Newspaper Page Text
June 29, 2016
^Reporter
PAGE 7B
Pastor’s Corner
Use past foundations
BY REV. JOHN
WYATT
wrote an article
for our
church
bulletin
at First
Baptist Church,
Forsyth, recently
by the same title
as the above. In
it, I lamented the
old abandoned
houses and build
ings I see along
the roads which
are left there to
rot and ruin. Somebody
gave up on them. They
could not see the poten
tial. They disregarded
the good old bones.
Something new has
always been appealing.
It’s a bad deal, however,
when one
exchanges the
old houses’
solid founda
tions and
structures for
the glittering
and exciting
new mobile
home!
Ferrol
Sams’ book
titled, Down
Town, has a
character say: “We’re
so obsessed with the
present that we’ve bur
ied the past, and are
afraid of the future.”
That character loved his
town, one like Forsyth
it seems, and bemoaned
how people were prone
to live only in and for
the present moment, the
kind of living that disre
gards history, and gam
bles away the future.
In my work as an
interim pastor, I encour
age churches to come
to grips with their
histories. There is no
bright future for those
who cannot confront
and learn from their
past. There is no bright
future for those who are
so obsessed with their
present agendas that
they disregard the effect
Rev. John Wyatt
to build
of that agenda on the
future. “Mobile home”
building is not the build
ing of the kingdom of
God, the building for a
solid future.
I also encourage mem
bers to invest in the
futures of their church
es. There is a rash of
folks jumping off the old
and onto the new. It is
much better in the long
run to work through
stuff, to face and help
resolve the problems,
to restore the broken
fellowship, and to have
something in the end for
which to be proud.
The Cleveland
Cavaliers were down
a solid
three games to one
to the Golden State
Warriors in the NBA
finals. Playing game
seven at Golden State,
they were all but
counted out. The city of
Cleveland is celebrat
ing this week because
LeBron James and crew
did the unlikely thing.
They made a comeback!
The victory was sweet,
but made even sweeter
because of the comeback
against the odds.
The Gospel we preach
touts new beginnings,
a redeeming of the old
into something new.
Call it recovery, renew
al, revival, redemption,
future
or comeback, or what
ever. I like it. Maybe it’s
my age. Nothing new,
please, just let me have
a good old (age) come
back!
Rev. John Wyatt is
the interim pastor at
First Baptist Church of
Forsyth, 95 West Morse
Street. The Pastor’s
Corner is sponsored
by the Monroe County
Ministerial Association,
which meets on the sec
ond Thursday of each
month at Ann’s Deli at
8 a. m.
First Baptist Forsyth has successful VBS
j;’
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ri 7
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First Baptist Church of Forsyth had a great week June 19-20 going on a VBS Deep Sea Adventure. The children learned God is with them wherever they go: “God knows me,
God hears me, God strengthens me, God loves me and God sends me.” Over 100 kids attended daily.
Head of the Macedonia
Baptist Church of Jackson
will be the speaker. Rev. T.J.
Head is pastor.
Church Calendar continued from Page 6B
Smarr, the Jesus Troupe, Inc.
and New Providence Baptist
Church.
have more than a religious
experience and ENCOUNTER
Jesus in a life-changing way;
that they will walk away with
purpose and hope and eternal
life. Beginning at 7 p.m. each
night, worship will be led by
a team of music ministers
from churches followed by a
message from Evangelist Jon
Reed.
July 20
Food Bank distribu
tion will be at Christ
UMC
Christ United Methodist
Church and other local
church members, in conjunc
tion with Circle of Care, will
distribute food packages
provided by the Macon Food
Bank on Wednesday, July
20. Volunteers to help unload
the truck and/or assemble
and distribute food are
needed at 10 a.m. at Christ
United Methodist, 417 North
Frontage Road (next to the
Farm Bureau). Recipients
need advance approval to
receive this once a month food
distribution. Contact Circle
of Care at, 478-994-4939 for
eligibility. For additional
information, call Christ UMC
at, 478-994-1232 or Circle of
Care.
July 23
Jesus Troupe Ministry
performs gospel play
The Jesus Troupe Ministry
of Fayetteville, N.C. will
perform the gospel play
“Search My Heart, O God”
at. New Providence Baptist,
Church on Saturday, Jul 23
at, 7 p.m. The special guest,
choir will feature the St.
