Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Looking back over last year and the wonderful, varied ministries that this church has been doing, I can rejoice in the Lord and give thanks for this church. As we look forward to a new year, let us all be in prayer, seeking God’s direction for our church and for the ministries that we do.
There are two events that are happening that I want to share with you. The first is a New Orleans District training event entitled “Called to Serve.” It will be held on Saturday, January 25 at the Munholland United Methodist Church in Metairie. The event will begin at 8:30am and end at 2pm. Each person will have three choices for seminars. There will be leaders for Church Council, Finance, Trustees, S/PPR, and Missions, Children’s ministries, and Social Media. We will fellowship with laity and clergy from other churches and also get ideas from them, and maybe we can share some of the things we do in the Name of Christ with others, too. I hope you will plan to come. Early registration is $10 which includes lunch. Regular cost is $15. You can register online at “calledtoservenola.org” or get a registration form from our church office. I plan to go and learn, and hope to see a good group from our church attending.
The second event will be happening here at Algiers UMC on Saturday, Feb. 15. Councilwoman Kristen Palmer, Judge Calvin Johnson, and the Justice and Accountability Center will be sponsoring a “Clean Jacket” Day here in collaboration with our church. A clean jacket day is where attorneys volunteer to help people to expunge arrest records where they were not convicted of any wrongdoing. Many times, people fill out a job application and check the box that says they were arrested. This keeps them from getting jobs. A Baptist Church in New Orleans held a clean jacket day last Fall, and five hundred people showed up to get help. Over 100 were turned away. We are planning to help 100 people on this day. We will need volunteers to provide and serve refreshments, and we need persons who can escort people through the church building to meet with an attorney privately. The exact times have not been set yet, but we will let you know. I will be putting a signup sheet out for volunteers soon on the table in the entranceway to the sanctuary. This is a great opportunity for ministry. Many people turn to a life of crime because they cannot find gainful employment. We will be helping them remove a barrier for employment for those who qualify for legal assistance.
Through planning this meeting, I found out that in the new year, a non-profit group will be available in the Monday building, 1111 Newton Street, to help poor people with legal issues. This will also be a blessing for the Algiers community.
God has called us to serve our community, and I think this church does that very well. Please be in prayer about these ministry events.
Rev. Becky