VISIONS. Hungry. Serving Our HUNGER IN GEORGIA IS A STARK REALITY SECOND QUARTER 3 HUNGER MINISTRIES IN OUR CHURCHES

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1 2018 SECOND QUARTER Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 3 HUNGER MINISTRIES IN OUR CHURCHES VISIONS SPRING GENERAL ASSEMBLY REMEMBERED 10 THREE NEW CBF/GA EVENTS ANNOUNCED 11 EVENTS, UPDATES & REPORTS Hungry Serving Our HUNGER IN GEORGIA IS A STARK REALITY. Some 16.2% of Georgians 1 in 6 live with food insecurity, meaning that they sometimes do not know where they will find their next meal. According to food bank and hunger organization statistics, nearly 1 in 4 children in Georgia live in food insecure households. The problem is not limited to any one area of our state, as both urban and rural areas north and south face food insecurity related to poverty, lack of transportation, and unemployment or underemployment. In all areas of Georgia, food insecurity and particularly child food insecurity is well above national averages. Indeed, as recently as 2014, Georgia was rated as the fourth-highest state in the nation in childhood hunger. Hunger disproportionately affects our youngest and oldest populations, with some 700,000 children and 300,000 seniors in Georgia living with food insecurity, lacking access to necessary and nutritious food on a regular basis. Food insecurity also deeply affects working poor, who because of underemployment are often not eligible for assistance from federal food nutrition programs. In this issue of Visions, we explore how some of our CBF/GA congregations are already responding to the hunger crisis in their communities. We highlight congregations large and small, rural, small town, and urban, and from geographically diverse areas. Their responses are varied and creative, and they often demonstrate the value of partnerships with community agencies and with other churches in the fight against hunger. From community gardens to summer feeding programs to food drives, many CBF/GA churches are actively working to fight hunger, but we can do more! Our hope is that all CBF/GA churches will be challenged and encouraged to act in their own communities in response to these shared stories, so that we can truly live out the gospel message in Matthew 25: I was hungry and you gave me food.

2 ABOUT THIS ISSUE Speaking Up and Speaking Out As a kid, I knew nothing about real hunger. I would complain like most kids about being hungry, but those hunger pangs were quickly eased because I lived in a family that had adequate, even abundant, access to food. I had never gone to bed without anything to eat and wasn t malnourished because of lack of good, nutritious food in my diet. A decade ago, I was chosen as an inaugural Hunger Justice Leader by Bread for the World, a collective Christian voice urging our nation s decision-makers to end hunger at home and abroad. Bread for the World has been around since the 1970s, founded by Art Simon, a Lutheran pastor in New York City, who tired of constantly meeting food emergencies for parishioners and community residents and wanted to really address the long-term issue. Gathering pastors and ministers from across the Christian spectrum, Simon and others thought the best way to enact lasting change was through encouraging elected officials to work on behalf of the hungry and poor. The Hunger Justice Leader program gathered young clergy from across America to investigate the biblical and spiritual foundation for a life seeking justice for poor and hungry people in America and around the world. We were inundated with facts and figures which had been compiled by social service and governmental agencies the world over. We learned to speak up and speak out for our voiceless brothers and sisters, advocating for real, lasting change for the poor and hungry. In recent years, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has partnered with Bread for the World to advocate for addressing the systemic causes of hunger and to engage congregations in speaking out for our hungry brothers and sisters. As I am beginning my time at CBF/GA, I am learning more deeply of the many ways our partner congregations are speaking up and speaking out on behalf of their brothers and sisters in need. We are sharing meals with those on the margins and opening our churches as places of shelter and hospitality for those who have no place to lay their head. In short, the churches of CBF/GA are living out one of my favorite parables of Jesus, the Judgment of the Nations in Matthew 25. We are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, and visiting the sick and imprisoned. It s a shame that in a socially and digitally connected world, a good number of us don t know what our brothers and sisters are doing. And so, over the next year, our quarterly printed publication, Visions, will be transforming into a more narrative-based magazine that will tell the stories of mission and ministry from our partner congregations around the state. Also, each issue will become more thematic in its approach, spotlighting different aspects of ministry that help us live out our calling to be the presence of Christ in our world. In this issue, we are highlighting the ways our partner congregations are addressing hunger in their communities. If you read Visions with an eye towards announcements and advertisements for upcoming events, don t worry, we re not ending them. We are, however, planning to transition more of those announcements to our more regularly delivered Re-Visions newsletter. If you don t currently receive either newsletter, or if you only receive one of them, please contact the CBF/GA office or Melissa Kremer, mkremer@ cbfga.org, and we ll see that you are on both lists. I was hungry and you fed me, Jesus said. Thanks be to God for our partners who are feeding our brothers and sisters in need. May you, too, find the courage and opportunity to feed a hungry world in need. JODY LONG Executive Coordinator jlong@cbfga.org 2 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS

