Several of our Christ the King staff and Board of Regents members had the opportunity to attend the LESA Educator Professional Development event on Friday, September 4, at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church. The morning featured keynote speaker Ted Neitzke, who presented “Leading into Your Storm,” encouraging Lutheran educators and leaders as they serve their schools and communities. We are grateful for opportunities like this to grow, connect, and be inspired alongside fellow Lutheran educators. A special thank you to LESA and Thrivent for making this meaningful morning of professional growth and fellowship possible!

Our founding students took their first field trip to Bethel Hills as part of their Faith in Action Friday class with Principal Sam Eckman! Students had the opportunity to meet residents, tour the campus, and learn more about the mission and story of Bethel Hills, a faith-based nonprofit community where adults with and without developmental disabilities live and celebrate life together. Through Faith in Action Fridays, our students learn what it means to put their Christian faith into practice by serving others, building relationships, and being active members of their community. We are grateful to Bethel Hills for welcoming our students and providing such a meaningful experience!

Christ the King students enjoyed another exciting field trip, this time to Camp Trinity! Students assessed stream quality and used the scientific method to learn more about the local ecology and organisms found in their natural environment. This hands-on experience gave our students the opportunity to take their learning beyond the classroom as they observed, investigated, and explored God’s amazing creation firsthand!

Our hallways have a little more Lion pride thanks to this beautiful mural! During our summer camps, campers—including current students and future Lions—each painted their own canvas featuring the Christ the King lion mascot. The individual pieces were brought together to create one colorful display that now proudly hangs in the halls of our school. We love that this mural represents not only our school spirit, but also the many students who are already part of the growing Christ the King family! A special thank you to Dena and Rick Kuddes for taking the time to arrange and hang these canvases so beautifully for us! 🦁

Our Student Publications class, led by Mrs. Leah Preus, has been busy putting students’ writing and creativity to work! Students have been creating their own articles while gaining valuable experience in writing, editing, and publishing. We are excited to share their work with our CTK families and supporters! Click the link below to read articles written by our students and see what they have been working on in Student Publications.

Home Grown & Homemade!

Talk about farm-to-table! Join us at Ebenezer Lutheran Church’s Pork Sausage Dinner on Sunday, October 25, for delicious food, fellowship, and a chance to support our CTK students!

Students in our Intro to Agriculture Class have been putting the CTK Garden to good use! Using produce grown right here on campus, they have created their very own homemade CTK salsa. Be sure to stop by the CTK table during the dinner to purchase a jar and take home a taste of their hard work!

We love seeing our students learn through hands on experiences like this from planting and growing to harvesting and creating something they can share with our community. What a wonderful way to be learn these important skills and have fun while doing it!

Thank you to all of our guests who joined us for chapel this month. It is always a joy to gather together in worship! We are especially grateful to Principal Eckman, Pastor Sipes, Pastor Preus, Pastor Brown and Pastor Hayter for leading us in chapel throughout September. We thank God for each opportunity to gather around His Word as a CTK family!

We hosted our inaugural Picture Day right here on campus, and it was a great success! Our Student Publications class will use each student’s traditional school photo in CTK’s very first yearbook. We’ve also updated our staff photos, so be sure to visit our website to see the latest photos and learn more about the wonderful people serving at Christ the King!

Our students continue to put their faith into action each Friday! Recently, the CTK students volunteered at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Washington to help prepare for their annual Apple Butter Cook. Students rolled up their sleeves and helped core apples, lending a hand to a longstanding Immanuel tradition. Faith in Action gives our students opportunities to step outside the classroom, serve our neighbors, and put Christ’s love into action.

CTK is excited to co-op with Washington High School's softball team. CTK sophomore McKarra Graham has been making her mark on the softball field this season! McKarra plays for a Washington High and is an impressive 11–0 on the mound. Principal Eckman recently had the opportunity to attend one of her games and cheer her on in person. McKarra is quite the talented pitcher, and we are proud of the hard work and dedication she puts into her sport. Way to go, McKarra!

Gracious Heavenly Father,

We give You thanks for the countless blessings You have poured out upon Christ the King Lutheran High School. Thank You for the generous donors whom You have used to help build, sustain, and grow our school. Thank You for the gift of our land in New Haven and for the opportunities it holds for the future. We praise You for our eight founding students, our faithful and dedicated teachers, and our joyful and talented volunteers who so willingly give their time and gifts in service to this ministry.

Lord, continue to bless Christ the King Lutheran High School. Keep us firmly rooted in Christ and faithful to Your Word. Grant us wisdom as we grow, provide for our needs, and open doors for more students and families to become part of our school community. Above all, may generations of students grow in truth and knowledge, knowing Jesus Christ as their Savior and living boldly in the faith You have given them. May everything we do at Christ the King be to Your glory and for the sharing of the Gospel.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thank you to the wonderful September volunteers:

Jennifer Poindexter, Lisa Marquart, Mark and Pam Pavely, Robbi Eckman, Jonathan Finck, Carol Finck, Christina Senevey, Mike Wuerffel, Devonne Manhart, Ruth Rethemeyer, Paul Helfrich, Larry Shanley, Margo Hoffmann, Sandy Van Leer, Roger and Gail Helling, Jim and Pam Wilshusen.