[email protected] www.kgpc.org

Do you have plans for this holiday weekend? Is your family coming in? Or are you packing up the car to visit with family? You may be making trips to the store for hamburgers and hotdogs, or charcoal for the grill, or even trying to find some red, white, and blue in the closet. I hope however you celebrate the birthday of our nation it is full of wonderful people, good food, and gratitude for the country we live in. If you have no plans for Sunday around 11:00, I hope you will consider coming to our annual patriotic picnic complete with lunch, music, and homemade pies. It’s always a wonderful event and this year we continue that great tradition.

Now that we are in the full swing of summer, you may be thinking of vacations, family gatherings, or just enjoying the beautiful outdoors. As you do, how about a spiritual challenge? After all, we never really take a vacation from God or discipleship. We are in the middle of our summer worship series on David who wrote the majority of the psalms in our scripture. The psalms are such an amazing resource of songs and prayers to God that cover the vast range of human emotions. How about reading one psalm a day? That will take you to Advent. It could take you as little as 2 minutes to read a psalm. After you read it, look for a word or a phrase that touches you or seems important to you at the moment, and then underline it. Even with some psalms that seem a little harsh or angry, there will be something in there that God will use to speak to you. The psalms are a wonderful resource that give us words for times in our lives when we struggle for words. So go ahead, start with Psalm 1 today, whether you read it first thing in the morning, the last thing at night, or sometime during the day. It may only take 5 minutes or less but it will make an impact on you for the rest of the day, week, or even your entire life. Whether online or in the sanctuary, I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Save me a piece of pie!!

Grow Stronger, Shine Brighter, Love Deeper, Transform Your World,

with us live.

Other than Jesus, David is written about more than anyone else in scripture. He is hailed as the greatest king of Israel, yet he was a paradox. He was a man after God’s own heart, yet he made destructive choices, abused his power, and caused brokenness in the lives of others. In his story, we learn about friendship and betrayal, temptation and grace, sin and redemption, cowardice and courage, arrogance and humility. Ultimately he sought to follow God and was redeemed by truth and forgiveness. This summer we will look at the highlights and lowlights of David’s life and learn what it means to be a flawed human being after God’s own heart.

July 3-----A Covenant with God: David’s Throne and Poetry 

----------II Samuel 7

“In your strength, the king rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked you for life; you gave it to him—length of days for ever and ever.” Psalm 21

Fifteen years had passed since David was first anointed as an early teenage shepherd boy. Now he would be anointed as King as God’s favor rests upon him. The covenant God makes with David is not only for him but for generations to come. Our faithfulness (even in the midst of imperfection) has a lasting impact on those to come. When have been times in your life that you have known God’s favor? David turns to poetry and music again and again to express the pain and joy in his life. How do you express your emotions to God?

July 10----What a Tangled Web We Weave: David’s Affair with Bathsheba 

----------II Samuel 11

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement.” Psalm 51

How do you resist temptation? What do you do when you succumb to temptation? David’s sin grows and compounds as he moves from lust, to adultery, to murder. His behavior affects not only him and Bathsheba’s family, but his own children and the entire kingdom. Sin is not private or individual but breaks the web of relationships in our lives and hurts people we often may never meet. God calls us to repentance and to turn from our evil ways. While sin does not have the last word, it causes irreparable damage and pain to ourselves, our loved ones, and the community at large.

July 31----Problem Children and Struggling Parents: David and His Sons

----------II Samuel 12; I Kings 1

“O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying to me, ‘There is no help for you in God.’ But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill.” Psalm 3

David was not the exemplary father. When his child commits a grievous and heinous act, David turns a blind eye. His other son, Absalom, becomes upset about this lack of discipline and commits a crime of his own. A wedge grows between David and Absalom that leads to civil war and thousands die. Many in this world have strained parent-child relationships that have lasting effects on the rest of the family and those outside the family. How can our heavenly father begin to heal the wounds we have from our parents or our children? What can we learn from David and Absalom’s feud as we face our own parent-child struggles?

August 7--David’s Last Words: David and His Legacy 

----------I Kings 2; I Chronicles 29

“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Psalm 145

David is hailed as the greatest king of Israel, a man after God’s own heart, yet he made destructive choices, abused his power, and caused brokenness in the lives of others. In his last days, he was careful to leave behind a structure and people to continue on without him. To share his wisdom and values with those who would follow. To live out the rest of his days as faithfully as he could. His ancestry would produce a new kind of King, the One known as the Messiah. What legacy does David leave behind? What will our legacy be?

