Children, Churchwide, Missions, Music, Spiritual Formation, Youth
Guest User
Community Wide Block Party

Saturday, May 19, 3-8 p.m.

The Outreach Committee is hosting a Community-Wide Block  Party, which will feature live music, food, Steel City Pops, a small farmer’s market, and games and activities for children of all ages. Free admission and parking, but bring cash to support local vendors.

Community Wide Block Party
Churchwide, Stewardhip
Guest User
A Message from our Interim Pastor

In many ways, we are now entering the most challenging  period of the interim. By the time you read this article, the Ad Hoc Committee will have presented their recommendations to the Deacons who will have a month to think about and discuss the material before voting on their recommendation at the May Deacons’ meeting. This recommendation will come to the Church Business Meeting on May 23.

A Message from our Interim Pastor
Churchwide
Guest User
LifeTimers Events

First Friday Flick Wonder

Friday, May 11, 11 a.m., E-204

Please join us for the movie, Wonder, at our new time, 11 a.m. Enter through office door, take elevator to second floor, Room E-204. New this month will be lunch following the movie. For May, we will dine at McAlisters Deli with lunch on your own. Please call the church office at 502.895.2459 by  Thursday, May 10, to let us know you plan on attending the movie and/or lunch.

 

LifeTimers Events
Churchwide
Guest User
From the Church Administrator

From the Church Administrator

Upcoming Closings:

Oaks Day, Friday, May 4, Church Office Closed, Normal Campus Activities Continue   

Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, Church Office Closed, Church Campus Closed, All Activities Cancelled 

From the Church Administrator
Children, Churchwide, Music, Spiritual Formation, Youth
Guest User
Wednesday Nights in May

Wednesday Night Activities for AdultS

May 2

5:15 p.m.   Appreciating Spiritual Gifts, led by Susan Reed

6:30 p.m.   Hands On Mission Projects

May 9

5:15 p.m.   Appreciating Spiritual Gifts, led by Susan Reed

6:30 p.m.   Hands On Mission Projects

Wednesday Nights in May

Youth Fundraiser Recap

Youth Fundraiser Recap

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support the youth during the Valentine’s Banquet this year! We had a great evening with some awesome talent on display, some delicious food, and if that wasn’t enough, the chocolate fountain again made an appearance. Through your generosity in donations for dinner and buying desserts, we were able to raise just over $1100 for youth trips to Passport and Slovakia this summer. I believe I can speak on behalf of the youth when I say we are grateful for the ways Broadway supports and encourages the youth to be active members of the congregation, and to represent this wonderful congregation out in the world as well.

Looking ahead to Holy Week, March 20-27

Looking ahead to Holy Week, March 20-27

Palm Sunday, March 20               
The congregation will gather outside to participate in the Palm Sunday Processional. The children’s choir will sing as part of the processional and the Chancel Ringers will play bells. In addition, the Chancel choir will sing Cantique by Gabriel Faure.
               
Maundy Thursday, March 24
On Thursday, March 24, we will gather in the sanctuary at 6 p.m., for a Tenebrae Service as we observe communion by intinction. Preceding the service will be our weekly fellowship meal in Friendship Hall starting at 5 p.m. (Wednesday Night Dinner will be cancelled this week.) Standing reservations do not apply. Please call the church office by 12 p.m., on Wednesday, March 23, to make a reservation. 

Resurrection Sunday, March 27
After traveling down the path of our Lenten theme, Prayers and the Labyrinth, we will gather to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The Chancel Choir and organist, Glenna Metcalfe, will lead us in our Hallelujahs as we celebrate Christ is Risen. Christ is Risen indeed!

Deacon Reflection - Robert Dixon

Deacon Reflection - Robert Dixon

Dr. Lloyd Storment, and my first Hospital visitation as a deacon.

My first week of hospital visitation came around the end of January. Four church members were in the hospital, including: Robin Riddle and Dr Lloyd Storment.
     
Robin Riddle convinced me to become a deacon. I went to visit her first and talked with her and her husband about how nervous I was visiting in the hospitals. I asked them for advice since Robin has been a deacon many times before. When I left her room, I conveniently only had to walk to another part of the same floor to visit Dr. Storment, but, thanks to Robin, I felt much more comfortable about the visit.

