TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026

Labor Day Prayer

“…We ask God for your peace in our hearts and minds as we discern how we might participate in your work. Equip us to offer our gifts, education, and resources, not for a faster world, but a world that would move according to the rhythm of your heart.

Lord teach us, the pace of Christ.

We pray for our neighbors that serve at nearby restaurants and gas pumps, our neighbors whom we pass on the lanes of local highways and the aisles of local grocery stores and streets of food deserts. We pray that we might slow down enough to say, ‘Good morning’ and ‘Thank you.’

Lord, help us to pause and see each person as a beloved child of God, all kinds, colors, shapes, and abilities. Teach us how to preach against injustice, protest evil, protect the earth, and pray for the infilling of your Guiding Light that alerts us when we are inching ahead of your timing…”

-Daniel Heath

Associate Chaplain, Davidson College

Sunday School Kicks Off This Sunday!

Classes for all ages | 9:30 a.m.

ADULT CLASSES:

Exploring the Spirits of Religion | September 13 - October 18 Land Building Riverside | led by Richard Ashmore

We will explore how, across time and space, human communities have identified “spirits” (supernatural elements including, but not limited to, supernatural beings) and linked (or not linked) to “religion” (broadly a system of belief and action regarding how one should and should not behave and why). The use of quote marks and the very general language are intentional. Our modern understanding of “religion” with one God or many gods, a written “book,” formalized theology, precise rituals, and religious professionals is a recent development, and, even today, fails to capture the “spirits of religion” of many people around the world. What might we learn from the diverse “religions” and their associated “spirits”?

The Whiteboard Bible | September 13 - November 22

Second-floor conference room 

"The Whiteboard Bible" is a popular study series created by Pastor G. Allen Jackson. It utilizes live-action whiteboard drawings and fifteen-minute video lessons to guide individuals and small groups through a chronological twelve-point timeline of the Bible, from Creation to the return of Jesus.

YOUTH AND CHILDREN:

Youth Sunday School (grades 6-12) meets in the Youth Room on the 3rd floor and occasionally on Instagram @scapc_youth.

The Challenger Class (grades 4-5) meets in a special room on the second floor that is set up with sofas and chairs where students can explore their faith, ask questions, and begin to verbalize what they believe. This year’s class topics include Psalm 23, John Calvin, Prayer and Worship, and the Apostle's Creed.

Three-year-olds through 3rd graders gather by age group for classes that focus on hands-on learning. They are divided into three groups: three-year-olds to Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten through first grade, and second through third grade, all meeting in rooms on the second floor. They engage in Bible stories through activities, interactive games, and creative crafts. Throughout the year we explore stories from the Old and New Testaments. Weekly lessons help kids navigate the stories and begin to compare what they learn to their own lives.

The Nursery for ages 0 to 3 is open 8:15-11:45 a.m. in the Bear Classroom which is the corner classroom on the first floor.

Sign Up to Acolyte for 10:30 Worship

(2nd-5th Graders)

Children second through fifth grade are invited to sign up to acolyte during the 10:30 a.m. service. Responsibilities include lighting the candles on the communion table, assisting the ushers collect the offering and collect the friendship pads after the service. Sign up on our children's ministry page.

Spiritually Hungry Women's New Study

The Spiritually Hungry Women's Group will begin a study of the book Why Religion: A Personal Story by Elaine Pagels tomorrow. Weekly meetings are held on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. in the Land Building, and all are welcome. Questions? Email Beth Poe at bethpoe@tulane.edu.

Thursday Theology Group Begins This Week

The Thursday Theology Group, led by Senior Pastor Chris Currie, will begin their weekly meetings this Thursday, September 10, at 12:15 p.m. in the second-floor conference room and via Zoom. They are studying the book Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland. Contact Miriam Hollar at miriam@scapc.org for the Zoom link.

Young Adults & Families (YAF) Upcoming Events

SAINTS PARTY

Join us this Sunday, September 13 after worship (Noon) at Port Orleans, 4124 Tchoupitoulas Street, as we watch the New Orleans Saints take on the Detroit Lions.

