About Highlands Community Ministries
A Brief History
In 1966, the seeds were first sown for what is today known as Highlands Community Ministries, Inc. A group of lay people at Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church became concerned about the changing community around their church. They interested their pastor and pastors of five other congregations within the immediate area in seeing what the churches together could do to serve the needs of this changing community. The Christian Action Committee of Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church made a survey of the Longfellow School and found that out of 300 children, 100 went home to no adult. Many people in the community were concerned that there was no safe place to play and that the young people roamed the streets with "nothing to do." And so in January, 1967, this group of six churches began a cooperative ministry entitled Neighborhood Play and Study Club. The six churches involved at the time were: Bardstown Road Presbyterian, Deer Park Baptist, Edenside Christian, Douglass Blvd. Christian, Calvary Lutheran, and St Paul United Methodist. The organization continued in this format until May, 1970
In the early months of 1970, the group of six congregations received an affirmative response from the Presbytery of Louisville for some money to develop some more comprehensive services within the community. $15,000 was awarded over a 2 1/2 year period so that a full-time director could be hired and a comprehensive experimental ministry begun. In May, 1970, the body of churches became incorporated as Highlands Community Ministries, Inc. On July 1, 1970, Stan Esterle began working within the community as the full-time executive director of H.C.M.
During the years of 1970 and '71, ministries were developed to serve each age group -~ child care, recreational programs, classes, singles clubs, senior citizen activities, and welfare assistance. The Highlands Bulletin is mailed in late July each year to 17,000 households in the Highlands with an additional 5,000 copies made available at the churches. Between 1972 and '76, a lot of effort was given to involving residents in long term community efforts -- survey of 5% of households, development of ten neighborhood associations and involvement in a variety of issues affecting the livelihood of persons in the Highlands. In 1975, H.C.M. expanded its services for older persons through the development of the Adult Day Center and the Outreach for Older Persons. In 1979, a full time counseling program with youth and families was established. In September of 1977, HUD granted a $4,008,600 loan for building apartments for the elderly and handicapped at 1720 Richmond Drive and occupancy began at Highlands Court in July 1984. In January 1983, a coordinator was hired to expand the work with low income persons through the the Individual and Family Assistance Program. In February 1994 the Highlands Youth Recreation became a program of H.C.M. In June 1994 H.C.M. closed its elementary age child care center. In June 2003 the counseling services program was closed.
Presently, 25 congregations are members of Highlands Communities Ministries, pooling resources of personpower, facilities and finances to serve people in the Highlands.
Highlands Community Ministries Covenant
I. Our life together:
The Highlands Community Ministries was established in 1970. Since then, the participating congregations have joined together in a variety of servant ministries to children, the elderly, and to all persons in our community. Through the Highlands Community Ministries we plan together, work together, and pray together. We share our facilities, our human and material resources, and our life and mission as Christ's disciples. On regular occasions, we worship together to acknowledge and celebrate the reconciling love of God which we experience in ministering to one another and to others in our community.
Trust and understanding have grown through our work together. We have become committed to one another. We have come to recognize that there is, indeed, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all."("Ephesians 4:5,6)
We believe that we have arrived at a time when we can and should articulate this special relationship we have in the Highlands Community Ministries: we proclaim the measure of unity which has been achieved in our life together, and we promise to do those things which will lead toward a fuller realization of the perfect unity which is God's will and gift to the church.
II.Our Faith:
We, the congregations of the Highlands Community Ministries, in recognition of the Lordship of Christ and our mission in the world, do affirm our faith.
We believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, and in the covenant of love by which we are bound to God.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's Son, our crucified and risen Lord who reconciles all people.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who creates and renews the Church, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues and races.
We believe and have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe.
We believe that we are called to share in Christ's baptism, to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to proclaim the power of the cross to all the world, and to eat at Christ's table. We believe that we are called to manifest the unity which Christ gave to the church.
We believe in God's presence now and await the fullness of God's everlasting kingdom. Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God. Amen.
