Time and Technology Challenge

Transcription

1 2014 F E B / M A R GeorgiaVisions Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of 2 Georgia Youth Choir Festival 3 Senior Celebration 2013 Disaster Response 4 CBF/GA and McAfee Partnership Conversation Paul Baxley the pastor s Sounding Board 5 Frankly Speaking Frank Broome 6 Updates from the Desk of Martha Kate Hall Martha Kate Hall : The Year in Photos Time and Technology Challenge edward bolen edward@milledge.org 11 reports & opportunities reference and Referral Financial Report 12 Events Calendar Here is the seventeenth in a series of articles called The Pastor s Sounding Board. This series gives you a chance to hear from senior pastors of CBF/GA. Edward Bolen, pastor of Milledge Avenue Baptist Church of Athens, is the writer for this issue. A sounding board is a structure over a pulpit or rostrum to give distinctness to a speaker s voice. In these articles, we expect to hear about some of the best practices occurring in our churches, and we hope to hear some of the best thoughts that our lead pastors have. We hope these words will challenge you and your church to open new vistas of ministry in Georgia and around the world. There is a fire hydrant in front of my childhood home in Valdosta. Twice a year, fire-fighters would drive up in their massive pumper truck, perform periodic maintenance on the plug, slap a coat of red paint on the exterior, and flush the pipes, letting the water pour. It was amazing to observe the raw power of the water, watch it quickly flood the ditches and it made a delightful, muddy playground after they left. Now, several times a week, a faucet opens and I m flooded not with water but with communication, information, and expectations. For instance, as I returned from CBF/GA Fall General Assembly, waiting for me were two voice mail messages on my work phone plus a half-dozen calls during the day, twice that many on my cell, a mountain of to return, several Facebook messages in need of reply, various text messages, three letters requesting action, two scheduled appointments, two walk-in appointments, and a crucial hospital visit to make. I don t think that my experience is particularly unique. On any given day, I m surrounded by two phones, three electronic types of communication, paper correspondence, plus meetings, and sudden crises. I frequently feel like I ve stepped up to the water fountain for a sip of water and someone has opened a fire hydrant. With our 24/7 world and with unlimited opportunities to stay connected and share information, it is easy for clergy to find themselves consumed with the relentless assault of messages and the anticipation of pastoral response. And it s only going to become more challenging. A church member recently asked me to create a Pinterest account so she could share Advent images and ideas with me. Of course, I said: What s Pinterest? My teenage children tell me that Facebook is for old people now; they much prefer Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. I m bombarded with folks who want to connect with me through Linkedin or share articles via Reddit or Stumbleupon. The pace of technological innovation and the growing access through portable devices poses a double challenge for clergy. There is the pressure to utilize (much less understand) a widespread assortment of new communication tools while maintaining proficiency with established skills. Secondly, there is the stress of finding the time. The time to answer s, return calls, respond to texts, schedule appointments and visits, and reply to Facebook comments. Yet we are being given unprecedented opportunities to reach, share, network, and cooperate with members of our congregation and to be part of a growing Christian community beyond the walls of our local congregation. How do we manage these challenges? Exercise Sabbath keeping. The underlying meaning of Sabbath is to stop. We find rest because we practice our ability to stop. Placing boundaries even (continues on page 12)

