Hurstbourne Christian Church sits on Nottingham Parkway in eastern Jefferson County, where its congregation has worshipped since the first building rose on the property in 1970 and a larger sanctuary followed in 1984. The Disciples of Christ community is known for the simple phrase it uses to sum up its welcome: "All Means All." Members and visitors arrive in everything from suits and dresses to shorts and T-shirts. Worship is offered in English at 10:30 on Sunday mornings and in Kinyarwanda at 1:00 in the afternoon. Around 85 to 100 people gather on a typical Sunday, with attendance sometimes reaching 185 on special Sundays.
A Place Where All Means All
The congregation describes itself as an open church where every person is welcome, regardless of background, experience, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity. The phrase "All Means All" appears in the mission, vision, and pillars, and members are quick to point out that it is not just a slogan. The community includes people who grew up Catholic, Baptist, and in many other traditions; three United States presidents have been members of Disciples of Christ churches over the years.
The mission reads, "Making Disciples who know Jesus, love God, serve others, and impact our community for good." The vision is "A Christ-centered community serving others with a place for all." Three pillars shape the church's life: knowing Jesus through Biblical study and Christian educational events; serving others through church-wide events and individual volunteering; and welcoming all of God's children.
From a Hurstbourne Living Room to a 1984 Sanctuary
Hurstbourne Christian Church began in 1967, when its first minister, Rev. Bill Schiphorst, opened his Hurstbourne home for Sunday gatherings. After several years of meeting in the house, the first church building was constructed on the current property in 1970. A larger sanctuary followed in 1984 to make room for a growing congregation, and the family room was added in 2010 to serve as a space for fellowship.
Two reminders of that history are still felt in the life of the church. Communion is celebrated every Sunday, as it has been since the Disciples of Christ movement was founded in 1801 in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And the congregation still gathers around fellowship meals, youth lock-ins, and the small groups that grew out of the same Hurstbourne living room where it all began.
Sunday Worship at 10:30
Sunday morning worship at 10:30 lasts about 40 to 50 minutes. The service includes heartfelt singing, prayer, scripture reading, communion, and preaching. A live video feed is available on the church's Facebook page for those who join from home or out of town.
Members come dressed in everything from ties and jackets to polo shirts, shorts, and casual T-shirts. Visitors are asked only to be themselves and to be prepared to feel at home. The congregation's own language for the welcome sums it up: when the church says "All Means All," it means everyone.
Children are welcome to stay in the service for the whole time, and many families choose to do so. After the children's moment, children in third grade and under are invited to attend Worship and Wonder, a parallel program that mirrors the main service and lets the children explore Bible stories through visual learning, feast time, and fellowship.
A dedicated cry room is available for parents with infants, and a staffed nursery is open for those who need it.
Communion Open to All
Communion is a centerpiece of every Sunday gathering. The table is open to all sincere followers of Jesus Christ, and the elders who preside welcome believers from any tradition. Members who were baptized at another church do not need to be re-baptized to join the church; all Christian baptisms are recognized. Anyone who wishes to join the church may come forward during the Call to Discipleship on any Sunday and become a member that day.
Blended Music with Hymns, Choir, and a String Quartet
The music at Hurstbourne Christian Church is a deliberate blend of old and new. The congregation sings time-honored hymns from the Chalice Hymnal alongside contemporary praise and worship songs. Piano and organ carry most of the accompaniment, but the third Sunday of every month brings a string quartet of skilled local musicians who add a thoughtful touch to the Prelude, the Moment of Reflection, the hymns, and the choir or soloist.
The Sanctuary Choir is open to anyone who loves to sing. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 in the Sanctuary, with the kickoff for the Christmas season held in the fall. The choir sings seasonally and presents a Christmas cantata on the third Sunday of December and an Easter cantata on Palm Sunday, both accompanied by a chamber orchestra, soloists, and narration.
The Hurstbourne Singers are a smaller chamber group of highly trained musicians who perform at special services throughout the church year, including the Juneteenth service and All Saints Day. Vocal solos, duets, trios, quartets, and small ensembles round out the music on Sunday mornings. Pianist Coty Taylor leads an annual Christmas Jazz evening in December, gathering friends and congregation in the fellowship hall for charcuterie and festive holiday music. The church also welcomes local school and community ensembles to use the building for concerts and recitals.
Worship and Wonder for the Youngest
Hurstbourne Kids serves children from birth through elementary school. During 10:30 worship, children in third grade and under may leave after the children's moment to attend Worship and Wonder, a hands-on program designed to help children wonder about Bible stories, share in a special feast, and grow in fellowship with one another. The structure mirrors the main service so that the children can move into the larger worship when they are older.
Outside of Sunday mornings, children enjoy several yearly outings, which have included tubing at Perfect North, a popular movie outing, a Christmas gift exchange at a pastor's farm, and an all-night lock-in.
Youth on Sundays, Mission Trips, and Camp Wakon Da-Ho
Hurstbourne Youth serves students in sixth through twelfth grade. After worship ends on Sunday, the group stays from 11:45 to 1:00 for a quick lunch, faith-building activities, and time to grow closer together. Once a month the youth take a team-building trip, with annual destinations that have included Holiday World, bowling, and Malibu Jacks.
