On May 7, 2026, our church family will join believers across the country in observing the National Day of Prayer. This special day invites Christians to come together in humility and faith to pray for our nation, leaders, communities, and churches.

Throughout the day, the ODPC Sanctuary will be open from 9:00am to 5:00pm for anyone who would like to spend time in personal prayer. In addition, our pastoral staff will lead a Prayer Service from Noon to 1:15pm, providing a dedicated time for our congregation to gather and pray together.

Later in the afternoon, we will continue in prayer with our Churchwide Prayer Walk from 5:00–5:30pm, a meaningful opportunity to walk together while lifting up our church, community, and nation before the Lord.

All are welcome to come and participate at any time during the day.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.”
— 1 John 5:14–15 (ESV)

We hope you will join us as we seek the Lord together on this important day of prayer.

We are celebrating a wonderful milestone at Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church. The Shak Youth Center Renovation is now complete—and fully funded! All Glory to God!

Thanks to God’s grace and the generous giving and faithful prayers of our church family, we have officially reached our $800,000 funding goal. Praise God! This achievement is a testimony to His provision and to the incredible faithfulness of those who supported this vision from the very beginning.

Also by His grace, our beloved “Shak” has been transformed into a welcoming, functional, and inspiring environment where our students, congregation, ministry partners, and friends gather for fellowship, discipleship, and worship. What was once a well-worn (and so well loved) space has been renewed into a brand new ministry hub designed to serve the next generation for many years to come!

We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this possible. Your generosity has created a space that will continue to bless and shape young lives for Christ for generations.

Give God a shout of praise!

Learn more about the Shak renovation project and how this vision came to life HERE

Summer is coming to the Grand Strand-and with it, the familiar surge of visitors, seasonal workers, and transient individuals who swell our coastal community from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For those of us who serve at Hope’s Kitchen, that seasonal shift means one thing with quiet certainty: more people in need will cross our path. More faces at intersections. More individuals camping near the waterway. More vulnerable neighbors who have traveled far from home and have no safety net to catch them when things go wrong.

That is precisely why Cheryl has applied for a grant to carry our Blessing Bag ministry through this high-volume season-May 1 through August 31. Because when the need increases, so must our readiness. And the Blessing Bag is one of our most immediate, most personal tools for meeting people right where they are.

There is a one-gallon zip-lock bag sitting in the back seat of your car. Or maybe it’s tucked into your golf cart, or on a shelf near your front door — right where you can grab it quickly. Inside, carefully packed, are sunscreen, a snack, water, a pair of socks, a Gideon New Testament, a personalized note from Hope’s Kitchen, and an invitation card with all the details of our Tuesday evening ministry. That little bag has a name — and it carries a lot of love.

What’s Inside — and Why It Matters
Our Blessing Bags are assembled with intention. Each item is chosen because our vulnerable neighbors are people with real, tangible needs — and because the God we serve cares deeply about meeting those needs in practical ways. Every bag contains:

• Non-perishable, easy-open food items for immediate nutritional support
• Essential toiletries and personal care products
• Socks and weather-appropriate supplies — sunscreen, bug spray, and more
• A Gideon New Testament Bible and Daily Bread devotion for spiritual nourishment and gospel access
• A personalized note from Hope’s Kitchen
• Information about our Tuesday evening ministry and local community resources

Every person who receives a bag on a street corner or in a parking lot is also a soul for whom Christ died. They deserve to know there is a community that cares — one that gathers every Tuesday evening with a warm meal, open arms, and a full range of wraparound services to help them find a pathway forward.

A Door to Transformation
The Blessing Bag is intentionally designed to be a conversation starter — but it is also far more than that. When a volunteer places a bag in the hands of someone living on the streets or struggling in poverty, they are not simply offering supplies. They are extending a personal invitation to Hope’s Kitchen, where every guest is welcomed with respect, dignity, and the love of Jesus Christ.

For many recipients, that first Blessing Bag encounter becomes a bridge to comprehensive care. At Hope’s Kitchen, guests have access to:

• Personal care services, including haircuts and showers, that restore a sense of dignity
• Basic medical care provided by caring volunteers and healthcare partners
• Government benefits enrollment assistance, connecting guests to the support for which they qualify
• Our Navigation Hub, offering individualized guidance toward job placement, stable housing, and a wide network of community resources

The Blessing Bag is the beginning of that journey. A small act of generosity that opens a door to transformation.

