September 14, 2020

Dear Kirk family,

It is so important to get off to a good start.

Just ask the Detroit Lions.

That was a pretty tough start. 

I’m not sure it gets much tougher.
But, in better news, the book of Genesis reminds us that we got off to a good start with God. As I reminded in my sermon Sunday, the first in our Made Well series,

“In our tradition we tend to focus quite a bit on original sin - how things were shattered between God and his people from the very outset…but that doesn’t happen until the second chapter of Genesis. This is why Richard Rohr is trying to remind us these days that, ‘We start on a foundation of original goodness, not on original curse.’ He wants us to consider how what was actually original, in Genesis 1 … was blessing.”
In the beginning, we got off to a good start with God.

And we got off to a good start on Sunday as we celebrated Homecoming. 

The weather ultimately cooperated, and we enjoyed a breezy service in the Kirk’s columbarium garden. In another step toward normalcy, reservations were not required, we had worship bulletins, the four-person choir offered classic serenades, and holy communion was shared using pre-packaged elements.

Following the service, we enjoyed a delicious box lunch and a brass quintet on the back patio. Pastor Marjorie provided a guided prayer walk designed for the Kirk grounds. We hope that you will feel welcome to take up the prayer walk on your own. Reach out to Pastor Marjorie at revmaw@kirkinthehills.org for the printable guide. The morning looked quite a bit different from our regular “church picnic” - but it was still a good start to the program year!
Children’s and adult Sunday school started on a nice roll. I saw Sunday school teachers picking up teacher packets and looking forward to next week’s introduction to the kids. Sunday school starts on 9/20 at 10:15 over Zoom and families can pick up home packets in the welcome center Monday-Friday! Also, Dr. Brennan Breed offered the first of our “Be Well” bible studies on healing narratives in the Old Testament. He got rave reviews from those in attendance! The link to next week’s Zoom class at 12:15 pm on Sunday can be found at kirkinthehills.org. All questions about children or adult Sunday school can be directed to Pastor Angela at revang@kirkinthehills.org.

Pastor Kelsey got the youth ministry program off to a good start too! On Sunday evening she gathered the youth around an ice cream truck for a “meet and greet” and overview of the fall’s offerings. If you missed the event, reach out to her at revkns@kirkinthehills.org to see where you or your youth might connect!




Many thanks to everyone that supported Accent Pontiac on Friday night - the Block Party was a huge success! This week, Accent Pontiac students get the school year off to a good start by performing at two community events. On September 19, students will perform at the Pontiac Unity Day, a Stop the Violence event organized by the Pontiac community. On September 20, Accent Pontiac students will perform at Oakland University's International Peace Day concert. 
Next week Pastor Angela will keep our good start rolling with the second sermon in our Made Well series. Not only that, Pastor Kelsey will take over authorship of this letter for a week! I cannot believe that this is my 29th weekly Covid missive to all of you! If you would like to be inspired, go to our church website and read them all. You have been an amazing expression of Christian community since this pandemic began. Next week, I will be taking a week with family and will be back in the pulpit and behind this letter on the 27th.
Speaking of the 27th, I do hope you will be participating in the Crop Walk by walking or donating. If you are able to join us on September 27, the walk will be at 1:30 pm around the Kirk Campus or you can walk in your own neighborhood with family and friends. Regardless of how you choose to walk, register to walk & donate by going to: 

or Text to Give: text kith CROP to 73256 using your mobile device
There are a lot of things starting these days - seasons, schools, jobs, church programs, and patterns of life. I hope that, whatever is starting for you, you are fueled by the blessing that we are connected by the “good start” God gave us in his act of creation. He did not just create us - we were Made Well by his blessing of us - let the reminder of that blessing wash over you and bring you healing today.

Stay warm,

Pastor Nate
Relational Mission Opportunities

Lighthouse Food Packing

The Kirk has been volunteering every Thursday but they are in need of volunteers Monday – Saturday 9am – 12:30pm, so any day you’re available for whatever time you can give! https://www.mycovidresponse.org/
Life Remodeled

The Kirk is rounding up 3 teams to go down to the Durfee Innovative Society neighborhood of Detroit to share God's love with their community thru yard beautification projects in collaboration with Life Remodeled! 

But they need our teams signed up by Sept 6th (tomorrow)

So please check your calendar for Oct 8, 9 and 10th from 12:45- 5:00 p.m. and see if you can join us for one of the 3 days!! (Or all 3 if you can swing it?!)

Registration and all event details can be found here:

Looking forward to watching God work thru us to help our neighbors in Detroit!
All Saints Episcopal Church Breakfast

If you would like to offer help in this way, the Kirk is partnering with All Saints Episcopal church every 4th and 5th Saturday of the month to serve breakfast and offer essentials from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. to the our homeless neighbors in Pontiac and those with food insecurities. We are forming a core group of people to take turns leading the four different areas of the breakfast and will eventually have our small groups join them. If you would like to serve on the core team please contact Julie Walker at jwalker@kirkinthehills.org. 
We envision a world where every heart experiences
God's transforming love.