Thanks for Supporting CtK’s Guatemala Hurricane Relief Fund

We wanted to thank the congregation for your wonderful response for our special giving for one of our partner missions, the church in Zacaleu, Guatemala.  Both Guatemala and Nicaragua were hit hard in the late fall by two hurricanes.  Significant damage was done to vast areas of the country, including the village where Pastor Tim and CtK members have visited several times.  Property, crops, and infrastructure were damaged, and the recovery effort was hampered by these challenges.  CtK donated $3500 during November and December.  Pastor Karin and the whole ELCA church in Guatemala thanks you all for your compassion and generosity.  Please keep all in your ongoing prayers.

Jigger Staby

Social Ministry Team

Focus on CtK’s Love Fund and ELCA World Hunger

February is a short and busy month for Social Ministry.  First, it is the month for Valentine’s Day.  In honor of this day of courtly love, we stretch it a bit and try to remind everyone of Christ the King’s Love Fund.  This fund was established 10 years, no, 15, well many years ago to provide emergency monetary support for congregation members and frequent attendees who find themselves in temporary financial hardship.  We can help with rent or mortgage, car repair, medical expenses, or almost anything else that is causing temporary cash flow problems.  If you, or someone in the congregation you know is in such a position, let Pastor Tim know.  It will be handled confidentially.  There is no expectation of payback; it is an expression of Christ’s love from our church.  If, on the other hand, you find yourself enjoying God’s blessings in abundance, consider donating to the Love Fund.  Simply make out a check and put “Love Fund” in the memo.

The second thing that happens in February is the beginning of Lent.  This year, as we have for 10 years, no, 15, well many years, we are raising money for ELCA World Hunger.  We have set a goal for our congregation of $5000, a goal we met easily last year despite the intervention of the plague.  Here from the ELCA World Hunger Website:

More than 820 million people – that’s about 11 percent of people in our world today – are hungry. As members of the ELCA, we are called to respond. We are a church that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work–working with and through our congregations, in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Lutheran churches overseas and other partners, ELCA World Hunger is uniquely positioned to reach communities in need.  From health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy, your gifts to ELCA World Hunger make it possible for the ELCA to respond, supporting sustainable solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty.

Hunger facts

• 821 million people around the world – that’s more than 1 in 10 – can’t access the food they need to live active, healthy lives.
• According to the most recent estimates, 736 million people live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per day. That’s 10% of the world’s population.
• At some point in 2017 (the most recent year available), more than 40 million people in the United States were unsure where their next meal might come from.
• 39.7 million Americans were living in poverty in 2017. For a family of four, this means their annual household income was below $25,094.

Please help us support this cause.  Download the 40 Days of Giving 2021: Lenten calendar at https://www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-World-Hunger.

John Condie

Social Ministry Team

Serving Our Congregation and the Community

How to Help CEAC (Community Emergency Assistance Coalition)

Over many years, Christ the King has been an active supporter of the CEAC process, where people in the community can apply once/year for grants for emergency assistance. You have heard from Pastor Tim over the last few months how we are encouraging support for CEAC through our Noisy Offering. 

One more way to help throughout the year (if you are an LPEA customer) is to sign up through LPEA. Here is what they have to say on their website, www.lpea.coop:

“Sometimes it can be hard to know how we, as individuals, can really make a difference in our communities. But your pennies are powerful! By electing to “round up” your electric bill to the next highest dollar every month, you can make a meaningful impact. Your pennies, combined with those from your neighbors, have generated more than one million dollars in funds for local agencies in La Plata and Archuleta counties. 

LPEA’s inaugural Round Up board was formed in 1996, and by 1997, the foundation had issued its first grant – $1,000 to the Manna Soup Kitchen. Since then, the foundation has endured as a win-win enterprise. Individually, the contributions may be exceedingly small, but, as mentioned above, those pennies add up.”

