Leadership
Our
History
Our
Denomination
Our
Vision and Mission
What
We Believe
FAQ's
Leadership
Pastor
David Dively
Assistant
Pastor
Josh Carmichael
RUF Campus Minister
at University of Louisville
Way Rutherford
Elders
(elders
provide governance,
discipline and oversight of the church)
Arne Keister
Steve King
Deacons
(deacons are caretakers of the congregation and the church property)
Forest Arnold
Bob Clark
Wayne Elliott
Bruce Phillips
Our
History
On
August 1st, 2004,
we first assembled at
Calvary Lutheran Church, near where several of our families lived.
We
had in common
…
▪ A
relationship with Jesus Christ
▪ A
desire to make Him known in the St. Matthews and Highlands areas of
Louisville
We became an official, or "particularized" church, on July 28th, 2007.
We continue to meet at Calvary Lutheran Church, who graciously share
their building with us each week. Our
Shorter Catechism
says the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
We seek to glorify Him by hallowing His name, extending His kingdom,
and doing His will. We seek to enjoy Him forever by receiving our every
need from Him, because the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever is Jesus Christ our Lord’s!
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Our
Denomination
The
PCA denomination was founded in 1973 by a group of pastors and elders
representing 260 congregations separating from the Presbyterian Church
in the United States over issues of theological liberalism. The PCA
upholds the deity of Christ and the inerrancy and authority of the
Bible.We also adhere to many classic principles of the Reformation
period, including the Westminster
Confession of Faith and
Westminster
Larger and Shorter catechisms.
Presbyterian is a form of church governance. Each church is governed by
elected elders, who are referred to as the session. Churches in the
same region are part of a presbytery, to which each church is
answerable. These prebyteries may be part of larger synods, and are
nationally part of the general assembly.
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Our
Vision and Mission
To Live the Lord's Prayer. When
Jesus taught his disciples to pray, He not only gave them a simple
model prayer to guide them in their prayers and a prayer suitable for
praying together in unision. He also revealed the Father's blueprint
for fulfilling His mission to the world, thus a guide for our lives. We
are to "live [consistent with what we pray] the Lord's prayer.
What does this look like? In teaching us how to pray, Jesus also
teaches us to remember who we are, what ought to be important to us,
and what our true needs are. As brothers and sisters, the family of
God, on our way to our heavenly home, we seek a clear vision of and
passion for God's glory, kingdom and will. As we look to him in all our
needs, we long to be good stewards ourselves and servants of others for
the physical, relational, spiritual, and moral needs of life.
Pray then like this:
Our Father in
heaven,
hallowed be your
name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is
in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread,
and forgive us our
debts,
as we also have
forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not
into temptation,
but deliver us from
evil.
Matthew
6:9-13
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What
We Believe
1.
That the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
2. That each one of us is born a sinner unable to stand worthy in front
of our perfect Lord and God.
3. That God sent his only Son Jesus to die on the cross sacrifically
for us, to heal our brokenness.
4. That Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is in heaven with our
Father, and that he will return one day to take believers home and
judge unbelievers.
5. That no one can be saved apart from faith in him.
6. That the Holy Spirit works in us to enable us to believe in Christ
and follow him.
7. That the church is a fellowship of believers reaching out to the
world to proclaim this message of salvation.
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FAQ's
Where
is
Redeemer
Church
PCA located?
We
meet at
1838 Bardstown Road, sharing the facilities of Calvary Lutheran Church.
Though Redeemer has been around since 2004, we have not yet sought our
own building, since we believe it is good stewardship to share an
existing
building with another church. We support Calvary with donations of time
and money to help maintain the building and are very grateful to
Calvary Lutheran
and to God for providing this special relationship.
Where can
I park?
We
invite
our visitors
to park in the church parking lot, which is located in the alley off
Bardstown Road beside the church building. There is also ample parking
on Bardstown Road or Roankoe Avenue.
Is your
church
handicapped
accessible?
