Newspaper Page Text
January 19, 2022
Page 2B
SSStK;
Reporter
PASTOR’S CORNER by Rev. Pamela Johnston
Spotlight on Local Churches
Make use of your gifts
Every good and perfect gift comes from
the Father above.
- James 1:17
O K, everyone has that relative
who hates to give money for
Christmas but doesn’t do a
great job of picking out things
to fit your taste. You know what I’m talk
ing about: that out-of-style and
way too big sweater or the book
you already read last year. We
are taught, however, to exercise
manners, say thank you, and
put that gift with the others we
receive so we might figure out
a way to use it later. We would
never leave a box unwrapped or
just throw a gift out with all the
recycling in January.
It turns out human beings
have been gifted with different
talents and skills by our Creator. And God
knows just what gifts will suit us, even
before we do. Some excel at engineer
ing, public speaking, artistic endeavors,
showing compassion, or teaching. Others
are great navigators, conflict resolvers,
administrators, or athletes. The list goes
on. Scriptures tell us that when we believe
in Christ, we also receive spiritual gifts,
such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing
and prophesy. These spiritual gifts might
be more difficult to recognize or accept,
but they are given so we might use them
to edify the whole of humanity, so our
Creator can work all things together for
the common good.
What does this mean for us in everyday
life? It means we need to be intentional
about offering whatever abilities or gifts
we have to others, even when we don’t feel
like it. There are many reasons people keep
to themselves or say, ‘No,’ when asked to
contribute to a group effort. Sometimes
we are too busy, too tired, or too modest.
But often the progress or well-being of the
community around us depends on all of us
pooling our resources.
You can’t build that Star Wars Imperial
Light Cruiser without all the Lego pieces—
the bridge, the turrets, the launcher, the
hatch. You get the idea. God instructs us to
serve others with what we have been given;
this makes us good stewards of heavenly
grace. If you’re good with money be
willing to help with your organization’s
budget. If you like to cook, make an extra
meal for someone facing illness.
Recently I spoke with a musician who
came to our church one week to help with
worship. We are a small congregation, I
explained, and I’m afraid we can’t offer
whatever you are accustomed to earning
at professional gigs. This person pleas
antly surprised me by saying, ‘Oh no, I
wouldn’t dare take any money from you
for the privilege of playing and singing at
this church. The way I see it,
God has allowed me to do
what I love for a living. The
least I can do is say thank
you back by contributing to
the service.’ And so, every
one in the place was blessed,
not only by this person’s
gifts, but also by his gener
ous spirit.
You may not have the
expertise or patience to
work 12-hour shifts in the
Monroe County Hospital during the last
few months, but some people do, and they
have shared those gifts with our whole
community, despite their fatigue.
Imagine where we would be today if Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. had chosen to keep
his gifts of preaching to himself during a
volatile period of racial injustice. He could
have easily bowed out of the Civil Rights
movement because his life was in danger,
knowing many people were not ready to
hear the truth he preached. Yet he had the
courage and faith to share his gift anyway
because our country needed reform. He
didn’t quietly put away his talent; instead,
he refined it and used it for the good of
many.
Most of us have spent the last several
weeks sitting around the dining room table
expressing gratitude for our abundance of
food and family and gathering in our liv
ing rooms enjoying the lights on our tree
while thanking God for the birth of Jesus.
But don’t forget to recognize the talents
and skills you have been given. And more
importantly, consider why they were given
to you and not someone else. What will
you do when it’s your time to share?
Rev. Pamela Johnston is the pastor of
Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 1671
Dames Ferry Road, Forsyth. The Pastors
Corner is sponsored by the Monroe County
Ministerial Association, which meets on the
second Thursday of each month at 9 a.m.
at Christ United Methodist Church, 417 N.
Frontage Road, Forsyth.
Rev. Pamela Johnston
CHURCH CALENDAR
Email church calendar news to Diane Glidewell at news'-mymcr.net by Monday
at 10 a.m. Church information is published free of charge as space permits.
Jan. 19
St. James hosts Pop-up
Food Pantry
In addition to its regular food
distribution in January, St.
James Baptist Church, 110
James St., Forsyth will also
have a drive-through food
pantry on Wednesday, Jan.
19. All who are in need of
food are invited to come to
the church parking lot for the
distribution beginning at 11
a.m. Recipients are reminded
to open their trunks for the
food boxes and to follow
mask and distancing guide
lines as much as possible to
help keep the volunteers who
make the distribution possible
and others healthy.
Jan.25
Food distribution at St.
James Baptist
St. James Baptist Church, 110
James Street, Forsyth will host
a drive-through food distribu
tion on Tuesday, Jan. 25
beginning at 11 a.m. in part
nership with Middle Georgia
Community Food Bank. The
distribution is at St. James
on the 4th Tuesday of each
month, weather permitting.
Feb. 9
Circle of Care Food
Distribution will be at
Christ UMC
The Circle of Care, with
the assistance of com
munity churches and other
volunteers, will distribute
food packages provided by
Middle Georgia Community
Food Bank on Wednesday,
Feb. 9 at Christ United Meth
odist Church, 417 N. Front
age Road, Forsyth. Recipients
should begin lining up at 10
a.m. Future monthly distribu
tions are planned for the
second Wednesday of each
month. Check Christ United
Methodist Church's Facebook
page or call 478-994-1232
for updated information.
Robins Federal
supports
Monroe DFCS,
Rob's Place
Above top, Sametrice Adams-Carter, right, accdpts the donation
from RFCU to Monroe County Dept, of Family & Children Services.
