temple of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).
11. God has given us direct access to him; we can boldly come before Him (Hebrews 4:16).
12. God will never condemn you because Jesus was condemned for you (Romans 8:1).
13. God will never leave you; he will never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
14. God has given you his Holy Spirit as a guarantee that he will bring his promise to final fulfillment (Ephesians 1:14).
15. God works all things together for your highest good and his highest glory (Romans 8:28).
16. God has created you for good works; you are his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).
17. God has set you free to pursue a radical life of love and service to God and others (Galatians 5:13-14).
18. God will complete the good work he started in you; he will never give up on you (Philippians 1:6).
19. God’s hand of discipline on us may be painful at times, but he loves us enough to correct us (Hebrews 12:6-8).
20. God has made you a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20) and he is preparing a place for you there (John 14:2).
21. God will greet you in death, because death is not the end, nor is it something to dread, because “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21-26).
22. God has crushed the power of death through Jesus Christ; death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54).
23. God has planned all this from the beginning, for “from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

#1. You frequently think about what other people are thinking about you.

#2. You long to be noticed more than you long to be godly.

#3. You get angry if you are ever publicly contradicted.

#4. You flatter other people with words in order to be liked by them.

#5. You rarely confront sin in others directly.

#6. You think about what’s politically correct more than what’s biblically correct.

#7. You love to cite your own accomplishments.

#8. You have a hard time saying what you really think, which prevents you from getting close to people.

#9. You prematurely terminate conflicts by yielding, withdrawing, or changing the subject.

#10. You frequently put yourself down in order to get other people to give you encouragement.

#11. You have a hard time saying “no” even when you should.

#12. You  fear that conflict in a relationship signals that the relationship is ending.

#13. You use texting or email as a preferred means of confrontation.

These are all indicators that some degree of Fear of Man is going on in your life.

About three years ago, when we were first trying to find a place for our church to meet, we started praying for God to provide a permanent facility for us. In the inner city, church plants often have a hard time gaining traction until they have their own building. Eighteen months ago, we contacted Fairview Baptist Church, a church in our neighborhood, about possibly using their building for office space. They own a basic, no frills church building with close to 11,000 square feet total.

Since they were a declining congregation with around 20 people or so in weekly attendance, they had little use for all the extra classroom space. We claimed a few rooms in their basement, converted them to offices, and started working from there.

This room will be remodeled before moving in.

Last April, Ctk Executive Pastor Doug Shell and I had lunch with the Senior pastor of Fairview Baptist Church, Glenn Davidson. After a few minutes of chit-chat and catching up, he said something that blew us away: “What would you guys think about Fairview Baptist Church giving you our building?”

We couldn’t believe our ears! He had just offered us a free building, zoned for religious assembly, in our target neighborhood, in inner city Cincinnati. This is every church planter’s dream come true. We took the next year to work out the details and present ideas to our respective congregations. Finally, last month, the members of Fairview Baptist Church voted unanimously to give us their building. On Monday, June 4th, 2012, all the legal paperwork was signed and Christ the King Church officially became building owners.

Fairview Baptist Church is located at 335 Warner Street in Cincinnati’s Uptown neighborhood. The main sanctuary will accommodate around 250 people. There is parking at the building and in an adjacent alley for around 35-40 cars; the rest will be street parking. We are located a few blocks from the University of Cincinnati, and within a mile or two of several of Cincinnati’s most prominent hospitals, the Cincinnati Zoo, and other attractions. To the south of us, we are within a couple of miles of the Central Business District, Over-the-Rhine, and the West End.

We believe we will be centrally and strategically located to have a great impact on the surrounding area. The Uptown neighborhoods alone are home to 32,000 people and the city’s largest employer, the University of Cincinnati. Uptown is the educational and medical heart of the city. Our neighborhood is densely populated with racially, economically, and culturally diverse people.

As men, God has made us to coach each other in being good Kings, Cultivators and Protectors.  Being a coach doesn’t mean having superior skill sets and abilities.  In fact, a lot of professional sports coaches can’t do what they expect their athletes to do.  But the reason they get paid to be coaches is because they can improve the team’s performance (or should).  They possess the knowledge and influence necessary to secure the team’s success, and this is what makes them good coaches.

Good coaching requires knowledge and influence.  You must have knowledge: something helpful and useful to bring to the table.  And you must have influence: there has to be trust.

Here’s where we can go wrong.  If we have some specific, helpful knowledge but aren’t personally invested in others, men won’t follow us.  They may benefit from our knowledge, but our influence will be minimal.  Nobody wants to follow a know-it-all.  Sure, a know-it-all may have good insight and information, but if he’s not willing to roll up his sleeves and get involved in the game, then he’s not a leader.  His knowledge doesn’t lead to influence—that’s poor coaching.

On the other hand, we may have a lot of influence but lack wisdom and knowledge.  Celebrities can be like this: because they are famous people look to them as examples, but many times their poor choices disqualify them from being true leaders.  A fool is a person who loves influence but hates knowledge.  He leads by charisma but lacks conviction and character.

As coaches, men are responsible for training and influencing other men.  One man’s input is necessary for another guy’s maturity and progress.  You don’t have to be an expert to be a good coach—you just need to see the potential for improvement and be willing to step in and make the necessary investment.

Men are made to be protectors—to guard and keep what has been entrusted to them.  But our instinct to protect can be used in extreme ways that are not good.

Some men abuse their role as protector.  Rather than protect for the greater good, a man may see his protecting instinct as an end in and of itself.  He becomes a warrior without a war, ready to fight over anything and everything.  For no good reason, he makes enemies out of people, and becomes the man whom others must be protected from, ironically.

This abuse isn’t always obvious—it’s not like this guy goes around punching people in the face.  More often, this abuse surfaces in an argumentative, overly-competitive spirit, i.e., the guy who is always right, or the guy who thinks everything is a test of his competency.  He lives to protect, but to protect himself.

Other men abandon their role as protector.  Rather than stand up for others, a man may back down from real threats, and become the person who needs to be protected (again, ironically).  This guy outsources protection, even pretending to be a victim at times so that others will stand up for him.

You may or may not find this guy crying in a corner.  More than likely, men who abandon their responsibility to protect will be whiny complainers.  They will blame the conflict in their lives on other people, and will tend to feel like they have been denied what they deserve.  They will be bitter and resentful toward those they perceive to be better than them.  Since they don’t want to accept responsibility, they will live as if they have been robbed the chance to be who they know they should be.

In both cases, these men are misunderstanding and misusing their God-given capacity to defend the people and things around them.  Good protectors will not use their fear to hurt others or manipulate others, but will push through their fear because they want to help others.