June 2021
Dear Kirk family,
Early in my ministry, when I served as a youth pastor, I regularly told the youth that there were two pieces of
scripture that they needed to commit to memory. At minimum.
I would have loved if they knew parts of Ecclesiastes 3, Isaiah 40:31, Matthew 11:28-30, the last four verses of the
Gospel of Matthew, and Philippians 4:4-9. However, none of those selections made the “top two” passages I wanted
them to memorize.
What scriptures would you have insisted on? What are the verses you cling to?
The two pieces I wanted them to know were Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).
I told them that they needed to know the 23rd Psalm (in the King James Version) because someday they would need
to offer someone comfort. They would need to help someone through a piece of sad news or endure a moment of
rejection. They need to know it so that, one day, when they sat at their mother’s bedside, she would have the solace
of hearing them offer those familiar phrases.
But I also told them they needed to know the Lord’s Prayer. Starting a prayer is an intimidating task for anyone, especially a teenager. I told them that, one day, they would need to pray but wouldn’t have the words, but they would always have the Lord’s Prayer - and that would be enough. Haven’t you found that to be true? Haven’t the words, “Our Father …” led to moments of necessary connection to God for you? This summer we will take a long look at the Lord’s Prayer and rediscover the heaven-sent gift that Jesus gave us when he told us to “pray this way.”
Stay warm,
Pastor Nate
Service schedule
8:00 a.m. - Cedarholm Chapel, with organ, congregational
humming/light singing, and sermon
9:00 a.m. - Pre-recorded online broadcast on our website and
Facebook
9:00 a.m. - Garden Worship with no preregistration. Bring your own chair and self
social-distance.
10:00 a.m. - Sanctuary, with organ, staff singers, congregational singing, and sermon with no preregistration.
11:00 a.m. - Radio broadcast 92.7 FM Faith talk
11:00 a.m. - Kirk West (Fox Run) broadcast
June 6: Our Father- Kelsey Sorge
June 13: Who Art in Heaven -Nate Phillips
June 20: Hallowed be thy name- Nate Phillips
June 27: Thy Kingdom Come ...- Angela Ryo
July 4: ... Thy Will Be Done- Angela Ryo
July 11: On Earth...- Edwin Estevez
July 18: ... As it is in Heaven -Edwin Estevez
July 25: Give us this Day our Daily Bread -Nate Phillips
August 1: Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors- Nate Phillips
August 8: Lead Us not Into Temptation- Kelsey Sorge
August 15: Deliver Us from Evil -Nate Phillips
August 22: For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory -Angela Ryo
August 29: Forever- Nate Phillips
September 5: Amen -Edwin Estevez
Music
Tying in with some of the themes of The Lord’s Prayer, a number of special summer
seasonal events and projects:
“It’s Cool in the Furnace” – a video/live musical project for our choristers and friends,
directed and produced by Nicole Joseph which will be presented in August around the Kirk
fire pit. For details, contact Nicole at
This musical tells the
story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and how they were “delivered from evil”
in ancient Babylon.
Musical Moments, our Sunday evening music series, will include a program on The Lord’s
Prayer windows in the Sanctuary, plus numerous offerings by our staff singers and
choristers.
The Summer Carillon Series will begin the weekend of June 19 and 20, and continue weekly with performances by
guest carillonneurs or Kirk carillonneur Dennis Curry on Saturday evenings at 7:00 and Sundays following the
Garden Service.
Formation
Adult Faith Formation:
This summer, our adult faith formation will focus on prayer! In
June, we’ll offer up two workshops on prayer (via Zoom) with Rev.
Dr. Seth Weeldreyer of First Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo:
June 13 at 12:15: “Prayer in Public: from Panic to Peace”
June 27 at 12:15: “Prayer Personalities and Possibilities.”
In July we’ll learn to pray by listening to the Spirit through Lectio Divina with
Pastor Marjorie.
Then, we’ll conclude our summer in August with book groups on Timothy Keller’s book,
Prayer. Registration for all of these classes will be going out soon. Pick up the book on Amazon
or your favorite site: https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Experiencing-Awe-Intimacy-
God/dp/0143108581)
Throughout the summer, you can also join Bob Heuer’s Daily News Good News class at 10 a.m.
on Sundays starting on June 6 (in person and Zoom).
Children and Families Ministry:
This summer, we have amazing opportunities for our families to grow in mind, body and spirit with Garden Club,
soccer league, at-home VBS, summer camp and so much more!
Garden Club: Garden Club is our Sunday school for the summer. We’ll sing, learn about God’s creation, work on
the garden and see how things grow! Families will also have the opportunity to take the harvest to Pontiac and share
with families there throughout the summer!
Kirk Children’s Soccer Clinic: Register your child (ages 3-11) to play soccer at the Kirk on Sunday mornings
following the Garden Club starting on June 13! It’ll be coached by Isaac Walker, Division 1 NCAA soccer player.
Look for the registration link in your email.
Family Summer Kick-off: Friday, June 11, 2021 at 6:30-7:30. Let’s kick off the summer together with s’mores
around the campfire, live band, magic shows, ice cream and food trucks and lots of great family fun right at our
church!
Compassion Camp VBS: This year, you will have a chance to do VBS from the comfort of wherever you are with
our wonderful Compassion Camp from Illustrated Ministries!
Westminster Camp on Higgins Lake: Send your child(ren) to Adventure Camp for a week this summer (August 1-
6)! Please contact Pastor Angela for more information.
Youth:
As we pray and long for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, it
takes God’s transformation of hearts. This summer the youth will get the chance to
participate in weekly opportunities that open their hearts to this incredible work of
God. Join us on Wednesdays for alternating weekly Montreat@home conferences with
worship, reflection, and fun at the Kirk as well as the Summer Mission Club where we
will serve with our partners in Pontiac and enjoy lunch together.
Mission & Outreach
This summer, Outreach and Mission (O&M) is living out “Our Daily
Bread,” bearing witness to the Bread of Life, who said "eat and drink
in memory of me," by breaking bread and sharing it with others. Here
are ways we’ll do that:
1. We will host Food Truck Sundays on June 6, July 11, August 8, & Homecoming
on September 12, to fellowship, celebrate our community, & raise awareness about O&M opportunities, in
collaboration w/ the Membership Committee & other ministries. This is a great opportunity to invite
friends, neighbors, & loved ones.
2. We will connect directly w/ Pontiac residents on Saturdays through a “Hot Dogs in the Park” collaboration
with First Presbyterian Church of Pontiac.
3. Our Kirk youth will organize games to play with the children who are staying in a temporary shelter with
South Oakland Shelter, while we BBQ with folks who are working to get back on their feet.
4. Our Kirk construction teams will break bread together as they share God's Love while working on minor
home/landscaping projects in Pontiac through Rebuilding Together on June 5 & Micah 6 on June 12.
5. We will make new friendships at Micah 6 by making & serving dinners the 3rd Sunday of every month.
6. We are sending 28 Foster Care children & Kirk Tutor students to Camp Skyline this summer to share meals,
build camaraderie, & enjoy the great outdoors!
7. We will continue packing & delivering food for Lighthouse every Thursday, helping to serve 1,600 food
insecure households every week.
8. We will deliver food boxes monthly to elder citizens through Focus Hope as we have done for the past 20
years!
9. We will send teams of volunteers to Forgotten Harvest 2 times a week, a ministry that provides fresh
groceries to our vulnerable neighbors.
10. We will make 300-500 sandwiches weekly for Baldwin Center who shares them with Hope Adult Shelter &
our food insecure neighbors nearby.