CTR Announcements Jan 11

Retreat this Saturday!

Our first retreat of 2022 is this Saturday, January 15. We are planning for it to be in-person at CTR, with a Zoom option. However, Thomas brought back a cold from Istanbul (almost certainly not COVID - he tested negative before his flight). If the sickness seems to be lingering, then we will switch to Zoom only.

We will be listening to a teaching about community given by Clare Stobel of the Bruderhof. This is a really beautiful teaching that you won't want to miss!

If the retreat is at CTR, it will be a short retreat. After lunch will be optional activities - a short Turkey report, and perhaps a fire outside.

If you are planning on attending this retreat, please register by clicking this link. Note that there will be no registration fee.

Thanks!

PS: If you haven't yet listened to Mark Kinzer's teaching on Exodus 34 & Community, this would be a wonderful way to prepare for the retreat. Mark gave his teaching to Achana the day before Clare followed up with her teaching. Both are really wonderful and helpful.

End of Year Thanks!

We are deeply grateful for the generous end-of-year gifts that came in from the community. They totaled just under $8,000! This will help us put A/C (and heat) in the Great Room at CTR, which should make our retreats quieter and more comfortable. Thank you, Lord!

Statement of Personal Devotion - Feb 12

During our February retreat, we will have a chance for you to renew (or adopt for the first time) the Statement of Personal Devotion. This is an annual commitment to live out John 17 in your personal life - wherever you are. In order to be eligible to adopt the Community Commitment (which is being crafted by CTR leadership), you have to have lived out (to the best of your ability) the Statement of Personal Devotion for at least a year. So if you are interested in stepping into the Community Commitment, and have not yet adopted the Statement of Personal Devotion, it will be important to do so on Feb. 12.

CTR Announcements Oct 27

Shabbat Dinner with Marianna on Friday, November 5

We just corresponded with Marianna, and confirmed her visit next week!

On Friday, November 5 we will celebrate Shabbat dinner with her. It's always special to have Marianna here on a Friday night :-)



If you would like to come, please RSVP (this week if possible) by replying to this email or contacting Amy directly. It will be very helpful to us to know how many people will be here. Thank you!

Compost Bin Moved

If you look closely in the picture above, you'll see Ludwig & Cecily Benecke! During the time that Ludwig & Cecily were with us, Ludwig helped me build a compost bin.



This month we deconstructed the bin that Ludwig built and moved the compost pile away from the house. We mention this not because it is newsworthy, but only to have the opportunity to show you again the following ultra-cute picture taken five years ago!

Saturday, Nov 13 - CTR Retreat

We will have a CTR retreat on Saturday, November 13. It will be the next in the Foundations of Community series, focusing on our second activity that we will commit to: Reconciliation. Very important!

The format of the retreat will be a teaching in the morning, followed by discussion of ways that we are called to reconciliation in / as a community. After lunch, we will have an extended time of prayer to pray into this calling together.

Here are the details, please register if you are coming!

• Date: Saturday, November 13

• Time: 9:45 am - 2:30 pm

• Location: Christ the Reconciler, 2142 FM 1704 Elgin TX 78621

• COVID: Masks are not required, but are recommended for anyone concerned about catching coronavirus and/or passing it along to family/friends who are vulnerable

• Cost: $25 / individual, $35 / couple, $5 / child

• Lunch: CTR will provide the main course (TBD), bring a side / salad / dessert / drink to share with everyone

• Registration: https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

See you on the 5th, and on the 13th!

CTR Announcements Oct 21

November - Marianna (hopefully) & Retreat (definitely)

November is coming quickly. We will have a CTR retreat on Saturday, November 13. It will be the next in the Foundations of Community series, focusing on our second activity that we will commit to: Reconciliation. Very important! Mark your calendars and look for details & registration next week.

Before then, Lord willing, we will have a visit from Marianna Gol. She is planning to be in Austin the first week of November. We are still working on a time when the CTR community can come and be with her ... to hear from her, and also just reconnect. We'll get details to you as soon as we know them.

CTR Announcements Oct 14

Marianna Gol is Coming!  (hopefully)

We are truly blessed these days, with guests and dear friends visiting CTR again. Marianna is coming the first week of November. We will certainly set aside some time for the CTR community to hear from her, and spend time together.

