New Drama Group at DBCC

A new Drama Group at Douglass Boulevard Christian Church is forming and we are calling any and all interested persons who might want to be involved both on stage and behind  the scenes to a general interest meeting on Sunday, June 8th at 12:15 PM (right after our regular morning service) in the in the sanctuary. We will discuss formation of the group and begin planning our first stage production that is tentatively scheduled for later this fall. Hope to see you there!

See Jai Husband for details!

KY faith leaders call for LGBT marriage, fairness

Some of our folks were in the news today, participating in a rally and press conference in support of same-sex marriage and fairness for the LGBT community.

Kentucky Faith Leaders for Fairness joined with the Fairness Coalition and Southerners for the Freedom to Marry to call for support of same-gender marriage and statewide anti-discrimination protections in the commonwealth on Monday. The event was co-chaired by Rev. Bojangles Blanchard (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) and Rev. Derek Penwell (Christian Church, Disciples of Christ).

The discussion has been looming large lately, as states are having to discuss the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans and the recognition of same sex marriages from other states. German Lopez of Vox lends some insight into the current situation (with a really great infographic you should check out):

As a result, Oregon's same-sex couples will be able to get married starting today. But it's likely that, as with othe same-sex marriage cases, the ruling — and same-sex marriages — will eventually be put on hold until it works through the appeals process. The ruling makes Oregon the 10th state to see its same-sex marriage ban partially or fully repealed. Most recently, judges struck down bans in Idaho and Arkansas.

The River Sirens at the Farmers Market

The River Sirens (including our very own Claire Bridges and Stephanie Mattingly) will be gigging at the Douglass Loop Farmers Market this Saturday, May 17 @ Noon.

Come enjoy their dulcet tones as you peruse the local goodies.

If you'd like to listen to them beforehand, check out some of the tracks on their website.

We're looking for an Organist

CALLING ALL MUSICIAN FRIENDS

We're currently in search of an organist to work with us part-time. We have one service per week as well as one rehearsal with choir. Services require organ and occasional piano accompaniment. The position would require outside rehearsal time to prepare service music

But most importantly, we're looking for a bold, passionate musician. We pride ourselves on being a group of people who love what we do and what we stand for.

If you're interested in applying, please send resumes/cover letters/what-have-yous to:

Douglass Blvd. Christian Church 2005 Douglass Blvd. Louisville, KY 40205

-- or --

You can email them to us at douglassblvd@gmail.com. If you choose to send them via the electronic mail, please include "Organist Applicant" and your name the subject line.

We'd love to hear from you.

Beer with Jesus & Friends is now weekly, y'all!

It's like Cheers, except that it will only be once a week and Ted Danson probably won't be there (but fingers crossed).

This week we'll be posted up at Great Flood Brewery right across the street from the church Tuesday @ 6. We usually stay until around 8, so feel free to drop in whenever you can.

Please come hang with us. We're still looking to fill the rolls of Carla and Cliff. I've got Norm covered.

Woodbourne House recognized by Preservation Louisville

Woodbourne House made Preservation Louisville's list of Top 10 Preservation Successes of 2014!

Broadway Christian Church, later Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, acquired a large part of the original tract in 1936 and built their current place of worship at 2005 Douglass Boulevard in 1940. In 1949, the church rededicated the historic home as Briney Hall. It was in continuous use until 2012. Louisville Nonprofit Developer New Directions Housing Corporation oversaw the restoration of the Greek Revival landmark home and the construction of an annex that together provides 11 units for older persons. New Directions, a Metro Way and NeighborWorks America member agency, will manage the site.

Kudos to all the awesome folks from DBCC and all others involved who had the patience and perseverance to see this project through. If you haven't seen Woodbourne House since the makeover, I can assure you she has never looked better than she does today.

An Update on the Life of the Church

By Derek Penwell

As you may have noticed, a number of things have changed around Douglass Blvd. Christian Church over the past few years. I thought I'd take a moment to help you see the scope of these changes, and to offer you the thinking under which we're currently operating. It's all pretty exciting!

