Summer 2023 CrossTie

Summer 2023 | Your Smoke Rise Baptist Church Magazine

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FROM THE PASTOR

My family and I were truly overwhelmed by the expressions of appreciation, love and support in celebration of my 10th Anniversary at Smoke Rise. God has done amazing things through the ministry and mission of Smoke Rise Baptist Church. As we embark on this next chapter of ministry, I am firmly and fully convinced that our future is bright.

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FOR EVERY GOOD GIFT

The generosity of members, associate members and friends of Smoke Rise is not only reflected in our budget. Each year we continue to give above and beyond to missions and for disaster relief. “Every good and perfect gift is from above“ (James 1:17). Thank you, Smoke Rise family of faith, for your faithful giving and service.

MISSIONS IN MEXICO

Our mission partner, Centro Shalom, located in Tijuana, Mexico, is sharing the gospel of hope with thousands of people in Mexico. One of our oldest partnerships, Centro Shalom has a new leadership team and a renewed vision of hope and help for Tijuana and beyond.

An important part of Smoke Rise Baptist Church is touching young lives and families through our Weekday School ministry and the Academy of Arts community program. The leaders in all these areas have a heart for the Lord and a love for our church. Rashette Walker, our Weekday School Director, is represented here with devotional thoughts that will be a blessing to you.

Church in Conference

Join us in the Fellowship Hall after the worship service for our quarterly Church in Conference meeting and luncheon. RSVP with the church office at mabner@smokerisebaptist.org or 770.469.5856.

Meal Pricing: Adults $7; Children (10 and under) $3; Vegetable Plate $6; Takeout $7.50; Immediate Family Maximum $20

Our Ministers

Bart McNiel bmcniel@smokerisebaptist.org

Associate Pastor of Administration, Ministry Support and Congregational Care

Becky Caswell-Speight

Minister of Families, Faith Formation and Connection

rcspeight@smokerisebaptist.org

Page Fulgham

Missions Associate

missions@smokerisebaptist.org

Chris George

Senior Pastor

cgeorge@smokerisebaptist.org

Jim Smith jsmith@smokerisebaptist.org

Pastoral Care Associate

Danny Vancil dvancil@smokerisebaptist.org

Minister of Music and Worship

Hannah Vassar

Minister of Youth and Congregational Connection

hvassar@smokerisebaptist.org

From the Pastor

by Chris George, Senior Pastor

Dear Smoke Rise Church Family,

My family and I were truly overwhelmed by the expressions of appreciation, love and support in celebration of my 10th anniversary as your pastor at Smoke Rise. God has done amazing things through the ministry and mission of Smoke Rise Baptist Church and I am honored to have been a part of that. As we embark on this next chapter of ministry, I am firmly and fully convinced that our future is bright.

My family particularly enjoyed opening the cards which were placed in a bowl crafted by the late Rev. D. Wayne Martin. The bowl is a beautiful reminder of the rich legacy of those who have passed from our world into God’s presence. These are numbered among that “great cloud of witnesses” who are cheering us on as we “run with perseverance the race marked before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1). The cards included everything from cat drawings from kids in our church to gentle reminders from more seasoned members such as, “I want you to do my funeral.”

What I will treasure most is the fact that the Spirit was so present and prevalent in our sanctuary and the fellowship hall. What I felt there was more than merely a spirit of celebration, but a place and people filled with the Holy Spirit and infused with gratitude for the past and hope for the future.

At the close of my remarks, I quoted from my very first sermon at Smoke Rise, a sermon preached on March 17, 2013, and entitled, “If Somehow…”

The Bible is filled with dreamers, you know. Abraham dreamed of a promised land. Joseph, in his coat, was a dreamer as well. Moses dreamed of deliverance. Jacob wrestled with God in a dream and David dreamed of God as Shepherd. Those prophets, even in the midst of their tirades, dreamed of a world that could still be saved, where justice could roll down like a river.

Then Jesus came as a dreamer, dreaming of a world where the first would be last. He dreamed of a world where the hungry would be fed and the thirsty would be filled. He dreamed of a world where those who

mourn would be comforted and the meek would inherit the earth. He dreamed of a world where the blind would see, the lame would walk, and the silent would speak. He dreamed of a world where God's Kingdom would come and God's will would be done.

