Pleasant Grove Baptist Church supports
Cleveland County Sheriff’s office Deputies
By Loretta Cozart
On February 2, Pastor Toby Bird, and members of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Shelby dedicated a room of his church for deputies to take a break in while they are on duty. Sheriff Alan Norman said to those gathered, “Thank you for allowing us a safe place to take a break in your church.”
Pastor Bird said, “As a congregation we have been in a season of prayer about how God could use us in reaching out and ministering to our community. One of our members pointed out what most all of us knew, that several (deputies) in the Sheriff’s dept. used our parking lot as what we perceived as a central point. We decided to reach out to the Sheriff to see if a type of dedicated room for the deputies to utilize would be beneficial. After his confirmation that it would be we were excited to move forward with the project.”
He continued, “It has been an encouraging time of preparation and has started what I believe will be a snowball effect of continued growth in our efforts to minister to our community and move our focus outside of our familiar four walls and away from our comfort zones and be the type of New Testament church that God is calling us to be.”
“Our mission statement is simple: ‘Experience God, Encourage each other, and Engage our community.”
Pastor Bird went on to say, “We believe that the hope that Jesus Christ offers must be proclaimed to our community and that is the reason for our efforts to reach out to our community and providing this service to our local law enforcement is one way we can do that. I look to Matthew 5:16 to guide us as we move forward, with all our desire to bring glory to God though His son Jesus.”
Sheriff Norman thanked the citizens of Cleveland County, and Pleasant Grove Baptist Church specifically saying, “It goes without saying in Cleveland County the outpouring of support from our citizens is amazing. When other sheriffs discuss the support in their jurisdictions, we know how blessed we are here. Our citizens always rise above the occasion to support Cleveland County Sheriff’s Deputies.”
On February 2, Pastor Toby Bird, and members of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Shelby dedicated a room of his church for deputies to take a break in while they are on duty. Sheriff Alan Norman said to those gathered, “Thank you for allowing us a safe place to take a break in your church.”
Pastor Bird said, “As a congregation we have been in a season of prayer about how God could use us in reaching out and ministering to our community. One of our members pointed out what most all of us knew, that several (deputies) in the Sheriff’s dept. used our parking lot as what we perceived as a central point. We decided to reach out to the Sheriff to see if a type of dedicated room for the deputies to utilize would be beneficial. After his confirmation that it would be we were excited to move forward with the project.”
He continued, “It has been an encouraging time of preparation and has started what I believe will be a snowball effect of continued growth in our efforts to minister to our community and move our focus outside of our familiar four walls and away from our comfort zones and be the type of New Testament church that God is calling us to be.”
“Our mission statement is simple: ‘Experience God, Encourage each other, and Engage our community.”
Pastor Bird went on to say, “We believe that the hope that Jesus Christ offers must be proclaimed to our community and that is the reason for our efforts to reach out to our community and providing this service to our local law enforcement is one way we can do that. I look to Matthew 5:16 to guide us as we move forward, with all our desire to bring glory to God though His son Jesus.”
Sheriff Norman thanked the citizens of Cleveland County, and Pleasant Grove Baptist Church specifically saying, “It goes without saying in Cleveland County the outpouring of support from our citizens is amazing. When other sheriffs discuss the support in their jurisdictions, we know how blessed we are here. Our citizens always rise above the occasion to support Cleveland County Sheriff’s Deputies.”
