Zoar Baptist Church will be hosting a Ladies' Christmas Dinner and Bazaar for Foreign Missions. The Bazaar will be held on Thursday, December 1st at 6:00pm in the gym.  This event is for ladies 18 years of age and above. There will be shopping, live entertainment and dinner. Tickets are $15 (includes dinner). Contact Zoar Baptist Church at 261-3434.

From the St. Alphonsus Newsletter

Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana are preparing to send more care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Please check the list below for items needed. These items may be brought to all the St. Alphonsus weekend masses on November 12 & 13 or dropped off at the St. Alphonsus Church office at any time.

Items needed: (Small sizes only to fit in shoe boxes) Lip balm, anti-itch ointment, mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorant (non aerosol), soap, feminine hygiene products, shaving cream, razors, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, sunscreen (tube), hand warmers, eye drops, eye glass wipes, medicated foot powder, fruit roll-ups, energy bars, granola bars, trail mix, powder drink mixes for water bottles, canned chicken/tuna, easy open fruit cups, Slim Jims, Rice Krispy Treats, hot chocolate mix, coffee, tea, coffee creamers

If you have any questions please contact Vicki Adams at the St. Alphonsus Church office (261.4650)

Submitted by St. Alphonsus

    Central Area Pastors Association invites you to participate in the Central Community Thanksgiving Prayer Service on Thursday, November 17th at 7:00 PM. This year the service will take place at St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church, 14040 Greenwell Springs Road. There will be twenty-one churches from the Central area sponsoring the program with twelve participating at the actual program. It should be a beautiful sign of the churches in Central getting together to thank God for our community and our blessings.

    The evening will consist of prayer, scripture, music and song. The sermon will be delivered by Jeff Stanfill of Covenant Community Church. Everyone is invited to share in this special event and to join for fellowship at a reception following the service. The prayer service should last about an hour and twenty minutes.

    The death of a child at any age is devastating.  The darkness that sets in when a child has died is all too well known to families who have lost a child.  This year, St. Alphonsus Church will once again provide the opportunity for grieving families and their friends to come together on Sunday, December 11, at 7:00PM to celebrate the life, love and light of those children gone much too soon.  This candle light service will symbolize that the light of these precious children will forever be held in our hearts.     If you have lost a child or know of someone who has please call JoAnn at St. Alphonsus Church Office, 261-4650, so that we can personally invite them to this service.

PUMPKIN PATCH AT BLACKWATER UMC
Pumpkin Patch is going on now at Blackwater United Methodist Church at 10000 Blackwater Road.  All proceeds support missions.  There are games and activities for kids as well as lots of pumpkins for sale.  It is open through Monday, October 31.  Open weekdays 10-7, Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 1-5.  This Saturday, there will be hayrides, a space walk and games.  The craft show will be this Friday from 3 to 7 and Saturday from 10 to 4.

SANDY CREEK BAPTIST FALL FESTIVAL
Sandy Creek Baptist Church (22834 Liberty Road-Pride, Louisiana) will hold their Fall Festival this Friday, October 28 from 6:00–8:00 PM.  Join Us for Fun, Games, Candy, Prizes, Food and Drinks!

COVENANT CARES & FALL FESTIVAL
Covenant Community Church’s Covenant Cares and Fall Festival is this Saturday, October 29 12:00 to 3:00 PM.  There will be a New Clothes Give-A-Way (Adults – Teens – Children), spacewalks, games, candy, hotdogs and NEW CLOTHING for anyone! No strings attached!  Covenant Community Church is located at 22325 Greenwell Springs Road.  Call 261-3088 for any questions.

GRACE UPC FALL FESTIVAL
Grace United Pentecostal Church is excited to invite the community to our annual Fall Festival October 29th at 5 pm . There will be trunk or treat, inflatables, games, hayrides, and more! For information visit our website at www.graceupc.com. Thank you for not wearing scary costumes.  Grace UPC is located at 13845 Hooper Road here in Central.

BLACKWATER UMC TRUNK-OR-TREAT
Trunk-Or-Treat will be held at Blackwater United Methodist Church (10000 Blackwater Road) on Sunday, October 30th from 5-7 PM.  There will be candy, games and a space walk.  Kids from all around the community are welcome!

COMITE BAPTIST FALL FUN FEST
The staff and congregation of Comite Baptist Church invites you to join us for our annual FALL FUN FEST. FALL FUN FEST will held in the Church Gym on Monday, October 31 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. This special event is FREE and open to all children, toddlers through the sixth grade.  Lots of games for children of all ages, inflatable slide and jumper, maze, candy, snacks, food . . . and lots of fun! We hope you will come join the FUN!  Comite Baptist Church is located at 12250 Greenwell Springs Road at Flannery Road. For more information you may call the church office at 275-3382.

