Newspaper Page Text
October 5, 2022
Page 3B
iReporter
Spotlight on Local Churches
PASTOR S CORNER by Rev. Clarence Thrower
Jesus b ready to save
us if we lean on Him
A ccording to the gospel of Mat
thew, when Jesus heard that
Herod had killed John the Bap
tist He went by boat to a private
place, just as many of us do in our times of
sorrow Upon landing, He saw that a large
crowd of people had fol
lowed him and that many
of those gathered were sick
and in need of healing.
As evening drew near,
the disciples asked Jesus to
send the crowds away so
they could go and find food
for themselves. Instead
Jesus asked the disciples
to bring to Him what food
they had. It was a meager
five loaves and two fish.
“Bring them here to me,”
He said: Matthew 14:18.
And He directed the people
to sit on the grass. Taking
the five loaves and the two
fish and looking up to the heaven, He gave
thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave
them to the disciples, and the disciples
gave them to the people: Matthew 14:19.
We learn in Matthew 14:21 the number
of those who ate was about 5,000 men,
besides women and children.
According to Johns Gospel, the multi
tude had been attracted to Jesus because
of the healing works Hed performed and
the feeding of the multitude is taken as
a further sign that Jesus is the Messiah.
John 6:14 says “After the people saw the
sign Jesus performed, they began to say
‘Surely this is the Prophet who is come
into the world.’” In Deuteronomy 18:15,
Moses adds, “The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from
among your own people; you shall heed
such a prophet.” Jesus, knowing that they
intended to come and make Him king by
force, withdrew again to a mountain by
Himself: John 6:15.
Jesus had commanded His disciples to
row the boat across the lake for Caper
naum while He went up on the mountain
to pray. The disciples left feeling disap
pointed and angry because they thought
He was passing on this greatest opportu
nity of his life.
The story is told that as they rowed in
their anger, a strong wind started blowing
and the waters became dark and rough. A
terrible storm was brewing and without
Jesus they feared that they had no one to
save them. Without Jesus, they knew not
what to do. Their boat was being tossed as
the lightening flashed, the thunder roared
and the waves grew higher and higher.
They knew in their hearts that their words
and their thoughts had not been pure.
They felt the sorrow of not having within
themselves the Kingdom of God. They
knew they were about to perish with no
Jesus to come to their rescue. They had left
Him behind. He had no boat. There was
nothing He could do for them. There was
no way He could help.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to
them, walking on the lake: Matthew 14:25.
When the disciples saw Him walking on
the lake, they were ter
rified. “It’s a ghost,” they
said and cried out in fear:
Matthew 14:26. But Jesus
immediately said to them:
“Take courage! It is I
Don’t be afraid”: Matthew
14:27.
Wanting to prove that
not only was this Jesus
and that Jesus was the
Christ, Peter also wanted
to test Him while doing
something great for his
own self. He called out,
“Lord if it’s you, tell me to
come to you on the water”:
Matthew 14:28. “Come,” he
said: Matthew 14:29.
Peter stepped from the boat out into the
water and started walking on the water
towards Jesus. Matthew 14:30-33: But,
when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,
beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord save
me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His
hand and caught him. “You of little faith,”
he said, “Why did you doubt?” And when
they climbed into the boat, the wind died
down. Then those who were in the boat
worshiped to Him saying, “Truly you are
the Son of God.”
Jesus fed the multitudes, e stilled the
roaring waters, the pounding of the waves
and the tumult of the nations. Inspired by
Deuteronomy 33:27: “The eternal God
is their refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms.”
E.A. Hoffman wrote the following lyrics
in 1894: What a fellowship, what a joy
divine, leaning on the everlasting arms;
what a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from
all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the
everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
leaning on the everlasting arms? I have
blessed peace with my Lord so near, lean
ing on the everlasting arms.
Rev. Clarence Thrower Jr. is pastor to the
Forsyth Parish United Methodist Church and
serves three congregations: Kynette UMC, 266
Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, Forsyth; Hopewell
UMC, 483 Hopewell Road, Forsyth; Rocky
Mount UMC, 1387 Highway 41 South,
Barnesville. The Pastors Corner is sponsored
by the Monroe County Ministerial Associa
tion. The Ministerial Association will meet
on Thursdays Oct. 20 and Dec. 1 at 9 a.m. at
Christ UMC, 417 N. Frontage Road, Forsyth.