When I walked into Dr. Storment’s room, he was very happy to see me- he didn’t look sick at all! I asked him how he was doing, and exchanged the usual pleasantries, but he immediately deviated from my plan of discussing how he was doing, and proceeded to praise me! He told me how proud he was of my parents for raising me the way they did, how proud he was of me for continuing to go to church and for being a role model for others my age, and for my leadership in the church as a new deacon. He lifted me up in ways I cannot begin to describe in mere words. Dr. Storment had known me my entire life and had watched me grow up in the church. He was a minister at Broadway when my parents joined before I was born. Yet, the most striking thing for me was that he was the minister on call the week I was born, and was one of the first people to hold me as an infant!

When we had talked for a few minutes, he asked me if we could pray before I left. Knowing his background I asked him if he would like to pray or if he wanted me to pray, to which he responded that I should. I prayed for his health, and a comfortable recovery and especially for the people caring for him.  When I had finished, he continued to pray! For me, for my wife and family members, for my continued Christian leadership and growth!

Looking back on my visit with Dr Storment, I can honestly say that I might have gotten more out of the experience than he did. I will miss his wonderful sense of humor, his loving smile, and his ability to reach people on the deepest level, even when he was the one in the hospital!

Marriage Ministry:

Marriage Ministry:

Most of you are not surprised to hear that our church hosts many weddings every year. What you may not know is how seriously we take our marriage ministry at Broadway. Couples who use our church as their wedding venue are required to take part in marriage ministry classes together through our counseling center. These classes are designed to help the couples as they prepare for marriage through traditional pre-marital counseling, but also through interaction with other couples in the same stage of life, as well as through the welcoming and loving environment of Broadway Baptist.

The Marriage Ministry classes take place during the Sunday School hour, so many of the couples choose to join us for worship afterwards. It is a great opportunity to introduce them to this wonderful community of faith. Please be in prayer for the couples currently taking part in our marriage ministry, and the ones who will come to Broadway in the future. If you see any of these couples in the Atrium or Sanctuary, please take a moment to reach out to them and offer the hospitality that we are known for!
~Emily Holladay 

,

Parent/Child Dedications

,
Parent/Child Dedications

On Sunday, February 21, we will dedicate Lane Lester and her family to the community of Broadway Baptist, and on Sunday, March 13, we will dedicate Otto Williams and his family as well. These will be the sixth and seventh parent/child dedications I have participated in during my 18 months at Broadway, and will be two of many to take place in the coming months.

Dedication days are always so special to me, because they are a reminder of the potential blooming within our congregation. God continues to bless us with new life, and we shine brighter as a community because of these precious little ones among us.

Often, when we have baptisms, or when you go to a wedding, the presiding minister will ask the congregation to remember their own baptism or wedding. What commitments did you make at the time? How can remembering that day reinvigorate the commitment you continue to make today?

It’s difficult to ask people to remember their dedication day, considering that most people are less than a year old when they are dedicated! So it follows that the dedication is really less about the child’s commitment and more about the church and family’s commitment. 

When we dedicate children, we commit to raising them in Godly homes, providing a nurturing Christian environment for the children both at home and at church. We also affirm that they are loved and included as a part of the congregation, and that we, as a church, will teach them the stories of their faith, so that they will come to know God through us.

The parent/child dedications are some of the most beautiful moments in worship, but they also require so much of us. We are blessed to worship and serve in a church that takes the words of the dedication litany seriously. My prayer is that we will continue to do so in the days, weeks, and years to come.
~Emily Holladay 

Praying the Labyrinth

Praying the Labyrinth

A Prayer Labyrinth is an ancient spiritual practice. It is a place for reflection and contemplation. A Prayer Labyrinth can be a path on the ground or a design that can be traced with your finger. Throughout the season of Lent, there will be a Prayer Labyrinth available at the church for those who would like to learn more about praying through walking the labyrinth. Workshops will be available on the following dates and times: 
 
Thursday, February 18, from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. (FLC Multipurpose Room)
Tuesday, February 23, from 6 – 8 p.m. (FLC Multipurpose Room)
Sunday, February 28, from 2 – 4 p.m. (FLC Multipurpose Room)
Monday, February 29, from 2 – 4 p.m. (FLC Multipurpose Room)

Ordination History

Ordination History

I was once frightened by a paper cup.  Heart racing, freaking out, Oh-My-Goodness frightened. 
I thought maybe it was about to kill me.  How so?  I was swimming in open water, and as I raised my head slightly to breathe, the cup was right in front of my face. From my perspective, it looked very much like the bow of a boat.  