2 Georgia Youth Choir Festival Emily Owen, Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, writes: Choir festival was a blessing to me! It is so wonderful to be able to meet with other CBF youth and sing together. We all bond and make new friends throughout the weekend. Our singing improves due to the opportunities to sing as a whole group and in sectionals with professional singers as our guides. I loved learning the different styles of anthems. This year s festival took place in Hampton, Georgia. We stayed in cabins with other CBF youth groups. It was so much fun to hang out in the cabins together and even practice our songs spontaneously! I feel like I grew both in my ability to sing and in my walk with God. I appreciate all the adults who helped make this experience possible for all of us. It was a very meaningful weekend! The Georgia Youth Choir Festival is co-sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia and Mercer University s Townsend-McAfee Institute for Sacred Music Studies (TMI). The choir gathers each Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday weekend. Following two days of intensive rehearsal, worship, and fellowship, the choir travels to two churches or concert venues to share Christ s message of love, joy, peace and hope. The program seeks to enhance the artistic and spiritual gifts of our youth singers, connect youth and music leaders, share the Gospel message, assist the development of excellent youth music ministries, and contribute to God s work in each community. Choir Leadership Andrew Campbell, conductor and Associate Professor of Music at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri David Keith, dean of the Townsend School of Music Gail Pollock, accompanist Martha Kate Hall, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia Jeff Parker, First Baptist Church, Chattanooga Keenan Franklin, First Baptist Church, Columbus Richard Bell, First Baptist Church, Morrow Danny Vancil, Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain Angela Blizzard, Vineville Baptist Church, Macon Thanks Thank you to the host congregations of First Baptist Church of Morrow and Peachtree Baptist Church of Atlanta for their generous hospitality. Thank you to the leaders and supporters of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia and Townsend-McAfee Institute for making this program available to our Georgia Baptist youth. Thank you to the ministers of music and church leaders of the participating churches for working together to share this dynamic vision of youth music ministry. Anna Marie Smelley, Vineville Baptist Church, Macon It s that time of year again; time for Georgia Youth Choir Festival, where many youth choirs come to share their voices with others, singing glorious praises to our majestic God. We sing for many hours in preparation to share our voices with many people, hoping that they will see the Spirit of God through us. Georgia Youth Choir Festival means so much to me! This was my fourth year attending, and I ve enjoyed it every year. In between all the singing, we also get to fellowship with other youth and adults that love to sing as much as we do. We get to meet new people and catch up with old friends that we ve met in previous years. We sing a lot there so we must be careful to drink lots of water. One year I went, I was sick and I could barely sing, but I had fun anyway. We arrive on Friday night, set up our belongings in a cabin, then go to our first practice and sing until we re totally tired out. Saturday morning after breakfast we go back to singing until (continues on page 11) Page 2 Visions

3 Save the Date for Senior Celebration! This year s Monday event will be held on May 5 at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain. The speaker will be Paul Baxley, moderator of the CBF/GA Coordinating Council, and pastor of First Baptist Church of Athens. The Tuesday event will be held on May 6 at First Baptist Church in Fitzgerald. The speaker will be Jake Hall, pastor of Highland Hills Baptist Church in Macon. Claude Hicks will provide the afternoon entertainment. May 5, Smoke Rise, Stone Mountain May 6, First Baptist, Fitzgerald 2013 Disaster Response Recap tommy deal, disaster response coordinator tdeal@cbfga.org As we began 2013, CBF/GA churches 2013 may not have been and volunteers were helping in recovery phases related to the previous the busiest year for disaster fall s Hurricanes Isaac and Sandy. First response, but due to the Baptist Church of Dalton sent a team generosity of faithful givers to LaPlace, Louisiana, and Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, and Trinity Baptist and dedication of able-bodied Church, Conyers, sent a team to Staten Island, persons, CBF/GA helped bring New York. Light to folks who experienced In January, a tornado cut a swatch through a dark season of life. Bartow and Gordon Counties. Many churches sent volunteer teams in the early stages to help in some of the cleanup efforts. As recovery operations began, CBF/GA was well-represented as groups helped to rebuild homes and a church. Smoke Rise Baptist Church sent several teams, which worked in Adairsville and Gordon County alongside of Rebuilding Hope. Johns Creek Baptist Church, Alpharetta, and First Baptist Church of Augusta sent several teams to the Adairsville area. CBF/GA became a welcomed partner with Adairsville Church of God, Bartow Baptist Association, and other groups who brought assistance. Along with CBF/National disaster response, CBF/GA contributed funds to help purchase necessary supplies. A historic African American church, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, was completely destroyed. CBF/GA volunteers and contributions assisted the congregation in rebuilding their church. CBF/GA sent a gift to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma after the May tornadoes to help in staffing the office to handle the call load due to the recovery efforts may not have been the busiest year for disaster response, but due to the generosity of faithful givers and dedication of able-bodied persons, CBF/GA helped to bring Light to folks who experienced a dark season of life. Thank you! Page 3

