​
WORSHIP TIME CHANGE!  Beginning on June 4th, our Sunday worship service will begin at 10:00 am all summer.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Welcome to our new members.  North Kent welcomes Lauren and Ava, Mike and Jenn, Chet, Elisa, and Dorothy into our community of faith.  We are so glad that you are here!
 
Pastor Karen's email is Pastor.nkpc@gmail.com   Her office hours are Monday - Wednesday 9:30 - 3 pm. Contact her for lunch or coffee!
 
IT’ BACK! The NKPC Fishing Contest is back on again.  Will you catch the biggest fish in 2017?  Check out the poster for rules and details!  Everyone is welcome to participate.
 
Children Class today for all children ages 4 to 10 are invited to join the Sunday school class following the Object Lesson. The topic is “Hear It and Do It" James 1:19-27; 2:1-7.They will learn to put their faith into action.
 
Spring Fling a special thank you. The Membership committee out did itself again with a great fellowship event.  Be sure to thank them. It was both fun and delicious!
 
Spring Clean-up Part 1: Time to make our grounds and building sparkle. Our annual spring cleaning will take place on Saturday, June 3rd, beginning at 9:00 AM. You bring your energy, we'll bring the coffee, juice and snacks. The more the merrier.
 
Spring Clean-up Part 2: In conjunction with the spring clean-up, we will be doing a complete re-organization and clean out (read disposal) in the "not a basement". There will be a special label available in the office to mark all items that should be kept for future use. If there is NO LABEL, the Committee to Assess, Discuss, Appraise, Value Everything Remaining (C.A.D.A.V.E.R) will remove such items from the premises for disposal or recycling. If you cannot review the stuff on June 3rd, please stop by sometime before the 3rd and label your stuff.
 
LEAFING OUT FOR GREENWOOD! The Camp Greenwood trees are leafing out nicely, both at the Campground and on our poster. We have six of our NKPC children registered to attend Camp Greenwood and there are two more who are thinking about it. The Send a Kid to Camp Fund is now covering five of those children ($1,775.51) so we are still hoping for continued assistance. Thank you to all who have contributed so far to make this possible.
One family is going to family camp. Care to join them?
 
BOND WITH YOUR FAMILY:  Camp Greenwood is offering a family camp this summer July 4th - 7th.  All ages are welcome and you can pitch your tent or rent a cabin or bring a camper.  There will be activities planned and you and or your children can participate if you would like, as well as time set aside for Bible Study for adults and kids. Evenings will be filled with campfires, gourmet s'mores and group activities. Take this opportunity to unwind and appreciate the joys of Christian community and magnificent creation!
 
Hey, Young Adult Presbyterians!  Yea, you, the college and career age folks! On Wednesday, May 31st join us at the church at 5:30 pm. We will be choosing a movie, going to watch it and then discussing it afterwards over dessert. Come and connect with your old Youth group pals and new friends.  Tell us about your career plans and college stories. You are STILL loved!
 
Summer Vacation.  With senior management seeking new vistas in Canada; Pastor Karen needs help, some serious help.  We are looking for an individual(s) to volunteer one or more days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) from 9:30 to 1 during the month of July.  Training in June.  Knowledge of Microsoft Word is very helpful.  Email the church office at NKPChurch@gmail.com or call at 866-2230.
 
Reading Books!  The iconic used book store in downtown Rockford is closing its doors and is having shelf clearing sale through June 11th with up to 70% off.  Stop in before you miss the train!

This Week of May 28, 2017 through June 4, 2017
Sunday  28
     10:45 am  Worship Service.
Monday   29
     NO Moms & Munchkins (Free Play Group)
     NO Boy Scouts
Tuesday   30
     7:30  am   Men’s Breakfast (Mr. Burger, 5181 Northland Dr.)
     7:00  pm  Women’s AA
Wednesday   31
     8:00  am  Women’s Breakfast (Russ's 3966 Plainfield Ave. NE)
     5:30  pm  College and Career Movie Night Out!
     7:00  pm  AA
Thursday   01
Friday  02
     9:00 am Morning AA
Saturday 03
     9:00  am  Spring Clean UP
Next Sunday   June 04
     10:00 am  Worship Service.

