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Rev. Jimmy Holcomb, Associational Missions Director134 Hiway 198 W, PO Box 93, Lucedale, MS 39452
Cell 601-394-8822
Website: http://www.ggbaptist.com
Email: ggbaptist@bellsouth.net
Phone 601-947-4981 or 1-877-947-4981
Volume 2 August 2010 Issue 8
Churches encouraging, supporting & assisting one another for the honor and glory of God.
Harvest Baptist Outreach Day Harvest, our Hispanic church plant is meeting a the associational facility, is planning a big outreach day on September 25th. The event will be at the home of Harvest Pastor, Bro. John Read. They are requesting assisstance from churches to be able to impact the Hispanic population of our area. If you would like to assist in this effort, please them at 601-947-4370. Harvest is making an impact for Christ and they continue to grow. The church worships at 2:00pm on Sundays and hold English classes on Monday evenings. They would like to invite everyone to come and worship with them and assist on Monday evenings.  VBS 2010
As you can see on the front of the newsletter, the Lord has blessed the VBS effort this year. Please pray for these churches as they follow up on decisions and reach out to families.
A special thank you goes to FBC Leakesville and FBC Lucedale for giving their mission offering to the Brazil chapel construction next year. This offering gave a great start toward the funds needed to construct a church building for a church plant in Iracemopolis, a city of 20,000 and the only Baptist work there.
Margaret Lackey State Missions Offering Each September, churches begin the emphasis of the Margaret Lackey State Mission offering. The Mississippi Baptist State Mission offering is named for Margaret Lackey, the first paid leader of the Mississippi WMU in 1912. Five years after her retirement in 1930, the state mission offering was named for her and her didication for missions. Last year MS Baptist gave $1,984,456.87 to fund Mission Mobilization, Garaway Camp and Conference Center, Central Hills, Disaster Relief, Literacy-Ethnic Ministries, Christian Women's Job Corps, Church Planting, Pastoral Benevolence, International Collegiate Ministry and Associational Mission Projects. The goal this year is 2 million dollars. This offering has the most direct effect on George/Greene Association; mission volunteers who go on our mission network trips receive a scholarship from this offering. Then materials used in discipleship ministries we do at South Mississippi Correctional Institute and George Regional Jail are funded through Margaret Lackey. Whe have received grants for Harvest Baptist Church-Hispanic plant and Glen Oaks Chapel. If you would like someone to share about the Margaret Lackey Offering with your church, contact us. Making Disciples Orally
In our area, 1/3 of the population never graduated high school. Nationwide, less than half of everybody in the US would be considered a good reader. Of all the books purchased, most people don't read past page 18, and about one out of three college graduates are proficient at reading. These are just a few factors that indicate many have a non-reading preference. Yet, we live in a community that is 3-D, animated and full of "did you hear the one about.." stories every day. Someone said if the world is round, church is flat. People cannot remember your three points and a poem on Sunday morning, but they can remember you anecdotes verbatim.
Bible Storying is taking off across America. We know it works because many churches and ministries are using it in their small groups; in Sunday School, prison groups, university dorms, mission trips, evangelization efforts, church planting missions and revitalizing youth groups. Established churches in the US have grown. One church in Idaho grew by 60% in small group participation. New churches have used this with great success. A new church plant in South Carolina leaped from one adult Sunday School class to a dozen in three months. This is Bible Storying done in such a way the truth of God sticks and disciples experience spiritual transformation.
On Tuesday, September 7, Mark Snowden will be sharing at our first Minister's Conference on "Making Disciples Orally." We will be inviting everyone not just Pastors to be challenged to make disciples that multiply. This really has a possibility to cause a movement of God that will impact the lives of people in George/Greene. Mission team members and leaders are invited to this important conference as well.
Mark Snowden has been working with Bible Storying since 1992 in overseas settings and has developed an "oral Bible" for a predominantly Muslim people group in Central Asia. He is now the leading storying trainer for the North American Mission Board. He has co-authored a book with Avera Willis called Truth that Sticks (NavPress August2010) addressing Bible Storying in the US.
This is the first of our Minister's Conferences for the year and one you will not want to miss. This is not only for ministers, but anyone who has a heart for making disciples. If you need further information, please contact us at the Baptist Center.
Operation Christmas Child
 September 14 at 7pm is the date and time for Operation Christmas Child kickoff at the Baptist Center. Donna McLain, our OCC Cordinator, will be sharing the latest information and giving instruction on how your church can be involved in OCC. In 2009, 5,198,657 boxes were collected in the USA. The goal for 2010 is 5.5 million. This is a wonderful project for the whole church and this Kickoff is a good way to start.
Short Term Studies
A Short Term Study of the book of Galatians will be held in September. Plans are being finalized for this study and the dates and times will be announced soon. Galatians is the January Bible Study for 2011. This study will be led by Jimmy Holcomb and will be open to anyone who would like to attend. Pastors, teachers, leaders and anyone who wants a deeper level of study would want to attend this study. The study will last for four weeks and plans for other studies are being made. If you have any questions, please contact us at the Baptist Center.
