20 Guns Transformed into Garden Tools

A big thanks to everyone who prayed for CHPC’s Gun Violence Prevention Team as we helped organize and lead our second Guns to Gardens safe-surrender event June 11. It was a big success! More than 30 volunteers from across the city received and dismantled 20 weapons brought in by 15 people. The gun pieces have been taken to local blacksmith Craig Kaviar, of Kaviar Forge, who is transforming them into garden tools, art, and jewelry. Mayor Craig Greenberg and his family stopped by at the beginning of the event to show their support.

The Guns to Gardens movement is helping to lower the risk of suicides, accidental shootings, and other possible tragedies resulting from unwanted guns in the home. Our Guns to Gardens event was one of numerous such events in church parking lots across the country the weekend of June 10–11. Altogether 450 guns were collected and dismantled, with the assurance that they will not end up back on the street or in the marketplace. Praise God that instruments of death are being transformed into instruments of life and beauty!

Read a Presbyterian News Service story about the June Guns to Gardens events here.

Racism Challenge

Are you looking for a new challenge? Consider joining the 4-week anti-racism challenge sponsored by ListenLearnAct. All you have to do is sign up on their website, listenlearnact.org, by July 1. They will email you prompts to participate in each week's challenge.

Please let the church office know if you decide to accept the challenge. We would like to acknowledge your participation and connect you with others in the congregation who are also doing it. Just send Megan an email, office@crescenthill.church or call 502--893-5381.

Garden Day Camp Returns like a Dream

The Garden Camp revival took place the week of June 12-16. Thanks to CHPC for co-sponsoring with Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville! 

It was like a dream to circle up with the seven children ages 7-13 and introduce them to the fabulous tales of Father Coyote, the trickster carnivore who became a gardener to lure rabbits to be eaten. Veteran camp counselors Maud and Stephen enjoyed returning to the traditional patterns and diverse joys of our time together. 

We gardened, cooked, processed food, hiked, and swam. We also did water colors, cleaned up the fig patch, rooted out rhizomes of weedy bind vines and dried them on the concrete, planted beans and squash, watered, germinated seeds in cardboard cups, made salsa, played chess, and drummed a little too. 

On closing day parents enjoyed eating homemade chocolate cake and ice cream made by the campers and hand-peeled apple slices cooked with a little sugar. A big praise to the Creator for the fertile garden providing some of our healthy food!  

Music for a Summer Afternoon

Our first recital, An American Hymn Festival, is Sunday, July 9. The program will feature our choir and the congregation singing many of our traditional American hymn tunes. Guest musician Jeanne-Marie Rogers will act as our song leader, Frank Kirk Jr. will be at the organ, and Doug Yeager on flute. Soprano Conra Cowart and tenor Todd Rogers will join our choir for this 40-minute musical stroll through the liturgical year. 

Join us for a fun afternoon, and don't forget to invite friends.