The Associational Advisor

  Below is a listing of 2026 Fall Revivals & Homecomings in the Piedmont Okefenokee Baptist Association. If your church's information is not listed, please contact the POBA office at (912) 285-8161 with details. You can also submit this information online . 

  Your POBA will gladly assist POBA churches by covering the registration cost for you and your church members to attend the SPARK Conference. Contact the POBA office at (912) 285-8161 to register.  September 27, 2026 3:45 - 8:15 PM Crossroads Baptist Church, Valdosta Speaker: Jimmy Scroggins More information  HERE

Choirfest will be held on Thursday, September 24 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Waycross, beginning at 6:30 PM. Information and registration forms have been mailed to each POBA church. If you have not received this information, please contact the POBA Office at (912) 285-8161. The deadline for registration is September 10. This form can be completed online HERE . Choirfest is designed as a time for us to come together and experience the worship that takes place each week in our individual churches. Churches are encouraged to make every effort to come and sing then stay and worship with other churches. We are looking forward to this time of worship with the churches of the Piedmont-Okefenokee Baptist Association!

(Sam Stack) This hymn was written by William Cowper. He was born in 1731 in England. His father was a minister. Cowper had a difficult childhood, his mother died in childbirth when he was only 6. Sent to a boarding school, he was bullied because of his nervous demeanor. His father wanted him to become a lawyer, but while preparing for the bar exam, his anxiety took over and he ran away and attempted suicide. He was committed to an asylum run by a devout Christian Doctor. As he began the healing process, he found faith and began writing poetry. Several years after his release from the asylum, he joined John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) in Olney, England, where Newton was pastor of the parish church. In 1799, Newton and Cowper produced the Olney Hymnal one of the most significant Hymnbooks of the early Evangelical movement in England. This hymnal contained 349 hymns, sixty seven of them were written by Cowper. There is a Fountain is based on Zechariah 13:1 “In that day a fountain sh...

  The POBA Executive Committee Meeting will be held Thursday, August 20, 2026 at the POBA Office. There will be a meal at 6:30 PM and the meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. The POBA office is located at 2104 Alice Street in Waycross. Register for the meal by calling the POBA office at (912) 285-8161 or online HERE .

  (Sam Stack) Holy, Holy, Holy was written by Reginald Heber, an Anglican pastor and missionary. He was born in Cheshire, England in 1783.He was able to receive an exceptional education and was a top notch student. Soon after completing his education, he was ordained into the Anglican Church and became a minister. Instead of seeking appointment to a large church, he chose to serve in a small church in Hodnet, England. While there he began introducing new hymns, including some of his own. During that time, the church of England (Anglican church) encouraged the singing of only metrical Psalms. Heber was one of pioneers that helped expand the body of songs for the church. In 1823, Reginald left England for India, where he became the Bishop of Calcutta. His responsibility included all of the mission work in India, Celon, and Australia. During his time in Calcutta, he founded a Seminary for training leaders and preached the gospel across India. He gave tirelessly to his ministry travel...

  (Tom Kennedy) If you've had any conversation about public schools and Christianity, you've probably heard the concerns. "They're trying to take God out of schools." Or "You can't talk about your faith." While there are challenges facing Christians in our culture, sometimes the stories we hear can make it sound as though every opportunity for Gospel influence has disappeared. The reality is much different. God has placed Christian teachers and students who are not ashamed of Christ and live out their faith as witnesses for Him among their peers. Here in Brantley County, God has blessed us. We have teachers and students who are boldly pointing others to Jesus Christ. That's something worth celebrating and supporting. On April 2, every eighth-grade student in Brantley County was given the opportunity to receive a Bible during their lunch period through the ministry of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Members of the FCA Student Leadership Tea...

  Love Packages is collecting used Sunday School literature to share around the world. Central Baptist Church in Waycross is a collection point for literature, Monday-Wednesday 8 AM - 12 PM. If you have any questions, contact Central Baptist (912-283-2646) or Pearlie Dorminey (404-406-4557). You can find information about this ministry at www.lovepackages.org . 