4 CBF/GA and McAfee School of Theology Partnership Conversation Paul Baxley, moderator For this edition of Visions, I want to use this space to make sure that you receive an invitation to a very important gathering on Tuesday, February 18, at First Baptist Church in Griffin. Just after our Fall General Assembly at First Baptist Church in Augusta last November, we first announced that leadership from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia and McAfee School of Theology have been in conversation about strengthening our partnership in ministry and also making sure that our efforts best meet the needs of congregations and their leaders. Here are the details about the meeting in Griffin. We will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude by 2:00 p.m. so that all of us who are coming from all over the state will be able to do the meeting in a day without requiring overnight accommodations. The program for the day will include large group sessions with presentations from a representative group of lay leaders and pastors in CBF life in Georgia. There will be intense small group conversations. In plenary sessions and small group discussions, we will be listening to hear what you believe are the greatest challenges, needs, and opportunities facing CBF congregations and leaders in the present and near future. We will also be trying to imagine ways that closer collaboration between McAfee, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia, and our congregations can enable us to meet needs and face challenges in a more faithful and excellent way. So, what are the greatest challenges, needs, and opportunities facing CBF congregations and leaders in the present and near future? Come share your thoughts! Tuesday, February 18, 10:00-2:00 pm First Baptist Church of Griffin Lunch is $5 Make your reservation by Feb 10 by calling CBF/GA office ( , ext. 3), or online at: CBF-GA-and-McAfee-Partnership-Conversation A lunch will be served at a cost of $5 per person. In order that we can make sure we are properly prepared for the meal and the program, we need all participants to make a reservation no later than Monday, February 10, by calling CBF/GA office or registering online at CBF-GA-and-McAfee-Partnership-Conversation. Even though the CBF movement is barely in its third decade of life, we are already trying to be the church in a vastly different world than the one in which we were born. Culture is changing rapidly, and all congregations and denomination are grappling with deep trends and dramatic changes that affect the way we do ministry, make disciples, and pursue mission. Even the nature of relationships and responsibilities within the CBF movement are changing, and the report of the 2012 Task Force began to crystallize some of those changes. Among other things, those changes mean that we need to work together more intentionally and ambitiously at the state level. For the fifteen years that McAfee and CBF/GA have both existed, we have tried to be responsive to the needs of congregations. Both the state CBF organization and the School of Theology have offered excellent ministries, and have sought ways for cooperation along the way. But the present and the future demands that we work together even more closely, and take steps to make sure that our efforts meet the needs of congregations. So for the first time, CBF/GA and McAfee School of Theology are convening a meeting together. I am grateful for the investment of leadership from both entities and the incredible collaboration underway in the planning for February 18. But for that day to fulfill its purpose, we need you to be present and we need you to come prepared to participate actively in the conversations we will share together. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this gathering. I also know that Frank Broome or Alan Culpepper would be glad to respond to inquiries. We look forward to seeing you in Griffin on February 18! Paul Baxley is CBF/GA Coordinating Council moderator and pastor of First Baptist Church of Athens. Page 4 Visions

