Longtime North Escambia Educator Pens Spiritual Poetry Collection Book
March 9, 2008
Longtime North Escambia teacher Mary Alice Thomas has published a personal spiritual poetry collection called “Battle of the Soul”, a title that has connections with her early days as a Teens for Christ sponsor while teaching in North Escambia.
Thomas used her Christian educational background to author and publish to the collection. Thomas said that she is “writing from the heart and not from the head”, and she adds that she took the seeds that were planted in her life at Southern Normal and transplanted them when she ended up at Stillman College, where she earned her undergraduate degree.
In her Bible classes at Stillman, these seeds grew into small plants. This basis has allowed her to draw deeply into her inner being and urged her to find her calling in the teaching profession.
Florida’s Escambia County School District opened the doors for her to become an educator, creating an opportunity for Thomas to combine her spiritual training with her love for writing.
“All my life I had wanted to minister to the needs of people, students and peers,” Thomas says. And Escambia County offered this to her until she retired 35 years later after teaching both English and social studies.
Thomas began teaching at Ernest Ward Middle School then transferred to Carver/Century K-8 School, where she remained for 22 years.
“Century, Florida, is as much as home to me as Brewton, Alabama,” she says. “I hold both of these towns close to my heart.” Thomas retired from Northview High School in 2004 and followed that year with a year on the West coast where her daughter and grandchildren resided at that time.
After a year out of the classroom, Thomas found herself restless and missing the faces of young people, so in 2005 she returned to the same district. She is presently employed at Carver/Century.
When asked why she wanted to come out of retirement, Thomas replied, “My love for teaching, trying to change lives, trying to encourage the broken-hearted, trying to get students ready for learning and trying to massage the brain, to change the mind and heart and the directions of the innocent.”
Thomas said that her superior fulfillment comes when she learns of the success of one of her former students. “I invested my life in every student who sat in a classroom under my teaching.” She adds that her favorite success was the day that she started working with a group of young people who would sacrifice their early morning peer social time for Bible study and pray before school.
She ended up sponsoring the Teens for Christ group for 24 years. She said that her commitment to that group and those students stemmed from the fact that “the battle of the soul is in a changing society”.
From this comment comes the title of her book, “Battle of the Soul”. Thomas believes that teaching is a ministry that one must be called into. It should never be a choice one makes just to have a job.
“I write to honor the Creator of all life,” Thomas adds, and her collection of over 35 spiritual poems is a testament to her endeavors. She currently has a religious-based drama and other various poetry collections that are awaiting publication.
To order a copy of her religious poems, write to Mary Alice Thomas, P.O. Box 163, Brewton, AL 36427. All books are $10 each.
Submitted story and photos by Vicki Baggett. Click photo to enlarge.
CrossFaith Steeple Goes Up On New Church Building
March 6, 2008
The steeple was raised at the new CrossFaith Church building on Highway 29 in Molino Wednesday morning.
“It is a huge blessing,” Pastor Rob Hines said as he watched the steeple settle onto the roof of the new building.
There is a big missions conference scheduled for the church in mid April, and Hines fully expects to be in the building by then. He hopes that the congregation will be meeting in the new sanctuary by the end of this month, if all goes as planned.
The building includes a 300 seat sanctuary, a fellowship hall area that will double as a youth meeting room, classroom space and offices.
The church is currently located on Molino Road. That building has been put up for sale.
For a complete photo gallery of the steeple going up and from the inside of the church, click here.
Molino Churches View Tornado Video Sunday AM
February 24, 2008
A week after a devastating EF-1 tornado hit Molino, things were continuing to return to normal as much as possible Sunday morning. Hundreds of worshipers at Highland Baptist Church and Victory Assembly of God in Molino viewed a video Sunday morning looking back at images from last week’s tornado.
The twister passed over Highland Baptist Church last Sunday just as their morning worship service was ending, ripping the steeple off the top of the sanctuary and slamming it into parked cars in the parking lot.
Exactly a week later, worshipers at Highland ended this Sunday morning’s service by gathering together at the altar to view the video. Some cried. Some hugged others around them. Some raised their hands in praise as the video played.
