5th - 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service - Worship and Communion 6th - Good Friday - 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Devotional time in the Sanctuary 6:00 p.m. - Good Friday Devotional Service in the Session Room Sunday, April 8th 7:00 a.m.- Easter Sunrise Service followed by a light breakfast 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - Easter Services   On Easter morning our flower cross will be on the lawn ready to receive flowers. All are asked to bring fresh flowers to help decorate it.

In observance of Easter
the church office will
be closed on Monday, April 9.

Pastor on Call
For an emergency over the weekend, please contact our Associate Pastor, Cathy Church Norman.

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Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007
Jody Welker, Preacher

Scripture:
Acts 10:34-43
Luke 24:1-12

Sermon:
"When God Raises You from the Dead"

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There will be no Childrens Fellowship time during the 11:00 service this Sunday. Enjoy this special Easter worship service with your entire family!

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Attendance Sunday, April 1:
9:00 a.m.: 240
11:00 a.m.: 352

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Pennies for Hunger
Sunday, April 1: $19.00
Year to date total: $131.38

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NC State Campus Ministry to lead worship
Sunday, April 15

While in many churches the Sunday after Easter is called “low Sunday,” at the Kirk we are excited to have students from the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at NC State lead our worship. Far from a “low” Sunday, you will find this an inspirational service. Kirk member Anna Harrison serves on the leadership team.

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Jody's Journal

Dear Friends,

I am enjoying reading a book called, The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. They interpret the story of the last week of Jesus’ life day by day. You gain an appreciation of the meaning of the last days of Jesus’ life and why he died. They also prepare me to receive with wonder and awe the gift of resurrection. In some way, our own lives are tied up in this story of loss and hope, of death and resurrection. Frederick Buechner said it well in The Magnificent Defeat. Buechner, whose life has known the deep pain of a father who committed suicide and a daughter who suffered with anorexia, provides a witness to our Easter faith that speaks through pain:

“The proclamation of Easter Day is that all is well. And as a Christian, I say this not with the easy optimism of one who has never known a time when all was not well but as one who has faced the Cross in all its obscenity as well as in all its glory, who has known one way or another what it is like to live separated from God. In the end, his will, not ours, is done. Love is the victor. Death is not the end. The end is life. His life and our lives, through him, in him. Existence has greater depths of beauty, mystery, and benediction than the wildest visionary ever dared to dream. Christ our Lord is risen.”

The services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter are offered to help us remember that story and lead us to resurrection faith. I look forward to sharing these services with you.

In Faith, Hope and Love,

Jody

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Mary Kay's Cary Days

Easter Greetings to all friends,

This week is a busy one here at the Kirk! In my article last week I shared information regarding all the various music ensemble participation for the final days of Lent and Easter morning worship services. We hope that you will come and share in these most special days with us in song.

Our final Wednesday Lenten “Sounds of the Spirit” featured Lori Volpe and Elizabeth Luttrell singing selections by Alison Krause, Andrew Lloyd Webber and a new setting of “Were You There?” What a blessing they are to our music ministry here!

This week our new handbell tables and pads arrived. Our program has had such growth that we literally had not enough playing surface for our ringers to be comfortable and work to their highest potential. We were also limited by the large size of the existing ones. The ensembles had been using large cafeteria style tables for many years. We have purchased with money earned in our parking lot endeavor last fall and with monies budgeted this year 16 tables specifically made for use in a variety of plans. They are in trapezoid and rectangle shapes of varying sizes with adjustable legs, weighing about 25 lbs. each. We will have much flexibility in worship and can now plan more varied selections with our choirs and use our worship space in better ways physically as well as acoustically. It was great fun at rehearsals this week! A very special thanks to Bonnie and Joel for help in unloading boxes from the delivery truck and to Sharon Welker, Carol Bennett, Gail Jordan, Helen Stanfield, and Monty and Katherine Brekke for coming by on Tuesday evening to unpack and set-up our new acquisitions!

I will be on vacation the week following Easter Sunday. The youth and music ministry of NC State will be leading our worship services on Sunday, April 15. Here is the rehearsal schedule for the next couple of weeks.

* Easter Sunday – NO rehearsals for Children’s Choirs

* Tuesday and Wednesday (April 10 and 11) – NO rehearsals for all ensembles EXCEPT Psalm 150 will meet.

* Sunday April 15 – NO rehearsals for Children’s Choirs

* Tuesday and Wednesday (April 17 and 18) – regular rehearsal schedules will resume for ALL ensembles EXCEPT Psalm 150 will not meet.

* Sunday April 22 – All children’s choirs will resume regular rehearsal schedule.

Thanks for all your wonderful support! Have a great Easter season!

Peace,

Mary Kay

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Circles

Martha Circle - Due to the Easter holiday we have changed our meeting date to April 16. We will meet at the home of Melody Cleland.

