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Thought for the Week:

“If you get, give.

If you learn, teach.”

Maya Angelou
       
 In worship this week:
May 20, 2018
Day of Pentecost

Pastor: Rev. Janie McElwee-Smith

Music Director: Aubrey Nelson

Pianist: Bingyu Peng

Liturgist: Dave Adams

Youth Liturgist: Kate Stewart

Ushers: Mike and Connie Leonard

Communion Servers: Dave and Peggy Adams
Flowers this Sunday are presented
to the glory of God
in thanks for
Highland Presbyterian Church
by Anne McKnight.
Focus on HPC:     
Presbyterian Children’s Homes and
Services – Baton Rouge Office

Most people think of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services as the agency that cares for children whose families can’t care for them anymore. But a huge part of their mission is helping families in crisis stay together, especially here in Baton Rouge through their Child and Family Services. These are families who face enormous threats to their unity because of the death of a parent, divorce, illness, homelessness, violence and/or substance abuse. These are also families who are in need of emotional support, single parents who feel overwhelmed, grand-parents raising grandchildren, families struggling with a child’s difficult behavior or parents who are at the end of their rope and not sure where to turn. 
The masters-level degree specialists of PCHS have served more than 10,000 families in the Texas, Missouri and Louisiana area. The proven approach of PCHS specialists, as well as their compassion and patience, has saved many families from breaking apart. First, specialists make sure the children are safe. Then they help families create goals to work toward and support them when they need it, for as long as they need it. This may include: identifying a family’s strengths and areas where they can grow, building up parenting skills, individual and group counseling, working on daily routines and healthy relationships and/or assisting a family member with temporary out-of-home placement if needed. All this is done to provide Christ-centered care and support to children and families in need.

Highland’s 40% of the Pentecost Offering received today will go to support the work of this organization here in the Baton Rouge area.  


This week in PCUSA Mission:                
         
Once a Refugee, Now a Hunger Advocate

Next to the entrance of Lucy Janjigian’s apartment is a drawing that her granddaughter made. It depicts Janjigian, her granddaughter and the words “My grandmother helps orphans in Armenia. She inspires me to hep other people.” Her granddaughter has pigtails. Janjigian has a superhero cape. In real life, Janjigian is a bit of a superhero.

This spring, Janjigian will complete eight years of service on the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s Advisory Committee. In addition to working with PHP staff to decide program foci, the committee is responsible for distributing grants from money raised from One Great Hour of Sharing offerings to nonprofits around the world. Those grants have been for a variety of things over the years — from garden training to community organizing.

When asked how she got interested in caring for hungry people, Janjigian tells the story of being a 15-year-old in Palestine when it was partitioned in 1948. She and her family had to leave their home. Houses were demolished. Three-quarters of a million Palestinian refugees lived in tents. When she was 17, she worked with the United Nations in the refugee camps, interviewing families. She was supposed to record how many people lived in each tent, and if the family had lost a house, a job and/or income. She recalls how some of the families “borrowed grandmothers” so that they would qualify for a little more of the meager rations of flour, sugar and rice. She faithfully counted the extra grandmothers — even when she recognized them as repeats — because she believed that people should be fed and that people who were uprooted should be cared for.

Over the years, Janjigian has used her gifts and skills to connect with other people, as a refugee herself several times over. First, she and her family were uprooted from Jerusalem. Then she and her husband had to flee Lebanon to the United States before war broke out in 1958. Her husband was a successful businessman, but it was Janjigian’s science degree that got them a green card and their citizenship.
Immediate Church Family*:
Betty Bagent; Carol Behrmann; Doris Baugh; Inez Geoghegan; Betty Lancaster; Preston Lancaster; Mary Perry; Deanna Lewis Sklar; Brad Smith.

Extended Church Family*:
Brandon Behrmann (Carol’s nephew); Lettie Capers (friend of the Leonards); Austin Casey (Jack and Betty Bagent’s grandson); Woody and Susie Chew (friends of Deanna); Wayne Cline (Sherry Hutchinson’s brother); Steve Dull (hus-band of Lynn Nichols Dull); Dan Durway (former Pastor of Highland); Eva Fuller (Inez Geoghegan’s niece); Julius Fuller (Inez Geoghe-gan’s brother);  the Miller twins (friends of Brad Smith); Aleta Pickholtz; Earl Rabe (friend of Rick Gurtner); Joy Walker (niece of the Pfeifers); Larry Wilcoxson (friend of the Leonards); Barbara Zeagler (friend of the Dyes.)

 * New names or concerns added to the prayer list this week are in italics.

Birthdays
May 20 - 26:  none

Anniversaries
May 23 – Jacob & Audrie John
May 28 – John & Louise Dye
Detail of the Prague Astronomical Clock in thePrague Old Town

This week at HPC:
Monday, May 21: 
12:00 p.m. AA

Tuesday, May 22: 
9:30 a.m.  WW Quilters 
10:30 a.m. Tuesday Morning Class
12:00 p.m. AA 
7:30 p.m. AA

Wednesday, May 23:
12:00 p.m. AA
7:00 p.m. Ladies’ AA

Thursday, May 24:
12:00 p.m. AA
8:00 p.m. Men’s AA

Friday, May 25:
12:00 p.m. AA

Saturday, May 26:
Yard Crew – Jack Bagent & Bill Pfeifer

Sunday, May 27: Trinity Sunday
9:30 a.m. Worship
7:00 p.m. AA
coming soon brand new product release next up promotion and announce road sign or announcement billboard
Upcoming Opportunities at HPC
  • Pentecost Third Sunday Lunch. Following worship today, come celebrate Highland’s 35th birthday with (real) Jambalaya and birthday cake. 

  • Tuesday Morning Class, 10:30 am - Great Figures of the New Testament. This Tuesday (May 22) we begin a new Great Courses DVD study taught by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine (Vanderbilt Univ.) which takes a closer look at 24 specific characters from the New Testament: who they are, what they do, and how they have been assessed by historians and artists, theologians at their desks, and worshippers in the pews.

  • The sermon next week (May 27) is “Whom Shall I Send?” from Revelation 4:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8.
About HPC
Highland Presbyterian Church is a vibrant tree in God's grace-filled orchard. Deeply rooted in God's life-giving presence here on earth, this tree extends its branches to support one another in faith and reach into the world around it to produce fruit. Whether you are seeking God's presence through questions or service, discussion or fellowship, there is a home for you at Highland.
Connecting with Our Pastor
Rev. Janie McElwee-Smith

office hours for Rev. Janie are Mon. 10:30 am 1:oo pm
and Thurs. 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
by appointment: Mon. – Thurs. 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
cell (call or text): 314.283.7596
office: 766-5775 (please leave a message)
blog: http://evenbefore.blog
blog: http://highlandtree.blog


Highland Presbyterian Church (USA)
10024 Highland Road • Baton Rouge, LA 70810 • 225.766.5775 • www.highlandpresbyterian.org