Battle of Chickamauga at 150: Less blood, plenty of sweat | timesfreepress.com
From Chattanooga Times Free Press
Showing posts with label Chickamauga GA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chickamauga GA. Show all posts
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Monday, September 02, 2013
BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA LANDMARK ANNIVERSARY OBSERVED IN SEPTEMBER
CIVIL WAR BUFFS TAKE NOTE: The Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park in northwest Georgia will be alive with War Between the States history in September during the observance of the 150th anniversary of the famous Battle of Chickamauga. Tours, re-enactments of the battles, and many other events are being planned for the several day occasion. More information is available at the links below, borrowed from all of my blogs, to simplify your search, If you know anyone who is a Civil War history enthusiast, you might want to share this blog post with them. The battlefield is between Fort Oglethorpe, GA, and Chickamauga, GA, which are south of the bigger city of Chattanooga, TN, known by many as the “Scenic City.” – Toney Atkins
The City of Chickamauga (WITH UPDATED COMMENT BY TONEY ATKINS)
The City of ChickamaugaFrom CityofChickamauga.org
**********************
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park - Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park - Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military ParkFrom the National Park Service, nps.gov Posted by Toney Atkins at 4:34 PM No comments:
Links to this post Labels: Battle of Chickamauga, Chickamauga GA Civil War Timeline and Special Programs - Chickamauga &
Chattanooga National Military ParkCivil War Timeline and Special Programs - Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
From the National Park Service, nps.gov Posted by Toney Atkins at 4:21 PM No comments:
Links to this post Labels: Battle of Chickamauga, Chickamauga Battlefield, Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield, National Park Service Walk Through Time At Chickamauga Battlefield Is Sept. 14-15 - 07/08/2013 - Chattanoogan.com
Walk Through Time At Chickamauga Battlefield Is Sept. 14-15 - 07/08/2013 - Chattanoogan.comToney Atkins comments: Anyone who wonders why I've posted so much about Chickamauga, GA, doesn't know (or probably even care) that I proudly call it my home town. I grew up there, graduated from Gordon Lee Memorial High School and later enjoyed some of the best years of my life teaching many terrific youngsters in grades five through seven at Chickamauga Elementary School (1967-1971). After teaching another year at North Rossville (GA) Elementary School, I vacationed in Florida, where I essentially was handed my first job in journalism, starting as a police reporter, progressing to entertainment writer and editor and then to county and city editor at a mainstream newspaper.
I lived in Chickamauga for 29 years and occasionally still yearn for the good old days of small town life where the living was relatively carefree, moved at a leisure pace and was full of Southern hospitality, drama and comedy.
I'm amazed at how much of the town/s history that I wasn't taught when I lived there, but learned about recently. Maybe my teachers tried to inform me, but being a typical kid, I simply took for granted the atmosphere as it was at the time, while every day, I was walking on or driving through a hallowed land that was jam-packed with history, a battlefield where much violence was wrought and much blood was spilled.
The upcoming observances of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga during the Civil War excite me and I want to share that excitement. If you want to visit a small Southern town steeped in history, I encourage you to see Chickamauga.
(The famous Civil War battle was named not for the town, but for Chickamauga Creek. The area was known as Crawfish Springs during the War Between the States. A once clear spring flows from a small cavern just east of the Gordon-Lee Mansion, a plantation built before the war which still stands an historic landmark. The water from the springs eventually flows into Chickamauga Creek.)