We don't have specific dates / times yet, but look for those shortly. Since her trip somewhat depends on the changing travel rules etc., pray for her to be able to make it! (And remember, we will also have a retreat on November 13, so be sure to mark your calendars for that day as well.)

Some Reflections on Bob & Dan's Visit to CTR

We wish you all could have been with Bob & Dan all day Monday, as they experienced a very CTR day - Zooming with John & Susan in Germany; learning about Bridge Prayer and the app; spending time with Jayson, talking about leadership issues; getting a Cielo tour; and participating in Bridge Prayer. One very special moment happened when John Patrick was in a phone call and couldn't fulfill his role as musician ... on a whim I (Thomas) asked if either of them could fill in, and Bob immediately picked up the guitar and launched into a wonderful worship medley!

We also had a rich conversation over dinner on Monday night about the (sometimes very difficult and painful) paths they have walked over the decades - if you get a chance, ask John Michael and Diane about it, it was so wonderful for them to be at the table, experiencing the blessings of being CTR hosts and caretakers.

Recording of Monday's Zoom with Bob & Dan

The morning after the Sunday retreat, we held a Zoom call with John & Susan Martin in German. Danny Malakowsky and Ryan Thurman of Antioch Network also joined in, from Phoenix (aside: the ability to connect Alleluia to Antioch Network could be a significant kingdom connection, as well).
The conversation was really wonderful, and if you're interested in understanding more about the Alleluia Community then please take the time to listen to the recording. They are a different culture than we are, for sure, but have walked many of the paths for decades that we are just now embarking on. While we will not "become them", we have a lot to learn from them.
The recording is available as an audio-only teaching on the website or in the app, via the Teaching of the Week.

CTR Announcements Sept 30

Bob & Dan from Alleluia - October *10* (not the 17th)

We just learned that Bob & Dan will be coming a week earlier than previously planned & announced. The primary reason for their trip to Texas is to attend a retreat in Dallas, and then they wanted to visit us afterwards. The dates of the retreat were moved, and so now our date is moved too!

Here are the plans, which now include a Zoom on October 11 for those of you who can't make the Sunday evening meeting at CTR.

• In person meeting: Sunday, October 10, 3:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Childcare will be included. And we will have dinner together, so it will be like a regular retreat, just on Sunday evening instead of Saturday midday. That means normal costs to, to cover the food and childcare costs.
  *** Please register here if you want to come ***
  

• Zoom meeting: Monday, October 11, 9:00 am - 10:30 am. We'll have a Zoom option with Bob & Dan, for those of you who prefer remote or can't make it on Sunday night or live in Germany. No need to register or pay anything. The Zoom link will be sent out next week.

This is a very special opportunity to hear from, and be able to ask questions of, two leaders who have lived in community for decades. They've seen all the challenges and problems, and you can ask them anything you have concerns or fears about as we move towards community at CTR. If you are interested in moving that direction with us, we strongly encourage you to attend either or both of the opportunities (and let us know if neither works, we can try to set something up for you). Thanks!

Amy's Teaching on Abraham Available Online

Amy's sermon from Hope Chapel is online! See below for the video link, and it is also available as an audio-only teaching on the website or in the app, via the Teaching of the Week.

CTR Announcements Sept 22

Amy Teaching @ Hope Chapel on Sunday 9/26

Amy will be preaching the sermon at Hope Chapel this Sunday! She will speak from her upcoming book on Abraham. Please pray for her as she finishes her preparations, and especially as she speaks on Sunday.

And ... let's pray onsite! Hope Chapel is at 6701 Arroyo Seco Austin, TX 78757, and the service starts at 10 am.

You will be able to attend via the Hope Chapel YouTube channel. ... just look for the 20210926 Worship Service and click it.

Thomas' Teaching on Prayer Available Online

The teaching from Saturday's retreat is up on YouTube, for those of you who weren't able to make it and want to listen in (or for those of you who want to listen again!):

Foundations of Community #6: Prayer

It is also available as an audio-only teaching, via the Teaching of the Week.

Paper vs. Phone

One of the points made in the teaching was that a paper Bible (how quaint!) is actually an important resource for praying Biblical prayers. As opposed to a phone Bible. Here's an article that was recently published in Christianity Today that reinforces this idea ... we encourage you to read and consider it.

• Hard-Copy Bibles Aren’t Just Nostalgic

October 17:  Alleluia Leaders Visiting!