  Southeast Georgia Women's Center invites pastors to a Pastor Walk-Through on July 30 from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM to tour the center and see firsthand the impact of this ministry and how your partnership can make a difference.  Southeast Georgia Women's Center is located at 2007 Tebeau Street in Waycross, GA

  As fall approaches, churches begin to evaluate and prepare their budget for the upcoming church year. Here is a link from  Guidestone ( https://www.guidestone.org/pastorsguide ) that can provide guidance as to what churches may want to include in their budget to properly compensate their pastor and staff. 1. Be sure to take the best possible care of your pastor, other ministers, and staff to the greatest extent possible, with consideration to include benefits. 2. Evaluate which church ministries to fund and elevate, as well as which ones to discontinue. 3. Budget for your pastor to participate in both the Georgia Baptist Convention (Warner Robins) this November, and the Southern Baptist Convention (Indianapolis) in June. Keep in mind that your POBA can assist with lodging expenses for both. 4. Consider which partnerships to include, such as the Piedmont-Okefenokee Baptist Association and the Cooperative Program.

  The "Sunday School as a Strategy" training has been canceled.  ----- POBA will hold “Sunday School as a Strategy” on Monday, August 10 from 6:00 - 8:30 PM at the First Baptist Blackshear MAC Building. The speaker will be Allan Taylor.  Allan Taylor serves as an associate pastor at First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, TN. Previously, he served as Director of Sunday School & Church Education Ministries at LifeWay Christian Resources. Allan conducts many Sunday School and leadership conferences both nationally and internationally and mentors, instructs, and encourages Christian Educators and Sunday School leaders. Allan served 20 years as the Minister of Education at First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia. He also served at Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN, and London Bridge Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA. Before surrendering to full-time Christian service, Allan was a high school football coach. He has written two Sunday School books: The Six Core ...

  NAMB Opportunities:  https://volunteer.sendrelief.org/ IMB Opportunities:  https://www.imb.org/opportunity-finder/

(Sam Stack) We never know how deeply our actions affect the lives of others. Isaac Watts’ great hymn – “Alas and Did My Savior Bleed,” has certainly touched the lives of many throughout the centuries. Isaac Watts first wrote the hymn in 1707. The original last line of the first verse was “for such a worm as I.” Many newer hymnals have changed the line to “For sinners such as I.” The original Verses 2 and 4 have also been omitted from most hymnals. I have included them in the text. In this hymn, Watts draws the stark contrast between the sacrificial death of the mighty Maker and the unworthiness of sinful man. The final words of the text “Here Lord, I give myself away—tis all that I can do.” This hymn appears in two forms in most hymnals. The older version usually is included with verses 1, 3, 5 and 6 using the tune AVON by Hugh Wilson. It also appears in a newer version usually found with the title “At the Cross.” This version has music written in the 1800’s, by Ralph E. Hudson, who al...

  For seminary students who will be enrolled in seminary for the fall semester 2026: A blessing from the former Crawford Street Baptist Church is that they established a fund to provide scholarships to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary students. Crawford Street has given the Piedmont Okefenokee Baptist Association, Inc., leadership the privilege of nominating candidates to receive a scholarship to students out of churches in the Piedmont Okefenokee Baptist Association, Inc., who will be attending one of the six Southern Baptist Theological Seminaries in the fall of 2026. The six SBC seminaries are: Gateway Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This scholarship is for young people who desire to matriculate as students in any Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and who are preparing for the m...

  Pastor's Conference: June 7-8 Annual Meeting: June 9-10 Orlando, FL Register at: https://sbcannualmeeting.net/ The POBA has funds available to help POBA ministers with lodging for up to three nights to attend the SBC Annual Meeting in June. Contact Greg Benfield at (912) 285-8161 for more information. 

Thank you to all who have contributed to support POBA churches as they minister to families displaced by fires and to firefighters.  Churches, please pray about adopting an affected family to help them with clothing, food, and the process of resettling. If your church is interested, please contact the POBA Office.  ------  POBA is accepting gift cards to be used as needs arise. Cards can be dropped off at the POBA Office. Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief is on site at Lulaton Baptist and Southside Baptist.  There is an opportunity for GBMB Disaster Relief Training on Saturday, May 9 at Marshes of Glynn Baptist Church from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM. Register HERE . Churches, please pray about adopting an affected family to help them with clothing, food, and the process of resettling. If your church is interested, please contact the POBA Office.