3 t Volunteers from FBC Columbus pack bags for their twice-weekly Food Closet ministry. In 2017, the church served 3778 families, offering encouragement and counseling along with food. The Food Closet is one of the many ministries through which FBC, Columbus, seeks to alleviate hunger. I was hungry and you fed me CBF/GA churches are doing some amazing work in the area of hunger ministry. The stories in these pages represent only a sampling of those ministries. One thread that runs through many of the stories is the importance of partnership, with other churches and with community organizations and institutions. CBF Global has been at work fighting poverty since 2001, through what began as the Rural Poverty Initiative and now is known as Together for Hope (TFH). TFH currently has 18 partners across the rural U.S. and is seeking to expand ministry into new areas. One of our hopes at CBF/GA is to work toward partnering with TFH to fight hunger within our own state. Let us dream together as we join to fight hunger effectively in Georgia. The Community Garden and More First Baptist Church, Griffin For many years, First Baptist Griffin has contributed to Five Loaves Two Fish Food Pantry through funding, donations, and with volunteers who serve on a weekly or monthly basis. The church s benevolence team offers food vouchers, particularly at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Christmas Toy Shop guests receive food vouchers as part of an effort to help them have a good Christmas in the fullest sense. The Community Garden is a neat story. Joyce McCartney had been praying about the possibility for several months, and at about the same time, a couple of lay leaders came forward with tangible ideas and drive to make the garden happen. Under the leadership of Ellee Hilley and Stuart Whatley, the First Baptist Griffin church family has been able to transform a small green space in the middle of one of our parking lots into a Community Garden with 42 raised beds. (continues on next page) Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS 3

4 t t p FBC Eatonton s spring food drive resulted in the donation of over $6000 worth of items to Putnam Christian Outreach. t The 42 raised beds planted at FBC Griffin in 2017 yielded more than 500 pounds of produce for the local food pantry, along with flowers for homebound members. The garden that was started in March 2017 has grown seasonal vegetables and flowers since then. There have been two intergenerational work days, and the children's ministry and weekday classes have participated by seeding and transplanting, weeding, and harvesting produce. Many adults also contribute time individually. Over 500 pounds of produce were donated to Five Loaves Two Fish Food Pantry in 2017, and more was shared with a local soup kitchen. Stuart Whatley organized and led a fundraiser for the food pantry on New Year's Day 2018, using collard greens grown in the Community Garden as part of a traditional meal for those purchasing as well as for any in need of a meal. Additionally, flowers are grown not only for pollination but are cut and shared with homebound members. Several students have contributed their talents by painting a sign for the garden, painting the side of the neighboring garage that is used for storage, and building two compost bins. Feeding Our Friends and Rise against Hunger Central Baptist Church, Newnan Each Tuesday, through Feeding Our Friends, members of Central Baptist Church in Newnan prepare meals. We then deliver them for free, along with a side helping of care and friendliness, to needy and shut-in persons in the community. A faithful group of volunteers has been making this happen for over twenty years. When the ministry began, volunteers were delivering meals, which has grown over the years to the current number. The needy persons receiving the meals are referred to the church by social service agencies. While most of the recipients are elderly, not all of them are. And not all the needs are financial. According to Pam Hembree, "Sometimes the need isn't so much for food. For some it's just the greeting, having somebody knock on the door and check on them. They don't have to be financially needy there can just be a need. Sometimes that need is temporary. Central Baptist also plans to prepare 40,000 meals through Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now) as part of their VBS week in June. Many volunteers from Central Baptist, Newnan, work to support Feeding Our Friends, which delivers meals weekly. 4 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS

