AMY SZPARA

PHOTO 1: Rising Star Baptist Church, established in 1926, sits between two sets of railroad tracks on Cardinal Street and is church home to about 200 people. (Staff PhotoS by Amy Szpara) LAPLACE – It is a small church set between two sets of railroad tracks on Cardinal Street, where a tight community of neighbors, friends and family can find some form of ministry to attend at least five days out of the week. This past week, children in the community met every night to learn doctrine and participate in fun, but educational activities at Vacation Bible School. Rising Star Baptist Church, established in 1926 by the Rev. Hosea Zeno who remained preacher until his death in 1980, is one of the oldest Black traditional Baptist Churches in LaPlace, according to the Rev. Donald August. August, who has been pastor for nearly seven years, said the original church was an old framed building with weak floor boards and no air conditioning. The shutters had to be opened during services so the air could circulate. In 1981, the whole place was renovated, and there are further plans to do more renovations. PHOTO 2: The Rev. Donald August, pastor of Rising Star Baptist Church on Cardinal Street in LaPlace, says his church focuses on the community. “That was a tremendous step for the congregation,” said August, adding that staying on the original site was very important, as there is a great history resting there. The community church is in the Woodland Quarters area. According to August, the building sits in a section where slaves at Woodland Plantation used to live. After the death of Zeno, the Rev. Clarence Alvis became pastor and began remodeling. An indoor baptismal was added, and a youth ministry was established. An all-male choir and a drill team were also started at the church. When Alvis passed away in 1994, August was elected pastor, the third in a small group of preachers who have led the cozy church into constant progression. PHOTO 3: The Rev. Donald August talks to young people about the consequences of fighting Wednesday night at Vacation Bible School at Rising Star Baptist Church. For August, becoming pastor at Rising Star was a homecoming. Having been raised in the church and marrying a woman who was also raised in the congregation, he returned to lead the people forward. After graduating from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, August worked near there for several years before moving back to LaPlace. He and his wife, Roberto Zeno August, a great-niece of the founding preacher, returned home. They have a 6-year-old son, Donald Jr. The church now has around 200 members ranging from very small children to adults in their 80s who have been in the congregation since childhood. “We’ve got a multi-cultural congregation, including a gentleman from Venezuela and several white families are here. There is also a Hawaiian family. The father is from the area and married a Hawaiian woman. We baptized the mother and children about five years ago,” said August. “We’ve taken the perspective that the church should be the center of the community. ” Property across the street from the church was purchased in 1985, and a basketball court was put up for children in the neighborhood to use. According to August, they also offer after-school tutoring for children and counseling for adults. Last year, the church was able to send two busloads of children to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., after raising $21,000 in 10 months. A lot of the money was raised by selling dinners. The year before, two busloads of children were sent to AstroWorld in Houston, Texas. “The joy of that is that a lot of these kids probably had never been out of Louisiana,” said August. Some ministries the church has include a food and clothing program, where members distribute items to needy families, a drill team, a dance team and youth and adult Bible studies. “We try to participate in as many community events as possible,” said August, adding that just days before his congregation participated in National Night Out Against Crime. “We try to minister to the complete man. We need to know the Bible and how to apply the Bible to our lives. We teach on finances, health care, education and have counseling sessions. We minister in all areas,” he said. The church recently purchased a rental property next door, which they will be turning into a space for the youth ministry, which is in desperate need of a larger area. On Monday nights, Rising Star averages about 100 young people for Bible study. On Sundays, worshipping begins at 8 a.m. with Sunday School, and at 9 a.m. the service begins and lasts for about two hours. The second Sunday features Junior Church, which is a service run by the young people. The third Sunday is set aside for testimonials and the Lord’s Supper. On Mondays, Youth Bible Study begins at 6:30 p.m., and Adult Bible Study is set for the same time on Tuesday evenings. A whole host of services are offered on Wednesday evenings, including choir rehearsals and service training. Thursdays feature mission teaching and couples ministry, and on Saturday the drill team and Praise Dancers rehearse. Betty Martin, who has been a member of Rising Star for five years, taught ages five through eight in Vacation Bible School this week, and she normally teaches ages one through eight on Monday nights. She said on Monday nights, they learn the Ten Command-ments, the Lord’s Prayer and scriptures. “They often act out the scenes,” said Martin, who added that it is easier for the children who cannot read to learn the stories that way. “If I read the story, they can come back and tell you the scripture and the messages.” The theme for Vacation Bible School was Power Up With Jesus, and Martin’s class made chest armor out of brown paper sacks, which they wore while singing a song at Friday night’s finale. About August, Martin said, “He is truly a God-sent man. He’s a friend. He’s very easy to talk with, and he takes on everyone’s burdens. He loves the children, too.” Martin and her husband, Earnest Martin, moved to LaPlace a few years ago from New York after he retired. Earnest Martin is from the area, and his family members all attend Rising Star Baptist Church. The couple is very active in the church. August said God has really blessed his congregation and his little church. “Our budget is very thin, but we’ve learned to be good stewards. I majored in business, and I had planned to be an entrepreneur. God sent me to college to major in business to run his business. I’ve found my purpose in life – to oversee God’s business,” he said.