Article Archive

Our latest Elder update was on June 16, 2024.

Our latest Elder update was on May 26, 2024.

Below is a summary of what was shared with the congregation on April 21. Each month our elders communicate notable updates for each of the following categories in the life of our church.

These are the updates Chuck Reeves and Tyler Woerner shared with our congregation on behalf of the elders on February 18th, and 25th 2024.

This morning I am pleased to bring you a significant update on our Pastor search.

As a part of our aim at regular communication with our congregation, we'd like to share some updates on the life of our church. These are the updates Shannon Guillory shared with our congregation on behalf of the elders on November 19, 2023.

This church update is a collection of notable changes and information relevant to our church body within the last couple of months. 

Update on the current church and staff situation, search for a new Senior Pastor, Worship Pastor, and other staff members.

Follow God’s faithfulness in Scripture & surrender this Christmas season to Christ.

Devotional used by our Women's Ministry on October 28, 2023 for a time of prayer at Rip Van Winkle Gardens at Jefferson Island.

"Inspiration Letters" bible study led by PJ Broussard.

"Inspiration Letters" bible study led by PJ Broussard.

In Acts 1 we see the final work of Jesus on earth. He was taken up before their eyes. This coming week we celebrate the beginning of his work on earth. His birth! The great fufillment of promised salvation!

Read Luke 24 each day.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

What a remarkable year it has been. TBC’s church family rhythms have begun to return. We have had added two excellent staff members, Paola Rivas (communications) and Zach Fleming (youth director). We couldn’t be more excited for the future! As we look forward, I am happy to share that Trinity remains fiscally solid.

This is a lament Psalm. David first speaks for himself giving full vent to His pain and emotions, then he addresses God, and last his enemies. As with most lament Psalms, this Psalm ends with a declared confidence in God resulting in hope.

This Psalm is a morning prayer with requests for protection and provision. Morning prayers were an important part of ancient near Easter culture which boasted many Gods (polytheism) and a way for an adherent to faithfully acknowledge the deity he or she served - hence “my God and King” (2).

This Psalm deals with deep emotions and pain.David has been exiled from His city, Jerusalem, and is on the run from his son, Absalom. Many of David’s subjects, “friends,” and even advisers have turned against him. David is having a very bad day (more like season). In the midst of His pain, David commits his very real emotions to God’s care.

This Psalm is squarely centered on God’s deliverance.Key to the understanding of this Psalm is the context. David was being chased by his son Absalom which was part of God’s disciplinary action toward David for David’s affair with Bathsheba and murder of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.

This psalm is messianic, referring to the advent of the Jewish Messiah who will be preceded by the wars of Gog and Magog. In this vein, the "king" of Psalm 2 is interpreted not as David but as the future King Messiah from the Davidic line, who will restore Israel to its former glory and bring world peace.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

We recently watched a documentary series on Netflix called “Losers,” about athletes who failed and the aftermath of that failure. Most of them learn from their failures, find new passions, grow in character, etc., and I highly recommend the series. But that’s not why I mention it here.

Ok…stay with me on this. During my childhood, there was an arts and crafts toy that looked like a plastic coloring page. You could color the picture, cut it out and then—put in the oven. There it would magically shrink into a key chain that your mother would cherish always. I loved, loved, loved Shrinky Dinks. I loved to watch them in the oven as the heat would cause them to shrivel and the colors would intensify

Maybe it’s because we didn’t have any grandchildren until after age 60, but we’re totally enamored with ours! We now have 5 grandchildren ages 4 and under, living in 3 states, and we just long to be around them…sort of how God longs to be around us. We babysit our 3-year-old grandson once a week and love taking him places. Watching over and caring for him reminds me so much of the way God watches over and cares for us. If you have children, I think you’ll relate….

I absolutely love that God has given us the amazing gift of imagination. Some of the greatest things in our world have come from a person’s ability to envision something in their mind and then bring it into fruition. I personally love using my imagination superpower to create, craft, and sew. I believe one of the greatest uses of our imagination is to power our faith.

When I started to process the idea of a month at home with the girls off school and the majority of things shutting down, after some obvious panic was a hope for what this unique time can bring. Never before in my life (and I assume most of ours) has there been an empty month, much less a week, of places to be and things to do.

We are truly living very special times. In a minute and without announcement, our sovereign God has stopped our lives and our routines have been shaken. Suddenly and before our eyes, our idols have been revealed, our comfortable lives, control over our schedules, kids’ activities, performance, our jobs, our economy, and even our beloved church.

Last week, we started this wonderful series of devotionals. When I read “set your heart on things above”, I knew what God wanted me to share with all of you. Colossians 3 is the first entire chapter of the bible that I ever put to memory. The chapter begins, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”.

The Road to Emmaus‍. Invariably, whenever I am thinking about what would make a good Bible study, or perhaps a good sermon, I land on the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24. This section of Scripture contains a beautiful, but random, Easter story. I should qualify that last statement; nothing is random from God’s point of view.

One of my favorites places to be, is outside the 3 & 4 year-old class during our first service on Sunday mornings. It’s quiet for a while as the lesson is being taught, then all of a sudden you hear these sweet voices singing….“this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

This week I’ve been reading the story of Jesus’ calming the storm. Mark 4:35-41‍ Before Jesus calms the storm, we read that the disciples said, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” In the book of Luke, the same story says the disciples cried, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown.” 

In times such as this, we may lean toward having negative thoughts, scared thoughts, panicky thoughts. This style of thinking can lead towards all kinds of problems, including a negative mental state, which can lead to depression. Practicing good thinking may be hard, but it can prove to be life-changing if you diligently pursue the exercise of having good thoughts.

One thing that I love most about God’s creative design is the fact that we are all so incredibly unique and different. You might find people you have things in common with or who have similar personalities, but there is no one out there just like you. All of your past experiences, passions, gifts and personality come together to create something that is one of a kind.