MEET-UP AT EMPORIUM ARCADE BAR

Join us at Emporium Arcade Bar on 2231 St. Claude Avenue on Friday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. to hang, play classic arcade games, pinball, foosball, air hockey, pool, and more. Food, beer, and cocktails will be available for purchase while we listen to DJ Rell. This event is for ages 21+. Register on the SCAPC app.

Visit the YAF page for our full line-up of Fall events.

Questions? Contact Caitlin Wallace-Rowland.

Needle Arts Group

The monthly Neelde Arts Group will meet this Sunday, September 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Phifer Library. If you enjoy crocheting, knitting, sewing, cross-stitching, or any other needle arts, come join us!

PW Circles Begin Next Week

Presbyterian Women's Bible Circles begin with the Monday Lunch Circle on September 14 at 11:30 a.m. in the Land Building and the Tuesday Evening Circle on September 15 at 5:45 p.m. in the Land Building. Circles offer an environment in which faith is nurtured and growth takes place. This year’s study is United Through Christ: Bound to Each Other by Rhonda Mawhood Lee. The lesson book ($15/each) and the 2026-2027 PW SCAPC Yearbook ($10/each) will be available at the PW table in Frampton Fellowship Hall this Sunday morning or at the Circle meetings. Please make checks out to “Presbyterian Women”. Visit our PW webpage for information on all of our PW programs.

Phifer Library Hours

The Phifer Library will be open for new hours weekly on Monday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon beginning this Monday, September 14. Special thanks go out to our new library volunteer, Ruth Hickox! Be on the look-out for a monthly "Critics Corner" group.

New Journaling Club

As a follow-up to last winter’s spiritual journaling class, we will host a monthly journaling “club” on the third Tuesday of each month at the Land Building at 6:00 p.m. We hope to create a holy space to gather for creative solitude and community. We will be inspired by prompts from Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy and other creative musings. This will be a place to write and to relax. If you are interested, join us beginning Tuesday, September 15 in the Land Building. Bring your favorite journal and pen! For more information, contact Harriet Riley at hriley1@mac.com.

CBD Breakfast Group

The CBD Breakfast Group meets on Wednesdays at 8 a.m. beginning September 16 at Bittersweet Confections, 725 Magazine Street. “CBD” stands for Central Business District where the group meets, and also for Christian Book Discussion, which is what the group engages in. The group will be studying The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy J. Keller. All are welcome! Email Larry Hamric at l.m.hamric@att.net with any questions.

Children's Choirs and Youth Bell Choir

CHILDREN'S CHOIRS begin rehearsals on Wednesday, September 16! Children’s Choir 1 (three-years through Kindergarten) rehearses weekly on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the Learning Center on the second floor. Children’s Choir 2 (first through fifth grades) rehearses from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the choir room on the third floor. Visit our children's choirs page to register.

YOUTH "RINGERS" BELL CHOIR begins rehearsals on Sunday, September 20! The Ringers rehearse weekly on Sundays following 10:30 worship for 30 minutes in the choir room on the third floor. Visit our children's choirs page to register.

Tailgate and Football!

Tulane vs. Southern Mississippi

On Saturday, September 26 we will have a Tailgate Party at 50 Audubon Boulevard two hours before kick-off. (Tulane will schedule kick-off time by the end of the week). Come pre-game at Paige and Chep Morrison’s home before we walk to Yulman Stadium to cheer on the Green Wave. All ages are welcomed. The cost is $20/person and includes tailgate and game tickets. Email Michele to RSVP and send a check to the church or Venmo @michele-murphy-12 to reserve your spot.  

Program of Hope

Program of Hope, one of our community ministry partners, is a homeless ministry at First Presbyterian Church staffed by volunteers from many churches in greater New Orleans. It provides housing/shelter vouchers, bus tokens, lunches, hygiene items, clothing, counseling, prayer, and worship. The number of guests served has grown steadily since May, including 390 guests cared for last month. To read the program's most recent newsletter, click here.

Our Sympathy

Our sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Charlotte Hoggatt who passed away on Wednesday, September 2. A memorial service will be held on Monday, September 14 at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary with visitation at 9:30 a.m. in the Bloomfield Room.