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
NORTHWEST GEORGIA GEARS FOR MAJOR OBSERVANCE OF BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA ANNIVERSARY
CIVIL WAR BUFFS TAKE NOTE: The Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park in northwest Georgia will be alive with War Between the States history in September during the observance of the 150th anniversary of the famous Battle of Chickamauga. Tours, re-enactments of the battles, and many other events are being planned for the several day occasion. More information is available at the links below, borrowed from my blogs to simplify your search, If you know anyone who is a Civil War history enthusiast, you might want to share this blog post with them. The battlefield is between Fort Oglethorpe, GA, and Chickamauga, GA, which are south of the big city of Chattanooga, TN, the “Scenic City.” – Toney Atkins
The City of Chickamauga (WITH UPDATED COMMENT BY TONEY ATKINS)
The City of ChickamaugaFrom CityofChickamauga.org **********************
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park - Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park - Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military ParkFrom the National Park Service, nps.gov Posted by Toney Atkins at 4:34 PM No comments:
Links to this post Labels: Battle of Chickamauga, Chickamauga GA Civil War Timeline and Special Programs - Chickamauga &
Chattanooga National Military ParkCivil War Timeline and Special Programs - Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
From the National Park Service, nps.gov Posted by Toney Atkins at 4:21 PM No comments:
Links to this post Labels: Battle of Chickamauga, Chickamauga Battlefield, Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield, National Park Service Walk Through Time At Chickamauga Battlefield Is Sept. 14-15 - 07/08/2013 - Chattanoogan.com
Walk Through Time At Chickamauga Battlefield Is Sept. 14-15 - 07/08/2013 - Chattanoogan.comToney Atkins comments: Anyone who wonders why I've posted so much about Chickamauga, GA, doesn't know that I proudly call it my home town. I grew up there, graduated from Gordon Lee Memorial High School and later enjoyed some of the best years of my life teaching many terrific youngsters in grades five through seven at Chickamauga Elementary School (1967-1971). After teaching another year at North Rossville (GA) Elementary School, I vacationed in Florida, where I essentially was handed my first job in journalism, starting as a police reporter, progressing to entertainment writer and editor and then to county and city editor at a mainstream newspaper.
I lived in Chickamauga for 29 years and occasionally still yearn for the good old days of small town life where the living was relatively carefree, moved at a leisure pace and full of Southern hospitality.
I'm amazed at how much of the town/s history that I wasn't taught when I lived there, but learned about recently. Maybe my teachers tried to inform me, but being a typical kid, I simply took for granted the atmosphere as it was at the time, while every day, I was walking on or driving through a hallowed land that was jam-packed with history, a battlefield where much violence was wrought and much blood was spilled.
The upcoming observances of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga during the Civil War excite me and I want to share that excitement. If you want to visit a small Southern town steeped in history, I encourage you to see Chickamauga.
(Did you know that the Civil War battle was named not for the town, but for Chickamauga Creek? The area was known as Crawfish Springs during the War Between the States. A crystal clear spring flows from an area just east of the Gordon-Lee Mansion, a plantation built before the war which still stands an historic landmark. The water from the springs eventually flows into Chickamauga Creek.)
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
CatWalkChatt - Crystal Springs Print Works in Chickamauga shuttered
CatWalkChatt - Crystal Springs Print Works in Chickamauga shuttered
From CatWalkChatt.com
Toney Atkins comments: Another big piece of my personal history apparently has died. The once bustling cotton mill and bleachery (formerly known as Crystal Springs Bleachery) operated 24 hours a day, and it provided most Chickamaugans with jobs and rental homes. My parents, grandmother, several aunts, uncles and cousins all worked at the plant during the time that I was born and until at least a few years after I was graduated from Gordon Lee Memorial High School. I was employed there as a laborer in the bleachery and then in its laboratory for two years before deciding to attend college. Except for the period of his service during World War II, my father worked at this heartbeat of the town most of his life. A few years after he retired from a supervisory position, he returned to the plant to work as a security guard. Many if not most of my friends and classmates lived in the "mill villages" that were built by the operation, one on either side of the lake that was spawned by crystal clear underground springs that flowed from a cavern just south of downtown. Learning about the business' closure saddens me, but it makes me happy to know that the small town of Chickamauga and its citizenry live on.
