TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2025

In this Issue:

•Your Pledge Dollars at Work

•New Organ Preview

•Yak, Snack & Read

•Miriam's Commissioning

•Rebuilding Trip to NC

•Sunday School Classes - New Class on Half Truths

•Session Meeting Highlights

•Borderlands Trip Presentation Recording

•Crescent City Classic SCAPC Team

•Photos: Youth Dads Breakfast, Youth Group, PW Retreat, First Grade Workshop, YAF Trivia Night, Original WNO Kitchen Crew

•New Member

•Sympathy

Prayer of the Day

O Lord our God, give us wisdom today. Help us build bridges and act with sensitivity towards those we meet. Give us the perspective of your kingdom in which to see the things of this world. And bring us to the day’s ending blessed through having shared the day’s beginning, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

This month, a member of our Chancel Choir and musician Sarah Ruth Altman composed a powerful and poignant piece that was sung at the introit to worship entitled “New Year’s Mourning.” The piece captures the pain and mourning of the New Year terrorist attack on this community, but also the way the music and worship of this community is special and tends the soul of its community in all seasons. As we make our way into 2025, I want to thank you for all the ways you have contributed to this church’s worship, programs, activities, and witness in our community. With your help and generosity, we have sung a new song in the midst of joyful moments and tragic ones; we have sent college students to Montreat during their break, and we have sought to reflect Christ’s light and grace into the opportunities that await us in 2025. Thank you for your generosity; thank you for your gifts; thank you for investing in the people and ministry that happens through this community day in and day out.

With gratitude for your gifts in the year past, and with hope for the year to come, we are

Gratefully yours,

Chris Currie

Our New Organ: A Preview

Excited about our new organ coming this fall? Click below to see the most recent installation by our organ company, Létourneau, at Brigham Young University! The organ begins to play around the 2:45 minute mark.

Yak, Snack & Read

The 40/50's Yak, Snack & Read book club will meet on Monday, February 3 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the Land Building. Our book is James by Percival Everett. It is described as “a brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.” All are welcome!

Congratulations, Miriam!

Our congratulations go out to Miriam Hollar, SCAPC Parish Associate for Pastoral Care, who will be commissioned as a lay pastor at the Presbytery of South Louisiana meeting next week!

A commissioned lay pastor is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who has been given the authority to perform religious functions for a congregation, following a course of study and examination by the Presbytery Committee on Ministry. Miriam completed the course of study and examination five years ago when she began serving as a parish associate at SCAPC, but she will be commissioned to this work officially at the Presbytery meeting and also will be able to preach and support other congregations in the Presbytery of South Louisiana.

Rebuilding Hope Mission Trip to North Carolina

DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS SUNDAY

SCAPC is planning a mission trip to Western North Carolina March 6-10, staying and working in the Black Mountain/Montreat area. Children and youth ages 10+ are welcome along with a parent, and work will include activities that accommodate a range of abilities. Each person will need to arrange their own travel to Black Mountain, North Carolina, arriving by the Thursday evening of both weekends, and leaving Monday morning. For those who are flying, van transportation will be provided for the group once there. Cost is $350 and includes lodging, travel during the weekend, and breakfast and lunch on Friday-Sunday. Meals during travel days and dinners out at restaurants (supporting the local economy) will be on your own. Please fill out the form at scapc.org/rebuild and submit a deposit of $50 via check or paypal to secure your spot by Sunday, February 2.

New Class on 'Half Truths'

Half Truths: 'God Helps Those Who Help Themselves'... and Other Things the Bible Doesn’t Say

Sundays, February 2 – 23 | Phifer Library

They are simple phrases. They sound Christian--like something you might find in the Bible. We've all heard these words. Maybe we've said them. They capture some element of truth, yet they miss the point in important ways. We will search for the whole truth by comparing common Christian clichés with the wisdom found in Scripture. The clichés include: Everything happens for a reason. God helps those who help themselves. God won't give you more than you can handle. God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Love the sinner, hate the sin. 

