Dear Friends in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ

Christ the King Lutheran Church is a welcoming congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) – Southeastern Synod.  Established in 1990, CTK has grown to over 600 members, having come here from all parts of the United States and all walks of life.  We have a wide age spectrum and provide ministry to all ages.  We worship in both traditional and contemporary styles using various worship resources, including Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) and Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW).  Holy Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday at both services. Our mission is simple and clear: Glorify God, spread the Word, and love one another, proclaiming the story of Jesus to all people in word and deed.  We invite you to come be a part of this exciting venture where you will find a family of love and caring.

Yours in Christ.
The Rev. J. Patrick Finley,  Pastor

First time worshiping with us?

We strive to be welcoming and to make it convenient and comfortable for you to visit our church. We want you to experience the inspirational music, encouraging messages, friendly people, and inviting atmosphere that our members enjoy each week. We hope your first experience is a welcoming experience, but we also know that your first time at a church brings up some questions. How do I get there? What should I wear? What’s available for my family?

Here is a quick look at what you can expect:

8:30 AM BLENDED PRAISE SERVICE
This worship service is a blend of Lutheran liturgy and contemporary Christian music led by our Praise Band – SonLight.  Holy Communion is celebrated every week.

11:00 AM WORSHIP SERVICE

This service is a traditional Lutheran liturgical worship service. Holy Communion is celebrated every week at this service.

9:45 AM DISCIPLESHIP HOUR & FELLOWSHIP

This hour between worship services is dedicated to Sunday School for the children, and study classes for the youth and adults. Classes are held in designated classrooms in the Education Building on the other side of the Fellowship Hall. (See CTK Floorplan below under “Where Are Things?”)

There is always coffee and refreshments offered by the Hospitality Ministry in the Fellowship Hall if you want to spend this time getting to know other members.

We are located just north of the city of Cumming, on the corner of Sawnee Dr. and Tribble Gap Rd. For driving directions to Christ the King click MAP to link to Google Maps and insert your address for driving directions.

Holy Communion, offered at all worship services every Sunday and at specific seasonal services, is open to all baptized Christians, regardless of your denominational background.  Children and unbaptized adults who have not received instruction in Holy Communion may come forward, with arms crossed, to receive a blessing.

We are more concerned that we meet your spiritual needs than with what you wear. Though you may see people dressed in suits or dresses, most of our congregants dress more casually. Most of our young people wear the same clothes at church that they wear at school.

At the doors, we have greeters who will help you find the Welcome Desk. At the Welcome Desk we can answer any additional questions, help you find the Nursery, or show you where the Activity Bag and story book station is in the welcome area. There you can choose items to keep young children occupied, if needed, during the service. There is also information at the Welcome Desk about current activities at Christ the King.

As you enter the Sanctuary, an usher will give you a service bulletin with the entire Service Order printed in it to make it easy for you to follow along. Hymnals for the singing of some hymns and Bibles are located in the pews. At Christ the King, you can expect a church that Glorifies God, Spreads the Word, and Loves One Another.

Worship is for all ages, and we love children at Christ the King! Children of all ages are always encouraged to worship the Lord with their families.

At the 11:00 a.m. service Children’s Church is offered the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of the month in the Fellowship Hall during the sermon time. Here the Gospel lesson is taught to the children at their level of understanding. (Parents are welcome to check this out too!) Children return to their families in the sanctuary before Communion. This ministry is designed for ages Preschool – Grade 3.

A free, staffed Nursery is provided for children up to age 3 during the the worship services. Hours: 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. every Sunday. The Nursery is the first room on the right in the Preschool/Education Building which is on the other side of the Fellowship Hall.

Weekly Sunday School is the heart of Christian education for children of all ages at Christ the King. For children age 2-4 and K5 through 5th grade. Sunday School is offered 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. during the months of August through May. We do not hold classes during the summer months of June and July.

Family is at the heart of everything we do at Christ the King. The atmosphere at Christ the King is warm and inviting where everyone feels welcome. Whether you’re single or married, raising a family, or an empty-nester, teenager or adult, you will find friendly people with whom you can relate and enjoy spending time.

At Christ the King, children are recognized as the gift God intended them to be. That same attitude is reflected in the ministries we provide children from birth though high school. Both the children and the youth ministries are housed in the Education building in an environment that’s comfortable and inviting. Our adult ministries also include fellowship groups for Bible study, fellowship, mission work, and accountability.

We invite you to become a part of the family of faith at Christ the King.

Next Steps

Do you have questions about what Lutherans believe? Do you wonder about your gifts for ministry? Want to know more about the ministry opportunities here at Christ the King? Every few months Pastor Finley leads new member / inquirer classes for those who wish to to become a member of Christ the King or want to learn more about the congregation and our varied ministries. If you have questions or would like more information, call or email the church office.

