Winter 2021-22 CrossTie

CROSSTIE Your Smoke Rise Baptist Church Magazine l Winter 2021/2022

12 Days of Christmas

December 5th from 2:00-5:00 PM We will move from preparing something that can be unwrapped to preparing ourselves and our hearts for a celebration that befits the coming of the Christ-child.

A Christmas Tapestry

December 19th at 7:00 PM A concert weaving together the music of the season. Featured artists

include Luther Enloe, guitar, Gillian Huff, trumpet and Kathy Farmer, flute.

Souper Bowl Sunday

February 13th We invite you on Super Bowl Sunday to bring cans of soup to church for Souper Bowl Sunday. The collected cans will be donated to our mission partners, NETWorks and the Lilburn Co-op.

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IN THIS ISSUE 4-5

From the Pastor

6

A Christmas Tapestry

8

You Have Our Backs

9

Off to the Theater

10

A CrossTie Devotional

11

Remember the Saints

12-13 14 16-17

We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants Little Acts of Kindness A Season of Giving

18

12 Days of Christmas

19

A Smooth Transition

20-21 23

Catching Up with the Smoke Rise Youth The Smoke Rise Memorial Garden

10

A CRO SSTIE DEVOTI ONAL

14

L ITTL E ACTS O F K IN D NES S

While winter may seem unpleasant to many people, the frost and cold are indispensable parts of life.

Without winter, spring and summer wouldn’t be what they are. There are lessons to learn as we pass through winter.

During Vacation Bible School, the children of Smoke Rise had the option to design a flower pot and plant a flower in the pot. Three of us, Lou Tankersley, Georgianne Harrison and myself, volunteered to take the flowers to one of the Smoke Rise Baptist Church’s senior living satellite communities

THE GIF TS O F CHRISTMAS 16

The winter season is truly a time of stewardship emphasis and renewal at Smoke Rise. Gifts we receive at Smoke Rise over the last six weeks of each calendar year are essential to the financial health and support of church operations and ministry.

A SMO OTH TRA N SITION 19

Helping children transition from elementary school to the youth years is important. This move to a new school is a big change for fifth graders and schools attempt to make this transition easier by providing opportunities to process the change.

Our Ministers B e c ky C asw el l - Spei gh t

Minister of Families, Faith Formation and Connection rspeight@smokerisebaptist.org

Ch r is George

Senior Pastor cgeorge@smokerisebaptist.org

Bar t McN ie l

Associate Pastor of Administration, Ministry Support and Congregational Care bmcniel@smokerisebaptist.org

James S mith

Pastoral Care Associate jsmith@smokerisebaptist.org

D anny Vancil

Minister of Music and Worship dvancil@smokerisebaptist.org

From the Pastor

Three letters for your winter journey.

by Chris George, Senior Pastor

1

Do Not Be Afraid

In Luke’s version of the events surrounding the Christmas story, angels, as God’s messengers, are always interrupting the familiar narrative, sometimes offering speeches and other times songs.

First, an angel appears to Zechariah in the temple and then to Mary in her home. The heavenly hosts appear to some shepherds who were watching their flocks by night. If you look closely, each time the angel begins with the same words: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah” (Luke 1:13).

“Do not be afraid, Mary” (Luke 1:30).

“The angel said to the shepherds, ‘Do not be afraid’” (Luke 2:10).

Those folks, a despairing priest, a teenage girl and some frightened herdsman, needed to hear those words from God. We need to hear them as well. We live in a world that has been shaken by a global pandemic where the future is still filled with uncertainty. Divisions have never been deeper and more pronounced. Cooperation, which was once a common word, has almost fallen from our lexicon. On the evening news and on social media, we are reminded that we live in a scary world.

During my sabbatical, I spoke with several church experts to get their assessment of the future of church in a post-pandemic world. At the present time, most congregations are seeing attendance at about 50-60 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Family ministries and children’s ministries have been the hardest hit.

One church leader said, “Any church that returns to

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75 percent of pre-pandemic attendance should be overjoyed, as it will be the exception to the rule.”

Another leader said, “Social distancing in our sanctuaries is here to stay because people aren’t coming back to fill their pews.” Smoke Rise is bucking some of these trends and can celebrate some encouraging signs, even in the midst of this strange season.

We have new members joining and others from afar who are choosing to remain connected to our congregation virtually even post-Covid. But, of course, the challenges are real and the future is filled with uncertainty.

But long ago, when that decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be taxed, causing Joseph to go up from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child, the challenges were real as well.

The same God that spoke so long ago is still at work among us now. The words of those angels echo through the ages: “Do not be afraid.” God is calling us by name, saying, “Do not be afraid.”