So it is with ordination. (Yes, I just went from paper cups to ordination.)  From one perspective, it’s a clear example of maintaining an ancient tradition.  We were doing the same thing they did in the New Testament the day we laid hands on Right Rev. Chris Liles. But from another perspective, we were embracing what was a radical Baptist practice a mere few hundred years ago.

Allow me to explain.  In large swaths of our country, you can’t swing a broom without hitting a Baptist or a Methodist. Why so, when there aren’t that many Baptists or Methodists in Europe?  Well, on the American frontier, establishment churches (Anglicans, Catholics, for example) had a hard time supplying pastors to small rural congregations. Methodists adapted to this reality with the “circuit rider” model of pastors serving multiple churches.  Baptists adapted by drafting farmers to do what used to be done by seminary trained clergy. (Brown University, for example, started out as a school for Baptist clergy.) Instead of writing back to Virginia or Pennsylvania for a minister, they just said, “Hey, Pete, you pray pretty good.  How ‘bout we ordain you to be our pastor?”  

Even today, Baptists practice a very grassroots version of ordination. There is no long process, no “sanctioning body” outside the church. A church convenes a council just like we did, and they question the person wanting to be a minister. If they pass this informal test, they are ordained.  

Thanks be to God for rich traditions and for flexible spirits. Churches aren’t worth much unless they possess both!

~Chris Caldwell

EmpowerWest

EmpowerWest

Folks have been asking me what’s developing with EmpowerWest since its big coming out party back in early fall. As a reminder, EmpowerWest is a coalition of Louisville area pastors and churches, which seeks to unleash the educational, economic, and spiritual power of West Louisville residents so that they might maximize their God-given potential and capacity.

This coalition is still in the early stages of its development, but over the past few months, here are a few things which have been going on:

  • Small groups are beginning to form for fellowship and learning together.
  • A “Stokely’s List” of West Louisville businesses has been developed so that people can support them.  It is in the process of being communicated to the broader community.
  • A microlending ministry is being promoted through EmpowerWest.
  • On MLK weekend we had:
    • Friday night breakout sessions on a variety of topics, such as Racial Reconciliation, Asset Based Community Development, and Networking in the Community.
    • Saturday prayer breakfast featuring world-renowned Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann.
    • Music presented by a joint choir made up of EmpowerWest churches.
  • Many events have taken place on a church-to-church basis as the congregations get to know each other better.

The next major thing is coming up the end of this month.  As you might have read in the Courier-Journal, EmpowerWest has challenged Louisville and its leaders to read a book together: The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism, by Edward E. Baptist.  I’ve read this book, and although it’s not easy to review history and the prominent place slavery had in the development of our nation, the path to reconciliation leads through truth.  Our goal is more than integration; it is reconciliation. And for folks to be reconciled going forward, they need first to be honest about where we have been.  The author will be speaking at a community event on Monday, February 29, and we will offer a small group for those who might be interested in reading the book.   For more information on the author forum, go to https://goo.gl/kunaX6

, ,

Music within Lent

, ,
Music within Lent

Youth Choir
The youth choir will be singing one of their Jubilate Winter Retreat songs for us in worship, Child of God, on Sunday, February 7. 
 
Children’s Choir
The Children’s Choir will be singing, Love, Christians, this is Your Song, on the first Sunday of Lent, February 14.  Therefore, parents, please encourage your children to attend the next few rehearsals on Wednesday evenings at 5:55 p.m. so they can participate in this special worship service.

,

A Look Back: Caroling And Winter Food Baskets

,
A Look Back: Caroling And Winter Food Baskets

Caroling And Winter Food Baskets

Every year the church youth deliver the food collected from White Christmas to Cochran Elementary. The food is divided into boxes according to the sizes of the recipient families. Our food is then paired with Christmas presents that parents can give their kids. The recipients of the food boxes and gifts are financially struggling families who will now have something to eat and give to their kids for Christmas. When we personally deliver the boxes to the families, it is cool to see how grateful they are and appreciative of what we do. Some of the parents even get emotional, because without this program they may have little to eat and nothing to give their own children for Christmas. I have learned that many people don’t have the opportunities I do and that I shouldn’t take what I have for granted. It puts in perspective the gaps in our society in terms of financial status and by helping the struggling families I feel that we help bridge that gap. Making these food deliveries every year has meant a lot to me, but even more to the families we help. I hope it continues to benefit more people each year. 

