End of Summer, Comings and Goings: Your KGPC August eNews

745 Little Neck Road

Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 340-2840

info@kgpc.org kgpc.org

Welcoming our new Associate Pastor

It’s time to welcome our new Associate Pastor, Kailey Stephens and her family to KGPC. Kailey, Austin and James will be arriving to Virginia Beach on August 15th and there will be several opportunities for our congregation to shower Kailey and her family with some KGPC love. Your Associate Pastor Nominating Team is working hard to make Kailey’s transition as smooth as possible, but we need your help. Please mark your calendars for the following opportunities to meet Kailey, Austin and James and to help welcome them to their new home in Virginia Beach and at KGPC!

Move In Day is August 15th. We need some strong backs and a few trucks or trailer to help Kailey move some items to a storage facility. Contact Brian Miller if you can help.
“Stocking the Stephens Shelves” – Let’s help the Stephens family fill their pantry with a few items. Stop by and grab a listed item off the bulletin board outside the sanctuary and purchase and return that item to church by Wed., August 13th. There will be a cart located near the bulletin board to drop items.
Sign the “Footprints in the Sand” Welcome Banner - We will soon be placing a welcome banner in the hall near the Connection Point. Please stop by and sign a “footprint” next time you are at church.
Donate Food for Kailey’s Welcome Reception. We will be having a welcome reception after church on August 31st in the Fellowship Hall. Please look for an email with the Sign Up Genius to sign up to donate food for this reception starting August 16th.
Make and Deliver Dinner to the Stephens Family. The Sign Up Genius link is right below this article. Please sign up to help with meals.
Let’s shower Kailey and family with welcome notes and cards on Sunday, August 31st. There will be a basket in the Fellowship Hall for your cards.
Please save the date and attend the Welcome Reception on Sunday, August 31st after church.

Most of all, please introduce yourself and welcome Kailey, Austin and James into their new KGPC family!

Meals for the Stephens Sign Up Genius

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT KGPC

Sunday, August 3

10:00 AM – Worship

2:00 PM - Celebration of Life for Don Tillman (Reception to Follow)

5:00 PM - Gather Worship (In Connection Point)

Monday, August 4

9:00 AM - Quilters

Tuesday, August 5

6:30 PM - Grow Meeting

7:00 PM - Summer Ladies Bible Study

Wednesday, August 6

7:00 AM - Prayer Breakfast

5:30 PM - Best LIFE Group

Thursday, August 7

9:30 AM - Summer Ladies Bible Study

7:00 PM - AA Meeting

7:15 PM - Zoom LIFE Group

Friday, August 8

Saturday, August 9

Click HERE for the Full Calendar

Click HERE for August Birthdays

Upcoming Special Events!

KGPC is once again sponsoring a meal for JCOC on Tuesday, August 19th headed up by Fran Potter and Gay Aridas. The menu includes a chicken and broccoli pasta salad, fruit cups, cornbread, brownies and bottled water. The necessity for meals has increased in numbers from 110 to 125 so your help is needed more than ever. We would greatly appreciate any support you can provide from the following list of items:

13 volunteers to provide a 12 cup pasta salad filled with broccoli and shredded rotisserie chicken along with your choice of any add ins as red onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes etc
6 to prepare two dozen 2” square cornbread servings, any recipe or boxed mix you like
7 packages of 18 count fruit cups
4 cases of 24 count bottled water, (we have a few on hand)
6 bakers to bake two dozen 2” square brownies
6-8 volunteers to package meals at 3 PM on the 19th

If you would like to sign up for any of the above please contact Fran at fpotter96@gmail.com. or indicate your willingness on the Connect Card

All items should be brought to the Fellowship Hall kitchen by 2:45 on the 19th where we will package the meals and deliver to the JCOC facility.

Thanks in advance to all the volunteers,

Fran and Gay

From Your Serve Team and Suzy Farley:

The Presbyterian church in Musambira, Rwanda, which partners with Compassion to serve children in their community, has been closed by the government due to their building not meeting new safety requirements. While the Compassion program continues to be open and doing amazing things, the congregation is not able to meet to worship together until their building is repaired. If you would like to contribute to funding this effort, you can give a donation marked "Rwanda" to Rebekah or Jill. The total amount needed is $6708, and we only have $704 left to go! Please also keep Pastor Reverend Marianne Nimugire and the congregation in your prayers.

Thank you so much to everyone for all your prayers during my time in Rwanda! Compassion Sunday will be August 17, and I'll be sharing what God taught me during my time there. I will also be presenting on Compassion's work in Rwanda after the service, so please join me in Fellowship Hall to learn more about how Compassion works and all Compassion is doing in Rwanda to help fight poverty and share the gospel! - Suzy

While KGPC will not be hosting a week of Winter Shelter this year, we will be on call to serve as an additional Emergency Shelter in the case of extreme weather. In addition, you can support the Winter Shelter program by signing up to volunteer at PIN during the Winter Shelter season. As many PIN staff are pulled from their regular duties to work winter shelter, volunteers are especially important during this time. Now would be a great time to visit PIN, see what opportunities exist, or try volunteering. You can contact Suzy Farley for more details, or sign up online at the link below!

