2013f e b / m a r

Cooperative baptist fellowship of GeorgiaVisions

(continues on page 8)

2 our Year in Review 2012

6 Event Poster

7 special invitation from Daniel Vestal

8 Frankly speaking Frank Broome

9 Put it on Your Calendar Joyce McCartney

10 Martha stearns Marshall Month

11 REPoRts & oPPoRtunitiEs — upcoming Events —Financial Report

12 Events Calendar

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but griev-ous words stir up strife” (Proverbs 15:1).

One of the more hilarious scenes in movie history comes in one of the Pink Panther series with, of course, Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Clouseau. The

bumbling inspector, approaching the reception desk of an Austrian inn and noticing a little dog resting nearby, says to the aged innkeeper: “Does your dog bite?” Slowly removing his pipe from his mouth, the old man responds: “No.” Clouseau reaches gently down to pet the dog, which startles him with a ferocious bark and bites him with lightning speed. Withdrawing his wounded hand, stiffening his back, and staring with confusion and anger at the old man, he says adamantly and resentfully: “I thought you said your dog does not bite.” “That is not my dog,” says the smirking innkeeper.

It’s a succinct snapshot of communication and expectation, or rather, the lack of communication and the resulting warp of expectation. The same dynamics apply to all art forms, especially that of preaching. Are people hearing what I’m saying? Am I expressing it clearly? And what expectations are created by what I have said and what they have heard? Furthermore, beneath it all is the subtext of the Biblical narrative itself. Have I accurately expressed what it says? Is God

adequately represented? Is what God expects of us fairly expressed?

There is no question that a great many pastors and teachers and church leaders are doing their best. However, there is a staggering amount of exegeti-cal laziness, plain old ineptitude, and promotion of personal agenda in American pulpits, and the results are not only confusing and embarrassing but even dangerous. Words are our tools for constructing sermons and lessons, but tools can also be used as aggressive weapons. A most egregious example is that of the notorious Florida pastor whose malicious state-ments about Islam went viral, resulting in the deaths of innocents on the other side of the world. Grievous words do stir up strife. We are admonished to speak the truth in love. His words were neither. A lesser example would be the peddlers of a prosperity gospel who create grossly unrealistic hopes for millions who end up both confused and disappointed.

Some of us are blessed to have had master teachers and exemplars along the way in our educational train-ing and spiritual formation, such as Walter Shurden, Loyd Allen, Truett Gannon, Bruce Morgan, John Mark Carpenter, Mimi Walker, Rob Nash, John Claypool, Fred Craddock, and Nancy deClaisse-Walford. I’ll be indebted forever to Malcolm Tolbert, who said to us a

the pastor’s

Sounding Board

Does Your Dog Bite?BillCoatEs billcoates@mindspring.com

Here is the eleventh 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. Bill Coates, pastor of First Baptist Church of Gainesville, 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 prac-tices” 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.

Page 2 Visions

The Georgia Youth Choir

festival gives middle and high

school choirs an event consist-

ing of fellowship, singing, and

worship.

the Georgia Youth Choir Festival

not only builds the musical

skills of its participants, but

encourages worship leadership

and fosters the building of faith

through sacred music.

............. in Review

Now Serving: atlanta

combines worship and mission

work in a twenty-four-hour

experience for college students.

now serving: atlanta gives

college students experience

in serving alongside various

non-profit organizations and

ministries in an urban setting

and the understanding of the

multiple forms of ministry that

exist to transform communities.

Senior Celebration was

created to be a time of worship

and fellowship, and a chance for

CBF/Ga to say thank you to our

senior adults.

www.cbfga.org Page 3

march mission madness

offers youth groups opportuni-

ties for fellowship, worship, and

mission work.

CBF/Ga’s first march mission

Immersion gave students the

experience of living in a develop-

ing country for twenty-four hours

at the Calvin Center’s Global

Village.

MMM/MMi is at its core faith

formation through missions. it

gives youth a taste of the many

ways we can put hands and feet

to our faith and the encour-

agement to serve their own

communities when they return

home.

the first Cbf/Ga Handbell

festival was held on Friday-

saturday, april 27-28. the event

had times for group ringing,

teaching ringing techniques,

discussions on the use of bells,

a solo ringer with multiple bells

demonstration, fellowship, and

worship. about fifty ringers from

four churches participated.