This is a rich and important season @ CTR. To have two of the leaders from Alleluia traveling to CTR to spend time with us is a gift from God. Please reserve the afternoon and evening of Sunday, October 17 on your calendars. We'll begin at 3:30 pm, and finish in time for kids to get a good night's sleep before school the next day.

CTR Announcements Sept 16

Zoom Details for Saturday's Retreat

The Saturday retreat has been changed from in-person @ CTR to Zoom. Contact us for the Zoom link, there is no need to register or pay for the retreat.

Please try to join ~10 minutes early, so that we can start right at 10 am. Thomas will teach on Prayer. This is at the very heart of Christ the Reconciler!

See you (virtually) on Saturday ...

Renewing / Adopting the Statement of Personal Devotion

Because we won't be together in person this Saturday, we have decided to postpone the opportunity to renew / adopt the Statement of Personal Devotion. Stay tuned for a new date!

Sept 26 @ Hope Chapel - Amy Preaches on Abraham

Amy has been invited to preach the sermon at Hope Chapel on Sunday, September 26. First of all, let's celebrate a Catholic woman being invited to preach at a Protestant non-denominational church ... hallelujah!

She will speak from her upcoming book on Abraham. It will be a challenge to know what material from 12 chapters of the book, to share in a single sermon! Please pray for Amy.

And ... let's all show up to support Amy and to learn from the revelation God has given her into the life of our father Abraham. Mark your calendars! You will be able to attend in person or via the Hope Chapel YouTube channel.

October 17:  Alleluia Leaders Visiting!

This is a rich and important season @ CTR. To have two of the leaders from Alleluia traveling to CTR to spend time with us is a gift from God. Please reserve the afternoon and evening of Sunday, October 17 on your calendars. We'll begin at 3:30 pm, and finish in time for kids to get a good night's sleep before school the next day.

CTR Announcements Sept 1

Statement of Personal Devotion - Unchanged for 2021

If you are not familiar with the Statement of Personal Devotion,click here to read about it, see the Statement itself, and download the Study Guide.

Last year we made a number of changes to the Statement of Personal Devotion to Live Out John 17, based on our experience of living it out for the first time, and the feedback of community members. This year we don't have any changes ... which means that we are getting closer to what God has in mind for us to devote ourselves to!

The in-person opportunity to re-adopt / adopt for the first time the Statement of Personal Devotion in person will beat the next retreat, September 18, at Christ the Reconciler. This is coming right up! We have been focusing our developing Community Commitment, which builds on the Statement of Personal Devotion, but it is really important that the Statement of Personal Devotion is the foundation of the upcoming Community Commitment. We don't want to neglect it.

So, what to do right now?

1. Please let us know by replying to this email, if you would like to adopt the Statement of Personal Devotion for the coming year, but will not be able to make it in person on September 18 (for whatever reason). We will arrange a Zoom time for you.

2. If you have any questions or concerns about adopting the Statement of Personal Devotion, please don't hesitate to contact us.

As we discussed in the Community Meeting last month, those who want to be candidates for the Community Commitment, must have adopted and be living out (to the best of their ability) the Statement of Personal Devotion.

Retreat Recordings Online

Amy's teaching onForgivenessfrom the last CTR retreat on August 21 is now available online!

There is also an audio-only version available as the Teaching of the Week ... and (bonus!) Rose's beautiful song that she sang over us is there too, and can be downloaded for your music library. (It also comes at the end of the video above.)

This teaching is the 5th in the Foundations of Community series that we are in, to prepare us for considering the Community Commitment. Next month Thomas will teach on Prayer at the September 18 retreat.

CTR Announcements Aug 17

Final Details for Saturday's Retreat

First of all ... if you are coming but haven't registered yet, please do so right now!

• https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

The retreat will be at Hope Chapel, not at CTR. Please try to arrive 10 minutes before you normally would. This will give you time to get oriented, find where we are, etc. This will allow us to start on time.

We will be meeting upstairs in the children's area. For those of you who have mobility challenges, there is a (slow) elevator. Bring your children up with you at the start of the retreat.

We will be having lunch together. The main dish is pulled pork sandwiches, so bring the perfect side / salad / dessert / drink :-) ... also there will be corn tortillas and/or polenta for a gluten-free option.

