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Georgia. Materials will ship to churches start- ing in late July.
Please contact 770-936-5320 or email or- der@missiongeorgia.org with questions. There will also be materials available for download at missiongeorgia.org/offering. These include: downloadable videos, bulletin inserts, social media promotion, a PowerPoints and more.
OneDay FunDay
The first outreach event of 2021 for foster families took place on April 17 at OneDay FunDay in Douglasville. Working with Way-
mark Foster ministry, 170 foster kids and families enjoyed a day of outdoor activities at Exodus Ranch. The day featured horse rides, bungee jumping, a petting zoo and magic show. Because of gifts to the Mission Georgia offering, foster kids and families were treated to One- Day FunDay T-shirts, lunch and gift bags that included age-appropriate devotionals. Vol- unteers from FBC Fairborn, Central Baptist Douglasville and Rising Oaks Missions helped with the event. Shane Wilbanks of Make Known Ministries provided the magic show
and a gospel presentation.
Foster Care Support 101 Training
Churches and ministries in Georgia are ris- ing to meet the ongoing foster care crisis with compassion and hope every week in Georgia. With more than 13,000 children currently in state care, many more are needed in this min- istry area.
Mission Georgia works with existing min- istries to “model and multiply” the ways they are making a difference in their own commu- nity. Foster Care Support 101 training events will feature these ministries this year.
The first training was May 1 at Warren Bap- tist Church in Augusta. The foster care min- istry of the church, Better Together, hosted a Saturday morning training that included a panel of foster parents, a foster care social worker, church staff and a local foster care ministry/organization.
Foster Care Support 101 training events will take place in each region this year, hosted by churches that are actively involved in foster care.
Mission Georgia Roundtables
Mission Georgia Roundtables kicked off April 1 at Bethlehem Church in Bethlehem. The roundtables brought together leaders from local churches and nonprofit ministries for a collaborative conversation to hear about Mission Georgia initiatives and from one an- other. Participants made connections and dis- covered new ministry opportunities.
After Bethlehem, roundtables were held in Columbus, Clarkston, Cordele, Gray and Val- dosta. Each roundtable averaged 35 individ- uals, collectively representing more than 175 churches or ministries.
Photo courtesy of Lorna Bius The Children’s Ministry at Central Baptist Church in
Douglasville prepared gift bags for the families who attended the OneDay FunDay event at Exodus Ranch. All of the materials were purchased through the Mission Georgia Offering.
Photo courtesy of Waymark Volunteers from local churches and workers from Exodus Ranch
serve foster children and their families during the OneDay FunDay event.
Read Georgia connects churches, schools
Helping kids read well by fourth grade can make a significant difference in their lives and our communities. Data from the Prison Policy Initiative and Begin to Read indicate that the majority of kids who can’t read at grade level by fourth grade end up in crime or on welfare. In collaboration with Georgia Baptist Litera- cy Missions, a new resource is now available to help churches partner with local schools to improve reading scores. Read Georgia walks
Photo courtesy of Waymark Children ages 6 and up had the opportunity to ride horses,
play in a bouncy house and make crafts at the April 17, 2021, OneDay FunDay event at Exodus Ranch.
Photo courtesy of Waymark Shane Wilbanks performs a magic trick during his gospel presen-
tation at the OneDay FunDay event.
churches through the simple step-by-step pro- cess of starting a collaboration with school staff that allows church members to volunteer at the school once a week during the school year. Read Georgia provides a program manu- al, video training and coaches.
To get involved, simply visit missiongeor- gia.org/readgeorgia. You’ll find an interest form on this page. After filling it out, you’ll have immediate access to everything you need to start a Read Georgia program in your church and local schools.
Statistics show that children not reading on grade level by the fourth grade are more likely to end up in prison or on welfare.
Spending just 30 minutes a week working one-on-one with a child can change this. Get started with your church’s Read Georgia program at missiongeorgia.org/readgeorgia.
2021 Georgia Baptist Convention Annual Meeting
Nov. 8-9, 2021 | FBC Jonesboro
gabaptist.org/annualmeeting
GEORGIA BAPTIST MISSION BOARD JULY 2021