God loves for us to dream and God loves to hear us pray: "If Somehow…" But I need to warn you that God will answer that prayer. So, be prepared as God changes our "ifs" to whens. Be prepared as God changes our "somehows" to in this way. Be prepared as God changes our "somedays" and "someways" to this day and this place. Be prepared for God to use you to make these dreams come true.

Many of our congregational dreams have come true during our first 10 years together at Smoke Rise. We have seen new faces, expanded our ministry in unexpected places, enhanced our mission partnerships, and welcomed many new members. As a church, we have a deep sense of gratitude for those who have gone before us and planted the seeds of what has become the Smoke Rise Baptist Church of today. We have a deep and abiding faith in the God who is present at work among us, comforting and challenging us to be and to become. We have joy as we look to the future because we believe in a God “that can do immeasurable more than we ask or imagine, according to God’s power that is at work within us.”

So, “To God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!”

(Ephesians 3:20-21)

Let’s keep dreaming and doing the work of God together.

With gratitude, faith and joy, I am greatly honored and proud to be your pastor, Chris

"Ten years ago, when we called Chris to be our pastor, we did not realize that we were getting a whole team of ministers whose last name is George.

Jen, David, Evan, Andy, and Emma Pearl, each in his and her own way offers a ministry of hospitality and wisdom, both in the hallways and on Facebook, as their spirit of service and good will is projected in every encounter."

-Colin Harris

"Chris George is authentic. He comes to the pulpit just as he is . . . whether you see him on Sunday or if you happen to by chance meet him in a public place, you will meet only one Chris George, because he's the same person in the pulpit that he is at home."

-Bart McNiel

"Pastor Chris' sermons are deeply thoughtout, leading all in a creative experience of worship that speaks to non-Christians, new Christians, and long-time Christians."

-Lynne Felton

you for your 10 years of minitry at smoke

Thank you, Antowyn, for your 25 years of service at Smoke Rise Baptist Church.

How do you sum up in just a few sentences what a coworking and friendship relationship for nearly 20 years has meant? I first met Antowyn shortly after coming to Smoke Rise when he was working as Ron Comeau's assistant. I knew then that he was indispensable to the successful operations of our facilities. After Ron retired, I really learned the depth of Antowyn's understanding of our church. He not only knows and cares for the physical plant, but also the staff and the congregation. His ability to keep track of so many moving parts and so many changing personalities is his greatest talent. Antowyn is a true team player - in fact he has worked closely with more Building Committee team members than anyone knows - and I am sure that he has been a good for every one of us. His quiet strength is his best quality as he keeps calm in the midst of any storm that arrives. I am proud to call Antowyn my collogue and friend in all things.

-Ken Stephenson

The very first time I served on the building committee, I was very impressed with Antowyn’s humble way of sharing his reports. Not only is he humble, but he is a conscientious facilities’ manager. It has been my pleasure to work with Antowyn through the years and I am so pleased to call him my friend.

-Carol Ann Fulgham

We all know what it takes to keep our own houses in order concerning roofs, toilets, light bulbs, etc. Imagine what Antowyn has to go through to keep all our buildings at Smoke Rise in good working order, and he always does it with a smile and a cheerful attitude. A huge thank you to Antowyn for these 25 years of service. I always know we’re in good shape when I see that smiling face.

- Greg Everett

Antowyn Smith… words cannot describe the incredible person that he is and the difference he makes in this place and world. From the outside, many only see someone who makes sure the facilities are well maintained. From those on the inside, Antowyn represents the church! His care, compassion and smile help to make Smoke Rise home. I am thankful for the example of peace and grace Antowyn displays. I am thankful to call him my friend.

-Scott Lee

For Every Good Gift

Celebrating your generous gifts to our general fund and beyond.

By Bart McNiel, Associate Pastor for Administration, Ministry Support and

Congregational Care

As summer arrives, we are nearing the end of the first quarter of our fiscal budget year at Smoke Rise. Looking back on our previous budget year (which closed on March 2023), we celebrate once again every good gift that was given to Smoke Rise.