Devotion is: Mary Hall
Food is: Melody Cleland and Stephanie Bynum

We still need someone for the lesson. Volunteers to do the lesson contact Lisa Eberhart.

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Joy Circle will meet on Tuesday, April 10, at 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

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Lydia Circle will meet at the home of Gisele Rankin on Tuesday, April 10, at 7:00 p.m. For directions, please contact Gisele.

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Glenaire Circle will meet on Wednesday, April 11, at 10:30 a.m. at Glenaire.

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Ruth Semi-Circle will meet on Thursday, April 12, at 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

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Potluck Supper Come and join fellow Kirk members for a Potluck Supper on Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

A - L: main dish
M - S: side dish
T - Z: dessert

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Men of the Kirk Breakfast
All men (age 16 and over) are invited to attend our monthly breakfast and program on Saturday, April 14, 7:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Our program this month will be "Tips on Working with the Hearing Impaired" presented by Janet McGettrick. Our Chief Chef, Frank Rogers, will be cooking up a wonderful $2 breakfast, so be sure to get your reservation in to the Church office (467-4944) no later than April 12.

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Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (WIHN)
WIHN provides shelter, meals, case management and educational services to homeless families in addition to promoting action and awareness in the community regarding homelessness. The Kirk provides temporary housing to homeless families three or four weeks out of the year.

Our next host week is April 15– 22. Please consider volunteering to setup, transport the families, cook meals, greet our guests, spend the night, clean up, or provide food.

“Signup” and “Information” sheets will be in the narthex.

Sandra Clark, Kirk WIHN Director

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Scotch Bonnet
The group will meet on Monday, April 16, at Pei-Wei Restaurant (free-standing at the Cary Towne Center). As usual the group meets at 11:30 a.m and all are welcome. If you have questions, please contact Debbie Eakes.

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OWLS Upcoming Event On Wednesday, April 18 we will meet at the Kirk at 10:00 a.m. to carpool to the North Carolina Museum of Art. We will view treasures of Egyptian art entitled "Temples and Tombs." You

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50+ Group Pottery Tour Barbara Shannon and Edna Cole are finalizing plans for 50 Plus group's pottery tour on Saturday, April 21. We will leave the Kirk via bus at 9:00 a.m., and return mid-to-late afternoon. A head count is needed by April 14.

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Senior Dinner Presbyterian Women are honoring our Kirk Seniors.

Members who are 65 plus, please mark your calendars for an evening of fine dining and entertainment. The dinner honoring you will be April 22, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Kirk Fellowship Hall. You need to RSVP by April 13 to Carol Hatley. Please let her know if you will need transportation as well as how many will be attending

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September Katrina Trip
There are still half a dozen openings for the September 23-29 mission trip to New Orleans. To sign up, contact Chris Mazzara. For more information on RHINO, the program that the Kirk is taking part in, visit www.scapc.org/Pages/rhino.html (note the "Click here for more info" link at the left of that page).

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Centering Prayer Group
St. Andrew Centering Prayer group invites the Kirk of Kildaire congregation to our meeting (at the Kirk), Monday, April 30, 7:00 p.m. in the Session Room (near the church office).

The prayer itself will be followed by a video, The Most Excellent Path, by Father Thomas Keating, the Trappist monk most responsible for the spread of the practice of Centering in many faith traditions around the world.

Following the video we will have faith sharing, and close by 9:00 p.m. with intercessory prayer.

If you have never done Centering Prayer, we can give individual instruction before we begin. Though the group has been meeting for over eight years, we have members who have joined as recently as a month ago! If you heard about it and tried it before but just didn't have the time, we welcome you to try again.

Our thanks to the Kirk for giving us the opportunity to meet here.

For further information, contact Judi Gaitens.

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Carying Place Annual Benefit Auction
Please make plans to attend the Sixth Annual Benefit Auction benefiting The Carying Place. It will be held on May 11 at The Matthews House in Cary. If you would like to attend you may contact The Carying Place at 462-1800. You may also contact the church liaison Liz Hynson.

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Photo Directory Updates

Group Photos - we would like to include photos of our various groups, circles and choirs (not candids or action shots) in the directory. If your group would like to be included, please arrange for a photo and let me know of your intent to be included. Again, directions for submitting pictures will be forthcoming. Questions? Contact Julie Sherk.

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KirkJournal
The church's literary magazine, KirkJournal, goes on sale April 15 in the narthex. $5 per copy. The proceeds will benefit the Literacy Council of Wake County.

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Did You Loan This Book?
The book "Thy Kingdom Come, An Evangelical's Lament" by Randall Balmer is looking for its owner. If it is you, please contact Val Peters.

