Calhoun, March 2023:  Splash Gordon held its first 2023 leadership team meeting on March 15, 2023 to begin preparations for its annual local mission opportunity to be held Friday, July 28th – Saturday, July 29th. SPLASH  Gordon is the effort of many churches working together to “Show People Love And Share Him” with our community in a variety of ways over a two-day period. SPLASH participants are engaged in local mission projects ranging from minor construction projects to a variety of creative ministries. Working together as the body of Christ builds the Church and forms relationships that last a lifetime! 

SPLASH is an excellent way for churches, youth groups, families and individuals to be on mission in their own Jerusalem!  It is also one of the most affordable, multi-generational, hands-on local mission opportunities available! You can get your hands dirty doing yard work, painting or performing minor home repairs for people in need of a helping hand.   Or, you can make and share baked goods, sing, clean, change light bulbs, visit, share the Gospel, teach Bible lessons, minister to people on the streets, in nursing homes, at schools - the possibilities are endless!  

Make plans now to come SPLASH with us!  You can make it a fun, yet fulfilling FAMILY event or a MAJOR summer Youth event.  It’s open to everyone, from children thru senior adults.  You and your family can serve together at a Backyard Bible Club, visit Nursing Homes or even work together on a construction team.  Or, if preferred, each family member can serve in their chosen area of ministry and then share their experiences during family time at home. It's a great way to grow family relationships. However, to ensure the safety of children under 12, they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and assigned to serve on their parent's team. 

Registration is now open, and the cost is only $50.00 per person. Your Registration Fee provides 5 meals over the two days, a t-shirt, transportation to and from ministry sites, helps defray the cost of project materials, unforgettable ministry experiences, and inspiring evening worship services. You can register on-line at www.splashgordon.net/on-line-registration and submit your registration fee here.  

Because the number of projects and ministries we can provide during SPLASH is directly related to the number of participants, the registration deadline is June 30th.  Once the number of participants is known, SPLASH leadership can select projects based on the number of volunteers needed to complete projects in the two-day time frame; notify homeowners of project acceptance; order the needed materials; and make all team assignments. Due to the lead time needed to make all the preparations for SPLASH, we cannot guarantee late registrations will be accepted. Requests for Late Registration will be considered on an individual basis and will be charged a $15.00 late fee.  

For more information, please call 706.629.5139 or email splashgordon.net@gmail.com.

SPLASH Gordon is gearing up for its 2019 local mission project!
SPLASH stands for Show People Love and Share Him

Splash Gordon is currently taking Project Request Applications to do minor home repair such as:  repair/replace flooring, weather-stripping, caulking, painting, minor plumbing repairs, build handicap ramps, minor roof repair, etc. for those in need of a helping hand. Projects will be done during Splash Gordon 2019, July 25th - 27th, as one of the ways we will be SPLASHING our community with God's love.

If you, or someone you know, has a project to be considered, please call 706.629.5139 to request a Project Request Application, or click here complete the application on-line.   A SPLASH representative will contact you, or the person you submitted the project for, to schedule an appointment to assess the project and to confirm if the project has been accepted.  Projects will be approved based on need, with priority given to correcting health and safety issues.  Also, projects need to be able to be completed in a three day time frame or less. Due to time and logistical constraints, we are unable to accept all projects requests that are submitted.  Questions should be submitted to splashgordon.net@gmail.com. 

SPLASH Gordon is gearing up for its 2018 local mission project!
SPLASH stands for Show People Love and Share Him.

Calhoun, February 2018:  Splash Gordon held its first 2018 leadership team meeting on February 27, 2018 to begin preparations for its annual local mission opportunity to be held Thursday, July 26th – Saturday, July 28th.  SPLASH Gordon is the effort of several churches working together to “Show People Love And Share Him” with our community in a variety of ways over a three-day period.  SPLASH participants are engaged in local mission projects ranging from construction (painting, roofing, handicap ramps, decks, yard work, repairs, etc.) to creative ministries (sports camps, nursing home ministries, Back Yard Bible Clubs, housing authority service projects, evangelism, etc.)

