Lifelines

September is about to begin and for many it marks the beginning of a new year. As children (and teachers) return to school to start a new phase of learning and growing, their endeavors ripple throughout society and affect all of us. Long after our children are grown up and on their own, we still sense a “new beginning” as the summer vacation season turns into fall.

September has also become a time for renewal in the life of the church. Ministries and activities that were put on hold over the summer will be starting up again. Our music ministry under the guidance of our new minister of music, Joe Skillen, and our new pianist, Laurelie Gheesling, looks to bring new opportunities for people to share their gifts and to glorify God. Weekly choir rehearsals will soon begin, and new voices have already been heard in the choir.

Of special significance this month is the Spiritual Retreat here at Highland on Friday and Saturday, September 6 & 7. Led by the Rev. Dr. Kent Groff, a Presbyterian pastor and founder of Oasis Ministries, this retreat will be the first major step in the renewal of our congregational life. Although we did not receive the grant to make a video of this process to share with other churches, we are committed to the year-long focus on spirituality and Christian practices/disciplines. As we move toward the 20^th anniversary of the founding of this congregation next May, it is my hope that this process of focusing on spiritual practices in cultivating and nurturing our spiritual health will help us discern God’s vision for the future mission and ministry of this congregation.

One other important activity that is beginning this month is the process of prayerfully seeking out the new class of elders for the session. The Nominating Committee has a profound impact on a congregation in that it is called to nominate to the congregation a group of people who will lead us into the future. The members of this committee are, from the session: John Rhoades (chair), Diane Garton and Gary Kelly; and from the congregation: Amy Stewart, Lorrie Irwin, Hugh Huffman and Carol Rhoades. You will soon be hearing more from John as this committee seeks your suggestions of leaders to be elected by the congregation later in the year.

Exciting times are ahead. We need people who are nurtured in the faith and willing to walk in the way of our Lord. (That will mean a great cost and sacrifice.) But rest assured, God would not choose us, and call us without also equipping us to carry out God’s mission in this community. Remember: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Grace and Peace,

Jim

Back to School and Back to Church School!

For the fall semester, plans are under way for three classes for our children and youth. The very youngest children, infants to age 2, will be in the nursery. A brief lesson for the age 2’s will be provided by Michelle and Mindy. The remainder of the time will be supervised free-play.

Abby Rollins will be the lead teacher for the age 3-7 age group, assisted by a rotating volunteer schedule of adults. They will be using the Bible Quest series, supplemented by additional music and arts and crafts.

Long-range plans for the multi-age 8-17 group include the use of a variety of computer software programs dealing with Bible stories and other Biblical themes. Materials for this class have been ordered, and will be installed on computers in the conference room. Tom Shelton has volunteered to co-teach the class. Bible Quest materials will be used until the lab is ready.

Tom needs another person with an interest in computer software to co-teach this group, especially on Sundays when he is out of town. Volunteers, please contact Dale Hair!

Fall Church School Classes for Adults

During the early part of September Jim Rollins will continue the study of the book The Soul of Tomorrow’s Church: Weaving Spiritual Practices in Ministry Together by Kent Ira Groff. Dr. Groff will be at Highland to lead a churchwide retreat on this topic September 6-8. These classes are for all adults.

Beginning September 22, the combination of the two adult classes will focus on the book Streams of Living Water by Richard J. Foster. Cecil Eubanks will teach this class, which centers on six spiritual traditions: (1) The Contemplative Tradition: Discovering the Prayer-Filled Life; (2) The Holiness Tradition: Discovering the Virtuous Life; (3) The Charismatic Tradition: Discovering the Spirit-Empowered Life; (4) The Social Justice Tradition: Discovering the Compassionate Life; (5) The Evangelical Tradition: Discovering the Word-Centered Life; and (6) The Incarnational Tradition: Discovering the Sacramental Life. This class will continue the church’s 20^th anniversary celebration and year-long study of spiritual practices.

The Bible Study and Contemporary Classes will continue together following Cecil’s study to examine the Arab-Israeli conflict using the book The Wrath of Jonah: The Crisis of Religious Nationalism in the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict by Rosemary Radford Ruether and Herman J. Ruether. Mary Martin will help us understand the roots of the conflict as we focus on this very timely topic.

Remember, Church School isn’t something you “outgrow!” We all need to continue to learn and grow in our faith.

Joint Planning with Youth from Highland & Faith Churches

September 22^nd

The middle grades/high school youth from Highland Church are exploring a possible partnership arrangement with the youth from the newly-formed Faith Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge. Faith Church was formed when the former Sherwood Presbyterian and Covenant Presbyterian Churches merged.