Page 4 Visions

CBF/Ga held the Touching

Taliaferro with Love

Summer Day Camps for

two weeks at taliaferro County

school for children in grades one

through six.

the ttWl camps provide the

children of taliaferro County with

daily educational activities that

build faith and character.

CBF/Ga held its annual state

meeting at the Cbf/National

General assembly in Fort

Worth, texas.

this event allowed participants

to meet together and hear about

CBF/Ga’s work. this was also

Daniel Vestal’s last meeting as

CBF’s coordinator.

Thank you ... for a wonderful and productive year together at CBF/GA!

www.cbfga.org Page 5

reCharge, CBF/Ga’s fall youth

retreat, provided middle and

high school students time for

contemplation and spiritual

renewal.

ReCharge gives youth the oppor-

tunity to pause for a weekend to

reflect on their relationship with

God and discover how to live life

faithfully.

The fall General assembly

brought together the CBF/Ga

family for breakouts, networks,

fellowship, and worship at First

Baptist Church of Griffin. First

Baptist Church of augusta will

host the 2013 meeting.

Fall General assembly is our time

to gather together as a family

of Cooperative Baptists and

celebrate the ways we continue

to be the presence of Christ in

the world.

Interfaith Dialogues ...

throughout the year the CBF/Ga

interfaith task Force hosts several

opportunities for Baptist and

Jewish dialogue and Baptist and

Muslim dialogue. Check the CBF/

Ga website for upcoming events.

JAN

the Georgia Youth Choir festival (18-20) gives middle

and high school students opportunities for worship,

singing, and fellowship.F

EB

Now Serving: atlanta (8-9) combines worship and mission work in a twenty-four-hour

experience for college students.

MA

RAPR

march mission madness (1-3 & 8-10) is a weekend event for youth groups offering opportunities for fellowship, worship, and mission work. march mission Immersion (22-24), held at the Calvin Center’s Global Village, gives students the experience of living in a develop-ing country for twenty-four hours.

a deacons network meeting (5-6) with Daniel Vestal will be

held. Keep watching Visions and Re-Visions for more details.

the Cbf/Ga Handbell festival (19-20) is designed to give

handbell choirs opportunities to perform in a larger group setting and learn new and

different ringing techniques to use in worship and beyond.

MAYSenior Celebration (6 & 7)

is a time of worship and fellowship, and a chance for CBF/Ga to say thank you to

our senior adults.

JUN

CBF/Ga holds Touching Taliaferro with Love Summer Day Camp for one week at taliaferro County school for children in grades one through six.

also in June, the Cbf/Ga meeting (27) convenes at the Cbf/National General assembly. this event allows participants to meet together and hear about CBF/Ga’s work.

SEPT

the fall General assembly (3-4) brings together the CBF/Ga family for breakouts, networks, fellowship, and worship. First Baptist Church of augusta will host the 2013 meeting.

CBF/Ga and Mcafee school of theology host the

Preaching Consultation (23-25) in st. simons. this

three-day event consists of workshops and fellowship.

OCTreCharge (4-6), CBF/Ga’s

fall youth retreat, is a weekend event aimed at providing

middle and high school stu-dents time for contemplation

and spiritual renewal.

on

go

ing

Interfaith Dialogues ... throughout the year the CBF/Ga interfaith task Force hosts several opportunities for Baptist and Jewish dialogue and Baptist and Muslim dialogue. Check the CBF/Ga website for upcoming events.

as neededCBF/Ga 2013 Events

Disaster Relief Responses

Educational Conferences

Ministry network initiatives

Mission training

Peer learning Groups

Reference and Referral training

staff Retreats

sunday school training

CBF/GA 2013

NO

V

www.cbfga.org Page 7 www.cbfga.org Page 7

5VIP PASS

Football Field House, Mercer University, MaconFriday-Saturday, April 5-6

An open invitation to deacons and their pastors to a deacon summit for the spiritual,

theological, and ethical formation of deacons.

THe APOSTLe PAuL said to Timothy: “Those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 3:13).