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We Need Your Photos! We are revamping the Kirk's website and want to represent both in word and image the diverse and vibrant community we have here. If you have photos of some of the many activities that are part of Kirk life and the people who make them happen, please help us by submitting them for possible use on the new website. You may do this in a number of ways:

1. E-mail them to Emyr Edwards

2. Write them onto a CD or DVD and give them to me or leave them at the church office for my attention

3. Bring them to me on a USB drive or similar portable media

4. The volume of material we expect to deal with means that we are generally only able to accept digital input. However, if you have something truly exceptional in print, negative or slide form, please call me.

Also, as you participate in Kirk activities during the year, I encourage you to "Click It and Send It!" - we want to keep the new site's content fresh and dynamic.

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Ushers for 11:00 a.m. Worship Service Needed
We are in need of volunteers on a rotating basis to usher at the 11:00 a.m. worship service. It is an easy job - - passing out bulletins, checking for open seats, and collecting the offering. If you want to help, please contact Jerry Bowser.

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Lawn Mowing Teams Forming As the weather begins to turn warm we need to begin mowing again. We are now forming mowing teams. If you would like to help out in this way, please contact Rusty Parks.

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Do you cry at weddings? Do you agree that every bride is beautiful? If you anwsered yes to these questions, the Kirk has a committe for you! The Wedding Guild consists of members who assist brides who marry here at the Kirk. Through this ministry, we meet with the couple, go over guidelines about the wedding and assist with the actual ceremony.

We always work in pairs, and you will be given extensive training. If you feel that this ministry is for you, please call Pattie Stephenson for more information. Please prayfully consider joining this wonderful ministry.

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New KOALA Staff Still Needed
The Kirk's after-school tutoring program for Briarcliff K-2 students is still seeking volunteers for two key positions, starting this fall (but training before then, we hope): liaison and van driver. The liaison, who assists the director in various ways and is the point of contact between KOALA and the Kirk, usually spends 2-5 hours per week on program activities. The van driver, who transports the students from the school to the church, will be needed for only 45 minutes (2:45-3:30) on either Tuesdays or Thursdays. For more information on the liaison position, contact Stephanie Horman. For more information on the driver position, contact Jerry Rhodes.

Like every other Kirk program, KOALA depends on volunteers. If a lack of volunteers means that we can't field a softball team, say, it's a bummer, but if it means that we can't run KOALA, it's a tragedy because a lot of children who badly need that academic boost won't get it. Please consider taking part in this vital ministry to the community.

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Prayer Request of the Week: Please include in your prayers that people will experience the joyful presence of the risen Christ this week.

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Prayers: We pray for John Underwood, Lynn Godwin, Ashley Becker, Joyce Billotte, Judi Nagy (outpatient surgery, 4/9), Sallie Atwell, Jerry Palmer, Rebecca Slack, Sara Saunders, Alan MacIlroy, Colleen Calwell

If you would like more information regarding any of our concerns, please contact the church office.

Glenaire Healthcare Unit: Ruth Wagnon, Nedra Chesnutt, Martha Haake, Louise Harter, Mary Frances Webb, Lillian Soo-Hoo.

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On Sunday, Presbyterians will join Christians of many other denominations in receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, which supports disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development at home and abroad. "Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future" (PCUSA Web site). Of the undesignated offering received in our church, 36% goes to the Presbyterian Hunger Program, 32% to Self-Development of People, and 32% to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. For more information, visit www.pcusa.org/oghs. Please look for the One Great Hour of Sharing envelope in your worship bulletin this Sunday and give generously.

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Spring 2007

The Kirk has 19 active Stephen Ministers (those who provide a one-on-one caring relationship) and six Stephen Leaders (those who help to do the necessary administrative and organizational support work), and we want everyone to have a chance to get to know a little something about those involved in the program. Each week we will share information and a personal comment from two of those involved in Stephen Ministry.

Stephen Ministers share a confidential caring relationship with someone of the same gender, and relationships can last a few weeks or much longer, depending on the need.

Barney Hale has been a member of the Kirk for about 12 years, and a Stephen Minister for five years. For me, Stephen Ministry brought a revelation of how many among us carry burdens, the power of spending time with and listening to those in need, and how effectively God can work in the simplest ways.

Kae Meyer has been a member of the Kirk for nine years and a Stephen Minister for two years. We are taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive. But, for me, I receive so many more blessings that I will ever give to this ministry. Stephen Ministry has given me the opportunity for growth, in my faith and in my perspective in caring for others. And, I have been given the gift of being part of a unique group of talented, loving, committed, and faithful caregivers who work together in Christ for this ministry of compassion.

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• Middle School-No evening meeting-see note below about lock-in on Friday, April 13
• High school-Meet at 4:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall kitchen to cook for Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network. We'll eat with the WIHN guests, clean up, and dismiss between 6:30 and 7 p.m. We need all high schoolers to help. Thanks!

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