5 Frankly Speaking Frank Broome, coordinator Christmas was an especially meaningful time this year with my family in spite of the cold spell that made its way through the state. Spending a week with family members we had not seen in three years rekindled important relationships. In addition, it was a joy to be able to preach in several churches during the holidays, including FBC Macon, Maranatha in Plains, and FBC Manchester. There is something special about being invited to preach on Sunday morning in a church. It creates a bond between the preacher and the church that nothing else does. Time spent together with our immediate family and with our larger CBF/GA family can both lead to something special. Over the last sixteen years I have preached on Sunday morning in many of our churches, and I have visited on Wednesday night in most. Churches that invite someone from CBF/GA to preach or speak are making a statement about their commitment to the organization. There is often a connection between the level of support given to an organization and the frequency in which staff members of that organization are invited to participate in worship. On average I am in forty or fifty of our churches each year. Such visits are helpful to me since they give me insight into how each church is doing. Such knowledge also helps me shape the work we are doing together. I am reminded on those Sundays or Wednesdays that CBF/GA does not exist apart from the congregation. CBF/GA is not just in an office in Macon. It has an office in Macon, but it is within the churches. CBF/ GA is that entity created when the congregations come together. Without the churches there can be no CBF/GA family. Together we can choose to do something special for the even larger CBF family. The National CBF General Assembly will be in Atlanta this year, June 23-27, Monday-Friday. The location is the Hyatt Regency. CBF/GA will be heavily involved in hosting the event for the larger CBF family. We will need volunteers to help with registration, staffing the information booth, ushering, and hospitality. If you are willing to help, please contact Renee in our office. You can her at rbennett@cbfga.org or call her at , ext. 3. We are joining with the Baptist Center for Ethics as co-sponsor of its noon luncheon on Thursday. Additional details will be posted on our web page in the near future. I want you to make a special effort to attend the CBF/GA state meeting, scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 4:15 pm. We will receive a report from the Discernment Task Force. Its members have been collecting information and ideas for the past year, and they will lead us in a discussion related to their findings. The decisions we make during this meeting will have a significant impact on the initiatives we take over the next several years. CBF/GA Come Join Us in Atlanta The 2014 CBF/National General Assembly will be held Monday-Friday, June 23-27, in Atlanta. The host hotel will be the Hyatt Regency. The CBF/GA meeting will be on Thursday afternoon, June 26, at 4:15p.m. The discernment task force will give a presentation on the future of CBF/GA. Keep watching the CBF/GA website, Visions, and Re-Visions for more details. Page 5 CBF/GA does not exist apart from the congregation. CBF/GA is not just in an office in Macon. It has an office in Macon, but it is within the churches. CBF/GA is that entity created when the congregations come together. Without the churches there can be no CBF/GA family.

6 Updates from the Desk of Martha Kate martha kate hall, associate coordinator 2014 Handbell Festival Due to limited participation in previous CBF/GA Handbell Festivals, we have decided not to hold this event for We are very thankful for the churches who have supported and participated in this event for the past two years. We will revisit our plans for 2015 in the near future and appreciate any input you may have. If you any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. CSF Minister Change After several years of serving as Cooperative Student Fellowship (CSF) campus minister at Georgia Tech, Dan Stockum has resigned effective December 31. We are thankful for Dan s dedication and hard work with CSF Georgia Tech and wish him well as he pursues other ministry opportunities. I am happy to share that Scott Lee has accepted the position as campus minister for CSF at Georgia Tech on an interim basis in addition to his role as campus minister for CSF at UGA. Scott has been doing great work at CSF at UGA and we look forward to seeing the ways he will grow the CSF campus ministry at Georgia Tech in the coming year. If you know of students attending Georgia Tech, UGA, or Mercer please share their contact information with us so we can invite them to be a part of these wonderful campus ministries. News from UGA Campus Student Ministry It has been a great first semester for CSF at UGA. We have seen many things happen this past semester. We are seeing not only a bright future for CSF, but also a great present. Last semester and into this semester we are averaging ten students during our main meeting on Thursday nights. We call our Thursday night meetings CrossPaths because we believe that life, faith, and ministry happen when we take the time to CrossPaths with God and with others. CrossPaths meets from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Student Center (PSC) on the campus of UGA. We have developed a great partnership with the PSC community and are part of a greater ecumenical community known as BLEEPD. BLEEPD is an acronym for Baptist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Evangelical, Presbyterian, and Disciples. BLEEPD has provided not only a visible presence to those on campus with our willingness to work outside the Baptist walls, but also shown our students that our faith and heritage, though very important, is bigger than Baptist. During our meetings, we invite local churches to bring home cooked meals for the students and then invite them to stay and have dinner with us. The invitation for churches to bring meals is three-fold. First, asking churches to bring meals once a week provides our students with a nourishing home cooked meal they may not get at any other time. Second, it gives churches an opportunity to see and hear about CSF, learning what we are doing and to meet our students. Third, it helps our students get to know people from supporting churches in a non-threating manner. When someone visits you in a place most familiar to you, it can provide great opportunities for dialog. Visiting a church at any age can be scary, but having the church and/or its members come to you can be refreshing and opening. Of the ten students in attendance, five approached me about taking on leadership responsibilities. I was excited by their initiative to seek leadership opportunities. Their willingness to seek these roles shows their desire to make CSF their own and laying the foundation for longevity for CSF at UGA. The five individuals are Jack Eisenman and Stephanie Calhoun (co-chairs), Chris Adams (worship chair), Adrian Parr (missions chair), and Will Abney (publicity chair). Some of the things we did this past fall semester were: we traveled to the CSF at Clemson to hear Rachel Held Evans speak. we traveled to Hendersonville, North Carolina to attend the CSF Fall Retreat. we participated in an event called Athens 24 hosted by First Baptist Church of Athens, Milledge Avenue Baptist Church, and CSF at UGA. We participated in a scavenger hunt and did mission work at a local retirement community. Some of the things we are doing this spring semester are: Participating in Now Serving, CBF/GA s collegiate event of mission opportunities around Atlanta, on February 7-8 Mission Trip to Washington, DC, to participate in Advocacy in Action, presented though CBF/National on March 8-14 Again, thank for your support of CSF at UGA. We ask that you pray for us and with us, as we seek to discover and move forward in what God is calling us to do and be. Grace and Peace, Scott Lee slee@cbfga.org Page 6 Visions