Through the years, I have observed that Baptist churches with a vibrant deacon ministry are more likely to be healthy and effective. I have also observed that there is a scarcity of resources for developing dea-con leadership, as well as few opportunities for deacons from various churches to have fellowship together. For these reasons, I want to invite deacons from across Georgia to a deacon summit on Friday-Saturday, April 5-6, at Mercer university in Macon to launch a Baptist Deacon Network.

I am fully aware that the roles and responsibilities of deacons vary from church to church. Issues relating to polity, decision making, organization, and structure dif-fer from one church to another. But I also believe that all deacons would benefit from opportunities to grow spiritually in a Baptist Deacon Network. I believe that we have much to learn from one another and that a real need exists for the strengthening of deacon ministry in our churches.

The purpose of the meeting will be to foster conversa-tion about the life and ministry of Baptist deacons as lay ministers. We will have conversation with God in times of prayer, and we will have times of conversation with each other in times of discernment. We will take some time to listen to one another, learn from one another, and ask God how we should form this net-work, what churches want, and how we should proceed. There will also be breakout sessions, small group discus-sion, worship, and fellowship.

But the goal of this gathering is greater than just having another “meeting.” I hope that this is a begin-ning of a Baptist Deacon Network that is “owned” by deacons themselves. I pray that this is the beginning of a spiritual, theological, ethical, and vocational renewal among Baptist laity in general and Baptists deacons in particular. I pray that this is a beginning of serious conversation among Baptist laity about what is needed in our personal lives, as well as our churches. I pray that this is the beginning of a revival among Baptists laity. Will you join me in this prayer and conversation?

Registration begins February 1, online or by mail. For more information, contact Frank Broome at fbroome@cbfga.org.

Daniel Vestal, Director of the Eula Mae and John Baugh Center for Baptist Leadership, Mercer University

5VIP PASS

Football Field House, Mercer University, Macon

Friday-Saturday, April 5-6

An open invitation

to deacons and their pastors

to a deacon summit for the spiritual,

theological, and ethical formation of deacons.

special invitation from Daniel Vestal

An open invitation to deacons and their pastors to a deacon summit

for the spiritual, theological, and ethical formation of deacons.

Friday-Saturday, April 5-6

Football Field House, Mercer University, Macon

Over the Christmas holidays, I got to do something I seldom get to do. I saw four movies in three weeks. There was a time when I

got to see just about every movie that came to town, but in recent years I have found that hard to do. Susan and I have different tastes in movies, but when we agree, the movie is usually good. Such was the case with Lincoln, The Life of Pi, and Les Miserables. I also got to see The Hobbit with my son-in-law. Lincoln will likely get best picture, though the last thirty minutes of the Life of Pi made me want to pull for it to get that award. I found Les Miserables to be the most moving, and I am in no way musically inclined. I think the story is about the best outside of the ones in our scripture.

When I go to movies, I am always hoping that some-thing that is said or done will become the basis for a new sermon. Of course, sermons need to be biblically based, but often the idea for a sermon can originate outside of the sacred text. I have found that if an idea in a movie or book intersects with a text, the possibility of a creative sermon exists. I think it was Karl Barth who suggested that we should preach with a newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other. My version would be a movie in one eye and a Bible text in the other.

Such a moment occurred for me during The Hobbit. Gandalf the Great, the good wizard, is commenting on the assumptions of another wizard, Saruman, who is obsessed with the acquisition of power. “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

Fellowship Baptists do not have great institutional power. We are not a large denomination with huge budgets and staff. However, if it is the everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, and I believe it is, then there is much we can do this year to bring light and hope to our world. As we left the theater, I turned to my son-in-law and said: “We need to live like that. We need to make a hobbit of it.” He smiled. Cbf/Ga

frankly speaking:a new Hobbit

FRanK BRooME fbroome@cbfga.org

thousand times in New Testament classes: “If you want to be orthodox, be loving,” and “Since we’re all going to err on the one side toward legalism or on the other toward grace, always go with grace.” I hope that not only those strong and vibrant words but the beautiful spirit of them will always inform my preaching and come through clearly and forcefully in my teaching—because something about them just sounds right and rings true, like they’re of God, from God, especially as I under-stand God through the lens of Jesus.