If you are an LPEA member and would like to participate in the “Round Up” your bill program, please use the form found on the website or call (970) 247-5786.“

Thanks for considering this small act to assist members of our community!

The CtK Social Ministry Team

Serving Our Congregation and the Community

Holiday Update from the Social Ministry Committee

It is December of 2020, and as befits the rest of year, our holiday season is disrupted.  You may know that Project Merry Christmas closed its doors in Durango last January, so we will not have our normal Angel Tree this year.  However, thanks to Minister of Word and Sacrament Tim, we have partnered with La Plata County Family Centers – our new tenants in the Garden Suites of our church building.  They have hundreds of families they serve each year who struggle to make ends meet, especially at this time of year.  Each of the children they work with was invited to make an angel with a toy request on it.  You can find the sign-up for these angels on at CtK’s Sign-Up Hub, https://www.ctkdurango.org/signup/.  Other instructions are on the sign-up page.

COVID is also proving a problem for the local Salvation Army.  I hope you know that most of the money the SA raises in Durango, stays in Durango.  The Salvation Army’s Christmas Bell Ringing campaign will certainly be severely curtailed, and possibly abandoned, this year.  Since SA depends upon this campaign for most of their operating funds, all of the services they provide will be in grave danger.  If you care about the Salvation Army and what they do, consider donating directly to the Durango branch.  Send a check to: PO Box 3296, Durango, CO  81302.

Give Something Unexpected this Christmas!

In Christ, we receive the gift of God’s love.  Let us share God’s love with others in the world.

ELCA Good Gifts are a fun and meaningful way to honor friends and family with Christmas gifts that will go on to make a difference in the world.  Choose from more than 50 gift options (goats / pigs anyone?) each with the ability to make real, lasting change in the life of someone in need.

When you give online, https://goodgifts.elca.org/ you may personalize, for free, printed cards to be sent directly to your friends and loved ones.  You may select to send cards to yourself, print them at home or have them delivered via e-mail.  Select your cards at checkout.

Looking to Donate to Something Closer to Home?

A reminder that Tuesday, December 8, 2020 is Colorado Gives Day!  A one million dollar Incentive Fund has been established so that every non-profit that receives a donation on that day will receive a portion of the fund, thus increasing the impact and value of every dollar that you donated.

Go to https://www.Coloradogives.org/cogivesday and choose the county where the non-profits you want to support are located.

Thank You!

CtK Social Ministry Team

Serving Our Congregation and the Community

Holiday Update from the Social Ministry Committee

The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and it promises to be an unusual one.  More than one annual holiday event will have to modified or abandoned.  Here is a summary of what we know so far.  

The annual Stuffing Smooshing is cancelled.  There is no way to get the stuffing baked in time and according to COVID-modified guidelines.  Sorry to all of you who turn out annually to smoosh.  However, there will be a modified Community Thanksgiving Dinner with take-out and delivery available.  They do need volunteers to make the take-out at the fairgrounds work, and they will need drivers to deliver.  If you are interested in helping out, call Tonya Wales at (970) 799-2782.

The Salvation Army says they are definitely ringing this year (which doesn’t surprise us, as it is their primary funding source), but they are still working out the details.  They will likely cut back on the number of shifts each day, and might have to modify locations.  If you are interested in helping out with the bell ringing, or just want to stay updated, email John Condie at johnandwanda@bresnan.net.  

As some of you may know, Project Merry Christmas closed up shop in Durango last year (didn’t have anything to do with COVID).  The Social Ministry Committee is discussing alternative projects that CtK might take on instead.  See next month’s Scribe for details.

Thanks to all of you for your support,

The Social Ministry Committee.

Give Something Unexpected this Christmas!

In Christ, we receive the gift of God’s love.  Let us share God’s love with others in the world.

ELCA Good Gifts are a fun and meaningful way to honor friends and family with Christmas gifts that will go on to make a difference in the world.  Choose from more than 50 gift options (goats / pigs anyone?) each with the ability to make real, lasting change in the life of someone in need.