It's BACK!  The NKPC Fishing Contest is back on again.  Will you catch the biggest fish in 2017?  Check out the poster for rules and details!  Everyone is welcome to participate.

Spring Clean-up Part 1: We will be doing a complete re-organization and clean out (read disposal) in the "not a basement". There are special labels available on the narthex room table to mark all items that should be kept for future use. If there is NO LABEL, the Committee to Assess, Discuss, Appraise, Value Everything Remaining (C.A.D.A.V.E.R) will remove such items from the premises for disposal or recycling. If you cannot review the stuff on June 3rd, please stop by sometime before the 3rd and label your stuff.
 
Spring Clean-up Part 2: Time to make our grounds and building sparkle. Our annual spring cleaning will take place on Saturday, June 3rd, beginning at 9:00 AM. You bring your energy, we'll bring the coffee, juice and snacks. The more the merrier.
 
Children Class Sunday for all children ages 4 to 10 are invited to join the Sunday school class following the Object Lesson. The topic is “Grace in Action" Acts 6:1-7.They will learn to identify specific things they can do to show God’s grace in the world.
 
Spring Fling The Membership committee is inviting everyone to a Spring Fling luncheon Sunday, after the Church service.  Chicken, potato salad, and baked beans will be provided, along with veggies. A cake to honor all of the new members and volunteers in the church will be our sweet dessert! YOU are invited!
 
LEAFING OUT FOR GREENWOOD! The Camp Greenwood trees are leafing out nicely, both at the Campground and on our poster. We have six of our NKPC children registered to attend Camp Greenwood and there are two more who are thinking about it. The Send a Kid to Camp Fund is now covering five of those children ($ 1,775.51) so we are still hoping for continued assistance. Thank you to all who have contributed so far to make this possible.
One family is going to family camp. Care to join them? 
 
WORSHIP TIME CHANGE!  Beginning on June 4th, our Sunday worship service will begin at 10:00 am all summer.
 
Sunday Discussion Group. Thinking Theologically: Some thoughts: While family, education, social class, and geography all contribute to how we think about God, our experiences and perceptions along life’s journey also shape our thinking. Being comfortable with ambiguity, metaphor, and uncertainty help us get the Divine “out of the box” of a specific word. The images and ideas used to express the Divine by Christian mystics, theologians, and in scripture are as many and varied as there are experiences of God. Biblical writers used metaphors and poetic language to point toward what is ultimately a mystery. The Divine is described as a potter, a cup of cool water, a path, a safe place, a rock, a burning bush, an eagle and a whirlwind, all wonderful metaphors for the variety of attributes of God without being the exclusive last word. One of the most common images of God is as a father, so common people often think it is the only image. However, God is described as a mother in Deuteronomy 32:18, in Isaiah 42:14 and Isaiah 66:13. Everything we use to refer to God is simply a human effort to explain the unexplainable. To be aware of our language and its implications is a great exercise in thinking theologically – remembering that the language we use to describe the Divine will directly influence how we relate to the Divine.  Our last class for the season is Sunday, May 21st.  Please join us in the fall!
 
BOND WITH YOUR FAMILY:  Camp Greenwood is offering a family camp this summer July 4th - 7th.  All ages are welcome and you can pitch your tent or rent a cabin or bring a camper.  There will be activities planned and you and or your children can participate if you would like, as well as time set aside for Bible Study for adults and kids. Evenings will be filled with campfires, gourmet s'mores and group activities. Take this opportunity to unwind and appreciate the joys of Christian community and magnificent creation!
 
Hey, Young Adult Presbyterians!  Yea, you, the college and career age folks! On Wednesday, May 31st join us at the church at 5:30 pm. We will be choosing a movie, going to watch it and then discussing it afterwards over dessert. Come and connect with your old Youth group pals and new friends.  Tell us about your career plans and college stories. You are STILL loved!
 