We closed that budget year in March with gifts to the general fund totaling $2,245,663.44, which met and exceeded our expenses by $18,271.75.

The generosity of members, associate members and friends of Smoke Rise is not reflected only in our budget. Each year we continue to give above and beyond to missions and for disaster relief.

Below are some of the other ways Smoke Rise gave above and beyond tithes and offerings to the general fund:

Annual Missions Offering

$50,000 (In support of the Capital Campaign of Networks Cooperative, a gift above and beyond the 8.5 percent of total giving to our general fund that is paid monthly from our budget throughout the year.)

CBF Ukraine Relief

Disaster Relief

Families in Need (FIN)

Special Designated Gifts

$11,000

$17,000 (Turkey earthquake, Florida hurricane, Kentucky and Nigeria flooding)

$40,000 (Confidential financial aid and care for church members due to difficult circumstances.)

$332,000 (Sanctuary lighting, mission partnerships, pastoral care and outreach, music ministry, youth ministry, children and families ministry)

“Every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). Thank you, Smoke Rise family of faith, for your faithful giving and service.

New Security Updates and Renovations Coming Soon

We all want Smoke Rise Baptist to be a welcoming and hospitable place. But in recent times, with news of increased gun violence targeting churches, schools and other public places, there is a need to enhance the safety and security of our campus.

With our visibility and nearness to a major expressway, our campus is also vulnerable to passersby who do not always have the best intentions. To address this pressing need, we will be making renovations and instituting new safety measures at the second-floor welcome desk outside our church office. Before the end of the summer, we plan to install a new camera, intercom and buzzer system for daily entry and exit of the building. These measures will allow our help desk and main office to control entry and exit through these doors on weekdays during normal business hours and afterhours when the building is being used by various groups. Visitors will be required to identify themselves and the nature of their visit before entry to the building.

These measures will enhance security during the week for our church staff and children and families enrolled in our Weekday School, the Academy of Arts and the Prep School. Because these renovations and enhancements are outside our budget for the year, we anticipate covering the costs from the earnings of our church endowment fund and from church reserves. We are also grateful for the generosity of members who always step up to help pay for needed enhancements to our building and campus that exceed our budgeted expenses.

We look forward to putting better equipment and protocols in place for the safety of all who use our building. Thank you to Ken Stephenson with our building committee for serving on the planning team for this project and to Antowyn Smith and Danny Vancil from our church staff who will be monitoring and advising on these projects.

-Bart McNiel, Associate Pastor

Let There Be Light

Improving the lighting around the church.

by Danny Vancil, Minister of Music and Worship

Projects are underway to enhance the lighting around various areas of our church campus. In fact, two projects have already been completed. For one, the chandeliers in the sanctuary have been cleaned and the burned-out bulbs have been replaced. That sounds simple, doesn’t it? If you only knew! (And some of you do know!)

Allow me to “illuminate” you. Here’s what it took to accomplish that task:

On Monday, March 20, Antowyn, our amazing facilities manager, the kitchen staff and a host of volunteers gathered in the sanctuary to lower each chandelier, clean the brass, wash each glass globe and replace burnedout bulbs. {Fun fact about those bulbs: About five years ago, Antowyn replaced all the old incandescent bulbs with new, warm, energy-saving LED bulbs. In those five years, only 15 bulbs had burned out.)

Here’s the process: There are 36 bulbs in each of the six chandeliers. Each chandelier is hand-cranked down from the ceiling – a task that requires two people and about 20 minutes. Once the chandeliers are down, the globes and bulbs (if you do the math, that’s 216 of each) are carefully removed and the globes are placed into crates and carted down to the kitchen where they go through the dishwasher. Then the cleaned globes are returned to the sanctuary and replaced in the chandeliers. Then again using two people, each chandelier is hand-cranked back up, requiring about another 20 minutes.

The second completed task is the installation of new landscape lighting that has heightened the beauty of the columbarium. These lights operate on a timer which has them come on at sunset. Of course, we are in the season in which it stays light much later in the day. But in the Fall, we will be able to enjoy the enhancement to this area that is provided by the lighting.

