New Member Class
Christ Presbyterian Church
421 Deerfield Rd.
Camp Hill, PA 17011
8-1-10
Welcome!
CPC’s Mission Statement:
Proclaiming Christ…
Loving and serving others…
Growing together!
Constitution
• The foundational books of the PCUSA are:
– The Bible
– The Book of Confessions
– The Book of Order
Presbyterians affirm:
• Sovereignty of God
• God alone is Lord of the conscience
• Belief that right thinking leads to right
action
• Priesthood of all believers
• Church is reformed & always reforming
Historic Principles
• We believe that there are truths and forms
over which people of good character and
principle may differ.
• In all of these we think it the duty of both
private Christians and societies to exercise
mutual forbearance toward each other.
Book of Confessions
• Nicene Creed
• Apostles’ Creed
• Scots Confession
• Westminster Confession & Catechisms
• The Theological Declaration of Barmen
• Confession of 1967
• A Brief Statement of Faith -- most recent
• and other “reformed” faith documents
A Brief Statement of Faith
• In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune
God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and
serve.
• We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus
proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the
poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and
deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and
binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts,
forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the
gospel.
• Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus
was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and
giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this
Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking
the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life
eternal.
• We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In
sovereign love God created the world good and makes
everyone equally in God’s image, male and female, of
every race and people, to live as one community.
• But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.
• Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of
God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit
neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet
entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation.
Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
In everlasting love, the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a
covenant people to bless all the families of the earth.
Hearing their cry, God delivered the children of Israel from
the house of bondage. Loving us still, God makes us heirs
with Christ of the covenant. Like a mother who will not
forsake her nursing child, like a father who runs to
welcome the prodigal home, God is faithful still.
• We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and
renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through
• faith, sets us us free to accept ourselves and to love God
and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in
the one body of Christ, the Church. The same Spirit who
inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in
Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word
proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us
with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls
women and men to all ministries of the Church. In a
broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to
pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to
Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church
and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
• In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to
serve Christ is our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful
lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new
earth. Praying, Come, Lord Jesus!
• With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that
nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Sacraments
• Baptism
• Communion – celebrated 1st Sunday of every month
and on special occasions
– Open to all baptized Christians
Our Presbyterian History
• Ancestry begins in Old & New Testaments
• Into the Roman Catholic Church
• Into the Protestant Reformation
• Into the “Reformed” branch of
Protestantism
• Zwingli in Zurich
• Calvin in Geneva
• Knox in Scotland
Presbyterianism in the New
World
• Brought over by English Puritans, Scots,
Scotch-Irish & French Huguenots
• Francis Makemie from northern Ireland
• 1640 first Presbyterian congregation
• 1706 first Presbytery -- Philadelphia
• 1717 first Synod -- Philadelphia
• 1789 first General Assembly -- Philadelphia
Division
•1861 -- the issues of states rights &
slavery added to some theological
divisions to split the Presbyterian
Church into
•Presbyterian Church in the USA
(north)
•Presbyterian Church in the US
(south)
Reunion
• 1983 -- “northern” & “southern” branches
reunited
• The Presbyterian Church in the
United States of America --
PCUSA
Presbyterian means governed by
“elders”
• Session -- township commissioners
• Presbytery -- county board
• Synod -- state legislature
• General Assembly -- national congress
Session
• Composed of “elders” elected by the
congregation
• and the minister(s)
• responsible for congregation’s mission
• governs the local congregation
– worship
– Christian education
– pastoral care
Presbytery
• Composed of elder commissioners from
local congregations & ministers in region
• Resources & oversees local congregations
within region
• Presbytery of Carlisle
• 52 congregations of south central PA
Synod of the Trinity
• Is the regional PCUSA body that resources
presbyteries in eastern Ohio and in the
states of W. Va. and PA
• Is formally composed of elder
commissioners and ministers elected from
each of its presbyteries
• Office is in Camp Hill
General Assembly
• The national level of the Presbyterian
Church USA
• Is formally composed of elder
commissioners and ministers elected from
each presbytery
• Is the source of denominational materials
• Is the final level of decision-making
• Office is in Louisville, KY
Deacons
• Also within CPC, officers known as
“Deacons” are elected by the congregation
to enable our ministries of
– nurture
– fellowship
– and to assist in other functions of our
congregation as delegated by Session
Christ Presbyterian Church
• Organized on April 7,1957
• After 3 1/2 years of preparatory work by
Camp Hill Presbyterian Church and the
Presbytery of Carlisle
• Original church structure begun in 1958
– Fellowship Hall, classrooms, kitchen, etc.
• Sanctuary, choral rooms & offices were
completed in 1968
CPC Statistics
• has 395 active members, as of 8-1-10
• received, in 2009, contributions totaling
$ 474,125
• Expended 11% of expenditures in 2009 for
mission and benevolent programs beyond
ourselves – ($43,586)
Mission programs
supported by CPC
• CPC Discretionary Fund
• West Shore, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill,
Cumberland Valley, and East Pennsboro School
Districts Emergency Fund
• Downtown Daily Bread
• Christian Churches United
• Sonshine Ministries
• Ecumenical Food Pantry
• PCUSA mission & benevolent programs
A community servant
• opening our facilities to use by community
groups:
as a voting place
for Girl Scouts & Cub Scouts
aerobics classes
Keystone Capital Chorus (Barbershopers)
Audubon Society
Allendale Community Association
CPC Weekday Nursery School
• For 3 and 4 year olds
• Mid-September through May
• Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
9:00 until 11:30 a.m.
