October 2018 Witness

This past Sunday was our annual Homecoming Sunday celebrated on Buggy Days weekend.    On such Sundays, I always enjoy sharing a message that focuses on the good things that God has done in and through our church over the last 193 years! I have the privilege of serving as the 34thpastorof First Baptist Church of Barnesville.  And this church has accomplished an amazing record among Baptist churches. After 34 pastors, this church has never fired a preacher!  Well, at least not yet! In any and every generation, the church is in the life-changing business. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone be in Christ, they are a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When I was a freshman at Banks High School in Birmingham, Alabama, I remember having a substitute teacher on several occasions who was going to seminary in the evenings and wanted to be a minister.  I was so impressed with his character and his caring – with the joy and purpose that he had in his life that I thought that if I pursued the same vocation he was pursuing I would become like him. That young man so impacted my life that I wanted to become a minister before I even became a Christian!  All of my tomorrows were transformed by a Christ-filled substitute high school teacher whose name I can’t even remember! We had a good month in September with an average attendance of 373 in Bible Study.  “Speakin’ with My Deacon” took place on Sunday evening, September 9th, with a good attendance from our Sunday School classes and divisions.  We also focused on three TOWNHALL MEETINGSconcerning the STUDENT/YOUNG ADULT BUILDINGthat has been in the works for months now.  ChairmanSteven Bacon and our STUDENT BUILDING PLANNING TEAM made very strong presentations to our church at those meetings.   Our Deacons unanimously supported the plan for this new building at their September 9th meeting. I want to thank our Student Building PlanningTeam for the many hours they have put in.   A special thanks goes to ourPrayer Team led byJoe Andrews.  Carson Selph and his Design and Planning Teamhave worked tirelessly on a design for this new building. In addition, Chairperson Kim Walland our Fund-raising Teamhave selected a company to help us raise the needed funds. The work of Mark Smithand our Finance Team,as well as Ryal Siemand our Construction Team will soon begin provided the church adopts this new building plan. On Sunday, September 30th,we will share a CONGREGATIONAL PRESENTATION AND VOTE on this new building plan at all three of our morning services. Please be much in prayer for this most important day for us and for our future! October has, among other things, some great evening opportunities:

  • The women’s worship event calledTHE CANOPY takes place on Thursday evening, October 25th, at 7:00 P.M.Doors open at 6:30.
  • The kick-off of OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILDwill be on Sunday evening, October 14th, at 6:30 in the gym of our C.F.L.C. Thanks to Nancy Cloudt for leading this ministry of providing the greatest gift of all, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to children all around the world!
  • TRUNK OR TREATtakes place on Sunday evening, October 28th, on our west side parking lot. Thanks to our Children’s Ministry Team for putting this together for us this year!

We look forward to a great month in October.   COME EXPECTANTLY! I Love You, Garth


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