Organizational Philosophy

We no longer operate on the Functional Church Model of church organization—that is, an efficiency model of church organization popularized during the industrial revolution. The thinking in the early twentieth century was that businesses were enjoying some success by reorganizing themselves with a board of directors, an executive committee, and a host of standing committees. The Functional Church Model worked pretty well during the salad days of Mainline Protestantism's cultural ascendancy in the middle of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, as churches experienced membership decline beginning in the early 1970s, filling out the organizational flow chart became more and more difficult. [I've written extensively about this here and here and here.]

Moreover, with the increase in the number of families where both partners work, finding time to devote to committee work became increasingly difficult. At some point, young people seemed no longer to be stepping up to take over the often difficult work that had been performed by committees. Consequently, congregations began experience a great deal of stress, wondering how the work that had been getting done, would now be done.

At DBCC we've experienced these same stressors. Beginning in 2006, the congregation underwent the transition from the old Functional Church Model to a new form of organization, where the work is driven no longer by committees "thinking up stuff to do," and then having to figure out how to convince someone to do it, but by people who have a desire to see a particular ministry take shape. We still have a few ministries that cover things like worship, property, and personnel, but almost all of the ministry opportunities in the church have developed because someone saw a need, and asked the church for help in figuring out a way to meet it.

• Woodbourne House
• our move to become Open and Affirming
• Louisville Classical Academy
• the Douglass Loop Farmers Market
• Freedom House
• our public stance on marriage
• our ministry to refugees
• our work with the Fairness Campaign and Louisville Youth Group
• five mission trips to Mexico
• CLOUT
• our support of the Louisville Gay Men's Chorus
• Diersen House
• our support of GLAD
• the expansion of our web and social media presence
• the clothing closet

None of these ministry initiatives started in a Leadership meeting, or because of the work of a committee. They all came about as a result of people who saw a need, brought it forward, and then took responsibility for helping to make it happen.

Now, our Leadership Coordination Ministry isn't primarily responsible for thinking up new things to do; it is responsible for seeing that the church meets its obligations and for seeing that potential ministries have the resources they need to thrive. Consequently, we don't have to worry about expending energy on continuing things for which there is no longer any enthusiasm. We invest in ministry where the energy is.

Facilities Management

One of the most visible changes in the life of DBCC over the past few years revolves around the use of our campus. We've undergone a philosophical shift in our thinking about the resources over which God has made us responsible. For years there was anxiety about how the church was going to maintain a campus as large as the one we have with a congregation that, for a time, continued to see itself shrinking.

There were several serious discussions about how we should handle such an enormous responsibility, ranging at certain points all the way to whether or not we might be better off selling our building, and finding somewhere more manageable.

A philosophy began to evolve, however: What if we use our building and grounds as tools to be used for ministry, rather than as keepsakes to bequeath to future generations. Of course, we'd still want to care for them as good stewards. Only now, we could feel free to give them away to other groups when we could, and to charge rent for other space where we needed to.

As important as anything about this shift in philosophy is its implications as a theology of stewardship. We've tried to move from an "attractional model" of programming—in which we do programming with an eye to attracting people to membership at DBCC—to a purely ministry-driven model of programming—in which we offer space and programming as a gift, because it's the right thing to do. Of course, we hope people will like us and want to come find out about us, but that's not why we do what we do. We do what we do because we believe it's what God is calling us to do.

This theology of stewardship has allowed us to have our facilities used at almost total capacity every day. With Woodbourne House, we've helped offer low cost senior housing to eleven people. We give our grounds to the community on Saturdays for the Douglass Loop Farmers Market, allowing a neighborhood gathering place every week for people in our community. We donate space to Highland Community Ministries every weekday for a senior adult day center. On weeknights, we donate space to two AA groups, the Humane Society, HCM Water Color and Ball Room Dancing classes, the Louisville Gay Men's Chorus, and an LGBT Film Group.