5 Food Baskets First Baptist Church, Eatonton In March of 2017, the chair of First Baptist Eatonton s Missions Committee asked if the church could do something different that spring that could become the church s Signature Mission Project. Our church is already involved in mission endeavors, so the pastor s question was, What do you have in mind? Each year during Thanksgiving, the congregation had been putting decorated peach baskets, twenty-five to be exact, in the pulpit area and encouraging folks to bring nonperishable goods to fill the baskets. This has always been very successful and gives everyone the opportunity to participate. So last year, beginning in April, we publicized and promoted with intensity the importance of everyone being involved in a spring food drive for Putnam Christian Outreach. Each Sunday leading up to our start date, the Missions Committee promoted this effort in Sunday School, through the church newsletter, on the internet and from the pulpit, encouraging everyone to make the sacrifice and spend at least $100 per family and fill the altar and pulpit area with as many nonperishable Hunger disproportionately affects our youngest and oldest populations, with some 700,000 children and 300,000 seniors in Georgia living with food insecurity, lacking access to necessary and nutritious food on a regular basis. items as possible. If people wished to simply make a donation, the church offered to buy the needed items for them. The church collected over $3500 the first Sunday, and later that figure rose to almost $5000. When the drive was over, the pulpit and altar area were completely filled. Pastor Keithen Tucker estimates that the church collected over $6000 worth of items to be donated to Putnam Christian Outreach. It is now the intent of the Mission Committee to make this their Signature Mission Project and challenge other churches in the area to do the same. Summer Lunches and Food Packs for the Weekend Heritage Fellowship, Canton Heritage Fellowship in Canton has participated in the county-wide MUST Ministries Summer Lunch Program for the past eight years. The church serves as one of three distribution points for this ministry. Starting on the Tuesday after Memorial Day and up to the beginning of school, brown bag lunches are delivered to the children's residences. Heritage Fellowship, along with many churches of all denominations, plus several organizations and individual people, brings lunches to Heritage. Volunteer packers assemble the lunch bags, and volunteer drivers deliver the lunches to residences on two different routes. Approximately 400 lunches are sent out from the church Monday through Friday during the summer. Then when school starts, volunteers from Heritage pack around 40 backpacks for 40 children in one of the local schools in Canton. Children are selected by the counselor to receive the backpacks, which contain enough food for seven meals over the weekend. Heritage has been privileged and blessed to participate in both of these programs. Feed the Hungry and School Food Bags Horizon Baptist Fellowship, Summerville Horizon Baptist Fellowship knows that food insecurity is a very real problem in the Summerville community, and they participate in a variety of ministries to address this problem. One such ministry is Feed the Hungry, an ecumenical partnership to which Horizon, along with a number of other churches, contributes financially as well as with labor. This coupled with federal programs allows Horizon to serve hundreds of families a month with supplemental food. Time is made to meet with each individual family to offer a hopeful word, in compassion rather than in judgment, and most importantly, to simply hear their stories and let them know someone cares. Horizon also partners with local schools on a food for the weekend initiative. The church collects kid-friendly, easy to prepare food items and delivers them to local schools to be distributed among students in need. Church members volunteer their time helping coordinate this ministry, as well as providing labor and helping to unload, pack and distribute additional food provided to the schools by the (continues on page 6) q Horizon Baptist Fellowship, Summerville, works with Feed the Hungry in an ecumenical partnership to meet local food needs. Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS 5

6 u The local high school football team enjoys a meal provided by Horizon Baptist Fellowship, Summerville. local food bank. This program provides hundreds of kids who depend largely on school meals for nutrition with access to food on non-school days. One other effort Horizon has undertaken is that they discovered there was a need for meals for the high school athletic teams and the band on travel days. Through working with the coaches and teachers, the church has been able either to serve every team at the local high school a meal before a game or to provide them with a to-go bag of goodies for the road. This variety of ministries has allowed for all ages and skill levels to be engaged in hands-on ministry meeting real needs. By assessing the needs of the community and through intentionality in partnerships, Horizon Fellowship has been able to meet the needs of many that they would be unable to meet on their own, and they have been able to develop a stronger relationship with their greater community. To God be the glory. Loaves & Fishes and Rise against Hunger Highland Hills Baptist Church, Macon Highland Hills Baptist Church in Macon delivers sack lunches to Loaves & Fishes on the first Tuesday of each month. Sunday School classes and other groups take turns packing the non-perishables into the lunches on the Sunday prior. Then, a volunteer (or two or three) on that All ages participate in a Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now) meal packaging session at Highland Hills Baptist Church in Macon. Tuesday morning add a sandwich and deliver the lunches to Loaves & Fishes by 11 am. Highland Hills has also for the past two years sponsored a Sunday afternoon work session for Rise Against Hunger (formerly known as Stop Hunger Now). Other CBF/GA churches in the area were invited to join with Highland Hills in these efforts. Last November 5, over 14,000 meals were packaged for people experiencing hunger. Meals Midday, Thanksgiving, and Super Bowl First Baptist Church, Marietta First Baptist Church Marietta hosts guests twice a week throughout the year, on Mondays and Thursdays, for a free midday meal. The church began this ministry on Thursdays using leftover food from Wednesday night church meals. From that beginning five years ago, they now serve two meals a week, using ten volunteers a meal, along with paid kitchen staff. At each meal there is a devotion, usually given by one of the ministers at First Baptist Marietta. Once a year, the church hosts a Thanksgiving meal with smoked turkeys and dressing plus tons of other food. The meal is the week before Thanksgiving, on Wednesday. They invite the families, students, teachers and administration from two elementary schools to enjoy this free meal, along with the membership of First Baptist Marietta. This event reaches about 250 people, with the focus on fellowship between members of the church and members of the community. Each year on Super Bowl Sunday, the students of the church, along with (continues on page 14) 6 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS

