Join us for a delicious supper featuring chicken, rice, green beans, creamed corn, rolls, and a sweet treat for dessert. The cost per meal is just $6, and you can sign up at the connections desk or at the church office. Don't miss out on the great company and fellowship - we look forward to seeing you there!

Join Our New Members Class on Sunday, September 17


Come and join us for our upcoming new members class! Lunch will be provided as we discuss what it means to be a part of the Byne Family and all that God is doing in this season.

If you're interested in attending, please click on the sign-up tab below. We can't wait to see you there!

Driving an old church van through the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, the words of Randy Travis came to mind and the words rolled out of my mouth in my favorite country music voice: "My love is deeper than the holler, stronger than the river, higher than the pine trees growing tall upon the hill". No one told me. There was no announcement, just a realization. There I was - in the holler. I had never been there, but when I got there, I knew what it was called!

Without metaphors, we would have very few love songs or poems. Not only as a tool of artistic expression, but also has a tool for educators, metaphors help us to understand truth on a deeper level. Scripture is full of metaphors to help us understand spiritual truth. Christians are called sheep with a Good Shepherd Jesus. The Psalmist compares God to a fortress, a rock, a high tower, and a buckler. In each metaphor, God is compared to virtues of earthly formations or objects.

We often make the mistake of confusing other divine truths as metaphors. To say God is a heavenly father, is not to liken Him to fathers on earth. It is to call fathers on earth to the perfection of our heavenly Father. Fatherhood is not a cultural reality, it is an eternal reality with an unchanging reference - God the Father. In the same way, the church IS the bride of Christ. This is not a comparison of the church to an earthly bride. This is called theomorphic language. It is to say through the church we enter into covenantal relationship with Jesus. Our identity as a church and our purpose as a church finds its purpose in our relationship with Jesus - as His bride. While the church exists with many cultural markings (and always has), our defined purpose lies outside of local traditions and personal preferences.

In the 90's, it became popular for churches to survey communities to find out what people want in a church. Best-selling books were written about how to create a seeker-centered church that gave people what they want. Many (not all) megachurches were built with this seeker-centered mindset. Churches became expressions of preferences, not a fulfillment of purpose. As a church, our purpose is not defined by our preferences or based upon "market trends". Scripture calls the church several names that define our purpose:

1. The Body of Christ living with Christ as the head and carrying out the commands of His headship.
2. The Bride of Christ set aside wholly for the glory and pleasure of God.
3. The Household of God, heirs of the Kingdom. Now called sons and daughters.
4. A Temple of the Lord for the indwelling of His Spirit.
5. A Flock listening to follow the voice of our Master.

The primary question is not how to grow the church, but how to fulfill the mission. May Byne continue to fulfill the purpose that God has given to us. May we be the church God desires and the church the world needs. Lean in and take another step as the Lord leads His church!

MISSION Opportunities:

SAVE THE DATES:

• Puerto Rico - September 10th to 15th

• Please pray for the team:

• Justin Holton
• Delwyn Horst
• Fred & Joyce Jones
• Robert & Debbie Titus

• Hal Pinson

• Disaster Relief - Storm Relief Trips with Samaritan's Purse will be planned soon to assist after the hurricanes.

MSSION GEORGIA:

Mission Georgia, an initiative of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, aims to provide gospel-centered care to the most vulnerable populations in Georgia through local churches. By obeying Christ's command to love our neighbors, Mission Georgia empowers Georgia Baptist churches to spread His transformative message throughout their communities.

For years, Mission Georgia has supported various Georgia Baptist programs through an annual offering and prayer emphasis. The program has grown under the leadership of GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond. In 2019, the state missions offering took on an expanded role that mobilizes churches year-round to serve populations often facing challenging circumstances.

Mission Georgia has identified five specific needs that are prevalent in every county in Georgia. These needs disproportionately affect children and youth, and many individuals who are are disconnected from regular church activities. By addressing tangible needs and providing hope, churches have the opportunity to meet their greatest need: a life in Christ. As Psalm 4:6 reminds us, "Many are asking, 'Who can show us any good?'"

The Five Specific areas are:

• Childhood Literacy
• Foster Care & Adoption
• Human Trafficking
• Maternity Care
• Refugees & Internationals

Ministry Opportunities:

Byne Christian School:

Thank you to those who give to our school through scholarships, donations, and time. Our school is growing and doing great. We offer the 2 Day and 5 Day Classical model school. If you are interested in helping or knowing more about Byne Christian School, please see Mark or Hal.

Special Opportunities:

September 17th, 6pm, IMB Missionaries will be speaking at FBC Sylvester. C & B are personal friends of mine who are in the States for a few months. Come hear about the work God is doing through them in one of the most populous areas of the world. 

September 18th, IMB Missionaries will be at a Breakfast at FBC Albany. This will be similar to the service the previous night. Anyone is welcome, but we just need to have a number that will attend by 9/12. 

October 19th, Annual Meeting at Lakeside Baptist Church, Albany. More information to follow.

Maintenance Opportunities:

We are always looking for volunteers to come and do small projects around the church.

Please let me know if you would like to help.

• We need help cleaning the tree line by the big ditch
• We need to pressure wash and clean the sidewalks and playground equipment around the facility

Thank you to those who are already volunteering and helping with maintenance needs!

We need a maintenance vehicle. We are looking for a pickup truck that can be used by the maintenance team. If you would like to sell or donate it to the church, please contact Hal Pinson. The 1998 van we had finally died.

Church Shirts:

We have just released our brand-new polo and button-up shirts, available for purchase starting Sunday, September 3rd in the foyer. Hurry and grab yours for only $25 each before they sell out!

Vision Statement

To be a multicultural, multi-generational, Great Commission church that exalts Jesus Christ and leads people to discover their purpose in Him through love.

Mission Statement

To Know, Love and Live for Jesus!