I’m also thankful for those outside my tradi-tion who help me see more clearly what and how to communicate of God, people like Victor Frankl, Amy Jill-Levine, and Harold Kushner. In his highly enlightening study of Job, Rabbi Kushner relates that his teacher, the renowned Abraham Joshua Heschel, told the class: “The Bible is not Israel’s theology; it is God’s anthro-pology.” It’s less a defense of who God is and more about who God wants us to be. Kushner adds a word spoken to him by our Christian theologian Stanley Hauerwas: “What we owe a physically or mentally disabled child is not to ask why God permits this, but to ask ourselves what kind of community we must be so that this child can live as full a life as possible” (Harold S. Kushner, The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person, New York: Nextbook, 2012, 198). Now that’s truth spoken in love, with clarity, and surely to good benefit for all who will listen.

I want my words—our words as communicators who handle the words of God—to be life affirm-ing, life giving, creating peace, and turning away wrath. Surely such words will result in good, life-giving relationships between fellow Christians, between Christians and adherents of other faiths, and between the church and those who live near and around it but never enter it. Words are used often enough in this world to curse and incite. For God’s sake, may we who preach and teach in Christ’s name and represent the church to the world use words to bless and to heal. If we do, won’t God use them to communicate life and love? And won’t the expectations our words cre-ate be good ones? I say let us speak them and see what God does with them.

Bill Coates is pastor of First Baptist Church, Gainesville.

Sounding Board ... (continued from page 1)

“... i found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary

folk that keep the darkness at bay. small acts of

kindness and love.”

www.cbfga.org Page 9

Calendars come in many shapes and forms. Most are useful and important, especially with the busy lives we lead. We recently

heard about the now-defunct Mayan calendar. It was not very useful to the majority of us, but it did garner a lot of media attention. Most of us need personal, family, work, and church calendars. Some folks use a devotional calendar or prayer calen-dar. We have wall calendars, pocket calendars, electronic calendars, online calendars, and desk calen-dars. Calendars assist in keeping us focused, current, and “in good” with family and friends when we don’t forget birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events. We need calendars to help us in planning and then staying on track.

My little two-year pocket calendar goes everywhere with me. Now don’t laugh—I know many of you use some sort of electronic calendar on your smart phones, tablets, laptops, and probably some other type of elec-tronic device that I don’t even know about. But for me, being able to see a whole month at a time works! When

our children were in middle and high school, we had a blank one-month dry erase magnetic calendar that stayed on the refrigerator.

The purpose was to keep up with everyone’s school, work, church, and social activities.

The only problem was when we came to the end of the month. We immediately erased and updated it so that nothing would be forgotten. My pocket calendar solves that issue. Having two years of dates with me wherever I go helps as I schedule my life. My husband and I find it helpful to sit down every once in a while to look at our calendars and “sync” them together. It helps as we make sure we are able to focus on what’s important to us. I even save my past pocket calendars. I occasion-ally need to go back and see when a certain appointment, meeting, or special event occurred. Right now in an attempt to keep current, I am trying out an online calendar. We’ll see how that works! But I think my pocket calendar will continue to be my go-to calendar for all events, tasks, and reminders.

As we look at our calendars, we see what is important. What we give priority to in our lives becomes very clear when we review our past activi-

ties. The same goes for our church calendars. Some churches follow the liturgical calendar. We are about to enter the Christian season of Lent. This will be a time in our spiritual lives when we focus on Christ’s journey to the cross. We will set aside time for reflection and spiritual discipline.

Following the Christian calendar personally and corporately assists us in clarifying and concentrating on our spiritual lives.

In scripture we find many references to days. The New International Version contains 1,842 references to the word “day” and 579 references to the word “days.”* Organizing and understand-ing the concept of time in days is important biblically and spiritually. We read of God’s work in days in Genesis. We can also understand some of our daily responsibilities as God’s children. For example, in Psalm 44:8 we read: “In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever” (NIV). exodus 20:8 states: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (NIV). These words of Jesus from Luke 9:23 give us direction for our days: “Then he said to them all, ‘[Those who want] to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’” (NIV). Our days are the Lord’s, and we should calendar accordingly.