7 Finding Gladness of Heart KEITHEN TUCKER, Moderator, Several years ago while I was standing in the parking lot of a Georgia Southern football game, a fraternity brother asked me if I would like to have a ticket in the President s box. I was elated, because I had never met the university president much less been in the President s box.... I made my way through the crowd and up the stairs into this luscious room that was filled with politicians, businessmen, former athletes, alumni and one Baptist preacher. There was a buffet bar with every food you could ever want to eat, a dessert bar with every sweet you could imagine, and a beverage area with abundant options to quench your thirst. The chairs were tufted leather, and the panoramic view of the entire stadium was overwhelming. Most would say there is no better way to watch a Georgia Southern football game. There was only one problem: no one seemed to be paying attention to the game. They were talking, laughing, and telling stories, and they only turned to the game when Georgia Southern scored. I was sitting in one of those nice leather chairs watching the game when suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder, and the athletic director asked me if I would like to have a sideline pass that would enable me to go down on the field and stand with the players. I started grinning as he pulled out the pass and pointed me in the direction of the field. I took off, and in minutes I was standing next to these 6 5, 280-pound tackles who were absolutely huge. Standing on the field, I could hear the players talking, coaches giving instructions, cheerleaders cheering and fans screaming. I looked up toward the President s Box and reflected back on how great I had thought it was to be in such a prestigious location, when that did not in reality compare to being down on the field where the action and excitement really take place. You may remember that in Numbers 32, the tribes of Israel asked Moses if they could stay east of the River Jordan. They wanted to build for themselves a land, a home, and inheritance. Moses told them that they couldn't do that. It wasn't fair for the rest of the army to go across the River Jordan and conquer the land. He asked the question, "Would you let your brothers go into battle and you do nothing?" So the tribes followed Joshua into the Promised Land, and then the war was over. The Psalmist said, "Serve the Lord with gladness and come before His presence with singing. Joshua had reached the end of the journey; he had reached the end of the battle and those who had fought with him, those who had been faithful to the cause were being given their inheritance. Joshua said to them, "You have done everything the Lord commanded you to do. Now the Lord is going to give you the inheritance that He promised, and I want you to go back to your families and enjoy what the Lord hath done in your life." We see these tribes now moving back to cross the Jordan again with all the bounty and with the blessing of Joshua. They had carried out their mission. In the New Testament, we find that the same idea is given to Christians who serve the Lord, who fulfill their task, and then the end comes and they go to their reward. There is something that happens on the other end of your service, and it has to do with the satisfaction and the joy of having done a job well. Listen to Paul. He's writing to Timothy, that young minister, but Paul's time is over and he knows that. His physical strength is about gone. He knows death is coming quickly, and he writes, I am now being poured out as a drink offering. The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. The idea is service and then the joy. The two are linked together and we are told in scripture that as you serve the Lord you will find gladness of heart. So over and over again, Paul says to us Rejoice. Rejoice as you work, rejoice as you give of yourself to the Lord. For you know that in the end there will be peace, security and satisfaction that comes to those who struggle and to those who serve. As your moderator for this year, I am excited about working alongside our Executive Coordinator and Coordinating Council. We covet your prayers and rejoice in the work you have challenged us to do. God bless you. Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS 7

