Fellowship

The Fellowship Committee meets regularly on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:00pm in the Upper Room (or the kitchen!). We welcome new members at any time. Volunteers on this committee keeps the kitchen organized and maintain the supplies for most congregational activities; (coffee hour) and other gatherings throughout the year for congregational fellowship and enjoyment.

We provide special refreshments for special Sundays ( Mother’s Day, Fathers Day, our Church Birthday, Ordination Anniversaries. Staff Appreciation Day, etc.). We organize all the pot lucks for including Welcome Back Sunday and Easter Brunch when we cook and serve a Ham.

Some of the special events we participated in this past year include: 

1. We prepared and delivered lunches to Emmanuel Presbyterian Church for the Officer’s retreat.

2. We prepared lunch for the Presbyterian Officer Training held at LPPC.

3. We helped plan and co-ordinate Jane's retirement party.

4. We helped plan and co-ordinate Ken's Ordination Anniversary.

5. We planned the congregational tamale dinner on the Sunday after the December Cantata. We also took orders for tamales and sold them to the congregation. This is a service to the congregation, there is no profit, and it offsets the costs of the 20 dozen donated tamales which we served to the congregation.

The Fellowship Committee sponsors 2 to 3 fund raising projects throughout the year to contribute to the church financially. These are:

1. The Navaho Taco Dinner

2. We made red & green chili & beans to use for our dinners and to sell.

3. Sold baskets of red and green chili at the auction.

4. Sold red and green chili and beans at the Holiday Sale.

The Fellowship Committee would like to thank the entire congregation for supporting our efforts to have great fellowship and hospitality for our congregation.

News for June through the end of year 2008.

A hand washing sink has been approved by Session to be installed in the kitchen.

On August 17, 2008 we celebrate the end of the summer and the beginning of a new school year with a pancake, waffles, bacon & juice brunch.  The Fellowship Committee is hosting a Rally Day brunch for the entire congregation to welcome our young people back to the Christian education we promised them in baptism.  Please put the date, Sunday, August 17, on your calendar and remember to join us after 9:15 worship for a time of fellowship and delicious brunch!

Next fall, we will have our community Enchilada Dinner on October 25, 2008. Both red and green chile will be purchased, cleaned and prepared. Come join in on the fun!

We will be making chili and beans to sell for the Placitas Holiday Sale, which is November 22 & 23, 2008.  We intend on selling food from the kitchen, and plan to place a table in the court yard if the weather permits.  Along with selling our red and green chile, We also will sell burritos, hot dogs and drinks. Some of the profits from this sale could be used to pay for the tamales, for the Tamale Dinner, which is planned for December 14. 2008 (Pending Session approval).

We also are thinking about working on a LPPC Church cookbook.  More on this later.

EVERYONE PLEASE SIGN UP FOR COFFEE HOUR HOSTING

 Summer Fellowship —We need your help this summer! The summer schedule doesn’t mean that our needs for great fellowship are any less. We have very few people signed up to host fellowship hour this summer. Please see the sign-up sheets in the Fellowship Hall and help make this summer a great one at LPPC. 

The Fellowship Committee needs HELP to provide refreshments for the coffee hour following worship. We have decided to ask two people or families to pair up each week for this hospitality ministry—sharing the burden of making coffee and punch, providing cookies or other goodies, and cleaning up afterwards. Responsibilities can be divided however that week’s hosts decide. This way, even choir members, who are practicing during setup, can participate by brining cookies and helping clean up.

If you haven’t signed up yet for this year, please do so as soon as possible. Joan D has the schedule and may be calling you soon. Save Joan the hassle by contacting her first  and volunteering for your preferred Sunday.

Navajo Taco Dinner

 On Saturday, April 26, from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm, we held our famous traditional chile on Navajo Tacos. Take out was available. Tickets for adults were $8 in advance and $10 at the door; tickets for children were $5. Children under age five got in free. 

This was our big money raiser for the Spring and netted nearly $1,200 for the church. Many came and enjoyed our special homemade chile, made by our very own Elsie D and the wonderful sopapillas made by Vivian D. 

Big THANKS to all the many helpers!

The Story Behind Our Church Dinners

Written by Vivian G D

Las Placitas Presbyterian Church (LPPC) began serving dinners to raise money in the late 1950s, when the church was a simple adobe structure with a bell tower.

Siria Salazar, descendent of one of the Las Huertas Land Grant families, graciously presided over the preparations. In those years, there were no paper or Styrofoam plates. The ladies would ready the basement with festive tablecloths, china plates, real silverware, and beautiful centerpieces—complete with candles!

Supper menus included enchiladas, beans, salad, sopapillas, and dessert. On the day of a supper, the ladies would clean chile pods, roast them in the oven, and then grind them in preparation for making the famous LPPC chile sauce. The traditional red chile always had customers coming back for seconds!

When the growing church needed to add on to its building in the 1980s, the enchilada suppers lost their home. During construction—which was completed for the most part by the members of the church themselves— the suppers were moved to the Placitas Elementary School gymnasium.

The whole process of assembling the enchiladas at the school was a lot tougher because so much more work was involved. Traditionally, enchiladas are made in layers of corn tortilla, red chile, cheese, and onions. Then they are covered with the chile sauce and topped with a fried egg. As delicious as that sounds, it was impossible to do in the makeshift kitchen in the gym. The ladies had to adapt the process, frying the tortillas in hot oil and then rolling them with a cheese and onion filling on the inside. They carefully poured the chile over them and then topped it off with lettuce and tomatoes.

