News

First Baptist Adds Two New Members to Next Gen Team

First Baptist Church has added Jake Murphy as the High School Minister and Chris Daniel as the Middle School Director to the Next Gen Team. Both will be leading on Wednesday nights. Cody Turner, our Next Gen Pastor will assume a supervisory, coaching role over the Next Gen team, which includes Ashley Medina, Amy Major, Beth Smythe.

Jake Murphy

Jake Murphy will serve as the High School Minister, teaching on Wednesday nights. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies and Preaching Ministry from Point University, completing three church internships throughout the degree. Currently, he attends Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary online, pursuing a Master of Divinity degree. He and his wife Paige have served in the Next Gen ministry as volunteers for almost two years, and Jake has also previously served two years as Youth Minister at Grace Baptist Church.

Jake’s favorite things are coffee, soccer, and his family. Jake and Paige reside in LaGrange and have two children, Mattison and Judah. They love taking walks on the Thread and discovering locally owned restaurants and coffee shops.

Chris Daniel

Chris Daniel will serve as Middle School Director, also leading on Wednesday nights. Chris has served as Youth Pastor at Clearview Chapel for six years, has served on mission trips to Haiti with Clearview as well as First Baptist on the Square, and has served at DNow. He is a teacher at Greenville Middle School and before that he taught eight years in a couple of elementary schools in the Troup County School System. Chris is married to Angel, who works for First Baptist Christian Preschool. Their son Mason attends our preschool program.

Chris loves to fish with his family and has a chicken farm with 50 chickens. He is a huge Alabama football fan and played college football for LaGrange College back in the day. He also likes Frisbee golf and ultimate Frisbee and would be glad to take on students in a pick-up game of basketball.

Wednesday Nights Meals and Pastor’s Bible Study to Start Back on Sept. 9!

Our weekly Wednesday night meals will start back next Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 4:45 p.m. Reservations will be required. Each week, reservations will be due on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. for the Wednesday meal.

The meal for Sept. 9 will be a chicken fillet sandwich, baked potato with butter and sour cream, coleslaw, fresh fruit, strawberry shortcake, and tea or water. Menus will be posted on the website.

Click here to make your reservations, or call the church office at 706-884-5631.

When you arrive on Wednesday, please enter through the Christian Family Life Center doors on Church Street. Once checked in, please promptly find a table to eliminate crowding in the lobby. There will be up to four chairs per table for unrelated individuals. Individuals and families with reservations are guaranteed a seat and will be able to sit at a table of their choosing where there is a vacancy. There may not be available seating for individuals and families who arrive without a reservation. We are limited to a 100 reservations at this time.

Once seated, a server will bring the appropriate adult and children’s meals to the table. If you did not pay online, you can pay at the table, using the payment envelopes provided. Please bring the correct amount. Adult suppers are $5.00, and a child’s meal is $3.00.

The Pastor’s weekly Bible study will also restart on Sept. 9 at 6:15 p.m. in the CFLC. Youth worship and adult small groups will start back on Sept. 23. Choirs will return at a later date.

Keep watching for more information and updates. We hope you can join us next week or soon thereafter.

Don’t forget to make your reservations by 4:30 p.m. each Tuesday!

Our September Wednesday Night Restart Schedule

Here is our upcoming calendar of events for this month:

Sept. 9 – Weekly Fellowship Meal and Pastor’s Bible Study start back.
4:45 p.m. – Fellowship Meal in CFLC
This will be done by reservation. Please see the Wednesday Night Meals post on this page for details.

6:15 p.m. – Pastor’s Bible Study in CFLC starts back.

Adult small groups and student worship will not start this night, but on Sept. 23.

The Next Gen Ministry is providing pre-recorded lessons for Sept. 9 and 16 for students and kids that will include content for parents to facilitate conversation about the lessons. Be watching for emails with links and/or check the kids and students social media pages.
Kids Facebook Page
Middle School Facebook Page
Middle School Instagram
High School Facebook Page
High School Instagram

Sept. 16 – Volunteers for Kids and Student Ministries Will Meet
4:45 p.m. – Fellowship Meal in CFLC
6:15 p.m. – Pastor’s Bible Study in CFLC

Pre-recorded lessons available for students and kids. Details above.

6:15 p.m. – Next Gen Leadership Team Meetings
For Kids Ministry volunteers: Second Floor Rally Room
For Student Ministry volunteers: NLB

Sept. 23 – Adult Small Groups and Student Worship and Bible Study will start back.
4:45 p.m. – Fellowship Meal in CFLC
6:15 p.m. – Pastor’s Bible Study in CFLC

6:15 p.m. – Adult Small Groups
We currently have an open ladies’ group and an open men’s group. If you are interested in one of those groups or in starting a new group or Bible study, please contact Tom Farr at tom@fbclagrange.org.

6:15 p.m. – Student Worship and Bible Study
Middle School Students: Fourth Floor
High School Students: NLB

A digital Bible study will be available for all kids.

On-site kids’ activities will be limited to children of volunteers and on-site small group Bible study participants for at least the first two weeks to ensure procedures and volunteers are in place. If you are willing to serve as an online Zoom host for a kids small group, to serve as an on-site teacher, greeter, or check-in person, please contact Ashley at ashley@fbclagrange.org.

Choirs will return at a later date.

Sept. 30 – Same schedule as Sept. 23.
4:45 p.m. – Fellowship Meal in CFLC
6:15 p.m. – Pastor’s Bible Study in CFLC
6:15 p.m. – Adult Small Groups in assigned classrooms
6:15 p.m. – Student Worship and Bible Study, 4^th Floor and NLB

A digital Bible study will be available for all kids.

After Sept. 30, our ministers will reassess activities and procedures to decide the next steps.

Please understand that dates and plans are subject to change, depending upon health updates, our concern for your safety, and the availability of leaders and capacity of rooms needed for social distancing.

We do hope you will join us as you are able so we can grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord together. We may be socially distanced but we can be spiritually connected.