From CatWalkChatt.com
Toney Atkins comments: Another big piece of my personal history apparently has died. The once bustling cotton mill and bleachery (formerly known as Crystal Springs Bleachery) operated 24 hours a day, and it provided most Chickamaugans with jobs and rental homes. My parents, grandmother, several aunts, uncles and cousins all worked at the plant during the time that I was born and until at least a few years after I was graduated from Gordon Lee Memorial High School. I was employed there as a laborer in the bleachery and then in its laboratory for two years before deciding to attend college. Except for the period of his service during World War II, my father worked at this heartbeat of the town most of his life. A few years after he retired from a supervisory position, he returned to the plant to work as a security guard. Many if not most of my friends and classmates lived in the "mill villages" that were built by the operation, one on either side of the lake that was spawned by crystal clear underground springs that flowed from a cavern just south of downtown. Learning about the business' closure saddens me, but it makes me happy to know that the small town of Chickamauga and its citizenry live on.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Walk Through Time At Chickamauga Battlefield Is Sept. 14-15 - 07/08/2013 - Chattanoogan.com
Walk Through Time At Chickamauga Battlefield Is Sept. 14-15 - 07/08/2013 - Chattanoogan.com
From The Chattanoogan.com
Toney Atkins comments: This is a major observance of the Battle of Chickamauga (GA) on the 150th anniversary of the bloodiest battle of the War Between the States (the Civil War). Plenty of events are scheduled over a four-day period. More details will be posted here later. A must for Civil War history buffs! The Chickamauga-Chattanooga Military National Park is just south of Ft. Oglethorpe, GA, and Chickamauga, GA, and tours and activities are occurring throughout this summer.
From The Chattanoogan.com
Toney Atkins comments: This is a major observance of the Battle of Chickamauga (GA) on the 150th anniversary of the bloodiest battle of the War Between the States (the Civil War). Plenty of events are scheduled over a four-day period. More details will be posted here later. A must for Civil War history buffs! The Chickamauga-Chattanooga Military National Park is just south of Ft. Oglethorpe, GA, and Chickamauga, GA, and tours and activities are occurring throughout this summer.
Friday, April 26, 2013
GET A TASTE OF SMALL TOWN SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY: CHICKAMAUGA's DOWN HOME DAYS
CHICKAMAUGA, GA, SETS DOWN HOME DAYS
CatWalkChatt - Chickamauga s Down Home Days is back Fest set for May 2 4
The above link takes you to a story from the Walker County Messenger/CatWalkChatt
Toney Atkins says: Chickamauga, GA-- my home town -- stages the Down Home Days festival every year on the first weekend in May. If you want to enjoy the flavor of a small town, where residents come together for food and entertainment, Down Home Days may be the place for you to kick off the month of May. The event is sponsored by the local Lion's Club. Chickamauga is a few miles south of Chattanooga, TN, Fort Oglethorpe, GA, and the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield, which Civil War historians will recognize as the site of a major battle 150 years ago during the War Between the States.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
CatWalkChatt - Chickamauga s Down Home Days is back Fest set for May 2 4
CatWalkChatt - Chickamauga s Down Home Days is back Fest set for May 2 4
From the Walker County Messenger/CatWalkChatt
Toney Atkins says: Chickamauga, GA-- my home town -- stages the Down Home Days festival every year on the first weekend in May. If you want to enjoy the flavor of a small town, where residents come together for food and entertainment, Down Home Days may be the place for you to kick off the month of May. The event is sponsored by the local Lion's Club. Chickamauga is south of Chattanooga, TN, Fort Oglethorpe, GA, and the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield, which Civil War historians will recognize as the site of a major battle 150 years ago during the War Between the States.
From the Walker County Messenger/CatWalkChatt
Toney Atkins says: Chickamauga, GA-- my home town -- stages the Down Home Days festival every year on the first weekend in May. If you want to enjoy the flavor of a small town, where residents come together for food and entertainment, Down Home Days may be the place for you to kick off the month of May. The event is sponsored by the local Lion's Club. Chickamauga is south of Chattanooga, TN, Fort Oglethorpe, GA, and the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield, which Civil War historians will recognize as the site of a major battle 150 years ago during the War Between the States.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
OAKWOOD CHURCH PUTS CHRIST IN CHRISTIANITY
AUTHOR'S FOREWORD: When I originally wrote and posted this commentary in 2011, it was after a number of emotional, health and financial setbacks. That is why I focused on Oakwood Baptist Church in Chickamauga, GA. Some other churches emailed me, asking why I had not mentioned similar services that they offer the needy community. At the time, I felt led to Oakwood, and the spirit and help I received from the wonderful people there impressed me enough to share my experience to let others, and there are many, who are going through difficult times know that help is available from Christians who honor the teachings of Christ by providing food, clothing and other services to folks who, through no fault of their own, are unable to make it from paycheck to paycheck. I was not intentionally ignoring anyone. Large churches, and even smaller ones, especially in the South, offer help to those who legitimately need it. This commentary is designed to inform the hurting people out there that there is assistance, provided in a Christian way, and also to encourage readers to help support these programs with small or large financial gifts, specified to go to programs for the needy. By doing so, your gift may change for the better the life of someone or a family in your community whom you don't even know. What better way to celebrate the true meaning and spirit of Christmas? Thank you for your attention. -- Toney Atkins, Dec. 20, 2013
BY TONEY ATKINS
CHICKAMAUGA, GA -- Oakwood Baptist Church in Chickamauga puts the Christ in Christianity.