Greene County Sheriff's Department Safety Day
October 9th is the date for the second annual Safety Day sponsored by the Greene County Sheriff's Department. This event is held at the Greene County Rural Event Center 10:00am - 1:30pm. They are inviting churches to be involved in this day of fun and information. If you would like further information, contact the Greene County Sheriff's Office at 601-394-2341 or call the Baptist Center.
Mission Networks
George/Greene Baptist is involved in many mission networks. We are moving beyond just making mission trips and putting points on a map and moving to long term relationships to really impact a people group or area. We are involved in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Western New York and right here at home. It is truly amazing to see all the Lord is allowing us to be part of missionally throughout the world. We have a presentation of our mission networks and we would love to share this with your church. If you wold like a presentation of our networks for a mission group or Sunday worship, please contact us.
Mission Network News
Administrative Team - This team works hard on all matters dealing with administration of the association. They are working on the nominations for the upcoming year to replace those wheo have served their term of service. This team will be working on the budget for the coming year. They have a desire to assist and serve the churches of George/Greene so they may be healthy vibrant churches reaching the world for Christ and also not to place ans unneeded burden upon people. After examining the attendance and purpose of the Executive Committees, the Admnistrative team recommended to the Executive Committee to have two meetings a year instead of quarterly meetings. These meetings will have time of business, but really focus on a celebration of what God is doing in the association. The Executive Committee voted to approve this and we will present this for final approval at the Annual Meeting.
Church Strengthening Team - this team has a great passion for the church and its health. They are working on a data base for all the resources available to the church in any area. This data base upon completion will be posted on our website and available in hard copy upon request. The churches then go to one place to see what is available for assistance for any area. This team made plans to offer short term studies beginning in September and plans for Minister of Music training were discussed. Dates for Men's Banquet were set and date for Women's Banquet was set. They also heard great reports from the churches about VBS.
Mission Strategy Team - This team works to strategize to involve all the churches of George/Greene to display the glory of God to the Nations. The many mission networks wer are involved with were discussed and updates given. The Construction trip to Conyers, GA was cancelled due to the church not being ready. A team will be going to Mexico October 9-16 to participate in "Operation Go." They will pass out copies of the Gospel of John and invite people to Bible Study. If you would like to be part of this trip, contact us. Mickey McLendon will lead this team to Mexico. Mark Williams will be leading a team to Peru in October to begin engagement of a tribe in the Amazon jungle. Tentative plans are being made to return to Nigeria in November. The team also discussed forming a sub-team for church planting. With 70% of our association unchurched, we must examine works that will reach people who are not being reached. John Montalvo will be leading a sub-team to plan and encourage our churches to go out and pray for every home in George and Greene Counties by Easter of next year. Training will be available for churches in how to prayer walk/ride and how to pray for their communities.
Gifts from Churches
 Jimmy's Journal
I often say jokingly during the summer that hot weather is preacher weather because no one wants to go to hell when it is that hot! Many people we encounter on a daily basis are on their way to a Christless eternity. The reality of that truth makes our work take on an urgency. That's why the goal of the association is to assist and resource churches to be healthy reaching out to their world.
After much hard work and preparation, the construction trip to Conyers, GA had to be canceled. The church couldn't get foundations poured and ready for us in time. We are looking at the possibility of local projects in the fall.
I had the privilege of assisting Mohoba in the ordination of their Pastor, Van Helton. I supplied for many of our churches and assisted in the process of geting interiums and supplies.
I met with a group of concerned people and representatives from the George County School System to discuss dropout prevention. I believe this will open some doors for our churches to be able to impact lives in their communities.
A group of coastal DOM's from four states along the Gulf met to discuss ways to assist one another during times of disaster. The assistance would not take the place of the disaster relief, but supplement and provide other aid to the DOM and staff during time of recovery. I also began talks with other DOM's to begin a network to work together to better resource our churches.
Our associational teams met and plans are underway for the upcoming year. I know the Lord has great plans for this association and my prayer is that we all will be single minded to display the glory of the Lord to the nations.
Bro. Jimmy
Lesson from Taz
 Taz is a cat that likes a good nap and she does not like being interrupted from her nap. If she is on the bed and we are in the room doing things, she will place her paws over her face and curl up shutting out the world. It does not matter what you do, she is not going to move. If I keep interfering with her nap, she will give me a look that tells me to move on. I was thinking about this some this week and once again the Lord allowed me to see a great lesson in the actions of this cat.
I believe many churches are in a napping mode. They may not be physically asleep, but for practial purposes they are not making any difference in the world around them. The church has become all about their comfort and their needs. The worse the world becomes, the more they really do like Taz and place their hands over their eyes and face. The Lord told us to not be part of the world, but be in the world to make a difference for Him. The church has the solution for every ill of society and His name is Jesus. We cannot offer "The Solution" holed up behind our comfortable walls hiding.
Perhaps we need to take a lesson from Taz and wake up to the situations around us and engage our world for Christ.
Bro. Jimmy & Taz   August 5 - First Day of School
August 12 - New Staff Day, Baptist Building
  August Birthdays
August Anniversaries
Jonette Vesley, FB Lucedale, 39 years
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