Each year the youth take a mission trip, putting their faith into action and learning the importance of helping others. In the summer they travel to Camp Wakon Da-Ho for age-appropriate Disciples camps offered to Kentucky congregations, and high schoolers can take part in CYF Seminar, a mobile classroom experience that has traveled to New York City and Washington, D.C.
Youth are full members of the congregation. They read scripture and offer prayers during worship, and once a year they plan and lead an entire service, choosing the theme, the songs, the prayers, and the message.
Sunday School, Dinners for Eight, and Brave Hearts
Adults find several Sunday School classes that meet during the school year. The Coffee Fellowship Class discusses current events from a Christian perspective. The Forum Class works through a variety of biblical passages in an open discussion format. The Seekers Class focuses primarily on Bible study.
Outside of Sunday morning, the church hosts Dinners for Eight, a once-a-month gathering of eight people around a shared meal, and a young adults group that meets about once a month for dinner, trivia, bowling, or another outing. On the second Wednesday of each month, adults gather for a Bible study that focuses on pressing life themes, with childcare provided. On Tuesday mornings at 11:00 a group called Gamers gathers to play board and card games together.
For men, Brave Hearts is a spiritual growth group that meets to discuss what it means to be a Christian man today. The group opens with the Psalmist's invitation to "be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord," and works through the kinds of issues men carry into everyday life.
Disciples Women and a Christmas Jazz Evening
Disciples Women gathers on the second Thursday of each month at 10:30 in the morning. The group serves as an outreach, Bible study, and fellowship ministry for the women of the church, with monthly faith studies and service projects that partner with organizations throughout the Louisville area. Women of all ages and backgrounds are invited. Once a year the group takes a weekend retreat, often held at a nature-focused retreat center.
The Kinyarwanda Congregation at One in the Afternoon
In addition to the English-language worship, Hurstbourne hosts a Kinyarwanda-language service at 1:00 in the afternoon. The Kinyarwanda congregation shares the church's life on Nottingham Parkway and is part of the same Disciples of Christ family. Senior Minister Rev. Ben Reece also hosts a weekly podcast, Bible & Bourbon.
Three Community Partners in Louisville
Hurstbourne Christian Church actively partners with three nonprofit organizations in Louisville. Eastern Area Community Ministries receives a stocked food pantry from the congregation every September, and the church joins the organization's Christmas drive to provide gifts to more than one hundred families in eastern Louisville. La Casita Center, which serves the Spanish-speaking community, recently joined the partnership, with members of the church helping sort clothes and serve a meal to more than two hundred families. Lowe/Bowen Elementary School receives school supplies at the start of each year and Christmas presents in December for students who rely on free or reduced lunch programs.
The Disciples Identity and Statement of Faith
Hurstbourne Christian Church belongs to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a movement founded in 1801 in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The church's statement of faith draws on the Preamble to the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ):
As members of the Christian Church,
We confess that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of the living God,
and proclaim him Lord and Savior of the world.
In Christ's name and by his grace
we accept our mission of witness
and service to all people.
We rejoice in God,
maker of heaven and earth,
and in God's covenant of love
which binds us to God and to one another.
Through baptism into Christ
we enter into newness of life
and are made one with the whole people of God.
In the communion of the Holy Spirit
we are joined together in discipleship
and in obedience to Christ.
At the Table of the Lord
we celebrate with thanksgiving
the saving acts and presence of Christ.
Within the universal church
we receive the gift of ministry
and the light of scripture.
In the bonds of Christian faith
we yield ourselves to God
that we may serve the One
whose kingdom has no end.
Blessing, glory, and honor
be to God forever. Amen.
The People Who Lead the Church
Rev. Ben Reece is the Senior Minister. A Louisville native, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Louisville and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University. He hosts the weekly podcast Bible & Bourbon. He and his wife, Miranda, have a son named August.
Rev. Dr. Marc Monroe serves as Associate Minister of Worship. A school counselor at Butler Traditional High School, he holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, a Master of Music in Music Education from Campbellsville University, a Master of Arts in Education from Bellarmine University, a Master of School Counseling from Spalding University, and a Doctor of Education in Leadership from Spalding University. He has been named High School Music Teacher of the Year for the 4th District and the 12th District and was a quarterfinalist for the 2021 Grammy Music Educator award.
Dr. Clay Smith is the Assistant Music Director. He performs regularly at Derby Dinner Playhouse and has toured in North American and Asian productions of Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from Louisiana State University in 2009.
Susan Froedge directs the church's youth and children's ministries. An Assistant Principal at Pathfinder School of Innovation, she has spent 26 years in education and brings a background in music education, flute performance, and school administration.
Coty Taylor is the church's pianist. Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, he holds a Bachelor's in Music Education from the University of Kentucky and two Master's degrees, one from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and another in School Counseling from Spalding University. He teaches music for Jefferson County Public Schools and maintains a busy performing schedule as a jazz pianist and French hornist throughout central Kentucky.