The soundtrack to the video was “Praise You In This Storm” by the Christian group Casting Crowns. It included dozens of NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos shot shortly after last week’s tornado as well as during the week. There were also NorthEscambia.com reader submitted photos of the actual tornado and photos by Highland Baptist in the video.
The theme of the video was praising God in spite of the storm. It was produced by NorthEscambia.com. It can be viewed by clicking on the image above.
Highland Baptist Offers Praises Following Tornado
February 21, 2008
“I’m so glad that God protected us through it all Sunday,” Pastor Brian Calhoun began the Wednesday night service at Highland Baptist Church, the first service in the church since Sunday’s tornado ripped the steeple off the church.
Several church members knew Sunday that the weather was forecast to be bad. The church organist received a call early on from a member who was sick at home. The TV weatherman was saying that bad weather was headed toward North Escambia.
Calhoun had just finished his sermon and was about to give the invitation. The organist received another call; this one telling her that a tornado was headed toward Molino. She quietly informed the music director. A decision was made, and worshipers were directed from the sanctuary with its huge stained glass windows to the fellowship hall, a brick building with no windows.
A few decided to leave. One lady did, only to find herself trapped in her car as the tornado neared. She saw the flying debris, and decided to return to the church. She pulled up under an awning at the church. The pressure from the approaching storm was so great that she was unable to open the doors of her car.
Meanwhile, inside the fellowship hall, the power was out, and it was dark except for emergency lighting. The children began to complain that their ears were popping due to the pressure. Mrs. Sara, the pastor’s wife and leader of the church’s Wednesday night Kids Klub, told the kids to pretend they were chewing bubble gum to unstop their ears. When that did not work, she led them in songs to comfort them as they huddled under tables.
The adults waited. And prayed.
When they emerged, they found destruction around them. Trees down. Metal in the trees. Windows blown out of cars. The church steeple on the ground in pieces, and smashed cars that were in its path down next to it.
They did not know that in one direction, homes were destroyed on Crest Lane. In the other direction, homes were destroyed on Molino Road.
“People have asked me ‘Were people screaming and stuff?’,” Calhoun said Wednesday night. “There were people crying. Sure. Some recalled Hurricane Ivan and the terror it brought. But there was a calming presence of the Lord that was there with us.”
After the storm, church members tried to cover the hole left in the roof where the steeple was ripped off. There were three men that did not attend the church that stopped by and helped.
Now the church is reaching out to the community. On Tuesday, Calhoun was walking around the Crest Lane area talking to storm victims. On Wednesday, Highland fed 15 people that were still without power.
“This has given us the opportunity to reach out to families whose homes were damaged in the storm,” he said. The Red Cross has left the area, but Highland continues to look for those in need. Two families from the Brickyard Road area have contacted the church so far looking for assistance.
“Anybody that still needs help should give us a call,” Calhoun said. “We will try to help them and minister to them at the same time.” The church can be reached at 587-5174.
Wednesday night, church members offered their praises to God for His protection during Sunday’s tornado.
The owner of the white car smashed by the steeple (pictured left), offered a simple praise. “It was all the Lord’s hand how it worked out,” he said. “I am just thankful that we were not sitting in that car.”
“I praise God for the calmness as we went to the fellowship hall,” another said. “We did not actually know that the tornado was just outside the door.”
“We are thankful that You looked out for us and did not let anyone get hurt,” a church member prayed. “We pray for all those in our community that lost their homes. Lost their vehicles. Give us all patience as we rebuild, and we rejoice that You had a hand in it.”
“Help us understand the needs of those around us, so we can reach out to them,” another prayed.
“We thank You for Your Spirit to calm us,” Calhoun prayed. “We thank You; we praise You.”
Highland Baptist Church suffered up to about $100,000 in damage in Sunday’s tornado, according to Calhoun. A structural engineer has determined that it is safe for the church to continue to hold services in the sanctuary. The damages include the steeple, portions of the roof as well as other structural damage around the church complex.
Pictured top: The cross from the top of the Highland Baptist Church steeple. Pictured below:The broken steeple in the parking lot. NorthEscambia.com photos; click to enlarge.