Here are the other details:

• Date: Saturday, August 21

• Time: 9:45 am - 2:30 pm

• Location: Hope Chapel, 6701 Arroyo Seco Austin, TX 78757
  (we're meeting in Austin to make it easier for everyone to attend who wants to ... also better A/C for an August retreat!)

• COVID: Masks are not required, but are recommended for anyone concerned about catching coronavirus and/or passing it along to family/friends who are vulnerable

• Cost: $25 / individual, $35 / couple, $5 / child

• Lunch: CTR will provide the main course (pulled pork sandwiches, with corn tortilla + polenta option), bring a side / salad / dessert / drink to share with everyone

• Registration: https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

See you on Saturday!

Playground Update X 2

Pledges-- for those of you who made pledges (thank you!), there is no easy automatic way in PushPay to choose your pledge and then make the donation that fulfills it. Sorry about that. Instead, you just have to make a donation equal to your pledge. You can make a donation online by clicking here, or use the App (More ... menu, Donate). Be sure to choose One-Time-Gift, and choose the CTR Playground fund. We will send emails out to each person who made a pledge, as well, to remind you. We would like the pledges to be fulfilled by the end of August, if possible - we will be making the final payment on the playground on August 28.

Volunteers on Saturday, August 28-- We will be moving the playground on Saturday, August 28. We need more muscle power! Please consider setting aside part or all of the day, to serve the children of CTR by helping move the playground. Contact Thomas for more details. Thank you!

CTR Announcements Aug 11

Register for the August 21 CTR Retreat

As the important August retreat draws near, please register as soon as possible. It's especially important for us to know how many children are coming, so we can plan child care accordingly. Thank you!

• https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

On Saturday, August 21, we have an important CTR retreat in the development of community. We'll devote some significant time to laying out the roadmap for community, including the community commitment and the path to residences on the CTR land. There will be time for Q&A, discussion, and prayer.

Amy will also continue the series on Foundations of Community by talking about forgiveness. How can we have community, if we don't forgive each other? Actually, it is impossible. In our visits to existing communities (like Alleluia, and others), every one of them has talked about "keeping short accounts" by living in the light and forgiving each other. And of course, Jesus had quite a lot to say about forgiveness too :-)

If you are interested in the development of community at CTR, please make every effort to attend this retreat. Here are the details:

• Date: Saturday, August 21

• Time: 9:45 am - 2:30 pm

• Location: Hope Chapel, 6701 Arroyo Seco Austin, TX 78757
  (we're meeting in Austin to make it easier for everyone to attend who wants to ... also better A/C for an August retreat!)

• COVID: Masks are not required, but are recommended for anyone concerned about catching coronavirus and/or passing it along to family/friends who are vulnerable

• Cost: $25 / individual, $35 / couple, $5 / child

• Lunch: CTR will provide the main course (TBD), bring a side / salad / dessert / drink to share with everyone

• Registration: https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

See you on the 21st!!

Zoom Recording of Alleluia Report - For A Limited Time Only!

We've already heard from several who weren't able to make it last Friday, that they appreciated the link to the recording of that Zoom session. There may be some who still want to catch up on what was shared. If you are one of them, please contact us and request the link and passcode.

We will likely be Zooming / recording all or part of the August 21 retreat, so to make room we'll have to delete this recording in a couple of weeks. Now's your chance!

CTR Announcements Aug 4

Friday Zoom @ 7 pm for Alleluia Debrief

This Friday, August 6, we'll have the debrief of our Alleluia Community visit. We want to share with everyone what we saw as we visited a community of Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox that is still thriving after almost 50 years.

The time will be 7 pm - but if you can, try to join ~ 10 minutes early so that we can start right on time. We'll aim to be done by 8:15, and allow another ~15 minutes or so for those of us who want to hang out and chat.

We'll do this meeting by Zoom, to hopefully enable as many of you as possible to participate - since this was an important trip in the development of CTR community. Please contact us for the Zoom link.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Friday!

Important CTR Retreat on August 21

On Saturday, August 21, we have an important CTR retreat in the development of community. We'll devote some significant time to laying out the roadmap for community, including the community commitment and the path to residences on the CTR land. There will be time for Q&A, discussion, and prayer.

