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...an 1100 member PCUSA congregation situated in the heart of one of Cincinnati's fastest growing suburbs.
Our
journey began when Rev. Adam Rankin preached the first Associate
Reformed sermon in the Northwest Territory in
1794. Since then Sycamore Church has borne a continuous witness to
the Lord. Rev. Robert Warwick founded the church in 1796 and
formally organized it in 1798 as the Mill Creek
Congregation (near
Glendale). Rev. Warwick often preached for more
than four hours, and
sometimes all day, pacing up and down the aisles
and pausing occasionally to drink from a large jug of buttermilk.
Denominationally the church began as Associate Reformed and became
United Presbyterian of North America in 1858.
Today it is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
A founder and one of its first two elders was a young surveyor, Jeremiah Morrow, who served as elder for over fifty years. He became a State Senator, member of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and Governor of Ohio in 1822-26.
From its original
location the congregation journeyed eastward to a site near Sycamore
Creek from which it derives its present
name. In 1848, at its fourth and present
location on Mason Road in
Symmes Township, a single-room brick
structure was built. This was a momentous step in Sycamore's faith
journey. The one-room structure served as the primary building for
more than 100 years. Now part of a much larger complex it continues
to serve the congregation as a chapel. In 1998 the chapel was
renovated in honor of its 150th anniversary. It is registered as
American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site, #11.
A long succession of
students, part-time preachers, and pastors, served for short periods
and moved the congregation along in spurts. During 1949 and 1950 a
young seminary student named Theodore Kalsbeek served as summer
student supply. In 1951 Rev. Kalsbeek was called as pastor and
served more than 40 years.
Under his leadership Sycamore Church grew from thirty worshippers in
a one-room country church with wood stoves and outhouses, to a
congregation of 1100 members and an extensive church campus.
By God’s grace, Sycamore Church will continue its journey and remain true to its Lord and heritage even as it changes and grows in order to meet the needs and make disciples of the people in the twenty-first century. On March 21, 2004 the congregation unanimously called the Rev. Dr. Larry Kent, who had previously served in multiple pastoral positions at First Presbyterian Church of Flint, Michigan, to be the installed Head of Staff. He began his role as Senior Pastor on June 20, 2004 .
Under the leadership of Rev. Kent the church has broadened its mission and its ministry to the congregation and the community. There are now three services every Sunday, a vibrant Church School serving infants through Senior High, classes for adults at various times of the week, and lay leadership supporting many activities for all age groups. In 2006 the congregation called as Associate Pastor the Rev. Dr. Jerry Pitman and in the fall of 2008 the Reverend Shirley Hutchins joined our pastoral team as our Associate Pastor for Adult Ministry.
Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." The journey of faith always begins with Jesus. Wherever you may be, join us on the journey as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our God designed, Spirit sustained MISSION is to be ALIVE in Christ!
V
Acknowledge and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus ChristV Live, model and imitate Him in serving others and loving one another
V Invite all to know Christ and have a living relationship with Him
V Value outreach and mission as we share Christ’s Spirit with others
V Enhance our biblical and experiential knowledge and worship of God
We value:
1) Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8-10)
Through faith in Jesus Christ and by His grace, we are saved and called to new life.
2) Trust in the authority of God’s Word (II Timothy 3:16; John 17:14-17; Ephesians
6:17; Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible is God’s Word, authoritative and applicable to all parts of our lives. We study, teach and follow scripture as our guidebook for life.
3) Worship (Jeremiah 7:1-7; John 4:23-24; Romans 12:1; Ps. 150:6)
We are intentional, enthusiastic and joyful in our commitment to worshiping God according to God’s Word. We express our love of God through inspirational worship that challenges the mind, touches the heart and lifts the spirit. Our purpose in worship is to glorify God with our very lives.
4) Prayer (I Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18; Gal. 6:2)
God calls us to a life of prayer that is vital to our sense of community. Through prayer, we actively seek the Holy Spirit’s direction and empowerment.
5) Sharing the Gospel and spreading God’s love (Mark 16:15, Philemon 1:6)
We are committed to spreading God’s love, empowering people to express their faith confidently and naturally.
6) A kingdom mindset (Romans 14:17-18; Mark 1:15; Galatians 5:16)
God has a significant role for us as a church in the development of God’s kingdom. We are committed to having the greatest possible impact for Christ, which will require a constant stretching of our vision and the taking of faith based risks. Recognizing that all we have belongs to God, we are committed to being good stewards of the resources of time, money and abilities God has given us.
7) Servanthood as a way of life (John 15:16; Phil 2:3-8; Matthew 20:25-28; John 13:1-17)
We are called to serve, to live out the reality of putting others first. We will practice genuine humility as it is the mark of God taking hold in our hearts. We are committed to serving God and God’s people everywhere as active participants.
8) Spiritual growth, both individually and as a community (Romans 8:6, Philippians 1:8-11)
We are committed to grow spiritually through worship, prayer, education, fellowship and service.
9) Unity forged by unconditional, loving relationships (John 13:35; John 17:20-23; Ephesians
4:15; Phil 2:1-2; James 5:16)
God longs for us to be united in spirit and purpose. The Lord intends for us to live life honestly, being truthful and kind to one another. Unity is created and preserved when we are not afraid to admit our flaws and fears and when we are willing to speak the truth in love. We are committed to building one another up in the body of Christ.
10) Fellowship (John 10:16; James 2:8)
We are committed to loving our neighbor and to welcoming everyone into fellowship with us.
11) Excellence with integrity (Ps. 78:72; Colossians 3:17, 23; Proverbs 17:17)
God’s work demands our best. Anything less does not honor God. Regular evaluation and review is an essential part of excellence.
12) Teamwork (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; I Peter 4:8-11)
God gives vital spiritual gifts to every believer. The discovery, development and exercise of these gifts are the primary instruments of Christ to minister to His body. We are committed to helping people serve each other according to their spiritual gifts so that all might become mature in Christ. We work together as one team to fulfill our mission.
Seeking to be faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our Mission Statement, with the Holy Spirit’s leading, SPC will:
Worship God in everything we do and welcome all to praise and glorify God
Transform individuals into empowered disciples of Jesus Christ by helping them identify, develop and utilize their God given spiritual gifts to serve and glorify God
Effectively train, equip and develop staff and lay leadership
Serve God by actively serving with others in the community doing God’s work and directly serving those who are in need
Be a faithful community of believers who hunger for spiritual growth through prayer, instruction, experiential action and small groups and exude a vibrant and contagious spirituality
Be inclusive, flexible, embrace change and take faith based risks to meet the changing needs of our church and community without compromising our core values or our heritage
Be responsible stewards of God’s blessings, recognizing that ALL we have is God’s. We will commit to financially support the ministry with our tithes and spiritual gifts as well as our labors of love, time and talent
Evaluate our current ministries and programs in relationship to our stated core values and establish a holistic organizational framework. We will attempt great things for God that are built on our strengths and resources
Evaluate and coordinate establishing facilities designed to support our mission and ministries.