Newspaper Page Text
March 8, 2023
Page 2B
^Reporter
Spotlight on Local Churches
PASTOR S CORNER by Rev. Nathan Jackson
Forsythia is a great time
to share the good news
I t’s Forsythia festival week in Forsyth
Ga. And I'm feeling yellow!!!
Actually, I’m feeling joyful and bless
ed. The Lord our God has granted me
continued life on this earth and that
means He has plans for me.
And hey, if you're reading this you are in
the same boat as me. You
see, in Jeremiah 29:11 God's
word reads “For I know
the plans I have for you,
declares the LORD, plans
for welfare and not for evil,
to give you a future and a
hope."
This is greatly encour
aging to me; as our body
of believers at New Provi
dence Baptist Church has
chosen “community” as our
word of the year to focus
on.
"And how does this all tie
into the Forsythia festival?" you ask. The
answer is this: I love to walk around at the
festival and smell the food, see the crafts,
and enjoy the entertainment, but my fa
vorite thing to do is talk with people. Local
people, fellow Forsythians, out-of-towners,
passers-through, and the vendors. I’ll talk
with them all.
My challenge to myself and to you, dear
readers, many of whom are my brethren
in Christ, is to share the gospel message of
Jesus Christ as you walk the streets of the
festival. With a smile on our faces and the
Joy of the Lord in our hearts we should
strive to make a great kingdom impact on
our community this year.
There are many ways to effectively share
the gospel and you may have a plan that
works. If so, stick to it.
But if not, some simple steps are below.
1. Start with your own story: Share how
the gospel has impacted your life person
ally. People are often more receptive when
they hear a genuine and authentic story.
2. Listen: Take the time to listen to the
person you are talking to. Ask them ques
tions about their life, their beliefs, and their
struggles. When you show that you care
about them, it can open the door to deeper
conversations.
3. Keep it simple: The gospel message is
simple, and it's easy to get bogged down in
theology or complicated arguments.
4. Pray: Ask for God's guidance and
wisdom as you share the gospel. Pray for
the person you are talking to and ask that
God would open their heart to receive the
message.
Remember, ultimately it is the Holy Spirit
who works in people's hearts and brings
them to faith. Our job is simply to share
the gospel and trust that God will do the
rest.
The gospel is the good news of Jesus
Christ as recorded in the Bible. Specifically,
it is the message that through
Jesus' life, death, and resurrec
tion, God has made a way for
people to be reconciled to Him
and to experience salvation and
eternal life. The gospel teaches
that all people are sinners and
fall short of God's perfect stan
dard, but that God, in His great
love and mercy, has provided
a way for us to be forgiven and
made right with Him through
faith in Jesus Christ.
This message is summarized
in Ephesians 2:1-10: And you
were dead in the trespasses and
sins 2 in which you once walked, follow
ing the course of this world, following the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that is now at work in the sons of disobe
dience— 3 among whom we all once lived
in the passions of our flesh, carrying out
the desires of the body and the mind, and
were by nature children of wrath, like the
rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich
in mercy, because of the great love with
which he loved us, 5 even when we were
dead in our trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ—by grace you have
been saved— 6 and raised us up with him
and seated us with him in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the com
ing ages he might show the immeasurable
riches of his grace in kindness toward us
in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have
been saved through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9
not a result of works, so that no one may
boast. 10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we
should walk in them. (ESV)
The gospel is central to the Christian
faith and is the foundation for everything
believers do. I’ll see you at the Forsythia
this weekend; I hope to catch you sharing
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Rev. Nathan Jackson is Senior Adult Pastor
at New ITovidence Baptist Church, 2560
Hwy. 41, Smarr. The Pastors Corner is spon
sored by the Monroe County Ministerial As-
sociation. The Ministerial Association meets
on 4th Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. at Christ
UMC, 417 N. Frontage Road, Forsyth.
Community Calendar
Continued from page 1 B
LLC will host a free Georgia
Milestones Boot Camp for 3rd
graders on Saturdays, March
1 1, 18 & 25 from 8:30-
10 a.m. to provide guided
instructional practice in reading
and math in preparation
for the Georgia Milestones
assessment. A light breakfast
is included. Space is limited to
40 students. Register at www.
Iuckybuglit.org.
March 14
FPD holds Open House
First Presbyterian Day School
Lower and Middle Schoo
will have an Open House on
Tuesday, March 14 at 9 a.m.
Register at fpdmacon.org/
openhouse
Friends of High Falls to
meet
The Friends of High Falls State
Park will have its monthly
meeting on Tuesday, March
1 4, at 6 p.m. in the main park
shelter at High Falls State Park.
Everyone interested in sup
porting the mission of the state
park is invited to attend.
March 15
Free paper shredding
The city of Forsyth will offer
free paper shredding on
Wednesday, March 15 begin
ning at 1 1 a.m. in the park
ing lot of the Forsyth Police
Department.