Click Here for Details about Volunteering at PIN

Life Groups Impact

Are you praying about ways to “Grow your Faith”?

Are you intrigued by what you hear about Life Groups at KGPC?

A recent survey of Life Group participants harvested seeds of insight into how being a part of a KGPC Life Group can help grow one’s faith.

Comments included:

1) What do you experience in your small group time?

~A sense of community in a safe and nurturing environment

~Fellowship; spiritual support… prayer

~Service and service opportunities; Bible study; frank discussions

~Building relationships, learning and growing

~Candid discussions of issues… that impact how we make Christian decisions

2) How does your time in small group nourish you?

~ I spend time with friends who have a deep understanding of the Bible

~ it builds church family bonds

~ It provides me with warmth and caring on a new level of close relationships

~ Experience spiritual discernment

~ Witness the love of Christ through others

3) Has your experience in your small group transformed you in any way?

~I am aware of more people in our church and community and their needs

~I see faith lived in “real life”

~Keeps me disciplined; keeps me praying

~Spiritual and personal growth; helped create a daily commitment to devotional time with God

~it keeps me grounded in my faith

~It has made me a better listener

~I no longer fear condemnation

August is a wonderful time to prayerfully consider if God is calling you to grow in your faith by becoming a part of a Life Group in the Fall.

Is God calling you to join a current group? Begin a new group? Take part in the Leadership of a group? If so, contact Julie Seipel (JSeipel57@gmail.com)

JULY 2025 SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

1. Session gathered for scripture and contemplation, reading Numbers 13:30-14:4.

2. Session approved the election of Alex Carrasco as our third Youth Delegate on Session.

3. Session reviewed the Commissioned Pastor Application submitted by Chris Andersen. Chris shared his personal statement of faith, leadership experience and Calling to Ministry. Session approved his application so he can move forward in this process.

4. Discussed individually led session initiatives:

Pre-worship prayer -Session joining in prayer prior to service with Pastor and those involved in leading worship
Meet & Greet – Session will be represented at the monthly Meet & Greet for discussion & prayer requests
Bulletin Board – Session will create bulletin board introducing Session w/bios, photos and interests to be better acquainted with Session members.
Session Connections-Meet with a Session member each month for an activity
Minute for Session–Session Highlights given in service following monthly meeting.

5. Discussed Session subgroups:

Reviewed outline for Session-led Worship Service on August 10
Adopted our WHY statement explaining why we created Session Priorities:

"Session is led to discern God’s Will as we serve and work with the congregation. Since congregations are

always in a state of transition we choose to build relationships through transparency & love as we embrace change and grow God’s Kingdom: Unified in the tradition, values and bedrock beliefs that ground us as a body of Christ. We are doing this because YOU matter to KGPC!"

We adopted a process for discerning God’s Will in making significant decisions.

10 AM Worship Information

Moses: An Unlikely Hero

10 AM Summer Worship Series

Moses is the single most important figure in the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament). He was a Hebrew adopted into Pharaoh’s family. He was a murderer and fugitive from the law. He was an elderly sheepherder in the desert with a speech impediment. He was imperfect, afraid, reluctant, and often frustrated. And yet, he became God’s greatest spokesperson, leading an entire people out of slavery and to the edge of the promised land. This Summer we will get to know Moses: his remarkable birth, his strong willed character, and his relationship with God. What does his story teach us about God, humanity, and ourselves?

August 3 Moses’s Farewell - Deuteronomy 6:4-7, 8:12-14, 17-18; 30:19-20; 34:1-12

Like Jesus in John’s Gospel, Moses gives a farewell discourse that includes most of Deuteronomy. What was on his heart as he said goodbye to a generation of people he watched grow up in the wilderness? Why wasn’t he allowed to go into the promised land? What is the legacy he leaves behind and how can we benefit from it today?

Reflection Questions: Have you ever wished you could take back something you said or regretted something you did? If so, how did you live with the consequences? What would you say in your “final discourse”? In what ways can you let go of “unfinished business” when you are nearing your final days?

Upcoming 10 AM Worship

August 10 - Session Sunday - Join us while our Session leads worship. Get to know some more about some of those who are currently serving our church. The theme of the service will be "Unity"

August 17 - Compassion Sunday - Suzy Farley will be sharing with us about her recent trip to Rwanda with Compassion International and speaking on what she saw and learned there.

August 24 - Youth Retreat Sunday - Join us in the Youth led service where they share what they learned in their various Summer Youth Retreats.

