State Mission Offering

We invite you and your church to get involved with the State Mission Offering. You may give online or send your check to CBF/GA, P.O. Box 4343, Macon, GA 31208. If you would like copies of our state mission offering brochure, please contact ElizaBeth Copeland at ecopeland@cbfga.org, or  478-742-1191, ext. 23. If you need offering envelopes, please contact Kelley Dixson at kdixson@cbfga.org or 478-742-1191, ext. 26. If you would like a CBF/GA staff member to come to your church, please contact Frank Broome at fbroome@cbfga.org, or 478-742-1191, ext. 22.

Shining the Light…On Young Leaders

CSFs at Mercer, University of Georgia, and Georgia Tech

CBF/GA’s first Cooperative Student Fellowship was brainstormed into existence in the summer of 2005 by Macon area church representatives and then-Associate Coordinator for Congregational Life Devita Parnell. In her August/September 2006 Visions article about the fledging ministry, Parnell wrote that the CSF aimed to “integrate the church and the campus and would be a place for students to explore honestly and openly their faith questions. The mission of CSF at Mercer is to continually build a Christian faith community that welcomes others, serves others, and develops the whole person in relationship with God.” The original mission of the CSF has been kept as the ministry has grown on the campuses of Mercer University, the University of Georgia, and Georgia Tech. Students participate in Bible study and mission opportunities with fellow students during the year and the CBF/GA and Mercer University mission event, Now Serving: Atlanta, in February.

ReCharge

ReCharge was born out of a need voiced by youth ministers for a fall event for youth groups. CBF/GA’s spring youth event, March Mission Madness, is more community focused and missional, while ReCharge is more focused on individual and contemplative spirituality. The first annual youth fall retreat was held in October 2008. Forty-five students and chaperones gathered at The Swamp in Union Point, and the theme for the weekend was Sabbath Keeping. This year the group will come together at Woodland Christian Camp in Temple on Friday-Sunday, September 30-October 2, and focus on the role that faith plays within teenagers’ interactions with family, friends, and strangers.

Georgia Youth Choir Festival

The first annual Georgia Youth Choir Festival hosted over one hundred youth and adults from eight churches in 2007. Sponsored by CBF/GA and the McAfee-Townsend Institute of Mercer University over the Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend, the event brings together music and fellowship. The students spend Friday and Saturday rehearsing and then perform in churches around the state on Sunday. Last year’s group was made up of 180 youth from ten churches.

Shining the Light…On Missions

Planting New Congregations

During the last fifteen years, Georgia has seen the beginning of about eighteen church starts. Some of these use the church planter model where an individual or a couple intentionally builds in a neighborhood, while others use the lay led model which usually consists of a group of people who put in the time, energy, and resources needed to expand their congregation. CBF/GA does its best to give financial and moral support to church starts within Georgia.

Touching Taliaferro with Love

Ten years ago, CBF/GA recognized that some basic needs of Taliaferro County residents were not being met, and the Touching Taliaferro with Love (TTWL) ministry was begun. While CBF/GA focused on summer camps for children, a TTWL board that was formed later turned its attention to providing scholarships each year to graduating seniors pursuing a college career. This board consists of members from the community, as well as CBF/GA staff and churches.

Disaster Relief

Although not a first responder organization, when major disasters strike around the world, CBF/GA responds with financial and physical assistance. Often working with or through partnering organizations, CBF/GA matches donors and volunteers with needs in the disaster area. Recently CBF/GA has begun collecting names of people who are interested in disaster response for a mailing list. Please contact Kelley Dixson at kdixson@cbfga.org or 478-742-1191, ext. 26, to be added to the mailing list. To sign up online, please visit http://www.cbfga.org/98/Disaster-Response.

Shining the Light…On Resourcing Congregations

Reference and Referral

The CBF/GA office serves to connect ministers to churches and churches to ministers. CBF/GA offers pastor search committee training and interim and supply preaching candidates. Churches looking to field a position should visit our website and fill out the “Church Seeking Minister” form that details the expectations and needs of a church. Ministers open to moving or looking to move should complete our “Minister Seeking Church” form. All information is kept confidential. The forms can be found on the front page of the CBF/GA website under the Vocations section.

Evangelism

CBF/GA is working on developing a pastors’ workshop centering around evangelism and how churches can best reach out in their areas of ministry. For more information, contact Frank Broome at fbroome@cbfga.org.

Pastor and Staff Networks

The CBF/GA Fall General Assembly presents a time for church staff members to come together for fellowship and networking, along with the sharing of ideas and experiences. This year Monday morning will be dedicated to two-part sessions for the different ministry areas. David Hull, chair of the CBF 2012 Task Force and pastor of FBC Huntsville, Alabama, will be the keynote speaker at the pastors network.

Advocates

The 2010 Fall General Assembly hosted the first CBF/GA Advocates meeting. Participants were asked to become official CBF Advocates, people who will speak the language of CBF in their congregations and accept additional responsibilities to provide information to the CBF/GA office. To become a CBF/GA Advocate, contact Kelley Dixson at kdixson@cbfga.org or 478-742-1191, ext. 26, or fill out an online form at http://www.cbfga.org/76/CBF-GA-Advocates.