Author: JanetC

Life together
Crescent hill Baptist church

April 2013

Worship in April
April 7 - John 20:19-31 - Locked Doors - Andrea Woolley Preaching
April 14 - John 21:1-19 - Feed My Sheep - Jason Crosby Preaching
April 21 - John 10:22-30 - Joining the Flock - Jason Crosby Preaching
April 28 - Acts 11:1-18 - Profane No More - Jason Crosby Preaching

Wednesday Nights in April
April 3 - No Wednesday Evening Activities - JCPS Spring Break
April 10 - What Welcoming and Affirming Means? The Framework and Ground rules for Our Process. A Time of Prayer for Clear Discernment
April 17 -The Bible and Homosexuality
April 24 - Sexuality and Gender

Air-lock completed

You may have noticed that an air-lock, an additional set of exterior doors beyond the pre-existing exterior doors in Birchwood Lobby, has been constructed. The air-lock helps moderate temperature in the Birchwood lobby, making that space more comfortable and hospitable. It keeps Birchwood Lobby warmer during winter months and cooler during summer months. Many thanks to Bob Hieb, Tom Scott, Jr. and Beverly Baker for overseeing the construction of the air-lock. Additionally, much gratitude is owed to the several individuals who made generous contributions that helped cover the cost of construction. The difference between individual’s donations and the final cost was covered by the Memorial Gifts Fund. This was the first phase of a several phase project where we hope to enhance heavily trafficked entrance areas at the church. Join us on Wednesday evening, May 1, for a presentation that will outline in greater detail proposed additional improvements .

Many thanks…
To Bill Thomason for leading three Lenten Wednesday evening presentations on the Book of Job.
To Glen Hinson for leading a 10 week class on church history on Wednesday mornings in the parlor. The class began on March 6. Roughly 15 people have joined the class each week.
To all those who had a hand in preparing the church-wide lunch to welcome the Chin congregation.

TRIVIA CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS
Thanks to all who participated in the Trivia Challenge on March 10. We raised over $800 for Passport camps for our youth this summer. Pictured below is the winning team: Beverly, Tim and Noah Baker, Kevin Corlett, Adam Creech, Emma Pridham and Annette Ellard.

Inside this issue:

Crescent Hill to Study LGBT Issue	2
Website Update	3
Reading Group	3
2012 Annual Report	3
April Birthdays and Calendar	4
Children, Family & Community Ministries	5
Citizenship Classes	6

Life together
Crescent hill Baptist church

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Crescent Hill Baptist To Discern and Clarify Her Relationship With LGBT Individuals

