Online Membership

Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of Christ the King Church. In order to become a member of Christ the King, you must first read through our membership material so that you have a clear understanding of what Christ the King is all about. After you have read through the material, you may then fill out a membership form and submit that information for review by our Church Council. If your application is approved, you will then be notified of your membership status.

Always a Place for You
Our Mission
What Kind of Church is This?
A Sermon They Can Understand
Worship That Makes Sense
Baptism, Communion and Prayer for the Sick
Opportunities for Personal Growth
Small Groups as the Basic Building Blocks
So What Kind of Church is this?
Christ the King Staff
Church Government
What is Expected of the Person who Joins the Team
Minimum Goals for Team Members
Why Become a Member of the Team

JOINING THE

TEAM

Always a Place for you!

Thank you for expressing an interest in joining the Christ the King Team. We are so grateful for every person that God brings to CTK. We believe He is building a strong team to reach Whatcom County and beyond for Christ. This membership booklet explains the mission, vision and values of CTK. It also explains why we do what we do and how the church is governed. You will also find the specific benefits and requirements of membership and an application for you to complete and mail to our office. We offer a membership class about every four to six weeks.  During this class please feel free to ask questions at any time. Also, we welcome you to call the office or contact a pastor to answer any question you may have about membership or our mission, vision and values. Thanks again for your interest in joining the CTK Team. May you enjoy God's clear direction for your life.

In Christ,

Grant Fishbook
Senior Pastor

Our Mission

Our mission is "To create an authentic Christian community that effectively reaches out to unchurched people in love, acceptance, and forgiveness so that they may experience the joy of salvation and a purposeful life of discipleship."

Our Philosophy

We are devoted to worshipping God. Not just in music but in the lifestyle of the fellowship.

We are dedicated to the mission of reaching people who do not know Christ as their Savior.

We are determined to one the "one another" commands of scripture through small group ministry.

Vision:

"Mobilizing people who serve the real God in the real world."

 

Our Values

• A commitment to evangelism.
• The ministry of the laity.
• The culture of recovery.
• The importance of relationships (trust building, transparency, truth telling, healing, and growth).
• The necessity of discipleship.
• Small groups as the basic building blocks of the church.
• The trustworthiness of God and His Word.

Our Strategy

To create this authentic Christian community by gathering people together in small groups of ten or less for care, encouragement, spiritual growth and loving new people to Christ.

Our Tactic

To recruit and train Christians to facilitate small groups of ten or less people.

Our Objectives

• To disciple each believer in this basic, but essential, practice necessary to living a Spirit-filled life and glorifying God.
• Prayer (personal /devotional/intercessory)
• The personal study of God's Word
• Sharing our faith with others
• Stewardship
• Service to others (the discovery of our spiritual gifts)
• Our Mission Statement
• To create an authentically Christian community that effectively reaches out to unchurched people in love, acceptance, and forgiveness so that they too may experience the joy of salvation and a purposeful life of discipleship.

To create - this is the primary task

an authentically Christian community - spiritually growing followers of Christ who hold themselves personally accountable to live under God's rule and pursue meaningful group life by obeying the "one another" commands of scripture.

that effectively reaches out - intentional action on the part of people to discover and do those things that will produce measurable evangelism and assimilation into the Body of Christ.

to unchurched people - those Christians and non-Christians who are not fully evangelized, discipled, and mobilized to fulfill the purposes for which God created and called them.

in love, acceptance and forgiveness -core values of an authentically Christian community.

so that they too may experience - Christ has called us to share his love with others who do not yet know him.

the joy of salvation - the miracle of new birth and a transformed life.

and a purposeful life of discipleship - the learning relationship Christ has called each of us to enter that results in discovering our gifts and using them in a manner that glorifies God.

What Kind of Church is this?

Let's be honest. Christ the King Community Church can be a little confusing when you first walk through the doors! People ask all the time, "What kind of a church is this?" Great question! In the next few paragraphs, I will do my best to try and explain the purpose and mission of Christ the King Church.

Christ the King is an evangelical, mission driven church that reaches out to unchurched people with the "good news." We're organized around the volunteer ministry of small group leaders and volunteer workers operating in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, seeking to provide quality care and personal growth for believers and to reach an unlimited number of unchurched people.

This statement really captures the heart of the people at Christ the King Church. Our goal and focus is reaching people who have never met Jesus Christ. We are committed to doing what it takes to share the incredible truth that God loves people and wants to be a part of their lives. We have written a mission statement that reveals our heart and our dreams. Our mission statement is really our dream about what a church could really look like if we followed the Bible and became a biblically functioning community. Christ the King is a mission driven church. I invite you to read our mission statement and then decide if this is a place that matches your passion and possibly where you would choose to worship and minister to others.