We are not promised that we will be given every answer, or released from every anxiety, or transported from a world filled with problems into a world filled with peace. But we are reminded that because of this Child who was born so long ago, we can live in this world and we can love in this world.

Christmas comes as a reminder that “God is with us.”

And this is truly, “good news of great joy.”

2

A House of Prayer

As we end 2021 and begin 2022, I would

encourage you to consider making not so much a New Year’s Resolution as a New Year’s Commitment to being a person of prayer. As I read through the Bible during my sabbatical, I came to a simple but somewhat stunning conclusion.

Jesus never calls the church a “house of preaching.”

(You can imagine my disappointment!) Instead, in Jerusalem, Jesus quotes the Prophet Isaiah and declares, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people” (Mark 11:17). In that moment, the single spiritual practice that Jesus highlighted was prayer. The church is to be a house of prayer and we are to be people of prayer.

Prayer can certainly take many shapes and forms.

Worship is always an act of prayer. We may pray as a community or as individuals. Some prayers have been prescribed for us like the Lord’s Prayer or St. Francis’ Prayer, while other prayers are spontaneous.

According to Paul, sometimes, when we don’t know the words to speak, the “Spirit of God groans for us and with us.”

In the coming year, I personally want to invest more time in my own prayer life and would invite you to join with me. Soon, you will learn about a prayer retreat that Rev. Jim Smith is planning for those in our congregation who want to learn more and go more deeply into a life of prayer. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity.

But, even if you can’t attend this retreat, you can make prayer a daily practice. For some, this may be praying early in the morning or just before bed each night. This year, I am seeking to engage each week in personal prayer walks. I invite you to join with me in this practice. With a specific time set aside, the prayer walk will give you more than good exercise; it will give you a new perspective.

Smoke Rise Baptist Church has a wonderful reputation as being a caring community that prays for the needs of others. I want us to build on this firm foundation and to recommit ourselves to being people of prayer.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “I don’t pray because it changes things. I pray because it changes me.”

My hope is that we will all be changed through the practice of prayer.

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A Story of Epiphany

Epiphany is the season in the church calendar

that follows Christmas, traditionally falling in January and February. At Christmas, we are celebrating the Good News that Christ is born. At Epiphany, we are asking the question, “What does this mean and why does this matter?”

Epiphany is a journey, beginning with the Wise Men’s travel from afar to visit the baby born in a manger. We are invited to take a journey that has the potential to not only pass the time, but to actually transform our perspective. The Star that guided those Wise Men so long ago, may no longer shine in the night sky; but the light of Christ still pierces the darkness and helps us to see our paths and to understand our calling. To journey is to embrace some risk and uncertainty, which requires courage; but it also leads to encounters and experiences that shape our faith.

What does Epiphany mean to me? We can live with mystery, because we can see just a glimmer of light. Let me share not an explanation, but an experience.

A few years ago, when we were at Wednesday night supper at church, Andy was two-years old and acting up.

Jen either had a strange crick in her neck, or was making a not-so-subtle motion for me to get him out of the Fellowship Hall where we were. So, I took him and we walked around the church, finding our way upstairs. We stood together at the doors of the sanctuary. The lights were off, making it look very mysterious with the faint moonlight falling on to the empty pews.

Andy looked into the dark sanctuary and whispered, "It's scary, Daddy."

I took his hand and said, "We can walk together."

Andy couldn’t be certain; he had to trust.

We went to the front pew and sat together for a few minutes, both of us still. We just sat there, silently, together.

Then, Andy said, “Let’s go.”

Anytime we look at a future filled with uncertainty, it can be scary. But, if we remember that we are the children of God, it gives us the courage to keep walking. In the midst of all the uncertainties of life, God will be shining the light and saying, “We can walk together,” and offering to hold our hand.

Epiphany is a season to sit and gaze at the Star and then to begin our journeys again. Let’s go.

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D e c e mb e r 1 9 t h | 7 : 0 0 P M A concert weaving together the music of the season.

Presented by the Smoke Rise Baptist Church Music Ministry

Featured artists include Luther Enloe, guitar, Gillian Huff, trumpet and Kathy Farmer, flute The graphic design for “A Christmas Tapestry” was created by Smoke Rise Baptist Church member, David Dodson

Luther Enloe Classical guitarist, Luther Enloe, possesses a distinctively resonant sound quality, lyrical phrasing and technical finesse. An active recitalist, recording artist and clinician, Dr. Enloe has recorded for Sonic Grapefruit Records and has appeared in concert in the southeastern and northwestern United States.

