Partners of Central Presbyterian Church
Central Presbyterian is proud to work with the following organizations to improve the cultural and spiritual life of the Austin area.AAIM: Austin Area Interreligious Ministries
AAIM brings people of all faiths together to connect with one another through dialogue and service to the needy in the Greater Austin area. Central provides board members and three delegates for AAIM's ecumenical ministry, as well as volunteers to help staff the following programs:
Hands On Housing
Central volunteers help renovate the homes of the elderly, the physically disabled and low income residents. These work days usually take place one spring and one fall weekend.Community Mentoring Network
Volunteers, providing mentoring and support, are paired with first-time youth offenders in the juvenile justice system. Training is provided, and a six-month commitment is requested.Sheltering the Homeless
AAIM joins organizations and the faith community in providing cold weather shelters, food, clothing and other needed services to Austin's homeless.Crop Walk
AAIM is the local sponsor, and Central participates with walkers supported by pledges from members of the congregation. Crop Walk feeds hungry people around the block and around the world. The donations are given to Church World Service for worldwide hunger relief, and a portion is retained in Austin for a selected agency.Downtown Cluster
A geographical breakdown of AAIM, the Downtown Cluster representatives meet monthly to find solutions to problems in the Central Austin area. In addition to Central Presbyterian Church members, Cluster representatives include those from St. Mary's Cathedral, First Baptist, St. David's Episcopal, Central Christian, First Methodist, Austin Resource Center for the Homeless and Travis County agencies.
Austin Downtown Cluster
of Congregations and Social Agencies
From Our
Mission (Oct 2007):
Members of the Downtown Cluster have joined together to improve the quality of life among the poor, the addicted, the mentally ill, the abused and the homeless who are our downtown neighbors.
Austin Interfaith Arts & Music Festival
From Our Mission (Feb 2008):The Interfaith Arts and Music Festival seeks to provide opportunities for people of all faith traditions and nationalities to encounter the transforming beauty of religious art and spiritual music. Our hope is that such encounters will help us bridge that which divides us so that we may join together in celebrating that which unites us.
The Interfaith Arts & Music Festival is an event sponsored by Central Presbyterian Church of Austin and Friends. The Festival is held with the intention of bringing people together of all faiths. First held in 2004, the next festival will be held on Oct 18 & 19, 2008, at Central Presbyterian Church.
APTS: Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
From About Austin Seminary (Nov 2006):Austin Seminary is a warm and friendly place to pursue a serious theological education. Our students come from a wide range of denominations, age groups, geographical areas, educational backgrounds, cultural heritages, and theological perspectives, creating a rich and challenging educational environment. Community and camaraderie are among the fringe benefits of the instructional programs at Austin Seminary. Living, working, and worshiping together, students and faculty develop friendships and professional relationships that last a lifetime.
President Theodore J. Wardlaw heads a faculty of twenty-seven scholars representing a dozen different disciplines. Austin Seminary professors understand their academic work to be in the service of the church. Most faculty members have experienced parish ministry first-hand and all are currently engaged in the life of the church from the local to the national level. A diverse group, our resident faculty includes scholars of different traditions and philosophies; their classes blend practical discussions of pastoral work with deep theological insight.
The Care Communities (formerly known as Interfaith Care Alliance)
The Care Communities Mission & Vision (Nov 2006):
OUR MISSION:
To provide practical and compassionate support, through care teams,
for people living with serious illness.
OUR VISION:
A caring community where no one will face a serious illness alone.
DANA: Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association
From DANA Mission & History (Nov 2006):DANA is the voice of downtown Austin residents. Our mission is to improve the quality of Austin's urban life by:
- organizing resident social events
- promoting a range of downtown housing options
- protecting public spaces and historical assets
- supporting pedestrian-oriented development policies
- addressing safety and public nuisance concerns
- encouraging mixed-use residential development
- communicating the economic and cultural benefits of a vibrant, densely-populated downtown to elected officials and the community at large.
SXSW: South by Southwest Festivals
The SXSW Music and Media
Conference showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe
on over fifty stages in downtown Austin.
Starting in 2006, Central Presbyterian has served as a venue for select
acts. Our sanctuary delivers beauty both in appearance and sound, and
CPC's members provide expert and enthusiastic support for the performers
and attendees, causing one seasoned professional to say "This the best
venue I've played!"
» We've collected some comments and photos
about SXSW at CPC from the Web - take a look!