A Sermon They Can Understand

Each week, I prepare a message that is often months in the making. Usually, God has been teaching me something in my personal life and I am simply putting that lesson on paper and inviting people to join me on a spiritual journey. I take the ideas that God has given me and do my best to explain Christian truth in a way that is understandable, fun and relevant. My foundation and principles come from the Bible, period. When I am done with my message, I ask myself some simple questions: Does this make sense to the single Mom in the fourth row who is tired and looking for some hope? Will this encourage the guy in the back corner, who just worked a 60 hour week, to give Jesus a chance in his life? Will this challenge that business man or woman to put God first in every area of their life? If the answer to any of these questions is "NO", I start again. Why? Because I have a sacred trust with the people of Christ the King that I will treat the friends they bring with dignity and honor. That means never embarrassing anyone or speaking in a way that only makes sense to church people. I attempt to speak on relevant subjects including principles for living that have meaning for Christians and non-Christians alike. My goal is truth that people will understand.

Worship That Makes Sense

The presence of God is amazing. When God's presence is felt, it is a powerful witness to everyone. I believe passionately that the way we worship must be understandable to those we are attempting to reach. It should make sense. This means that we have chosen to use contemporary mediums (music, media, etc.) to communicate with our culture our worship and love for God. Our style is not for everyone and we honor each individual's choice to find a style that fits their worship expression.

God seeks worshippers that worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23). He responds with His presence. Worship that is in spirit and truth comes from the heart. I believe we can express our deep love and appreciation to God in a way that makes sense to the unchurched who are our guests. As newcomers in an unknown environment, they interpret what they see and hear. It is our desire that they see Jesus first! Other churches may embrace a mission that is different from ours. We fully support them in doing this. I think every church needs to prayerfully discover God's will and stick with it.

Baptism, Communion, and Prayer For The Sick

The historic marks of Christian communities are prayer, baptism, communion, and obedi¬ence to James 5:14, which calls for prayer for the sick. If you have attended our weekend services or come to a "CTK CELEBRATION" you have probably witnessed a baptism, communion or one-another prayer for those who have physical or spiritual needs. We always attempt to clearly explain the public practices of these Christian sacraments to everyone in attendance. I believe it is possible to do these acts of Christian sacrament, worship, and prayer in a manner that makes sense with nonbelievers present. Our weekend services are intentionally moments of faith, encouragement, inspiration and learning from God's Word. When the weekend services are understandable to people who are seeking, I believe we are cooperating with the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ.

Opportunities For Personal Growth

As stated in our mission statement, we want each person to experience the "joy of salvation and a purposeful life of discipleship." To be a disciple means to be a committed fol¬lower of the Lord Jesus Christ. It means to voluntarily be a learner under discipline. Our goal is to do those things that Jesus did in order that we might grow in our relationship with God. Discipleship is not about religion, it is about relationship. Spiritual maturity is developed in our lives as we take responsibility for our own words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes. Spiritual growth takes place in our lives as, by faith, we apply what we have been learning. We have 6 objectives for every believer at Christ the King Church: seeking God through prayer, studying God's Word for growth, sharing our faith in God with others, stewarding our resources as a trust from God and serving others by discovering our God-given gifts.

At Christ the King we have many ongoing opportunities for discipleship through learning, life application, and relationships. Opportunities such as: 12 Step Recovery Groups, Bounda¬ries Groups, BibleLife classes, Men's Issues groups, Women's Bible Study Groups, Parenting Classes, and many more. The point is that to grow as a Christian requires more than a Sunday morning experience—it also requires building meaningful relationships with others. A great deal of "one-another" ministry takes place in these learning situations.

Small Groups as The Basic Building Blocks

Every church must decide how it will be organized, who will be the leaders, and what they hope the intended outcome will be. As a mission-driven church, we have chosen to organize around people and their ministry. We have decided that the best way to gather peo¬ple is "ten at a time." These ten-person groups are the primary organizational building block at CTK. Ten people can meet together in a living room on a regular basis for mutual care and support. We have as many living rooms as we have people. A surplus of space! We call people who convene these groups Small Group Leaders. These people are the most impor¬tant and strategic leaders at CTK. They are our heroes!

Small groups give people a place to belong and build meaningful relationships. These groups are caring places. When we gather together in Jesus' name, we can expect the Holy Spirit to be present and minister to the needs of those present. In this way—gathering people ten at a time—the church can reach an unlimited number of people without disrupting the quality of care that those within the church already receive.

There are only two ways we are going to fully evangelize our community and the world. One is by starting new churches and the other is by encouraging existing churches to grow. We want to do both! We believe that the local church IS the hope of the world.

So What Kind of Church Is This?

Christ The King is an evangelical, mission driven church that reaches out to unchurched people with "good news," organized around the volunteer ministry of small group leaders and volunteer workers, operating in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, seeking to provide quality care and personal growth for believers and to reach an unlimited number of unchurched people.

