Synergy!

Photos of our First Baptist Family Reunion Homecoming, and

some of the Synergistic Servants of First Baptist!

Yurapan and Jamie Wyatt--Co-chairs of our church Homecoming Family Reunion.

Place setting and poem on table (explaining the friendship bracelet/bookmark ties used to secure the silverware in the napkins):

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.-- Matthew 18:20

Following Jesus sets us free

We’re members of God’s family!

Red and yellow, black and white,

We are precious in His sight

Untie your napkins and save the strings

They can be used for many things!

Whenever you gaze upon these colors

Pray for your church family sisters and brothers!

…Serve one another in love.—Galatians 5:13

View inside tents.
View of tents in front of church.
Another view of tents.
Ed and Jamie getting our plates for lunch!
Mona Williams, photographer of some of the photos in this blog, behind (putting bunny ears on) Angie Davis, on the right, and to the left, Nancy Allen, wife of our retired pastor. You can see some of the crowd behind, under the tent!
Retired former pastor, Dr. Harold Allen, with longtime friends and church members, Patrice and Melvin Bailey, and their grandson, Joshua.
Above: Photo of 4 buffet lines, with some of the additional dessert tables below.

Cite This Source

synergy syn·er·gy(sĭn'ər-jē)

n. The interaction of two or more agents or forces,

so that their combined effect is greater than

the sum of their individual effects.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Today I saw amazing evidence of God's synergy, as our church family gathered for a Homecoming and "Church Family Reunion." As I mentioned previously, Yurapan King and I were co-chairs for this church-wide covered dish luncheon (potluck). With God's help, and lots of volunteers, Yurapan and I helped pull everything together in less than a month!

Over the last few weeks, scores of volunteers began preparations. They made "friendship bracelets," bundled and wrapped silverware, transported a thousand chairs and dozens of tables, and performed numerous other tasks, some highly visible, some obscure.

Yesterday, Saturday, volunteers erected a circus tent in front of the church. (This was no small feat! It involved about 20 guys wrestling a 60X90 mass of muddy, grass covered canvas over shrubbery, and up onto support poles. Then, all the poles had to be tied to stakes, for which holes had to be drilled into asphalt. After that, each stake had to be sledge hammered into the ground!)

The guys enjoyed good-natured bantering, and lessons on teamwork, in the midst of mastering a challenging task. Part of the job was "real" work! Part of the job was standing around watching others do the "real" work! LOL!

Today, we had dozens of volunteers working in the kitchen and surrounding areas, warming, cooling, slicing, mixing and otherwise preparing and putting out hundreds of food and beverage items. People put tablecloths on tables, set the tables, filled bread baskets, fixed drinks, and FOUND multiple other ways to help!

Working together, in unity, we accomplished much more than we could have by working individually. As a result, 900+ people served themselves, sat down together to eat, and enjoyed a bountiful feast, in record time!

It took all the men pushing and pulling together at the appropriate times to erect that tent. It took lots of well-coordinated volunteers, working in cooperation, to have the entire meal ready, on time, and organized into four separate buffet lines!

Diverse members, with diverse talents, worked together to accomplish our goals! We exceeded every expectation for the event! We had more than enough food, more volunteers than we could use, and more people attending than most expected! A good time was had by all! I heard the comment that it was "a taste of Heaven on Earth" yesterday, at First Baptist Church Peachtree City, Georgia. I tend to agree!

I know synergy is a phenomenon I have observed in health care, and in other organizations with which I am involved. Sometimes it is blatantly obvious that enhanced outcomes are possible with the right combination of input. However, in God's economy, His "interest rate" always far exceeds our expected yield! The results of God's using His people, who are synergistically working together for His purposes, are exponentially greater than what seems "possible." When we seek God, then step out in faith, we know we can expect an adventure!

Working together synergistically, our "church family" can accomplish miraculous goals. Dr. Allen, our former pastor (retired), reminded us from whence we came, and of how often, in the past, we had stepped out in faith and accomplished God-sized tasks. Dr. Allen reminded us that, with God's help, the best is surely yet to come for First Baptist Peachtree City!

God's Spirit was evident at our "Church Family Reunion" Homecoming. Love abounded, under the tents, on a perfect fall day! We were challenged and encouraged, by Dr. Allen, to move forward, together, in faithful anticipation of what God is going to do next in our church!

God was honored through renewed relationships and through the recommitment of His Body, (the church) united toward the common purpose of following God's will! What a great day! To God be all the Glory! Amen!

Photo album from Church Family Reunion Homecoming Lunch. A preview of the photos is shown below!