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CONNECTOR COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP OF MISSISSIPPI
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Meet Trey Jones
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CBF OF MS WELCOMES INTERIM COORDINATOR After a unanimous vote from the Coordinating Council, Trey Jones began as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi Interim Coordinator on February 1. We welcome Trey as he brings with him a knowledge of CBF of MS (he has served on the Coordinating Council and as treasurer) and connections around Mississippi (he currently works as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Mississippi Association of Habitat for Humanity). “I am very excited to be among my Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ministry partners and friends,” says Trey. “I hope that my statewide work with Habitat for Humanity in Mississippi creates an opportunity for CBF of MS to
expand its impact, influence and vision. I hope that during this Interim time I can help the Coordinating Council of CBF of MS take a breath, look around and reengage, even as the search for a new Coordinator begins. I am thankful for Michael and Lynn • Member of Northside Baptist Hutchinson and their work Church in Clinton, MS among us. Let us call ourselves to prayer and reflection on • Currently works at Executive where the Spirit of Christ is at Director & Chief Operating work in our state and commit Officer of the Mississippi our unique talents and abilities Association of Habitat for to proclaiming the Good News Humanity Affiliates, Inc. in both word and deed. Paul’s • Graduate of Mississippi College challenge to the Galatian church and Southwestern Baptist may also be ours: ‘Let us not Theological Seminary become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give Contact Trey at 601.941.6426 or up.’ There is nothing easy about at trey@habitatmississippi.org. the work that we do; but, it is right and good that we do it!”
Paul Griffin Jones, III (Trey)
CBF of MS is Making a Difference in the Middle East
For the past 15 years, CBF of MS has been involved in ministry among the Gypsy people who live in the Middle East. There, the Gypsy people are called the Dom. Most recently, ministry funds have been used for the support of 30 Dom orphans. In many countries of the Middle East social programs are not made available to Gypsies, even if they are children. Not only is social prejudice at work against them, but the on-going conflicts in the region are creating many crisis situations in which hundreds of thousands of people have become refugees and are in need of help. In response to the needs of these overlooked children, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is partnering with the young Dom churches to find families for the children and to provide food, clothing, basic medical needs, as well as helping the kids get back into school. The children range in age from 2-15 years. Only 18 of the children have been placed in families, while the other twelve continue to live alone. Donations from CBF of MS and other CBF related organizations have done away with the necessity of the children going into the streets to beg for food and water. For 2013 a budget of $36,000 will support this ministry. Approximately one-third of that budget has been pledged, leaving a balance of $26,000 that is needed to fully care for these orphans during the current year. Your CBF Dom Ministry Team is thankful for the support CBF of MS has given through the years and welcomes your continued partnership. This June 26-28, come to Greensboro, North Carolina and discover how to boldly express God’s gift of hope. Learn more at www.thefellowship.info/assembly
Email Addresses Needed
As we update our files, email addresses are needed. If you’d like to be on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi’s email list to keep up-to-date on things happening in the state, please send your name and email address to Deenie Grubbs at dgrubbs@cbfms.org.
Search Committee Update
On Saturday, February 2, Robbie Richardson, chair of the Coordinator Search Committee, offered this prayer of blessing for our Interim Coordinator, Paul Griffin Jones, III (Trey), and CBF of Mississippi with the Coordinating Council and Search Committee. We hope you will join us in covenant and prayer with and for Trey during this time.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, let us pray. God, you have called us into being by Your love. You have joined us to one another by Your love. How good and pleasant it is when Your people dwell together in unity.
Grant us, Your people, the representatives of CBF of Mississippi, to pray, encourage, and support the efforts of Trey during this interim period. It has been said, “If you depend upon organization, you get what organization can do. If you depend upon money, you get what money can do. If you depend upon education, you get what education can do. If you depend upon what promotion can do, you get what promotion can do. If you depend upon prayer, you get what God can do.” We desperately want what God can do.
Trey, this relationship into which we are entering is somewhat like a marriage commitment. We are asking Shine Your light upon your people that we may see the you to commit the gifts and talents God has given you to glory of eternal life. Grant, Paul Griffin Jones, III, assist the CBF of Mississippi during this time to help affectionally known as “Trey” Jones, the strength to us to not only maintain, but to help us move forward in carry forth Your blessing as he represents us, Your people, proclaiming the gospel. Do you vow to do so? If so, say, known as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of “I do.” Mississippi during this interim period. All the remainder of you, as representatives of the CBF Grant Trey, the strength to carry Your blessing to each of Mississippi Coordinating Council as well as the body of believers he contacts as a representative of CBF Coordinator Search Committee, do you vow to pray for of Mississippi, encouraging each to be strong and and support Trey and Deenie during this time of courageous in the faith as each flesh out the gospel in service? If so, say, “I do.” their respective communities. Gracious God, bless this union. Amen. Please continue to keep the Coordinator Search Committee in your prayers as they prayerfully discern our next Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi. Robbie Richardson, Chair, UBC Starkville Alternates: Graham Carner, Northside Baptist Clinton Valerie Bishop, FBC Meridian Ashley Gill, Moderator, UBC Hattiesburg Scott Billingsley, Treasurer, Olive Branch Fellowship Bob Pitts, Harvest Fellowship Greenville Ric Stewart, St. Martin Fellowship Gulfport The committee will be accepting resumes until Chuck Strong, Olive Branch Fellowship March 31st. Interested candidates should Kevin Walker, Moderator-Elect, St. Martin submit resumes to Fellowship Gulfport robbiecrichardson@yahoo.com.
COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP OF MISSISSIPPI
Non Profit Org US Postage Pd Jackson MS Permit No. 670
P.O. Box 1725 Madison, MS 39130 601.672.4432 www.cooperative-baptist-fellowship-ms.com
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LENTEN Devotional Join CBF of MS on the Lenten journey as we seek to live sacrificiallywith our time, our resources, ourselves. Thanks to editors Sara Herrington Jones and Martha Strong, daily entries written by members of the CBF of MS community have been compiled to give voice to our journey. As we read and pray together, consider how you can give to the life and work of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi. Follow along at www.cooperative-baptist-fellowship-ms.com.
Hattiesburg Tornado Relief
Watch for updates on how you can help at www.cbfms.org and the CBF of Mississippi Facebook page.