So take out your calendar in whatever form you like best. Look through this issue of Visions. There are excellent opportunities that you should put on your calendar. You may not be able to attend some of the events, but you can certainly put them on your prayer calendar. Make the leaders at your church aware of them, so these events can be put on your church calendar. I have them down on my little pocket calendar. Mark yours now, so that you won’t miss out! Cbf/Ga

*www.BibleGateway.com

Put It on Your CalendarJoYCE McCaRtnEY moderator@cbfga.org

Page 10 Visions

Martha Stearns Marshall was a Separate Baptist preacher who ministered in New england, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia in the 1700s and 1800s. Marshall and her husband, Daniel, founded the first Missionary Baptist church in Georgia. It is in her honor that Baptist Women in Ministry invites Baptist churches to participate in

Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching by having a woman preach during the month of February.

Fifty-five churches took part in the inaugural month in 2007. Two hundred seventeen Baptist churches observed the sixth annual Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching last year. Involvement in 2012 far surpassed any previous year, and five churches had a “true MSM month,” inviting four women to preach over the course of the four-week period.

How can your church participate?

1) Reserve ANY Sunday in February.

2) Invite a woman to preach — ask a member of your church, contact a nearby seminary or Baptist university and inquire about the availability of a student or professor, or ask someone in your community. For ideas, contact Pam Durso at pamdurso@bwim.info.

3) Download the certificate from the BWIM website (www.bwim.info), print it out, and present it to the woman preacher on your church’s Martha Stearns Marshall Day of Preaching.

4) Order the book, This Is What a Preacher Looks Like: Sermons by Baptist Women in Ministry, and present it to the preacher with the certificate.

5) Incorporate the history of Martha Stearns Marshall during your worship service or use the bulletin insert provided by BWIM on its website.

6) Sing the hymn written by Courtney Krueger, composed especially for Martha Stearns Marshall Month, which can be found on the BWIM website.

7) Please send your church name, city, state, pastor, the name of your guest preacher, and contact information to Aimee Day Yeager at aimeeyeager@bwim.info. All participating churches and preachers will be listed in the spring issue of Vocare, the BWIM newsletter.

Martha stearns Marshall Month

Courtney allenfirst baptist Church, Dalton, Bill ireland, pastor

rhonda abbott blevinsNorthside Drive baptist Church, atlanta, James lamkin, pastor

amy Jacks Deanfirst baptist Church, athens, Paul Baxley, pastor

Nancy deClaisse-Walfordfirst baptist Church, macon, scott Dickison, pastor

amy Derrickfirst baptist Church, fitzgerald, Mike Ruffin, pastor

Laura fousheefirst baptist Church, Savannah, John Finley, PastorTrinity baptist Church, Conyers, Joe laGuardia, pastor

Julie LongHighland Hills baptist Church, macon, Brett Younger, interim pastor

Jennifer LyonNorth broad baptist Church, rome, Micah Pritchett, pastor

Liz Pearsonbeulah baptist Church, Devereaux, Genie Hargrove, pastor

Sara robbCornerstone Church of Grayson, Grayson, Gwen Brown, pastor

martha StearneCentral baptist Church, Newnan, Joel Richardson, pastor

GEoRGia CHuRCHEs PaRtiCiPatinG in MaRtHa stEaRns MaRsHall MontH (to date)

,

,

We thank you O God, for women today,

Who still heed your call, and help us obey.

They lead and they preach and they serve and they pray

Lord, help us to follow and walk in your way.

from the hymn “For Women of Old and Women Today” by Courtney Krueger

www.cbfga.org Page 11

oPPoRtunitiEs , nE Ws, & REPoRts

Cooperative baptist fellowship of Georgia

P.o. Box 4343, Macon, Ga 31208-4343phone 478-742-1191 • fax 478-742-6150

toll free phone 1-877-336-6426toll free fax 1-877-336-6425

website www.cbfga.org

Cbf/Ga Staffcoordinator

E. Frank Broome • fbroome@cbfga.orgassociate coordinator

laura Foushee • lfoushee@cbfga.orgassistant to the coordinator for finance

Renée Bennett • rbennett@cbfga.orgassistant for communication and resources

ElizaBeth Copeland • ecopeland@cbfga.orgadministrative assistant

Kelley Dixson • kdixson@cbfga.orgassistant to the coordinator for advancement Jim Bruner • jamescbruner@gmail.com