On Sunday, September 22^nd, there will be a cookout and possible swim party (pool available) at the home of Carol Bell, parent coordinator from Faith. The fellowship and planning meeting will be from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at 12409 Parnell, in the Sherwood Forest area. Youth are encouraged to attend with their parents so that long-range plans can be mapped out. This is a great opportunity to expand resources, ideas, and people to build up our program. Look for exciting events on the horizon!

Retreat Begins 20^th Year Celebration

Highland Church is planning a year-long celebration using spiritual practices as a vehicle for learning, fellowship, and congregational renewal. In the last Lifelines, Jim mentioned that a grant for funding some activities had been submitted to the Valparaiso Project Grants Program. Although our grant application was not selected for funding, most of the activities can be accomplished with our own resources, and perhaps a little help from God! The good news is that writing the grant helped us put together lots of ideas.

The first event for the year is the “Be Thou My Vision” Retreat to be held at Highland Church September 6-8, 2002. An agenda and registration form were mailed to members of the congregation in August.

The retreat begins with an ice cream social at 7:00 on Friday evening. There will be a continental breakfast at 8:30 Saturday morning, and the day's events will close with worship and communion at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Groff will preach during worship Sunday morning and will be available for conversation during the church school.

The retreat will develop ways to integrate spiritual practices in our personal lives and in the five functions of our life together as a community of faith:

worship, administration, education, soul care, and outreach.

All members of Highland are encouraged to participate in this Body-Building Retreat for the Body of Christ.

Soul Feast

After the summer break, Soul Feast will resume meeting on September 10^th at 9:30 a.m. The group will return to a study of the book "Soul Feast" by Marjorie Thompson.

CCNS News

CCNS returns to school on Wednesday, September 4^th. They are anticipating a wonderful year for the staff, children, and parents. Several openings are still available in the two and four year old programs.

On Saturday, September 14, CCNS will be having a parents' night out from 6 - 10 p.m. for a nominal fee.

On October 6-7, the annual CCNS yard sale will take place. Items are now being accepted for the sale.

If you would like additional information, please call 766-2667.

Prayer Concerns

Please remember in your prayers and with cards:

At Home: At the Hospital

Connie Leonard John Rhoades

HealthSouth

Kimberly Orr Rehabilitation Hospital

Room 232

John Rhoades 8595 United Plaza Blvd.

Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Alvin Taylor 927-0567

Gladys Williams

Welcome Laurelie Ghessling, HPC's New Pianist

We now have a new pianist to help lead us in worship on Sunday mornings. Laurelie Gheesling has agreed to serve in this capacity, and we are grateful for the gifts and experience she brings.

Laurelie is on the faculty at LSU as an accompanist, and she has many years of accompanying experience in churches and with professional choirs and instrumentalists around the country. You've heard her a number of times this summer and now you will be able to hear her more regularly. Welcome Laurelie!

Donate an Anthem to the Choir

I am in the process of ordering some new music for the choir and it occurred to me that anthems can serve as a wonderful offering to the church. Each new anthem that the choir sings for the offertory in our worship service costs between $20 and $35. I have a "wish list" of close to 50 anthems. Our music budget will allow the purchase of only 10 anthems. So, with a small amount of money, you can make a big impact on the music we sing on Sunday morning.

Please consider making a donation in honor of a loved one or to the glory of praising God. If you are interested, contact me.

Come Join the Choir

The choir is always looking for new folks to join them. Reading music isn't necessary and we don't do auditions. We are looking for people who enjoy participating in worship as we lead the congregation in the songs of our faith.

If you would like to try your voice at singing, come to one of our rehearsals. We rehearse on Wednesday nights from 7:00 until 8:30. You are always welcome. Come with music in your heart and we'll do the rest! (Choir News from Joe Skillen)

Be a Community Volunteer

Inter-faith Caregivers, a program of The Greater Baton Rouge Federation of Churches and Synagogues, is in need of volunteers. The caregiver helps an elderly person get to a medical appointment, to a grocery store or pharmacy. This would be a couple of hours a week or every other week commitment. If you are interested, please contact Vivian at the Federation office, 267-5000.

Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center is seeking new volunteers to fill the upcoming training class for THE PHONE. The sixty-hour class is held in the evening and covers the material necessary to be a volunteer. Deadline for enrollment is Monday, September 16. For further information call the Center business office at 924-1431.