The Double Blessing
One of our volunteers put it beautifully and simply: “It’s a double blessing — it blesses the receiver, but even more so the giver.” There is something that happens in the human heart when we stop the car, step out onto the sidewalk, and approach someone who may have felt invisible to the world passing by. Eyes meet. A name is exchanged. A bag is offered. And in that brief encounter, something of the Kingdom of God breaks through.

Volunteers consistently report the transformative joy of serving as the hands and feet of Christ. We do not give Blessing Bags merely to receive a blessing in return — but that is exactly what happens. And for the recipient, the physical provisions combined with a personal message of hope bring both material and spiritual nourishment in a moment when they may feel forgotten.

An Invitation to Go Further
We encourage every volunteer and supporter to keep one or two Blessing Bags readily available — in your car, your golf cart, your home — so that when you encounter someone in need, you are prepared to respond. When you see someone on the street holding a sign, sitting on a bench with nowhere else to go, resist the impulse to drive past or simply hand out cash. Consider parking, stepping out, and making the kind of face-to-face connection that no amount of money can replicate.

These simple interactions regularly spark meaningful conversations about faith — natural, Spirit-led opportunities to share the hope found in Jesus Christ. There is no ministry more powerful than the one that looks another person in the eye, offers something tangible, and lets them experience — even for a few minutes — that they are seen, valued, and loved. That is not social work. That is the Gospel in action.

Community in Action
Behind every Blessing Bag is a community that made it possible. Alan and Karen Shaw coordinate the production of our Blessing Bags with remarkable dedication, and they’ve built a wonderful team of willing hands to help. We are especially grateful for the bright and energetic residents from The Legacy Assisted Living facility in Little River who have joined the effort — a beautiful reminder that the desire to serve does not diminish with age, and that ministry belongs to every willing heart.

Our ministry is growing. We currently distribute approximately 50 plus bags per month, with demand continuing to rise as our community partnerships and volunteer network expand. To ensure the ministry bus remains fully stocked and the program can grow, Cheryl's work on the grant application to fund the Blessing Bag program, through the busy summer season is essential. That kind of behind-the-scenes stewardship — the planning, the paperwork, the faithful management of resources — is every bit as essential as the moment the bag is handed over on a street corner.

What It Takes to Keep the Bags Coming
Sustaining and growing this ministry requires approximately $500 per month — roughly $6,000 annually — to cover both purchased and donated items. Every dollar invested in the Blessing Bag program is a dollar invested in human dignity, community wholeness, and the spread of the gospel.

Will You Be Part of the Blessing?
For many guests, the bag they receive on a street corner or in a parking lot is the first time in a long time that someone has looked them in the eye and treated them as a person of worth. That moment matters. It plants a seed. And Hope’s Kitchen is there to help it grow — through relationships, resources, and the life-changing message of Christ’s love.

If you’re looking for a ministry that is simple, portable, and immediately personal — one that fits in the back seat of your car and opens the door to a real human connection — we invite you to pick up a few Blessing Bags and carry them with you this week.

You may find, as our volunteers have, that the person who receives the greatest blessing is the one who gives it away.

To get involved with the Blessing Bag ministry, contact Alan and Karen Shaw or join us any Tuesday to experience ministry in action.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”- Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Weekly Schedule:

Monday Morning: Join the setup crew from 8:45 am until 10:30 am

Tuesday Evening:

• Meal Preparation and Final Setup will begin at 4:00 pm
• Volunteer meeting at 4:45 pm. 
• Doors open to guests at 5:30 pm.
• Worship Service 6:00 pm until 6:30 pm. 
• Dinner is served at 6:30 pm. 
• Clean up, storage, and organization 7:15 pm

News and Notes
Paul Farmer, a longtime Hope's Kitchen guest, will be our worship leader on April 21. Paul will share his musical talents and a personal message of inspiration. Please join us if you can.

Hope's Kids continues to experience growth and is having a strong impact on the children in attendance. The energy and excitement is a blessing for our children and leaders.

Thank you to Chris Mancuso for coordinating the Voucher program for our guests at Noah's Ark Baby Shop in North Myrtle Beach. Guests in need will be provided "baby bucks" for shopping. When making donations to Noah's Ark, please indicate Hope's Kitchen Mission, for credit toward the "baby bucks" fund.

