A congregation on the lake, nearly two centuries in
Christ Presbyterian Church stands at 944 East Gorham Street on Madison's near-east side, a low-set building whose back doors open onto the shoreline of Lake Mendota. The congregation gathers with the implicit acknowledgment that it meets on Ho-Chunk land. The roots of the place, however, run much deeper than the 1963 building. In 1851, when Wisconsin was only three years old and Madison was still a village of about 1,500 residents, three civic leaders - John Sterling, often called the father of the University of Wisconsin; Daniel S. Durrie, secretary of the new State Historical Society; and John Yost Smith, who supervised construction of the first capitol - helped launch what was then called First Presbyterian Church. The vote to organize came on October 4, 1851, and the first worship service was held the next day.
The congregation has moved three times. The original building stood at East Johnson Street and Wisconsin Avenue, where the Masonic Center now sits, and served the church from 1853 until 1892. A second building rose on East Dayton Street and Wisconsin Avenue, the site now occupied by the Concourse Hotel, and served until the move to Gorham Street in 1963. Major renovations followed in 1986 and 2014. The name changed to Christ Presbyterian Church in 1891 as plans for that second building took shape. Across all of it, the work has stayed recognizable: worship, formation, service in Madison and beyond, and a particular love for music. The congregation marked its 175th year of ministry with a season of storytelling, a Substack history project, a Saturday evening celebration, and a Sunday of worship.
Two Sunday services, one story told twice
Sunday mornings at CPC are built around two intentionally liturgical services, both designed to create a place where people can connect deeply with God and with one another, whether in person or online.
At 9:00 a.m., the Contemporary Service fills the sanctuary with music led by a band that regularly includes piano, guitars, bass, drums, and keys. The service moves through call to worship, confession and pardon, scripture, a sermon, and moments that swing between upbeat celebration and quiet reflection. Visual imagery and instrumental color support the spoken word.
At 10:00 a.m., during the school year, the Community Hour gathers people between services for adult formation, mission connections, and conversation about what matters most in following Christ.
At 11:00 a.m., the Classical Service begins with the Organ Prelude at 10:50 a.m., a weekly destination for listeners who come early to sit in the quiet beauty of the sanctuary. Music is led by the Chancel Choir, the Scholarship Singers Quartet, and the Celebration Ringers handbells, supported by a Moeller pipe organ in the sanctuary and a J.W. Taylor tracker instrument in the chapel. The order includes confession and pardon, scripture, sermon, and an affirmation of belief in the Triune God that sends people back out strengthened for service. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month in both services.
The church's YouTube channel carries the livestream of each service as well as an archive of recent services.
Music that anchors the room
Music has been a long-time center of life at CPC. The Chancel Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., September through May, leads worship each week, and presents several large choral works each year. Open Choir Sundays and other options let newcomers try it out before committing. The Celebration Ringers handbell choir rehearses on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Interim Choir Director, Interim Worship Band Leader, and Interim Organist, supported by the Director of Music Arts, keep both services running week to week, while the Handbell Director has shaped the bell choir and sung in the choir for many years.
Volunteers are the engine behind the music. The Contemporary Service draws on a rotating roster of instrumentalists, including reed, string, and brass players, and runs alongside a tech team that runs audio, video, lighting, and slides. Classical and Contemporary Communion Preparers assist with the first-Sunday celebration. Worship bands, choirs, and tech teams all have structured paths for newcomers.
A place for every stage of childhood
Family Ministries at CPC aims to be a space for everyone. On Sunday mornings, children begin in worship with their families and head out after a brief Kids' Moment. The Nursery serves children newborn to around age three and is open from 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (9:45 to 11:15 a.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend). Little Kids' Ministry welcomes those about ages four through seven. Kids' Ministry gathers children from second grade up, with middle schoolers always welcome alongside. A Family Ministry volunteer walks each child back to caregivers at the end of worship. Kids' Ministry takes a summer break beginning Memorial Day weekend.
Between services during the school year, the Community Hour offers childcare for babies up to about age 10 and a Youth Hang once a month for middle and high schoolers. Youth Ministry, for grades 6 through 12, meets weekly on Sundays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and weaves local service and faith formation into a year-round rhythm. The Director for Family Ministries and the Childcare and Kids Coordinator lead this work, supported by a Youth Ministry Intern and a deep bench of parent volunteers.