disaster response coordinator

tommy Deal • tdeal@cbfga.orgcampus minister for csf at uga

sarah Reddish • sreddish@cbfga.orgcampus minister for csf mercer

Carson Foushee • carsonfoushee@gmail.comcampus minister for csf georgia tech

Dan stockum • danstockum@yahoo.com

Cbf/Ga Coordinating Councilmoderator-elect • Paul Baxley, athensmoderator • Joyce McCartney, Griffin

past-moderator • Jimmy Gentry, Carrolltonclerk • Randy shepley, tucker

finance chair • Henry tyson, Fitzgeraldtreasurer • Jim Bruner, Macon

Jonathan Barlow, RoystonKristy Bay, athens

stan Braley, MaconGwen Brown, GraysonMarc Burcham, atlanta

Ken Corcoran, ColumbusJanice Hale, Gainesville

Martha Kate Hall, augustatom Hawkins, Morrow

neil Heath, Macontom Hill, alpharetta

sarah Holik, Fitzgeraldlarkin Hudson Cunningham, Manchester

Bill ireland, DaltonGlenda Kessler, st. simons island

tricia Kilgore, savannahMelissa Kremer, Rome

Matt Marston, MoultrieCraig McMahan, Macon

Barrett owen, FayettevilleChip Reeves, Evans

Carey Russell, ForsythDavid sapp, atlanta

Charles smith, MadisonKen smith, Monroe

Bob trammell, newnanKeithen tucker, Eatonton

lauren Waggoner, Marietta ina Woodruff, tifton

Student Representativesaimee Day Yeager, atlanta • Meggie Dant, atlanta

Cbf/National Coordinating Council Georgia members

susan Broome, MaconGreg Deloach, augusta

Erin Hall, CantonMichael Helms, Jefferson

Bob Patterson, Warm springsMimi Walker, atlanta

VISIONS is published six times a yearby CBF/Ga. all questions and comments may be directed to ElizaBeth Copeland,

ecopeland@cbfga.org or 478-742-1191, ext. 23.

FinanCial uPDatE Year to Date Receipts for 2011 ...$ 472,933.85Year to Date Receipts for 2012 ...$ 486,365.27Requirement ...................................$ 602,956.92over/under .......................................$(116,591.65)December Contributions ............$ 59,811.90December Requirement ...............$ 50,246.41over/under .......................................$ 9,565.49

save the Date for senior CelebrationCBF/GA’s fourth annual Senior Celebration will be held Monday-Tuesday, May 6-7.

The Monday event will be hosted by

First Baptist Church of Rome. Bill Coates, pastor of First

Baptist Church of Gainesville, will be the speaker.

The Tuesday event will be hosted by First Baptist Church of Forsyth. The speaker will be Mike Ruffin, pastor of First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald.

Keep watching Visions, Re-Visions, and the website for more details about how to register for the event.

CBF/Ga on the RoadFrank Broome, coordinator, Laura Foushee, associate coordinator, and Renée Bennett, assistant to the coordinator for finance, are always available to preach

or update your church on how God is working through our fellowship of Baptist churches.

For a current list of engagements for Frank, Laura, and Renée, or to contact one of them about speaking in your church during worship or at other gatherings, visit CBF/GA.org and look for “On the Road” under the Ministries heading.

are You Connected?CBF/GA has two newsletters. Visions is our print newsletter which comes out every two months. Re-Visions is our electronic newsletter that comes out twice a month.

If you would like to sign up to be on our mailing lists, contact elizaBeth Copeland at ecopeland@cbfga.org or 478-742-1191, ext. 23.

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.

472,933.85

COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP

GEORGIA

P.O. Box 4343Macon GA 31208-4343

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE

PAID ATHENS GA PERMIT #11

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.

eveNTS CaLeNDar

Keep up to date with events ... www.cbfga.org

2013 february 8-9

Now Serving atlantaatlanta

march 1-3march mission madness Macon

march 8-10march mission madness Rome

march 22-24march mission ImmersionCalvin Center, Hampton

april 5-6Deacon SummitMacon

april 19-20Cbf/Ga Handbell festivalFirst Baptist Church of Griffin

may 6 & 7Senior CelebrationFirst Baptist Church of Rome First Baptist Church of Forsyth

In the next issue of Visions ...

News from

the Georgia Youth

Choir Festival