The Messenger Newsletter

The day has arrived.  The Audelia Road Campus is in a bit of a mess, and before construction is through, things will get messier.  Mycon, our contractor, will work with us to keep the inconveniences to a minimum.

Renovation of the Education Building will begin Monday, the 3rd.  Beginning Sunday, May 9, the adult Sunday school classes will be relocated, as follows:  Horizons, led by John Brown, will meet in the "blue room," next to the Nursery.  Reflections, led by Cris Emrich, will meet in the computer room, in the office complex.  Questors, led by Norma Moore, will meet at the home of Eloise Love, 9412 Buxhill (west of Audelia).

Bob Shelton said, "I know you will handle these changes with your typical grace and good humor.  You understand these adjustments are necessary for the realization of our long anticipated dream.  When we occupy our new church home, we will call every inconvenience we went through well worth it."

Construction is expected to take 180 days.

Lake Highlands Presbyterian Women sponsor many mission projects.  The congregation is encouraged to participate in the following ones:

1. Save labels for Brazos de Cristo (for premium supplies for Mi Escuelita and other pre-school programs) and Lake Highlands mChild Development Center: All Campbell Products (soups, beans, tomato juice and V-8 juice), Franco-American Products, Swanson Products, Prego Spaghetti Sauces, Mrs. Paul’s Products and Freshlike Products.
2. Save commemorative and foreign postage stamps.  Leave one fourth inch to one half inch when cutting off the envelope.
3. Save old eyeglasses for Lions Clubs to recycle.
4. Get a Kroger card from the Child Development Center to secure a small percentage from each purchase at Kroger to add to the fund benefiting this nonprofit mission of the church.
5. Save aluminum cans for igloo on parking lot at PRC with proceeds of sale going to heifer Project sponsored by the CDC.
6. Save books, magazines, playing cards and crossword puzzles with solutions for the Veteran’s Hospital.  These will be collected in the Fall.

Boxes for the labels and stamps are on a table in the hall outside Bob’s office.

The women do these projects:  Make and assemble layettes for Parkland Hospital, make lap robes for Veterans Hospital, roll bandages, and make quilts, etc. for World Services.

Do you have space, perhaps in an air-conditioned, unused room to store extra choir robes for the duration of construction?  The church will provide clothes racks.  Please call the office at 214-348-2133.

What is this ministry so commonly referred to as the CDC?  For starters it’s a primary mission of the church, our church Lake Highlands.  Waht does CDC stand for?  You know this but let me repeat CDC is an acronym for the Child Development Center.

So, what is the Child Development Center?  It’s a place provided by our church through the last 45 years for the children of this community, a place in which they can learn, grow and discover the world outside their families.  Children are welcome at the Center from the ages of eighteen months through twelve years.  The Center provides infant care, before and after school care, summer day camp and includes Mom’s Day Out program for those needing a break for only one or two days a week.  As a ministry the CDC plays an important part in the mission and future of LHPC.  You, yourself, have identified ministry to children and service to the community as being important missions of our church.  The CDC serves both these needs.

The staff of trained and certified caretakers give the children the love and attention that they need and deserve.  Most of the staff have been with the Center from four to five years up to 12 years — this is one of the main strengths of the program.  Our director has worked in a supervisory capacity in childcare for approximately 26 years.

Through most of its history the Center has been financially secure and has even provided funding for other of the church’s ministries.  However, since 2001, it has gone through hard economic times, not of its making.  The September 11 terrorist attacks and the recession brought job losses and relocations for families whose children were enrolled in the CDC.  The sale of the Plano Road property and erection of the Church of South India sign have left people confused about where we are and even what we are.  We placed our signage on the property, but it can’t complete with the larger sign.  In addition to that, the age and physical deterioration of the education wing that houses the Center is a turn-off to prospective families.  The delay in construction of the new classroom building has also hurt.  All of this has combined to stress the Center financially for the past couple of years.  Efforts have been made through budget cuts and staff reductions to combat this stress.  Now the deficits are being met by dipping into reserves.  This is a pattern that cannot go on.

