Trinity Presbyterian Church, PC(USA)

Jonesville, LA

January 2015

Trinity News

Tradition in the Four Rivers Region since 1856

A Year of Wondering and Now To Turn Another Page
The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become - because He made us. He invented us. He
invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. . .It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to
His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own. C.S. Lewis

At the beginning of each year we start with some idea of the things that we
would like to see, experience or accomplish in our lives so that at the
conclusion of that year we can look back and see the expected satisfying
outcome. The trouble with New Years Resolutions is that they are almost
always focused on one thing that centers on something in our life that we
believe we can control. It is in this that we hope to make a change with positive
results that we can look back on and hopefully agree with at the end of the
year.
I did a search on the internet about the effectiveness of a New Years Resolution and was quickly confronted
with a bunch of articles and advice on how to Stick to it when it comes to keeping these best laid plans for the
New Year. There were pages and pages of offerings to become more effective, but not a lot of good solid data
that shows that a New Years Resolution has a positive effect on ones life. In fact, two things were quite evident.
The first, making and keeping a resolution is fraught with difficulty right out of the gate because as humans we
are proven to have default behaviors that are hard to overcome without constant attention and hard work. The
second, we are easily distracted and have a tendency to lose effectiveness because we do not tie our resolutions
effectiveness to a social activity. In other words, we go it alone and work really hard for a little while and then
give into social pressures around us and forget what we had set out to do.
Ill be honest. Its December 20th as I sit here and write to all of you. I have pondered just what it was that I
committed to change a year ago and I cant remember. Odds are you probably dont either or would rather not
remember. What I do recall is all the things that popped up over the past year that challenged me to step up to
assist another, or to step back while another shared something that I had to give better attention to. I remember
seeing many opportunities for us as a church to reach out and connect with our neighbors and friends and
thinking what could we do to build stronger relationships with them and our church family. I remember a church
full of children for our VBS this past summer and Ms. Betty Doyle and Allan Bean as they got into a water balloon
fight on the sidelines. I think youll find a picture of that later in this newsletter.
C.S. Lewis spent a good deal of his lifetime as a person who did not believe in God because of something that
happened to him as a youth. The important thing is that he had good friends who believed in Christ. He did
eventually find Christ. It was in his experience that he realized that the only way he or anyone else could change
something they first had to turn to him and believe. We too have the power to change. We dont have to rely on
the world to give us the advice that we need to succeed or change. We have been given the power and authority
by Christ to do whatever needs to be done in his name. We are reminded that we are not alone in this. As Christ
reminded his disciples, Whenever two or three of you are gathered in my name, there I will be also. So, our
success does not come from just our effort, but through Christ at work in our lives. We dont have to wait for New
Years Day for a resolution. Every day is New Years Day in Christ! See you at church! Pastor John
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Mens Fellowship Breakfast

Wake up men and join us Tuesday, January 13th at 7
AM. The hot food and fellowship will be ready to help
you start your day right.
Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation
On December 7 after worship, the clerk determined that a
quorum was present. Nominations were received from
committee for Elder Class of 2017. Nominations were
upheld by vote of the congregation without additional
nominations from the floor. Elected to the 2017 Elder Class
were Robert Lee Swayze and Gail Bean. Members
elected to the Nomination Committee in 2015 are
Catherine Jones, Charlie Bean, and Margaret Hill. Allan
Bean present the financial report to the congregation
before presenting the 2015 Terms of Call for the pastor.
The congregation approved the Terms of Call by vote. The
Meeting of the Corporation was held simultaneously with
the congregational meeting. Officers of the Corporation for
2015 were first nominated from the floor and then elected
by vote of the membership present. 2015 Officers elected
are: President Craig Edwards, Vice President Mike
Wilson and Secretary/Treasurer Martha Brallier.
Meeting was adjourned with prayer.

Notes of Love and Thanks

TPC Family, Thank you for the pastors Christmas
Gift. My family and I greatly appreciate it.
Pastor John
The Trinity Choir would like to thank Debra Scott for
the lovely remembrances of Betty Doyle she shared
with each of us in the choir room. Each of us received
a picture of Betty in a frame, a crystal angel, and a
lovely sympathy card with personal words to ease our
sorrow. Debra we thank you for your thoughtfulness.
We thank Barbara & Griff Jones of Rockwall, Texas,
for their generous donation to our operation
Christmas Child shipping fund.
The CARC Work Activity Center sends their
Holiday Greetings for a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year! We thank the staff and cleaning crew from
CARC for the great work that they do in keeping our
facilities clean.
To all the nice people I met last Christmas while
attending church with my daughter Debra, my son
John and grandson Gregory Scott, it was a pleasure.
Sending you all Christmas blessings and wishing you
a joyous New Year. - Patricia Warner.