Rev. Clarence Thrower
MONROE IN COLLEGE
More than 2,000 stu
dents graduated from
Georgia State Uni
versity (GSU) during
the Summer 2022 semes
ter. Summer 2022 gradu
ates include: Claredon
Sharp of Lorsyth earned
a Bachelor of Arts degree,
majoring in Art with a
concentration in Studio
Art. Kenneth Miller
of Lorsyth earned a Master
of Education degree in
Health And Physical
Education. Nehi Patel
of Lorsyth earned degrees
in the Joint Master of
Business Administration/
Master of Health Admin
istration Program. GSU
has a student body of
nearly 52,000.
(HUIKH CALENDAR
Email church calendar news to Diane Glidewell at news^mymcr.net by Mon
day at 1 0 a.m. Church information is published free of charge as space
permits.
Oct. 8
White Harvest will sing
at True Vision Church
The gospel group White
Harvest will be at True Vision
Church, 21 Frank Bunn Drive,
Forsyth on Saturday, Oct. 8
at 6 p.m.
Oct. 9
St. Paul Missionary Bap
tist celebrates Pastor’s
42nd anniversary
The St. Paul Missionary
Baptist Church Family, 591
Elbert Jackson Road, Forsyth
cordially invites everyone to
worship with them as they
celebrate Pastor Rev. Rufus
Whatley’s 42nd Anniversary
on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 1 1:30
a.m. The guest speaker will
be Pastor Jimmy Lyons and
East Mt. Sinai Baptist Church
Family of Barnesville.
Oct. 12
Food Distribution at
Christ UMC
The Circle of Care Mobile
Food Distribution at Christ
United Methodist Church, 417
N. Frontage Road, Forsyth will
be on Wednesday, Oct. 1 2,
10 am-1 2 noon.
Oct. 16
Garden Hill Baptist cel
ebrates 61st anniversary
Garden Hill Baptist Church, 88
Vining Street, Forsyth will cele
brate Homecoming and its 61st
Anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 16
at 10:30 a.m. Mike McMullan
will bring the message, and
there will be special music and
dinner on the grounds. All are
welcome.
Oct. 20, Dec.l
Monroe Co. Ministerial
Association
The Monroe County Ministe
rial Association meets monthly
at Christ United Methodist
Church, 417 N. Frontage
Road, Forsyth. There are two
meetings scheduled for the
remainder of 2022. The Minis
terial Association will meet at 9
a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20 and
at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1
(combining the November and
December meetings). Ministers
at all churches in the Monroe
County area are welcome.
The Ministerial Association
meetings are an opportunity
for ministers to share informa
tion about opportunities in
the community and to work
together on projects that ben
efit the community, like aiding
travelers who need assistance,
sponsoring the Mary Persons
baccalaureate, organizing the
annual National Day of Prayer
program, contributing weekly
articles to the Reporters Pas
tor’s Corner and working with
Kingdom Builders to assist with
home repairs.
Oct. 25
St. James Baptist hosts
Food Distribution
St. James Baptist Church, 1 10
James Street, Forsyth will host
a Mobile Food Distribution on
Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m.
Ongoing
First Baptist Forsyth has
Lunch & Learn
First Baptist Forsyth, 95 West
Morse Street will begin a
Lunch & Learn program on
Thursday, Sept. 1 that will meet
in the Fellowship Hall every 1st
& 3rd Thursday. All ages are
welcome. Pastor Dr. Hambric
Brooks will lead Bible Study.
Gather for coffee and fellow
ship at 1 1:30 a.m. Bible study
and lunch will begin at 12
noon. Participants are encour
aged to bring a sack lunch.
It will be an interactive study
where dialogue is encouraged,
and discussion and questions
are welcomed. Brinq your
Bible.
Bread & Blessings
food pantry is open at
Bethany Baptist
The Bread & Blessing food
pantry is open at the fellowship
hall of Bethany Baptist Church,
365 Pea Ridge Road, Boling-
broke every Monday from
10 a.m.-1 2 noon. There are
a variety of shelf stable items
available for families who need
them. For more information, cal
478-974-0002.