7 2013 in PHOTOS Page 7

8 Georgia Youth Choir Festival Friday-Sunday, January 18-20, 2013 Now Serving: Atlanta Friday-Saturday, February 8-9, 2013 March Mission Madness Friday-Sunday, March 1-3, 2013 Friday-Sunday, March 8-10, 2013 Page 8 Visions

9 CBF/GA Handbell Festival Friday-Saturday, April 19-20, 2013 Deacon Summit Friday-Saturday, April 5-6, 2013 March Mission Immersion Friday-Sunday, March 22-24, Page 9

10 ReCharge Friday-Sunday, October 4-6, 2013 Senior Celebration Monday, May 6, 2013 Tuesday, May 7, 2013 Fall General Assembly Sunday-Monday, November 3-4, 2013 Page 10 Visions

11 Opportunities, News, & Reports Save the Date for Deacon Network Conversations February 9, 5:30 p.m. Deacon Conversation Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain February 16, 5:30 p.m. Deacon Conversation Trinity Baptist Church, Moultrie February 23, 4:00 p.m. Deacon Conversation First Baptist Church of Dalton For more information visit: Upcoming-Deacon-Events Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia P.O. Box 4343, Macon, GA phone fax CBF/GA Staff coordinator E. Frank Broome associate coordinator for congregational life Martha Kate Hall assistant to the coordinator for networking Renée Bennett assistant for communications and resources ElizaBeth Ruff assistant to the coordinator for finance Dawn Williams administrative assistant Rachel Greco assistant to the coordinator for advancement Jim Bruner disaster response coordinator Tommy Deal campus minister for csf mercer Daniel Elliott campus minister for csf georgia tech and csf at uga Scott Lee cbf/ga atlanta network coordinator Tony Lankford Georgia Youth Choir Festival... (continued from page 2) lunch. Afterwards, we have free time for a few hours, or we can try out for a solo. (I ve never tried out for one, but I m thinking about it!) When free time is over, we go back to practice until we have all the wonderful songs memorized. We end the night with a party or mixer, which varies every year. Sometimes we make ice cream sundaes, have a bonfire, or watch movies and play games. After the mixer, we have to make sure we get a good night s rest because we re performing the following day. I love performance day; it s so much fun. I d like to tell you about one of the churches we went to this year. It was our last performance of the day, and not many people were there. As we started singing, a father and his young daughter walked in the sanctuary. By the time the last song was over, I had made up my mind to go talk to this adorable little girl. So I did, and she was quite shy, but the happiness in her expression was enough for me. To me, Georgia Youth Choir Festival means singing and hoping that someone in the audience will hear the lyrics and that they will help them grow in their faith and their walk with God. financial update Budget Receipts as of 12/31/2013 (fiscal year begins in January) Year to Date 2013 Budget Receipts: $543, Year to Date 2013 Budget Requirement: $552, December 2013 Budget Receipts: $56, December 2013 Budget Requirement: $46, Over $10, Under $8, CBF/GA Coordinating Council moderator Paul Baxley, Athens moderator-elect Sarah Holik, Fitzgerald past-moderator Joyce McCartney, Griffin clerk Larkin Hudson Cunningham, Manchester finance chair Henry Tyson, Fitzgerald treasurer Jim Bruner, Macon Jonathan Barlow, Royston Marc Burcham, Atlanta Timothy Clagg, Alpharetta Ken Corcoran, Columbus Steve Davis, Carrollton Janice Hale, Gainesville Colin Harris, Stone Mountain Tom Hawkins, Morrow Neil Heath, Macon Joy Huddlestun, Jasper Bill Ireland, Dalton Bridget Ivey, Haddock Glenda Kessler, St. Simons Island Matt Marston, Moultrie Craig McMahan, Macon Barrett Owen, Fayetteville Chip Reeves, Evans Carey Russell, Forsyth David Sapp, Atlanta Charles Smith, Madison Ken Smith, Monroe Steve Stokes, Thomson Geoff Timms, Hawkinsville Bob Trammell, Newnan Keithen Tucker, Eatonton Lauren Waggoner, Marietta Student Representatives Aimee Yeager, Atlanta Meggie Dant, Atlanta Year to Date 2013 Designated Receipts: $209, Year to Date 2013 Designated Expenses: $172, Over $37, VISIONS is published six times a year by CBF/GA. All questions and comments may be directed to ElizaBeth Ruff, eruff@cbfga.org or , ext Page 11