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Choir News
Choir will meet on January 13th and 20th
this month at 5:30 PM. We will warm up
each Sunday at 10:30AM in the Choir Room.

Advent Readers and Worship Services

We thank all our families that assisted us with the
advent readings this year and in lighting the
advent wreath in worship. We thank:
November 30 Tiser Family
December 7 Womack Family
December 14 Robert Lee Swayze Family
December 21 Nicholson Family
December 24 Susan Bean Family
We also thank the Soloists who shared with us such
wonderful gifts of their voices during the season of
Advent. We thank:
Hannah Cotton who sang Bless This House in
worship on November 30th.
Bryce McGlothlin who sang Christmas Shoes in
worship on December 21st.
We would like to thank all those who participated in
our Christmas Eve Service: We thank our Readers:
Martha Brallier, Glen Tiser, Gail Bean & Ronnie
Swayze.
We thank Gail Bean for lending a hand in playing the
violin during Silent Night.
We thank the Trinity Choir for the work that they have
done to share the wonderful Advent Anthems this
year. We thank them for their efforts throughout the
whole year to provide our church with the music they
sing.

We share our sincere appreciation for the

dedicated work of our organist and accompanist
Dot Lazarus. Her willingness to lead and ensure
that our choir and congregation are ready to sing
is something that we are greatly thankful for as a
church.
Presbyterian Women
Presbyterian Women will meet on January
20th at 10 am in the Fellowship Hall.
Presbyterian Women did not meet during
the month of December.
Extra News at Trinity
Anna Kate Bean made the Jonesville Junior
High honor roll for the 2nd six weeks.
Congratulations to her in receiving this special
recognition!

January Birthdays
3 Glen Tiser
7 Robbie Wilson
14 Kennedy Chapman
19 Judy Sanson
19 Myrtle Ann Collins
20 Ann Krahn
22 Ronnie Swayze
24 Lucy Tiser
24 Margaret Tiser

2014 Poinsettia Plants

In Memory of Betty Doyle
Given by Trinity Presbyterian Church
In Memory of Arvel & Elizabeth Barnes
In Memory of Fred and Geneva Brallier
Given by Jim and Martha Brallier
In Memory of D.E. Brown, Jr.
Given by Mickie, Zane and Brittain Brown

Memorials
To the Glory of God and in loving memory of:
Betty Doyle.
Given by:
Bret & Marla Beard, Jack & Florine Bonner,
Martha Brallier, Catherine Jones, Connie
Landrum, Dot & Willie Lazarus, Verda Mophett,
Silas Simmons, LLP, CPA, Betty Walker, Alma
Womack, Ann Womack, and the Golden Girls

In Memory of Morris Edwards

Given by Craig Edwards
In Memory of Bob Cotton
In Memory of Rob Cotton
In Memory of Scott Cotton
Given by Dot Lazarus
In Memory of Robert & Ilene Swayze
In Memory of Lewis and Bobbie Sue Corley
In Memory of Cicero and Johanna Smith
In Memory of Jeffrey Pierce
In Memory of David Ryan
Given by the Robert Lee Swayze Family

To the glory of God and in loving memory of:

Clyde Walker.
Given by:
Dot & Willie Lazarus, Verda Mophett

In Memory of Jimmie Jones

Given by Catherine Jones

Prayer Concerns:
William Atkins; Charlie Bean; Rusty Bean; Nell Blevins; Jim
Brallier; George Evans; Alton Griffin; Susan Hammett;
Jonathan Hennigan; Judy Hewitt; Zachary Higginbotham;
George Jones; Dot Lazarus; Willie Lazarus; Melvin &
Georgia Marx; Grayson Ross; Eula Smith; Emma Tarver;
Donna Tiser; Buddy Tyler; Kristen Upchurch; Patricia
Warner; Mildred Weatherly; Nan Wood; Betty Yarborough
& Roger Young
Missionary: Joe Mitchell
Prayers for the families of
Charles Jolly, Dustin Beard,
Gus Frith, Betty Doyle. We
pray for these families and all that have had a loved one
pass from this life in the past month.

In Memory of Lou Ellen Parish

In Memory of Fred Parish
In Memory of Paul Corbett
Given by Elizabeth and Curt Parish
In Memory of William and Garnet Pilson
Given by Al Pilson
In Memory of Jeff and Clara Bean
In Memory of Kirk and Ivan Bean
Given By Gail Bean
In Memory of Charlie Sanson
In Memory of Eula and Julius Pullen & Grandparents
Given by Judy Sanson
In Memory of J.D. & M.G. Rushing
In Memory of Frank Patalano
Given by Allen and Charlie Bean
In Memory of C.C RedWilson
In Memory of Hester and Cliff Carl
In Memory of Imogene McMillan and Randy
In Memory of Jan Pritchard and Jamie
Given by Mike and Robbie Wilson
In Honor of our Pastor and Session
In Honor of our Clerk of Session
In Honor of our Church Treasurer
In Honor of the Choir
Given by Trinity Presbyterian Church

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PRAY FOR:

We pray for our country and our leaders.