Amy will also continue the series on Foundations of Community by talking about forgiveness. How can we have community, if we don't forgive each other? Actually, it is impossible. In our visits to existing communities (like Alleluia, and others), every one of them has talked about "keeping short accounts" by living in the light and forgiving each other. And of course, Jesus had quite a lot to say about forgiveness too :-)

If you are interested in the development of community at CTR, please make every effort to attend this retreat. Here are the details:

• Date: Saturday, August 21

• Time: 9:45 am - 2:30 pm

• Location: Hope Chapel, 6701 Arroyo Seco Austin, TX 78757
  (we're meeting in Austin to make it easier for everyone to attend who wants to ... also better A/C for an August retreat!)

• COVID: Masks are not required, but are recommended for anyone concerned about catching coronavirus and/or passing it along to family/friends who are vulnerable

• Cost: $25 / individual, $35 / couple, $5 / child

• Lunch: CTR will provide the main course (TBD), bring a side / salad / dessert / drink to share with everyone

• Registration: https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

See you on the 21st!!

CTR Announcements July 28

Praise the Lord for a Playground!

We put out the word on Monday about the possibility of purchasing a playground for the children of CTR. And you responded! The full $2,000 was given/pledged within 24 hours!! Yesterday I went back to the owner and gave her a check for $1,000. We'll pay the other $1,000 when we pick up the playground.

Thank you, thank you, thank you - for all of you who gave so generously!

A few quick follow-up items:

• Ed T. has agreed to be the Engineering Lead. We are so grateful, and know that Ed will make sure the job gets done right ... with no parts left over at the end, and everyone scratching their head - "I wonder where that was supposed to go!"
  

• We still need a Volunteer Coordinator - who will just get everyone to the right location, on the right day (which is yet to be determined), etc. Please contact us if you can do this job.
  

• We also need a couple more volunteers. We have two in addition to Ed, and probably could use two more.
  

• If you pledged, you can redeem your pledge at any time. How to do that? I'm not sure! We've never done a pledge campaign before :-) We'll investigate send out instructions to those of you who pledged.

August Events

Please make sure the two August events are on your calendar:

• Friday August 6, Zoom report on the visit to Alleluia Community in GA

• Saturday August 21, CTR Retreat @ Hope Chapel in Austin

Thanks!

CTR Announcements July 19

Virtual Antioch Network Gathering on Saturday

While there is no July retreat at CTR, our community has two opportunities this week to engage in spiritual conversations concerning reconciliation.

One comes next Saturday, July 24, from 1:00-3:00 pm in Texas. The Antioch Network will hold its summer Gathering, once again via a virtual format.

The Council of Antioch Network has been seeking the Lord for prophetic direction and has felt led to Caroline's teaching on theAccuser of the Brethren, plus the follow-up teaching onThe Advocate vs. The Accuser, as prophetic words for this season. It is a real honor for this teaching to reach a wider audience ... what might the Lord have planned?

You are invited to join the Gathering! George and Hanna Miley, Verena and Hans-Peter Lang, Danny Malakowsky, Ryan Thurman, Jayson and other members of CTR will be participating.

The gathering is 2 hours in length, and will consist of a group prayer (using CTR's Bridge Prayer) plus a panel discussion on the implications and practical applications of these two teachings.

You must register for the Antioch Gathering to attend on Saturday, it's free and easy:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvV60oE-5OqS8zNZGzHdCURwAIfo8C4yhColLXN6byCNWkXQ/viewform

And on Wednesday ...

Even before the Antioch Network Gathering, this Wednesday July 21 our friend Rabbi Mark Kinzer will hold a webinar to introduce his new book. Many of you have met Mark and heard his teachings at CTR.

Mark's new book and the webinar to introduce it are both wonderful chances to learn about the centrality of Jerusalem in the gospels and the implications of this for our faith.

We have great respect for Mark and his work. Here is his message with links and more info.

Russ Resnik and I have written a new book: Besorah: The Resurrection of the Jerusalem and the Healing of a Fractured Gospel.

Both authors (Russ and I) will be participating in a webinar that will introduce the book. The session will be hosted by Dr. Jen Rosner. The webinar will be next Wednesday, July 21, at 1:30 pm Central Time. Here is a link for those who would like to register for the event:

Here is the link for registration.

For those who are curious, here is a five minute interview that Jen did with Russ and me about the book:

Feel free to pass this information on to those in your circle.