August 31 - Welcome Kailey! - Join us for Kailey Stephens' first Sunday, and experience her first time preaching at KGPC

Gather Dinner Church Worship Information

This Sunday, August 3rd, Gather Dinner Chuch will be meeting in the Connection Point.

THIS WEEK'S MEAL:

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Baked Beans

Salads

Fruit Cobbler

August 3 “A Eunuch Experience” - Acts 8:26-39

Upcoming Gather Dinner Church

August 10 - Dougie Caynor, a recent graduate, will speak the week before he is off to FSU

August 17 – Suzy Farley will share about her recent trip to Rwanda with Compassion International

August 24 – The Youth will share about their Summer Youth Retreats

August 31- Jennine Cabrera will be sharing a message with us all

Click HERE For the Sign Up Genius

BOOK CLUB

Becoming Madam Secretary

By: Stephanie Dray

August 26th

7:00pm

As always, ALL are welcome!

For more info contact Julie Seipel at jseipel57@gmail.com

Upcoming Book Club Books:

September: The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

October: James by Percival Everett

November: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Our Book Club meets on the last Tuesday of the month

at 7:00 p.m. in the Parlor.

Need a book, contact Julie Seipel for information.

KGPC FINANCIAL REPORT

PERIOD ENDING: JUNE 2025

MONTH OF JUNE

Cash Income--------- $71,527

Cash Expenses -------($51,259)

Surplus(Deficit)------- $20,267

YEAR-TO-DATE COMPARISON

ACTUAL INCOME:-------

ACTUAL EXPENSES:--

DIFFERENCE:----------- -

2024

$305,835

($316,674)

($10,839)

2025

$328,623

($296,319)

$32,304

Click HERE for Financial Summary

Grow In Your Faith!

Our Livestream is available Sundays on YouTube and also on Facebook! Use the links below. The links will also be in the Sunday Morning Worship email.

Click HERE for our 10:00 AM Worship Service

Click HERE for this week's Worship Guide

Faith Formation Information!

Sabbath Month

There will be no faith formation classes during the month of August so that our teachers can enjoy a "Sabbath Month" to rest and recharge prior to the new church year.

Children will join their parents in worship. Ushers and greeters will give children a packet of materials that they may enjoy using during worship.

Parents and volunteers may sign up to offer childcare for children ages 3-5 in room 117 using the link below

Summer ‘25 “LIFE” Groups

(“LIFE” L=Love God, I=Impact Others, F=Find time together, E=Engage authentically)

Prayerfully consider where you might spend “LIFE“ at KGPC by joining a LIFE group! There is a place for you in this small group experience of Loving God, Impacting others, Finding time together & Engaging authentically by studying, praying and sharing in the LIFE that fits your needs. There’s always room for more LIFE groups at KGPC if you are feeling called to create and lead a small group!

For more information, contact Julie Seipel (jseipel57@gmail.com). Please contact the LIFE facilitator for details on the LIFE group you would like to be a part of.

Summer 2025 LIFE groups: (day, time, place, point of contact)

Sunday:

Sabbath LIFE, begins 9/22, 8:45-9:45 a.m. @ church, Suzy Farley (suzyfarley@yahoo.com)

Monday:

Lunch Bunch LIFE, begins 9/9, 12:30-2pm @ church Connection Point, bring a lunch, Julie Seipel (jseipel57@gmail.com)

Wednesday:

Bible Breakfast LIFE, 9/4, 7 a.m. @ church Fellowship Hall, Don Bradway (bradway.don@gmail.com)

Best LIFE group, begins 9/4, 5:30 p.m., various restaurants, Jenn Baden

Thursday:

Biscuit Bunch LIFE group, begins 9/19, 8:30 a.m., 3rd Thursday of the month, @ the Hardee’s by Home Depot, Daryl Mitchell (darylwmitch@gmail.com)

Zoom LIFE Group, begins 9/12, 7 p.m., every week, online, in the comfort of your home, Karen Pleas (pleask.5@gmail.com)

Monthly LIFE groups:

Lydia Circle for Women 10 a.m. @ members homes, Claudia Hudgens (claudiakhudgens@gmail.com)

Eve Circle for Women, 7 p.m., @ church Pam Ponce (pnp.virginia@gmail.com)

Book Club, 7 p.m., last Tuesday of each month @ church, Julie Seipel(jseipel57@gmail.com)

Home Communion

Are you unable to make it to worship on a regular basis? Would you like to still participate in the sacrament of Communion? Every Communion Sunday, we have several elders willing to bring Communion to you in your home.

If you would like to receive home Communion, please notify Miriam Callahan or the Church Office. (757-340-2840)

Session Members

The Members of Session are always open to have conversations about what is happening in the church. Let's Talk!

Class of 2026