There
is a
ramp for
entering the building off the alley near the church parking lot, which
will bring you just outside the sanctuary where worship
services are held. To the right is an elevator, that will take you to
the fellowship hall.
Do you
offer
assisted-listening devices (ALDs)?
Yes.
If you
require such assistance, please see a door greeter.
What is
your worship
like?
Our service is
bracketed with
“We
Gather
to Worship” and “We Depart to Serve”. The
service
itself follows the
pattern, “We Approach God”, “We Hear
God” and
“We Respond to God”. Our
order of worship actually states “We Approach You”,
because
we never
want to forget that God is a person, and we are in relationship with
Him. As we approach Him, we praise Him, acknowledge our sinfulness, are
assured of His ongoing forgiveness of our sin, we respond in joyful
song, and we offer ourselves to Him in stewardship and service. As we
hear Him, He speaks through the reading and preaching of His word and
through the Sacraments [when celebrated]. As we respond to Him, we sing
and receive His good word of blessing.
We sing Scripture songs/choruses, Psalms, and traditional hymns both
with traditional tunes but also to contemporary settings. The singing
is accompanied by various instrumentalists playing a pipe organ, piano,
guitars, and other instruments as appropriate. There is often special
music ranging from solos to choral numbers to children’s
choir
singing
songs they learn in children’s church, Sunday school or
children’s
choir.
How many
people are
involved at Redeemer Church?
Our
attendance is usually around 100 on any given Sunday. Our membership is
over 100.
Do
you
offer a nursery
during the worship service?
Yes.
Nursery care is
provided by church volunteers for children from infancy up to age 3 in
a large and well organized nursery both during worship and Sunday
school hour. We do ask that you take your children to Coffee and
Conversation if possible.
You will be provided with a beeper in case your child needs your
attention. The nursery is accessed by going down the right side aisle
in the sanctuary and following the steps through the doorway.
Do you
publicly
recognize
visitors?
No.
A card
is provided
in the bulletin for visitors to register their presence, and for
visitors and members alike to submit prayer requests with the offering.
Prayer requests may be either for general prayer or private prayer by
the pastor and/or church leaders. Information provided by visitors will
not be used for mass mailings or solicitations other than perhaps a
“thank you for visiting” phone call or post card.
It is not
our intent
to be a pest, but we do want our guests to know we are genuinely
interested in them and hope they will return to visit again. It often
takes 3 or 4 visits to gather enough information to make an informed
decision about a church home, and there are more folks than you can
meet during one visit. If you desire a home visit or phone call or
additional information, there is a place for you to indicate that on
the card.
Are
visitors expected
to
make a contribution during the offering?
No.
You may
return
either a blank or completed card in the offering as the plate goes by.
While donations are always welcome, the church is supported by the
regular giving of the members and friends of the congregation. We seek
to be good stewards of our resources, and are thankful to be able to
use between a fourth and a third of our income to support ministries
outside our own congregation.
With which
Presbyterian
group is Redeemer Church PCA connected?
Redeemer
is
a member
congregation of The Presbyterian Church in America, in the Ohio Valley
Presbytery. For more information about our denomination, as well as a
complete statement of our doctrinal beliefs, visit our denomination web
site www.pcanet.org.
Members of our local churches are not required to give their assent to
all matters of doctrine stated in our doctrinal standards, but officers
are required to do so.
I’m
moving/possibly
moving to the Louisville area and need some advice or help.
If
you are
moving or
have just moved to the Louisville area for the first time, you
undoubtedly have many questions and decisions awaiting you. Don't go it
alone. We can help answer your questions and provide support as you
make the move. Even if you later decide on another church home, we
would consider it a privilege to welcome you to the Louisville area.
Most of us have moved here from somewhere else at some point, and have
had to find doctors, schools, homes, even hair dressers.
I have a
friend or
relative that lives in Louisville. I’d like them to visit
your
church.