Exercising its stated purpose of “loving God, loving people (and) making a difference,” Oakwood Baptist goes far beyond beautiful Sunday singing and sermonizing to spread the true meaning of Christianity by putting Jesus’ words and works into action in northwest Georgia’s Walker County and beyond.
I knew I was in the presence of a loving, wonderful spirit the moment I stepped into the lobby of the church building to have a meeting with church deacons when the multiplying problems of a crisis-filled year led me to seek help that I could not seem to find anywhere else.
Feelings of abandonment, loneliness and destitution were becoming all too common again since I had waded into the swiftly flowing and deepening river of my so-called “golden years.” Retirement from working two jobs most of my life was turning out to be not as I had expected and hoped for my 60s while rapidly approaching the even more uncertain age of 70. (My brain often teasingly deceived me into believing I was still young, but my mischievous body loved to remind me of an otherwise reality -- and it still has that tendency.)
"Murphy's Law" seemed to kick into high gear in July of 2010 when my foot missed a doorstep and I took a tumble onto a concrete walkway, further messing up an already suffering back, breaking fingers and spraining an ankle. A week later, a blood clot was discovered, and I was put on a blood-thinning medication to add to my repertoire of pill bottles in my carrying case. Then came physical therapy and a continuing battle with cholesterol and triglycerides and an appetite for foods that were dangerously loaded with both.
Things got no better in December when my car went out of control on a rain-and-ice-slick road, plowing directly into a power pole, totaling the vehicle and damaging my ego and sense of security behind the wheel. The seat belt, which I had always hated, probably saved my life, keeping my body from taking the full brunt of the steering wheel and my head from smashing through the windshield. Months were to pass before most of the physical pains went away, and some aftereffects still persist. God was definitely with me.
He was also there when a potentially cancerous growth recently appeared on my face and when hospital technicians found that I have a kidney stone that may be too large to pass naturally without a lot of serious pain. At this writing, the latter issues still have not resolved themselves.
Add to all that a deepening financial crisis. I suddenly had to find a new place to live in mid-2011 when a friend, from whom I had been renting a room and sharing expenses, decided to turn his mobile home back over to the bank and leave because he said he simply could not afford it any more. Being retired and on a fixed income, I chalked up that development. I had to seek affordable housing and to make what I prayed would be only a temporary move into accommodations that I really couldn't afford.
Despite knowing that God was there, taking care of me the best He could, I became more and more despondent, depressed, full of self-anger and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness that I was doing very little to help Him to help me.
In mid-summer of 2011, I was spiritually led to Oakwood Baptist Church to seek any kind of help I could get. For the first time in many years, I was in a position of having to seek charity, and that was painful to my pride.
The church had been much smaller when I lived in Chickamauga as a young man, but apparently it was high on God because it had grown in size, membership and service to the community in comparison to what I remembered.
I felt the Spirit within moments of entering the doors. As I sat in the lobby, awaiting my appointment, one of the choirs was practicing and I had to smile. Long ago, I had sung in a choir. Long ago, I had felt the peace and joy that was welling up inside me. Several people passed, on their way to various activities. All smiled and offered greetings -- not because they felt compelled to, but because they wanted to. For a while, my anxieties were gone, seemingly meaningless. My fears were calmed. I felt good, physically and spiritually.