Recent solo recital engagements included performances at the University of Alaska, Anchorage; Fickling Hall, Macon, GA; Ramsey continued on next page

Gillian Huff Gillian Huff, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, graduated magna cum laude in 2014from the University of Georgia with a B.M. in Music Education. She then attended Northwestern University, completing her M.M. in Trumpet Performance in 2016.

While at NU, she attended the Chautauqua Music Festival and the Brevard Music Center, both on full scholarships. Soon after graduation, she won the 2nd Trumpet Position with the Lansing Symphony continued on next page

Kathy Farmer Kathy Farmer is the principal flutist of the Dekalb Symphony and the Georgia Philharmonic and a member of Perimeter Flutes Quartet and the Cantoria Wind Quintet. She conducts the Flute Choir of Atlanta and the Atlanta Flute Ensemble. She teaches at Georgia Perimeter College and conducts lessons in her home studio.

Kathy is the wife of Jim Farmer, the mother of three daughters, the grandmother of seven and the great grandmother of one. She is proud and blessed to be a member of Smoke Rise Baptist Church.

Luther Enloe's bio continued

Concert Hall, Athens, GA; Frost Chapel, Mount Berry, GA; the Susan B. Harris Chapel, Young Harris, GA; Hoag Auditorium, Dahlonega, GA; Max Noah Recital Hall, Milledgeville, GA; John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC; the Ursuline Centre, Great Falls, MT; and the Emerson Center for Arts and Culture, Bozeman, MT. He has appeared as a guitar soloist and chamber musician with numerous ensembles, including Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, the U.S. premier of Enjott Schneider’s oratorio, Klange des Lichts, in collaboration with the Vega String Quartet and the Glenn Chancel Choir at Emory University, as well as performances with the Montana State University Chorale, the Dekalb Choral Guild and the Peachtree Symphonic Winds.

In 2011, he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Georgia under the guidance of John Sutherland and David Starkweather. His dissertation, The Technique and Artistry of Melodic Phrasing in the Spanish Classical Guitar Tradition, elucidates 400 years of melodic aesthetics and techniques found in the writings and music of Spain’s most prominent guitar composers.

In addition to serving on the faculty of Georgia State University, Dr. Enloe is an instructor of guitar at Berry College in Rome, GA, and artist affiliate in guitar at Emory University. In 2010, he was an advisor in the development of performance standards for middle and high school guitar classes for the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Music Educators Association. In 2012, he was appointed the first guitar chair for the Georgia Music Educators Association. He lives in Lawrenceville, GA, with his wife, Victoria, and their son, Cole.

Gillian Huff 's bio continued

Orchestra and continued to freelance in the greater Chicago area. In 2017, Gillian was chosen as the new bugle musician for the West Point Military Academy Band Hellcats. During her time at West Point, she substituted in the West Point Concert Band, performed with the Army Trumpet Ensemble, and was featured on broadcast television. She has served as the principal bugler and bugle section leader for the Hellcats bugle section.

Gillian continues to freelance in the greater Hudson Valley area in her spare time. She maintains a small trumpet studio and is a regular sub with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra as well as with other local orchestras.

In addition, Gillian has competed in solo music competitions. Her solo endeavors have won her second prize in the North International Music Competition and a finalist position in Orchestra Noir’s 2018 Medallion International Concerto Competition.

Many Gifts - One Spirit A thank you to Carol Palmer.

by Danny Vancil, Minister of Music and Worship You’ve often heard the phrase “It takes a village.” Truer words could not be spoken of a congregation. There are so many of those who do what may seem like menial tasks, fulfilling obligations that keep the church running smoothly. Most of the time, these folks faithfully go about their work virtually unnoticed.

One such person is Carol Palmer. We enjoy thoughtful worship in a beautiful setting. Carol is behind the scenes making sure that the altar candles are filled and that the proper paraments (altar cloths) are in place during the changing seasons.

Carol is also attentive to the sanctuary being prepared for a funeral or a memorial service. Thank you, Carol, for your faithfulness to the Lord’s church and for all the work you do to make our lives better.

Polyphony [pəˈlifənē]

Church Music Conference February 3-5, 2022 The Music Department will be hosting a group of pastoral musicians for this church music conference. If you would like to volunteer please contact Lynne in the church music office at 770.469.5856.

The translation of polyphony from the Greek “many voices” also hints at a broader aim: to include pastoral musicians from all churches who share the mission of Polyphony — “linking and nurturing church musicians who share a passion for sacred choral and instrumental music, hymnody and the arts.”