But allow me to “shed additional light” on our lighting issues. During the month of July, greatly-upgraded chancel (stage area) lighting will be installed in our sanctuary. Since change often entails some challenge, we will worship in the Fellowship Hall the entire month as this transformation takes place. And, in case you are wondering if this is really necessary, consider this: While our present lighting system has served us well for 48 years, like the chandeliers, the current fixtures are obsolete and replacement parts are extremely difficult to come by as mechanisms fail. And one of the best parts of this upgrade, is that the funds have been provided by a generous benefactor.

Sometimes we may take the beauty and worth of our incredible campus for granted. These changes may help us to “see more clearly” and realize what a treasure it truly is.

Worship in the Fellowship Hall

During the month of July we will be updating our lighting in the Santuary. We will continue to worship and live stream during the renovation in the Fellowship Hall.

July 2

July 9

July 16

July 23

July 30

MANA CROSSFIT

Missions in Mexico

Impact Report from Centro Shalom

by Page Fulgahm, Missions Associate

Our mission partner, Centro Shalom, located in Tijuana, Mexico, is sharing the gospel of hope with thousands of people in Mexico. One of our oldest partnerships, Centro Shalom has a new leadership team and a renewed vision of hope and help for Tijuana and beyond.

New lead pastor and executive director, Elmo Compton, states, “We believe that every person is created in God’s image and deserves love, dignity and respect. This belief drives us to empower people and communities through education, health and wellness programs… Our outreach programs have reached more than 10,000 people in 2022.”

Smoke Rise has helped fund this ministry and in 2022 gave more than $22,000 in support. Although it has been several years since Smoke Rise has fielded a mission

team to Tijuana, we expect to resume in 2024. This has been one of our most popular mission trips as team members experience instant rewards from their labor by direct involvement with the children and adults of Tijuana.

Centro Shalom was founded because residents of the area were living in housing in garbage dumps and cardboard shacks, surviving on the throw-a-ways from the city. Water sources, sanitation and food supply were questionable and unconscionable.

Today, programs of hope begin with the mission of the local Baptist church, Centro Shalom, and orbits around the presentation of the gospel. Worship, bible study, leadership training and outreach are highlighted.

Three primary programs minister to the basic needs of the people who live around Centro Shalom. Manna is a holistic education and nutrition program for schoolaged children, providing healthy meals, literacy, learning skills, art, music and other life skills. The CrossFit program is designed to address obesity—one of the

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foremost epidemics in Mexico, caused by inadequate diet and lack of exercise. Each child is enrolled in the gym program and classes are tailored to age groups and strength level. In addition, Alcance, a community-based outreach program, hosts events such as family festivals, medical clinics, food distribution and other community services.

Under the leadership of Pastor Compton, church worship attendance has increased 50 percent and baptisms have also increased. Eight ministry leaders are being trained for service, and Centro Shalom is supportive of Great Commission efforts by participating in two global missionary partnerships.

Future plans include resuming construction on a new worship center, beginning construction on housing for visiting mission teams, hosting more mission teams each year, and presenting the gospel to more people. Centro Shalom seeks to minister to the spiritual as well as physical needs of people.

Smoke Rise is one of many churches who support Centro Shalom financially and who provide mission teams to

minister in the community. One of SRBC’s principles of missions is that we not only support with our money, but also with our physical labor, spiritual and leadership guidance.

The Smoke Rise “champion” for Centro Shalom is Roy Vreeland, who also serves as team leader along with Charlene Echols and Karen Bates. Over the years, many other capable leaders and participants have contributed to the success of this mission and present and past leaders have represented our congregational mission well.

Each of our mission partners has a SRBC champion, or representative from the congregation.

As good stewards of the money and prayer support of our congregation, we honor our financial commitments and work to achieve the outcome goals of each partnership. As always, the Missions Committee, a church-approved committee, attempts to serve our mission partners (global, national and local) and the members of Smoke Rise.