The deacons with whom I spoke reinforced the down-to-earth, “real people” atmosphere. Like Jesus, they were genuinely concerned about my problems. They didn’t preach at me. Foremost, they listened to me, they prayed with me and they helped me. God was in that room and everyone, including myself, was tuned in to Him.
Any doubt that I might have had about the power of the Spirit of Jesus, the Christ, was gone when I drove home, relieved that people cared, people helped.
The auditorium was packed for the Sunday services that I later attended. The ministers’ words rang true and the music and songs lifted me higher. The crowds smiled.
The church seems to be active seven days a week. I remain amazed at the number of ministries available to members and to the public, including missions to lead and encourage each other as the Body of Christ to go outside the church and be intentional in the area of relationship evangelism. This is performed through such actions as serving the community, as well as organizing short-term mission teams from Oakwood’s congregation.
Oakwood’s Ministry of Hope assists individuals and families in need of furniture and household items.
A church booklet points out that “life change happens best in community. When people gather in groups with a shared mission to pursue God; to love one another; or to serve others, God tends to show up and do amazing things.” Oakwood’s Life Group ministry offers a variety of groups.
Celebrate Recovery, which meets weekly at both the Chickamauga and Germantown (East Ridge, TN) campuses, is the “perfect place to go to heal from life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups,” a spokesperson said.
Among other events and activities, Oakwood Baptist offers a children’s ministry, student ministries, a worship ministry, the Financial Peace University, a men’s ministry, pastoral care, a singles ministry, a recreation ministry and the Oakwood Christian Academy.
Oakwood is part of the Northwest Georgia Baptist Association with many ministries that Oakwood, along with 70 or so other churches, help to minister in Walker County and around the world, reader Don Taylor pointed out.
Oakwood Baptist also has presented an annual Easter sunrise service in the area of Wilder Tower in the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield National Park between Chickamauga and Fort Oglethorpe.
Oakwood’s Chickamauga campus is at 115 Oakwood St., Chickamauga, GA 30707, with Bible study and worship services at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday at 7 p.m., with a meal at 6 p.m. The Gateway campus is at 247 Market Place Lane, inside the Gateway Mall, in Ringgold, GA (just west of Interstate 75). Sunday services are at 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. The Germantown campus is at 707 S. Germantown Road, East Ridge, TN, where Sunday worship is at 10:45 a.m. and Celebrate Recovery is Sunday at 7 p.m., with a meal at 6 p.m.
More information is available by calling (706) 375-5760 or going online to http://oakwoodbc.org .
I have never been known to write unsolicited commentaries about a particular church, but I have to say it. The Lord is leading me to testify about Oakwood Baptist and part of what it does in Chickamauga and surrounding communities. It’s “old-time religion” for the 21st century, and may it continue to bless.
Yes, "Murphy's Law" (if it can go wrong, it will) still challenges me, but I have rediscovered a very special and spiritual way to deal with it, thanks to the folks at Oakwood who practice loving God, loving people and making a difference.
I urge friends, relatives, enemies and other readers who would like to feel some Christmas spirit all year long to send charitable gifts to the Caring Missions fund to benefit the northwest Georgia area's needy at https://e-giving.org/GuestDonation_v5/DonatorPage.asp at Oakwood's web address or send checks or money orders to the Chickamauga church campus' street address listed above. Checks or money orders should be made to Oakwood Baptist Church, with the memo specifying Caring Missions.
You will be blessed as someone less fortunate than you is blessed. This is my personal recommendation, because I know it works.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Writer Toney Atkins was born and grew up in Chickamauga, GA. He accepted Christ as his Savior in the mid-60s. He taught fifth, sixth and seventh grade subjects at Chickamauga Elementary School between 1967 and 1971. He taught at North Rossville (GA) Elementary in 1971-1972, after which he moved to Florida to become a newspaper writer and assistant editor. After retirement, he currently lives in northwest Georgia and can be contacted at toneyatkins@gmail.com or toneyatkins@live.com .
POSTSCRIPT: This commentary, written and posted nearly two years ago, has remained as the overall most read posting on this blog, of which I am very pleased. I stand by my writing and support all churches and organizations that provide physical help and comfort to the poor and the needy in these desperate times for many. -- Toney Atkins, Oct. 19, 2013.
