ROSWELL, Ga. — Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell raised thousands of dollars at the close of 2023 to support specific needs of four local schools.
The fundraiser was one of the church’s NEXT initiatives, what Pastor Jason Cook defined as a “God-sized vision to do something great for the community.” Cook said it is a strategic, end-of-year financial push, when churches and other nonprofits tend to see the most giving.
There has been an overall decline in donating, though, he said, which he attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, a slew of church retirements, and the cultural and political debates in recent years.
“NEXT, for us, was our really prayerful hope that we would get out of that decline, and by God’s grace, we were able to by the end of last year,” said Cook, who took over as pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in 2021. The church was founded 45 years ago.
In just two months, Fellowship Bible Church raised $40,000, primarily through personal contributions from its 1,250-member congregation and other creative means developed by CFO Monty Rivers.
Cook and Rivers presented a $10,000 check to Hembree Springs Elementary School Feb. 13, the last stop, to support the final cost of a new playground for students with special needs.
Nancy Lahey, named Hembree Spring’s principal in December, was joined by former Principal Andrea Smith, now at Elkins Pointe Middle School. Katha Stuart, Fulton County Board of Education member, who represents areas in Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton and Mountain Park, was also on hand.
Hembree Springs has two pre-K classes and a kindergarten class for students with special needs, which includes students bused from zones not offering those programs.
“When I heard we were getting this, it just was a sigh of relief for me, because now I don’t have to worry about toilet paper and stuff for the rest of the…
Read the full article here
