Care of Congregation
One of the things we hear over and over from members is how important the sense of community is at CPC and how it feels like home here. We believe it’s a way fulfill Jesus’ words: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35).
Our caring for one another takes many forms, both formal and informal. Programmatically, we offer fellowship time after the worship service, which helps us connect with God and each other. We hope that when you visit with us on Sundays, you will also join us for coffee and a light snack in our fellowship hall. Additionally, we have meals together when we have important things to discuss, or just for fun, and we support one another in difficult times by the “laying on of food.” We keep a freezer stocked in our building with homemade, packaged meals to provide to those in need.
This past year, the Care of Congregation committee hosted outdoor picnics, an ice cream social, and our congregational luncheons. Our Prayer and Care Team works with the pastor to keep in touch with our church family, sending cards and making visits.
Youth Ministry
At a time when the culture we live in is rapidly embracing material things and our society is being pulled farther and farther away from Christianity, we stand together in order to bring youth to encounter Jesus and become his disciples.
The mission of the Youth Ministry at Catoctin (YMAC) is to serve youth in our congregation and community through engaging programs and events that help them become disciples of Jesus Christ.
In past years, groups met at the church for their own recreation time and bible study classes. Then the students all joined in Christian fellowship at dinner (along with the staff) and to experience “holy hilarity” with a few table games.
Our high schoolers have also participated in a weekend lock-in to learn about stewardship of God’s creation, with a major emphasis on financial assets. They have also been a part of bake sales, yard sales, blueberry picking, jam making, and our farmer’s market, all in an effort to raise money for our ministries, including youth trips in the past.
We are seeking to reinvigorate our youth program with added excitement towards meeting together to study God’s Word on a regularly scheduled basis. If you have ideas for what you would like to witness from our youth program at this time, please contact Pastor David.
Christian Education
Our Christian Education ministry strives to deepen one’s discipleship, spiritual growth, and relationship with Jesus Christ. We continue to seek to learn from Him and to live more like Him. As a community of believers growing in faith, hope, love, and witness to Jesus Christ, it is important to us to have opportunities to pray together, worship together, and study the Bible together.
At Catoctin Presbyterian Church, we offer Christian Education to both children and adults. This past year, throughout the season of Lent, adults participated in a Bible study titled “An Acceptable Fast”, exploring key Lenten themes of voice gratitude, taking the long view, choosing well, accepting responsibility, welcoming the future and trusting God in times of conflict. Additional study groups will be available throughout the rest of the year, with a focus on special holidays or our work as a Matthew 25 church. Study groups will reflect our identity and mission statements as a church and how we see ourselves fitting into these areas as followers of Christ.
Children’s Sunday School occurs during the worship service each Sunday during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. We have begun a new program within the “Dig In” curriculum from Group Publishing titled “The Heart of God”. Throughout this program, children will explore God’s character throughout the Bible. We were also excited to remodel and redecorate our Sunday School space, stocking it with fun crafts and materials to help children visualize and connect with the messages each week.
Adults gather at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday, prior to the worship hour, for an informal, forum-based time together to discuss the Word of God.
We thank you for supporting our mission of educating children, youth, and adults about God’s word. We also value your feedback, so, if you happen to have any questions, please contact Elder Logan McIntosh at logan.mcintosh@catoctin.org.
Mission
As disciples of Jesus, we are called by Him to apply our wealth and service to the “least of these” (Matthew 25:31-45). The mission committee continues to serve others in our community, nation, and the world by coordinating projects that deliver goods and services to individuals and communities with a variety of needs such as hunger, education, disaster relief, and shelter.
In the past year, our mission funds have been distributed to:
- Mobile Hope Loudoun (local, shelter/hunger)
- Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (regional, hunger)
- Community Coalition for Haiti (global, education)
- OAR Foundation (prisoner)
- ARC of Loudoun (disabilities)
- LAWS (Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter)
- Rise Against Hunger
- and the Presbyterian Church (USA) (national, our general denominational mission giving).
We have also provided additional giving opportunities for the people of Ukraine.
Outreach
At Catoctin Presbyterian Church, we embrace the close relationships we have established with one another. When you visit with us, we hope you experience this belonging, love, and warm welcome! We enjoy connecting with the community outside the walls of the church so that you may witness our good works right along with us. And we invite you to be a part of this journey with us. Some of the latest sources of outreach that we have been a part of include:
- An Easter story walk and photo booth
- Free “Tutoring Tuesdays”
- Yard Sale
- Church picnics and ice cream socials
- Our Farmer’s Market
- Waterford Fair
- Game Day
- Movie Night
Looking ahead, the Outreach committee will be seeking opportunities to collaborate with the other ministries of our church in an effort to involve you, our neighbors, in the work we set forth to do as a church. We are a community growing in faith, hope, love and witness to Jesus Christ and it is our mission to extend God’s kingdom by serving those in need.
Worship & Ministry
Humanity’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy God forever. Worship is our primary service to God as disciples. Worship is to the Body of Christ what breathing is to the human body. These are just a few of thoughts that Christians have expressed about worship.
For our part as a congregation, weekly worship on the Lord’s Day is the central focus of our life together. Here we meet with our sisters and brothers in faith. Here we are reminded that we are not alone on the journey of faith. Here we sing praise to our God and Savior. Here we listen again to the assurance of God’s love for us in Christ. Here we are washed from the font and nourished at the Lord’s Table. Here we are confronted with God’s claim on our lives that we make a difference in the world. Here we learn to breathe grace and peace.
Christian worship is a give-and-take experience. We not only receive God’s presence and goodness, but we offer ourselves to God in response. In worship we give thanks to God for life, for faith, for grace and forgiveness, and for purpose. We do that in prayer, in our singing, and in giving our gifts, tithes, and offerings to God through the church.
Worship is so important to Christians because it is our primary act of devotion to God as a community, our primary time for fellowship with our brothers and sisters, our primary channel for proclaiming the Good News of Christ and educating our people in the faith, and our primary opportunity for outreach and evangelism. It’s been said the Church can survive without meetings, committees, small groups, Sunday school, potlucks, and even mission projects, but the Church cannot survive without worship.
Facilities & Communication
Since its initial construction in 1814 and rebuilding in 1882, the Catoctin Presbyterian Church building has served as our place of worship, education, fellowship, and community events.
Our sanctuary is now 138 years old, the Fellowship Hall is 70 years old, and the Manse is 68 years old. CPC’s facilities are in good repair and support an array of activities. The Sanctuary has ample space to accommodate worshipers and religious ceremonies, as well as public audiences for concerts, lectures, and meetings. Our facilities will adequately support our current ministries, and we have plenty of space for church membership growth.