III. Our Covenant:
We solemnly, reverently and joyfully enter into this covenant and hereby pledge:
to pray for one another and for the unity of the church,
to continue seasonal occasions of joint worship,
to develop opportunities for shared Bible study and dialogue,
to support the mission of the Highlands Community Ministries,
to share as fully as possible our facilities, programs and resources, both human and material,
to work together for justice, peace and wholeness in community,
to serve the needs of persons in our community in the hope that human integrity can be preserved and nutured,
to witness together to our faith in Jesus Christ who came not to be served but to serve.
We dedicate ourselves to these objectives and ask the blessing of God on this covenant, so that we may be faith to these promises that we make to one another before God.
Current HCM programs:
Central Office, 1140 Cherokee Rd.,40204, 502-451-3695: Stan Esterle, Executive Director; hcmexecu@hotmail.com
Individual & Family Assistance Program,1140 Cherokee Rd., 40204: Lynn Humphrey, 502-451-3626
Highlands Community Ministries Senior Services: Mary Lynn Masterson
Adult Day Health Center (459-4887)
Outreach Programs (459-0132)
2000 Douglass Blvd, 40205
Highlands Court Apartments, 1720 Richmond Drive, 40205: Martha Baxter, 502-454-7395
Day Care at St. Paul Un. Methodist & Douglass Blvd Christian, 2000 & 2005 Douglass Blvd., 40205: Debbie Borst, 502-458-3045
Day Care at Eastern Star Home, 917 Eastern Star Ct., 40204: Debbie Borst, 502-458-8723
Highlands Youth Recreation, 1140 Cherokee Rd., 40204: Leslie Gross, 502-451-3695
FY 2008:Income$2,626,775
Program expenses $2,569,244
Admin. expences $ 71,191
Fund raising $ 4,282
Total expenses $2,640,435
Ending net assets: $2,453,607
Highlands Court finances are not included in these figures. Total expenses were $3,359,180.
To view the rest of the annual report, go to HCM's community page entitled "annual report."
The Churches of HCM
HCM is a 501(c)3 association of Christian congregations:
Calvary Lutheran
Concordia Lutheran www.concordia-lutheran.com
Metropolitan Community Church of Louisville www.MMMLouisville.org
Deer Park Baptist www.DeerParkBaptist.org
Highland Baptist www.hbclouisville.org
Vine Street Baptist www.vinestreetbaptist.org
Douglass Blvd. Christian www.douglassblvdcc.com
Edenside Christian www.edensidechristian.org
Immanuel United Church of Christ
www.immanuelucc.info.
Christ United Church of Christ
Bellarmine Campus Ministry www.bellarmine.edu
St. Agnes Catholic www.stagneslouisville.org
St. Brigid Catholic
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic
St. James Catholic www.stjameslou.org
St. Raphael Catholic
St. Therese Catholic
Bardstown Road Presbyterian www.brpres.org
Highland Presbyterian www.hpc-lou.org
Strathmoor Presbyterian
St. Andrew's Episcopal www.saintandrewslouky.org
Highland United Methodist www.highlandsumclouky.org
St. Paul United Methodist www.stpaulchurch.net
Church of the Advent Episcopal
HCM is governed by a board of representatives of the HCM member churches = a board of about 50 members.
The current Executive Committee members:
President: Ann Amorose (St. Agnes Catholic)
Vice Pres.: Tonya Williams (Highland Baptist)
Sec./Treasurer: Eric Hoffman Immanuel UCC)
Administration Chair: Kevin Childress (Calvary Lutheran)
Church & Community Chair: Dona O'Sullivan (St. James Catholic)
The Goal of HCM
The goal of H.C.M. is to minister to the needs of people in the Highlands because our Lord calls on us to love our neighbor as ourselves. If our efforts contribute to the healthy growth and environment of the people of our community, we are succeeding in our task. We leave to the local church the task of providing a communal faith and fellowship experience that the people want and need. As the people experience the source of our unselfish ministry, hopefully still more will be inspired to seek for themselves that faith that gives us strength.
HCM sponsors an activity to promote interfaith unity each Fall and in the Spring hosts an event to strengthen the Christian unity among the HCM congregations. At Penecost in 1983, the HCM congregations signed a covenant statement which includes a unified faith statement and our pledges to one another. A unified baptismal certificate is available via HCM.
Email Us
hcmexecu@hotmail,com
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