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You Have Our Back

Thank you for helping us create a clean and safe space for our community.

by Harrison Litzell, Weekday School Co-Director At the end of the last school year, I had the opportunity to speak individually with each family that had a child graduate from our program. It was a wonderful chance to hear from them and to reflect on the family’s time in our community.

in a lab coat and glasses) each month. They also spoke highly of our teachers and the ways in which they not only teach, but how they care for the students in their classes.

And over and over again, people commented on the beauty of our facilities. They mentioned the In these conversations, we asked cleanliness of the building as one of what had attracted the family to our school, what we did well for the the things that first attracted them to the school. They were appreciative student, what we did well for the family, and how we could improve in of the facilities and the opportunities offered to the students during their different areas. time in school. They were grateful Time and time again, families for those times that family members responded with gratitude for the were able to join us on campus for way our community had partnered with them to care for their children. programs and events and how much they admired the space.

Honestly, it was a refreshing way I was pleased during these phone to end a year marked by the allcalls to brag about the way in which consuming pandemic. the congregation and staff take pride In their responses, families praised in our building and grounds. We what their students learned in the talked about the volunteers who classroom. They were particularly show up to paint whenever needed. pleased with our Science Special We talked about the teams of people 8 led by Dr. S (Ms. Stacey McNiel

who came to refresh a building when we were able to return from being apart from each other.

I repeatedly mentioned Mr. Antowyn and how he and his team care for our school and students.

Our school is housed in these amazing facilities due to the generosity of this church. As a school, we do all we can to care for the students and families who choose to join with us, but we would be unable to do so without the church.

We are who we are as Smoke Rise Baptist Weekday School,because we are a part of Smoke Rise Baptist Church.

We are proud to continue to be a part of this family of faith and to serve our wider community and welcome so many families to take part in what we have here.

We are who we are at SRBWS because we have the church at our back.

Off to the Theater Preparing for the Junior Theater Festival

with their performance of “Step in Time” and again, brought the audience to their feet!

Junior Theater Festival Atlanta is the world’s largest theater festival, hosting over 6500 students from the USA, Canada, England, New Zealand, China and Australia. Each theater troupe prepares a 15-minute segment from a Broadway Junior show for adjudication by a panel of musical theater experts. The weekend also features professional development for teachers, workshops for students and parents, a New Works Showcase featuring new musical adaptations soon to be released and concludes with a grand finale concert headlined by Broadway’s best! The Junior Theater Festival is sponsored by Playbill, Disney Musicals and Music Theatre International.

by Denise Burcham, Director of the Academy of Arts A troupe of Smoke Rise drama students are busy preparing for an adjudication performance at the Junior Theater Festival Atlanta 2022.

Two years ago, the Smoke Rise Academy of Arts received notification late in October of acceptance to attend the 2020 festival, after being on the wait list for over seven months. With fewer than three months to prepare, Janet Chadwick and Greyson Chadwick, the Academy drama directors, recruited performers, selected a performance excerpt, tackled fundraisers and put together a “Show Stopper” audition, requiring troupes to tell the story and introduce all characters within a 15-minute period of dialogue and song.

Early Saturday morning of January 18, 2020, 31 students, eight chaperones and three directors boarded the Smoke Rise Baptist bus to head to the Cobb Galleria for a weekend of mayhem and excitement.

During the day, 127 troupes performed, received critiques from the adjudicators, explored workshops and enjoyed watching professionals on the big stage.

The Smoke Rise troupe performed their 15-minute segment from Disney’s Mary Poppins, Jr., and received standing applause! The judges offered praise for the group’s ability to tell the sweet story of Mary Poppins and create wonderful effects with their “Step in Time” dance routine.

To add to their excitement, Smoke Rise was one of 15 groups receiving an “Outstanding Performance” award and were invited to perform a selection on the BIG stage in front of 6500-plus people at the Freddie G. Awards Ceremony! Smoke Rise closed the ceremony

.

January 14-16, 2022, Smoke Rise Academy of Arts will once again send a troupe of 39 students to perform at the JTF Atlanta 2022! After a year’s hiatus, due to COVID shutdowns, we are eager to attend this exciting event featuring Broadway performers, workshops to improve acting and dancing skills, and a chance to prove we are as good as before!

Things will look a bit different this time with COVID safety measures in place; but the fun and enthusiasm will be the same! Expenses for this festival will be higher as we must charter a bus rather than relying on our beloved Smoke Rise bus; higher registration fees make for increased bills for our students. Please listen out for our fundraisers this fall so that you can help support us financially. With Smoke Rise being home to such a caring family of faith, we know we can count on your emotional and spiritual support. We hope to bring home another trophy to display.