After a great deal of study and prayer, the session feels that with the economic upturn and the occupancy of the new building on Audelia, the CDC will have a strong and energetic future.  High visibility, a fresh, new and inviting facility without identity problems will enable LHPC to continue this all-important ministry.  But between now and that time, the CDC needs the help of everyone in the congregation.  In the weeks to come you will be given suggestions for ways in which you might help.  We hope you will listen to these suggestions with prayerful heart and find a way, large or small, to give your help and support.

Just to keep you up to date, the following are notes gleaned from the minutes of April 12, 2004....

The Appreciative Inquiry Team presented session with a bulletin board displaying an elaborate chart, which indicated how the church is currentlyparticipating in the various areas designated by the committee as "Provocative Statements."

The CDC Recovery team announced their plans for presentations to the congregation concerning the CDC and its needs.

The Property Development Committee announced that construction has begun and that they expect very soon to receive a time-line, which will indicate the expected stages of development.

The following membership items were noted:  Dorothy and Frances Appiah-Ntifor who joined church on February 29, 2004, were introduced to the congregation on March 7, 2004;  Lucinda Margaret Salerno, infant daughter of Lori and Frank Salerno was baptized on April 11;  and, the request of John and Kathy Eversole for the baptism of their infant daughter, Gabrielle Elizabeth Eversole, was approved.

The Nominating Committee announced they will soon be recruiting new members to session for the Class of 2007.

The CDC Committee announced that plans are underway for the merger of MDO into CDC in preparation for the move in the fall to ARC and as a part of the CDC Recovery Plan.

The Christian Education Committee announced that there would be no Vacation Bible School during the summer of 2004 due to the construction.  The joint VBS will be held at St. James Episcopal Church.

The Youth Director reported that approximately $400 was raised through the participation of 16 persons from LHPC in the Crop Walk on April 4.  Special note was also made that Altitude will paly ar El Har on May 1, 2004.

Don’t forget to check the bulletin board outside the pastor’s office on Audelia Road to read the complete minute from the last Session meeting!

Congratulations to all our graduates
It's May, and it is graduation time!  If you are graduating from high school or college or if you know someone in the congregation who is graduating, please let us know in the church office at 214-348-2133.

A $10,000 bequest has been received from the estate of Mr. Charles M. Kennedy.

Mr. Kennedy, a CPA and one time internal auditor for General American Oil Company, was a member of the Northminister Presbyterian Church congregation where he held offices including Building Committee Chair, Deacon, and Elder.  The letter from the attorney disbursing the bequest indicated that Mr. Kennedy had a particular interest in young people.  The Session received Mr. Kennedy’s bequest into the Building Fund where the gift will be used to help provide a new Education Building for our Sunday School and Child Development Center.  Do Mr. Kennedy’s bequest will help to shelter children and serve as a memorial to him many years to come.

We deeply appreciate Mr. Kennedy’s thoughtful remembrance and wish great comfort and well-being to his family.

Circle l will meet Tuesday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. at Joni Kern’s for a covered dish dinner.  Contact Joni Kern at 972-412-1059 for more information.

Circle 2 will meet Tuesday, May 18, at 10:00 a.m. at Betty Davis’ for a covered dish luncheon.  Contact June Faircloth at 214-348-3949 or Sue Sullivan at 214-348-7629 for more information.

Circle of Hope will meet Wednesday, May 19, at 9:30 a.m. for a covered dish salad luncheon.  Contact Sara Secor at 214-348-7628 or Virginia Salter at 214-328-1221 for more information.

Circle of Joy will meet Tuesday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Missy Rodgers’.  Contact Lisa Halliburton at 214-343-0344 for more information.

Women’s Board Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 12, 10:00 a.m. at Cinda Koch’s.

Women’s General Meeting will be held Saturday, May 1 at 11:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.  Ann Shelton will give a book review.  There will be a covered dish salad luncheon and installation of officers for 2004-2005.

