Central Presbyterian Church in Louisville, KY

2012 Pledge Card

Click here for a 2012 pledge card to print or email.

Central is the Fabric of My Spirituality: Vince Patton

Vince Patton gave this witness on October 30:

Good morning. Fourteen years ago I stepped into the sanctuary of Central Presbyterian Church at the suggestion of a colleague at the Presbyterian Center. During our conversation I remember my friend saying, “Well, if you’re looking for a church that truly practices what it preaches, then you should give Central a try.” The individual, who was not a member of Central, spoke admirably of this congregation’s commitment to justice and diversity and his enthusiasm inspired me to visit.

The sincerity and warmth of the congregation and its pastors and the memorable music in worship made an instant impression and to this day I couldn’t imagine worshiping in any other congregation on a regular basis.

I grew up in a racially and socioeconomically diverse congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio, so being a part of a diverse worshiping community was very important to me. Making the decision to transfer my membership to Central and to take a place on this worshiping community’s quilt was a significant part of my faith journey.  

My life and faith have been deeply enriched through my involvement in this congregation. I have been exposed to a number of important issues facing the church, rediscovered the power of the church to reach out to the marginalized, and witnessed the connectional church at its best through many of the ministries provided by this congregation.  I continue to be inspired by the many leaders of all ages in this congregation and the depth of their commitment to living out their faith.

Stirring worship services, thought-provoking sermons, the mid-day prayer luncheon for those who often do not have enough food to eat, Christian educational opportunities to the cool children and youth and their teachers and parents (who are just as cool), the Friday night movie group, the church’s support of the PC(USA)’s four special offerings, and its support of mission co-workers are just a few of the ways that Central is making a tangible difference in all of our lives and in the lives of so many others in the community and in the world.

From being a sanctuary church in the 1980s to being a church on the forefront of the struggle for inclusion in church leadership to being a church that continues to speak to truth to power when many other churches have lost their voices, Central remains a beacon of hope for Christians who are committed to proclaiming God’s love for people of all conditions.

Please join me on the patchwork quilt of Central by demonstrating your commitment to the congregation’s mission in 2012 and beyond.

Central is the Fabric of My Spirituality: Tom Jones

Tom Jones offered this witness on October 16:

In the next few weeks you are going to hear about how you can become a piece of fabric for Central’s quilt. All of us are becoming pieces of fabric for the quilt. As each of us makes his or her financial commitment, you will see the pieces come together to make one big quilt.

I've been attending Central for about three and a half years, after having been away from church for about 20 years. I started attending Central largely because of two people: Eileene MacFalls and Nick Wilkerson, both of whom I knew before I started attending Central. I had heard stories of how Central celebrated God’s wildly inclusive love. Eileene had shared with me about the Wednesday lunch and the church’s mission to help feed the hungry. Nick had been a big supporter of many of the causes in the gay community that I’ve supported over the years.

On Easter Sunday in 2008, I attended Central for the first time. I loved the service from beginning to end! I began attending Central regularly, and it became part of the fabric of my life. I started supporting Central both financially and with my time. My past church history had taught me that churches need pledges for budgets to operate. Some people give 10 percent, some people give more, and some do what they can.

I made it my mission to get involved at Central, and this is how Central has remained a part of the fabric of my life! I asked myself, how can I become more involved with church? I started attending Sunday school, Lunch Bunch for Brunch, new members’ groups, and book studies. I helped decorate the church for Christmas. Then I was asked to be on the church nominating and worship committees, which led me to become a team leader for second Sunday greeters. I headed the church monthly birthday party for one year, and we had a blast!

All of these activities were a way for me to get to know you, but also they were a way for you to become more acquainted with me.  After three and a half years, you all have become threads in my patch piece for the quilt. Hopefully I’ve become a thread in your patch piece.

Central has opened its doors and heart to me not only through our regular services and events, but also through Peace Education, Wednesday lunches, Buddy Dinners, Voices of Kentuckiana, Pandora, and others using our facilities. Those are just a few of the ways that Central helps celebrate God’s wildly inclusive love with others! Not only do Central members share with one another—we share with the community.

