Connecting us with one another, our community, and the world...
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“Make each new day count
by helping someone or
just making someone smile.”
Catherine Pulsifer
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In worship this week:
May 13, 2018
Pastor: Rev. Janie McElwee-Smith
Music Director: Aubrey Nelson
Pianist: Bingyu Peng
Liturgist: Carol Behrmann
Youth Liturgist: Taylor Thompson
Ushers: Todd and Mei Stewart
Hospitality: Bob and Connie Buck
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Flowers this Sunday are presented
by Carol Behrmann.
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Highland’s Birthday Traditions
All families seem to have special ways of cele-brating birthdays. Highland Presbyterian Church is no different, though its birthday isn’t one specific calendar day. On the Day of Pentecost (May 22, 1983) Highland Presbyterian Church was commissioned by the Presbytery of South Loui-siana. The first tradition established was to cele-brate Highland’s birthday on the Day of Pentecost, regardless of what date that was. Along with the first celebration also came the tradition of having a jambalaya lunch, something very special to south Louisiana and Highland. The last tradition is to wear red clothing in honor of the occasion. What better way to remember the mission of the church founded by the flames of the Holy Spirit than to wear so vibrant a color.
But all new traditions begin somewhere, and since this is not just any birthday for Highland, but a landmark 35
th
birthday, we would like to cele-brate not just one day but throughout the year. This led us to the idea of a 35
th
Anniversary event in the fall of 2018. Keeping in mind our mission – “Connecting our Community with Christ,” High-land is looking to offer a community outreach/ educational event for both lay persons and clergy featuring Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt Univer-sity Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies. Dr. Levine has a unique viewpoint which she shares in two of her latest books,
Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Contro-versial Rabbi,
and a book co-authored with Sandy Eisenberg Sasso,
Who Counts? 100 Sheep, Ten Coins, and Two Sons
(a volume on the parables of Luke 15 designed for children). It is this unique viewpoint on the parables of Jesus that Dr. Levine will be sharing with us and our greater commun-ity. Please watch for more information this summer.
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This week in PCUSA Mission:
Mission Worker Sunday – Mother’s Day
Upon first feeling the chill of the air, upon leaving the swaddling security of the womb, the newborn wails. Having been forced from her snug home of nine months, she is adrift in what must seem like limitless nothingness. Then the newborn is passed to her mother’s breast. She finds a familiar voice, embracing arms, a simulation of the oneness from which she has just been severed. Infants and young children need assurance of safety and secur-ity. Such assurance is communicated not merely through feedings and diaper changes, but through the consistent
presence
of caring adults. In so many places in the world, parents are not able or encouraged to communicate such presence. Life responsibilities such as keeping house, cleaning and making ends meet beckon. Quality childcare is often unavailable or unaffordable, and a child’s cries cannot be heeded.
In their March Mission Connections letter, Jenny Bent and Mark Hare, mission co-workers in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, share how two young women in the Dominican Republic are addressing maternal and child well-being in their community in the barrio of Casandra. Bellanira and Andreina are actively engaged in improving the quality of life in their community through implementing Community Health Evangelism (CHE).
During a weekly CHE meeting with Jenny, pastora (pastor) Belkis Santana, Bellanira and Andreina identified as a critical issue in their community balancing the competing, rigorous demands of maintaining a household and caring for the one’s young children. In true CHE fashion, the com-mittee considered how to address the need using resources already at hand — in this case, interested participants (mothers and children), and basic bedsheets. PastoraBelkis, Bellanira and Andreina designed a workshop entitled “Elaboration of Baby Carriers with Mothers of Casandra” that demon-strated to mothers how to fashion a baby carrier from a bedsheet. The carrier allows caretakers to carry their children close whilekeeping their hands free to fulfill daily household demands and pro-motes infants’ emotionalhealth through ensuring them of a loving caregiver’s presence.
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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); family of Mary Etta Brown;
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); Susan Corona (friend of the Bucks); Steve Dull (husband of Lynn Nichols Dull);
Dan Durway (former Pastor of Highland); Eva Fuller (Inez Geoghegan’s niece); Donald Leake; the Miller twins (friends of Brad Smith); Aleta Pickholtz; Earl Rabe (friend of Rick Gurtner); Family of Betty Rich (Jack Bagent’s sister)
;
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 13 - 19:
Maggie Stewart (18)
Anniversaries
May 19 –
John & Marian Kleinpeter
May 23
– Jacob & Audrie John
May 28
– John & Louise Dye
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Monday, May 14:
12:00 p.m. AA
Tuesday, May 15:
10:30 a.m. Tuesday Morning Class
12:00 p.m. AA
7:30 p.m. AA
Wednesday, May 16:
12:00 p.m. AA
7:00 p.m. Ladies’ AA
Thursday, May 17:
12:00 p.m. AA
8:00 p.m. Men’s AA
Friday, May 18:
12:00 p.m. AA
Saturday, May 19:
Yard Crew – Mike Leonard & Brandon Lithgoe
Sunday, May 20: Pentecost/Highland's
Birthday
9:30 a.m. Worship
11:00 a.m. Jambalaya Lunch
7:00 p.m. AA
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Upcoming Opportunities at HPC
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- Tuesday Morning Class (May 15) – concludes its study of The Return of the Prodigal Son – “Becoming the Father” (pages 120-139). Beginning Tuesday, May 22, the class will meet at 10:30 a.m. to study a Great Courses DVD featuring Dr. Amy-Jill Levine (see Focus on HPC).
- Pentecost (May 20) Third Sunday Lunch. Come celebrate and enjoy (real) Jambalaya. A sign-up sheet for sides is on the bulletin board. Learn more about Highland’s Birthday Traditions in the Focus on HPC column
- The sermon next week (Pentecost - May 20) is “From Babel to Sense”from John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 and Acts 2:1-21.
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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.
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Connecting with Our Pastor
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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
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Highland Presbyterian Church (USA)
10024 Highland Road • Baton Rouge, LA 70810 • 225.766.5775 • www.highlandpresbyterian.org
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