In the school gym days, crowds were usually about two hundred. The red chile was still the magic ingredient in the enchiladas. Some folks claimed that the LPPC ladies made the best enchiladas in the state of New Mexico!

In 1984, when the new sanctuary and fellowship hall were finally completed, everyone was ecstatic about being able to cook in the new kitchen. Styrofoam plates and cups were now part of the times. The church kitchen now had to adhere to public health regulations for serving food—the state strictly enforced standards for disinfecting and rules for keeping foods at a certain temperature. Of course, members were thrilled with their new kitchen and gladly conformed to the new standards.

With the expanded space and growing reputation of the LPPC chile, enchilada suppers began drawing crowds of three hundred or more. Encouraged by community response, and hoping to raise more money to pay off their brand new building, the faithful members continued holding suppers several times a year. For variety, the ladies expanded their menu to include Navajo Taco Dinners—which also became an instant favorite as soon as that wonderful traditional chile was poured over them. 

Easter Sunday Ham & Potluck Brunch—March 23, 2008

The Fellowship Committee hosted our traditional Easter Brunch gathering after the 10:30am service on Sunday, March 23. They provided delicious hot sliced ham and drinks for all. Attendees brought side dishes such as salad, hot or cold vegetables, rolls, bread or desserts to share at the potluck tables (pictured).

A big THANKS to all the helpers who set up tables on Saturday and to those who help us clean up after the event

A good time was had by all!  

GAME NIGHT AND CHILI SUPPER   

Everyone who attended enjoyed an evening of fellowship with family and friends at our cabin-fever-relieving Chili Supper and Game Night, Saturday, February 23^rd, which began at 5:00 pm. We served traditional MIDWEST CHILI and CORNBREAD—plus Chili Dogs. Supper was served from 5:30 to 7:00, followed by TABLE GAMES for all ages to play—Dominoes, Chicken Foot & Mexican Train, Uno, Skip-Bo, Jenga and others.

WELCOME Pastor Elizabeth POTLUCK—Jan 20, 2008

We had a traditional LPPC POTLUCK luncheon after the 10:30 service on Sunday, January 20^th to welcome Pastor Elizabeth. Many came out to meet and greet Elizabeth (and one another) with our famous LPPC hospitality.

Click here to see photos

CHILE

We have made our first batch of the famous LPPC red and green CHILE. This traditional fall culinary adventure offers newcomers and old-timers an opportunity to share in the rhythm of the seasons and join in one of the many historic cultural rituals of our New Mexico neighbors. Plus, our periodic dinners and sales of chile raise substantial money for our church budget and building fund.

If you would like to learn how to make authentic red and green chile, come join us and learn from our local experts! See Elsie D for more information.

In cooperation with the Mission Committee, we will be selling our first batch of the famous LPPC red and green CHILE ($10/quart) at the LPPC booth in the Placitas Holiday Sale tent, Saturday and Sunday, November 17 & 18. This year we will be offering Frijoles Festiva ($9/qt) as well, so you can stock up for holiday entertaining. Volunteers are always needed to help with sales in the booth. See Joan D or Joyce L. THANKS!

The 2007 Dinner and Auction Fundraiser held on October 27, 2007 was a solid success—contributing a net of over $6,000 to the church’s Reserve Fund. Thanks to all who participated. Click here to see pictures of this wonderful event!

Special thanks to two key organizers (without whom the event would not have happened), Donna H and Ouida A. Major contributions were also made by Bill L, Judie H, Rebecca R, Max E, Paul H, Marcia A, the Don & Nancy T & family, and Cheap & Easy who shared their musical gifts. Hats off to Kent A for chairing this fun and profitable event. And THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO CONTRIBUTED creative products or services to the auction.

If you have not yet paid for and picked up your silent auction items, please do so ASAP so the books can be closed and the offices cleared out.

Chef Cheryl’s BREAD-BAKING CLASS STILL OPEN

In case you missed the silent auction, Cheryl F is offering a morning of instruction on baking bread in Placitas, Saturday January 19th, 8:30 am to noon. Lucky participants will be treated to scrumptious cinnamon rolls, simple French loaves, rye bread basics, sourdough secrets, focaccia/pizza doughs, dinner rolls, and delightful fellowship. You will go home with a recipe book and samples of each creation. And Jack will do all the cleanup!! All this for just $25 a person, proceeds to the Reserve Fund. Call Cheryl  for more details or to reserve one of the few remaining spots.

Backyard Barbeques coming in July or August, 2008!

On Saturday, July 21, 2007 at 6:00pm our second annual Backyard Barbeques took place in several different homes around the community.  Hosts assigned potluck meal components to their guests. Everyone had a great time!

This is a wonderful way to meet new friends, enjoy extended conversations, and discover unexpected dimensions to your church family.

Cinco de Mayo Fund Raiser

Many thanks to EVERYONE who helped with the Cinco de Mayo Navajo Taco Dinner, especially the hard-working kitchen folks and setup/cleanup crews. These dedicated people work unselfishly behind the scenes to make our fellowship events delicious and delightful. Hats off to all the volunteers!

The gathering was richly enhanced by Judie H’s lively Garage Band and the traditional tunes of the Hispano Singers (including guest cameos by Karen B and Nora H), accompanied by Willie A’s energetic accordion and his nephew’s mellow guitar. Thanks to them all for the gift of music! And thanks to everyone who brought goodies for the bake sale!

Chair Joan D reports that the event raised $1,200 for the church operating fund (including mortgage paydown). Thanks for coming!

Cake for our Volunteer Appreciation Sunday