SPLASH is an excellent way for churches, youth groups, families and individuals to be on mission in their own Jerusalem!  It is also one of the most affordable, multi-generational, hands-on local mission opportunities available!  Early Registration is set to begin March 1st for only $50.00 per person and will continue until March 31st.  Beginning April 1st, price increases to $60.00. Your Registration Fee provides you with 8 meals over the three days, a t-shirt, transportation to and from ministry sites, helps to defray the cost of project materials, unforgettable ministry experiences, and inspiring evening worship services.  Registration deadline is May 31st; no registrations will be accepted after this date.  You can register on-line at www.splashgordon.net/on-line-registration or download a complete paper registration packet at http://www.splashgordon.net/uploads or more information, or to request a registration packet call 706.629.5139.

Splash Gordon is currently taking Project Request Applications to do minor home repair such as:  repair/replace flooring, weather-stripping, caulking, painting, minor plumbing repairs, build handicap ramps, minor roof repair, etc. for those in need of a helping hand. Projects will be done during Splash Gordon 2018, July 26th - 28th, as one of the ways we will be SPLASHING our community with God's love.

If you, or someone you know, has a project to be considered, please call 706.629.5139 to request a Project Request Application, or go to http://www.splashgordon.net/project-request  and complete the application on-line.   A SPLASH representative will contact you, or the person you submitted the project for, to schedule an appointment to assess the project and to confirm if the project has been accepted.  Projects will be approved based on need, with priority given to correcting health and safety issues.  Due to time and logistical constraints, we are unable to accept all projects requests that are submitted.  Questions should be submitted to splashgordon.net@gmail.com. 

SPLASH Gordon is excited to offer On-line Registration for 2017!  - click here the to access the form.  Simply fill out the form on-line and submit - no paper registration to fill out! Please read the instructions and each question thoroughly to provide complete, accurate information. Please let us know if you have any questions or problems in using the online registration. While it has been tested, keep in mind there may be issues we haven't yet discovered. Therefore, we ask for grace as we "go live" and your patience and forgiveness if difficulties are encountered!

While On-line Registration eliminates the need for paper registration, there are two forms that require a signature.  At the present time we do not have the capability within our form to accept an electronic signature, so these documents will have to be downloaded signed and/or notarized, then uploaded, mailed or delivered to SPLASH. 

Paper Registration Packets are still available for completion if you desire - click here to download: 

For those who may not know, SPLASH Gordon is an exciting local mission opportunity that God has given to the evangelical churches in Gordon County. 

Our goals are as follows:

1. Significantly impact our community for Christ
2. Provide a multi-generational missions/ministry experience
3. Make missions and the sharing of Christ experiential/hands on, with a focus on Family
4. Prepare students to make a SPLASH in their schools
5. Help churches work together cooperatively

This year SPLASH will be held Thursday, July 27th through Saturday, July 29th, 2017.  Early Registration is available NOW until Mar. 31, 2017.  Cost is $50.00 per person and includes:

• Event T-shirt
• 8 meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner on Thursday & Friday; breakfast & lunch on Saturday)
• Helps to defray cost of project materials
• Unforgettable ministry opportunities for individuals, families, and youth groups
• Inspiring evening worship services

Effective Apr.1, 2017 price increases to $60.00 per person, so take advantage of the $10.00 savings and register now!  Registration Deadline is May 31, 2017 and NO registrations will be accepted after this date.

 For more information you can email us at splashgordon.net@gmail.com or contact Doug Ledford at ​706.629.5139

As SPLASH 2015 came to a close, our bodies were tired and many ached, but our hearts were full from all we had shared during those three days.  We saw God soften hearts that had become callused over years of exposure to "worthless" religion; seen satisfaction and contentment  in the lives of those who had their physical needs meet; saw joy on the faces of children and the elderly who had been the recipients of love and kindness; and saw the countenance changes of those who had received Christ as their Savior!  God was faithful and we were blessed!  The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:8, "Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ." (NLT).  Though none of us are deserving, He has allowed us the privilege of telling some of those in Gordon County about the endless treasures that are available to them through a relationship with Christ and for that we are truly grateful!