Summer Vacation.  With senior management seeking new vistas in Canada; Pastor Karen needs help, some serious help .  We are looking for a individual(s) to volunteer one or more days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) from 9:30 to 1 during the month of July.  Training in June.  Knowledge of Microsoft Word is very helpful.  Email the church office at NKPChurch@gmail.com or call at 866-2230.
 
Presbyterian Women of North Kent have been spreading the good news.   So far this year they have disbursed $750 to Safe Haven Ministries, $750 to Greenwood Ministries, $170 to Alma College, and $300 to Presbyterian Women of Lake Michigan Presbytery.  The various events they coordinate and you the congregation support (i.e. garage sale, cookie walk, etc.) are the source of funds.  A big thank you to our PW for their hard work and mission support.


 

Week of May 21, 2017 through May 28, 2017

Sunday May 21, 2017
 9:30 am:  Discussion Group “Living Questions” (Last till Fall
10:00 am:  Choir Rehearsal  
10:45 am:  Worship Service

Monday May 22, 2017
10:30 am:  Moms & Munchkins (Free Play Group)
 7:00 pm:  Boy Scouts

Tuesday May 23, 2017
7:30 am:  Men’s Breakfast (Mr. Burger, 5181 Northland Dr.)
1:15 pm:  JOY Bible Study  (Last Study until October)  
7:00 pm:  Women’s AA
 
Wednesday May 24, 2017
8:00 am:  Women’s Breakfast (Russ's 3966 Plainfield Ave. NE)
7:00 pm:  AA

Thursday May 25, 2017

Friday May 26, 2017
9:00  am:  Morning AA 

Saturday May 27, 2017

Next Sunday May 28, 2017 
10:45 am:  Worship Service  
 
Sunday, June 4th      10:00    am      Worship Service on Summer schedule
​

ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Children  Class Sunday for all children ages 4 to 10 are invited to join the Sunday school class following the Object Lesson. The topic is “The Generous Landowner" Matthew 20:1-16. They will learn to explore the grace in God’s generosity and justice.
 
Spring Fling  The Membership committee is inviting our congregation to a Spring Fling luncheon on Sunday, May 21, after the Church service.  Chicken, potato salad, and baked beans will be provided, along with veggies. A cake to honor all of the new members and volunteers in the church will be our sweet dessert! Please mark your calendars for dinner on Sunday, May 21!
 
Spring Clean-up Part 1: Time to make our grounds and building sparkle. Our annual spring cleaning will take place on Saturday, June 3rd, beginning at 9:00 AM. You bring your energy, we'll bring the coffee, juice and snacks. The more the merrier.
 
Spring Clean-up Part 2: In conjunction with the spring clean-up, we will be doing a complete re-organization and clean out (read disposal) in the "not a basement". There will be a special label available in the office to mark all items that should be kept for future use. If there is NO LABEL, the Committee to Assess, Discuss, Appraise, Value Everything Remaining (C.A.D.A.V.E.R) will remove such items from the premises for disposal or recycling. 
 
LEAFING OUT FOR GREENWOOD! YOU can change a child's life this summer.  We are sending ALL our children to Camp Greenwood! For each $10 raised, we will put another leaf on our Camp Tree in the Narthex.  Please donate your bottles and cans as well as bottle receipts, checks and clearly marked cash donations.  Will you help us make our Camp Tree GREEN? ($1,243 collected so far!  6 kids registered with more wanting to go.) 
 
Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? Is there enough water on our planet for a worldwide mountain covering flood? Join the discussion of this and other intriguing questions at the Tuesday afternoon Joy Bible Study at 1:15 pm!

Sunday Discussion Group. Stories of Creation:  Some thoughts from the lesson plans:  How one perceives the creation stories is not only critical to the way one looks at the Bible, but how one understands the purpose of creation, the essence of human nature, and the attitude one takes toward the environment in which we live. 
 
