Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Parish Newsletter
July 29, 2020
Keeping Us Connected
A Letter From Our Pastor
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, 
which transcends all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil: 4: 6-7)

Dear Friends,

As we look into the future of our communities of CTK and St. Stephen, I am very thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed on us. Some churches have essentially been forced into being online-only. We have opted for a combined alternative of online and in-person services (outdoors). I have come to the conclusion that we are transitioning through a time of uncertainty for the long term, and so we must prepare to face challenges ahead. Our staff and our parish leadership team have been creative and open, resourceful and diligent.

Online services seem to have actually increased attendance. We’re actually getting people from throughout the world. We find that we’re getting higher views than we’ve had at worship. Many of you have told me that it’s a lot less intimidating to watch from home, from the comfort of your couch. Right now, we have an opportunity to increase  digital  touch points.

Making sure our church looks good online is a challenging task. “So many churches are using Facebook Live, so the joke is that Jesus broke the Internet on Sunday,” someone said. At this juncture, in order to minister effectively, we need to invest into better technology. We are looking at incorporating more technology into our regular routine, creating a “new normal.” So far we had iPhones operated mostly by your pastor, but now with enhanced technology, we need cameramen who will need to be adequately trained.

Many parishioners as well as visitors from nearby cities have attended our outdoor services and have been very positive about them. Right now, we offer 5 outdoor services at CTK and one Sunday morning service at St. Stephen on the weekend. In addition to these, multiple outdoor baptisms and funerals are also offered. As we move into summer and fall, we are working on having more shaded areas close to the improved outdoor sanctuary.

At this time, we need to make an investment into technology and enhanced outdoor space. I am asking those of you who are blessed by God to make a gift to this fundraising. We’d like to raise $25,000 for this intention. You have been very generous and I am so grateful. Let us get ready for summer and the fall, with enhanced online presence as well as comfortable and convenient outdoor space, where we can attend church in a safe and reverent way. This will benefit our outdoor masses, baptisms, funerals, bible study and faith formation of children and adults.

There is also an effort underway right now by our staff to update our parish records. There are so many of our parishioners who are missing out on our weekly updates. Please help us keep our records current. Let us know if you  move , get a  new phone number , change your  email address  or have a different way you wish to be contacted. We would also like to keep our records up-to-date concerning the members of your household. Any significant changes to your household or status (single, married, widowed, divorced etc.) let us know. We do try to keep up, but sometimes the only person to tell us about these changes is you. So I kindly ask you to complete the form included in this newsletter. You will likely also receive a phone call from our staff in the coming weeks. We don’t share your information with anyone including the Diocese of Oakland. Thank you.

Fr. Paulson
An Interview with our New Pastoral Associate
Fr. Lee
Baptisms Over the Weekend
Welcome to the Family!
On Saturday, through the sacrament of Baptism, we welcomed Theodore to our CTK and St. Stephen Family. Theodore is the son of Charlie and Julia.
Congratulations Theodore!
On Saturday, through the sacrament of Baptism, we welcomed  Lyra  to our CTK and
St. Stephen Family.
Lyra is the daughter of Melanie and Cameron.
Congratulations Lyra!
May God grant your little ones all the blessings of His gentle love and may Theodore and Lyra enjoy a lifetime of health and happiness. May Theodore and Lyra's baptisms be just the start of a life filled with blessings. Best wishes.
Free Food Distribution
Please spread the word to those in need!

St. Vincent de Paul of Christ the King Church is hosting a FREE food distribution in partnership with the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano Counties on:

Monday, August 3
9am - 11:30am
Christ the King Church
Small Parking Lot

Volunteers will be on hand to place food in the trunk of the car or back seat. Walk ups are also welcome.

Questions? Call 925-246-1131.
CTK Parish Office is Open

The parish office remains open from 9am to 1pm, Monday through Friday. We have one staff member working daily. The rest of our staff continues to work remotely. You can call us or visit the office. A mask is required inside the office.
Parish Database Update

We are in the process of updating our parish database with current information including phone numbers, emails etc. Please click the link below to download a form and update your information. Please see today's bulletin for more information.