SPREAD PEACE AND LOVE! Don't forget the less fortunate, plus we must continue to remember the troops and their families who are still dealing with the Afghanistan War and veterans of the Iraq War. God bless them all!
BY TONEY ATKINS
CHICKAMAUGA, GA -- Oakwood Baptist Church in Chickamauga puts the Christ in Christianity.
Exercising its stated purpose of “loving God, loving people (and) making a difference,” Oakwood Baptist goes far beyond beautiful Sunday singing and sermonizing to spread the true meaning of Christianity by putting Jesus’ words and works into action in northwest Georgia’s Walker County and beyond.
I knew I was in the presence of a loving, wonderful spirit the moment I stepped into the lobby of the church building to have a meeting with church deacons when the multiplying problems of a crisis-filled year led me to seek help that I could not seem to find anywhere else.
Feelings of abandonment, loneliness and destitution were becoming all too common again since I had waded into the swiftly flowing and deepening river of my so-called “golden years.” Retirement from working two jobs most of my life was turning out to be not as I had expected and hoped for my 60s while rapidly approaching the even more uncertain age of 70. (My brain often teasingly deceived me into believing I was still young, but my mischievous body loved to remind me of an otherwise reality -- and it still has that tendency.)
"Murphy's Law" seemed to kick into high gear in July of 2010 when my foot missed a doorstep and I took a tumble onto a concrete walkway, further messing up an already suffering back, breaking fingers and spraining an ankle. A week later, a blood clot was discovered, and I was put on a blood-thinning medication to add to my repertoire of pill bottles in my carrying case. Then came physical therapy and a continuing battle with cholesterol and triglycerides and an appetite for foods that were dangerously loaded with both.
Things got no better in December when my car went out of control on a rain-and-ice-slick road, plowing directly into a power pole, totaling the vehicle and damaging my ego and sense of security behind the wheel. The seat belt, which I had always hated, probably saved my life, keeping my body from taking the full brunt of the steering wheel and my head from smashing through the windshield. Months were to pass before most of the physical pains went away, and some aftereffects still persist. God was definitely with me.
He was also there when a potentially cancerous growth recently appeared on my face and when hospital technicians found that I have a kidney stone that may be too large to pass naturally without a lot of serious pain. At this writing, the latter issues still have not resolved themselves.
Add to all that a deepening financial crisis. I suddenly had to find a new place to live in mid-2011 when a friend, from whom I had been renting a room and sharing expenses, decided to turn his mobile home back over to the bank and leave because he said he simply could not afford it any more. Being retired and on a fixed income, I chalked up that development. I had to seek affordable housing and to make what I prayed would be only a temporary move into accommodations that I really couldn't afford.
Despite knowing that God was there, taking care of me the best He could, I became more and more despondent, depressed, full of self-anger and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness that I was doing very little to help Him to help me.
In mid-summer of 2011, I was spiritually led to Oakwood Baptist Church to seek any kind of help I could get. For the first time in many years, I was in a position of having to seek charity, and that was painful to my pride.
The church had been much smaller when I lived in Chickamauga as a young man, but apparently it was high on God because it had grown in size, membership and service to the community in comparison to what I remembered.
I felt the Spirit within moments of entering the doors. As I sat in the lobby, awaiting my appointment, one of the choirs was practicing and I had to smile. Long ago, I had sung in a choir. Long ago, I had felt the peace and joy that was welling up inside me. Several people passed, on their way to various activities. All smiled and offered greetings -- not because they felt compelled to, but because they wanted to. For a while, my anxieties were gone, seemingly meaningless. My fears were calmed. I felt good, physically and spiritually.
The deacons with whom I spoke reinforced the down-to-earth, “real people” atmosphere. Like Jesus, they were genuinely concerned about my problems. They didn’t preach at me. Foremost, they listened to me, they prayed with me and they helped me. God was in that room and everyone, including myself, was tuned in to Him.
Any doubt that I might have had about the power of the Spirit of Jesus, the Christ, was gone when I drove home, relieved that people cared, people helped.