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Passing through Winter A CrossTie Devotional

by Jim Smith, Pastoral Care Associate Most mornings, looking out our breakfast room windows, I enjoy a quiet time. I see the sunrise and observe the plants, birds, and various creatures as they welcome the day. I take great joy in each plant, bloom, and leaf. I know all too soon the leaves will have fallen and the grass and plants will have withered. I know the beauty is all still there when winter comes. But it won’t be seen. For years I have said, “It would be okay with me to skip winter.” Why do we have to pass through winters with barren branches and frozen ground and no fruit or flowers?

While winter may seem unpleasant to many people, the frost and cold are indispensable parts of life.

Without winter, spring and summer wouldn’t be what they are. There are lessons to learn as we pass through winter.

When we have difficulty in understanding the seasons in our lives, we can learn from the way nature works. When winter comes, and we see the Creator God’s works of nature around us, we can better understand God and God’s ways. Although winter seems to be a time of death, it is really a time of rest.

When harvest is over, trees are not ready to bear more fruit immediately. Winter gives them a time for the rest they need.

Do you ever get caught up in the treadmill of thinking you have to be constantly productive? We can easily fall into the trap of thinking God is not satisfied with our lives if we are not busy, productive and filling our time with constant activity and motion. Through grace, God allows winter seasons in our lives. Such seasons are times of preparation for new fruit and new flowers to come. In the unseen depths, something is going on. We are not forgotten by our Creator. We can learn from the seasons that, when, on the surface all looks dead and dreary, life underneath is active and stirring!

We can also learn from the world of plants. When plants look dead and without life, roots are filling up with nourishment and buds brace themselves for spring. We have observed that in late winter it only takes a sunny day to see how new buds break forth. They were ready for it!

When we go through a time of winter, we tend to withdraw from many levels of life. That may have deep spiritual application. Seasons of winter can be seasons of rest and preparation for new growth and fruitfulness. During the winter seasons of life, we can always know spring is coming! It is all part of God’s plan for God’s children. Be prepared; one day you will suddenly become aware of an irresistible pull in your spirit that tells you winter is past and the time for singing is upon you again (Song of Songs 2:11-12).

What can all this mean to the Smoke Rise family? Following a difficult season of COVID, coming through the holiday season and embarking upon a New Year are milestones on the way to new seasons of life, worship and being a church family together.

I am genuinely excited about the Advent season and the beginning of a new year at Smoke Rise.

During the winter season, more in-person worship and Bible Study will happen. Sunday school classes can plan more fellowship occasions. Grief Support groups will have stronger numbers meeting inperson. Our Travel Group will plan new trips offering exciting excursions in the spring and fall as well as a few locally-focused outings ripe for good fellowship and lots of fun.

November, December and January are packed with important days and events through which we will prepare and make progress toward new seasons ahead.

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Remembering the Saints

All Saints Day is a time of remembrance of the faithful gone on to heaven before us. We remembered and honored their lives with banners, with a prayer of gratitude, with songs of the hope of eternal life and a sermon about heaven. After the service, the banners brought in by our children and youth were given to the families as gifts of remembrance.

Winter Gatherings for Our Grief Support Group Grief Support meets one Sunday a month from 5:00 - 6:30 pm.

The group is led by Adam Arnold and Jim Smith.

December 12, 2021 Room 106 January 16, 2022 Room 223 February 20, 2022 Room 223

We Stand on the Shoulders of The work of Graham and Penny Stovall.

GIANTS

The origin of the Missions program at Smoke Rise did not just happen; someone caused it, promoted it, funded it, and sustained it. What we have accomplished in our mission program came into being because a few courageous people said, “We can do this,” and stepped forward to lead the way.

Graham and Penny Stovall are standouts and leaders, especially in our successful mission efforts in Honduras. Recently, HOI, Honduras Outreach International, recognized and honored Graham and Penny, as penned by Pat and Glenn Herndon below. We add a simple but true statement: Graham and Penny, we could not have done it without your leadership by example and in love. Your selfless leadership as followers of Jesus made a difference in the lives of hundreds of people in Honduras and at Smoke Rise. Thank you.

Page Fulgham

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On the evening of October 13, 2021, Penny and Graham Stovall were called to the front of a room full of people who had supported ministry in Honduras prayerfully, physically, and financially for 30 years. The HOI Board of Directors presented a resolution in honor of Penny and Graham , recognizing their extraordinary service and leadership.

Truett Gannon and Glenn and Pat Herndon were happy to be present for the presentation of this resolution which pointed out that Graham had served on the HOI Board of Directors for 14 years and Penny had served on the HOI Board of Directors for eight years.