Prayers and Praises

• Praise reports – * Tom Nordstrom was able to be with us this week! * Nolan had a good visit with his dad over spring break. 
• Remember Barbara in prayer. She is having knee surgery on June 8.
• Pray for Beth and her brother, Johnathan. He is on the liver transplant list.
• Pray for Arnold and his family as he continues to recover from his transplant surgery.
• Pray for our Hope’s Kids program and Cindy N. as she and her team minister to our children.
• Remember Shari as she had dental work done.
• Flash asks for prayers for his brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Karen, who were in a bad car accident.
• Pray for Connie who fell last month and had to have surgery. She is in rehab now.
• Pray for Nolan’s stepfather.
• JoAnne asks for prayer for her IRS refund and her job interview at Publix.
• Remember Mike Dietz in prayer. He was admitted to the hospital 4/11 with Parkinson’s and dementia. He is very confused and having to be restrained. Pray he can find 24/7 care as he needs continuous observation and help.
• Continue to pray for Christine Cox, of Greg Rowles Theatre, as she continues her chemo infusions until August.
• Remember the family and friends of Doug Winstead who died in a wreck recently. He was a member of the “Band of Oz”.
• Keith’s friend, John, and his family need prayers as they are dealing with family medical challenges and a calling to establish a ministry in Panama.
• Remember Carla C. in prayer.
• Pray for Celene and her family as they prepare for a trip to Ireland May 6-23.
• Lisa McMurtry asks for prayers for herself and her daughters, Mercede and Raynah. Also pray for their health, financial stability, getting jobs, and meeting people in this area because they don’t have family or friends here.

Hope's Kitchen Mission
Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church
410 6th Avenue South
North Myrtle Beach,SC 29582
hopeskitchenmission@gmail.com
oceandrivechurch.org/hopes-kitchen

Dear ODPC Family and Friends,

What a faithful and loving God we serve! At Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church, we’ve seen His guiding hand through the years. Since joining the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO) in 2016, we’ve welcomed over 580 new members and celebrated more than 230 baptisms and reaffirmations of faith.

As we look toward 2026, we believe God is preparing us for new opportunities in mission and ministry — and we invite you to partner with us through His church. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Our giving reflects what we value most — and it is through giving that our hearts grow closer to God.

Scripture reminds us, “This is how God showed His love: He sent His only Son so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). Stewardship is simply our joyful response to that love. All that we have belongs to God. He calls us to be faithful stewards, trusting His promise: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… and see if I will not open the floodgates of heaven” (Malachi 3:10).

Whether you are beginning to give proportionally or have been tithing faithfully, know this — you can’t out-give God. Over the next two weeks, please prayerfully consider your 2026 “Love Gives” commitment.

Complete the two enclosed cards — keep one for yourself and bring the other on Stewardship Sunday, November 9, or mail it to the church if you cannot attend.

There are many good causes we can support, but only one has eternal impact: the Church of Jesus Christ, carrying out His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Grace and peace to you in Christ.

Warmly,
Senior Pastor Daryle Bush

If you are a member and did not yet receive your letter in the mail, or have questions about stewardship, please call the Church office during the week at (843) 249-2312

ODPC is helping survivors of Hurricane Helene and you can join us! Click the button below to give through our online portal. Please select "relief fund" in the drop-down fund menu.

Have physical items to donate? 

We've partnered with Spokes of Hope in Loris, SC to collect urgently needed supplies. Please download a list of urgently needed items below, and deliver supplies to Spokes of Hope 1111 Hwy SC-9, Longs, SC. Call (714) 296-3347 for updated drop-off times. Spokes of Hope is handling the collection of all supplies, please deliver all physical items to their facility -Thank you!

“Would your family be available to play Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus in the ODPC Christmas Cantata?” The call came as a surprise and felt like just one more thing in an already busy Christmas season, as Bobby and I were both performing in 11 Christmas shows a week at the Alabama Theatre.

The year was 1998 and we were two exhausted, extremely sleep deprived, new parents. But, it was a call from our brand-new church family, and we thought it might be nice to be a part of the cantata. Little did we know that cantata would be the first step to getting deeply involved in ministry at our new church! God knew what He was doing, but of course, we had no idea…”

Kelly and Bobby had known they were in the right place since the moment they heard Dr. Kantner open the service with these words, “We here at Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church believe the Bible is true. It is our only infallible rule of faith and practice.” But even then, only God could have known the ways He would soon use this young couple.