    *Adult Study/ Parables of Jesus    

Tuesday, July 5  

July 3: Matthew 18:10—20 and Matthew 18:21—35  

------Leader: Claudia Hudgens

July 10: Matthew 20:1—16 and Matthew 21:28—46 

------Leader: Bruce Bradley

July 17: Matthew 22:1—14 and Matthew 22:34—40 

------Leader: Cindy Black

July 24: Matthew 25:1—13, Matthew 25:14—30 & Matthew 25:31—46

------Leader: Lilly Bradley

July 31: Luke 11:1—13, Luke 12:13—21, & Luke 14:7—24

------Leader: Pat Bowling

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Contact Julie Seipel if you need a book

 

The search has begun for a new Director of Music Ministry. Often, utilizing personal contacts can lead to the best candidate. If you know of someone who might be interested in this position, please take a moment to forward them this LINK. 

Also, please share this LINK with friends or family that attend other churches and ask them to share it with leaders in those churches. They may know of an interested individual.  

Your KGPC Search Committee team has successfully posted the job opening for Director of Music Ministry on several sites, including Monster.com and PAM (Presbyterian Association of Musicians). We have created a “We’re Hiring” tab and link to the job description on our website and have distributed this link to multiple organizations and individuals who have connections in the music ministry field.

Having received our first resume, our prayers are that we will begin to receive numerous ones from potential candidates. We realize we need to cast our net a little wider.

Your prayer support is so important to us, and we hope that you will continue to uplift our committee and church as we continue the search for the next Director of Music Ministries at KGPC.

Word Share Prayer is a monthly scripture reading/reflection that Session and the leaders of ministries use to start their meetings. We will be including this in the monthly ENews for you to use throughout the month to read and meditate on. 

The Elder Class of 2022 was recognized for serving on Session. A big thank you to Elders Faye Ruggieri, Gretchen Allmond, Betsy Leonard, Leah Burak, and Youth Delegate Maddie Camlet for their time, sacrifice, and ongoing contributions to KGPC!

The Director of Music Ministry Interim Search Team has finalized the job description and posted it on various sites. The Director of Music Ministry (DOMM) Search Team is currently receiving and reviewing resumes.

In honor of the dedication and leadership of Janet S. Phelps of the Music Ministry at King’s Grant Presbyterian Church, the Janet S. Phelps Music Education Scholarship is being established to further higher education for students of either music performance or music teaching. The Scholarship Program is established to encourage men and women to prepare for music-related vocations. Additional details, including how you can contribute, will be announced next week.

In order to clarify several policies within the KGPC Columbarium Governing Policies, the Memorials Committee recommended and received approval to make several changes regarding Eligibility, Inurnment Containers, Inurnment Rites, and Transfer or Cancellation of Niches.

After taking into consideration the previously stated difficulties with the current KGPC website the Connect Ministry has proposed a redesigned, enhanced website be created for KGPC. This website will retain all of the current features that we enjoy and add new ways we can engage more effectively. The website will retain the current domain name www.kgpc.org. , improve upon the current features we enjoy, and add new ways we can engage more effectively. Our church app will also be redesigned. Having the same platform and linking with the website will ensure continuity with the website and ongoing updates. We have been working with Christen Kinard, owner of Digital Congregations, for over a year and she has become very familiar with KGPC. Christen has assisted numerous churches, organizations and colleges and we are impressed by her work and referrals. The proposed interface is better known and would make our digital representation feel authentic and relevant to those who are searching. The motion from Connect Ministry for $5,500, to come from the Future Projects Fund, to have Digital Congregations redesign the website and app was approved.

The motion from The Property Committee to approve an agreement with our next door neighbor, Hendricks Family Dentistry, will allow both parties to share parking spaces and maintain an aesthetic pathway (Hendricks responsibility) between our two parking lots was approved.

Cash Income-------------$58,785

Cash Expenses --------($46,062)

Surplus(Deficit)----------$12,723

-------------------------------------------2022

ACTUAL GENERAL FUND INCOME:--$255,535

ACTUAL GEN. FUND EXPENSES:---($243,444)

DIFFERENCE:--------------------------- -$12,091

-------------------------------------------2021

------------------------------------------- $239,576

-------------------------------------------($256,705)

------------------------------------------- -($17,129)

Click HERE for the Finance Team Report for May 2022

Generosity is sharing the bounty that we have. God calls us to share what we have with others and that is what our KGPC family did to support the June Community Yard Sale. Thank you for cleaning out your closets, garages & attics. The bounty overflowed the Fellowship Hall! Thanks to all who gave of their time sorting, moving, organizing, packing up & hauling the bounty of “merchandise” that remained to Goodwill. (More than 40 of you helped!) The community showed up, totted away their treasures and donated $3000 which was divided to support our local PIN and JCOC ministries and the PCUSA Ukrainian Relief Mission.

Your generosity of time, talent, and treasure impacts not only our church family but the community and the world! Thank you for giving all that you do! Mid-year Giving Statements will be coming soon. We will be emailing them to all those whom we have a current email address. Please let our Financial Administrator, Jill McNulty know if you prefer to receive your financial information by mail.