Their many noteworthy achievements included working alongside communities in the Agalta Valley of Honduras, supporting Smoke Rise Baptist Church’s mission efforts. Of special note is their encouragement and partnership with the community of El Ocotal, creating lifelong friendships and bringing hope and the love of Christ to the men, women, and children of that area.

Their service also included organizing and managing the Annual HOI Golf Tournament, a fund-raising event since 2009. This greatly helped strengthen the ministry of HOI by introducing new supporters to the work. The HOI Board of Directors expressed their deepest appreciation for the many humble and heartfelt contributions made

by Graham and Penny during their years of service, offering their prayers and best wishes as they continue to serve those who come into their lives.

Penny and Graham could tell many stories about how they formed partnerships with hundreds of families and introduced the children to books with colored pictures, providing globes of the world carried on the plane by team members, by blowing bubbles, playing with balloons and puppets (Wilson Echols), by staging Christmas pageants costumed

by Jane Cummings, by making clay Christmas ornaments that were created by Marsha and Phil Winston and by putting on Vacation Bible Schools.

There were many more people who contributed to these new experiences of the communities. Through the years, their gifts filled hundreds of mission bags flying to Honduras, as many more Smoke Rise members caught the mission fever and joined Penny and Graham on these mission trips.

Thank you, Penny and Graham, for your vision and commitment to the ministry in Honduras.

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Little Acts of Kindness What can you do with one little flower?

by Joel Harrison, Coordinator for Senior Living Satellite Ministries

During Vacation Bible School, the children of Smoke Rise had the option to design a flower pot and plant a flower in the pot. Three of us, Lou Tankersley, Georgianne Harrison and myself, volunteered to take the flowers to one of the Smoke Rise Baptist Church’s senior living satellite communities. Georgianne and I went to Park Springs, one of the ministry sites. Our purpose was to deliver the flowers and tell the recipients that the children of Smoke Rise wanted to reach out and share the flowers. I wish you could have seen their reaction to the flowers. We saw folks who were struggling to smile. We were invited into the apartments. When we gave a flower to a 90-plus-year-old lady, she invited us into her home and gave us a right-out-of-the oven homemade cinnamon roll. It was fantastic! She thanked us for the flower and spending time with her.

We then knocked on the door of the next apartment. No one answered, so we left the flower near the door. The following Sunday I asked Eleanor Verdery if she found the flower we left for her, She said "yes" and thanked me. The next Sunday she shared that the flower was blooming. She asked if I knew what kind of flower it was. I said I did not know.

This past week, she was standing outside the Park Springs Community Hall as I was talking to one of the people who attends the worship service. When the lady began to introduce me to her, she said, “You do not need to introduce Joel to me. I know him. He and his wife brought me some flowers. Each day these flowers cause me joy. Just think of the children at VBS who made a flower pot and planted a flower.” The flower gives her joy each day. Just think what would happen if we could listen to someone's story and find ways to bring happiness.

hristmas Eve c 6:00 PM - Candlelight Communion In-Person and via Livestream

Winter is a season of gathering,

by Bart McNiel,Associate Pastor of Administration, Ministry Support and Congregational Care

End-of-Year Stewardship Campaign November 14 - December 31 • Goal: $450,000 The Gifts of Christmas The winter season is truly a time of stewardship emphasis and renewal at Smoke Rise. Gifts we receive at Smoke Rise over the last six weeks of each calendar year are essential to the financial health and support of church operations and ministry.

As we reach the end of the 2021 calendar year, we encourage our members to make special financial gifts to our annual Gifts of Christmas end-of-year emphasis. Each year, these end-of-year gifts are essential to our financial health as we seek complete our budget year with wind in our sails.

Gifts for our end-of-year giving emphasis, the Gifts of Christmas, generally bring our finances back in line with our spending and budget to cover deficit spending over months where giving may have lagged compared to end-of-year totals. Over the past two years, we have been meeting and exceeding our budget by the end of the fiscal year. As a result, we have seen an increase in our church reserves by the end of our fiscal year in March.

End-of-Year Hospitality Station On Friday, December 31, we will host our end-of-year Hospitality Station as a drive-up or walk-up opportunity.

We invite all who have participated in our end-of-year offering to drop by the church portico between 10:00 AM and 4:30 PM to pick up a warm goodie bag from volunteers on our finance and stewardship committees.

You may also drop off any last-minute gifts on this day with the assurance it will be delivered to our finance office in time to support our end-of-year goal.

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giving and stewardship renewal.