We
would be
glad to
contact them if you wish, or we will just be prepared to welcome them
if they take your suggestion. We would not call attention to them in
any way. If you wish, we will let them know we were expecting them
based on your contact. We would not want to do anything that would
embarrass them or make you regret having recommended us to them.
If transportation is an issue, we will work hard to get them to church
and back home. If they are students, we’d also love to be
their
church
away from home and would also look forward to connecting them with
families where they might find a home away from home as well.
I have a
friend or
relative that lives in Louisville. They are having a hard time and need
some assistance.
We
would
consider it an
honor to represent both Christ and you in any way we can. We know how
lonely trying times can be, and will offer the compassion of Christ
without any strings attached. Whether it is meals, prayer, a hospital
visit, a car broke down while they are on a trip, whatever the
circumstance don’t hesitate to contact us. Some alternate
phone
numbers
to try would be 502.647.7350 or 502.741.0607.
Who may be
baptized or
married at Redeemer?
Normally
only active
members of the worshipping community may be married and only the
children of active members may be baptized. Adults who have never been
baptized may also be baptized upon profession of faith. Please contact
the church for further information, or speak with one of the pastors.
The church building may be available for weddings, but normally only in
connection with the ministries sharing this facility.
Who may
receive
communion
at Redeemer?
When
Presbyterians
celebrate the Lord's Supper, all baptized Christians present who have
made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior in the context of a local congregation are invited to partake.
If you have any question about this, please speak to one of the pastors.
What
types
of programs
does the church offer?
At
Redeemer, our goal
is not to over burden our members with numerous church
obligations.
Rather, we offer various opportunities for our members and their
friends, relatives, associates and neighbors to worship, fellowship,
grow, and serve.
New programs are usually started based on an identified need or a
strong interest from church members, and not just for the sake of
having a given program. We have currently have weeknight Bible studies,
Wednesday evening music practice, in-home Barnabas groups [see other
FAQ], periodic youth events, women’s ministries,
men’s
ministries, an
annual family retreat, mission trips, and we are open to others as
people and resources are available.
What
are
Barnabas
Groups?
Barnabas
Groups are
small groups that meet throughout the area twice a month on Sunday
evenings. The average group consists
of 8-15 people. The name is taken from Barnabas in the book of Acts.
His name means
“Son of Encouragement”, and these groups are
designed to be
places of
encouragement. The concept of ministry through small groups is seen in
Acts 2:42,
where we read "And they devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching
and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."
Barnabas groups are primarily designed for Fellowship [provide a way
for members to get to know one another and establish lasting and
supportive friendships.], Prayer [teach and encourage group members to
support each other and bear one another's burdens in prayer, although
no one is required to pray out loud], and some
Teaching - help group members--from young Christians to long-time
believers--to grow in their knowledge of God by examining their lives
in the light of His Word.
Most of the groups have a light supper as part of the fellowship time.
Each group determines how members
divide the responsibilities for bringing food. Most groups include
activities for the children and youth, but there is
at least one group that does not include children. Since one of the
goals is to develop friendships with other members of
the congregation in your general geographic area, you should stay with
the same group for a period of time. However, you are free to move
whenever you want. We also hope that, as the church grows, the groups
grow and need to
multiply.
HOW DO I
BECOME A
MEMBER
OF REDEEMER?
Joining
Redeemer is a
simple yet important process.
In short, all that is required for membership at Redeemer is "a
credible profession of faith in Christ." Just what does that mean?
To join Redeemer, you will have a brief interview with the elders. Here
is a link to the “application
form”
you will need to bring with you. Pastor Dave is available to visit with
you prior to the interview or speak further to you about the interview
beforehand.
We have developed a course which will be offered one quarter
per year
in which we explore what it means to be Presbyterian. Attending this
class is not required for membership. But if you are not of a
Presbyterian background, it may be very helpful to you as you make your
decision about joining. Resources can also be provided for self study,
and one of the pastors would be happy to work with you privately, or as
a couple or a family, as you seek to make an informed commitment.
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