Church Staff

Pastor:
Dana Stout
Church Office Manager:
Diana Hoerst
Session Clerk:
Julia Dickey
Financial Secretary:
Linda Luhrsen-Farmer
Treasurer:
Kenn Moisio
Organist:
Phee Ellinghausen
Choir Director:
Shirley Morris
Sunday School Superintendant:
Dorthy Cassidy

Links Section

	PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.)
	PRESBYTERY OF CINCINNATI
	ARKALMIGHTY

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF OUR CHURCH

We are proud to be a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the largest Presbyterian body in the United States, headquartered out of Louisville, Kentucky. Our roots go back to the very beginnings of the protestant reformation, to the work of such people as John Calvin in Switzerland and John Knox in Scotland. We have been around for a long time, but our worship is vital and our fellowship is uplifting. We truly mean it when we encourage all to have a close, personal and enthusiastic relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We are active in missions for such causes as the Dearborn County Clearing House assistance ministry, international efforts such as water projects in Haiti and Guatemala, ongoing Hurricane Katrina Relief, and Habitat for Humanity (for which we also serve as the local contact location).

Our Congregation has been providing family friendly worship to Aurora and the surrounding "environs" since 1826. We welcome children and people of all ages and classes. Whether you are a family of one, two or many, you will find a welcoming spirit within our walls and in our hearts. We are easy to get to in Aurora, and just minutes from such communities as Lawrenceburg, Greendale, Rising Sun, Dillsboro, and Moores Hill. We dress comfortably and we smile readily. COME AND SEE US THIS SUNDAY!

ABOUT JESUS

Presbyterians believe Jesus was "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 raises Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from the dead to life eternal. (From the Presbyterian Brief Statement of Faith, Lines 8-26)

Jesus was born of a woman - Mary; in a particular place - the Middle East; to a particular people - the Jews. He was born as a helpless infant who hungered, cried, had to be changed and grew as all babies grow. As a grown man, Jesus knew all of the feelings humans know - joy, sadness, discouragement, loneliness, and longing. Yet Jesus also trusted completely in God and was without sin. Jesus' actual ministry on earth was short - approximately three years. Because his teachings challenged powerful religious and government leaders, he was executed as a dangerous and seditious criminal. He died, was buried, and was resurrected by God. For Christians, this resurrection is God's most amazing miracle and proof that Jesus was indeed divine.

We believe that Jesus is as alive today as he was on the first Easter morning and that he is present with us today, even though we cannot see him or physically touch him. We call Jesus "LORD" because he has saved us from the power of death and the power of sin and because, through his sacrifice, we are able to know the fullness of God's love for us.

Christians also believe that Jesus will one day return to the earth to complete the task of creating a world where justice, peace, and love rule and evil is no more. To those who believe in Christ, such an event is seen not with fear but with joyful anticipation. Because Jesus showed that not even death can stop God's purpose and God's activity, we know that we have life and hope forever. (Copyright 2001 by Presbyterian Church (USA). All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.)

COMING SOON!!!!!!

• Completion and arrival of our new Pictorial Directory
• Summer Evening Adult Study on the Apostle's Creed
• Special Activities for children and youth following worship this summer
• Training Retreat for the Session
• "Old Favorites" hymns during worship in June
• Newly Organized Church Lending Library

HOPEWELL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SEEKS STUDY OF SHARED MINISTRY

The Session of our sister church in Dillsboro, Indiana; Hopewell Presbyterian Church, has sent a letter to the Session of First Presbyterian wanting to explore the possibilities and feasibility of some form of shared ministry between the two congregations. The letter is in the form of a request for members of our session to meet with members of the Hopewell church to talk about any options that may be available for the sharing of pastoral leadership. There is no suggestion that the Hopewell congregation is interested in dissolving or merging with our congregation.

As shared during our Annual Meeting of the Congregation on February 3rd, the response of our Session to the Hopewell request has been to appoint elders Gib Houze, Julia Dickey, and Linda Luhrsen-Farmer to meet with their Hopewell counterparts and then for that joint committee to bring a report to both Sessions. If it seems that some form of joint ministry is desirable, the Sessions would then bring a report to both congregations and the Presbytery of Cincinnati, which would need to approve the plan. All of this is, of course, a process and will involve some element of time. During this period of study and dialog, members of our congregation are encouraged to bring their thoughts and questions about the possibility of shared ministry to any of our three representatives to the joint committee.

As with any proposal, there is a wide spectrum of possibility for the eventual structure of joint ministry that may eventually be proposed (if any). However, it seems clear that there would be some obvious advantages and challenges to any plan. These include the sharing of costs for pastoral leadership including salary and pension; possible adjustments to worship times; joint ventures for outreach and ministry; avenues of increased fellowship; a cooperative missional vision; and the coordination of pastoral availability within the life of the two congregations.

A THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

A real friend is one who walks in, when the rest of the world walks out!
-Author Unknown