Smoke Rise Endowment and Legacy Giving Smoke Rise Legacy Society is composed of faithful stewards who are united by a shared commitment to designate the Smoke Rise Baptist Church Endowment as a named beneficiary of a will, trust, life insurance policy, stock holding, or other investment account.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” As a living witness to our commitment, The Legacy Society offers us a chance to invest our treasure in a church that has touched our hearts. As the Legacy Society grows across generations, a spiritual heritage of wise stewardship and accountability grows with it.

As you and your family discern what the Spirit is leading you to give, you might consider a variety of options.

• In the biblical tradition of tithing, leaving ten percent (10%) or more of your estate to Smoke Rise Endowment is one way of bearing witness to the importance of lifelong stewardship and impacting others beyond your lifetime through our church.

• Because The Endowment is managed to preserve principal and earn revenue, you might also consider leaving a gift or bequest that would ensure that the amount of money you give each month or year to the church in your lifetime will continue to be given in perpetuity through your gift to The Endowment.

• Retirement accounts, stock accounts, and life insurance policies offer the option of leaving percentages of value through designated beneficiary

forms. Designating a percentage or specific amount of

these assets would be a wonderful way to give as part

of The Legacy Society.

Missi ons

th Children Build ing You

Endowment Fund Update

Children

Youth

$90,336.17

$165,494.77

4%

8%

Building

Music

$152,256.96

$110,978.57

8%

6%

$2,003,629.02

g n i pr le ls

48%

26%

Endowment Fund Total

$961,969.18

W

$522,593.37

ic us

Wellspring

M

Missions

October 31, 2021

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” Come on you know the next part, “a partridge in a pear tree.”

The day before Halloween I first saw it. They come every year proclaiming, “Christmas is almost here!” And there it was in all of its red and white glory—the first Christmas advertisement of the year. It let me know exactly what I needed to purchase from Racetrack to make my true loves feel loved and cared for—a gift card!

Like the Twelve Days of Christmas song, throughout the season of Advent we are bombarded with advertisements for gift after useless gift that we must purchase in order for our loved ones to know that we truly love them.

Truthfully though, anything mentioned on the television, or that can be placed in our Amazon cart, or on a big red and white poster at the local gas station cannot prepare us for the season of Christmas.

Only experiencing God’s word and love incarnate can do that.

At the Twelve Days of Christmas Experience at Smoke Rise, we will move from preparing something that can be unwrapped in seconds to preparing ourselves and our hearts for a celebration that befits the coming of the Christchild. We will do this through hands-on experiences, sights, sounds and by creating take-home pieces that can help you build an observance in your home that will celebrate the Christ-child from Christmas Day through Epiphany and beyond.

Join us Sunday, December 5th, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm to prepare for The Twelve Days of Christmas.

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preschool parking lot

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2021

A Smooth Transition

Helping our 5th graders make the move to middle school.

by Becky Caswell-Speight, Minister of Families, Faith Formation and Connection Helping children transition from elementary school to the youth years is important.

By now, the schools have started planning end-of-the-year school field trips. Parents are creating special yearbook messages. And children are questioning what the next school year will look like.

Will I still have friends at my new school? How much homework will I be stuck doing each night? Will I have to walk through the eighth-grade hall to get to the bathroom?

This move to a new school is a big change for fifth graders and schools attempt to make this transition easier by providing opportunities to process the change.

But transition doesn’t stop with only school changes for our new middle schoolers. There are also a lot of changes here at church, too. The programs are different. There is a lot more discussion time. Students will be meeting in the building when their parents aren’t at church. Six graders move from being the oldest of the group to the youngest, and those high schoolers can be scary.

Change can always be scary. At Smoke Rise, we try to help relieve the anxiety of change with our Ascension program.

Naomi and I will begin meeting with fifth graders and their parents at the end of this semester. During this time, we will have a tour of the youth space, discuss fears and concerns, and help the children begin crafting their own stories—a theme that will run throughout their youth journeys. We will introduce them to some of those “scary” high schoolers and help them to realize they aren’t all that scary after all. We will help them find their places in this new group.

This next year, the youth and children’s departments will host a two-day retreat (January 21-22) at Lake Hartwell as well as two Ascension group sessions (April 24 and May 15). During these times we will meet with parents and children to discuss what it means to be a youth and any presenting concerns, fill out paper work, and eat dinner together.

On Sunday, May 22nd, the incoming sixth graders will display boards about themselves to help the congregation get to know our rising leaders better. Throughout the summer, fifth graders will have the opportunity to participate in multiple youth activities alongside their normal children summer events. At the end of the summer, children will become full-fledged members of the youth group by attending their first official trip as a youth.