Learning together through the week
Adult formation at CPC assumes that no one arrives. Brown Bag Bible Study meets each Thursday from noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Emmaus Room at the back of the sanctuary, and Centering Prayer groups meet weekly on Wednesdays and every other Thursday. The Community Hour fills the 10:00 a.m. slot between services from September through May with classes and conversation for all ages. Fall and Spring Small Groups meet at CPC and around the city, some ongoing and some organized around a book, a Bible study, or a single topic. Seniors in Faith gathers monthly for Lunch Seminars after Classical Worship. The Young Adult Ministry meets throughout the year at CPC and around Madison.
A network of care
Caring for the congregation is a layered effort. Pastors meet with people for spiritual conversations, sit with those who are ill or grieving, and accompany people heading into surgery, referring to outside professionals when helpful. Around fifteen active deacons serve three-year terms supporting members through health challenges, meal trains, transportation, grief, prayer, and whatever else life brings. On the first Sunday of each month and the following Tuesday, Deacons and Elders bring communion to homebound members.
On Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., the building opens to 12-step recovery groups, including Al-Anon, Alateen, Adult Children of Alcoholics, and an AA meeting called Grace Uncensored. Anyone may attend on a walk-in basis. Prayer requests can be submitted confidentially or shared with the prayer community. A Scholarship Fund supports members and regular attendees pursuing post-secondary education, with applications reviewed annually and awards made in April. Faith milestones - baptism, marriage, confirmation, and end-of-life services - are walked through with the pastors.
Justice, welcome, and repair
Service beyond the church walls is woven into the congregation's identity. CPC began co-sponsoring a refugee family from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012, in partnership with Jewish Social Services and Open Doors for Refugees, with teams helping prepare apartments, furnish homes, drive, shop, and tutor in English. The Justice ministry engages immigration, racial, economic, food and shelter, and education and healthcare equity. International Ministries connects internationals and their families with native English speakers for conversation and friendship, while the Director of International Outreach also serves as Executive Director of Madison International Partners, a nonprofit grown out of CPC's outreach.
Creation Care pursues learning and advocacy on behalf of God's earth. The Madison Community Fridge sits at the Brearly Street entrance and is stocked by volunteers for anyone who needs food. On the third Monday of each month, a CPC team prepares and serves a meal at Luke House for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. A monthly Sunday meal goes to students at Pres House. At Mendota Community School on the north side, volunteers serve as literacy and math tutors. Global partnerships include Africa Medical Mission, Fairhaven School, Bright Stars of Bethlehem, and Dar al-Kalima University of Arts and Culture.
Values that frame the work
CPC's vision is to be a worshiping community without barriers, a sanctuary for all, following Jesus by doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. Six values do the talking: Love, which extends God's grace across generations, races, genders, and abilities; Doubt and Faith, which treat questions as gifts; Beloved Community, which honors diversity of thought, worship, and experience; Spiritual Health, which studies, worships, prays, and listens for the Spirit; Repair and Renewal, which gives time, talent, and resources to build a more just world; and Care of Creation, which lives sustainably and seeks systemic change.
Seven areas of call are the church's strategic priorities: Worship, Diverse and Inclusive Culture, Christian Witness, Care of Creation, Spiritual Nurture and Development, Creative Arts, and Children and Youth.
A season of transition
The congregation is currently in a season of pastoral transition. A Transitional Lead Pastor, an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with deep experience as an interim in multi-staff congregations, holds the pulpit alongside an Associate Pastor and a Parish Associate for Congregational Care. A Pastor Nominating Committee has been elected and is engaged in the search process. John Knox Presbytery, the regional body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in this part of Wisconsin, walks alongside the congregation during the transition.
Getting here, getting connected
Parking is available in front of the building along East Gorham Street and behind the building near the lake. Wheelchairs can reach the sanctuary from both the front and rear entrances, and an elevator sits down the hall to the left of the front door. Coffee, hot tea, and water are available in the gathering hall before and between services, and beverages are welcome in worship. There is no dress code; people wear everything from jeans to business attire.
The Nursery welcomes children newborn through about age three, and Kids' Ministry runs during worship for older children. Online worship is available on YouTube, and services can be watched live or later. A Welcome Team greets newcomers at the door, and Starting Point gatherings on the third Sunday of each month offer a relaxed way to meet pastors and leaders and ask questions. A monthly Joining Meeting on the fourth Sunday is open to anyone wishing to become a member. Church Center is the online space for joining teams and signing up for events, and the church's weekly emails and quarterly Tidings newsletter keep the wider community informed.