E-Vision

September 14, 2022

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Called Church Conference this past Sunday. We received votes from each service as well as online votes from those worshipping at home. Here are the results:

Motion #1: Leslie Benefield, Tommy Jones, Curtis Hardwick, and Doug Holberg were unanimously affirmed to serve on the Nominating Committee.

Motion #2: We received a number of nominations for deacons. We are currently consulting with those nominees to determine their interest, willingness, and qualifications to serve. We will bring those final nominees to the church for a vote at a later date.

Motion #3: The church voted unanimously to affirm the recommendation of the Properties Team, Finance Committee, and Deacons to move forward with the purchase of a new van and selling the people mover.

With the fall season fast approaching, wouldn’t you like something new to wear? Consider a fashionable performance polo, a comfy new sweatshirt, or a long-sleeved dress shirt — all with an FBC logo! You can now preorder these shirts, which are embroidered locally. For more details, or to place an order, follow the link below.

Children within our local school system need people in their lives that will show them Grace. At First Baptist we believe in a Grace that gives generously and serves passionately. Now is the time to put some boots on the ground for God’s kingdom as part of our Community of Grace.

The mentor program through Griffin Spalding County Schools is looking for adults willing to serve as a mentor for a child at a minimum of 45 minutes a month during school hours (typically between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.). Mentoring takes many forms — reading a book, being read to, helping with school work, playing cards or board games, and even just being present and listening. To qualify to join our team of FBC Mentors, we need you to commit to there is a two hour training, a background check, and willingness to commit to meeting with your student for the rest of the school year. 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Seth Brown.

Journey in Grace Membership Class

     FBC Griffin is a “community of grace.” However, we recognize that grace is a journey, not a destination. As with any journey, there are often unexpected twists and turns in the road. Whatever path you have taken thus far, we are thankful that God has led you to First Baptist. We want to provide tools for you to help navigate your journey and give you a better understanding of this community that God is forming.

    The Journey in Grace membership gathering is a basic introduction to our church family and is designed to clearly explain who and what our church is. This class provides an overview of our church’s basic beliefs, history, and structure. It is designed two groups of people in mind. First, it is for those who have recently joined our fellowship and would like to have a better understanding of who we are at FBC. Second, it is for those who have been attending and are thinking about joining First Baptist but want to explore what that means in a little more depth. 

     This class will be taught by Steven Norris, the Senior Pastor at FBC and will meet on Sunday, October 2, after the service. We will provide lunch as part of this experience, followed by a 60 minute class.

    While this is a free event, we do ask that you register to help us with food and material

preparation.

Attention Campers!

Are you registered for our FBC Camping/Glamping trips?

February 19-23, 2023:

George L. Smith State Park



October 8-11, 2023:

Cloudland Canyon State Park 

Email Ellee if you are registered,

so she can plan the FBC meal for

one of the camping nights.

The Count Down has begun!

Lori Welborn joins our staff on Sunday! If you have not completed her survey yet, please set aside about 10 to 15 minutes to answer these questions about you and your child(ren) so Lori knows more about your family and can be thinking about the needs of our Children's Ministry specifically.

Music and Missions meets tonight!

Parents, please pick your elementary kids up in the gym at 7:00 p.m.

Parents and Guardians:

Thank you to those families who have turned in their forms sharing emergency contact information for each child. If you have not gotten yours in yet, you still have time!

WE'RE GROWING!

Not only are we blessed with healthy children, but we are seeing more of them in our Sunday morning and Wednesday night classes! Please consider volunteering in our Children's Ministry — reach out to us for more information.

What's going on in YTH?



Students will meet TONIGHT at 6:30 in the Student Center (aka the Basement). Students should be picked up on the FLC side of the church at 800 pm. Sometimes small groups go a little over time, but we have good stuff to talk about! We have free popcorn. Cokes are $0.50 and milkshakes are $1.00.

Take note of a few important dates for Student Ministry:

Basecamp Summit — January 15, 2023

Ski Trip — February 20-24, 2023

Basecamp — July 17-21, 2023

FBCYTH is going to a Fall Retreat sponsored by CBF Georgia at beautiful Camp Glisson in the North Georgia Mountains. 

Dates: Nov 11-13

Cost: $140

There will be worship, games, and a ton of fun meeting new friends from around Georgia. 

"Be Still, My Soul"

from the blog Wonderful Sundays

by Ellee Hilley

I’ve been traveling through Mt. Rainier all week, and my thoughts settled on peace, something I saw first hand while hiking – the quietness, beauty of the valleys, and majesty of the peaks overwhelmed me. Because I do not get a lot of silence in my normal day – life is not quiet with 2 boys at home! – I was reminded that silence makes space for the soul... 

Concert Alert

The Seipp / Sheets Duo Presents

A Salute to Veterans

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

7:00 p.m., First Baptist Church

The Seipp/Sheets Duo craft a unique, engaging, and entertaining concert experience with powerful and innovative videos that create connections to audiences of all ages. Music of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel to rock icon, Freddie Mercury, and inspirational patriotic selections that honor our country’s veterans will be presented.