In the beginning, God may have created the heavens and the earth, but not even the Bible claims to describe exactly how it happened. In fact, Genesis begins with two distinctive creation stories that are impossible to synthesize or string together into consecutive events with any integrity. Neither one was ever meant to give a scientific account of how creation happened. Instead they offer theological claims about the characteristics of the creator and the poetic explanations as to why human beings are the way we are.
 
JOY Bicycle Ministry Group Trail Ride 
(Grab your bike and helmet and come have a great time!)


The JOY Bicycle Group will gather in the church parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 20 and go from there to a trailhead on the Musketawa Trail.  The riders will ride from Marne to Conklin and back.  Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after the ride.  Just a reminder – helmets are required.  Riders and non-riders are all welcome to enjoy the companionship.  Call the Delmont’s, 363-6237 or the Dettmer’s, 874-7760, for more information.

STUART LEITCH PIANO CONCERT:  First Congregational Church of Rockford's pianist Stuart Leitch and violinist Diane Duryee will conclude their series of concerts featuring sonatas by Mozart in the sanctuary of First Congregational Church of Rockford, UCC, 192 E. Bridge St., Rockford, on Sunday, May 21, at 4:00 P.M. with a reception after.  The event is free with donations by cash or check gratefully accepted. Call (616) 866-2412 for info. 
 
BOND WITH YOUR FAMILY:  Camp Greenwood is offering a family camp this summer July 4th - 7th.  All ages are welcome and you can pitch your tent or rent a cabin or bring a camper.  There will be activities planned and you and or your children can participate if you would like, as well as time set aside for Bible Study for adults and kids. Evenings will be filled with campfires, gourmet s'mores and group activities. Take this opportunity to unwind and appreciate the joys of Christian community and magnificent creation!


 

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This Week of May 14, 2017 through May 21, 2017

Sunday May 14, 2017
 9:30 am:  Discussion Group “Living Questions”
10:00 am:  Choir Rehearsal
10:45 am:  Worship Service
 
Monday May 15, 2017
10:30 am:  Moms & Munchkins (Free Play Group)
 7:00 pm:  Boy Scouts
 7:00 pm:  Session
 
Tuesday May 16, 2017
 7:30 am:  Men’s Breakfast (Mr. Burger, 5181 Northland Dr.)  
 1:15 pm:  JOY Bible Study
 6:30 pm:  Handbell Choir
 7:00 pm:  Women’s AA
 
Wednesday May 17, 2017
 8:00 am:  Women’s Breakfast (Russ's 3966 Plainfield Ave. NE) 
 7:00 pm:  AA

Thursday May 18, 2017

Friday May 19, 2017
 9:00 am:  Morning AA
 
Saturday May 20, 2017
 8:30 am:  Men’s Fellowship

Next Sunday May 21, 2017 
 9:30 am:  Discussion Group “Living Questions”
10:00 am:  Choir Rehearsal
10:45 am:  Worship Service

 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Children.  NO CLASS Sunday.  The children are invited to remain the sanctuary and participate in our communion service.
 
Spring Fling. The Membership committee is inviting our congregation to a Spring Fling luncheon on Sunday, May 21, after the Church service.  Chicken, potato salad, and baked beans will be provided, along with veggies. A cake to honor all of the new members and volunteers in the church will be our sweet dessert! Please mark your calendars for dinner on Sunday, May 21!
 
LEAFING OUT FOR GREENWOOD! YOU can change a child's life this summer.  We are sending  ALL of our children to Camp Greenwood!   For each $10 raised, we will put another leaf on our Camp Tree in the Narthex.  Please donate your bottles and cans as well as bottle receipts, checks and clearly marked cash donations.   Will you help us make our Camp Tree GREEN?  ($1,243 collected so far!  6 kids registered with more wanting to go.) 
 
New Members Class!  Wondering about what it would mean to join North Kent?  You are invited to lunch on May 10th at 1 pm to answer your questions and will be celebrating new members in worship on May 21st!  What skills and experiences do you bring to strengthen NKPC?  What new thing has God put into your heart that we can do together?
 