2023 Summer Youth Choir Music and Missions Trip

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

Youth and Mentors

Gabe Arnold, Lilliana Arnold, Anthony Beaghan, Evelyn Caswell-Speight, Blaine Colliver, David George, Evan George, Jeremiah Hamby, Mariah Hamby, Heather Huff, Caroline Jowers, Hannah Claire Jowers, Kelly Jowers, Abby Kate Lee, Evie McNiel, Matt McNiel, Stacey McNiel, Evie Moore, Olivia Moore, Joe Moore, Maddox Mullee, Grace Newcomb-Thompson, Kenzie Newcomb- Thompson, Lauren Smith, Karen Stitt, Danny Vancil, Hannah Vassar, Isabel Young

Music and Missions Projects

Concerts

Worship Leadership

Vacation Bible School and Music Camp

Ongoing hurricane clean-up plus

A special performance at one of the sessions of the American Baptist Churches USA Biennial Summit

Fun Activities Beach

Old San Juan

Bioluminescent Bay

Host Church

Primera Iglesia Bautista de Rio Piedras

June 17-23, 2023 Please be in prayer for our mission team

This spring, we formed a young adult fellowship group at Smoke Rise, which each month, offers a fellowship opportunity for adults between the ages of 18 and 32. These gatherings saw youth that grew up at Smoke Rise find their way back to church, they saw people new to the community find space in the Smoke Rise fellowship; they saw people that have been attending Smoke Rise for many years finally find a spot where they could best connect.

This summer, the group will continue to get together for fellowship, but will also begin gathering for a time of spiritual formation. The young adults' Sunday school class will meet in room 308 every other week immediately following worship, beginning June 4th. During this time there will be lunch for all participants with discussions led by Jeremiah Hamby. It will be a wonderful time to further deepen the friendships that are being built during the fellowships that began in the spring.

If you or someone you know ages 18 to 32 needs a special place to call home, have them contact Becky Caswell-Speight at the church office for how they can best connect.

Sunday School

Beginning June 4

12:00 PM | Room 308

Meeting every other week

Lunch provided

Gatherings

June 9 | 7:20 PM

Braves v Nats

Meeting at Truist Park

July 22 | 10:00 AM

Ice Cream Festival Meeting at the church

August 5 | 10:00 AM

Tubing in Helen Meeting at the church

Young Adult

SUNDAY

A Study of Philippians

June 5 – 26

Mondays at 9:30 am | Room 223

Led by Dr. Ebby Arnold

A Study of the Apocrypha

August 9 - October 11

Wednesdays at 6:oo PM | Fellowship Hall

Led by Dr. Chris George

August 6

Blessing of Our Students and Teachers

Wednesday Evening Schedule Beginning August 9

5:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:15 pm 7:00 pm

Dinner

Nursery Care

Journeys in the Fellowship Hall

Children Fellowship

Youth Fellowship

Preschool Choir

Sanctuary Choir

Sunday Evening Schedule Beginning August 13th

5:00 pm

Preschool Activities

Children's Choir and Activities

Youth Choir and Activities

Community Connections

The important work of the Weekday School and Academy of Arts.

by Jim Smith, Pastoral Care Associate

An important part of Smoke Rise Baptist Church is touching young lives and families through our Weekday School ministry and the Academy of Arts community program. I frequently hear squeals of joy or see a neat little line of ballerinas making their way through our halls. I see moms and dads and grandparents at pick-up and drop-off and think of the privilege it is to touch so many tender young lives. It is also thrilling to host families at church events like the recent Easter Party, our annual Octoberfest, Chili Cook-Off and other celebrations. Many of the families are active at other churches in our community while some consider Smoke Rise Baptist their church. Regardless, we have great opportunities to bring pastoral care to the students and their families from time-to-time. The leaders in all these areas have a heart for the Lord and a love for our church. They bring reports and prayer concerns to our staff meetings. Rashette Walker, our Weekday School Director, is represented here with devotional thoughts that will be a blessing to you.

Just Follow the Directions

A CrossTie Devotional

by Rashette Walker, Weekday School Director

Every now and then, my husband will leave the comfort of “grill and smoker land” and venture into the exotic land of kitchen in an attempt to feed himself. It usually happens when my daughters and I are not at home. I learned to cook at a young age—first from my mom. As I grew, I learned at the sides of both my grandmothers and my favorite aunt. These are southern women. The only one of them who had proper measuring cups and spoons was my aunt who was a more modern woman. So, I learned to cook with very few written recipes. They taught me the basics and the more I cooked, the better I got and I was able to go off to college and take care of myself.