We offset the costs of ministry by renting space to the HCM day care and to the Louisville Classical Academy. In addition, we rent 28 parking spaces every day to businesses in the Douglass Loop, and lease the front parking lot to the bank.

Our mixed-use formula has allowed us to stabilize our revenue over the foreseeable future, while at the same time giving us an opportunity to serve the community . . . just because.

Operations Management

The change in our organizational philosophy, the way we use our facilities, together with the increasing use of electronic communications is revolutionary enough that it has caused us to rethink the way much of the staff does its job. With the constant use of our facilities, we've had to employ a handy man, Neil, whose primary responsibility is to maintain and repair the building. Neil, in consultation with Gary King, is kept busy trying to look after a heavily used facility.

These changes have probably had more impact on Jennifer Vandiver than anyone else. Jennifer's responsibilities have increased significantly. She still answers the phone and produces the bulletin and newsletter. But now she spends a great deal of her time coordinating the use of the building between so many groups. Recognizing this shift in responsibility, Jennifer has been given a new job title by the Leadership Coordination Ministry: Operations Manager. Because we now must deal with the reality of space limitations, Jennifer is the point person when it comes to the many requests to use our facilities. Moreover, she acts as the "first responder" when a group has a difficulty or complaint.

Our Internet presence, which has grown considerably over the past five years, has become a major area of ministry to people all over the world. A majority of first time visitors when asked how they found us will say they saw our web site. Our sermon podcasts and blog articles are consumed by people all over the world. The realization that our ministry was broadening in this area caused the Leadership Coordination Ministry this year to fund a new position, charged with the responsibility of managing this new frontier for ministry. We're proud to welcome Geoff Wallace back to help us discover the exciting possibilities of ministry done on a global scale.

And of course, Joanna, Brenda, Clare, Ben, and I are also finding new ways to engage in ministry that allows us to equip followers of Jesus for the unfolding reign of God.

As we move forward together, please help us keep our eyes open for new possibilities for ministry at DBCC. The coming years look just as exciting!

Beer with Jesus & friends

It's that time again! Meet us at Hilltop Tavern at 6pm sharp. That's Douglass Standard Time (DST), which is to say you shouldn't feel sheepish about being a few minutes behind.

Libations and conversations shall ensue.

See you then!

Bea Arthur: a better Batman than George Clooney.

If you try to tell me you wouldn't watch the crap out of this, you're a liar.

Happy Friday!

Sermon Podcast: Weary Pilgrims (Isaiah 50:4-9a)

It's Holy Saturday. Before we observe the resurrection of Christ, give last week's sermon another listen.

If you can hear it in his voice, it’s because you’ve heard it in your own voice. There beneath the consonants and vowels, beneath the shock, and outrage—it’s there. Do you hear it? It’s weariness.

Weary Pilgrims (Isaiah 50:4-9a)

Download

We had audio difficulties during the reading of scripture. Feel free to read Isaiah 50:4-9a at Biblia.com.

Happy Tax Day

All day long. In my head.

Sermon Podcast: Who's Calling the Shots Around Here?

We live in a world in which, all protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, Good Friday still trumps Easter—a world in which children die in the dry night, and single mothers looking for a way to feed their hungry families are told that they’re only reaping the harvest of their bad choices, and teenage boys in hoodies must walk the suburban streets in fear, and the elderly have to decide whether their medication or having heat is more important the month.

Death too often calls the tune to which, sad to say, so many of us feel compelled to dance.

But I’ve got news for you—regardless of how it looks to you at present, regardless of who you think is calling the shots, Jesus is almost finished with his Lenten journey. And while the path he takes will ultimately lead him to a garbage dump on the edge of town called the “place of the skull,” the truth of the faith we profess is that that dump—which too casually deals in the art of death—is not the final destination.

---

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Sermon Text

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Cats vs. Cards vs. Cat Herpes

What happens when you combine basketball, rain, Balderdash, fresh sausage, Cheetos, beer, an overly enthusiastic grill, and 18 people from a church of self-identifying heathens cooped up in a cabin in Eastern Kentucky?