“Choir Director Pat Hatcher began asking me to sing and BobbyG to play drums at church meanwhile Bruce Mount asked us to help teach children’s Sunday School drawing us more and more into the church family. We began volunteering in other different ministries, Bobby G with property and Kelly with nic @ nite children’s ministry and singing on the praise team. We also were attending Karen Wilson’s Water’s Edge Sunday School class.

Easter 2005 it looked as if the Easter Contemporary Service was not going to happen due to loss of leadership, personnel and commitment. I called Mary Mincey (church membership/administrative assistant) to ask for an appointment with Dr. Lewis Johnson (interim pastor) to attempt to persuade him how important the contemporary service was to our congregation.

During the call as I expressed my concern, Mary was silent for a moment and then said, “Kelly I think the Lord is leading you to be our Contemporary Worship Leader.” As soon as those words came from her mouth I began to cry… I told her I didn’t know what that meant, but she insisted God was doing something and to talk to Dr. Johnson.


ODPC Praise Team 2006, Photo curtesy of Kelly Gabriele

I met with Dr. Johnson and Session and they offered me the part time position of Contemporary Worship Leader. They offered me the position and I went home, went into my closet, pushed all my shoes to the side and got on my face before God. I told him if I took this charge I knew that somehow everything was going to change so I had to have an answer from Him. I had to know yes or no. In my whole heart and being I heard Him say, “Yes.”

I accepted the charge with my husband , BobbyG ,alongside as the drummer for our praise band. Several weeks later after a Sunday worship service I asked the band what we needed. The guys answered, “a good electric guitar player.” I said, “Okay, well, we are supposed to pray specifically for things so let’s do that right now.” We held hands in a circle on the floor of the sanctuary and prayed for an electric guitar player.

BobbyG and I walked upstairs to our regular Sunday School class (Water’s Edge) and one of the members of the class grabbed me and said, “Kelly, come over here I want you to meet someone.” She said, “This is Duster and he plays electric guitar and sings. It’s his first Sunday here.” Duster then said, “I play some guitar and sing and could run sound if you need somebody. But even if you don’t, I’ve found my church. Worship was amazing.”

I was speechless. God let me see how He can quickly and concretely he can answer prayer if He wants to. It was a stunning example of how God truly does care about every little thing. Duster, BobbyG and I have led worship services together now almost every single Sunday since 2005.

In our ODPC Staff meetings we rotate devotions. After I did devotions, our pastor Tom Clymer asked me to preach that devotion to the congregation the following Sunday. When I preached, Session and members of our church began to encourage me to go to seminary and come under care of presbytery as an ordination candidate. I was praying and planning to do just that when, in 2010, our Youth Director left to start a church in the area.


Access Youth 2010, photo curtsey of  Kelly Gabriele

Session asked if I would direct the youth program as an interim for the summer… for 3 months. Karen Alexander (our choir director) helped me cobble together a program and a name for it. She had printed out a page of scriptures and we read and prayed and decided on the name Access based on Ephesians 2:18 “For through Him we both have access to the Father through Christ Jesus.”

We all needed to be reminded that no matter who comes and goes at our church our connection with God has always been, and will always be, through the reconciliation bought for us by Christ Jesus.

Well, 3 months as an Interim Access Youth Director turned into 3 years and I was Access Youth Director from 2010-2013 while continuing with my position as Director of Contemporary Worship.

In 2014 I began my seminary studies on line with Knox Theological Seminary out of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. It was an incredibly difficult and fulfilling time as the knowledge I gained made me realize the vastness of our God. His grace and mercy became so real to me.


Pastor Kelly’s Ordination and Installation in 2019

God’s timing for ODPC to move from PCUSA to ECO played a part in my ordination. I finished seminary in 2017, a year after our church had voted to move to ECO. I began the ordination testing process with ECO and was ordained in January 2019 accepting a call as Associate Pastor at our beloved ODPC. The place where my family dressed up as Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus all those years ago. God has a plan and a purpose for each and every one of us. We can’t see it. But He can. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!


Kelly with Helen Kantner, the wife of the Late Reverend Dr. Robert Kantner who served as Senior Pastor of ODPC for 14 years


Kelly and family on her ordination day in 2019.