March 25
6th Annual Fit to Achieve
5K
Monroe County Achievement
Center will host the 6th Annual
Fit to Achieve 5K on Saturday,
March 25 at 8 a.m. Registra
tion is $25 through March 10
and $30 thereafter. For more
information, contact Sarah
Alford at 478-994-7072 or
Sarah.alford@mcschools.org,
Rebecca Harmon at Rebecca.
harmon@mcschools.org or
Margie Bryant at campbell-
margie@hotmail.com.
April 1
Project Appleseed Pistol
Marksmanship Clinic
The Project Appleseed Pistol
Marksmanship Clinic will be
offered at Marion Road Gun
Club in Macon as a one-day
event on Wednesday, April 1.
Project Appleseed is a 501(c)
(3) non-profit educationa
community of volunteers. Reg
istration begins at 8 a.m. The
clinic starts at 8:30 a.m. and
will continue until 5 p.m.The
program is beneficial to those
who have no pistol experience
or have some experience
but want more instruction on
use for personal defense.The
clinic includes colonial history
and the American traditions
of rifle marksmanship. Cost
is $75 for adults. No youth
allowed. There are discounts
for law enforcement, military
and more. To register or for
more information, visit www.
appleseedinfo.org.
Until April 14
Monroe County 4-H
Vidalia Onion Fundraiser
The Monroe County 4-H Vida
lia Onion Fundraiser is going
on until April 14: 5 lb. For $6,
10 lb for $10, 25 lb for $25.
Order from Monroe County
UGA Extension/4-H Office,
484 Highway 83 S., Forsyth,
478-994-7014, cash or check
at time of order.
April 20
Monroe County Golden
Eagle Awards
The Central Georgia Council,
Boy Scouts of America will
honor Phil Ham and Joel Vin
son as 2023 Monroe County
Golden Eagle Award honor-
ees on Thursday, April 20 at
Monroe County Convention
Center. The reception will
be at 6:30 p.m., followed by
dinner at 7 p.m. The two hon-
orees are being recognized for
their outstanding service and
involvement in the community.
Donations to Central Geor
gia Council are appreciated.
For more information, contact
Garrett Williams at 478-743-
9386 or Garrett.Williams®
scouting.org.
On-Going
Friends of Monroe County
Library Book Sale
The Friends of the Monroe
County Library will not hold
the large Annual Used Book
Sale associated with the
Forsythia Festival this spring,
nstead visit one of the ongoing
smaller sales in the library
obby (62 W. Main Street) and
at Forsyth Antiques and More
(booth 145) (816 Highway 41
S). Thank you for supporting
the library!
AA meetings
AA meetings are held at Christ
United Methodist Church, 417
N. Frontage Road, Forsyth on
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays
at 7 p.m.
Monroe County
Historical Society
The Monroe County Historical
Society meets on the first Mon
day of each month at 7 p.m.
at the Conley Building, 104 E.
Adams Street, Forsyth.
Story Time
at M.C. Library
Monroe County Library Story
Time has favorite books, crafts
and surprises each Wednesday
at 10 a.m. at the children's
corner in the library at 62 W.
Main St., Forsyth.
Monroe County
Amateur Radio
Monroe County Amateur Ra
dio Society meets the second
Monday of each month at
6:30 p.m. at Monroe County
Fire Station 1,693 Juliette
Road, Forsyth.
BANK
Continued from 1 B
Bank of Dudley officer Joe Thomas said
that opening the temporary location has
allowed the bank to get up and run
ning and hire great staff in Forsyth. The
branch manager is Anita Harvey
Beth Vaughn, a long time resident of
Monroe County and chair of the Bank
of Dudley board of directors, said the
banks leadership is excited to start from
the ground up as they build their new
branch.
“Were a small community bank and
intend to stay so,” she said. “I don’t think
we bank like anyone else. We get to know
you.”
Ben Vaughn, Beth’s son and the
youngest member of the bank’s board of
directors, said that the many people in
attendance at the groundbreaking was a
reminder of the service the bank has pro
vided and intends to provide. He noted
there were many members of his family
at the groundbreaking and that he is the
fifth generation of the family to work for
the Bank of Dudley. He pointed out the
members of the sixth generation who
were playing around the 1-acre site of the
new bank during the groundbreaking.
Ben, who has a legal practice in Forsyth
and services as attorney for Monroe
County and Monroe County Schools,
said there has been a lot of progress in
the community in the last 10 years, and
the Bank of Dudley looks forward to
being part of the next 10 years growth.
Beth thanked Hugh Sosebee, Becky
Corley and other members of the Sose
bee family who worked with the bank to
allow it to buy the property on Adams
Street. She said the site allows the bank
to be in the middle of town. It is within
sight of First Baptist Church Forsyth, the
Forsyth Post Office and Forsyth United
Methodist Church. It is a block from
Forsyth Presbyterian Church and across
the street from Circle of Care, as well as
only two blocks from the square.