The auditorium was packed for the Sunday services that I later attended. The ministers’ words rang true and the music and songs lifted me higher. The crowds smiled.
The church seems to be active seven days a week. I remain amazed at the number of ministries available to members and to the public, including missions to lead and encourage each other as the Body of Christ to go outside the church and be intentional in the area of relationship evangelism. This is performed through such actions as serving the community, as well as organizing short-term mission teams from Oakwood’s congregation.
Oakwood’s Ministry of Hope assists individuals and families in need of furniture and household items.
A church booklet points out that “life change happens best in community. When people gather in groups with a shared mission to pursue God; to love one another; or to serve others, God tends to show up and do amazing things.” Oakwood’s Life Group ministry offers a variety of groups.
Celebrate Recovery, which meets weekly at both the Chickamauga and Germantown (East Ridge, TN) campuses, is the “perfect place to go to heal from life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups,” a spokesperson said.
Among other events and activities, Oakwood Baptist offers a children’s ministry, student ministries, a worship ministry, the Financial Peace University, a men’s ministry, pastoral care, a singles ministry, a recreation ministry and the Oakwood Christian Academy.
Oakwood is part of the Northwest Georgia Baptist Association with many ministries that Oakwood, along with 70 or so other churches, help to minister in Walker County and around the world, reader Don Taylor pointed out.
Oakwood Baptist also has presented an annual Easter sunrise service in the area of Wilder Tower in the Chickamauga-Chattanooga Battlefield National Park between Chickamauga and Fort Oglethorpe.
Oakwood’s Chickamauga campus is at 115 Oakwood St., Chickamauga, GA 30707, with Bible study and worship services at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday at 7 p.m., with a meal at 6 p.m. The Gateway campus is at 247 Market Place Lane, inside the Gateway Mall, in Ringgold, GA (just west of Interstate 75). Sunday services are at 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. The Germantown campus is at 707 S. Germantown Road, East Ridge, TN, where Sunday worship is at 10:45 a.m. and Celebrate Recovery is Sunday at 7 p.m., with a meal at 6 p.m.
More information is available by calling (706) 375-5760 or going online to http://oakwoodbc.org .
I have never been known to write unsolicited commentaries about a particular church, but I have to say it. The Lord is leading me to testify about Oakwood Baptist and part of what it does in Chickamauga and surrounding communities. It’s “old-time religion” for the 21st century, and may it continue to bless.
Yes, "Murphy's Law" (if it can go wrong, it will) still challenges me, but I have rediscovered a very special and spiritual way to deal with it, thanks to the folks at Oakwood who practice loving God, loving people and making a difference.
I urge friends, relatives, enemies and other readers who would like to feel some Christmas spirit all year long to send charitable gifts to the Caring Missions fund to benefit the northwest Georgia area's needy at https://e-giving.org/GuestDonation_v5/DonatorPage.asp at Oakwood's web address or send checks or money orders to the Chickamauga church campus' street address listed above. Checks or money orders should be made to Oakwood Baptist Church, with the memo specifying Caring Missions.
You will be blessed as someone less fortunate than you is blessed. This is my personal recommendation, because I know it works.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Writer Toney Atkins was born and grew up in Chickamauga, GA. He accepted Christ as his Savior in the mid-60s. He taught fifth, sixth and seventh grade subjects at Chickamauga Elementary School between 1967 and 1971. He taught at North Rossville (GA) Elementary in 1971-1972, after which he moved to Florida to become a newspaper writer and assistant editor. After retirement, he currently lives in northwest Georgia and can be contacted at toneyatkins@gmail.com or toneyatkins@live.com .
POSTSCRIPT: This commentary, written and posted nearly two years ago, has remained as the overall most read posting on this blog, of which I am very pleased. I stand by my writing and support all churches and organizations that provide physical help and comfort to the poor and the needy in these desperate times for many. -- Toney Atkins, Oct. 19, 2013.
SPREAD PEACE AND LOVE! Don't forget the less fortunate, plus we must continue to remember the troops and their families who are still dealing with the Afghanistan War and veterans of the Iraq War. God bless them all!
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