Join us in Loving and Serving
Lent @ CtK
Again this Lent, CtK is joining with several community partners in an effort to serve those who are hungry, thirsty, unknown (a stranger), poor, sick, and imprisoned.
This effort—called the Matthew 25 Project—offers many ways to explore the issues named in this well-known Scripture reading. There are opportunities to understand more fully with one’s mind, to experience more deeply with one’s heart, and to serve in some small way with one’s hands.
The following sections describe all of the Matthew 25 Project events in detail. For your convenience, we’ve organized the events into four broad focus areas: Worship, Giving, Service, and Arts and Awareness. A full calendar of events can be found at the bottom of the page.
To access this information in convenient booklet form, click here. Copies of the booklet are also available in the narthex.
Worship Opportunities
Wednesday, February 18 + 11 am and 7 pm
Join us in the sanctuary for a traditional Ash Wednesday service, including Holy Communion and imposition of ashes. The 11 am service will be followed by a light soup lunch in Van Oort Hall. The 7 pm service will be livestreamed on YouTube and our Worship on the Web page for those who are unable to join us in person.
Each Sunday in Lent + 8:15 am, 9:30 am, and 11:15 am
Throughout Lent, Sunday worship services will be held at their regular times: 8:15 am (traditional), 9:30 am (contemporary), and 11:15 am (traditional). The 9:30 and 11:15 services will also be livestreamed at ctkluth.com/worship.
Wednesdays from February 25 through March 25 + 7 pm
Join us on Wednesdays at 7 pm for this brief musical service, to be held following “Soup & Art.”
Sunday, March 29 + 8:15 am, 9:30 am, and 11:15 am
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, with services held at 8:15, 9:30, and 11:15 am. All three services will include a processional with palm branches.
Wednesday, April 1 + 6:30 pm
Come participate in an interactive liturgy, walking the 14 stations depicting Jesus’ Passion from his condemnation to his burial. Registration is not required but helpful for planning purposes. Sign up today in the narthex or using this online form.
Thursday, April 2 + 6 pm
Join us for dinner worship! Gathered in Van Oort Hall, we’ll hear the story of Jesus’ last supper while sharing a Mediterranean-style meal with one another. As dinner ends, we will offer and receive Jesus’ holy presence in bread and wine by communing one another around the table.
Register in the narthex or online by March 25 to reserve your place. A suggested donation of $10 per person will be collected at the door.
Friday, April 3 + 7 pm
Reflect on Jesus’ final hours at this meaningful service, presented in dramatic “reader’s theatre” style and featuring music from the Sanctuary Choir and Alleluia Ringers. Join us in person or via livestream.
Saturday, April 4 + 7 pm
Join us for a hymn festival featuring music by Xalt!, plenty of congregational singing, and celebration of Holy Communion. Join us in person or via livestream.
Sunday, April 5 + 8:15 am, 9:30 am, and 11:15 am
Join us at 8:15, 9:30, or 11:15 am to celebrate this most joyful day of the church year! The 8:15 and 11:15 services will feature traditional music from the Alleluia Ringers, Sanctuary Choir, and young musicians, while the 9:30 service will feature contemporary music from Xalt!
Giving Opportunities
Sunday, February 22 + Sunday, March 1
In partnership with First Presbyterian Church, CtK is providing Easter baskets for approximately 230 children at LaSalle Park Homes, El Campito, and Hope for the Hungry. Bring in items to fill the baskets and help us bring joy to children in our community. Shopping lists and collection boxes will be available in the narthex on Sunday and throughout the week.
Pick up on Sunday, February 22 + Return filled banks on Sunday, March 29
This Lent, we invite you to help purchase farm animals for families in need through God’s Global Barnyard (an ELCA Good Gifts program). CtK youth have built and decorated barn banks that will be distributed to the congregation on Sunday, February 22. Fill your bank throughout Lent, then return it to CtK on Palm Sunday (March 29), when our youth and Sunday school kids will be in the narthex with buckets to collect your gifts.
