Teaching and sharing have been a life-long pursuit of Kay Gore’s. She continues to share her wisdom, and often times her humor, by sharing with the children of Grove Park Baptist Church during the children’s sermon.
Gore was raised in a Christian home as a child living in Whiteville. She taught public school for 28 years and has served multiple children as they were growing up. Gore was a Fore prior to her marriage to Abner Gore in 1958 and eventually moving to Clinton over 50 years ago. The couple has four children, three daughters and one son, and six grandchildren, five boys and a girl.
“I love children. I love kids of all ages. By sharing with them during the children’s sermon, I am hoping that they will get something out of what I say. I just want to try to give back just a little of what God has done for me in my lifetime,” asserts Gore.
The former teacher is past chairwoman of the church’s nursery committee and is an active member of the Adult I Sunday school class, and the senior adult choir. She also participates in the Clinton Garden Club.
“I asked Abner the other day if he thought my flowers would be up by May. He asked me why, and I told him I wanted to take my flowers to the Garden Club and prove I could grow some,” expressed Gore.
Humor is one of Gore’s most endearing talents. Members of the church ask her all the time if she is doing the children’s sermon that Sunday. The ironic thing seems to be that the adults get as much, and sometimes more, from Gore’s messages than the children.
“You can never know what to expect with Kay’s stories. She just has a special way with the children and it comes off as very comical to me and many of the adults in the congregation,” shared interim pastor, Dr. Glenn Jonas. “But no matter how funny Kay is, she always is able to get her message across to the children.”
“I truly enjoy hearing Dr. Jonas laughing from time to time and the members of the congregation. You never know what a child might say on Sunday morning,” stated Gore. “Sometimes it throws me off a bit. I am not like the other two regular ladies, Melba (Boyette) and Sharon (Spell), that do the sermons. I have to know what I am going to do when I get up there or I will forget or get off track. I would be a nervous wreck if I wasn’t prepared or did not have my notes with me.”
“I feel it is an honor to be able to get up in front of everyone in church and talk to those young people. I really do enjoy the opportunities I get to serve my God through this ministry. It is amazing how much the children remember from the stories I share with them,” Gore said.
The former teacher relies on many of her experiences from teaching school, but sometimes she has to wing it. One Sunday a few months back, she was using a number of light bulbs to illustrate her message and made the mistake of allowing the children to hold them. “That was a mistake. I just knew one of them was going to break a bulb and not only make a mess on the carpet but get cut from the glass. But thankfully it all worked. God does some amazing things,” shared the former teacher.
Gore explained that even though the children don’t always seem to understand her message, often times they learn more than what you think.
“I receive so many blessings from parents sharing with the stories that their children tell them about the children’s sermon I do. I often think what I said didn’t go any further than the last pew. But parents and other members of the church offer me encouragement from their positive comments. I am so blessed by God that I am glad I can give back in this way,” remarked Gore.
“We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful and giving God. Our church is also blessed with so many talented people that are willing to serve him by volunteering. By having the chance to share my love of God and his son Jesus Christ with these young children I am forever blessed beyond anything I could do for myself,” concluded Gore.
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