We pray for peace in the world. Especially for the areas of
West Bank, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan,
North Korea, and Libya.
We pray for our men & women in harms way.
We pray for Trinity Presbyterian Church and all churches.

IN THE SERVICE
Matthew Bean, Rusty Bean, Scott Bean, Matt Begnaud,
Kacie King Dunn, Joe Hamilton, Justin Lacroix, Eric Little,
Nicholas Parish, Ray Santillano, Crystal Smith

BETTY WOLLERSON DOYLE

On Sunday, December 7th, we all came to worship as usual,
but something was different. It seemed that a light had
gone out of Trinity Presbyterian Church for we had lost our
wonderful Betty Doyle, and we felt such a sense of sorrow
and loss that we lacked words to express it. She was our
ray of sunshine, our guestion-asker extraordinaire (as
Alma Womack put it), our beloved choir member, and our
loving friend. Her choir book in the choir room still bears her
name on its cover and we mourn her loss more and more
each Sunday as we sing our anthems without her.
Well remember Betty as a person who never met a stranger
whether in church or out in the community. During one of the
Lenten services, one of the speakers remarked that he did
not have to introduce himself because Ms. Betty had already
found out everything about him. She was so full of joy and
personality that when she walked into a room, there was
never a dull moment. She was that kind of person. And most
of all, she loved all of us, and she loved the Lord.
If you live close to God in His infinite grace, you dont have
to tell it; it shows in your face. That, too, was Betty
Doyle. We give thanks to the Lord above for the bond which
continues to bind us all together with her in the love and
power of Jesus Christ. We thank you, Lord, for the life of
Betty Doyle and the privilege you gave to us for so many
years that of being a part of her life. May the Lord bless
and keep her until we meet again. Dot Lazarus

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Mrs. Betty always had a question, or three, for me every time we met - at church every week
or anywhere. And she always sounded like I had really done something great in knowing
answers...and made me feel good that I had done such a good job explaining the answer.
She had to be such an amazing teacher. She also gave me something I will treasure forever
when she told me how I was so like my mother...no one had ever said that to me nor had I
ever thought I did in any manner...because I had said, like my mother had said to her, what
is the point of knowing something if you don't share it when someone asks. I truly miss Mrs.
Betty and her insatiable, enthusiastic quest for knowledge and joie de vivre. Allan Bean

Mrs. Betty was a very important part of

my youth and I'm so blessed to have
spent some time (helping her paint)
recently. She definitely brought laughter
to everyone that knew her. She will be a
presence that will be greatly missed.
Thoughts and prayers to you all.
May Hutchinson

I certainly will miss Betty. She and I were

very good friends and had many fun times
together. Long conversations on the phone
and spending time together as a group.
Myrtle Ann Fairbanks
Mrs. Betty was, as my Daddy would say, "a
Hoot"! I really enjoyed being around her as
she was a person who enjoyed life and
infected those around her with that love.
Betty Doyle, you will be missed!
George Jones
Sunday school will never be the same
without Ms. Betty. She always kept things
lively. Allan, you are right about her quest
for knowledge. Donna Tiser said it best at
church yesterday, ALL of Ms. Betty's
questions have been answered! Amen!
Ronnie Swayze

I had only known Betty for a

little over two years, but it was
my honor to call her my friend.
I will miss you my dear friend,
fly high and sing with the
angels. You will forever be in
my heart.

Sure gonna miss this RAY OF

Debra Scott

She always made me laugh.

SUNSHINE!!!
Sue Cooper Walker
Yes, she was. No one like her.
She will certainly be missed.
Catherine Jones

Charlie Bean

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Trinity Presbyterian Church, PC(USA)

Jonesville, LA

January 2015

Trinity News

Tradition in the Four Rivers Region since 1856

Tradition in the Four Rivers Region since 1856

For more information related to articles and submissions in the church newsletter please contact:
Mrs. Dot Lazarus
318-339-9842
Email: dulazarus@bellsouth.net
Pastor John Scott
318-403-9512
Email: jascott303@gmail.com

Trinity Presbyterian Church, PC(USA)

401 Third Street, Jonesville, LA 71343

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Distribution: Dot Lazarus, Catherine Jones

Editing: Adrian White, Dot Lazarus, Rev. John Scott