8 2018 SGA CBF/GA SPRING GENERAL ASSEMBLY A Warm Remembrance of the Past and a Hopeful Look at the Future CBF/GA s Spring General Assembly at First Baptist Church, Griffin, held Friday-Saturday, April 6-7, was marked by fellowship, celebration, worship, and a time of imagining the future of CBF/GA. Nearly 200 people gathered in Griffin during the occasion. Friday afternoon brought staff network gatherings and two sessions of interesting breakouts. The Pastors Gathering and a follow-up breakout focused on poverty in Georgia, a subject that will be a continuing theme in CBF/GA life going forward. Other breakouts explored a Jesus world view, Christian leadership principles, the concept of church at home for those who cannot be present physically for worship, and new and fresh approaches to prayer. Offerings also included a seminar on tax information for churches and a Bible study based on the book of Revelation. Baptist Women of Georgia (BWIM) hosted an area of prayer stations throughout the weekend that offered participants a chance to explore different approaches to prayer. A retirement celebration honoring Frank Broome, Executive Coordinator of CBF/GA , was a highlight of Friday evening. Bill Hardee, pastor of First Baptist, Griffin, emceed the retirement dinner and celebration, which featured a slide show of photos from Frank s long tenure as Executive Coordinator of CBF/GA. After a litany of appreciation led by Jody Long, special friends and colleagues Daniel Vestal, Douglas Stowers, Marion Aldridge, Hannah Watson Lawrence, Renée Bennett, Bill Hardee, and Keithen Tucker added words of appreciation and thanksgiving for Frank s service. Worship followed the retirement celebration, featuring a meaningful message from Frank Broome, entitled The Way Home. Music was provided by the choir of First Baptist Church, Griffin, and the Luminary Brass and was led by Marty Watts, Minister of Music. A dessert reception in the exhibit area followed worship and featured book signings by CBF/GA-related authors Merrill Davies, James King, and Paul Lewis. 8 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS

9 CBF/GA s Spring General Assembly at First Baptist Church, Griffin, held Friday and Saturday, April 6-7, was marked by fellowship, celebration, worship, and a time of imagining the future of CBF/GA. On Saturday morning, the focus shifted forward. After a delicious breakfast offered by the host church, CBF/GA s new Executive Coordinator, Jody Long, shared part of his own story and offered a glimpse of his vision for CBF/GA s future. This time afforded opportunity for dialogue with Jody. The entire weekend offered both warm remembrance of the past and a hopeful look at the future of CBF/GA. Saturday morning was capped off by closing worship and communion, led by BWIM of Georgia. A tribute to the late Pearl DuVall was offered by Renée Bennett. LeAnn Gunter Johns, a hospice chaplain from Macon, preached a compelling sermon entitled Obstacles and Opportunities: Finding Your Place, and Ossie McKinney led the music for this meaningful time of worship. The final event of the gathering was BWIM of Georgia s awards luncheon and business meeting. Presentations were made to two individuals, Ashley Robinson and Kim Jenkins. The BWIM Scholarship was awarded to Ashley Robinson, who is a student at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas. She is Executive Assistant for Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) and is a member of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Atlanta. The newly-named Pearl DuVall Churchwoman of the Year Award went to Kim Jenkins, who is Executive Director of Open Door Community House in Columbus and is a member of First Baptist Church, Columbus. Several members of Pearl DuVall s family were in attendance for the naming of the award. Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS 9

10 Swinging toward the Sky MARTHA KATE HALL, Associate Coordinator for Congregational Life, During this nice springtime weather, I enjoy spending time in the back yard with my girls. We have a small swing set and they both love to spend time swinging together. Early on in their relationship, Melody would sing as she pushed Julianna gently in the baby swing as they listened to the sounds of the back yard. Now that they have both grown a bit, they swing side by side as they sing songs together at the top of their lungs, striving to reach the sky with their toes.... This imagery of swinging back and forth, each time reaching a little higher to the sky, is reflective of how I view my past couple of years at CBF/GA. I have been working diligently to find ways to reach a little bit higher with each event and each new initiative for our people and congregations. I am excited to share with you two opportunities that have developed out of this swinging, both of which will happen early in Many of you may be familiar with the Georgia Youth Choir Festival, an event we have held in partnership with the Mercer University Townsend School of Music. I m delighted to share with you a new name and renewed vision for this event. In 2019, we will hold the first ever AMPLIFY: A Georgia Youth Choir Festival on the campus of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. While details are still being worked out, we know this event is going to be one you will not want to miss! Students in grades six through twelve are invited to join us for a weekend of learning about a variety of worship arts centered around choral music. There will be mass choir rehearsals, time for fellowship and fun, and an opportunity to explore the Mercer campus. On Saturday, we will offer breakout sessions to explore other worship arts such as vocal 10 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS techniques, instrumental worship leadership, visual arts, and drama. There will even be a session just for music ministers and choir leaders. It is our hope that this weekend will provide an opportunity for students to learn how their gifts and talents can be amplified in worship as they lead others and glorify God. The second opportunity being added to our calendar for early 2019 is an event for college students. We are partnering this year with CBF North Carolina and CBF South Carolina to offer a Mid-Winter Retreat for CBF/GA college students. This weekend retreat will be held in the Charlotte, NC, area and is open to any and all college students. Students are welcome to attend as individuals, and we would also love to have groups from churches attend. I have been working closely to help solidify plans for this event, and I have no doubt that it will be an excellent weekend at a very affordable price! In addition to these two events, Jody has worked to add a Marriage Retreat, which is a new event for CBF/GA, to our calendar this September (see back page). It really is a joy to share the news of these exciting additions to our calendar with you. I know the past few years have come with the ending of several events which had simply lived out their lives and needed to be phased out. Those events offered many years of wonderful opportunities in the life of CBF/GA, and it is my desire that these new events will provide similar opportunities. As I find myself swinging and reaching for the sky, I am hopeful for the future that lies ahead. We hope you will embrace this hope as well and begin making plans now to attend these events. Be sure to look to our website in August for more information on both of these events, as well as a full calendar of our programming. As always, please know that you are welcome to contact me with questions or concerns that you may have. Keep reaching for the sky!