~Carter Cox

,

Small Groups in Lent

,
Small Groups in Lent

This Lent, Pastor Emily and Mr. Curtis Barman will lead a Discipleship Class for 3rd-5th graders in the Children’s Sunday School Area. This class will focus on the Becoming Like Christ curriculum from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and will help children explore their faith and how they can make Christlike decisions now that they are getting older. Please pray for the students and leaders of this class as they seek to learn more about God over the coming weeks.

In conjunction with the 3rd-5th grade discipleship class, there will be a group for parents meeting from 5:15-6:45 in the Office Conference Room.  This will be a time of conversation about how parents’ spiritual habits can serve as a catalyst to help their children grow in faith. If you are interested in being a part of this group please contact Susan Reed at susanr@broadwaybaptist.org

A Look Back - Trunk Or Treat

A Look Back - Trunk Or Treat

Trunk Or Treat

I don’t know how to talk about this year’s Trunk or Treat without gushing about the success of the event. Last year, the Children’s and Outreach Committees volunteered to plan the event in conjunction with the Social Team, who has done such a wonderful job of creating and organizing Trunk or Treat in the past. The goal was to make Trunk or Treat an event large enough for the community to attend, and one in which our whole congregation could participate. 

The Outreach Committee sent post cards to the community, and passed out flyers at the St. Matthew’s Area Chamber of Commerce Trick or Treat event at Brown Park. Their work brought in multiple children from around the community, who experienced the warmth and hospitality (not to mention - fun!) of our church family.

The Children’s Committee and Social Team decorated the Family Life Center, planned games, and made lots of fun treats for the families to enjoy. Our Wednesday night crowd proved their ability to be flexible, and ate chili in the FLC, while enjoying the sights of children in costumes and the sounds of their laughter and enjoyment.

Overall, this event was not just about growing younger populations, but bringing together all the age groups represented in the church. It ended up being a night in which we could all celebrate together as a church body, and everyone left with a smile on their face!

~Emily Holladay

A Look Back: F.R.E.E. Class Visits Burnett Avenue Baptist Church

A Look Back: F.R.E.E. Class Visits Burnett Avenue Baptist Church

F.R.E.E. Class Visits Burnett Avenue Baptist Church

On July 15, The F.R.E.E. (Faith Reaching Every Edge) Sunday School class visited Burnett Avenue Baptist Church, a predominantly African-American Church on Hurstbourne Ave. The pastor from Burnett Avenue, Rev. Corrie Shull, led a book study on Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. We received a very warm welcome. The focus was on fear and how it prevents us from living an abundant life. Rev. Shull shared many personal situations where fear created a barrier in his life, as did many in the congregation. In visiting with him after the study, we discussed the applications in our own lives. I immediately thought of my students and how I interact with them, and how it is important not to manage them by using power to create fear. I also thought of the fear that many of my students, mostly coming from the West End, deal with every day. The opening lines from the chapter captures it perfectly, “Fear is one of the persistent hounds of hell that dog the footsteps of the poor, the dispossessed, the disinherited.” We left after a long talk inspired and with hopes of building relationships with the young people there. 

~ Cassie Lyles

,

A Look Back: Finding Hope In Grief

,
A Look Back: Finding Hope In Grief

Finding Hope In Grief

All Saint’s Sunday in November is a time when our church remembers those members and family members that have passed away during the previous year. For me, it is also within a few days of the anniversary date of my husband’s death. I had signed up to attend that afternoon a small group session on grief, led by Leslie Townsend, PhD.  

I have had several years now to work through my grief, though at times it does not feel like it. I have wondered about this and knew I wanted to attend this group. Our numbers were small with all of us at various stages of our grief but the conversations and sharing were meaningful, thoughtful and inspirational.  

Dr. Townsend is an excellent facilitator for small groups. She recommended readings including Kubler-Ross’ Stages of Grief, Wayne Oates’ Phases of Grief and “It Hurts So Bad Lord.” If this small group led by Dr. Townsend is offered again, I would highly recommend it for anyone experiencing grief. 

~Donna Williams     

Location

Broadway Baptist Church
4000 Brownsboro Road,
Louisville, KY 40207-1826

Phone: 502.895.2459

 

Office and Staff

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Friday

OFFICE CLOSED 

office@broadwaybaptist.org

View Full Staff List