By now, you should have received a letter in the mail stating that Crescent Hill Baptist Church intends to engage in a process of discernment to clarify the church's relationship with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals. The letter laid out in detail what has brought about the need for this process and what we hope to clarify through it. Life Together space constraints precluded us from including the entire three page document in the newsletter. However, what follows are some excerpts from the letter that help explain the rationale behind beginning this process now and what it is we are hoping to clarify. Copies of that entire document are available in the church office. Please pick up a full-length version of the letter for a fuller explanation.
What Are We Discerning?
Is Crescent Hill Baptist Church a place that not only welcomes but affirms LGBT persons? Welcoming and affirming means that a LGBT person would be fully welcomed to participate in the life of the church or church leadership. For example, a congregation that welcomes and affirms LGBT individuals would:
ordain LGBT persons who the church feels have been called to and possess the qualifications to do ministry
hire a LGBT person to any position in the church if they meet the job qualifications
bless the same-sex union of two people who desire to do their best to commit themselves to being in a loving relationship with one another.
Why Discernment Now?
You may be wondering why a time of discernment regarding this matter is necessary. We already welcome LGBT individuals into the life of our church as members and friends of the church. There are already LGBT persons serving in lay leadership roles, including on our Church Council. Actions may speak louder than words, but that does not mean that words are not powerful and necessary. Clear communication requires both actions and words. In recent days and months, this issue has grown in significance in our society and in our churches. Its significance in our broader context demands our attention. Because we have not used our voice to clarify where we stand many people, both LGBT and heterosexual individuals, looking for a place where LGBT people will be welcomed and fully affirmed do not feel comfortable in our congregation. Many members and friends have parted ways with us due to this issue. Potential members and friends of our congregation have not engaged with us due to our lack of clarity on this subject. While engaging in the process of discernment may be costly, we know for a fact that not engaging in this process has already proven to be costly. Our ambiguity on this issue is saying a great deal.
Who Initiated This?
Last year, the Church Council in consultation with the staff, identified clarification of this issue as a top priority for the congregation in 2013. Also, late last year, a group of members desiring clarification regarding this issue approached the staff and Church Council about beginning this
CONT’D ON PAGE 3
process. This ad hoc group worked along with the Church Council and staff to develop the process. At its February meeting the Church Council decided the discernment process brought before them should be carried out.
The Schedule
4/10 — What Welcoming and Affirming Means: The Framework and Ground Rules for Sessions and Prayer
4/17 – The Bible and Homosexuality
4/24 – Sexuality and Gender
5/8 —My Journey – An evening where someone beyond the church will share their experiences of how the church has hurt and helped them as a LGBT person. 5/15 – An Opportunity To Share Session I – Anyone will be invited to share their understanding of scripture, theological perspective, and personal stories about this issue. Anyone can share anything they wish, BUT NO VALUE JUDGMENTS PERMITTED. This is a time to share honestly with one another and listen compassionately to one another, even if we vehemently disagree with one another.
5/29 – An Opportunity To Share Session II
6/5 - A Night of Discernment – A time to gather together, not to share opinions or perspectives, but to ask God for clear discernment and silence.
6/12 - A Decision

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April 2013

Crescent hill and lgbt cont’d.

Website update

Reading group

2012 annual report available

2012 was an incredible year for Crescent Hill Baptist Church. In an effort to remember all that God accomplished through this place last year, a 2012 Annual Report has been developed. The report relies on both pictures and narrative to tell our story. It is an excellent instrument that not only helps us remember what has been accomplished, but can be used to share the story of what God is up to through us with others. Many thanks to Pat Cole, Barry Creech and Joe Williams for helping make this vision a reality. Copies of the Annual Report will be available in the Birchwood Lobby, Narthex, and Church Office. Please pick one up for yourself and to share with someone else.

The Crescent Hill Reading Group announces our Spring schedule.
April 4 –Into Thin Air – by Jon Krakauer – a non-fiction account of Krakauer’s climbing Mt. Everest – fascinating!
April 25 – The Light Between Oceans – a novel by M.L. Stedman
May 30 – The Weird Sisters – a novel by Eleanor Brown
June 27 – The Worst Hard Time – a non-fiction account of the 1930’s Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan.
We always meet on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM in the Parlor. Come and enjoy talking about good books! Contact: Bobbie Thomason – 896-4149.

Thanks to a generous gift by a church member, our website will soon be updated. The update will give the site a more modern look and enable our site to appear in a format more suitable for viewing on mobile devices.
Keep up with the latest developments at Crescent Hill Baptist Church at www.chbcky.org. You can give securely online to the church. Simply go to the church’s homepage, and click on the “Contact Us” tab. There you will find the option to donate. If you are not receiving the church’s weekly eNewsletter and would like to, simply send your email address to Andrea at andrea@chbcky.org and you will be added to that list.

Life together
Crescent hill Baptist church

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April birthdays

1 Ruby Tabor
April Paw (16)
3 Jack Bootes
Glen Skaggs
Ka Paw Ku
5 Trudi Bellou
Hsar Heh Hee Klo (2)
Joseph La (5)
6 Jordan Aubrey (21)
Bennett Duckworth
8 Niki Conver
Jim Mahanes
9 Rachel Bunger (18)
Cindy Pope
Kerri Richardson
10 Bob Hieb
11 Phyllis Skonicki
Abbie White
12 Ben Conver
12 Chana Gwynette
13 Ted Hodge
Eh Wah
14 Katherine Williams
15 Rachel Ni
Paw Shell
16 Andy Bates
17 Yanira Allen
Harper Twyman (18)
18 Bill Barbee
22 Christian Ford
23 Diane Robl
23 Zaw Win
24 Josh Adkins
25 June Bailey
Nora Hadley
Lisa Twyman
Soe Soe Soe (8)
26 Tim Gritton
Susan Heeren
27 Joel Williams
28 Bor Nyon Po(15)
29 Bill Johnson
30 Josh Hay
Ian Hooper
Joe D. Williams
Eh Gay Paw (17)
Shee Har Wah (6)

