A Spirit-filled casual, contemplative and joyful, musically modern and remixed-traditional experience of grace-centered worship with weekly communion.

Sample Bulletin

Sample Sermon

Please note that Goatville will be joining our 9:30am worship service on the following dates of our 2017-18 year: Nov.26, Dec. 24, Dec. 31, and through the summer from 5/12-8/19. 

 

As the afternoon service at CPC, our vision is to be an inviting, intimate community participating in Christ through informed worship and reflecting him toward one another, New Haven, and the world.

Resting in Christ. Participating in Christ. Serving in Christ.

We asked our group how they would describe our worship experience. Here's what they came up with: sacred and accessible, free, set apart, contemplative, ancient-modern, rich, in-depth, full, gracious, assured yet mysterious, holistic, safe, non-judgmental, laid back, unpretentious (seriously!), welcoming, calming, casual, refreshing, relevant, authentic, meditative, relaxed, liberating, down-to-earth, genuine, grounded, real, with beer and cheese afterward yet more than beer and cheese (!), orthodox and liberated, and unapologetic.

Why Goatville? The name is weird, but it says a lot about our community! Goatville was the name of part of the East Rock neighborhood in the 1880s because of the number of goats who broke free from their fences (as goats tend to do!) and wandered the neighborhood. We adopted the name because that is where this community was born. We've come to love the name, not only for its quirky sound, but for the imagery it evokes - the rural within the urban, the outsider brought within. In fact, CPC's historic building once bore the nickname "the gate house" because it stood at the intersection of rural and urban New Haven. The Goatville service is seeking to bring those who feel outside of the church community into her midst in a way that expresses who they are. While many people feel the need to conform to a stereotypical “sheep” image, we are safe to be "goats" as we come to God honestly, in light of the incredible grace and restoration of the gospel! We are all in great need of redemption, even deserving of God's wrath; BUT in Christ we have the grace and courage to face those truths and receive mercy.