If you are interested in becoming a member or transferring your church membership, please fill out the MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION / INFORMATION FORM. Please print out the PDF of the form, fill it out, and return it to the church office.

PDF | MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Read about our Mission, Core Beliefs, and Values

Our Mission
Our statement of what the mission of Christ the King is in our community.

GLORIFY GOD

Worship God in proclamation of the Word and administration of the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist, and through lives of prayer, praise, thanksgiving, witness and service.

SPREAD THE WORD

Carry out Christ’s Great Commission by reaching out to all people to bring them to faith in Christ and doing all ministry with a global awareness consistent with the understanding of God as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier of all.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Serve in response to God’s love to meet human needs, caring for the sick and the aged, advocating dignity and justice for all people.

Our Core Beliefs
A brief summary of the core Christian beliefs we hold as a Lutheran church.

GOD

We believe in one God who is revealed in Scripture as triune or “three-in-one”: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19-20)

  • Father: God is the Creator who made all things including us; who daily provides for our needs and desires to have a loving relationship with us. (Genesis 1:1-2, 26-27)
  • Son: God is the Son, who became a human being – Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the Messiah, whose death and resurrection demonstrate the depth of the Father’s eternal love for all creation. Jesus gives us salvation. (Romans 1:1-4)
  • Holy Spirit: God is the Spirit who brings people to faith in Jesus, the Son. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence among us, and empowers us to lead holy lives. (John 14:26)

THE CHURCH

We believe all who have faith in Jesus are part of the Church. The Bible calls the Church the “Body of Christ,” whose mission is to share the good news of Jesus Christ – the salvation that He gives by grace. We welcome to our church all that are seeking God, no matter where they may be on their faith journey. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

We believe God’s grace is fully and freely given to all through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Through this grace our sin is forgiven, healing our broken relationship with God. We cannot earn God’s love by our good works, good behavior, or being holy. Rather, we do such things in faith as a response to God’s grace in Christ. 

Justification refers to the way God heals our broken relationship through Jesus. Grace is God’s unconditional love for us. Justification by grace through faith in Jesus is the center of Lutheran theology. (Ephesians 2:8)

THE WORD OF GOD

We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God, inspired by God’s Spirit speaking through their authors to serve as the authoritative source and norm of our proclamation, faith and life.
(1 Thessalonians 2:13)

  • The Bible was given to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the source of what we teach and the norm for how we are to live. (2 Timothy 3:16)
  • Jesus is the Word of God in human form. (John 1:1-3)

SACRAMENTS

We believe a sacrament is an act that is commanded by Christ, uses a physical or earthly element, and through connection with the Word bears God’s promise of grace. We observe two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Eucharist.

  • In Baptism, we are joined to Jesus’ death, raised with Him to new life, forgiven of our sin, and claimed as God’s children forever. Because all humans have a sinful nature and in need of God’s grace, we affirm the practice of baptizing infants, as well as adults. (Romans 6:3-5)
  • In Holy Eucharist, God forgives our sins and strengthens us for holy living to renew our relationship with God and others. We believe in the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the bread and wine that we share. (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

CREEDS AND CONFESSIONAL WRITINGS

We believe that the three ecumenical creeds of the Church (Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian) each bear true witness to who God is, and how God desires to be in loving relationship with us and with all creation. 

We believe that the Augsburg Confession and the other Lutheran Confessional writings in the Book of Concord are also true understandings of the Christian faith. We rejoice in the role of Lutheran Christians who have made God’s love in Christ known to the world through the centuries.

Our Values
The values that we hold as a congregation.

+ Worship life is a priority for our Pastor, members and visitors. We seek to provide worship that is liturgical, flexible, relevant, scripturally based, and seasonal, with music and leadership that is inspirational and reflects our reverence for God.

+ Believing that all people are created equal by God, we strive to provide a safe, nonjudgmental place where all are welcome and find their part in our ministries.

+ We value the experience of each generation, seeking to extend God’s call and compassion to all.

+ As we seek to live out Christ’s mercy and compassion, we are mutual partners in the Gospel with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Southeastern Synod, neighboring congregations and global/community agencies.

+ We strive to embrace paradox (including Law and Gospel, Saint and Sinner, Theology of the Cross and Theology of Glory) and diversity of theological, political, and social thought – we are richer through our differences.

+ Stewardship is a way of life – being good stewards of all the resources God has placed in our charge (time, talent, treasures, the gift of creation). We give as an act of worship.

+ We seek to educate and equip members to claim their personal ministry in order to live out their faith in daily life, making Christ known to themselves and others.