by Misti Sanders

​This is one of my favorite quotes and I often think about it. It reminds me of so many in this church who give so much. I feel very honored to know some of these "mighty ones" who serve among us at CTK. 

by Melody Paris

“Church should be a place where people feel safe and comfortable and secure and ready to share life with others.” stated Shaun Stevenson in his article “3 Ways the Church Can Build Better Community.” This week I had the opportunity to experience community by playing Bunco with several ladies from CTK. We came together and simply enjoyed each others company. We gave time to each other and in doing so we added more layers to our relationships. That is what God wants for us all. That is what I want for everyone that visits CTK, that they will experience community.

When I first started attending, I was one of those people who sat in the back and wouldn’t move when Rick would call for us to welcome one another. I felt safe in my little bubble and thought I was happy to simply watch community happening around me. My whole body would tense up when someone would come over to greet me and I would put on the best smile I could muster. I wasn’t willing to share life with anyone. Slowly, I loosed up and opened up. Now I feel like CTK is a second home for me. I have friends that I cherish and respect.

There are many people within our community that still live closed off. It is a stressful thing…putting yourself out there. But that is the first step, according to Stevenson’s article, in experiencing community within the church. You have to put yourself - your fears and anxieties - aside. You have to take the opportunities presented to “allow yourself the grace and awkwardness to…plant seeds of community.”

I challenge you today to find a small group, get involved in ministry, or turn to the stranger next to you and start a conversation. Take one step today and make this the day you are going to put yourself aside and find your community.

by Shon Sanders

Let’s continue with our look at Joe McKeever’s article titled “7 Things We Get Wrong About Worship.” The first point of the article explained why we are not supposed to ‘Get Anything Out of the Service.’ You can go to the CTK website if you missed it, or it might be easier to digest if you read the article in it’s entirety. It’s a tough study and you may not agree with everything, but it definitely spoke to me and made me reevaluate some of my own attitudes. 

That Psalms 29:2 verse atop our article today is found also in 1 Chronicles 16:29 and Psalms 96:8. It deserves being looked at closely.

a) We are in church to give. Not to get.

Now, if I am going somewhere to “get,” but find out on arriving, I am expected to “give,” I am one frustrated fellow. And that is what is happening in the typical church service. People walk out the door frustrated because they didn’t “get.” The reason they didn’t is that they were not there to “get,” but to “give.”

Someone should have told them.

b) We are giving glory to God. Not to man.

We know that. At least we say we do. How many times have we recited, “...for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory”? And how often have we sung, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow...”?

c) We do so because glory is His right. He is “worthy of worship.”

This is the theme of the final book of the Bible. 

Next time we will look at McKeever’s third point. Self-centeredness destroys all worship.