Please keep our youth in your prayers as they travel to Georgetown, KY for the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship Spring Mission Trip April 13-14.

LIVE WIRES

Join the Live Wires on Monday, April 15 at 11:00 AM in Fellowship Hall to hear Ken Schultz from Humana talk to us about stormy weather. Lunch will follow at noon—$5.00 per person. Make your reservation by April 11.

APRIL CALENDAR

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday

SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
31 EASTER SUNDAY NO EVENING ACTIVITIES	1 EASTER HOLIDAY - CHURCH CLOSED	2	3 NO EVENING ACTIVITIES 10:30 AM Hinson Class	4 7:00 PM Reading Group	5	6 WEDDING
7	8	9 10:30 AM Women on Mission	10 10:30 AM Hinson Class 7:00 PM Church Council 7:00 PM Community Gathering Team	11 10:00 AM Playgroup 7:00 PM Art Spirit Group	12	13 KBF Youth Mission Weekend
14 12:15 PM Worship Team	15 11:00 AM Live Wires	16	17 10:30 AM Hinson Class 7:00 PM Student Ministry Team	18 10:00 AM Playgroup	19 7:00 PM Social Justice Movie	20
21 12:15 PM Personnel Team 12:30 PM Imago Dei 4:00 PM Children's Ministry Team	22	23	24 10:30 AM Hinson Class	25 10:00 AM Playgroup 7:00 PM Reading Group	26 6:00 PM FAT FRIDAY	27 Karen Baptist Regional Gathering
28	29 12:30 PM Game Day	30	1 10:30 AM Hinson Class	2 10:00 AM Playgroup	3 / KENTUCKY OAKS	4 KENTUCKY DERBY

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April 2013

Crescent Hill Baptist Church
2800 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206-2662
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Kentucky Refugee Ministries and Crescent Hill Baptist are teaming up to hold Citizenship Classes. Refugees who have been, or will soon be, in the United States for 5 years are eligible to apply for citizenship. This class is to prepare for a test and an interview before the application is approved. KRM will provide the teacher and the materials. Crescent Hill will provide the space and child care. The classes are held on Sunday afternoons from 12:30-2:30 PM in the Youth Lounge. All participants are responsible for their and their children’s snack/lunch and need to bring pencil and paper or notebook. Transportation will be primarily through individual cars, providing and sharing rides, and public transportation. Please share this information with persons who are interested in becoming U.S. Citizens. They can contact Emily Vitale, Citizenship and Volunteer Coordinator, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, (502) 479-9180 x57, evitale@kyrm.org.

CITIZENSHIP CLASSES AT CHBC

Crescent Hill Baptist Church
2800 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206-2662
Phone: 502.896.4425
FAX: 502.896.9855
MINISTERIAL AND OFFICE STAFF
Every member a minister
Louie L. Bailey, Minister of Music/Organist
louie@chbcky.org
Brittani M. Bair, Minister to Youth
brittani@chbcky.org
Jason W. Crosby, Minister of Preaching.
Pastoral Care and Administration
jasonwcrosby@chbcky.org
Andrea V. Woolley, Minister of Spiritual
Formation, Families and Community
andrea@chbcky.org
Janet Cole, Administrative Assistant
janet@chbcky.org
Bobbe Crouch, Financial Secretary
bobbe@chbcky.org
Bill Johnson, Facility Manager
bill@chbcky.org
email: churchoffice@chbcky.org
Web Page: www.chbcky.org