August Events

Please make sure the two August events are on your calendar:

• Friday August 6, Zoom report on the visit to Alleluia Community in GA

• Saturday August 21, CTR Retreat @ Hope Chapel in Austin

Thanks!

CTR Announcements July 14

A Fantastic Visit to the Alleluia Community

Amy & I are grateful for your prayers. Our visit on July 1 - 5 to the Alleluia Community was blessed, protected, and very fruitful.

We will give a full report about what they saw on their trip on Friday, August 6 at 6:30 pm. This will be via Zoom, so that as many of you as possible can participate. Please set aside this evening to see pictures and videos and hear more about how this community's heart and history.

August CTR Retreat - On the 21st, @ Hope Chapel

Three important notes about the August retreat.

1. We will give significant time to discussing the roadmap of building community at CTR - both the community commitment, and the building of residences.
   

2. Amy will give a teaching on Forgiveness, which will be the 5th teaching in the Foundations of Community series
   

3. The retreat is confirmed for Saturday August 21 (not the 14th). The location will be Hope Chapel in Austin. The reason to not meet at CTR is that this is an important meeting for the future of CTR, and we wanted to make it as easy as possible for Austin-based folks to attend. Also, the A/C is better at Hope Chapel than at CTR - an important consideration for August!!

Please make sure this is on your calendar. Look for more details in subsequent newsletters.

Reconciliation Bridge Prayer

We have entered a new season of Bridge Prayer in the CTR App. Reconciliation & Unity is the longest season of prayer for us, covering all of July, August, and September. It is so appropriate for us to give extended time of intercession for the prayer of Jesus' heart - that the Body of Christ would be one, as the Father and the Son are one.

If you don't have the CTR app,please download itand pray daily for the unity of the church. You can find the daily prayer under the main menu of the app.

CTR Announcements June 28

Living in the Light is Online

We have posted Merisha's wonderful teaching online. This gives those of you who were not able to make it on June 19 to hear what the Lord spoke to us. And for those of us who were there ... we can listen again! - it was such a deep message with many parts to ponder.

It's the Teaching of the Week, so it is available in the app and online:

• http://www.christthereconciler.org/teaching-of-the-week/2021/6/26/merisha-janke-living-in-the-light

That page has both the audio recording and the video. If you have trouble hearing, choose the audio - it's a clearer recording, and will be easier to listen to. Of course, so much of what Merisha communicates is in her wonderful expressiveness, and you only see that on the video!

Listen to the Q&A time with Caroline, Amy, & Merisha

Here's the link to an audio recording of the wonderful panel discussion that took place in the afternoon of the last retreat:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5q08rcs9a45xrvt/AABWm9kW9teEqn3tsbPYRUfaa?dl=0

Note that the recording starts after the first question has been asked, which was from Thomas as moderator:

Phillip, you commented after Caroline's Accuser of the Brethren teaching that you needed to be "rewired" ... I'd like to ask, how does this happen? How can we be rewired to align with the Advocate rather than the Accuser?

CTR Announcements June 24

Last Saturday's Retreat

We are grateful for all God did in our midst as we gathered on Saturday to hear from Merisha. She spoke on Living in the Light - look for the recording of her talk to be posted next week.

Visiting the Alleluia Community

On July 1, Amy & Thomas will fly out to Augusta, Georgia. They have been invited by the leadership of theAlleluia Community to come and visit, during a weekend in which several individuals, couples, and families will be entering into full covenant membership with the community. It is an honor to be asked to join with them.

The goal of the trip is to build deeper relationship with this community. They are a charismatic community of Protestants and Catholics (and an Orthodox priest is one of the ones entering into the community!). We have much to learn from their life of community, as we enter more intentionally into community at CTR. At the same time, they are excited to learn more about CTR and want to help us take the next steps towards community and housing on the land.

The two leaders who invited us, Dan Almeter and Bob Garrett, are also leaders of a network of communities in North America. We will be exploring with them whether CTR is a good fit to join this network. Is this a relational connection that God is bringing us into?

Amy & Thomas will bring back a report to the community after they return from Georgia. (They will also be taking a couple of days in Augusta to celebrate their 31st anniversary).

Please be in prayer for this important trip.

PS: Merisha Janke of HFAN, who just spoke at our last retreat, is also going on the first part of the trip with the Cogdells. So it will also be a chance to deepen relationship with her, and expose her to a different expression of community in the US.