When I met him, my husband really knew how to cook only rice and how to brown ground sausage. So, when hunger takes over and cereal just won’t do, he will call me to ask how to cook whatever it is that he is hungry for. If I am busy when he calls, I’ll direct him to ask “Aunt Google” or “Uncle YouTube.” If I’m not busy, I’ll do my best to direct him over the phone. And

for someone who doesn’t cook often and isn’t used to a pinch, a dash, a splash or a glug as measurements, it can be frustrating to understand without seeing such measurements in person.

Shortly after the New Year started and I was back at work, he wanted to cook grits—pretty easy right? He called, and as I was in the middle of something, I told him, “Just follow the instructions on the back of the package.” And he answered me, “No. The way you make them. I’m sure you use some kind of special secret ingredient magic to make them taste good.” And I had to tell him, “No, grits are really easy and I promise, outside of adding cheese at the end, I follow the instructions on the package. Trust Jim Dandy; he’s been grinding those grits since 1923. Just follow the instructions.” And to his great surprise, it worked and he was successful.

I was reminded of this incident recently as I was dealing with a stressful situation at home. It was one of those situations that seem to come out of nowhere and sort of knocks the spiritual wind out of you and makes you

briefly forget what you know. At that moment, I heard in my head my own advice that I give my kids— that you can’t hear the Holy Spirit if you don’t calm yourself. Once I got myself into a calmer state of being, I remembered that the instructions in the Bible say that trials and tribulations will come, and although this might have caught me off guard, God knew it was coming and had already prepared a way of escape for me. My job was to follow the instructions to make my way through this valley, by seeking God’s will, casting my care on Him,

trusting Him with all my heart, leaning not unto my own understanding, acknowledging Him, and believing that He would direct my path. And that brought me so much peace.

I know that we all here are no longer babies in Christ, but I would still like to encourage you, in good times or bad, to just follow the instructions. They will bring you sweet peace and NEVER steer you wrong! Amen.

Rashette began providing childcare at Smoke Rise Baptist Church for the Mother’s Bible Study group. From there she started substitute teaching with the Weekday School and that led to a teaching position in the fall of 2016. Rashette accepted the director’s position at the Weekday School in 2022. One of Rashette’s three children is a graduate of Smoke Rise Baptist Weekday School program.

Another Wonderful Year

Creating a year of memories at the Weekday School.

by Rebekah Edmonds, Weekday School Director

It’s been a wonderful year at Smoke Rise Baptist Weekday School! We have had so much fun playing, learning and growing together! We have welcomed new students and new teachers and added a new class. We have participated in special school-wide theme days such as Camping Day, Pumpkin Day, St. Patrick's Day, Dr. Suess Day, Easter Egg Day, Star Wars Day and Water Day which have given us new avenues for learning. We have feasted at Thanksgiving, performed the story of the Nativity and the story of creation for our families, journeyed through Lent and Ash Wednesday and created lots of art work

We have worshiped together during weekly Chapel and have celebrated all our birthdays together! (That’s A LOT of cupcakes!) We have had weekly mystery visiting readers, a magic show, a visit from Mother Goose and a puppet show too!

As you can tell, we stay BUSY at the Weekday School! While learning our numbers, letters, how to write our names and how to share and be good friends are all important, perhaps the most important thing we do is learn that God made us ALL. Each of us is awesome, wonderful and loved by God! That’s the heart of our school and why we do what we do. Please share with your family, neighbors and friends all the exciting things that are happening here! Registration is open and applications can be found on the website at smokerisebaptist.org/srbws/. We can’t wait to see how God will help us continue to grow in the years to come!

And don’t forget—there are always opportunities for you to come and join the fun and support our school! Special thanks to the Discovery Sunday School class for sponsoring the gift of a book for each of our Pre-K graduates!

Registration is open for our 50th school year!

We have open spots for 12 month olds - 4 year olds. You can find an application on our website at smokeriseabaptist.org/srbws/.

Smoke Rise Baptist Weekday School will celebrate our 50th anniversary on September 17th, 2023! We hope all current and past families will join us for a great day of celebration! Stay tuned for more information on how you can help us celebrate!

