Give to the Peace & Global Witness Offering

The peace of God, which is central to the gospel, starts with us! By giving to the Peace & Global Witness Offering, one of four special offerings of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), you can help sow seeds of peace by addressing violence and systems of injustice in our own community and around the world.

Participating congregations designate 25 percent of the offering to support ministries of their choosing. The remainder of the offering supports peacemaking and justice work of our presbytery and the PC(USA). The offering is collected on or before World Communion Sunday, October 5. You may give online or mail a check to the church. Please give generously!

The NOW Committee has proposed to Session that CHPC’s 25 percent of the offering go toward the art piece by Craig Kaviar for the front plaza. Craig is working on a piece called “Healing the Earth,” made of metal from guns collected at Guns to Gardens Louisville events plus other donated metal. The project also received funds from last year’s Peace & Global Witness Offering.

September 28—Join Us in Preparing for World Communion

Sunday, October 5, is World Communion Sunday. These days we typically approach this sacrament as the joyful feast of the people of God. One of the names for the sacrament, after all, is eucharist, which means thanksgiving. We often observe world communion by hearing many languages spoken in the service of worship, signifying that the Holy One welcomes the whole global community to the table.



But there are other meanings for communion. In the past, preparation for receiving communion was a time of reflection and prayer. Christians sought to approach the table not just with joy, but also by seeking to reconcile themselves with all those they may have harmed in some way. In that sense, communion—joining together in community—was not just thanksgiving and remembrance but also a time to examine being in right relation with others at the table.

This year, the Middle East Prayer Group invites CHPC adults to join us on Sunday, September 28, from 9:45-10:45, in the Gathering Room, as we seek to be open to the movement of the Spirit. We will focus our prayer on discerning ways we may be complicit, both individually and corporately, in causing the wounds this world is experiencing. Specifically, our prayers will focus on the devastation and horror taking place in Gaza and the West Bank.

Highlights of September 10 OPS and NOW Meetings

Members of the Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church community enjoyed fellowship and pizza September 10, 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:

• Began organizing a kitchen remodel team, possibly including Pastor Tami, Aaron Baer, Claudia Foulkes, and others.
• Learned that CHPC is on the waiting list for solar panels.
• Planned a timeline for Stewardship Season, including a letter and pledge cards to be produced in October.
• Renewed the church’s 2-year contract with Master Gardeners.
• Reviewed a proposed church budget for 2026.
• Discussed maintenance needs, including painting the front door, leveling a hole beside the sidewalk leading to the back parking lot, and taking down several trees as recommended by the Master Gardeners.

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:

• Discussed the upcoming Master Gardeners event at the church, Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CHPC will have a table at the event.
• Discussed with music director Aaron Davidson’s plans for “Music on the Plaza,” Oct. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. Mundo Brew and other musicians will play on the plaza in front of the church. There will be simple refreshments, and the community will be invited.
• Worked on plans for events leading up to World Communion Sunday, Oct. 5, with a focus on preparing to take communion with those in war-torn parts of the world (particularly in Gaza) through repentance and confession.
• Heard about plans for another joint Build-A-Bed event with First Christian Church, Dec. 6–7, at First Christian.

Next meeting of NOW/OPS: Wednesday, October 8, opening with a fellowship meal at 6 p.m.

Cookies Needed for Reception



CHPC deacons will be hosting a reception following Don Mead's memorial service September 20. Attendance at the service is expected to be quite large. If you are willing to provide cookies for the reception, please text Anita Cary (502-220-1420) and let her know how many cookies you can provide. This will allow deacons to know how many cookies to purchase. You may drop cookies off at the church during office hours (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.) the week before the service. Or contact Janine Linder (jlindercat@gmail.com or 502-807-0148) about dropping them off outside of church office hours. Thank you for helping in this way. And please continue to pray for Carol Mead and family.

Faith in Action with Palestine—September 30

Genocide and starvation in Gaza. Destruction of homes in the West Bank. How can people of faith respond to these atrocities and help bring peace with justice to Palestine?

All who want to learn more and get involved are invited to gather at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church, 142 Crescent Ave. (back building), on Tuesday, September 30, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. There will be time for prayer/reflection and for exploring options including book/study groups, congregational prayer groups, advocacy for Palestinian women and children in prison, legislative advocacy, and local actions.

Bring your own ideas and hear from others who are already engaged in this work!

Note: This is an in-person event. There will be no Zoom option.

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.

Nourish Our Future 

Thursday, October 30, 2025

8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Bread for the World is sponsoring Nourish Our Future: Seeds of Hope for Kentucky, a conference at South Frankfort Presbyterian Church, in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Thursday, October 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Why is eliminating hunger important from a faith perspective? How can we move forward with our goal in Kentucky? What is already being done in our state? How can we more effectively advocate for a just food system? These are some of the questions to be addressed at this event.

Participants will spend time discussing where we are now in the fight against hunger and why it is important to keep moving forward. There will be an opportunity to interact with legislators and policy leaders and learn how to use our voices effectively.

All are invited to attend and share information about the event with your friends and networks.

REGISTER and learn more at the following link:

http://www.bread.org/kentucky

Did You Know? What Presbyterians Believe

PC(USA) Book of Confessions

 The tension between the confessions’ historical and contemporary nature is a fruitful tension within the church. The confessions are not honored if they are robbed of historical particularity by imagining that they are timeless expressions of truth. They are best able to instruct, lead, and guide the church when they are given freedom to speak in their own voices. The confessions are not respected if they are robbed of contemporary authority by imagining that they are historical artifacts. They are best able to instruct, lead, and guide the church when they are given freedom to speak now to the church and the world. The creeds and confessions of this church arose in response to particular circumstances within the history of God’s people. They claim the truth of the gospel at those points where their authors perceived that truth to be at risk. They are the result of prayer, thought, and experience within a living tradition. They appeal to the universal truth of the gospel while expressing that truth within the social and cultural assumptions of their time. They affirm a common faith tradition, while also from time to time standing in tension with each other. (Book of Order, F-2.01)  

(https://pcusa.org/sites/default/files/boc2016.pdf) 

September 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.

9/4 - Christi Boyd

9/8 - Aaron Davidson

9/13 - Emily Pauw

9/18 - Marsha Myers

9/19 - Stewart Bridgman

9/21 - Beth Yeager

9/22 - Stephen Bartlett

9/23 - Stephanie Gregory

9/28 - Donna Burch

To double-check your listing, contact the office at office@crescenthill.church or call 502-893-5381.