From The Pastor:

Pastor Michaele Wood

Road Trip!

How many of us have had to make that final road trip to see a friend or relative in their last days? There are the usual plans to be made such as a mechanical check of the vehicle for the trip or making flight reservations.  Plans have to be made for food, clothing, and childcare.  Of course, there is the barrage of questions from the children, such as, “Where is our friend going?” and “How will they know where heaven is?”

In the midst of all this are our own questions of “Why God?” and “What am I going to do without them?” The emotions and activities of such a trip take on a different character than taking a vacation trip with the family and no one dares to ask “Are we there yet?” In fact, we seem to move slower as if that would make time stand still so we don’t have to face what’s coming.

As we walk through these weeks of lent we are making such a trip. Jesus has been preaching and performing miracles for almost three years. He has faced temptation, criticism, religious know-it-alls, and persecution. He is now facing the end of his life. Knowing what his Father asks of him, Jesus consciously and intentionally sets his face toward Jerusalem - knowing he is facing his certain death.

This dusty journey to Jerusalem is no ordinary road trip. Jesus has little to say and there is no small talk with the disciples. As Max Lucdo says in his book, The Angels Were Silent,  “He [Jesus] doesn't pause. He is on his final journey. He walks determinedly to the holy city, angrily into the temple, wearily into Gethsemane, painfully up the Via Dolorosa, and powerfully out of the vacated tomb”.

We are invited to travel this road with Jesus during our Lenten season.  I am here to remind you that the only way to victory over death, the only way to resurrection is through the cross.

Crucifixion of our fleshly desires is necessary for eternal life. The question is, “Are you determined to walk this road with Jesus?” or maybe I should say, “Are We There Yet?”

Blessings,
Pastor Michaele

Rev. Michaele RJ Wood was born the eldest of four children in Harrisburg PA. Her father was a Marine and Korean Veteran and her mother was a caterer. Michaele says, “Dad maintained order and discipline and mom added the spice.” She attended Catholic school through her junior year before graduating from a public school closer to home. It was during a school assembly about teen suicides that the message “God is love” became real and the Bible became a favorite read.

The years following high school were a hodgepodge of military service as an EMT / Practical Nurse and a liaison to the Military Police Units working narcotics, often accompanying them on the execution of search warrants and arrests. She met and married her husband during that tour and one year later put military service behind to be a mom to a new daughter. The following year she gave birth to twins.

In 1990, she was ordained as a minister in Kingdom Fellowship Ministries, a Charismatic fellowship, and assigned to Fountain Gate Ministries, an inner-city Harrisburg Church. There she served for 15 years as an elder, ordained minister associate and part-time instructor in Biblical & Church History for the ETS School of Ministry. She also held the position of Chief Financial Officer for a Harrisburg non-profit organization, while maintaining employment as a medical claims adjuster and raising a family.

The church grew quickly but the authoritarian form of government did not support the growth which led to problems of discipline and doctrine within the fellowship. This led her to a time of discernment. Seeking the help of a more experienced female pastor, who just happened to be Presbyterian, she was introduced to the Book of Order and Reformed Theology. Michaele states, “I had found the missing piece of my faith journey but the church I served was not ready

to change its style of government.”  In 2005, she became a member of Capital Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg. She was soon asked to serve on session and was ordained as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. Michaele completed the Dubuque CRE training in January 2006 and was then accepted to Lancaster Theological Seminary receiving her Master of Divinity in 2009.  In 2010, she was ordained by Carlisle Presbytery as  Minister of Word & Sacrament. Subsequently, she was  accepted as a member of the initial class of the “For Such A Time As This Program” leading to her installation as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pontotoc, Mississippi,  where she served until December 2017. 

She now comes to Gainesville as the called pastor of Kanapaha Presbyterian Church and will be installed as the way is made clear.

Pastor Michaele holds an Associate in Human Services from Harrisburg Area Community College; a Bachelor of Christian Ministry from Chesapeake Bible College; a Master of Divinity from Lancaster Theological Seminary; a diploma from the CRE program at Dubuque Seminary, and Certificates of Completion in Spiritual Direction; Clergy Tax Management & Law (Chitwood); and Stewardship (Kirby-Smith).

She is the widowed mother to three adult children, grandmother to (10) ten grandchildren, great-grandmother to two boys, ages 2 years and an infant of 3 months, with another due in October. Saying of her journey thus far, “Life has not always been easy, but then, God didn’t say it would be. God did promise to give us strength to continue the journey even when it seems impossible, even when we are afraid, even when we aren’t sure where God is leading us.  And so, I look forward to our journey together.”

060119

Capital Campaign!

Dear KPC Members and Friends,

We need your help! We’re kicking off a Capital Campaign to raise $30,000

for our historic buildings and grounds. This year has been a challenging one, to say the least. Likely no one expected what God had in store for us, Kanapaha Presbyterian Church, our country and the world. In spite of a global pandemic, raging politics and natural disasters, we, as a KPC family, managed to stay connected, worship virtually and now in-person, and continue spreading God’s love through various mission projects. We give thanks to God for his many blessings, in spite of the challenges we’ve faced this year.

While the KPC family has been very generous and faithful in tithing and contributions, and the Session has reduced expenditures, we have had to defer some needed capital projects or use cash reserves when there was a critical need. We are blessed to worship in a historic sanctuary, sitting on a beautiful piece of property. However, our buildings are aging and require(d) some much needed work such as:
 

1. Reroofing of McCormick Hall: $10,300 (replenish cash reserves). The roof was leaking and shingles coming off. Work was done on an emergency basis.
 

2. Ductwork under the sanctuary: $5,325 (replenish cash reserves).
Ductwork had fallen down, impacting air conditioning, and needed immediate replacing.
 

3. Western portico of the sanctuary: repair, remodel and fix sinking stairs. $12,338 (yet to be raised)
 

The portico, held up by unsightly metal poles, is rotten in many places. The first stair on the southern stairs has sunk ~4 inches creating a fall hazard.
 

4. Replace and repair lattice/animal barrier around Sanctuary and McCormick Hall: $2,037 (yet to be raised)
 

Help make a difference! Please prayerfully consider making a contribution or pledge to help us reach our goal! While the Capital Campaign will be going on for some time, this is the time of year to make a contribution that could lighten your tax burden for 2020. Maybe you received a stimulus check and were looking for a good cause to support?

Kanapaha Presbyterian Church is a 501c3 non-profit organization and donations are typically tax deductible, however KPC does not give tax advice. If you want to make a pledge and spread the contribution out over time, that’s wonderful too! Please put “Capital Campaign” on the memo line of your check. You can also use the yellow Donate button at the very bottom of this KPC webpage to donate safely and securely right here on www.kanapaha.net.
 

With thanks and praise to God,
The Session