May our religion, the outward expression of our relationship with Christ, be acceptable to God our Father as pure and faultless as we continue to SPLASH those around us!  The devotion for Day 3 is below:

Day 3 Devotion:  
Religion can make a positive impact upon others!  It requires honest self-evaluation, control of our speech, focused charity, and moral purity.

The opposite of "worthless" religion is "pure and faultless" religion.  We don't often describe ourselves, or anyone else for that matter, in such glowing terms of praise.  "Man, have you spent time with John lately?  His religion is awesome! It seems pure and undefiled!" 

What if God evaluated your outward expression of your relationship with Jesus, your religion, and deemed it pure and faultless?  Wouldn't you like to know how that can be?  You can!  The first two steps we have learned on days one and two.  Honestly evaluate your speech and then bring it  under control!  In addition, two other qualifications are given in verse 27.  Pure and faultless religion is taking care of two groups of people when they are in distress. Identify those two groups.

                     Take care of the _________________ and ________________ in their distress.  

Do you think that God means to restrict our "looking after" to only those two groups of people?  I would suggest that these two groups are the starting place for Christian religious expression, not the limit of it.  What other categories of people should Christians seek to "look after"?  Or, who are the distressed people around you?  What can you do to help them?

What is pollution?

We think the act of pollution as the process by which a pure thing is corrupted from an impure outside source.  In this verse, the believer is told to avoid being polluted from the influences of the world.  A believer's relationship with Jesus can be corrupted by the outside "worldly" influences.  1 John 2:16 says,  "For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world."  What are some of the real temptations that try to pollute your life with Christ from the outside?

Application:
You have spent two days helping people in various ways.  The entire SPLASH ministry has tried to bring our personal relationship with Jesus out in the open to impact our community.  A small group has planned these three days for a large group to make an impact.  But how will you make an impact for Jesus through your religion next week?  Who needs your help?  Will you plan to help them?

Will you impact the world or will you let the world pollute you?  Reach out to your family and your church group to make a commitment to be pure from the worldly pollutions that you struggle with.  

Prayer:
"Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  Psalm 51:8-10 (NIV)

Day 2 Devotion: 
Our religion will not make an impact upon others when we deceive ourselves about our damaging words.  How was your speech control yesterday?  Rank your success on a scale of 1-10.  Talk to God about it right now!

Think of a time you ave been deceived by someone.  Think of a time you have deceived yourself.  This verse tells us that there are people who are self-deceived.  Galatians 6:3 also mentions this condition.  "If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves."

This condition can become epidemic in among Christians.  A person thinks they are mature when they are not.  A person thinks their relationship with Jesus is powerfully expressed when it isn't.  Please avoid the temptation to identify this person in your church or group!  Doing so misses the point.  Could you be self-deceived?  If we are not taking our speech very seriously, we are self-deceived. The result of that is that we cannot make the impact in the world for Jesus that He intends.  Do you think you are making an impact when you are not?  What positive impact are you having for Jesus on your family, friends, or others in the community?  Don't deceive yourself!

Evaluate the positive impact of your religion on others.  On a scale of 1-10, what impact are you making?  How, why?

James says that some folk's religion is "worthless".  Can a person's Christian faith really be worthless?  It can, if God is measuring worth by the impact it has on others and on the believer themselves.  This word, "worthless", refers to the inability of a thing to make an impact or to achieve its purpose.  Is your relationship with God making an impact or achieving a result in your life and the lives of others?  According to this verse, it isn't if you refuse to control your speech!  The impact of your religion is DIRECTLY related to the quality of your SPEECH CONTROL.

Application:
Resolve to accurately consider your life today.  Desire to make the impact God wants you to make!  Ask for forgiveness from anyone your words hurt yesterday.  Commit to say good things today.  Find two people to compliment today for the impact you saw them make yesterday.  Tell them how they helped you!