Kent Philharmonic Orchestra will perform on Friday May 12th at St. Cecilia Royce Auditorium @ 7:30 PM Downtown Grand Rapids - All are welcome! Program includes Hoedown and Rodeo by Copland and selections from West Side Story and Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein.
 
Camp Greenwood Clean up Day!  May 13th, Camp Greenwood is inviting you and all of your friends to come enjoy a day up at our beautiful camp.  People of all skills levels are welcome.  Leaves are needing to be raked, windows washed and many things are waiting to be scrubbed or painted. Breakfast is served at 8:32 am! Come ready to get dirty!
 
Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? Is there enough water on our planet for a worldwide mountain covering flood? Join the discussion of this and other intriguing questions at the Tuesday afternoon Joy Bible Study at 1:15 pm!

Sunday Discussion Group. Some thoughts from the lesson plans. 
 
From the Gospels to the illustrated Bible storybooks to portrayals in films, Jesus has been the subject of considerable “spin” over the ages. Each tradition and each individual puts their own emphasis on this remarkable figure.  For many middle class Americans, their ideal Jesus is the gentle, upstanding, right-thinking suburbanite with good posture. The notion that Jesus may have been a short, dark, Middle-Eastern peasant rabble-rouser is so far from many people’s capacity to comprehend, that all reason is rejected in favor of the blond haired, blue-eyed, meek and mild stalwart of the Western culture as depicted by the artist Warner Sallman. Anything contrary to that image is tantamount to heresy. Columnist Kathleen Parker was so distraught that she fretted that the Jesus she knew as a child was being replaced by “the kind of guy who wouldn’t make it through airport security”.
 
The similarities and differences between Matthew, Mark, and Luke give rise to further questions about the representation and characterization of Jesus, not only about how similar the gospels are in some places, but how different they are from each other and from John.   Feel free to join in each Sunday at 9:30 am to add your thoughts!

JOY Bicycle Ministry Group Trail Ride Schedule
(Grab your bike and helmet and come have a great time!)

Sat, May 20. 10:30 am Meet @ NKPC. Ride Musketawa from Marne to Conklin & back

Sat, June 17. 10:30 am Meet @ Rouge River Trailhead, Belmont. Ride to Rockford& back

Fri-Mon. June 23 -26.  Camp and Bike on Saturday in Cadillac at Mitchell State Park

Sat, July 15. 10:30 am Meet @ NKPC.  Ride on Greenville Flat River Trail

Sat, Aug 19. 10:30 am Meet @ NKPC.  Ride on Hart / Montague Trail

Sat, Sept. 16. 10:30 am Meet @ NKPC. Ride on Muskegon Lake Shore Trail

Sat, Oct. 21. 10:30 am Meet @ NKPC.  Ride on White Pine Trail

This Week of May 07, 2017 through May 14, 2017

Sunday May 7, 2017
 9:30 am:  Discussion Group “Living Questions”
10:00 am:  Choir Rehearsal
10:45 am:  Worship Service  

Monday May 8, 2017
10:30 am:  Moms & Munchkins (Free Play Group)
 7:00 pm:  Boy Scouts
 7:00 pm:  Facilities & Stewardship

Tuesday May 9, 2017
7:30 am:  Men’s Breakfast (Mr. Burger, 5181 Northland Dr.)
1:15 pm:  JOY Bible Study
5:30 pm:  PNC Transition Committee  
6:30 pm:  NO Handbell Choi
7:00 pm:  Women’s AA
7:30 pm:  Choir Rehearsal (last till Fall!)

Wednesday May 10, 2017
8:00 am:  Women’s Breakfast (Russ's 3966 Plainfield Ave. NE) 
1:00 pm:  New Member Class
7:00 pm:  AA

Thursday May 11, 2017

Friday May 12, 2017
9:00 am:  Morning AA

Saturday May 13, 2017
Bridal Shower

Next Sunday May 14, 2017 (Mother's Day) 
 9:30 am:  Discussion Group “Living Questions”
10:00 am:  Choir Rehearsal
10:45 am:  Worship Service