11 SENIOR ADULT EVENTS What did participants enjoy most about the CBF/GA Senior Adult Retreat? Great fellowship and worship Connecting with old friends and making new ones Excellent music and joyful singing of old hymns Low-key, relaxed schedule Awesome breakouts See you at one of these three locations for Senior Celebration this fall! Tuesday, October 30 First Baptist Church, Marietta Speaker: Steve Davis, pastor of First Baptist, Carrollton Thursday, November 8 The Oaks Baptist Church, Lyons Speaker: Nathan LaShoto, pastor of First Baptist, Claxton Thursday, November 15 Trinity Baptist Church, Moultrie Speaker: Jerry Mahan, pastor of First Baptist, Fitzgerald Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS 11

12 YOUTH EVENTS march mission madnes s Tremendous Success! OUR 22ND YEAR OF MARCH MISSION MADNESS was a tremendous success. Over 330 youth and adults from 21 churches joined us at First Baptist Church in Rome and Northeast Baptist Church in Atlanta. These students and adults spent their Saturdays working at 33 different mission sites for a combined total of 1980 hours. MMM at FBC Rome, March 9-11 PARTICIPATING CHURCHES Central Baptist Church, Newnan FBC Carrollton FBC Jefferson FBC Rome FBC Roswell FBC Warm Springs Garden Lakes Baptist Church, Rome Heritage Fellowship, Canton Highland Hills Baptist Church, Macon Horizon Baptist Fellowship, Summerville Madison Baptist Church New Life Christian Ministries, Marietta MMM at Northeast Baptist Church, Atlanta, March PARTICIPATING CHURCHES FBC Commerce FBC of Christ, Macon Haven Fellowship, Conyers Northeast Baptist Church, Atlanta Royston Baptist Church Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, Atlanta Towne View Baptist Church, Kennesaw Vineville Baptist Church, Macon 12 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS

13 June 11-15, 2018 Hyatt Regency, Dallas, TX AT CBF GLOBAL S GENERAL ASSEMBLY this month in Dallas, participants are invited to connect more deeply with God and with the CBF family through worship, fellowship and learning together. We live in an era of the Global Church, where mission is from everywhere to everyone. We will celebrate God s work through the Church, both around the world and down the street. We will worship God through the story of Greg Long, whose work among the Navajo people in Arizona is building hope and translating the Bible, and through Jesse Rincones and Jewell London in Texas. These people help tell the story of God at work through CBF and Fellowship Southwest. We will worship through stories of God at work through the local church and through CBF s field personnel your field personnel ministering in 30 countries. We will worship through Holy Communion, through the commissioning of God s people, and through the words of Dr. Jerusha Neal, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Duke Divinity School, where her emphasis is Preaching and the Global Church. Register now at An important part of General Assembly is learning together with CBF leaders from across the country and world. Throughout the week, participants will choose from about 50 workshops focused on Young Baptists, healthy congregations, advocacy and global missions, including: Environmental Stewardship for People of Faith CBF field personnel Jeff Lee and Sam Harrell, CBF Associate Coordinator of Global Missions Creating Space for Brave Conversations About Race in the Church Hannah McMahan, Executive Director, New Baptist Covenant Leadership in Our Multicultural Context Molly Marshall, President and Professor of Theology and Spiritual Formation, Central Baptist Theological Seminary Understanding Religious Liberty in the Current Climate Holly Hollman, General Counsel and Associate Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty Money, Debt, Compensation Relief! Bo Prosser, CBF Ministerial Excellence Initiative Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Stephen Reeves, CBF Associate Coordinator of Partnerships and Advocacy and Anyra Cano-Valencia, Youth Minister, Iglesia Bautista Victoria en Cristo, Ft. Worth, Texas While at the Assembly in Dallas, join CBF/GA for the Georgia State Meeting 3:00 4:00 p.m., Thursday, June 14, 2018 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS 13