Sunday, March 8 + Sunday, March 15 + Sunday, March 22
All are encouraged to bring in product donations for the Spring Break Food Pack initiative conducted in conjunction with Clay Food Pantry. Shopping lists and collection boxes will be available in the narthex on Sunday and throughout the week.
Wednesdays from February 25 through March 25
Help feed attendees at our Wednesday “Soup & Art” discussion series by bringing in soup, bread, and/or cookies. Cook or bake at home (or make a stop at the grocery store), then drop off your items in Van Oort Hall by 5:30 pm each Wednesday. Sign up in the narthex to reserve your date.
Service Opportunities
Wednesdays from February 25 through March 25
Help make “Soup & Art” a success! Volunteers are needed to set up, serve soup, and/or clean up after the meal. Setup begins at 5:30 pm, and cleanup occurs after the conclusion of Holden Evening Prayer in the sanctuary (around 7:20 pm). If you would like to help, look for the signup sheet in the narthex.
Monday, February 23 + 6–8 pm
Cultivate Food Rescue + 1403 Prairie Ave., South Bend
Come to Cultivate and work together in an assembly line to fill trays with food, seal trays, and stack finished meals. The nutritious meals made by volunteers will feed food insecure children and neighbors throughout Michiana through Cultivate’s Backpack Program. Reserve your space by signing up here or in the narthex.
Thursday, March 5 + 10 am–4 pm
IUSB Fireside Room + 1700 E. Mishawaka Ave., South Bend
Stop by IUSB to celebrate International Women’s Day and learn about ways to help women across the globe. Enjoy presentations by nonprofits dedicated to women’s empowerment; buy fair-trade goods made by women artisans; help make reusable sanitary pads for girls and women in Malawi; and donate feminine hygiene supplies for women in need in Michiana.
Sunday, March 8
10:30–11:10 am + Van Oort Hall
People of all ages are invited to Van Oort Hall to help sort Easter basket donations and/or assemble fun surprises that will be included in each basket.
Saturday, March 28
9 am + Clay Church Firehouse Campus
Join us at the Clay Church Firehouse Campus to help sort and repackage donations for the Spring Break Food Packs project. Sign up online at claychurch.com/events.
Arts and Awareness Opportunities
Wednesdays from February 25 through March 25 + 6–7 pm
Van Oort Hall
Every Wednesday evening from February 25 through March 25, CtK will host “Soup & Art.” We’ll gather at 6 pm for a simple meal of soup and bread, then view and discuss a piece of art housed at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art on Notre Dame’s campus. Each stand-alone session will be accessible to all and will focus on how the piece might inform your journey through Lent.
Mondays from February 23 through April 6 + 6 pm
St. Joseph County Public Library Auditorium + 304 S. Main St., South Bend
Join us for a series of films addressing community issues. Movies will be screened on seven consecutive Mondays, starting at 6 pm. Each film will be followed by discussion with local nonprofit leaders and community advocates. This series is sponsored by First Presbyterian Church in cooperation with Notre Dame’s Browning Cinema and Department of Film, Television, and Theater.
Dates and films are as follows:
- February 23: Brooklyn (2015)
- March 2: Gut Renovation (2012)
- March 9: West Side Story (2021)
- March 16: The Breadwinner (2017)
- March 23: No Other Land (2024)
- March 30: In the Heat of the Night (1967)
- April 6: Evicting the American Dream (2025)
Sunday, March 29
10:30–11:10 am + Van Oort Hall
Join us at 10:30 am on Palm Sunday for an all-ages learning event in Van Oort Hall. Through hands-on demonstrations, we’ll learn about the lasting impact that our gifts make through the God’s Global Barnyard project.
Thursday, April 30 + 6:30–7:30 pm
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art + University of Notre Dame
Join Pastor Caroline and others from CtK for a tour of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at Notre Dame. The tour will be led by Emily Normand, a fellow for Religion and Spirituality and the Visual Arts at the museum. Our primary focus will be the pieces discussed at our “Soup & Art” evenings throughout Lent. All are welcome, even if you weren’t able to attend “Soup & Art.” Watch for paper and online signups in early April.
