Highlights of June 11 OPS and NOW Meetings

Members of the Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church community enjoyed fellowship and a delicious taco dinner June 11, 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:

• Heard update on signs that have been ordered for various sites on church grounds.
• Heard plans on fixing gutters and transporting a donated refrigerator to the church kitchen.
• Continued discussing whether to install solar panels through a program offered by Interfaith Power and Light, perhaps using $5,000 already set aside for earth care.
• Heard that Mary Wheatley, of Master Gardeners, has already taken 100 pounds of produce from CHPC gardens to the Sister Visitor Center food pantry.
• Received a report from treasurer Aaron Baer, including total donated to Pentecost Offering ($284) and offering given at the May 31 community dance ($253 for Preston Highway Ministries Deacons Fund).

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:

• Recommended to Session that the congregation’s 40 percent share of this year’s Pentecost Offering be given to Cedar Ridge Camp.
• Learned that 6 people have updated background checks to work in the nursery.
• Learned that the Master Gardeners have cancelled their June 21 garden tours but will reschedule for a later date.
• Reviewed plans for Sundays when Pastor Tami is on vacation:
• July 13—Earth Day service, with Rebecca Barnes preaching
• July 20—Hymn sing, followed by birthday party for Bob Abrams, who turns 102 on July 31
• July 27—Phil Lloyd-Sidle preaching

No committee meetings in July!

Mark your calendar for the next meeting of NOW/OPS: Wednesday, August 13, opening with a fellowship meal at 6 p.m.

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.

Nursery Volunteers Needed

The nursery is clean and fully stocked. Some visitors with young children have expressed interest in using the nursery. The NOW Committee would like 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.

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.

Did You Know? About Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)



You can find the ministry areas of the national denomination at

https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/agencies-entities/interim-unified-agency/ministry-areas.

There is an alphabetized list so you can find the Hunger Program, Disaster Assistance, Call Process, Historical Society, Christian Formation, General Assembly Nominations, and so much more!



Or on the above page, you can go through themes to find ministry areas, such as "Church Leaders," "Global Engagement," "Mid-Councils," "Justice and Peace" and much more. Explore what the denomination has to offer in support of local congregations.

June 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.

June 2 - Claire Baird

June 7 - Patti Marcum

June 16 - Gail DeMarsh, Jean Welch

June 18 - Elise Duerr

June 19 - Jack Leake, Hilda Zuniga

June 20 - Sandra Duverge

June 23 - Isabel Husk

June 28 - Janine Linder



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