Luke Missionary Baptist,
Church, Pastor Rev. Emory
Lightfoot, Jr. Tickets are
$10 and can be purchased
from Cynthia Moore, Kim
Walton or NPBC. Call 478-
994-1542, 478-994-5552 or
478-994-2545. Mrs. Vivian
Thomas is the writer, direc
tor and solo artist,. All of the
songs on the CD were written
by her except, for ‘Amazing
Grace’ and ‘Jesus Loves Me.’
This event, is a fundraiser for
the St,. Paul AME Church,
Sept. 7
St. Peter the
Rock Catholic
has RCIA
classes
St. Peter the Rock
Catholic Church,
3594 Barnesville
Highway, The Rock
(Thomaston) invites
everyone to masses
and RCIA (Rite of
Christian Initiation
For Adults) classes.
An inquiry into
the Catholic faith
and RCIA pro
gram will begin on
Wednesday, Sept,.
7 at, 7 p.m. (after
6:30 p.m. mass) for
those interested in
learning about, the
Catholic faith. For
more information,
contact. Deacon
Tom Kretzmer or
office Manager
Bernadette Luger
at, 706-648-2599.
Sept. 12-15
ENCOUNTER
Area-Wide
Revival
Churches of
Centennial Baptist,
Association and
the Upson County
Ministerial
Association are
joining together for
a series of revival
meetings at, the
Rock Ranch Sept,.
12-15. What, began
as a burden to
see people come
to know Jesus as
Savior and Lord
has become a move
ment,. The hope is
that, people will
Remember When
This look at what Monroe County residents were reading in the
Reporter 30,20 and 10 years ago this week is brought to you by...
Monroe County
Memorial Chapel
We set the standards
that others follow 1
Harley Ray "Spanky" Beck
86 West Main Street • Forsyth
478-994-4266
1986
Half-a-dozen restaurants, two
or three retail stores, and three
industries are working with the
Chamber of Commerce to poten
tially locate to Forsyth.
Bids for construction work on
Monroe County’s Recreation
complex are to open July 10.
Kevin Pridmore of Columbus,
Miss, will be the pastor of Mt.
Zion United Methodist Church
in Smarr.
Forsyth City Council approves
a 15 percent, electric rate hike
to take effect, this week. The
council also voted to begin pro
ceedings to issue $1 million in
municipal bonds to offset, cost,
overruns on the Tobesofkee
Reservoir and intake structure
project,.
A Thursday storm brings
much-needed rain to the county,
though in Forsyth, it knocked
out, at, least, two transformers
and left, some of the city without,
power for up to 10 hours.
Drayton Johnson says he was
‘raised in a garden.’ Though he
is approaching his 78th birth
day, Johnson still spends time
every day in his vegetable gar
den.
1996
The state grants $22,000
toward the installation of row
ing lanes in Lake Juliette as a
training area for the U.S. Men’s
Olympic Rowing Team.
Bolingbroke is rezoned after
its city charter ended on July 1
of last, year.
Forsyth City Council votes
to pursue the purchase of the
old cord mill behind Farmer’s
Furniture to use as a city com
plex.
Forsyth City Council votes to
reject, a 12-strand fiberoptic con
tract, with James Cable because
of undesirable terms.
Georgia’s seat, belt, law, requir
ing all front, seat, passengers to
be buckled, will go into effect, on
July 1. Fines are capped at, $15.
A caterpillar made of multiple
hay bales sits in a pasture on
Hwy 41 South.
2006
Hubbard Elementary principal
Angie Dillon is named Georgia’s
2006 National Distinguished
Principal.
The Monroe County T-Ball
Twins team consists of four
pairs of twins.
The Taco Bell on North Lee
Street, catches fire on Sunday.
The front, of the store sustains
damage.
Wal-Mart, unveils its modi
fied plan for the Supercenter in
response to concerns from those
living near the proposed con
struction zone.
Monroe County Hospital
reports it, grossed a record $1.2
million during the first, eight,
months of this fiscal year.
The Monroe County
Commission approves the final
plat, for the River Walk Phase
III subdivision.