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First Presbyterian Church
“Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you be-
lieve in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of
your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9
The Lord is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! On Easter Sunday we spoke these words to-
gether as a congregation at the close of our worship service. When we did this, we echoed the man-
tra of the early church. When the church was in its infancy and when it was dangerous to be a Chris-
tian in certain places, Christians needed to find a way to identify other Christians. They were not
able to publicly wear crosses around their necks or put the sign of a fish on their carriage; so instead
they would say these words to each other.
One man on the street would say ―The Lord is Risen!‖ and the woman next to him would respond ―The Lord is Risen
Indeed!‖ if she was a believer.
Today this public testament of faith has been lost. We no longer fear for our lives when we utter our allegiances to the
One, True Lord in this country. But it doesn‘t mean we should forget these powerful words. We are all challenged by this faith
statement to boldly go out and tell others the good news of Easter morning – Jesus Christ Lives!
Our challenge lives on today to share the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. As your pastor, I am thrilled to bear witness
to the opportunities God is giving us to fulfill this call at First Presbyterian Church. On the week of June 12-16 we will be
blessed with the opportunity to share God‘s love with young people once again through Archery Bible School (ABS). I have
read the history of our church, and I have heard stories of the vital ministry our congregation has had reaching out to children and
youth in Alexandria. For the past few years we have lost this opportunity, but now God is giving it back to us.
This is an exciting time to be in ministry for all of us, and there are many opportunities for you to serve with ABS. Every night
we will serve dinner to participants and their families, and we need volunteers to help supply and prepare meals – this is some-
thing our membership does well (:-). We also have yard signs available in the narthex for you to display in your neighborhood.
You can teach, you can rotate as a helper, and you can especially pray. Everyone at FPC has a part in this ministry. Please con-
sider your call and let me know where you would like to serve. I can‘t wait to see you Sunday! Your sister in Christ, Julia
May 2011 Newsletter
June 23-26, 2011
Wesley Center, Woodworth, LA
Cursillo is a grace-filled and fully occupied three days. Pastor Julia will be participating in
this event.
Applications are available at FPC office. Completed application and a registration fee of $50
with check made payable to Faith Presbyterian Church with notation “LPC Weekend”
should be turned in as soon as possible to reserve your space . See the application for com-
plete details.
Cost is $250 per person with all lodging, meals and the registration fee included in this total.
Remaining balance is required to be paid 30 days before June 23rd.
Scholarship Needs are available with the registrar, Joyce Sasser. She can be reached at (225)272-6745 or by email
If you have any questions about Cursillo, please talk to Pastor Julia or you may visit the website at
www.louisianapresbyteriancursillo.org
*If you have a birthday in May, and are not mentioned above
please notify the office. Thanks!
The session met on April 18, 2011,
with Rev. Julia Farrell calling the meeting to order and opening
with prayer. Her devotional continues to be on the Lent study
book.
Members present were Tom Clegg, Dave Conner, Emma Jean
Huffman, Jack Ready and Nancy Smilie.
Member excused was Brandi Woolam.
Debbe Clegg presented the treasurer‘s report.
The church received an invitation to the chartering service for First
Presbyterian Church in Zachary, LA. A letter was received from
the Shepherd Center requesting any additional donation. A letter
was received from Mary Mikell, Presbytery of South Louisiana,
expressing her enjoyment at visiting the church.
Easter lilies have been ordered and will be picked up Saturday,
April 23rd. Mail-outs concerning Easter activities will be mailed
on April 20. Jim Smolenski contacted the neighborhood of the
church concerning Archery Bible School. Jack Ready and Jim
Smolenski met with one family. Matt Farrell and Jack Ready will
be on Channel 3 on April 19th discussing ABS.
Activities for the month of May will be: 4th committee night; 11th
Master Gardener will speak; 18th Prayer meeting; 25th ABS pre-
view. Sandwich-making for Huey P. Long hospital will be on the
3rd. Ladies circle will meet on the 10th. A meal for Healthworx
will be prepared on the 19th. The men‘s prayer breakfast will meet
each Thursday morning.
Sulin Best donated a swamp maple tree. THANKS SULIN! Dave
Conner planted the tree. Brandi Woolam got the plants in the
ground around the church sign.