I still have no idea.

From a tense viewing of the intra-commonwealth hoops showdown, to discussion of what strains of herpes carry across species, the DBCC 'Camping' retreat transcended any semblance of normal.

And it was awesome.

Things we learned:

1. Chickens and cats can contract some strains of the herpes virus across species... probably.

2. If your partner has the same name as his/her parent, it's advisable to indicate a difference between them in your iPhone contacts.

3. Grills are hot. Turns out.

4. Nicomedia is not a psychological disorder in which a person believes him or herself to be Nicodemus from the Gospel according to John.

5. Balderdash

6. Loren Powell = Elvis Presley.

7. Samuel may or may not have packed someone else's bag.

8. Even if there is enough coffee, there is never enough coffee.

9. Ben Carter knows from fires.

10. Donkey Kong isn't actually a bad guy, he's just really mad at Mario.

11. Burlap underwear

12. Things not to do from the neck of a giraffe.

13. Jose Luis Astoreka (don't look it up... (look it up)).

14. Do NOT throw shade on Cher in the presence of Travis Myles.

A few memorable quotes:

"That's a looooot of smoke..." (runs out of cabin)

"Like I'm going to get a Cher question wrong."

"Nothing says Christmas like laxatives."

"Can you repeat the second one, and the fourth from the last one?"

"DO NOT BACK UP. NOBODY BACKS UP."

The cool thing about cool things is that cool things can and will happen again. So, next time we go camping, you should come along. Fo rizzle.

Beer with Jesus and friends

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Matt 18:20

So, we know he'll be there.

Every last Tuesday of the month, some of us meet for some brews, some grub, and some engaging conversation.

So, uh, what are you doing tonight around 6pm?

Meet us at Hilltop Tavern on Frankfort Ave.

Do it.

March!

Hopefully, you all have your brackets filled out and have been watching far too much basketball than any one person should ever see.

If you haven't interest in such things, here are some reasons you're probably better off:

• lowered risk of a heart attack
• no lines in public places without a television
• more time to focus on important things like missing jet planes in Asia and the most recent Walking Dead episode (no spoilers)
• sleep
• not getting caught streaming CBS on company time
• still not caring about Warren Buffett or his obscene wealth
• using this gif
  

But, if you, like me, are totally wrapped up in the madness, just a few pointers:

• JCPS doesn't close for the reason of collective basketball hangovers
• a diet comprised solely of hot wings and coffee is only sustainable for 2 weeks tops
• vocal damage is a thing that happens
• the chances of Warren Buffett giving you 1 billion dollars are in the quintillions (or, 500,000 times the national debt)

Have fun, y'all.

Happy Pi Day!

For dessert this evening, have some π, in honor of a circle you know and love.

(insert pun on the subject of pie being irrational)

Inventor of the web marks its 25th anniversary by calling for net neutrality

Now that the Internet can legally rent a car in the state of Kentucky (with a valid drivers license), it's creator has a few things to say about his creation and how we're handling it.

In Berners-Lee's eyes, an unrestricted web is vital to human development. "Unless we have an open, neutral internet we can rely on without worrying about what's happening at the back door, we can't have open government, good democracy, good healthcare, connected communities, and diversity of culture."

The man who invented the Internet has some good points about the Internet.

Happy Birthday, Internet! (pinches the Internet's cheek)

Stuff happening this weekend

So, here's the skinny.

Saturday morning @9am, we're going to be having a work day. Come out and help us get the grounds ready for opening weekend of the Douglass Loop Farmers Market on March 15. It's going to be beautiful out and don't even act like you have anything better to do.

Saturday evening? Game night.

Buchanan Manor @6pm.

Game is Catch Phrase. Entry fee is a dish -- of food, preferably.

And, of course, Worship on Sunday Morning.

Gonna be awesome.

All of us, right before Lent...

Except I really do need that paddle game.