HPC Ends "Uniforms" Project

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! to all who took part. From taking home items to mend or bleach, to sorting, separating, sizing and tagging, about 30 HPC members and friends helped this year with the "Uniforms for Kids" project, publicized each year by WAFB-TV, to provide school uniforms to needy children.

By the time you read this, we will have sent back the last of the over 11,000 items that we processed between their free washing at Kean's and their distribution by St. Vincent de Paul. About 60 percent we actually tagged by size for distribution to EBR Parish school children.

Rosemary John, Chair of Highland's Compassion Committee, plans a "debriefing" meeting soon. We are already generating ideas about how to make our part in next year's drive more efficient and effective.

Mission Potluck Dinner

Wednesday, September 25

At 6:00PM

Cost–one bottle of multivitamins/multiminerals

The Compassion Committee cordially invites you to an International Potluck dinner with an audiovisual program on Cuba, and with music provided by the Highland Dezi Arnaz Cuban band.

Please bring your favorite international dish to share–a main course such as lasagna, an appetizer such as a layered taco dip, a salad such as ambrosia, a dessert such as German chocolate cake. The Committee will take care of bread and beverage. We all want to sample some of your world famous Presbyterian cooking!

While you feast, you will be entertained by the Kellys’ most recent Cuba mission trips in a short audiovisual presentation and by our very own Cuban band which uses instruments brought from Cuba. Choir members, led by Joe Skillen with Chris Rollins on guitar, will play the Cuban instruments. We will all sing along to “Guantanamera” (the unofficial Cuban national anthem) and some well known hymns in Spanish. We’ll give you the words.

There is an admission charge–per family–one bottle of multivitamins/multiminerals for our partner church, Matanzas Central. Especially the very young and the very old suffer severe vitamin deficiencies. The need is even greater than usual because Hurricane Michelle destroyed the crops and the orchards. It seems appropriate that while we eat delicious food and enjoy Cuban scenes and music, we remember our Cuban sisters and brothers who often do not get the nutrients they need for good health. This is a way to share the feast!

Come have fun and fellowship while doing Mission!

From the Office

The office will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2002, in observance of Labor Day.

A new church directory will be coming out in early October. If you have any revisions for the directory please turn them in to the church office at your earliest convenience.

On a personal note, I want to thank you for the prayers and expressions of kindness during my recent MS flare-up. I have come to appreciate the days of good health and learned to accept the not-so-good days. Many blessings, Jamie

We are the Presbytery…

along with the members of the other PCUSA churches in South Louisiana. We send one of our elders and all of our pastors to transact PSL business at stated meetings three times a year. The people in the Presbytery office (professionals, office staff, and volunteers) direct the PSL programs or see that they are carried out.

Task Force Examines Programs

In the spring of 2002, the Presbytery executive appointed eight ministers and elders as a "Direction and Mission Task Force" to discern God's will for the Presbytery of South Louisiana. They are examining the programs and activities of the Presbytery, including the 2003 budget, and they need your help.

EITHER:

Obtain your paper copy of the questionnaire at the back of the sanctuary, and return it, filled out by SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 (you may also mail it or bring it to the church office);

OR:

Go online to the following site (all church members in the household may use the site):

http://infopoll.net/Live/surveys/s17984.htm

The site is open through September 29, 2002.

The PSL Direction & Mission Task Force thanks you for your input.

HPC Will Help PSL Budget 2002

The inability of churches of the Presbytery to meet their financial pledge to the Presbytery for the year 2002 is causing a deficit in the operating budget. Financial reserves will likely disappear by year's end unless counter-measures are taken.

Presbytery has therefore asked all PSL churches for an extra per capita contribution of about $6.50. Our Session has agreed, recognizing the important work that our Presbytery does and Highland's close ties with Presbytery.

You will be hearing more about this as HPC takes steps to honor this request.

Men's Breakfast Rally

Mark your calendars for the quarterly Presbytery-wide Breakfast Rally for Men, coming up on Saturday, September 14, 2002, at 9:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Hammond (103 North Pine Street, Hammond).

The featured guest will be Congressman David Vitter, representing Louisiana' 1^st District (with local offices in Metairie and Hammond). A home-cooked breafast will be provided by the men of the Hammond church. Chair Bill Deval will update the men on the plans for the National Presbyterian Men's Conference which will be held in April at the Airport Hilton in Kenner.

To help the host church get a reliable headcount, phone in your reservation to the Hammond church office at 985 345-1543.

HOME

Joe Skillen, Church Musician

Pat Huffman, Clerk of Session