Rev. Farrell visited with Lucille Davis, Annie Laurie Murchison
and Will Smolenski. The pastor and Nancy Smilie served com-
munion to Lucille Davis and Annie Laurie Murchison on April
7th. Rev. Farrell will be on Continuing Education leave from May
29th through June 4th. Rev. Farrell and Roger Best attended the
Presbytery meeting on April 5th. They voted on constitutional
amendments changing the Book of Church Order. It will be sev-
eral months before the results are known.
The flooring will be installed April 25th through April 29th.
The playground equipment is still being studied.
People are needed to count the Sunday collection.
Dee and Gil Arnold will end their church ministry at Regency
House due to health issues. THANKS DEE AND GILL for your
dedication to this ministry.
The session will meet on May 7th at Rev. Farrell‘s home.
The meeting adjourned with prayer.
Emma Jean Huffman, Clerk of Session
Jeff Huffman 05/06 Debbe Clegg 05/28
Ministry to Community Healthworx
A great service is provided to Cenla by a group of doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and other vol-unteers. They provide free medical services and drugs to families that are working but do not have medical insurance. First Presbyterian is involved in this ministry by providing a meal for 25 people on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. We need more families to be involved in this ministry. The work-ers really appreciated the meal and it gives them more time to provide medical attention to the pa-tients. If you are willing to be a part of this minis-try, just sign up on the form in the Narthex on the table. If you have any questions, talk to Emma Jean Huffman or Jack Ready.
May Birthdays
Regency House
We have a service at Kingsley Place and Regency House the first Sunday of each month. We are in need of people to bring a devotion at Regency House at 2:00 pm on that first Sunday. This ministry has been in place for many years under the capable leadership of Ed and Barbara Ware and Gil and Dee Arnold. We can do this on a rotating schedule so more of us can be involved. If you are willing to be a part of this ministry, please talk to the pastor or Jack Ready.
April
May Responders Communion Servers Dave Conner Bill Higgins Pat Turpin Sunday Monitors 1 Jim Hockensmith 8 Dirk Benade 15 Roger Best 22 Jim Smolenski 29 Jack Ready Wednesday Monitors 4 Brandi Woolam 11 Annelize Benade 18 Debbe Clegg 25 Annelize Benade
Greeters 1 Liz Smith & Leon Coody 8 Debbe Clegg & Liz Magee 15 Bill & Martha Higgins 22 Mike Vickers & Pat Turpin 29 Liz Smith & Leon Coody Ushers 1 Sulin Best & Ben Yang 8 Jim & Stephanie Huffman 15 Bob & Elizebette Kennedy 22 Dave Conner & Jim Hockensmith 29 Mac & Georgia McBurney
A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who made Easter Sunday amazing this year!
We thank all the dedicated worship and evangelism committee members for their help delivering Easter mailers and setting up the sanctuary lilies! We thank the breakfast crew (Sulin Best, Roger Best, and Matt Farrell) for their delicious pancakes! We thank Debbe Clegg for her creative and yummy Easter Basket treats! We thank our own FPC choir for the angelic anthems sung! We thank Jack and Judy Ready for the uplifting, resurrection music! We thank Kim Fontenot for keeping us organized and prepared for worship with every bulletin she printed! And most of all, we thank our Risen Lord for the sacrifice made for us on the cross and the glory shown to us Easter morning! What blessed people we are at First Presbyterian Church!!!!
MEET DR. BEN YANG by Dee Arnold
Have you had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Ben Yang? If not, you are in for a treat when you get to know this talented
and interesting man. Ben was born in South Korea, the third son in his family. Unfortunately his father died when Ben was at a
very young age, leaving his mother to raise her sons as a single mom. Ben‘s family was Presbyterian, so he is well grounded in
the Presbyterian faith.
In the summer of 1970, Ben came to the USA from South Korea to study music. While living in Alexandria, Virginia, a
suburb of Washington D.C., he told me, ―I had the most wonderful opportunities to listen to world-renowned orchestras perform-
ing at the Kennedy Center. Among many, the soul-penetrating sounds of the Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic were
the most unforgettable orchestras. The then-conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, known as ‗Jumping
Lenny‘, planted an indelible memory in my mind. Can you imagine the opportunity to listen to live concerts performed by great
orchestras for a young, naïve music student who had only heard the names of these great musical organizations while in Korea?
