Church

When we moved here in June 2007, one of our first priorities was to find a new church home. We'd left a church in Pittsburgh that we loved, Hiland Presbyterian, and were quietly optimistic that we'd find another church where we could worship, serve, and make new friends.

The task of church-shopping proved to be more difficult than we had anticipated. One thing we didn't realize; there aren't very many Presbyterian churches in the Lake Charles area, or in the south in general, for that matter. In Pittsburgh, there's a Presbyterian church on every corner. But I think there are about three in all of SWLA, at least in Calcasieu Parish. We were comfortable with the Presbyterian tradition, but we were open-minded to other denominations. It was important to me that we find a church in our own community of Moss Bluff. We're not Sunday morning church-goers. We attend bible studies, committee meetings, youth group activities, and any pot luck on the calendar. So it was important that the church be convenient. We knew the churches that we would not feel comfortable at, so we ruled those out. And that didn't leave a whole lot of options here in Moss Bluff. We attended a few, and everyone was very friendly. One of our highest priorities was that it have a youth group where our boys felt comfortable.

To back up a bit, my husband moved here to start his new job three months prior to our sons and me moving here. During that time, Bob began attending First Presbyterian Church of Lake Charles. The members there took good care of my husband during that lonely time of separation. They made him feel welcome. So by the time the kids and I moved down, he'd already started to feel at home there. And they have a small but active youth group that the boys enjoy attending. So to make an eight month long story short, we joined FPC in February, 2008. It's not in Moss Bluff. It's not convenient, but rather about a ten mile drive into town. A friend of mine tells me he can walk to church, and I'm jealous of that. But I do love this church. The congregation is warm and welcoming. And they have a real heart for worship, service, and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our Session recently began a new focus called GROW (Good News, Reach Out, Work). The plan aims to attract new members and revitalize the church life.

Last night, and every 2nd Wednesday of the month, we had "Family Night Supper," which is pot luck with a short program. As part of the program, we viewed FPC's new TV commercial. Look for it on KPLC. Check out our new website as well, http://www.firstpres-lc.org/. And if you're in the market for a new church, come give us a try at 1801 2nd Ave. in Lake Charles. Our new motto is, Come As You Are, Leave Even Better.