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Meeting ID: 898 4794 6230

Passcode: 201166 

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Officers Retreat at Sisters of Loretto

Your church officers were able to get back to Sisters of Loretto for their annual retreat after a two-year hiatus because of COVID. It was good to be there and to reconnect with the sisters. We are grateful for their generous hospitality.

This was an important time together as we focused on the needs of the congregation. We began and ended the retreat with worship and prayed by name for each person listed in our church directory. We reviewed a summary of the four congregational gatherings we had last year and discussed the past, present, and future of Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church.

Several ideas were shared for how we might move forward in ways that can continue our healing, restore our relationships, and give us new vision. The Session will be exploring these ideas further as we progress. The Session committed to start with these goals:

• Acknowledge in prayer the second anniversary of Debbie leaving on January 29.
• Write a letter to the congregation confessing past wrongs and committing to restorative actions for the future.
• Discuss and vote on a proposal to repeal Session actions taken in 2021 concerning the previous pastor’s severance agreement.
• Continue discussion of goals at our next Session meeting.

After our discernment conversation, the Session was called to order for its stated meeting. Among the actions taken:

• Re-elected Polly Cushman as Clerk and Jack Marcum and Alan Pauw as Co-Treasurers for 2023.
• Approved taking donations (money, canned goods, diapers, wipes) for Souper Pooper Bowl on February 12.
• Approved Stewardship Committee’s proposal concerning payroll services and correcting errors made by our previous provider.
•  Approved CHPC’s continued participation in four churchwide special offerings.
• Approved unanimously a budget proposal from Stewardship Committee, following extensive discussion.
• Jack introduced the proposed budget and explained the justification for taking $20,000 from reserves in 2022 (to cover one-time severance expenses). He noted that we had a good stewardship campaign and estimated income for this year is $177,011.04.
• Session discussed a goal of increasing mission giving so that at least 10 percent of the budget goes to mission.
• Session discussed and ultimately approved Stewardship Committee’s recommendation to reduce the Administrative Assistant’s hours from 30 to 15 in order to have a balanced budget and to give a 5% raise to the AA and the Music Director
• Elected new officers of the Corporation and thanked outgoing officers.
• Scheduled the Annual Meeting for February 19, after worship with a potluck meal.
•   Designated a Session liaison for each committee and agreed to elect elders to serve on the Nominating Committee at a later date.
•  Agreed to move Session meetings to the fourth Wednesday of each month.

More information will be shared as we work through our goals for 2023. Session minutes are available by request from the church office once they are completed by the Clerk and approved by Session. In the meantime, please continue to keep the Elders and Deacons in your prayers.

January 15 Youth Group: Intergenerational Games

All are invited to an Intergenerational Games Gathering January 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the CHPC back building. The youth invite anyone in the church of ANY AGE who might like to hang out as a community together with snacks, board games, card games, and fun activities. The youth are inviting their younger and older siblings and other family members. All are invited to bring drinks and/or snacks to share.

Zoom Sunday School for Children

Children of all ages are welcome to join us from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. on Zoom for Bible stories, music, conversation, and visits with our crazy friend Sid. Will Sid continue to “fundamentally misunderstand” the Bible stories about Jesus as we move through January and into Lent and Easter? Join us and find out!

Zoom Sunday school is led by Eva Stimson, Jerry Van Marter, and Bev Machin. Please contact one of them if you are interested in joining the leadership team. Contact Jerry Van Marter to get on the list to receive weekly Zoom invitations and curriculum materials.

Choir Announcement

There is a beautiful hymn, O THAT I HAD A THOUSAND VOICES, that represents every choral director's dream. Well, maybe not a thousand, but certainly the more the merrier! If you enjoy singing and have thought about joining our choir, now is the time. We begin gathering this week at 7:00 p.m. for our weekly rehearsals. Our plan is to sing for worship at least every other Sunday and for special services during Lent. If you would like to be one of the merry crew, please join us for a Thursday evening rehearsal. You would be welcomed and appreciated. For further information, contact me at [email protected]. David Paul Gibson

Per Capita for 2023

The "per capita apportionment"--per member fee--for 2023 is $25.90. Please help the church budget by paying your own per capita amount. Make your check to "CHPC" and write per capita on the memo line. There's also a per capita option on the church giving website. The per capita amount is determined by the higher councils of the PC(USA), and supports their functioning. The 2023 amount is split among the presbytery ($12.07), the synod ($3.98), and the General Assembly ($9.85).

Earth Care Team: Recycling Reminders

We occasionally get asked about best places to recycle things in Louisville and what can be recycled: 

Print and hang up this flyer somewhere for a handy reminder of what you can put in curbside recycling in Louisville: https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/recycling-flyer-2021.pdf

Also, at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/services/recycling see the “what can I recycle” and the drop-off locations (if you don’t get curbside and/or for larger items), and an app you can download called the Recycling Coach.

Tires, appliances, mattresses and electronics can be recycled at 636 Meriwether. Visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/waste-reduction-center for hours and more information.

Used furniture and items from renovating (old cabinets, fans, etc.) can be taken to Habitat Restore, 4044 Taylorsville Rd, in Hikes Point.

The Feminine Web of Inter-being

Spirit of Sophia invites all the women of CHPC to join us on Sunday, February 5, for a workshop for women with Victoria Loorz, author of Church of the Wild. She is co-founder and director of Seminary of the Wild, which is focused on a deep-dive yearlong Eco-Ministry Certificate program for all those who feel called by Earth and Spriit to "restore the great conversation" (Thomas Berry).  Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church is one of three sponsors of this event -- and due to this generosity, the program is free of charge. Registration is required and we are limiting participants to 35. Please sign up soon!

Registration and more information is found at: https://spiritofsophia.org/the-feminine-web-of-inter-being/  

(When you see a suggested donation on the registration/waiver form, just ignore—not meant for CHPC members!) 

January Birthdays

Jan. 16 – Don Mead

Jan. 23 – Harrie Lynn Buecker, Kara Castleberry

Jan. 25 – Elisabeth McNinch

Jan. 27 – Will Farrell

Jan. 28 – Ian Husk