12 COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP GEORGIA P.O. Box 4343 Macon GA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID ATHENS GA PERMIT #11 E vents Calendar February 7-8 Now Serving: Atlanta Atlanta February 9 Deacon Conversation Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain February 16 Deacon Conversation Trinity Baptist Church, Moultrie February 18 CBF/GA and McAfee Partnership Conversation First Baptist Church of Griffin February 23 Deacon Conversation First Baptist Church of Dalton March 7-9 March Mission Madness First Baptist Church of Augusta March March Mission Immersion Park Avenue Baptist Church, Atlanta March March Mission Madness First Baptist Church of Commerce May 5 Senior Celebration Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain May 6 Senior Celebration First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald June 26 CBF/GA Meeting at National General Assembly Atlanta September Preaching Consultation St. Simons Island October 3-5 ReCharge Woodland Christian Camp November 2-3 Fall General Assembly First Baptist Church of Athens Keep up to date with events... Sounding Board... (continued from page 1) daily limits on phone calls, , and technology allows for the opportunity to accomplish other tasks and to have a reprieve from the constancy of communication. One colleague, on her day off, meticulously records a message for office and cell phone and leaves an automatic reply for , all stating that she will not be responding that day to communication. Another carefully carves out segments of his morning and afternoon schedule for responding but also has times when he purposefully turns off phone and . I don t (usually) check , texts, or Facebook after 9:00 p.m. The discipline of stopping is as essential as the discipline of organization; both are essential skills if we are going to manage productively the information and technology that surrounds us. Be honest. It is not always possible to stop, but we can slow down the flood by managing our limitations and dexterity (or lack thereof.) After months of handwringing about Twitter and trying to find a cool user name, I recently joined. Not only did I create the worst name, I quickly found that I couldn t keep up and that I didn t like Twitter. Beyond saturation, I had to admit to myself that connecting to Twitter only added to my stress level. The ministerial temptation to be constantly available and accessible is greatly abetted by smart phones, tablets and a dozen communication apps. A candid audit of our time might reveal that we are spending too much time or that we are stewarding our time poorly with constant attention to electronic and phone communication. Additionally, the pastoral calling to be authentically present in the lives of our parishioners (not to mention spouses, family and colleagues) might also be diminished simply by virtue of our distraction and information saturation. Practice, practice, practice. We are equipped with unparalleled resources and technology with which to minister to our congregations. The power to communicate, care, teach, reach even to pray is astonishing. But the technology and devices combined with their growing proximity to every corner of life, challenges pastors to develop practices that direct this power in Christ-centered paths. It is only going to get more complicated and overwhelming. So we re going to have to keep practicing. Edward Bolen is pastor of Milledge Avenue Baptist Church in Athens. CBF/GA enabling the people of God who are committed to historic Baptist principles to carry out the Great Commission under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in a fellowship where every Christian has the freedom and the responsibility to exercise God s gift and calling.