As members of PCA churches we have been given a doctrinal foundation that leads us to live out the Gospel in practical and merciful ways. We love this example of a local church serving with truth and compassion. We at CEP pray that the Word and deed ministry of the women from Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville will encourage your ministry team to think outside the box and look for creative ways to extend His kingdom.
In August of 2005, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Homes, possessions, and jobs were swept away through the devastating winds and waves. But rising from the loss is a church, Lagniappe PCA, who is committed to participating in the restoration of its community both physically and spiritually.
Speaking at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville one Sunday morning, Jean Larroux, pastor of Lagniappe Church in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was asked about the volunteers who come to Lagniappe, where they regularly host teams helping with rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. “People always ask me, ‘What do you need people to do?’ and I’ve learned to ask them, ‘Well, what do you do?'” Larroux noted that he was often surprised with the unique skill sets potential volunteers have that exactly meet Lagniappe’s needs.
A couple of weeks later, Nancy Guthrie, a member at Christ Presbyterian, sent Larroux an email reminding him of his comments saying, “I love to teach the Bible to women. Is that something you could ever use?” This email began a conversation that birthed a unique combination work project/women’s conference held at Lagniappe church in February 2008.
Since Lagniappe wasn’t even an official church at the time and had very few members, a team of 15 women from Christ Pres took on the responsibility of planning and promoting the conference/work project in partnership with Barbara Warner of Lagniappe Church. Barbara previously served several terms as PresWIC President for North Florida.
About 130 women from Bay St. Louis and all around the Southeast came, staying in the bunkhouses at the church and pitching in to work in the kitchen and clean up the church facility throughout the weekend. On Friday evening and Saturday morning Guthrie taught on Job, a man who experienced devastating loss when a storm flattened his home. Worship leader Teresa Sugar sang a few sets at the Mockingbird Caf