When you give online, https://goodgifts.elca.org/ you may personalize, for free, printed cards to be sent directly to your friends and loved ones.  You may select to send cards to yourself, print them at home or have them delivered via e-mail.  Select your cards at checkout.

Looking to Donate to Something Closer to Home?

A reminder that Tuesday, December 8, 2020 is Colorado Gives Day!  A one million dollar Incentive Fund has been established so that every non-profit that receives a donation on that day will receive a portion of the fund, thus increasing the impact and value of every dollar that you donated.

Go to https://www.Coloradogives.org/cogivesday and choose the county where the non-profits you want to support are located.

God’s Work. Our Hands. 

Serving Our Congregation Members and the Community

Are you wishing you could help during these unusual times?  CtK’ers have expressed a desire to help out, so here are some ways that you can do that:

1. Email Pastor Tim (or call him at 970-426-9681) to let him know that you are willing to reach out to a CtK member or family who is not able to attend worship or Zoom. Your phone call, greeting card or drive-by visit may be just what they need.
2. We have been posting in the Scribe ways to help each of our local ministries. You may call them directly to see exactly what they might need at the time you are ready to serve.  It might be making a casserole and delivering it to the VOA Community Shelter, or helping out with a clean-up project, or helping Manna or the Food Bank or VOA get just the right items at the grocery store to support their needs.  All these groups have experienced serious demands on their services, and funding sources are not as strong as prior to the pandemic and the resulting economic impacts in our community.

If you want to chat further about some ideas and opportunities, please feel free to connect with Jigger Staby at mailto:jpstaby@msn.com.

Jigger Staby

Social Ministry

 A Note from Housing Solutions of SW Colorado, One of Our Local Ministry Partners

“Since 2014, CEAC (Community Emergency Assistance Coalition) has provided $911,000 in emergency assistance to 1,278 households.  We want to say ‘Thank You’ to our donors who helped us to address a high level of need since COVID-19 began.  The additional funds infused into our work has been extremely important for local families through COVID-19.  For over 20 years, CEAC has provided a single point of entry for emergency assistance to households in La Plata and San Juan Counties.  COVID-19 donors include:

The Rocky Mountain Health Foundation

The Colorado Trust

LPEA

SW Community Foundation

CERF (Community Emergency Relief Fund)

St. Columba Parish

The River Church

Christ the King Lutheran Church

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

Ballantine Family Fund

Anita Cohen

The Colorado COVID Relief Fund

Founding members of the coalition include United Way, La Plata County Department of Human Services, LPEA Round-Up Foundation, Housing Solutions for the Southwest, Salvation Army, and Volunteers of America“

Thank you to our congregation for supporting this effort to help those with emergency needs. We appreciate your support of the Social Ministry budget, those of you who contribute on your own, and those who use the LPEA Round-Up program. You make a difference for so many families in La Plata County.

Jigger Staby

Social Ministry

Christmas Is Coming!  

Once again, the Social Ministry team would like to share with you a reminder about “alternative giving.”  Covid-19 has caused such worldwide havoc, that this year, more than ever, we ask you to consider donating to an organization in honor of the person who would normally receive a gift from you.

This year, because we are unable to gather in-person for worship, we will also not be able to pick up a copy of the ELCA’s Good Gift catalog normally found in our Welcome Center.  However, we do have the website – ELCA.org/goodgifts or the toll free number – 1 800-638-3522 so you can still shop at home safely.

Save this date!  “Colorado Gives Day” is Tuesday, December 8, 2020 and features a one-million-dollar Incentive Fund.  This is powered by the Community First Foundation and presented and supported by First Bank.  Every nonprofit receiving a donation on “Colorado Gives Day” will also receive a portion of the fund, thus increasing the impact and value of every dollar that you have donated.  Find your favorite nonprofits here:

https://www.coloradogives.org/cogivesday.

BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL, 

Renate Widder

Social Ministry