14 CBF OF GEORGIA ON THE ROAD: February through May 2018 In each issue of Visions, we ll try our best to keep you updated as to the travels and visits of the CBF/GA staff throughout our state and with our partners in ministry. If you d like Jody or Martha Kate or any of our staff to speak, preach, teach, consult, lead, or minister with your congregation, please contact the CBF/GA office for more information. These are the places we have been since February: Athens-Area Pastor s Peer Learning Group Baptist History and Heritage Society Annual Meeting, Smoke Rise Baptist, Stone Mountain CBF Church Planters in Tucker CBF Global, Decatur Central Baptist, Newnan Community Baptist, Milledgeville FBC Augusta FBC Carrollton FBC of Christ, Macon FBC Columbus FBC Commerce FBC Cornelia FBC Decatur FBC Eatonton FBC Evans FBC Fitzgerald FBC Forsyth FBC Gainesville FBC Griffin FBC Morrow FBC Rome FBC St. Simon s Island FBC Tifton FBC Warm Springs Fellowship Baptist, Americus Fellowship Baptist, Fitzgerald Haddock Baptist, Haddock Harlem Baptist, Harlem Highland Hills Baptist, Macon McAfee School of Theology Mercer University - Baptist Joint Committee s annual Shurden Lectures for Religious Freedom Mercer University - Spring President s Club Dinner Milledge Avenue Baptist, Athens Northeast Baptist Church, Atlanta Rocky Creek Baptist, Forsyth Royston Baptist Church Smoke Rise Baptist, Stone Mountain Student.Church Orientation, Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, NC Student.Go Orientation, CBF Global, Decatur Tabernacle Baptist, Carrollton I Was Hungry... (continued from page 6) plenty of adults, invite people from the homeless community and others dealing with food scarcity, for a meal of chicken from the grill and various homemade sides and desserts. The Super Bowl game is projected onto the Big Screen in the church gym, and over 300 people are served by church members. First Baptist Marietta has also participated in Rise Against Hunger, formerly Stop Hunger Now, for the past four years, packing 10,000 meals each year, some of which have been distributed locally. Smart Lunch Smart Kids, Mobile Food Pantry Milledge Avenue Baptist Church, Athens Milledge Avenue Baptist Church in Athens is very active in the area of hunger ministry. They participate in Food2Kids through the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. They also partner with Action Ministries for a summer Smart Lunch, Smart Kids feeding effort. Milledge Avenue also partners with two other Athens-area churches to host a mobile food pantry every other month that delivers 10,000-12,000 pounds of food at each delivery. The church has also started a Food and Hygiene Pantry at Clarke Central High School in Athens. Food Bank, Snack Bags, Breakfasts, and More First Baptist Church, Columbus Recognizing that God has blessed them to be a blessing, First Baptist Columbus, GA serves as a vehicle to share the overwhelming abundance God has showered on them with those in need in the community. First Baptist s Victory Mission is an outreach program located in South Columbus, where poverty is prevalent. They partner with a local food bank that feeds over 90 children and adults a hot meal during the weekly afterschool discipleship program. Along with the meal, a snack bag is given to each participant as they go home. Each Sunday morning, a hot breakfast is served during the Sunday School hour. A Food Closet distributes food each Monday and Thursday, utilizing over 60 member volunteers. Each participant receives groceries every 60 days. This program assists individuals and families in supplementing their monthly groceries, and these folks not only receive physical food but more importantly, spiritual food through counseling and encouragement. In 2017, the church served 3778 families. The Food Closet receives food and funding through various sources: designated gifts and offerings, budgeted funds, donated foods from individuals, local markets and bakeries, USDA commodities, and a local food bank. First Baptist also serves as a local distribution point for the local Meals on Wheels program, with more than 40 member volunteers delivering an average of 120 meals each month. 14 Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS

