HT: The Big Picture

I spent two weeks in Haiti in 1985 doing work in the south coastal town of Les Cayes. While there the government collapsed, and then-dictator, “Baby Doc” Duvalier fled the country. Reading and seeing the images of the collapse, not merely of buildings but government infrastructure and even society, is heart breaking for me. Please continue to pray for relief, strength, order to reign in such horrific and chaotic conditions. But also, please consider financially contributing to an organization on the ground providing relief efforts. You may have your own, and there are many ways and places to give.

Here are a few for you to consider:

1. Our denomination’s relief ministry under the umbrella of Mission to North America is the MNA Disaster Response Ministry. You can read about efforts and make a donation to the ministry here.
2. Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization led by Franklin Graham is reporting on efforts and receiving donations here.
3. And Compassion is receiving donations and providing information on child sponsorship here.

L’Union Fait La Force (strength through unity, Haitian motto)

This Christmas Season we are reducing the scheduling of our normal weekly meetings in favor of opening up space and time for a purposeful and thoughtful celebration of Christmas. At a time of year when largess and leisure should be the normal experience, we are more often frenzied harassed. This is a far cry from how we should experience “glad tidings of great joy.”

One opportunity to lean into the Christmas Season is to host a Neighborhood Christmas Party. These parties are designed and planned to help you to meet and reach out to your neighbors. If you are interested in hosting a party or in learning more about them, GPC is hosting a training and informational meeting on Sunday, November 22nd at 2pm at the church building. Hope to see you there.

Dedication Ceremony at Family Promise's Day Center

The Dedication of the Family Promise Day Center was at 4pm on August 27. GPC is very excited about being a part of this ministry, and we are looking to being able to begin hosting September 6. There are many ways you can participate. Please contact the church office if you’re interested in helping.

This Sunday (Aug 9) our Summer Flip event following the worship service will be to continue making the Chrismon ornaments. If you would like to purchase an ornament set, please contact the church office. Also, we will have visiting missionary Sandra Hart with us on Sunday. She’s one of our heroes, and we’re excited that she can be with us.

It’s still not too late to sign up for the Day in Danbury tubing trip. Please check out the Day in Danbury link  for more info.

Lastly volunteer training for Family Promise will be August 24 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the building. If you are volunteering or even curious, please plan on attending.

Preparations are under way for this Sunday’s Flip Event at King’s Thrift. (Click the Sticker on the left side of this page). The Brieaddy’s are ready to put us to work, and we are so excited to help. Mark your calendars for Sunday, July 5 at 11am.

Preparations continue as we are gearing up for this summer’s VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL.

Movin’ Straight Ahead will be June 22-26. You can print off the volunteer form and the registration form via the links.

We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate God’s power, his kindness, and deliverance.

There’s lots going on this Summer, and I want to bring you up to date on a couple of fronts.

Firstly, THIS SUNDAY (June 7) marks the beginning of our Summer Flip Schedule. We will meet for worship from 9:30-11:00 am, and at various times throughout the summer, we’ll be have familial (church family events), missional (out reach events), and social (hang-out together and with new friends) events. Check the bulletin and our church website for upcoming events. Regarding our 9:30 am start time, I want to strongly encourage you to arrive by 9:15. It’s important that we be here when newcomers arrive. You wouldn’t want anyone you had invited to your house when you were unprepared to meet them, or worse not even there. Our dress in the summer is more casual, too–so please make the effort to be here on time.

Secondly, May marks the time of year in which officers rotate on and off the Session and Diaconate to and from their sabbaticals. I happy to welcome back Joe Dell’Arena and Matt Lievens and to thank Jim Plybon, Wynn Baum, and Karl Freeman for their had work and service as they head into a season of rest. Please be in prayer for these men and their families as they make the transition.

Thirdly, Nancy Jewell has agreed to serve as the volunteer coordinator for GPC as we partner with Family Promise of Forsyth County. It is likely that our first family will be staying with us the week of September 6-12. Prior to this week we will need a host of volunteers who are willing to help set up and take down, prepare meals, spend the night, provide tutoring for children, and prepare the building for inspection. Please let Nancy Jewell know how you can help. This is a GPC all-hands-on-deck ministry. I trust God will use us and our resources to be a blessing to those families seeking a way out of homelessness.

Fourthly, we have some new faces around. In particular, Michael Kuehn (Keen) and Brent Wilson. You may have seen both on the worship team over the past month, and they are helping as volunteer interns in various aspects of ministry. Brent will be leading a HS study on C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce which will meet Sunday nights at the Baum’s home beginning June 12, and Michael will be doing various other tasks for and within the church. Please welcome these men, and thank God for our opportunity to help train the next generation as God raises up workers for his harvest.

Lastly, Vacation Bible School is coming up at the end of this month (June 22-26) This too, is an “all hands on deck” event. We will have more children and adults from outside our congregation in this building than any time other than a Grace House event. We cannot miss the opportunity to welcome outsiders, make new friends, and share the love of Christ with our neighbors. Please let Carla know how you can help.

Lots going on this weekend GPC-er’s. We’re looking forward to celebrating the Lord’s Supper together on Sunday, and I want to encourage you to prepare your hearts to receive the sacrament.  The order of worship is copied here.

Tonight is Family Promise of Forsyth County’s CARDBOARD BOX CITY. GPC youth and adults have been collecting pledges and now it’s time to anti-up by sleeping in a cardboard box. We’ll be joined by one of GPC’s worship team who will be providing music at the event tonight. We’re looking forward to it and would like to thank everyone for their support.

This Sunday after worship, the Mission’s Committee will be hosting a SPAGHETTI DINNER immediately following the worship service. Donations will help support the Cherokee Mission Trip. Suggested donation $5 per adult, $3 per youth age 4 and up, $20 family plan. Additional donations are appreciated.

Some of the GPC men will be at the Men’s Retreat this weekend, but if you didn’t go, you’re not left out. MEN’S BREAKFAST is next Saturday, May 2 from 8-9am in the fellowship hall, and KINKLINGS (aka Kernersville Inklings) meets on May 4 at the home of Don Bechtold. See Don for details.

It’s posted on the calendar, but we want to remind you just the same, that a  CONGREGATIONAL MEETING is scheduled for May 31st following the worship service for the purpose of electing officers who are rotating back into office from their sabbaticals.

The most significant of the announcements this week is that we are considering flipping out this summer. What we’re calling THE SUMMER FLIP is a potential change in our summer schedule. Before we finalize and make plans, we need to know your concerns or whether there are serious disadvantages. Beginning June 7 and continuing to August 16, GPC’s worship service would be from 9:30-11:00am each Sunday. At 11, we would have events planned which would be either: social – to which you could invite friends and neighbors, missional-to reach out and serve our community, and familial-something which we can all do together as a church family. This is a great opportunity to freshen things up, to reconnect with one another, and to recommit to reaching Kernersville. If you have any input, the Session needs to know by Friday, May 1st.

The church’s Sunday Worship Bulletin is here if you’d like to download it.

Also, at 2:30pm Sunday afternoon, Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministries will be holding their annual volunteer training at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. If you’re curious about assisting GPC’s jail ministry team join us.

Here are the bulletins for the Holy Thursday and Good Friday Services. We’ve got two special worship services planned which will help you take in all of the celebration of Easter. Also, I’ve posted some thoughts over at Twentystone about what scriptures we’ll be looking at as we celebrate.

Speaking of Easter, we’ve got a new sticker on the home page to King’s Thrift. Tim Brieaddy will be here on Sunday to report on how the work is proceeding at the thrift store, and how GPC can be a part.