Rocky Creek Bapt.
Church Motorcycle
Ministry Community
Breakfast
The Rocky Creek Motorcycle
Ministry hosts a community
breakfast every 2nd Satur
day of the month, and all are
invited to attend. Rocky Creek
Baptist Church 225 Rocky
Creek Rd„ Forsyth.
Rock Springs Clinic
The Rock Springs Church
Health Clinic in Forsyth is
open every Wednesday from
8:30 a.m.-noon. New patient
consultations are available at
1 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th
Wednesday of each month.
The clinic is near Monroe
County Hospital at 100 MLK
Jr. Drive; the phone number is
478-992-9581.
Forsyth gets $1 million
grant to replace water lines
City of Lorsyth is one of
40 communities awarded
Community Block Devel
opment Grant (CBDG)
funding. A $1 million grant
will replace water infra
structure in the Union Hill
Drive, Brookwood Drive
and Sunset Terrace areas.
The city thanks citizens
who completed surveys
and city employees and
contractors and the Middle
Georgia Regional Commis
sion for work in complet
ing the application for the
grant.
Commissioner Christo
pher Nunn announced the
40 Georgia communities
selected to receive more
than $35 million in federal
grants to help grow their
local economies. TheU.S.
Department of Housing
and Urban Development
(HUD) allocated the an
nual funds to the States
CDBG program, which
is administered by the
Georgia Department of
Community Affairs. The
awarded communities will
implement community de
velopment projects across
the state including hous
ing improvement projects,
public facilities such as wa
ter and sewer lines or street
improvements and build
ings such as local health
centers or senior centers.
“Community Devel
opment Block Grants
are impactful tools that
benefit all parts of the state,
especially rural Georgia,”
said Nunn. “These awards
represent local-driven city
and county solutions that
will improve the quality of
life for many Georgians.”
The State CDBG pro
gram is available to eligible
non-entitlement local
governments. The annual
grants support community
projects, facilitate creation
of jobs, and assist low and
moderate-income citizens.
This years grant awards
will fund $30.5 million in
infrastructure projects, $3.8
million in housing projects,
and $3 million in various
building projects.
Since 2012 the CDBG
programs investments
in new and enhanced-
health care facilities have
helped more than 39,000
Georgians gain access
to improved health care
services, primarily in hard-
to-reach areas. Over the
last 10 years, the CDBG
program has provided
the resources for critical
water and sewer improve
ments to serve more than
143,000 residents in rural
areas. The program has also
supported the construction
or enhancement of com
munity facilities that serve
more than 46,000 youth
and senior citizens.
CDBG grants are award
ed on a competitive basis.
Georgias Department
of Community Affairs
received 66 applications
requesting more than
$59 million, according to
Kimberly Carter, DCAs
Director of Community
Linance.
The applications are
scored, rated and ranked
with grants awarded based
on the applicant’s overall
ranking.
CHURCH PAGE MADE POSSIBLE BY:
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255 Tift College Drive • Forsyth • 478-994-1562
www.ForsythDiscCenter.com
Freeman Funeral home
A name that can be trusted for funeral and burial arrangements
26 Brentwood Place • Forsyth
994-6483 • 994-6576
“Servicing Each Family With Equal Respect”
Lee’s Haircutting
Lee Smith
994-1666
Mon - Fri 10 to 7
...Unless Playing Golf
WBIB-FM 89.1
Forsyth-based Christian Radio
Believers in Broadcasting
478-957-9164
www.wbibfm.com
We are here to serve the
local church and community.
Sunday morning local sermon schedule:
9 a.m. Dayspring Presbyterian Church
10 a.m. Rock Springs Church
11 a.m. New Providence Baptist Church
facebook.com/believersinbroadcasting
r ANIMAL^
MEDICAL
CLINIC
> i
Dr. Brandon Pinson
Ready to Meet
Your Pet Needs
• Boarding • Bathing
• Medical Management
• Wellness & Preventive
• After Hrs. & Emergency
60 S. Jackson St, * Forsyth, GA ♦ 478-994-4986
Voted 2014 Best Veterinarian by readers of the Reporter
RAFF, INC.
Better Built By Raff
Jerry Raff contractors
jerraff@bellsouth.net 478-256-0253
www.facebook.com/raffinc