Handbells

Rehearsal today from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. in the Handbell Room.

Orchestra

Orchestra leads in worship this weekend (September 18).

Rehearsal in the Sanctuary from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m.

Sunday morning rehearsal / warm-up at 8:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

Sanctuary Choir

Rehearsal tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Ukulele Ensemble

Rehearsal in the

Instrumental Multipurpose Room Thursdays at noon.

Beginner's Ukulele Lessons

If you are interested in learning Ukulele in the spring, then please contact

Ellee Hilley.

The Ukulele Ensemble performed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Friday, September 9. Much fun was had by all in attendance.

Mission Georgia Emphasis Month encourages our prayers and our giving in order to bring transformation and hope to the many issues that are evident throughout our state.

1. One of the areas of emphasis is human trafficking. It is happening in every county in Georgia. The Tiny Home Build Project, sponsored by Mission Georgia, provides homes for the victims of this abuse so that they may begin new lives of redemption.
2. A second area of interest is foster care. Many children arrive at a foster care home with only the clothes on their backs. Mission Georgia works with Called to Care, a support group which supports and provides needed assistance to foster children and their foster parents.

Both Mission Georgia and GA CBS seek to address issues within our own state, our own mission challenge.

Saturday, September 17

9:00 a.m.

If you like limbering up in the garden on a cool Saturday morning, please come on out to our Community Garden (located on 8th St. across from the FLC Welcome Center) and help us tidy up the beds for the upcoming season.

We will get started at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning and work until we are finished. 

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia Gets a New Moderator!

At the upcoming CBF Georgia General Assembly, our very own Steven Norris will be "installed" as the new moderator for CBFGA, effective January 2023. This position is the highest elected role in the organization, and we are excited to see Steven represent our church in it! If you are available November 6-7 to travel to FBC Augusta, we would love to have you join us in support of Steven! The cost for the gathering is $40 (to cover meals), and individuals would need to secure their own hotel room. This cost could be minimal if people room together. If you would be interested in attending this event, please register for it using the link below. Contact us for more information, or to let us know you are going and would like to know if anyone is available to room with you.

Christian Literature Recycling

Women on Mission (WOM) will be collecting Christian literature you would like to recycle over the next few weeks. Please drop the material off in the designated receptacle in either Welcome Center at church. This material gets delivered to those who do not have ready access to Christian literature.

First Baptist Griffin supports LifeSong Ministries, Inc., which is a program that provides free classes to women who lack resources, yet desire to improve their life situation, job skills, and education.

If you know a woman who would benefit from such classes, please ask them to contact LifeSong Ministries at 404-980-5549. A new class will form soon and spots are limited. 

Library Hours

Sundays

10:00-11:30 a.m.

Wednesdays

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Service

Saturday mornings are sacred for many—representing long desired bonding between sleepy heads and their pillows. However, some choose to rise early and engage in worthwhile pursuits like handbell polishing. Part of the handbell ensemble gathered on September 10th to wax and polish five octaves of hand bells in preparation for a busy season of musical outreach, both in our Celebration service and in the community. 

Other News & Events Around the Church

We Welcome Our Newest Members!

With great joy, we announce three of our newest members to you: Tammi Craig,  Kevin and Heather Garner each joined our fellowship on Sunday, September 11.

Spotlight on Common Grounds

You never know who you might encounter in the Common Grounds Coffeehouse!

Chances are that you will find friends greeting one another with smiles and laughter. You might also see a toddler dancing a little jig.

Did you know this? If you bring a guest, we send them a coupon for a free coffee once they return. Our Coffeehouse is a jewel and a vital part of welcoming others to our Community of Grace.

Grab you a cup of coffee and a bowl of grits on your way to Sunday school this weekend. You’ll be glad you stopped in at the Common Grounds Coffeehouse.

Let's have King ranch chicken casserole, chips & salsa, and dessert tonight at 5:00 p.m. in Morgan Hall before starting our small groups at 6:00 p.m. tonight, shall we? Click on the "Reserve a Plate" button to let us know you're coming. You can find out more about our small groups by clicking on "Learn More."

Book Discussion Underway

Have you been waiting for the perfect opportunity to read A Community of Grace alongside others in the church?

Steven Norris hosts the discussion of his book through October 20 in the Cheatham Room from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

For more information on the study, to sign up for the study, or to request a copy of the book, contact Steven.

Upcoming Meetings

Pughtopia is a Wonderful Place!

Adam and Harrison Pugh will take the stage at the next Common Grounds Coffeehouse event on September 30 at 7:00 p.m. (The doors open at 6:30.) 

Along with tasty Italian sodas, coffees, and treats, you can expect a mixture of music from many genres — country, Southern rock, soft rock, oldies, Motown, Christian, and Disney tunes.

You can also expect contests and fun!

Members of our community will gather for a special evening of worship on October 7th in the Park on 6th. We hope you will come out and support this UNITE Worship event.