Smithville Elementary School Selects Students of the Month

August 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Smithville Elementary would like to recognize our Students of the Month for August. These students were selected because they model “The Wildcat Way”, they have shown growth in their behavior or academics, and they strive to do their best every day. Selected as Students of the Month for August are:

Pre-K: Gannon Brusaw & Raedyn Correia

Kindergarten: Tristan Reed & Easton Davis

1st grade: Penelope Dodson & Liam Turner

2nd grade: Ty’Yari Jackson & Triniti Knowles

*Students of the Month are pictured with Principal Summer Cantrell.

August 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Seniors Isaac Cross and Emme Colwell have been named Mr. and Miss DeKalb County High School for 2019-20.

Mr and Miss DCHS Isaac Cross and Emme Colwell from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Cross is the son of Tony and Shelly Cross and Colwell is the daughter of Derrick and Shea Colwell.

Colwell is a 4 year member of the DCHS Tigerette Softball and Lady Tiger Basketball Teams.  She is also involved in the Beta, FBLA, and Spanish Clubs and Climate Crew.

Cross is Captain of DCHS Football  Team. He  played baseball as a freshman and is a member of the Beta and FBLA Clubs and the Climate Crew.

August 28, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

For 15 years Graden Kirksey has shared the good news as a minister of the gospel and the church where he is pastor today, Refuge will soon be celebrating its first year.

Kirksey is the focus of this week’s “Preacher Feature” on WJLE.

IMG_9301 from dwayne page on Vimeo.

Becoming a minister was not something Kirksey ever imagined. While he had become a Christian at a young age, Kirksey said he had strayed from his faith for a time but then re-dedicated his life to the Lord while in college.

“Right before I turned 21 the Lord changed my life. I was in a mess and doing a lot of things I knew I shouldn’t be doing . One night while I was out with some folks I knew I probably shouldn’t have been with God convicted me. I went home to my apartment, struggled with it and really tried to justify my life with my Bible. I spent time digging through it and God completely changed my life that night. I had been saved when I was a kid but wandered far away but ever since that night nothing was the same. When I decided to turn my life over to the Lord I jumped in with both feet. I started spending a lot of time studying my Bible and really investing in church not ever thinking I would be in the ministry but Brother J.D. Pedigo at the Smithville Church of God gave me an opportunity to teach there. I will forever be indebted to him. He saw something in me that I hadn’t seen in myself. He gave me opportunities and blessed me and continues to be a great friend and mentor to me,” said Kirksey.

Graden’s life took another turn in 2004 when for the first time he was asked to preach a message during a local interdenominational youth rally.

“I was talking to Brother Gary Johnson who was attending Allen’s Chapel then and during the conversation he said my name had been brought up to possibly preach that youth rally. I had never preached a message before in my life. I shared with Gary that I didn’t know if I would be the best choice with all the good ministers in town but he said I had been placed on their heart and they felt good about it. I said I was willing and God took care of the rest. That was my very first message in 2004. I later went to the Church of God theological seminary at the time and became ordained in 2009,” Kirksey continued.

In recent years, Kirksey has continued to pursue his ministry and shares how his path led him to the Refuge Church

“We had spent two or three years in a nomadic church experience looking for roots. God had moved us from where we were but we were wandering for a while though we met a lot of great people and visited a lot of good churches. God then presented an opportunity. We were looking to start something new in Smithville. We put the word out that we were looking for a building. We thought if we had a building we could get the ball rolling. Pastor Jimbo Eddins and his wife then contacted us. They had started a church here called The Gathering and had done a great work here but they felt like God was closing that chapter in their ministry life and moving them in another direction. They felt like we might be the right people to fill that position. We met with the church and went from there but we couldn’t be doing what we are doing now without them. Looking back and thinking how we got here, we couldn’t have written the story. God just put all the pieces in line and it all fell together. September 30, 2018 was the very first Sunday we all met together as Refuge Church. We met at city hall for a couple of months and then the Sunday before Thanksgiving, 2018 we wound up in the building where we are meeting now on the square. God provided that entirely. That building had set empty for a long time. The man who owns it is a super nice guy and when we contacted him he knew we were the right people and he was excited about having a church there and it has been perfect for us. We have built three youth rooms and we have a nursery, children’s church, and a stage area. It has just all worked out perfectly and God has brought us right where we are supposed to be and we have been super blessed to be part of it,” said Kirksey.

As a non denominational church, Kirksey said Refuge is made up of people with diverse backgrounds. “My wife grew up at Mount Herman Missionary Baptist Church. I grew up in Buckner’s Chapel Methodist Church. Both of us later wound up at the Smithville Church of God. A lot of our folks come from Methodist, Baptist, Church of God, and Assembly of God type backgrounds so we have a lot of those influences even though we are a non denominational church. We’re still trying to put together a doctrinal statement for our foundation but those are where our roots are and I like the diversity. A lot of folks who are here with us have been hurt in previous churches or from the world and we are doing our level best to find a place where everybody can come, be a part of something, and worship God together to celebrate the things we have in common and learn from one another on things we may disagree on. We tell them we hope to provide a place where you belong and are loved,” said Kirksey.

The Refuge Church meets for prayer at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. on Sundays along with a 6 p.m. Bible Study on Wednesdays for adults and youth. A meal is served on Wednesdays at 5:30  p.m. as well as a light breakfast on Sunday mornings.

Sunday attendance is around 100 each week including about 70 adults and 30 kids.

If you don’t have a church home, Kirksey invites you and your family to attend the Refuge Church located on the Smithville Public Square.

Kirksey and his wife Sabrina have two children, 10 year old Silas and 9 year old Ella.

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