Save The Dates!

We have set the dates for the retreats for the remainder of the year! (Well, almost) Please save these dates in your calendar:

• July - no retreat, but possibly one or more other activities (stay tuned)

• August 21

• September 18

• October 16

• November 13

These retreats will continue the "Foundations of Reconciliation" series, which we expect will continue into 2022.

During the August retreat, CTR leadership will discuss the roadmap to the community commitment.

There will also be an opportunity to renew the Statement of Personal Devotion - probably in the September retreat.

We are excited about what God will be doing in our midst for these retreats!

CTR Announcements June 14

Register for Saturday's Retreat

If you are planning to come on Saturday, please don't put off registering - for our sake, but also for yours. We have limited space in our children's program, so we don't want you to miss out by waiting too long to let us know you want to come. Click here to register.

We will have the wonderful privilege of hearing the Holy Spirit speak to us through Merisha Janke. We continue to press into the theme of community. Merisha grew up in a community based in Lüdenscheid, Germany but with smaller outreach communities around the world. Merisha now leads one of those, based here in Central Texas. We have much to learn from her.

Here are the details for the retreat. You all have done a great job of registering early for the last two retreats ... keep it up :-)

• Date: Saturday, June 19

• Time: 9:45 am - 2:30 pm

• Location: CTR

• COVID: Masks are not required, but are recommended for anyone concerned about catching coronavirus and/or passing it along to family/friends who are vulnerable*

• Cost: $25 / individual, $35 / couple, $5 / child

• Lunch: CTR will provide the main course (lasagna ... gnummy!), bring a side / salad / dessert / drink to share with everyone

• Registration: https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

Merisha will speak on repentance, which is such a foundational part of reconciliation, and also of community - so it's definitely an essential topic for a community living out John 17! We are considering it to be part 4 in our "Foundations of Community" series. Part 3 on Repentance is also by Merisha, though not at CTR - it is highly recommended that you listen to it this week, before Saturday. Click here to watch / listen.

* The new COVID protocols for CTR are based on the widespread availability of vaccines. May of us have already been vaccinated. Some among us are choosing not to be vaccinated. We want to honor all of these choices. It is also important for our community to allow those who feel the need to further protect themselves or their loved ones, to continue wearing masks at our retreats and other gatherings.

Save The Dates!

We have set the dates for the retreats for the remainder of the year! (Well, almost) Please save these dates in your calendar:

• July - no retreat

• August 21 (or possibly August 14, save both dates for now)

• September 18

• October 16

• November 13

These retreats will continue the "Foundations of Reconciliation" series, which we expect will continue into 2022.

During the August retreat, CTR leadership will discuss the roadmap to the community commitment.

There will also be an opportunity to renew the Statement of Personal Devotion - probably in the September retreat.

We are excited about what God will be doing in our midst for these retreats!

CTR Announcements June 5

June 19 - Merisha!

At our next retreat, we have the wonderful privilege of hearing the Holy Spirit speak to us through Merisha Janke. We continue to press into the theme of community. Merisha grew up in a community based in Lüdenscheid, Germany but with smaller outreach communities around the world. Merisha now leads one of those, based here in Central Texas. We have much to learn from her.

Here are the details for the retreat. You all have done a great job of registering early for the last two retreats ... keep it up :-)

• Date: Saturday, June 19

• Time: 9:45 am - 2:30 pm

• Location: CTR

• COVID protocols: Stay tuned, we're discussing potential changes given the new CDC recommendations

• Cost: $25 / individual, $35 / couple, $5 / child

• Lunch: CTR will provide the main course (to be announced next week), bring a side / salad / dessert / drink

• Registration: https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043

Pre-Retreat Homework

To prepare for the retreat, please take the time to listen to Merisha's teaching on The Gift of Repentance. You can find it as the Teaching of the Week:

• http://www.christthereconciler.org/teaching-of-the-week/2021/3/31/merisha-janke-the-gift-of-repentance-zp4rw

Merisha gave this teaching on Palm Sunday of this year at San Marcos Community Church. We are considering it to be teaching #3 in our "Foundations of Community" series, because it so perfectly fits between Amy & Caroline's two teachings on the Accuser and the Advocate, and Merisha's upcoming teaching on June 19 (which will be the fourth in our series). We are grateful for the Holy Spirit arranging this ahead of time, before we realized that there was even such a series in the works!

