17195 Cleveland Road • South Bend, IN 46635 • Phone: 574.272.4306 • Office Email: office@ctkluth.com
Christ the King Lutheran Church has been blessed throughout our history with an intentional missional focus, robust Faith Formation ministries for disciples of all ages, long and stable senior pastorates, and an expanding building which hosts four weekend worship services and various community organizations.
We warmly welcome you!
We warmly welcome you!
Missional Focus
In 2012, recognizing our emphasis needed to be more community focused, our congregation began a Missional Transformation. We formed a Guiding Team, hired a consultant and worked as a congregation to determine what direction God was calling us to go. Over the next two years our Guiding Team, along with our consultant Mr. McLaverty, facilitated in-depth congregational surveys, focus groups, and discernment. Then, in 2014 we began a capital campaign called INTO. This was a three-year campaign, in which our congregation raised money not only for internal capital improvements, but one-third of these funds were designated for our mission program. Because of this campaign, we now staff a part-time mission coordinator and have a Mission Grant Fund, annually giving monies to local organizations for which our members volunteer. This INTO Capital Campaign closed December 2017. In 2018, Christ the King was selected by the Center for Congregations to receive a significant matching grant for Community Ministry and our mission to love and serve the world continued to expand.
Faith Formation
We have educational opportunities for learners of all ages and every stage of discipleship formation. Classes for children, youth and adults are held each Sunday morning and various groups for adults (men’s study, women’s study, bible study and book studies) meet throughout the week. Confirmation classes for all 6th through 8th grade students includes study, prayer, skits, videos, music and discussion. This three year curriculum focuses on Luther’s Small Catechism, the Bible, and living out our Baptismal Call in our everyday lives. Christ the King has many enriching ministry opportunities for children in preschool through 5th grade. Our goal is to provide Christ-centered, age appropriate ministry for children using engaging, creative, and experiential teaching methods.
Long Pastorates
Founded in January 1969, Christ the King was led by Rev. Loren J. Van Oort who served faithfully for 30 years as Senior Pastor until his retirement in December 1999. Pastor Steven Schwier became Senior Pastor on February 1, 2000 and served until 2017 when Pastor Caroline Satre assumed the Senior Pastor role. We have been blessed by many other talented pastors serving on staff through the years, including Pr. Bill Gafkjen (1999 to 2002) who was elected Synod Bishop in 2010 and Pr. Brad Davick, Caroline’s colleague and husband. We have been grateful for the steady, long tenures of our Senior Pastors providing vision, continuity and stability.
Facilities
Built in 1969 with a limited subsidy provided by the Church Extension Fund of the American Lutheran Church, the congregation grew to 120 families by 1975 and the building was expanded by 1400 square feet. In 1976, fire destroyed the original education wing and severely damaged the sanctuary (present fellowship hall) as well as the recently dedicated addition to the education wing. Support from others and the strong commitment of the membership assured the completion of reconstruction in just six months. The Samaritan Counseling Center, an independent non-profit organization providing faith based counseling services, was established in 1974 by Rev. Keith Munneke and a facility adjoining the church was built in 1978. In 2019 the counseling center re-branded as Seasons Counseling but continues to offer the same high quality services. By 1985 additional space was required for our growing church and we expanded the sanctuary to 2/3 its current size. Another expansion of the sanctuary as well as funding for the narthex, current office suite and eight more classrooms was launched in 1998. The expansion of our physical plant has mirrored our expansion of growth through the years.
We are excited you wish to join us as we “love and serve the world!”