LEADERSHIP
Continued from 1 B
concert on the square on Friday, March
9. The Leadership class is also assisting
the Chamber in various ways during the
festival.
Perry encouraged all citizens to help
keep Forsyth free of litter; he asked that
all residents and businesses be sure to
keep their own areas litter-free. He said
Beautify Forsyth is in need of subdivision
captains who will encourage regular Utter
pick-ups in their neighborhoods. He said
Beautify Forsyth will be glad to assist
by providing trash bags, pick-up sticks,
etc. Call Perry at 478-994-5622 for more
information.
Remember when...
1993
• Mercer University crews
prune forsythia on the Tift
College campus, prompting
the ‘prune or not' debate.
• A state official throws out
an expansion permit for
Forsyth's landfill, closing the
facility to all garbage but
that generated by citizens
of Forsyth.
• Monroe County Heart
Association's 3rd Annua
Heart Ball raises nearly
$6,500 with just over 200
tickets sold. Jim Fletcher is
event chair.
• County commission chair
Jim Ham and Forsyth Mayor
Paul Jossey designate
March as American Red
Cross Month in Forsyth and
Monroe County.
• Earnest & Mary Jane
Colbert are honored with a
50th wedding anniversary
surprise party at the Older
Americans Council.
• High Falls State Park is
listed 5th in 1992 among
the most visited of Geor
gia's 44 State Parks, with
about 220,000 visitors.
2003
• Mary Persons 2003
STAR student is Jamie Wal
ton. She chooses Monroe
County Middle School
teacher Helen Anderson as
her STAR teacher.
Monroe Academy's STAR
student is Ryan Hearn. He
chooses math teacher John
Whitehead as his STAR
teacher.
• Monroe Academy head
master Dr. Tony Blanton
resigns effective July 1 after
serving for three years.
Assistant headmaster Pam
Bell will be named as his
replacement.
• Mercer Land Surveying at
52 N. Jackson Street and
Kudzu & Ivy next door at 54
N. Jackson Street get major
facelifts with the Better
Hometown's Facade match
ing grant program helping
fund the renovations. Forsyth
City Council approves
$10,000 for the program
and extends its parameters
to the city limits.
• Patsy Miller is inducted
into Forsyth Lions Club. The
Club will again be selling
brooms and mops at the
Forsythia Festival along with
Cherokee Rose and other
plants.
• The Backlot Players have
sponsored the formation of
a Community Chorale and a
Chorale Kids group and will
present the first Forsythia
Festival Musicale as part of
the Forsythia Festival.
• Husband and wife Mike
and Nancy Jo Sullivan
of Monroe County both
receive teaching awards,
Nancy Jo as Pre-K Teacher
of the Year in Lamar County
and Mike as Distinguished
Adjunct Faculty Member
of the Year at Mercer
University.
• Winters Physical Therapy,
owned by Monroe County
native Butch Winters and lo
cated at 550 N. Lee Street,
brings outpatients physical
therapy back to Monroe
County.
• Gregg Bunn, a native of
Forsyth, returns home to give
a Forsythia Festival Organ
Recital.
• The Monroe County
School System SPLOST that
expires in early 2004 will
have raised $18,925,000.
The extension of SPLOST for
another five years is expect
ed to raise $23 million for
• Monroe County Schools.
Leshonda Lewis, a 3rd grad
er at Hubbard Elementary,
wins 1st place in the Mary
Persons Talent Show.
2013
• Forsyth gets out of the
garbage business and
contacts with Advanced
Disposal of Macon to
provide the service.
• Forsyth will pay city em
ployee Windell Rutherford
and his attorney $160,000
to settle a civil rights lawsuit
he filed against the city.
• The state elections board
sends cases against 21 For
syth voters to the attorney
general's office for more
action.
• The proximity of BZ
Package Store to the new
Monroe County administra
tion building, about 60-feet
behind the new registrar's
office, calls into question
the legality of voting at the
location.
• Retired Tech Sgt. George
Watson Sr., 92, one of
the 996 original members
of the famed Tuskegee
Airmen, visits Hubbard
Elementary and shares his
stories with students.
• The Forsythia Festival
Fashion Show will be in
the Conference Center of
the Georgia Public Safety
Training Center. Buck &
Frank Wilder will perform.
• Forsyth Tree Board plants
a large Red Maple in the
city park on Country Club
Drive to mark Arbor Day
and Forsyth's 3rd year as a
Tree City USA.
• Commissioners officially
move into their new $3.6
million administration build
ing on Feb. 1 8, more than
five years after a penny
sales tax is approved to
fund it.
• Sarah Kimsey, 1 1, and
Isabel McLaurin, 1 1, both of
Smarr, earn their qualifying
points to compete in the
Interscholastic Equestrian
Association Region 1 Finals
at the Georgia Internationa
Horse Park in Conyers.
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