Thank You

Thirty years of helping kids express their God-given talents.

by Denise Burcham, Academy of Arts Director

Have I said “thank you” lately? When I was a child, my mom had to constantly remind me to say “thank you” for gifts and such. I was not very good at writing thank you notes. I still find myself wondering if I have expressed my appreciation and thanks often enough.

Let me take this time to say, "Thank you, Smoke Rise" for establishing the Academy of Arts in 1992. Thirty years ago, you had the vision to be a light in the community by offering quality instruction in the fine arts. We believe God to be a creative God, having created the heavens, the Earth and all the beauty therein. We believe God designed man in His image; therefore, we must believe we, too are creative beings!

Do you know our mission statement for the Academy? It is “Acknowledging the arts as a gift of God. It is the purpose of the Smoke Rise Academy of Arts to provide students with quality instruction and a means of expression for their Godgiven talents. In an environment where Christ is honored, students are challenged by outstanding teachers to develop their unique and individual gifts for the glory of God.“ Smoke Rise has provided this loving environment for 30 years! I wish you could hear first-hand some of the feedback we get from parents. On more than one occasion, we have had parents tell us that the Academy drama has been a “lifesaver” or a “game-changer” for their child. During the pandemic, many young people suffered depression, anxiety and isolation. Smoke Rise allowed us to bring these

students in and give them an opportunity to reconnect with their art-loving friends and “a means of expression for their God-given talents.” One parent who has all three of her children in my violin studio because she firmly believes violin lessons made a difference in her older son’s self-confidence and focus on his academics. (He is now at Gwinnett Math and Science School.) We have a few students trying to decide who they want to be, what gender they want to be, and how they want to be identified. Smoke Rise Academy provides them with a safe environment without judging or condemning. It is not about creating the concert soloist, recording star, Hollywood actor, opera soloist or prima ballerina. It is about providing quality instruction and a means of expression. It is about touching the lives of young people in need of a loving environment. It is about being a light in a dark world.

Thank you, Smoke Rise Baptist Church, for having the vision to be a light in a dark world via the Academy of Arts. Thank you, SRBC, for continuing to support the Academy for 30 years and counting. Sometimes we are loud and noisy, sometimes we leave a bit of a mess, sometimes we take up your space. But please know that each child who comes to the Academy is eager to “express their God-given talents” and is offered quality education in a loving and Christhonored environment. Thank You! Thank you! Thank You!

Mark Your Calendars

Patriotic Pops

June 2

After the 11:00 worship service, we will remain in Fellowship Hall for a time of singing and celebration in thanksgiving for our nation.

Grief Support Group

Grief Support meets one Sunday a month in room 223 from 5:00 - 6:30 pm. The group is led by Adam Arnold and Jim Smith. Our Summer Gatherings: June 18 - July 16 - August 20

Hannah Vassar's Ordination

June 11 | 4:00 PM

We invite you to join us as we affirm and celebrate God's calling in Hannah's life. The service will be in the sanctuary and will be available via live stream at smokerisebaptist.org/hannah-ordination/

Men's Prayer Lunch

We meet the second Thursday of the month at 11:00 am at Old Hickey House in Tucker. We will be breaking for June and July, but look foward to gathering again, August 10th.

Connections

Connections is a once-a-month gathering for young and middle age individuals and couples. Light snacks and drinks provided. Parents can drop off preschoolers, children and youth in the gym beginning at 5:00 pm.

We will be breaking for June and July, but look foward to gathering again, August 20th.

Address Correction Requested

Mission Opportunities

Men’s Mission Trip

September 24-29 | McDowell, KY

Cost: $300

Regardless of skill level, there is a job for all. It is a time of fellowship, improving a family’s home and sharing the love of Christ in one of the poorest areas of the country. Please contact Bill Blanton at 678-5109390 for information regarding the trip. Register at smokerisebaptist.org/missions/mens-gap-trip/

Uganda Mission Trip

Are you interested in a mission trip to Uganda? A trip is being planned this year for either August or September. The trip would cover at least seven days.

If you are interested, contact Wilson Echols at 404.771.5215 for more information and to let him know which month would work better for you.