Newsletter for November 11, 2026

Join us for a special Veterans Day Family Night as we welcome SGT Danny Gay, a Vietnam and Cold War-era veteran who served in the U.S. Army's 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), known as the Green Berets.

SGT Gay's military accomplishments include graduating from the U.S. Army Airborne School as an Honor Graduate, completing specialized training in guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency, and training with British Commandos.

Today, he continues to serve as chaplain for the Vietnam Veterans of America and the American Legion in Fitzgerald, as well as Associational Missionary Strategist for the Ben Hill–Irwin Baptist Association.

We invite everyone to join us for this special evening as we recognize and honor those who have served our country.

Meat Loaf, Scalloped Potatoes, Butterbeans, and Dessert 

Thank you, church family, for all of your hard work in ensuring a successful Harvest Banquet. Thanks to all of the volunteers who moved tables & chairs in & out of Fellowship Hall so the floors could be cleaned; volunteers who decorated; those who participated in the workday on Saturday; church hostesses who provided such a delicious meal; Finance Committee members who provided desserts & all of you for the generous donations to the Harvest Fund. What a blessing to be part of such a loving fellowship.

Brenda Lee
Finance Committee Chairman

Thanksgiving Through Praise

On Sunday evening, November 22, at 6:00 PM, Pinecrest Baptist Church in Cordele will host Thanksgiving Through Praise, a special evening of worship featuring congregational singing, testimonies, and musicians from churches throughout South Georgia.

I have been invited to participate in the music alongside several other musicians from our area, and I would love to see some familiar faces there! If you don't already have plans for that evening, I encourage you to join us as we come together to give thanks and praise to God.

The service will be held at Pinecrest Baptist Church, 1007 E. 19th Avenue, Cordele, GA.

Our friends at the Methodist Church have extended an invitation to members of our congregation to join them for their upcoming Christmas Dinner. They would love to have anyone from First Baptist who wishes to attend. Tickets are available for purchase, and all the details, including the date, time, location, and ticket information, can be found below.

Budget for 2026 . . . . . . . .  $370,078.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . $327,376.94
Received to Date . . . . . . .   $247,999.89 
Needed for weekly budget . . . $7,116.89
Tithes Received this week . . .  $2,458.24

Harvest Banquet
Received from January 1, 2026 to November 7, 2026 - $40,100.00
Received on November 8, 2026 - $22,308.00
Total for the year - $62,408.00

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to help plan a community patriotic program with the Turner County Arts Council. One year, I chose the theme “What Freedom Means to Me.” Throughout the program, between the musical selections, several individuals shared what freedom meant to them through their own personal experiences.

One of those speakers had grown up and spent much of her life in a communist country. At the time of the program, she had only lived in America for a little over fifteen years. Although that program took place more than ten years ago, I can still remember something she said in her closing remarks.

She shared that, to her, freedom meant being able to walk into a grocery store and buy more than one gallon of milk if she wanted to. Think about that for a moment. Something as simple as purchasing two gallons of milk was an example of freedom to someone who had lived much of her life without the opportunities and choices we enjoy every day. Her words made a lasting impression on me, and I have never forgotten them.

How often do we take for granted the freedoms we enjoy? We can go to the grocery store and purchase what we need, worship freely, express our opinions, and make decisions about our daily lives without giving much thought to how different life could be.

This Wednesday, November 11, we observe Veterans Day, a time set aside to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Their willingness to serve and sacrifice has played an important role in protecting the freedoms we enjoy.
When we think about the sacrifices of our veterans, we often think about those who served in combat. However, we should also remember the sacrifices made by those who spent months or years away from their families, missed important moments in their children's lives, and faced uncertainties that many of us will never experience. Their families sacrificed as well.

Jesus tells us in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." While these words ultimately point us to the sacrificial love of Christ, they also remind us of the importance of selflessness and putting others before ourselves.
That lady's statement about buying two gallons of milk may seem insignificant to some, but it reminded me that freedom is not always found in grand gestures or major events. Sometimes it is found in the simplest things we do without even thinking.

As we observe Veterans Day, let us take time to thank those who have served, pray for those who continue to serve, and remember the families who have sacrificed alongside them.

The next time you walk into a grocery store, attend a worship service, or simply go about your daily routine, take a moment to remember that the freedoms we enjoy should never be taken for granted.

To all our veterans, thank you for your service and sacrifice. May we never forget what you have done for our country.