The following year, I came down to the University of North Texas at Denton, TX to pursue my music studies.‖ While attending
the College of Music at the university, he earned his PhD in Music Theory and Composition. Dr. Yang taught for several years at
Oklahoma State University.
Yang met his wife, Amy, in 1978 while she was finishing her MBA at SMU in Dallas. Her grandfather was one of the
first Methodist ministers in South Korea. She has been working for Cleco since 1989. All of her family live in Maryland.
When asked how Ben and his family came to Central Louisiana, Ben said, ―God certainly works in mysterious ways. In
1989, I learned of a teaching position opening at Louisiana College. When I was in school at UNT, my major professor heard me
make a comment that I wished for an opportunity to teach at a small religion-affiliated college. One day he called me in Oklahoma
with the information about the opening at LC. I welcomed the opportunity to visit Louisiana College for an interview. I fell in
love with the college, and to make a long story short, I have been teaching at LC all these years. My daughter Stephanie was 3-1/2
then; now she is 25 years old and lives in Cambridge, MA. It seems just yesterday we moved to Central Louisiana.‖
Ben feels very strongly about his position at LC, he said, ―I feel blessed to have been employed by this Godly higher edu-
cational institution. The school, which is owned by the Louisiana Baptist Convention, is perhaps one of the best academic institu-
tions in Louisiana. I might also add that the school is known for its loving and caring environment, created by its staff and faculty.
Dr. Yang wants to pursue his interest in, and I quote, ―an hermeneutical aspect of analytical system of 20th century music
known as dodecaphonic music or serial music. This system is about composing music with all available 12 pitches within an oc-
tave, instead of 7 pitches like the ones we are familiar with—the scale of do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti do.‖ Did you get that? I thought I
knew a little something about music, just didn‘t realize how little.
―I am also want to look into why most of the great composers, excepting just a few, did not believe in God—here I mean
the God whom we identify only through Jesus Christ,‖ Dr. Yang said. If you want to have a stimulating and informative conver-
sation, get acquainted with this amazingly talented man. We are blessed to have him among our congregation.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 9:00 am Worship at
Kingsley Place
9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
2:30 pm Regency House
Holocaust Remembrance
2 3 8:15 am Sandwich-making
For HPLH
Patients
4 5:45 pm Sandwiches 6:30 pm Committee Meeting
7:30 pm Choir Practice
5
6
7 8:30 am Session Retreat at
Pastor Julia‘s
House
8 9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
9 10
9:30 am
11 5:45 pm Fried Chicken
6:30 pm Unbridled Youth
Program from Jena
7:30 pm Choir Practice
12 13 14
15 9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
Multicultural Church/
Immigration
16
17 5:00 pm HealthWorx
18 5:45 pm Pizza
6:30 pm Prayer Meeting
7:30 pm Choir Practice
19
20 21
22 9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
Rural Life
23 24 25 5:45 pm Covered Dish A-G Main Dish
H-K Salad/Veg L-Z Dessert 6:30 pm ABS Preview
7:30 pm Choir Practice
26 27 28
29 9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
30
31
2011
Come experience God’s love at First Presbyterian Church
Sunday School - 9:45 am, Worship - 11:00 am
Julia Farrell, Pastor Kim Fontenot, Secretary
Jack Ready, Choir Director Judy Ready, Pianist
Delores McDaniel, Nursery Charles Bell, Sexton
First Presbyterian Church 357 Windermere Blvd. Alexandria, LA 71303
Wednesday
Night Fellowship
May 4
May 11
May 18
May 25
5:45 Sandwiches
6:30 Committee Meeting
5:45 Fried Chicken
6:30 Unbridled Youth Program
From Jena
5:45 Pizza
6:30 Prayer Meeting
5:45 Covered Dish
A-G Main Dish
H-K Salad/Vegetables
L-Z Dessert
6:30 Archery Bible School
Preview
First Presbyterian Church
357 Windermere Blvd. Alexandria, LA 71303
Phone 318.443.7229 Fax 318.443.5965
[email protected] www.alexandriafpc.org