The SCAPC Session met on Saturday, January 25 for a beginning-of-year session retreat and session meeting. The new elder class of 2027 joined with their fellow session members to engage our SCAPC strategic plan, to measure our progress, and look for ways to advance our goals through the work of each ministry committee. In addition, the approved 2025 budget was covered and an end-of-year financial report was shared that will also be presented at the Annual Congregational Meeting on February 16, 2025.

Recording: Borderlands Trip Presentation

Last Sunday, Cindy Bush and other members of the Borderlands Immersion Experience trip to the U.S./Mexico border at McAllen, Texas shared what they saw and learned, and the implications for us as a faith community. Click below for the recording.

Crescent City Classic SCAPC Team

Join the SCAPC team for the Crescent City Classic 10k race/run on Saturday, April 19! Currently, race registration and fees total $67/person, which includes the post-race fest. Registration for the fest only is $20/person. For race details and registration, visit cc10k.com and indicate "SCAPC" as your team. We will be in touch with you to arrange a post-race meet-up and pre-/post-race rides if needed.

Youth Family Breakfast & Youth Group Teambuilding

Our annual Youth and Family Breakfast this past Sunday (sponsored and prepared by our SCAPC Dads) was a hit, with over 60 individuals joining together for fellowship! Pictured from left are Matthew Wilson, Luke Lemoine, Robert Edgecombe, Keven Kehlenbach, Neal Meyer, Mike Knight, and Cory Kennedy.

Sunday evening at Youth Group, youth participated in fun teambuilding exercises.

Presbyterian Women Retreat

Last week, Presbyterian Women held their 31st annual retreat at the Solomon Conference Center in Loranger, Louisiana. Rev. Jessie Light-Wells of First Presbyterian Church in Dallas served as Retreat Leader and Sarah Chancellor-Watson served as Retreat Liturgist. Our thanks go out to Retreat Coordinators Cathy Franklin, Darlene Guillot, Gwen Wertz, Beth Wren, and Laurie Young.

First Grade Worship Workshop

On Sunday, our first graders and their parents completed a three-week workshop in which they learned about Sunday worship services, preparing them to begin experiencing the full worship service in the Sanctuary next month. Each participant received a Bible. Participants included Kate Habetz, Issac Goodson, Laurel Rowland (pictured below with father Drew), Reese Granade, and Lilly Johnson.

YAF Trivia Night

The Young Adults & Families (YAF) group enjoyed a Trivia Night at Port Orleans last week! Pictured clockwise from left are Tyler Wheeler, Matt McCann, David Watson and Sarah Chancellor-Watson, Caroline Gill, Catherine Rigby, Jessica Barnard, Jessie Bruggers and Sean Chaney, and Will, Billy, and Lauren Tietje.

Original WNO Kitchen Crew

Members of the original Wednesday Night Out Kitchen Crew gathered at the home of retired chefs Bonnie and Jim Hobden for memories and dinner! Pictured clockwise from left are Chef Matt McCann, Ann Byerly, Mary Lou and Michael O'Keefe, Jim Hobden, Dick and Donna Davis, Ann and Woodie Van Horn, and Bonnie Hobden.

New Member

SCAPC welcomed back Allison Mott into membership on January 19. Allison and husband, Ross Turner, are the proud parents of Terah, age 5 and Benjamin, age 1.

Sympathy

Our sympathy is extended to Roger Fleshman and his family on the death of his mother, Bebe Fleshman, who passed away on Thursday, February 23. A service will be held this Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge. We also extend our sympathy to Vicki Vega and her family on the death of her mother, Joan Policastro, who also passed away on Thursday, January 23. A service for Joan will be held next Thursday, February 6, at 2:00 p.m. in the SCAPC Chapel with visitation at 1 p.m. in the Bloomfield Room.