Above, Ellen Criswell, third from left, accepts the donation from
RFCU to Robs Place.
Robins Fi
nancial Credit
Union selected
Monroe County
Department of
Family & Chil
dren Services
and Rob’s Place
as two recipients
of its support
during the
holiday season.
RFCU celebrat
ed by giving
back to the com
munity with 25
Days of Holiday
Giving, provid
ing different organizations throughout its
county radius with a monetary dona
tion to help the organizations with their
holiday festivities.
Robins Financial Credit Union is a lo
cal non-profit financial cooperative with
22 branches in central Georgia.
Noriega tells Rotary of Rock Springs Clinic
The speaker at the Forsyth-Monroe
County Rotary Club meeting on Jan. 13
was Rosly Noriega, the Executive Direc
tor at the Rock Springs Clinic. This clinic
is a Christ-centered ministry that offers
physical, emotional and spiritual help to the
medically under-served and uninsured in a
caring and nurturing environment.
Rock Springs Clinic is based in Milner but
also has an office in Forsyth at 100 Martin
Luther King Jr Drive, right in front of the
hospital. The Forsyth location is open on
the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Anyone who needs assistance, would like
to donate or would like to volunteer ser
vices to this ministry may contact the clinic
at 478-992-9581 or visit www.rsclinic.org.
Pictured are Rhonda Clater and Rosly
Noriega.
CALENDAR
Continued from Page 5C
tee members. There will be a
social time at 6 p.m with the
business meeting beginning at
6:30 p.m. The location will be
announced.
18-team limit, first come, first
served. Hole sponsorships
are $50 and donations of
door prizes are welcomed.
To register or for more infor
mation, contact Lee Smith at
478-994-1666 or 478-394-
4001 (cell) or Lee’s Haircutting
76 N. Jackson Street, Forsyth.
March 11
Forsythia Festival Golf
Tournament
Monroe County Kiwanis Club
will sponsor the Forsythia
Festival Golf Tournament on
Friday, March 11 with lunch
at 12 noon and shot gun start
at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $240/
team of four golfers, including
unch, golf and prizes. The
tournament is 4-man scramble
(all play from the forward
tees). All proceeds go toward
local scholarships. There is an
On-Going
Monroe County Library
has Book Sale, tempo
rary hours
Temporary hours of the
Monroe County Library, 62
W. Main Street, Forsyth (due
to COVID) are 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday-Friday, closed on
Saturday and Sunday.
The Friends of the Monroe
County Library has extended
and expanded its Lobby Book
Sale until March 1, adding
an entire table of children’s
books. All sales support the
library.
Monroe County
Bicentennial Exhibit
continues through Febru
ary
The Monroe County Bicen
tennial exhibit, sponsored by
Georgia Power and the Mon
roe County Historical Society,
is on display in the Monroe
County Annex atrium. A new
exhibit is displayed each
month. The theme in Janu-
anry is “Writers & Artists’. The
exhibit is free and open to the
public during all hours when
the Annex is open. For more
information, call 478.974.1460
or email gstanbery@cityoffor-
syth.com
FAMILIES
Continued from Page 1 B
state on having children ready for
school.
Those attending the meeting
had questions about the statis
tic that shows that in 2019 the
percentage of teens ages 16-19
in Monroe County who were
neither in school nor working
was 16.2 percent compared to
7.9 percent in Georgia, ranking
Monroe County 123rd out of 159
counties. Dick said the number
comes from U.S. Census data, but
the census doesn’t give informa
tion on who the teens are or what
they are doing.
Brandi Pye, Monroe County
Schools parent involvement
coordinator, said this is an area
Family Connection should target,
at least to collect more informa
tion, especially in view of recent
violence between teens in Mon
roe County.
Swymer said the next Monroe
County Family Connections
meeting will be on Tuesday, Feb.
1 at 1 p.m. He said he is working
with a nominating committee on
new board officers.
A snapshot of the 2019 data for
Monroe County shows that of
27,171 people in the county, 20.7
percent are under 18. The median
household income is $70,488,
but 10.6 percent of individuals
are in poverty. The population is
72.4 percent white, 23.2 percent
black, 2.3 percent Hispanic and
less than 1 percent either Asian,
American Indian or multi-racial.
There were 7,725 homeowners,
with 79.2 percent of the popula
tion living in owned homes com
pared to 63.3 percent in Georgia.
There was 73.7 percent voter
participation compared to 69.1
percent in the state. Of adults
aged 25 and older, 85.7 percent
were high school graduates,
and 26.8 percent had obtained
a Bachelor’s degree or higher. In
2019 there were 577 households
with children receiving food
stamps in Monroe County.
CHURCH PAGE MADE PO
Lee’s Haircutting
FREEMAN FUNERAL HOME
Lee Smith /\
A name that can be trusted for funeral and burial arrangements
994-1666
26 Brentwood Place • Forsyth
Mon-Fri 10 to 7
994-6483 • 994-6576
...Unless Plaving Golf / V—
“Servicing Each Family With Equal Respect”
S S I B L E BY:
Ready to Meet
Your Pet Needs
r ANIMAL ^
MEDICAL
CLINIC
• Boarding • Bathing
• Medical Management
• Wellness & Preventive
• After Hrs. & Emergency
Dr. Brandon Pinson
60 S. Jackson St. * Forsyth.GA ♦ 478-994-4986
Voted 2014 Best Veterinarian by readers of the Reporter