The Ardmore Presbyterian Church is not a building, but a community belonging to God. Wherever you are, there's the church. As a result, for many during the week, APC is at work in Center City. Come join us as we take APC on the road.James Hodsden, Nan Clarke, and Jen Herbst will be hosting a luncheon for APC's Center City commuters (and any other interested folks) at Arch Street Presbyterian Church at Noon on September 23rd.
We will be joined by the Arch Street pastors -- Rev. Carmen Goetschius, Rev. Bill Golderer (also of Broad Street Ministries), and Rev. Becky White Newgren. Lunch (sandwiches, salad, beverage, dessert) will be provided by Arch Street ($5 donation requested).
We are only asking for one hour (12pm - 1pm). A rough schedule is as follows:
- Meet in the Arch Street Presbyterian Church sanctuary at 12pm.
- Greetings by Rev. Bill Golderer (10 minutes)
- An elder of the Arch Street Church shares the history of the congregation (10 minutes)
- We retire to the Social Hall for lunch.
- Conversation led by James and Nan about APC's presence downtown.
- Closing Prayer at 12:55pm.
In case you're not familiar with the church downtown, Arch Street is one of Philadelphia's most majestic worship spaces ‐‐ a 1850's‐era massive, domed sanctuary next to the new Comcast Building at 18th and Arch. Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, Arch Street was one of the most prestigious pulpits in the country ‐‐ and it played a big role in the fundamentalist‐modernist controversy that rocked American Protestantism in the 1920s. You might recall that Prince Charles visited the place on the royal visit to Philadelphia several years ago, in homage to the church's Welsh tradition.
You have probably passed Arch Street Presbyterian Church countless times while driving or walking around Center City and may have assumed it was a shuttered church. Actually, it never closed, but in recent decades, the congregation had dwindled to a "faithful remnant" of a few dozen. In 2009, the Philadelphia Presbytery made a major commitment to resurrect this church, with new staff, a new administrative body that replaced the former session (of which Jen is a member), and a midweek ministry to the thousands of souls in the surrounding office buildings. In the past year alone, Arch Street has welcomed over thirty new members and Sunday worship attendance has grown in leaps and bounds. The church has a midweek lunch/Bible study (12:10 to 12:40 pm on Wednesdays), midweek services during Advent and Lent, and has sponsored the "Why Series" ‐‐ a breakfast series providing conversations with inspiring artists, activists, and business leaders. Check out the church's website.
Join us for lunch at noon on September 23rd. Please feel free to forward this to any members or other friends who may be interested. Let me know by e-mail by Friday (9/17) if you are coming.
(Philly Skyline by Massimo Catarinella)