May 1:  Altitude plays at Camp El Har (2:00 p.m.)
May 2:  Youth Fellowship
May 9:  Mother’s Day
(No Youth Fellowship, spend the day with Mom)
May 16:  Youth Fellowship
May 23:  Youth Fellowship
May 30:  Youth Fellowship

2004 Summer Camp Dates
Senior High Camp
(going into 9, 10, 11, 12 & 2004 grads): June 20-June 25
Junior High Camp
(going into 7 & 8 grade): June 25-29
Junior Camp
(going into 4, 5, 6 grades) June: 29-July 3
CPYC
(going into 10, 11, 12, & 2004 grades): July 4-9
Triennium
July 20-25

Altitude in Concert!

Altitude will be playing at the Camp El HAr Spring Junior Rodeo on Saturday, May 1st.  Lots of fun for everyone.  Come out and support a great camp and watch Altitude’s show!  This is quite a big deal that our kids were asked to play for such a big event!  The Rodeo will include a carnival, petting zoo, food, artisans’ tent, and rodeo events for the kids.  Admission is $5.00.  Altitude will play around 2:00 p.m. that afternoon.  For more information on this event check out www.campelhar.org.  Camp El Har is located about 15 minutes outside of downtown Dallas.  If you need directions or have questions you can contact Meg Richardson at the church office.

Dear Church Family:
     Thanks to our great church family for the many expressions of sympathy, support and understanding upon the recent illness and death of my brother, Bill Rothfus, in Rogers, Arkansas.  It is a joy to be part of this caring and supportive community of faith.

     Martha Boyd

Dear Friends:
     Thank you so much for the cards, flowers and calls you made after my surgery.  You are a caring and thoughtful congregation.

     Love,

     Gladys Williams

Dear LHPC:
     Thank you for your kindness and sympathy at a time when it was deeply appreciated.  Thank you for the lovely flowers for Eloise’s service.

     Jim Hawthorne

Mary Nell Enright Eula Watterson Jess Jenson Ralph & Jan Gifford Bill Rothfus Mac Hubbard Tammy & Rich Mackesey J.B. & Mary Lou Pendergrass Sammye Wood CDC Recovery Giftsa Ginger Williams

The best thing about the future is that it comes only on day at a time.

The church expresses Christian sympathy to Jim Hawthorne in the death of his wife Eloise, on March 27.  Her funeral was held at Restland on the 31st.

The church expresses Christian sympathy to the family of Mary Lee Kelly, who passed away on April 20.  A memorial service was held on April 23rd.

Kate Duff, daughter of Martha Hardee and Alan Duff, passed away on April 14.  Martha is a former member of Lake Park Presbyterian Church.  Our sympathies to the Duff family.

The church expresses Christian sympathy to the family of Bill Rothfus, upon his death in Rogers, Arkansas.  Bill is Martha Boyd’s brother.

The church expresses Christian sympathy to the family of Harold Box, brother of June Faircloth.  Services were held at Restland on April 23rd.

The church expresses Christian sympathy to the Harnden family.  Frank Harnden, Sr. died April 23rd in Dallas.

Men’s Fellowship will meet Tuesday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m.

Police!  Our first line of defense.  Hear our own Herman Sawyer, a 30-year veteran officer of the Dallas Police Department.  He will enhance our appreciation of how law enforcement makes our society possible.

Bring your own meat to cook on the grill.  Men, bring your sons; sons, bring your fathers.  This is great time for good food and fellowship!

Members and friends of LHPC who are 55 and over are invited for "A Day in the Country" on Saturday, May 22.  Come for relaxation, good food (lunch provided, $5.00 per person), fishing, and fellowship at the Gifford’s log home.

Leave Plano Road Campus at 9:30 a.m., returning at 5:30 p.m. Vans are available or take your own car.

For reservations call Dan Wadley at 214-348-0445 or Clyde Forrester at 214-348-6431.

Sunday Evening Casual Classics
May 16th — 5:00 p.m. concert

Admission is free (donations of $10 appreciated)

Featured artist:
Bruce Wittrig, Mary Alice Rich & John Burkwall