Pastor on Call
For an emergency over the weekend, please contact our Associate Pastor, Stephanie Arnold.

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Sunday, April 15, 2007
NC State Campus Ministry leads worship

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Attendance Sunday, April 8:
7:00 a.m.: 55
9:00 a.m.: 400
11:00 a.m.:537

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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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Nancy's Notes

It's for Life! is the Sunday school recruiting slogan this year, but don't think "That's not for me." It is for you, for each of us…"It's for Life." Learning of God's love is for a lifetime, and for a richer, fuller life. And God's love is definitely for sharing. For me, when I share my faith through teaching, my knowledge of God grows.

But I can already hear some say "I don't know enough." What better way to learn than to read the easy-to-understand lesson plans written just for the Kirk by Kirk folks? The lessons are designed to be fun for teacher and student alike.

The Kirk has amazing volunteers and I am grateful for each one! Many parents help in their child's class. But "It's for Life!" is not just for parents. It's for all adults. I particularly encourage those who do not have children at home to volunteer. Those whose children have grown have much to share: years of faith stories, patience learned through practice, and God's love experienced over a lifetime. Newlyweds and young singles also have lots to offer. Children love your energy and enthusiasm. They admire where you are and want to be like you. What opportunities for younger and older to share God!

For some, your own Sunday school class is a vital connection. Helping with children's Sunday school does not mean leaving your own class. But what a blessing if you would volunteer just five weeks to help the next generation begin to know God as you do. Or if you cannot imagine leading an art project, telling a story, or helping a group recite a memory verse, then what about welcoming children each week, asking about school and family? This is a longer commitment, but it's a great way to develop young friends.

It takes many hands and hearts open to God to help our children and youth grow in faith. Please join us. "It's for Life!"

Nancy

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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. Kirk middle schoolers who attend the previous night's lock-in will prepare a great $2 breakfast. Be sure to get your reservation in to the Church office (467-4944) no later than today, April 12.

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Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (WIHN)
MANY thanks to those of you who responded so quickly to my “WIHN Needs” email sent earlier this week.

All of the Van Driver openings have been filled !!

I still need Overnight Hosts (HIGHEST priority), Evening Greeters & Childcare (lower priority). Please check your calendars and consider being an overnight host!

Male Host needed on Saturday, April 21.

Female Host needed on Thursday, April 19 AND Saturday, April 21.

Evening Greeter needed on Thursday April 19 and Saturday, April 21.

Childcare needed on Tuesday, April 17 and Saturday, April 21.

Sandra Clark, WIHN Coordinator

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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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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. Call Lisa Eberhart to volunteer.

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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 this Saturday, April 14. Please contact Edna or Barbara.

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Kirk Workday Come out on Saturday, April 21, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for a Kirk workday along with fun and fellowship. Followed by grilled hot dogs by Buildings & Grounds.

We'll be doing some outdoors work around the Kirk including:

• Tree trimming
• Working on signs
• Some outside painting
• Landscaping
• Weeding
• Inside work

No skills required, only the desire to help keep God's house in good shape.

Please contact Rich Woynicz if you are interested (or if you have questions) so we can get an approximate count.

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Senior Dinner Presbyterian Women are honoring our Kirk Seniors.

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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 time 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 Prayer 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 will 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 or tried it before but just didn't follow-up, 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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It's for Life! Helping young people grow in faith is for your life and for theirs. You grow closer to God as you reach out to them, and they mature in faith as they learn from you. What a win-win situation!

Recruiting for children and youth Sunday school begins this week, April 15 and continues April 22 and 29.

There's a way everyone can help. Are you crafty? You can lead Faith Walk crafts for 5 weeks. Can you plug in a video? You can be a workshop leader for Holywood in Faith Quest. Are you energized by maturing middle schoolers? You can guide Faith Challenge.

There are two categories of helpers for Faith Walk (preschool-kindergarten), Faith Quest (1st-5th grade), and Faith Challenge (6th-7th grade). Shepherds stay with the same age group throughout the year developing friendships with the students. Workshop leaders serve for five weeks in a row, presenting a Bible story through active learning techniques.

Stop by the tables in the narthex and patio for more details and to sign up. "It's for Life!"

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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 annual, goes on sale this Sunday, April 15, in the narthex. Memoirs, short stories, poems, and meditations by fellow pew-sitters-it's just what you've been waiting for. $5 a copy. The proceeds will benefit the Literacy Council of Wake County (www.wakeliteracy.org).

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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 pray this week that our visitors may find meaning for their spiritual journey.

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Our Condolences to Gail Jordan on the death of her aunt.

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Prayers: We pray for John Underwood, Lynn Godwin, Ashley Becker, Joyce Billotte, Judi Nagy, Janice Coats, Sallie Atwell, 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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Your Money in Missions
One of the Mission Committee's responsibilities during the year is to pay out benevolences (charitable donations) that the Kirk has budgeted for specific causes. Since this money comes from your pledges, we want you to know where it goes.

In April, Mission is paying out three benevolences: $300 to StepUP Ministry, $600 to Loaves and Fishes, and $2,750 to Presbyterian Campus Ministries of Raleigh. StepUP Ministry is "an interfaith community that partners with program participants in the shared goal of self-sufficiency. This goal is accomplished through a year-long, phased, incentive-driven program leading to safe, affordable housing and stable, life-sustaining employment" (www.step-up.us). Loaves and Fishes is "a small, private, non-profit organization . . . which intervenes in the lives of children at high risk of failure and provides the long-term individualized and holistic support they need to achieve success in school and in society" (www.loavesandfisheschildren.org). Presbyterian Campus Ministries "ministers to college students in the Raleigh area" and meets at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church on Wednesday evenings for "dinner, singing, and fun/informative programs" (www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/pcm). Participants in PCM from N.C. State will lead the Kirk in worship this Sunday, April 15.

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As you know, the small group meetings and the time with Roy Oswald produced wonderful comments and delightful conversation. Since these events, the task force has been busy. We have been reading the notes that were compiled (several thousand lines of information), contacting community leaders to gain their insight and how it enhances our goal options, and looking at area demographics. While we are not being very vocal, we are working diligently to compile the information into goal options that the congregation will begin to discern in the coming months. During this quiet time, please continue to talk and dream with each other. Please pray for the task force that we have insight, wisdom, patience, and perseverance; and pray, for the Kirk, congregation and staff, that we will all hear what God is calling us to be and do.

Grace and Peace,
Amy Woynicz, Craig Nygard, Larry Nielsen, Lisa Miller, Don Stephenson, and Jody Welker

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Stephen Ministry began in St. Louis in 1975 when a pastor and clinical psychologist trained nine laypersons to assist him in providing distinctively Christian care to members of their congregation and community. The training was shared and an organizational structure created that enabled the ministry to grow to more than 7000 congregations representing more than 90 different Christian denominations. The Kirk has been a Stephen Ministry congregation since 2000. Each week we are sharing information and a personal comment from two of our active Stephen Ministers.

Linda Romano has been a member of the Kirk for eight years, and was in the first training class, serving six and a half years as a Stephen Minister. "Over the years through personal experience, and watching friends and loved ones suffering or struggling alone with difficult times, I have seen how very much this type of ministry is needed, and I wanted to be a part of it."

Page Ott has been a member of the Kirk for 22 years, and was in our most recent training class, so indicates he has been a Stephen Minister for 0.1 years. "Some of the material studied to become a Stephen Minister has helped me answer some troubling problems I have had earlier in my life. I am grateful for this and now feel closer to God than I ever have. Again I am grateful and pray that now I may help others."

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