Music Ministry
• Music Director – Lou Ann Potter
• Programs:
– Adult Choir
– Youth Choir
– Handbell Choir
– Youth Chime Choir
Fellowship Programs
• Sunday morning “Coffee & Doughnuts”
• Reception quarterly – after 11:00 service
Summer receptions weekly following Sunday worship
• Breakfast Group – monthly breakfast at a near-by restaurant
• Women’s Circles: Ruth and Esther Circles
• Men’s Group – 2nd & 4th Sunday nights
• Lunch/Brunch -- monthly Sunday morning event
Christian Education
• DCE – Bonnie Kilgore
• Sunday morning church school for all ages
• Adult church school classes:
– Bible study
– Christian Issues
– Men’s study group & Women’s study group
– Occasional short-term studies
Youth Activities
Sunday morning church school classes:
– Middle school class & Senior high class
• Wednesday Night Live: elementary schoolers
• Sunday evening Youth Group: small groups
for Middle school & Senior highs
– Fellowship
– Service
– Recreation
– Summer mission trip
Christian Education other than
Sundays
• Seasonal adult study groups
• Vacation Bible School
– Weekday mornings for kids
• Minister’s Study Group
• Off-site study series
Outreach
• Director of Outreach - Georgia Mazzolla
• Leading us to better develop services and
ministries for our greater community
– special events & workshops
– spiritual discernment
• Spearheading the communication of and
invitation to CPC to the community
Planned Giving Fund
• An endowment program invested through
the Presbyterian Foundation
• Funds can be designated to any of 6
channels:
General Mission -- (Endowed or Development)
General Purpose & New Programs -- (Endowed or
Development)
Capital Expenditures -- (Endowed or Development)
Administrative Personnel
• Cathy Kehler – Administrative Assistant
• Mike Parks – Clerk of Session
• Tom Waite – Church Treasurer
• Jack Redshaw – Contributions Treasurer
Open to all
• Programs, ministries & resources of our
church are open to all who wish to
participate!
• CPC already has a number of programs &
ministries in place. However, we’re always
open to new ideas!
The Christian Profession
• Do you acknowledge that you are created in the
image of God and that you are loved by God
unconditionally?
• Do you confess that you have sinned and fallen short
of God’s perfect intention for your life?
• Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of
God and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and
depend upon him alone for salvation as he is offered
in the gospel?
Christian Profession con’t
• Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance
upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will
endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
• Do you promise to serve Christ in his church by
supporting and participating in its worship and work
to the best of your ability?
• Do you submit yourselves to the government and
discipline of the church and promise to further its
purity and peace?
Joining CPC
• Members are received by the Session by
– Profession of Faith
– Letter of Transfer
– Reaffirmation of Faith
Expectations of Members
• Membership in the church is the first step in
a life-long personal and corporate journey
– of growth:
• spiritually, intellectually, theologically &
relationally
– of service:
• to God, the church, to those about us and to those
beyond us
Standards of Active Membership
• Regular participation in worship
– minimum of 4 times per year
• Regular participation in a ministry or
program of CPC
– church school, women’s circle, men’s group,
DDB, etc.
• Financial support of the programs and/or
ministries of CPC in other than a token
fashion
Church members
• Worship
• Study
• Pray
• Serve
• Live in a manner consistent with their belief in
God
• Live in the expectation that God is continually at
work in, through & for them & the world
Marks of Church Membership
• Being a faithful Christian, according to our
PCUSA Book of Order (G-5.0102) involves
• proclaiming the Good News of Christ,
• taking part in the common life and worship of a
particular church,
• praying and studying Scripture and the faith of the
Christian Church,
• supporting the work of the church through the
giving of money, time, and talents,
• participating in the governing responsibilities of the
church,
Membership Marks con’t
• demonstrating a new quality of life within and
through the church,
• responding to God’s activity in the world through
service to others,
• living responsibly in personal, family, vocational,
political, cultural, and social relationships of life,
and
• working in the world for peace, justice, freedom,
and human fulfillment.
Sharing Your Faith
• In their every day walk of life, church
members serve God and witness to the
Good News of God’s love.
• Together with other believers, church
members serve God and witness to the
Good News of God’s love.
Sharing Your Faith through
Skills & Interests
• As unique individuals with particular gifts and
abilities, each of us can serve, share and give in
some way(s)
• CPC maintains a “Skills Bank” to assist members
in the application of themselves to the witness and
ministry of our church.
• However, probably the most powerful witness of
our church is that enacted by average members
during the course of their every day lives!
Church Budget for 2010
• Total of $419,000
• Benevolence -- $25,500
• Administration -- $17,795
• Facilities -- $99,458
• Personnel -- $246,647
• Commissions -- $29,600
Sources of Income for 2010
• Pledge Income -- $340,000
• Plate contributions -- $28,000
• Donations for facility use -- $9,000
• Interest -- $1,000
• Discretionary Fund (Benevolence)-- $14,000
• CPC Nursery -- $2,000
• CPC Mission Trip -- $1,000
• Time & Talent Fundraising -- $10,000
• Rainy Day Fund -- $14,000
Committees
• To enable our common witness as a
congregation, CPC is organized by
commissions of church officers and church
members
• 6 Session commissions
– Christian Education
– Evangelism
– Social Education & Action
– Trustee
– Interpretation & Stewardship
– Worship & Music
Committees con’t
• 2 Deacon commissions
– Fellowship
– Nurture
– and a Deacon serves on each Session commission
Implementation Team
• Leads our congregation’s 3-5 year emphasis
on reaching young adults & families
• Georgia Mazzolla – Outreach Director
– has refurbished Senior High room & crib
nursery
– expanded Wednesday Night program to include
adult options
– seeking a half-time staff person to lead program
for young adults & families
Again, Welcome!
• We are privileged to journey with you in
life and in faith
• We look forward to serving with you and to
supporting your service/witness to our Lord.
• At anytime, do not hesitate to call upon we
who are your church family.