15 Communications Update and Request from CBF/GA VISIONS READERS: if you are not subscribed to our newsletter, ReVisions, which comes out monthly, you may be missing out on important news from CBF/GA and CBF/GA churches! ReVisions subscribers also receive updates, announcements, and event reminders from time to time. If you subscribe to Visions but not to our electronic monthly newsletter, ReVisions, please consider sending your address so that we can add you to that list. That information may be sent to Melissa Kremer at We also invite you to Like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia page on Facebook, so that you may easily receive information on events and resources, along with photos of and responses to what is happening in the life of CBF/GA. We invite you to follow CBFofGA on Instagram! And a final reminder you may now give online to CBF/GA through our website, the frank & susan broome endowment fund AS WE ENTER THE SECOND YEAR of the Frank & Susan Broome Endowment Fund campaign, please consider contributing to the endowment. The goal is three-fold: to grow the endowment to over $1 million, to increase the number of churches and individuals giving to the endowment, and to increase the number of churches which have their own endowments. Will you join us in helping fund in perpetuity the much-needed mission and ministry of CBF/GA? Please join us in this endeavor by giving online at or by mailing your Endowment contribution to: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia, P.O. Box 4343, Macon, GA I/we commit to give $ to the Frank and Susan Broome Endowment of CBA/GA by Spring General Assembly This gift is in honor/memory of. Name Address City State Zip FINANCIAL UPDATE BUDGET RECEIPTS AS OF 4/30/2018 (fiscal year begins in July) Year to Date 2017/18 Budget Requirement: $490, Year to Date 2017/18 Budget Receipts: $419, Year to Date 2017/18 Expenses: $403, April 2018 Budget Requirement: $49, April 2018 Budget Receipts: $35, April 2018 Expenses: $35, Under Requirement $13, Above Expense $ Under Requirement $71, Above Expense $15, K 40K 60K 80K 100K 200K 300K 400K 500K Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia P.O. Box 4343, Macon, GA phone fax CBF/GA Staff executive coordinator Jody Long jlong@cbfga.org associate coordinator for congregational life Martha Kate Hall mkhall@cbfga.org assistant to the coordinator for networking Renée Bennett rbennett@cbfga.org assistant to the coordinator for communications and resources Melissa Kremer mkremer@cbfga.org administrative assistant Rachel Greco rgreco@cbfga.org CBF/GA Coordinating Council moderator Keithen Tucker, Eatonton moderator-elect Wendy Peacock, Americus clerk Glenda Kessler, St. Simons Island finance chair Ron McClung, Haddock treasurer Neil Heath, Macon Steve Ayers, Lyons Lamar Barden, Rome Geraldine Bridges, Commerce Nancy Bryson, St. Simons Island Jeremy Colliver, Stone Mountain Gwen Cottrell, Decatur Joe Davis, Dalton Howard Hooper, Columbus Jake Hall, Macon Gail Hammock, Griffin Jennifer Jindrich, Carrollton David Keel, Augusta Norma Rushing, Atlanta Matt Sapp, Canton Vanessa Strickland, Royston David Tew, Morrow Sarah Timmerman, Cairo Michael Tutterow, Cartersville Student Representatives Heather Franklin, McAfee School of Theology Kent Russell, McAfee School of Theology Endowment Management Board Chair Darrell Watson VISIONS is published four times a year by CBF/GA. All questions and comments may be directed to Melissa Kremer at the CBF/GA office at , ext. 4. Second Quarter 2018 VISIONS 15

16 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship P.O. Box 4343 Macon GA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID ATHENS GA PERMIT #11 June 11-15, 2018 CBF Global General Assembly Dallas, TX August 21, 2018 CBF/GA Coordinating Council Meeting, Macon August 27, 2018 Community Partners Dinner McAfee School of Theology, Atlanta September 21-23, 2018 Marriage Retreat Callaway Gardens September 30-October 2 Mercer/McAfee School of Theology Preaching Consultation Chattanooga, TN On the Calendar 2018 October 30, 2018 Senior Celebration First Baptist Church, Marietta November 8, 2018 Senior Celebration The Oaks Baptist Church, Lyons November 15, 2018 Senior Celebration Trinity Baptist Church, Moultrie Keep up to date with events... LED BY BO AND GAIL PROSSER September 21-23, 2018 Callaway Gardens Cost: $300 per couple, plus some meals $150 depost due July 1 Registration at Text about retreat goes here JOIN US FOR A WONDERFUL WEEKEND OF FELLOWSHIP AND RENEWAL!