Prayer:
Ask the Holy Spirit to search you and show you the truth.  Pray this Bible prayer, Psalm 139:23, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."


Listen to God.  Then, talk to God in prayer about what He shows you!  Respond to what God shows you about yourself.  No more self-deception.

Day 1 Devotion:  
Religious people have a strong control over what they say!  Do you consider yourself to be a religious person, why or why not?

Some people consider "religion" to be a negative word or concept.  It is even often repeated that "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion".  Why do you thin people try to make this distinction and stay away from the word "religion"?

In order to understand our relationship with Jesus, we must understand what our religious obligation really is.  So what does that word, "religion" mean?Religion is the outward, external, or ceremonial part of the worship of a person. So when James uses this word in the context of Christians he is presupposing a public relationship of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as resurrected Savior and Lord.  As followers of Jesus, James is clearly saying that our "relationship" with Jesus has an outward, external dimension.  Surprisingly, he declares that some Christians have a worthless outward expression of their relationship with Jesus.  What causes it to be judged as "worthless" according to this verse?

They do not keep a "tight rein" on their speech.  This image is one of a person controlling a horse through a bit and bridle. Is your tongue easily controlled?  Why?  (For additional descriptions and study regarding the difficulty of controlling the tongue take time to read and study James 3:1-12.)

Application:  
Today there will be a great opportunity to put your relationship with Jesus on public display.  There will also, almost certainly, be things that go wrong.  Your feelings may be hurt.  The heat may be unbearable.  Lunch may be late. Your ministry assignment might be difficult.  How will you respond?  Your relationship with Jesus will be expressed outwardly through your speech.  This is your true religion and worship!!!

The following article appeared in the Saturday Edition of the Calhoun Times 
on August 16th, 2014

Written by:  Karli Land, Religion Correspondent 

You may have seen some very brightly colored orange shirts working around the community lately or maybe you have seen church vans from all over the county busing volunteers around town. They were all part of an annual outreach missions project that is put together by the Gordon County Baptist Association. The project is called SPLASH which is an acronym for Show People Love And Share Him.  It is a joint effort made by several churches within the association who do ministry within the community over a three day period. The purpose of the project is to serve the community and prepare the teams participating for other mission work. All work is done on a local level and participants serve on project teams, all of which fall into one of two categories, construction ministry or creative ministry. The construction crews work on project of all skill levels including painting, roofing, putting in handicap ramps, building decks, yard work, and other repair necessities. The creative ministry crews put together backyard Bible clubs, visit nursing homes, visit and pray for our schools and sports teams, share the gospel door-to-door, and work on housing authority projects. All of the projects done are to benefit community members who are in need of help. "It feels good to help other people and also makes you appreciate your health when you see those who want to take care of their needs but are kept from it because of health issues," said one SPLASH participant. "You are not just helping someone who needs your help, you are able to share the Bible and are showing the love that God has for them." There was plenty of activity behind the scenes as well. The members from local churches donated food and their time to prepare meals for the participants, musical talent was displayed each night as groups came to lead worship, drivers of the church vans gave of their time, and pastors volunteer to bring a message each night. This is in addition to all of the preparation that was put in by associational volunteers who took care of registration, planning, and set-up. Many local businesses donated their time, money or supplies, and even allowed their employees the opportunity to be there during normal work hours.  

There were an estimated 180 individuals, families, and groups from 18 different churches that participated in SPLASH.  It is the desire of the association and all that were involved that this not be a three day event but rather a lifestyle among the residents of our community. The SPLASH website says the following about showing God's love throughout the year, "May the churches involved continue to go outside the walls of their churches to minister and share the Gospel.  Gordon County is a mission field that is open and receptive to the Gospel, but ‘How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’ Romans 10:14-15" You can be proud of the county that you live in and the members that are so willing to go out and share the gospel while helping those in need. 

You can learn more about SPLASH, find out how to get involved, and request help, as well as see pictures and videos at splashgordon.net.