Have you found yourself asking that question lately? How long will this pandemic last? How long will the stay at home orders last? How long before I can go back to work? How long before I can see my family and friends?

One evening some 24 years ago, my focus was totally on surrounding events which I viewed as life altering in the greatest way. My wife and I had gotten in our car for a 3 hour drive home having gotten the diagnosis of a terminal illness that had befallen her. The lengthy afternoon discussion had revolved around what she had, her choices that would seemingly affect how she would die, and the timeframe in which that event would likely occur.

“I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else. On the day I called, You answered me; You increased strength within me.” (Ps. 138:2-8)

I grew up in North Carolina in the foothills of the mountains. My Daddy loved music and sang in the church choir. He would sit on the back porch with a radio on listening to Gospel music, 88.1 was his favorite. I would often find him bowing in prayer as he listened. As a kid I never really got it. But now as an adult, wife, mother, daughter, and sister I do.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. This verse is one of the great promises of scripture. It stirs hope in the weakest of hearts. But it is important that we understand who originally received this promise. It was written to exiles. Exiles who had been carried away to a foreign country.


Building upon our first Coronavirus devotional, it seems appropriate to pull from 1 Peter as we find ourselves in exile, aka social distancing, in 2020. In Peter’s day, the Christians were fleeing persecution under the Roman Emperor Nero, who was infamous for burning Rome and Christians, which became the origin for the phrase “Roman Candles”. While we are not under that sort of attack, the opportunity for fear and hopelessness can set in just as easily when the virus named COVID-19 seems to be taking more from us each day. So, what does Peter have for us some 2000 years later?

Today when I read Susan’s story about pennies, it reminded me that God speaks to us all in different ways, especially in trying times like we are in today. Just open your heart and see. Years ago when we lived in Baton Rouge, there was a small lake in our backyard. Sometimes I would go out on our deck for my daily quiet time. I began to notice a majestic blue heron was always out there.

“…because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free…” (Rom. 8:2)‍ “All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons…you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear...” (Rom. 8:14, 15)‍“…set free…into the glorious freedom of God’s children.” (Rom. 8:21)

When the lockdown first began I had the opportunity to sit in on a couple of Zoom webinars with John Ortberg. John is one of my 3 favorite preachers of all time. Whether John is speaking or writing, he has a unique knack of speaking directly to my soul. The topic was about “Preaching and Caring for Your Soul in Disruptive Times”. Needless to say, I could not wait to hear what he had to say about preaching to a camera in an empty room when the whole world is in disrupted chaos.

We’ve all been told and reminded to count our blessings, and we as christians are certainly not without every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places as Paul tells us in Ephesians. Practicing gratitude is of the utmost importance for your heart and your mind. However, these past couple of weeks spent in Philippians have reminded me to count my losses…

Early on in the quarantine, Dennis and I were walking in the neighborhood in the morning. As we headed down to the half-way point of our walk, a couple was headed toward us. The man was on his bike and the woman was walking 2 really big dogs, all on the same side of the street we were on. We decided to cross the street to let them pass by. When we stepped up on the sidewalk on the other side, I found 2 pennies! The Lord was quick to tell me that I only found this ‘treasure’ because I had taken a detour!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4. Really, Paul, rejoice when ……a dangerous virus is spreading throughout the world?…there isn’t enough money to pay the bills this month?…loneliness threatens to overwhelm me?…I’m stuck in my house for who knows how long?

Jesus never did anything by accident. As Robert Coleman wrote years ago, “His life was ordered by his objective. Everything he did and said was a part of the whole pattern. It had significance because it contributed to the ultimate purpose of His life in redeeming the world for God…. Mark it well. Not for one moment did Jesus lose sight of His goal.”

In the midst of COVID chaos I have found much to be thankful for. I have a 5 month old daughter that I’ve gotten to spend so much time with. My wife and I have had time to work on our marriage and our relationship as a family! I couldn’t be more grateful for this time. Gratefulness comes easy for me in this time. Peace, however, does not. 

The coronavirus will soon be one of those historic events we all will talk about. The conversations will start out with something like, “I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the governor of Louisiana closed down the schools.”

“Wait patiently” are two words that keep rolling over and over again in my mind. I’m not sure what I am waiting for! Is it my ability to go to a restaurant with friends, to bring the grandkids bowling, to return to Bible studies with live bodies and not just beautiful faces on zoom, to start new relationships, to get back into my routine or maybe just plain answers?

I looked at the time and realized that I was already 20 minutes late for lunch. I certainly didn’t want to miss a meal, so I picked up my things and started trucking it through the woods. My need to find the perfect spot for quiet time had brought me a little off the beaten path, and while off the beaten path is often where we see and hear God more clearly, I had somehow taken a wrong turn.

Up and down. High and low. Rides are enjoyable with their predictable motion that sometimes has a few bumps and thrills along the ride. Teeter-totters are fun because we have the choice and participate in the rhythm. They aren’t so much fun when your partner is heavier and can keep you at the top for however long they like or push off so hard that when you land, you nearly fall off. The emotional and informational teeter-totter that we are currently strapped to isn’t that much fun.

It seems like this season is characterized by having too little and too much at the same time. Some of us who live alone have too much spare time and too little interaction with others, while others with children have too little spare time and too much interaction. Some are aching for human contact while others just want a few feet of personal space.

During the summer, our family loves to spend time at our local pool. When Dawson was a baby he would simply float in the water with Mom or Dad. This past summer was the first summer he was willing to take some risks. Or should I say, it was the first time I was able to convince him to take some risks. He was completely satisfied splashing around in the shallow water, but I wanted to convince him that the shallow water was not as fun as the deeper water.