Amy Ohler - That They May Be One

The new Book of the Month for June is from Turkey, and is a surprise for sure. Amy is a friend and co-laborer with Noah & Kara in Ankara. Apparently nobody knew she was writing a book, and - voila! - she suddenly produced a new book on unity in the body of Christ. Who knew?

You can read the entire review by clicking here. But below is a fun last part at the end that shows how timely Amy's book is for what God is speaking to our community:

I can’t help but also be amazed by the timing of reading this. I have been looking for a chance to do so for several months, but didn’t find the time until I took a trip to California to see my sister. I am so glad that I read this after Caroline’s teaching on The Accuser of the Brethren. Here is part of Caroline’s talk, next to some of Amy’s writing - as an encouragement that the Lord is speaking! Let us have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church …

Caroline Owens:

Today I am going to talk about the Accuser of the Brethren. Who is this Accuser, and what is his role? He is the ‘great dragon”, that ‘ancient serpent’, Satan. The name “Satan” itself means “Accuser” or “Adversary”. His very nature is to constantly accuse us. The devil is no friend of humanity. And yet, when we look at the world, we can see his influence everywhere. The saddest place to see him working is in the church, and this is far too often. How this grieves the heart of God!

… Jesus … says to we who would harbor such thoughts or words: You do not know what spirit you are of. He is not talking about the Holy Spirit. I would say the spirit we are of, is the Accuser.

Amy Ohler:

Seeking out what is wrong in order to accuse does not generally bring life and there is good reason for this. Let’s consider for a moment where we first see accusation appear in our story. Back in the garden, the first to accuse is the second voice that speaks to humankind. Accusation is his tactic and his nature, and it is also his name - both ‘satan’ in Hebrew and ‘devil’ in Greek mean ‘the accuser’. If only we could fully recognize who we are partnering with, and who it is we look like when we accuse others, especially when we accuse others in the body of Christ! God already has one who stands before him day and night accusing the brothers and sisters. He does not need or want that from us.

CTR Announcements May 26

The Advocate Vs. The Accuser is Online

We have uploaded the teaching from the last retreat. Already we have had several requests to listen - whether again, or for the first time.

Here's where you can find an audio recording:

• http://www.christthereconciler.org/teaching-of-the-week/2021/5/26/amy-cogdell-amp-caroline-owens-the-advocate-vs-the-accuser

Also, we have a video if you prefer to watch the teaching, see above. 

And of course, both are available on the CTR App, under the Listen / Teaching of the Week menu.

The 3rd & 4th teachings of this series will be by Merisha Janke, stay tuned for more details next week.

Car Updates

Thank you so much for giving so generously towards a car for Cheryl! She received $2,000 which, together with the money she got from her previous car, should enable her to buy a good, reliable used vehicle. Pray that the Lord leads her to the right one.

The verdict is not yet back on the '74 "Jagrolet" for the Cogdells, the mechanic is still working on it. Pray for wisdom!

CTR Announcements - May 20

Car Need - Cheryl Needs Transportation

From Amy our Abbess:

Dear Friends In Christ,

We are coming to you today with a special opportunity to support a beloved member of our community.

Cheryl Sellstrom has been a faithful member of the CTR for many years now. This past weekend, her car gave up the ghost. Her mechanic has advised her that it is beyond her means to repair.

Cheryl needs a car to get back and forth from her job where she serves girls rescued from sex trafficking.

So we have set up a fund to help Cheryl with the cost of a replacement vehicle. By giving you can help support an important local ministry and practice "pure and undefiled religion" by helping a widow in our community.

Here is the link where you can give directly to Cheryl's car fund.

• https://ppay.co/gJKO9sXGKfo

May the peace and joy of Christ be with each of you!

Car Need - For Our HFAN Friends

Please pray for both the Cogdells' and Cheryl's transportation needs. We would also ask you to pray for our friends at HFAN - Merisha, Angelina, Rocky & Janice, their current guests Werner & Karin, and their new intern Priscilla. They also need a new vehicle for their ministry.

Lord, hear the cry of Your servants, and provide just what they need!

Retreat news

Speaking of Merisha - she will be the speaker at the next CTR Retreat! The date will be June 19 - please mark your calendars. More details and registration link coming soon.