Highlights of May 14 OPS and NOW Meetings

Members of the Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church community enjoyed fellowship and a salad (and more) dinner May 14, followed by meetings of the OPS and NOW committees.

OPS Committee—This group oversees the nuts-and-bolts, day to day operations of the church, including building and grounds, maintenance, stewardship campaign, budget development, investments, online giving, personnel and payroll, AV, marketing and social media, insurance, and church policy. Actions included:

• Approved recommendations to take to Session, including a “boot” sale for Master Gardeners and the transplanting of two pear trees from the garden to church grounds near the apple and fig trees (at the request of Stephen Bartlett).
• Agreed to look into the possibility of renting up to four parking spots to Blue Dog bakery.
• Discussed a possible kitchen remodel, with a subcommittee to work on plans.
• Discussed taking advantage of a grant from Interfaith Power and Light for installing solar power.

NOW Committee—This group guides programmatic work of the congregation, activities formerly coordinated by the Nurture, Outreach, and Worship Committees (including music and worship, Christian formation, earth care, gun violence prevention, garden ministry, mission beyond church walls). Actions included:

• Set target date of June 1 to have the nursery open for use if needed during worship. Discussed need for volunteers (with background checks) and a Nursery Coordinator.
• Finalized details for a community contra/square dance in Henry Young Fellowship Hall on Saturday, May 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. Voted to take a free-will offering to benefit Preston Highway Ministry Deacon Fund, which helps immigrants in the community.
• Discussed the Race4Justice, Saturday, June 7, from 9:30 to noon, an event sponsored by a group of high-school students to raise money (goal is $20,000) for justice groups in Louisville. This year they have added Gaza as an overseas focus, with funds going to Peace Dove. Two teams of CHPC members will participate.
• Heard an update on the Shawl Ministry, coordinated by Patti Marcum: Shawls are in a bin in church office, ready to be given to anyone in need of special care. Additional knitters and crocheters welcomed.

Mark your calendar for the next meeting of NOW/OPS: Wednesday, June 11, opening with a fellowship meal at 6 p.m.

Nursery Volunteers Needed

The nursery is clean and fully stocked, thanks to Patti Marcum and Soni Castleberry. Some visitors with young children have expressed interest in using the nursery, so the NOW Committee has set a target date of June 1 for the nursery to be available for babies and children up to age 5 who need it. Just as Jesus welcomed the children, we want all the little ones in our midst to feel loved and welcomed in our congregation.

To make this happen, we need volunteers who are willing to staff the nursery as needed (2 adults each Sunday). If you are interested in helping in this way, please contact the church office so that you can get the necessary background check.



Also needed is a volunteer to serve as Nursery Coordinator. This person will prepare a calendar of nursery volunteers, organize volunteer training as needed, and update and keep on hand sign-in sheets and information forms for parents and nursery workers. If you are interested in taking on this important ministry, please contact the church office and/or Soni Castleberry, at soni.castleberry@gmail.com or (502) 417-6481.

Community Dance!

We all could use some joyful time in awesome community right now. Mark your calendars and plan to come on out for an easy, fun, informal night of community dancing at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church (back building) on Saturday, May 31, from 7 to 9 p.m.

No dance experience necessary! All ages and abilities welcome! (We have enjoyed dancing with babies in arms, toddlers, teens, young adults, middle-aged and folks in their 80s and even 90s). You do not need to come with a partner--we dance in community, grab new partners for each dance, and use non-gender-specific terminology. The dance is free, although there will be an opportunity to give to a free-will offering to support Preston Highway Ministry Deacons Fund, which helps immigrants in the community.

We will do some old-time dancing (contra and squares) with the well-known and well-loved Chris "Maddog" Bischoff as our caller! Dancing will be set to some of our favorite recorded old-time dance bands.

Folks are welcome to come try out a few dances, or to just enjoy hanging out in community and having a few snacks and watching. We suspect you'll get swept into at least trying one or two of these fun, easy, and feels-good-to-your-body dances.

Prayer and Action for Middle East

Feel free to join us Thursdays on Zoom, in-person, or both. This group has enabled such support for one another as we all struggle to cope with the tragedies in the Middle East and the on and off cease fires and prisoner releases. We would be grateful to have others join us. Email Soni at soni.castleberry@gmail.com to get the Zoom link and be added to the group email list for regular communication.

Healing the Earth

Members of the CHPC community are invited to donate to an exciting art project that will be a visible witness to our commitment to earth care and ending gun violence. The Session has agreed to contract with local blacksmith Craig Kaviar to create a six-foot iron sculpture for the front plaza. The art piece, called “Healing the Earth,” will be made of pieces of guns chopped up at Guns to Gardens Louisville safe-surrender events.

The cost of this project is $28,514, plus stand, lighting, and installation. Session has set aside $10,000, plus $548 from the Peace and Global Witness Offering, toward the art piece. The remainder of the cost will be covered by grants and donations. If you would like to donate, please make your check out to CHPC and specify in the memo line that the donation is for the sculpture. Or you can use the QR code below.

If you have a tool or other item that you would like to donate for possible use in the sculpture, please contact the church office. Please make sure the object is iron (attracts a magnet). There is now a container in the narthex to put any iron tools in.

Guns to Gardens Louisville, which grew out of a Sunday school class in our congregation, has so far received 88 unwanted guns to transform into garden tools, art, and jewelry. Craig Kaviar is a valued partner in this effort. His art piece—along with the gardens flourishing on church grounds—will symbolize to the community our commitment to healing and caring for God's creation.

DID YOU KNOW?

What Presbyterians Believe

New worshiping communities join people together for contextual, faith-based ministry using current and historic ways of being church as springboards for creative innovation.



As distinct yet connected expressions of the body of Christ, new worshiping communities have local leadership arising from their own community of faith. Pastoral leadership, facilities, and programs are all appropriately structured in order to demonstrate good and faithful stewardship. 

https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/church-structure/congregations-new-worshiping-communities-overview

May Birthdays

Please remember these wonderful folks in prayer and, if possible, reach out to them with a card, phone call, text, email or however you choose to honor them.

May 8 - Joanne Cybulski

May 19 - Marsha Berry

To double-check your listing, contact Soni Castleberry at soni.castleberry@gmail.com or phone or text at 502-417-6481.