This time of transition is a big change for parents and children alike. Our hope at SRBC is that our Ascension group activities will help make it all just a little bit easier.

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Catching up with Coming Together Drawing closer with Fall activities.

by Naomi Black-Bass, Youth Intern On October 17th, we carved pumpkins together and announced new “siblings” for our younger youth. Sixth graders are paired up with a high schooler, so that they have at least one older member to whom they can reach out to help them with church, school or other matters they are facing.

We also had a Youth Fall Fest where youth could come costumed and play games, eat food, and enjoy being together. We look forward to more times where we can come together and simply be with one another.

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Creating Connections

Connecting with each other and other members of our congregation through letters.

by Naomi Black-Bass, Youth Intern Over the last couple of weeks, the youth have been writing letters to some of our members in the senior adult satellite campuses to help foster intergenerational relationships among our church family. They introduced themselves and shared some of their interests.

Jonathan Hall has been making postcards that we send to the youth. As we have started to come back together from the Covid-19 lockdown, we are realizing the importance of community. So, as we write letters to the youth, and the youth write letters to other members, we hope to share God’s love by reminding people that they are a part of the Smoke Rise community.

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Mark Your Calendars December Dates 5 12 Days of Christmas (page 18) 11 Academy of Arts Holiday Showcase 12 Peter Mayer Christmas Concert 17 Youth Progressive Dinner 19 Christmas Breakfast 19 A Christmas Tapestry (page 6) 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (page 15) 31 End-of-Year Hospitality Station

(page 16)

January Dates 9 Youth and Kids Spring Semester Kick-off 14-16 Winter Youth Summit 21-22 Fifth Grade Retreat

February Dates 3-5 Polyphony Conference (page 7) 13 Souper Sunday 18 Winter Break Outing for SRBC Kids

Peter Mayer Christmas Concert - December 12 - 7:00 pm

The Memorial Garden at Smoke Rise consists of a columbarium and a memorial plaque wall. The Phase One Columbarium has 32 niches. Each niche has a specific identification which indicates its location.

Engraved with the name(s) and dates of birth and death of the deceased. This first phase of our columbarium has seven niches left to be sold.

We are beginning to plan for Phase Two, consisting of another 32 niches. This new segment will be placed along the sidewalk adjacent to the chapel. The projected time of completion for Phase Two is mid-January.

Our Religious Tradition From earliest times, people have been concerned about their final earthly resting place. Having that site be near the gathering place of their families, where each may be held in lasting, loving remembrance is an important consideration.

More recently, there has been a growing interest in cremation and subsequent inurnment on church property. The historic “churchyards” of the past have been revived with the addition of church columbaria and memorial walls.

A Church Columbarium and Memorial Wall Like the “churchyard” cemeteries of the past, the Smoke Rise Memorial Garden is a place of dignity and beauty - the final resting place for our loved ones, near the church Sanctuary and Chapel. It provides a quiet and serene place for contemplation and remembrance.

A columbarium is a place where the cremated remains of loved ones are placed

in small compartments or “niches,” holding the urn of one or two persons. The memorial wall is a structure where the names of those loved ones interred elsewhere or the names of church members who wish to be remembered in this way can be inscribed. The Smoke Rise memorial wall is under the stained glass in the Memorial Garden.

The cost for a niche (which can house two urns of cremated remains) in the columbarium is $2800.00 which includes the engraving and the provision of two urns. The cost for a memorial plaque with two names is $600.00 and with one name is $400.00.

A Theological View of Cremation Nothing in the Bible prohibits the cremation of the body. It is a good and acceptable practice of responsible stewardship when done for purposes of health, space and/or cost.

ELIGIBILITY: The use of our columbarium niches and the memorial plaque are restricted to: a. Individuals who are church members at the time of purchase b. Immediate family of church members (spouses, children, step-children) c. Former members of the church or their immediate family members as defined above d. Former ministers or staff of the church or their immediate family members as defined above For more information about the columbarium, contact Carol Ann Fulgham, chair of the columbarium council, at 404.285.1567.

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March 2 - April 16

The Season of Lent

March 2

Ash Wednesday

March 1

Fat Tuesday

Address Correction Requested

Fat Tuesday A MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION

Pancake Dinner March 1 at 7:00 pm SUPPORT THE SMOKE RISE YOUTH

Ash Wednesday Service March 2, 2022 • 6:00 pm

From dust you come, and to dust you shall return.

Join us for worship throughout the Season of Lent.

May these services help you to prepare for Jesus' death and glorious resurection.