Christ The King: a 'family' that reaches out

Christ The King Lutheran Church is respected for its warm welcome to all who seek to learn about Jesus Christ.

Its studies center around uplifting traditional biblical teachings and its principles and sermons make it easy for people to understand how to apply those teachings to their own lives.

“We preach the gospel and we preach the needs for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” said Pastor Phil Tukua. “And people come here to hear the ‘Word of God.’”

Tukua, who has been a pastor for 28 years and has celebrated 19 years leading the congregation of Christ The King, said he is proud of the support and positive changes that Christ The King has brought to the community.

“I started here when there were 50 people in a little mission church,” said Tukua, who came to Fallbrook from Huntington Beach. “It didn’t make sense for us to come, but the Lord called us.”

Today, Christ The King is a thriving congregation of 1,500 members. People in the diverse congregation come from all walks of life.

“It is the most interesting Lutheran church I have ever served because we are a mishmash of Christians here and it’s really cool,” said Tukua. “We are not a cookie-cutter church; people are welcome from whatever place of life they have come from.”

Members of Christ The King have religious backgrounds ranging from Roman Catholic, Baptist and Presbyterian to Episcopalian, Methodist, Mormon and Jehovah’s Witness.

Tukua calls the church’s services “uplifting and inspiring.” From contemporary to traditional to Hispanic, the worship services stir a sense of deep faith within.

In sync with the 21st century, both those who live locally and those elsewhere around the globe can watch church services online if unable to attend in person.

“We have live broadcasts and also backlogs of worship services,” Tukua said. “Pastor Mark does all this; he’s the technical genius.”

In addition to raising the sprits of its congregation, members of Christ The King unite in helping the Fallbrook community. On a monthly basis they collect food for the needy, for both their own church pantry and Fallbrook Food Pantry.

“In our church we believe when Jesus says ‘Feed my sheep,’ it’s not just spiritually but physically,” Tukua said. “We even have showers here for people.”

Eighteen years ago, the congregation helped organize the Fallbrook CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Walk, raising more than $500,000 for the hungry. Twenty-five percent of those proceeds were kept in Fallbrook.

Christ The King has also been generous in paying a third of the Fallbrook Food Pantry storefront’s monthly rent.

When faced with harsh challenges in life, Christ The King is there to help those in need and facilitate a healing role.

“Our goal is to walk with people through their times of hardship,” Tukua said. “When going through hard stuff, people need to draw nearer to God and one another.”

Christ The King’s ministry also includes its own preschool. Tukua believes theirs is the “best” preschool in town. Lessons are based in a fun and nurturing environment, he explained, and twice a week the children attend chapel.

While Christ The King offers a multitude of fellowships and classes, one of the most highly regarded is the Christian 12-Step Outreach.

“Our Christian 12-Step Program is geared toward helping those with addictions,” Tukua said.

This is a church that thrives in serving others and extends a warm welcome to all area residents. “You don’t have to be a member of Christ The King to be a part of the Christ The King family,” Tukua confirmed.

To learn more about the church, its preschool, classes or fellowship, call (760) 728-3256 or visit http://www.ctklc-fallbrook.org. Christ The King is located at 1620 South Stage Coach Lane.

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