1: Where are you?
Our address is 154 5th Ave N, which is the corner of 5th Ave and Church St. We are 1 block N of the Ryman auditorium and 2 blocks north of Broadway. We are 5 blocks west of the Cumberland River, 1 block east of the Cumberland Apartments and 2 blocks east of the main branch of the public library.
Or, you could say we are right next to the new Veridian Apartment Building, directly across the street from the only downtown Starbucks and diagonally across the street A City Place Restaurant.
2: When do you worship?
Worship is at 11:00 in the sanctuary. Please enter through the front doors on Church St. An elevator is located on the left (east) side of the building.
Sunday school is at 9:45 and meets in different places throughout the church. Enter through the wooden doors on 5th Ave and ask anyone you see where to go.
3: Where can I park?
Parking is free for worshippers in the Premiere Parking Lot located directly across 5th Ave from the church.
4: I’m not really a ‘dress-up’ person. Can I still come?
Of course. On any given Sunday you will find everything from suits and ties to shorts and sandals, long dresses to short skirts. Please dress in a way that helps you honor God and that helps you worship God, bearing in mind that there are others sitting around you.
5: Why should I worship at DPC?
Why should you worship anywhere? Worship is about coming before God with other Christian brothers and sisters for the purpose of worshipping God and learning about God so that we can live God’s life in our everyday living.
Every Sunday you will find people from all walks of life and from all over Nashville and beyond. Our worship is “relaxed high-church.” That is, we have a formal, printed liturgy (don’t worry, it’s easy to follow), we sing hymns and do things in a structured way. At the same time we are relaxed, friendly and take time to share with each other what is important in our lives.
Why should you worship at DPC? Because there’s a good chance that doing so will help you draw closer to God and may even change your life.
6: What do you believe?
Like all Christians we believe that there is a God who loves us. This loving God is revealed to us through our scriptures, the Bible. God is especially revealed to us through the life, death and resurrection of God’s son, Jesus.
As Presbyterians we believe strongly that we are saved only by God’s grace, not by our own works. We don’t have to work hard to get to heaven. Jesus did the hard work for us. All we need to do is respond to Jesus by loving God and loving one another to the best of our ability.
If you want to learn more about specific items – the Virgin Mary, homosexual marriage, abortion, war, the list goes on and on – come and find out. Talk to the pastor. Join a Sunday School class. We may not have beliefs carved in stone for every topic under the sun but we’d be glad to talk about them.
7: What do you do for Nashville and the world?
We Presbyterians believe very strongly in mission. We reach out with the love of God as far as our arms will stretch.
We donate money to our denomination every year. Part of this donation is always used for foreign missions.
In the city of Nashville we have a number of ministries:
We offer our space and our services to the downtown community.
We act as a patron of the arts and inspire the artistic community to pursue their questions about God.
We minister to the homeless and urban poor through offerings of food, prayer, and assistance with things like prescription medicine and State ID Cards.
We support a number of local charities and outreach groups ministering to immigrants, people living in impoverished circumstances, children who are wards of the state and women leaving lifestyles of degradation.
8: How are you run? Who is in charge?
The local governing body of any Presbyterian Church is always the session. This body is made of men and women chosen from the congregation who are ordained to the ministry of governance. The moderator of the session is always the pastor who also has the right to vote and speak on issues.
Above the level of the session, we are a part of the Presbytery of Middle-Tennessee and the Synod of Living Waters. Each of these governing bodies has some level of guidance in our ministry.
Finally, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) meets every two years. Commissioners are sent from each of the Presbyteries.
9: Do I need to join?
You do not need to join to worship, receive communion, attend committee meetings and take an active role in the life and ministry of the church.
You do need to join to be able to vote in congregational meetings and to serve on the session.
Membership is a commitment we take quite seriously. We encourage anyone to worship regularly and be a part of the life of the church for a while before joining. At the same time, membership is not to be ignored. Committing ourselves to living out our faith in a particular community is always easier and more productive when we take the step of committing ourselves, of joining the church.
10: How do I join?
First of all, you attend the pastor’s 4Ws of DPC class – what we read, where we came from, what we believe, who we are now. This is a good introduction to basic Christianity, Presbyterianism and The Downtown Presbyterian Church. It is offered in the spring and the fall.
When you are ready and have discussed it with the pastor you meet with the session, our governing body. It is the session’s job to ensure you are committed to your faith and understand the importance and seriousness of joining. Don’t worry – it’s not a brutal inquisition. It’s more like a fun conversation between friends asking, “Why DPC? Why now?”
11: What does Presbyterian mean?
Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbyteros which means elder. We are the church governed by a duly elected and spirit-filled body of elders.