Statement of what we believe

1. The Scriptures, both the Old and the New Testament, are the inspired (God-breathed) Word of God, without error in the original writings. The Bible is the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and the divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.

   2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
   
   2 Peter 1:20-21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but as men spoke from God they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

   Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

2. There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

   Isaiah 43:10 (NASB) … before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.

   Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

   1 John 1:5 God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

   Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

   John 10:30 I [Jesus] and the Father are one.

   John 15:26 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me;

3. Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly man having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross, once for all, as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Furthermore, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of God the Father, He is now our High Priest and Advocate (pleader of our cause).

   Philippians 2:6-8 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

   Matthew 1:20 … “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

   1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

   Luke 24:51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

   Hebrews 8:1 We do have … a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of
   the Majesty in heaven.

   Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are ¬– yet was without sin.

   1 John 2:1…. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

4. The ministry of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict and regenerate sinners in salvation. He indwells, seals, guides, instructs and empowers believers in sanctification for godly living and service.

   John 16:8 When he [the Counselor, the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.

   John 16:13-14 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

   John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

   Romans 8:13 … if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,

   Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

   1 Corinthians 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

   Ephesians 1:13-14 And you were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

   Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
   John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

   Philippians 2:12-13 … continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God [the Holy Spirit] who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

5. Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is therefore lost. That is, all human beings are born with a sinful nature which is revealed in thought, word and deed.

   Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him….

   Genesis 3:23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden….

   Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.

   Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death….

   Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

   Romans 3:12 … there is no one who does good, not even one.

6. The shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only grounds for justification (righteousness in the eyes of God) and salvation for all who believe. Only those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and thus, become children of God.

   John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

   2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

   Ephesians 1:7 In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

   Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

   John 1:12 Yet to all who received him [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

7. Water baptism (portraying the believer’s union with Christ in death and resurrection) and Communion (commemorating Christ’s death until He returns) are ordinances to be observed during the present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as a means of salvation.

   Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of The Son and of the Holy Spirit.

   Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

   Colossians 2:12 In baptism you were buried with him [Jesus] and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

   1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

8. The true Church is composed of believers who through faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated (given a new life) by the Holy Spirit. The Church is the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head; she is the bride and He is the Bridegroom. It is her responsibility to testify to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

   
   Ephesians 5:23 … Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior.

   Ephesians 5:26-27 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

   Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

   Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

   1 Peter 3:15-16 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you, to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience….

9. Our Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily. This "Blessed Hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of every believer.

   Acts 1:10-11 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

   Galatians 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

   Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

   Ephesians 5:26-27 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

   1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

10. The dead will be bodily resurrected – as Christ was: the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord and the unbeliever to everlasting conscious separation from God.

    Luke 24:39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.

    1Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

    Revelation 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books…. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

    1 Corinthians 15:42-52 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
    

Christ the King Church Staff
listed Alphabetically

Church Government

Christ the King Community Church is non-denominational church. We have a congregational form of government to participate a person must be a member.

At the annual meeting, members elect the persons who serve on the Church Council. The Church Council directs the affairs of the church in accordance with the agreed upon Articles of Incorporation as a non-profit organization in the State of Washington. The Senior Pastor is elected by the membership and serves for a term that is determined at the time of election. The Senior Pastor is responsible for hiring the church staff.

From their members, the Church Council elects three members to serve as Elders for a one-year term. In addition, the council elects the Corporate Secretary and Treasurer to serve a one-year term.

People are nominated for the Church Council by a nominating committee. This is not a political process, but a process of identifying godly men and women who serve biblically and responsibly. If you are a member, you can suggest someone to serve on the Council. The Nomination Committee will give your suggestion consideration.

The Church Council meets ten times during each year. A term of service is for two years. The term-limit for council members is terms.

Church Officers

What is expected of the person who joins the team

1. Salvation and water baptism.
A member must give a clear testimony of having been born again Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water, and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprise at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8

Each person will follow Christ’s command to be baptized in water. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

2. A commitment to be a responsible team member.
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

Let us behave decently as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Romans 13:113

3. Have a sincere belief in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

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Minimum goals for Team Members

1. Seeking God through Prayer.
2. Studying God's Word for growth.
3. Sharing our faith in God with others.
4. Stewarding our resources as a trust from God.
5. Serving others by discovering our God-given gifts.
6. Standing together in biblical community

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Why become a member of the team?

1. To be a part of what God is doing, and have a sense of belonging.
2. To put yourself in a position to be accountable for your actions.
3. To grow and move towards spiritual maturity in Christ.
4. Becoming a member of Christ The King Community Church you are joining with other believers in an intentional ministry that is committed to outreach and discipleship.

When you become a member you are accepting responsibility in your church. You are willing to be used by God in other people's spiritual growth. You want to make yourself a blessing to others.

Now click here to fill out our Membership Application