November 2020 Witness

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02
Nov '20

November 2020 Witness

Posted on Nov 2, 2020 by Carrianna Simmons in General | 680

02
Nov '20

As I prepare for my retirement, my desire is to prepare you for your next pastor. I want to instruct that process, but not to influence the person the church chooses. To that end, our church family elected a Pastor Search Team on October 18th made up of the following members:

Monte McCall, Chairman, Rene Hubbard, Robert Rainey, Kathy Selph, Allen Smith, and Josh Swatts, Alternate. 

It should excite you to know that three of those six have experience serving on a pastor search team before. On Sunday evening, November 1st, they will receive training from Chris Reynolds who serves our region in the Pastor Wellness division of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.     This past Sunday evening, October 25th, they met with our Personnel Team to ask for an updated job description for our senior pastor and to discuss how we should pursue an interim or “transitional pastor” to temporarily serve as pastor when I retire. As you can see, our Pastor Search Team has hit the ground running!

In the days ahead, you can expect the Pastor Search Team to put together a congregational survey that will give you a voice in the pastor search process. They, of course, will also be receiving resumes for a period of time, and then will begin to seek the person whom they believe should be the next pastor of our church. You, of course, will have an opportunity to meet that individual and their family, as well as to hear our prospective pastor preach before you are asked to vote.

Thank you for your support of three events that recently took place. On Saturday, October 24th, Mike Maynard led our Landscape Team, joined by a record number of fine folks, to beautify our grounds throughout our whole campus. Our church complex has never looked this good! Our DRIVE THRU TRUNK OR TREAT on October 31st was shared with four other area churches and designed to bless the children of our community. Thanks to Children’s Minister, Jennifer Zeager, for putting together this event. Thanks also to all who helped with our FALL ROUND-UP on Sunday morning, November 1st. Our Deacons and Sunday School teachers contacted scores of families in our church to ask them to be present for that special day. To counteract COVID, we met in three separate worship locations that day. And Tom Speciale and crew did a fine job serving us a delicious lunch.
 

COVID-19 continues to change things. Due to the virus, the Community Thanksgiving Service has been cancelled and the ministers of Lamar Christian Ministerial Association will participate in the DOWNTOWN ILLUMINATION SERVICE instead. Our women are planning a CHRISTMAS CANOPY for November 30th  and December 1st. Our church and community will have the opportunity to attend either night. In order to socially distance, each Canopy event will have a maximum attendance of 100 to be determined by pre-registration. To register please visit https://achristmascanopy.eventbrite.com.

Allow Suzanne and I to thank you once again for the wonderful privilege of serving as pastor and wife here at First Baptist for the last 28 ½ years. I never dreamed that we would stay so long, but I’m sure glad we did! You are a great church family! REMEMBER NOW & ALWAYS…

I Love You!  Pastor Garth
 

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