Outdoor Masses Continue This Weekend Both in our
Parking Lot and Grass Area
No Reservations or Sign Ups Required
You can get out of your car and onto the grass
(bring your own chairs/blankets)
Face Masks are required
Or continue to stay in the comfort of your car-tune into FM 106.7

All masses will be live streamed on Facebook
Weekday Mass:
Thursdays 6pm only
(Honoring Our Mother
of Perpetual Help)

Weekend Masses:
(Saturday) 5pm
(Sunday) 7:30am, 9am,10:30am & 6pm

Please Note:
7:30am mass will take place outside, on the patio, in front of the church.

Drive Through Holy Communion - Sundays
11:30am to 12 noon 
(In front of the church)

Song Sheet for Mass Here
Readings for Mass Here

Streaming Live on Facebook

Monday - Saturday
9am - Chapel Mass

5:40pm - Holy Rosary
(except Thursdays, Saturdays)

St. Stephen Church
Walnut Creek

Sunday - Mass at 9:30am - Outdoors
Worship Aide Here

Drive Through Communion - 10:15am
Join us Every Thursday
For our Speaker Series followed by our
Weekly Mass
Join us every Thursday at 5:00pm on Facebook Live

This Thursday, July 30th at 5:00pm, our speaker will be Fr. Aidan McAleenan. He is the Pastor of St. Columba Church, who is now engaged in a difficult conversation with our diocesan leaders, especially our bishop, with regard to racism in our church.
Thursday, 6pm Mass
Honoring Our Mother of Perpetual Help

After our speaker, stay on for our 6pm weekly mass where we honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
Either in your car,
on the lawn, or in your home on Facebook Live!
Weekly Church Bulletin
Grief Support Group - Monthly Meeting
Our Grief Ministry  is still here for you! Even though we cannot meet in person, our Grief Ministers are reaching out to our grieving people to help give support during this challenging time. If you have suffered the loss of a loved one, and would like to receive a call from one of our caring Grief Ministers, please call Donna at 510-381-3615. Our Grief Ministry Support Group meets the 1 st  Saturday of every month.

Our support group will be meeting this Saturday, August 1 at 9:30am
via Zoom.
Join our Faith Sharing Group
You are invited to join a "virtual" Faith sharing group on Zoom. We meet every Friday morning at 9:30 am to share our faith through reading and praying with the readings for the following Sunday . Everyone in the parish is welcome to participate in this opportunity to deepen your faith and increase your understanding of scripture. To try it out, email Diana Mackinson at  dijoed@comcast.net  and she will send you the Zoom invitation to enable you to join us on Friday morning. 
Weekly Reflection on Sunday Readings
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Welcome to our weekly reflections on
the Sunday Scriptures.

This week’s readings invite us to remember and have faith in our God’s desire to feed and nourish us along the zig-zag path of our daily lives. (see more)
Technology/Outdoor Donation
As referenced in Fr. Paulson's letter above, if you would like to make a donation for technology we would be most grateful! Your donation would go toward enhancing our live streaming of masses and ministry for our parishioners, as well as a comfortable outdoor space. Please click the button below. You can alway send a check and mail it to CTK. Thank you for your support!
Thank you for your Continued Financial Support to CTK and St. Stephen Church During these Uncertain Times
Keeping Connected
Sunday Offering

On-Line Giving: (click button below)

Online giving now includes St. Stephen Parish.

We depend upon your contributions!


Your generosity and prayers help ensure that CTK and St. Stephen can continue running its essential ministries and pay their staff.

Thank you again for your donations as we work together to sustain our community now and in the future.

Offertory Envelopes/Paper Checks:
Can be sent direc tly to CTK:
195A Brandon Rd.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Can be sent directly to St. Stephen
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597

Thank you for your support!
Closing Prayer
God of our hopes and dreams,
just as Jesus gathered up the fragments
of the five loaves and two fish
that remained after feeding the five thousand.
Call us anew to eat our fill
and to find our true nourishment in Jesus,
the bread of heaven.
Amen
"To Hear the Gospel and Make a Difference"