GREENWELL SPRINGS BAPTIST FALL FESTIVAL
Greenwell Springs Baptist Church’s Fall Festival will be October 31, 2011 from 6:00 – 8:30 pm.  The night will include hay rides, inflatable jumpers and slide, face painting, horse rides, maze, concessions and plenty of fun carnival games for the kids.   Sixth grade and younger are encouraged to wear their non-scary costumes and join in the fun!  K-Love will also be here to provide Christian music for your enjoyment.  Join us!

CENTRAL CHURCH FALL FESTIVAL
Central Church will hold their Fall Festival this Monday, October 31 from 6-8 PM.  There will be games, prizes, wagon & horse rides, candy and food.  It’s all free!  Central Church is located at 11681 Greenwell Springs, Port Hudson Rd.

VICTORY HARVEST WILD WEST FALL FEST
Victory Harvest Church @ 3953 N. Flannery Rd. invites you and your family to join us for exciting games, candy, prizes, food and fun!  Wild  West Fest Fall Festival is a safe alternative to Halloween for your children from 6:00-8:00 pm on October 31st in the parking lot at Victory Harvest. Some highlights include Fire Safe House, Candy Cannon, Giant Slide, Hay Ride, Patches the Dog, Obstacle Course & much more. It is all free. 

ZOAR BAPTIST FALL FESTIVAL
Zoar Baptist Church (11848 Hooper Road at Joor) will have their Fall Festival Monday, October 31 from 6-8 PM.  They will be collecting canned goods for the Central Food Bank.  Fun activities include magic shows by Jonathan Dupree, pony rides, games, and hot air balloon rides.  There will be food and candy, and it is all free!

Tanya Dufrene (pictured above with her husband) has worked at Immanuel Baptist Church since 1986.  She started as Church Secretary and is currently serving as Administration/Financial Secretary. A celebration was held in Tanya's honor at Immanuel Baptist Church last Sunday, October 9th.  The event included Dinner on the Grounds and Tanya was presented a Crystal Trophy for 25 years of dedicated and faithful service.  (The current Pastor is Andy Pierce).

Above: Tanya and her husband with their children and grandchildren, of which 6 were not present - They have 4 children and 16 grandchildren.

    October is my favorite month and it only has a little to do with the fact that my birthday is in October. It’s just a great month: football on all levels, the World Series, and most of all the weather!  One can pretty much count on mornings being in the low sixties and sometimes in the upper fifties.  The afternoons are mostly in the upper seventies or low eighties.  Fronts come through and then the sky is that beautiful, clear “October blue”.  It is a reminder that the seasons are changing (summer is over!) and that the beautiful rhythm of life that God has planned is indeed continuing.  To me that is very peace-giving.  It is something I can count on.  When God created, there was a plan for life.

    I was poignantly reminded of this recently by my younger son who is the pastor of a church in another part of Baton Rouge.  My husband, his father, recently died and he had taken a moment at the end of the service to thank his congregation for their prayers and support during the time of his father’s illness and death.  In his remarks he said (something to the effect of) “There is resurrection in death.  My wife, Alina, and I have been reminded of that as we are expecting a baby in April.”  The rhythm of life; it’s part of God’s plan.  Light follows darkness. Seasons follow one another.  There is joy even in times of sadness.  And in the end resurrection follows death.  It is God’s plan for life.

Rev. Marie Williams
Blackwater United Methodist

As I have walked into several stores in the past few weeks, I have noticed something very strange! Christmas decorations are already out! The first time I noticed this, it was still September and still 90 degrees outside. I initially laughed it off as simply good business. After all, Christmas is a consumer holiday that people go all out for. There are gifts, decorations, and food to spare for Christmas. Why not bring it out all the earlier? But then a question came into my mind: “What ever happened to Thanksgiving?” Where are the cornucopias and the pilgrim hats? Where are the decorations of harvest and bounty? 

As I begrudged the stores for skipping such a wonderful holiday, the Lord nudged me and asked me a similar question about my relationship to him. He asked, “Jason, whatever happened to Thanksgiving?”  The truth is that many times in my own life, I am so focused on the next blessing I receive from God that I rarely stop and thank him for what he has already given me!

He has given me a home, a family, friends, and food on the table.  But, more than these, and far greater is that fact that he saw me in my sins and had mercy on me. Far greater is the fact that he came to this earth and died for me to bring me back into a relationship with him.  Far greater is that he rose again to conquer death and sin and lives victorious!  Even without shelter or family, I can rejoice, because Jesus is my Lord.

In your search for the next big blessing, don’t forget to be thankful!  Stop and consider all the things God has done for you. Stop and give him glory.

Not feeling blessed right now? Feeling like hope has slipped through your fingers? Like you are longing for something to be thankful for?  Like life has beaten you down? Don’t be discouraged. God loves you! Stop by the nearest church you see and talk with the pastor about the greatest blessing this world has ever seen: Jesus Christ!

Jason Allen
First Baptist Church Central