Will you join me in making a financial commitment to Central and become a piece of fabric that will help complete our big quilt in the weeks to come? Thank you in advance for your support!

 

Central is the Fabric of My Spirituality: Ken Hagan

Ken Hagan offered this witness on October 9:

Hello, Most of you see me here as a greeter one Sunday a month on Team Tom Jones and, more often, the person anxiously hovering over and wrangling Isabel and Audrey.  I was asked today to speak about why I feel connected to Central...  For me, Central is an important tether to a family of people who accept, care, and give. Coming here to Central and participating reconnects me with  the spiritual... that part of life that isn't lost in the shuffle of the today things: work, kids going here, work, kids going there, work, and all the other things we get lost in every day. Central grounds me.  The people, the church, the familiar pattern of the service each week. That routine and the people are reassuring and recharge my spiritual batteries more than I ever knew I needed. One thing that makes Central unique for me is the high percentage of people here who make the  fundamentally hard decisions to work for what's right.  There are shining examples of people who've given significant chunks of their life's work for social justice, fairness, peace and reconciliation, and just plain making the world better.I feel inspired by them, connected to their movements, and a little guilted to do more and be better.  The People at Central make me feel a sense of connectedness to doing the right thing.  They make me feel like the giving I do matters. On one level it helps me rationalize not DOing as much myself but... then when I am surrounded by this group I always wish I DID more and gave more. The wildly inclusive love here at Central has ensnared me for five years.  I've always rejected churches that demand statements and affirmations of me.  I've always eschewed churches that focused on dogma or absolute faith and downplayed or overlooked the mystery.  Here, I feel constantly connected to the mystery and not challenged to put my worldview into any sort of box or else walk out the front door. That's important to me as a place for my spiritual journey as well as the place for my daughters  to grow up spiritually.    The metaphor the stewardship committee are using is of a colorful quilt made of all of the families and households here at Central.  The Hagan ladies and I are a square on this quilt.  We’re not asked to be anything we don’t want to be.  We’re welcomed and accepted as we are. We’re all exceptionally proud to have found a perfect fit.

 

A Beautiful Letter from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to the PCUSA

After the passage of Overture 10-A, removing sexual orientation as a barrier to ordination, Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote a beautiful letter to the PC(USA). You can read it here. 

 

 

Konevets Quartet Will Sing: October 29

The Konevets Quartet from St. Petersburg, Russia will present a concert Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 7pm at Central Presbyterian Church, 318 W. Kentucky St, Louisville. (Admission is by donation.)

More about The Konevets Quartet: 

The Konevets Quartet was founded in 1992 by four young musicians from the St Petersburg Conservatoire who were singing in the choir of the Konevets Monastery of the Holy Nativity on the island of Konevets in Lake Ladoga. Their first audiences were the people working on the restoration of the monastery, and the pilgrims and tourists who came to the island.

All the members of the ensemble studied at the St Petersburg Glinka Choir College. Trained in the tradition of Russian song, the Konevets Quartet is not just a group of individual soloists, but is in essence a chamber choir dedicated to creating a perfect harmonious ensemble sound.

At the heart of their repertoire is Russian church music, from ancient material written for the monasteries to works by 20th century composers. The earliest church music is sung in unison or in arrangement for two or three voices, and in contemporary four-voice arrangements, many of them written by members of the Konevets Quartet.

Apart from church music, their concert programmes often include a variety of Russian folk songs and military songs and marches from the days of the Imperial army — songs which were all but lost during Soviet times. The repertoire also draws on settings of Russian poems arranged for male voice choirs by Russian classical composers.

http://konevetsquartet.com/about/

Taize Evening Prayer: October 20

Central Presbyterian Church invites you to a Taize evening prayer service on Thursday, October 20, at 7:30 pm.

Taize is a style of quiet, contemplative worship with sung chants and silence. Communion will also be celebrated. Everyone is welcome at the table.

Taize evening prayer will take place on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm.

Central is located at 318 W. Kentucky St (corner of 4th and Kentucky), Louisville. Please use the back parking lot entrance which is accessed from the alley on Kentucky St, just past the church building.