NorthEnd Youth Gather For A Night Of Fun And Worship
February 16, 2008
About 25 middle and high school students gathered at Northend Community Church Friday night for a night of food, games, music and more. The program entitled “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” was also presented.
Games ranged from eating doughnuts off a dangling string, to bullseye kissing a poster board, to Vaseline nosed cotton ball transfer were big hits.
The guest speaker was the Rev. Jeff Walker from Christ Community Church Baptist Church. The games were led by Daniel Torrez from Cottage Hill Baptist Church.
Click here for a complete photo gallery from the event.
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Rev. Fil Enfinger Retires After 38 Years In Ministry
February 3, 2008
The retiring Rev. Fil Enfinger and his wife Mary were honored with a reception Saturday at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church in Bogia. Enfinger has been in the ministry for 38 years.
He first spent three years and eight months at Ray’s Chapel, beginning in 1970. Then he pastored Cottage Hill Baptist Church for 24 years. Then he returned to Ray’s Chapel doing “pulpit supply”–just filling in on a temporary basis. He’s been back at Ray’s Chapel for 10 years.
“I love to preach,” Rev. Enfinger told NorthEscambia.com Saturday afternoon, surrounded by church members, family and friends. “It’s been a good ministry.”
“There have been a lot of baptisms over the years. The Lord has truly blessed,” Rev. Enfinger said.
When asked about the funniest thing that ever happened during the 38 years, he started to tell a story. But his wife Mary interrupted with a “you can’t tell that one” kind of look. So we got the Kleenex wedding story instead.
“I was doing this wedding one time with a young couple. Just as they played the song for me to go out, I got this bad nose bleed,” he said. Acting quickly, he grabbed Kleenex and stuffed them into his nose to stop the bleed. “I did this entire wedding with the Kleenex hanging out of my nose.”
The Rev. and Mrs. Enfinger were honored with a reception and video slide show Saturday afternoon at Ray’s Chapel.
And the best part of the 38 years? “Getting to serve the Lord,” Rev. Enfinger said. “It’s all about Him.”
Click here for a complete photo gallery from Saturday’s reception Rev. Phil and Mary Enfinger at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church.
Walnut Hill Baptist To Begin Bible Study
January 19, 2008
Walnut Hill Baptist Church will begin a January Bible study entitled “God’s Amazing Grace” Sunday night at 6:00. The study will continue each Sunday evening at 6:00 and Wednesday evenings at 7:00.
On January 29, a ladies Beth Moore study “The Patriarchs” will begin each Tuesday evening at 6:00.
The church is located at 5741 Arthur Brown Road, about about 1.5 miles from Highway 97. For more information, call 327-4595.
Video: Steeple Goes Up At Aldersgate Methodist
January 10, 2008
A new steeple was installed Wednesday afternoon at Aldersgate Methodist Church in Molino. The steeple replaces one that blew off the sanctuary during Hurricane Ivan on September 16, 2004.
Victory Assembly Begins New Service Times
January 6, 2008
Sunday was the first day on a new schedule at Victory Assembly of God in Molino. The church now holds Sunday School from 9:30 until 10:15, followed by morning worship at its new time of 10:30.
The church is also holding a week of prayer until January 12. The sanctuary will be open for prayer today through Saturday from 5:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
The church is located on Highway 29, south of Barrineau Park Road. For more information, contact the church office at 587-2295, or visit victorycan.org online.
Hendersons Performed In Byrneville
December 31, 2007
The Hendersons were in concert at the Beulah Chapel Assembly of God in Byrneville Sunday night, and a chili and soup supper followed.
The Hendersons have been singing in a family ministry since 1989 and have over 70 combined years in the singing ministry. The Hendersons primarily sing traditional and southern gospel music.
The Henderson’s unique harmony has been featured on seven recored projects, including several original songs. Sunday night’s concert will feature such favorites as “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now”, “All Signs Are Pointing”, “I Won’t Be Satisfied” and the classic “Just Passing Thru”. Their latest radio releases “Sailing On Home” and “The Blood of Sacrifice” will also be included.
The group consists of Sonny Henderson, his daughter Lydia Henderson of Pensacola, FL, and Mark Cates of Pace, FL. Sonny’s wife, Marie, travels with the group serving as sound technician, and full time office manager.