October 1, 2026
TY TY, Ga. — What's love got to do with it? A lot, actually!
Ty Ty First Baptist Church hosted its annual Valentine's Banquet last month, with around 200 people in attendance. Ty Ty is a small town in South Georgia with an estimated population of 647. Two couples came from as far as Florida and Kentucky.
Georgia College & State University Campus Minister David Kirkland and his wife Elaine spoke at the event. They have been serving young people through the Georgia Baptist Mission Board for 30 years. The Kirklands have made a tremendous impact on students through their campus ministry.
They spoke together on how to kill selfishness in marriage with the "3 P's" (prioritize him/her, pursue him/her, and live on purpose). They shared about turning the “me into we, and the me into three”.
The Kirklands held up a cord of three strands as a visual reminder and representation of how marriage needs to consist of the husband, wife, and Jesus all wrapped and bound together. They used Ecclesiastes to teach the importance of laboring together, loving each other, and withstanding the enemy together.
David shared that the word “consider” in Philippians 2:3 speaks of value. When we “consider others better than ourselves,” we will prioritize our spouses. The Kirklands shared tips on prioritizing your spouse, such as dialogue daily, date night weekly, and depart quarterly.
Scripture from Song of Solomon was read to show how spouses are to pursue one another, and Philippians 2:2 was shared about how to live on purpose. The last tip they shared was advice from a family member who had been married for many decades. It was about giving grace to each other.
A door prize was given by the Kirklands to the couple who had been married the longest and to the engaged couple who was getting married the soonest.
Three different couples were chosen to take the hot seat in the annual Newlywed Game on stage. There were many laughs as honest answers were written and read to the crowd. The winners were a true newlywed couple, Austin & Erin Drawdy.
Five engaged couples attended the banquet, and there was a good blend of all ages. Even several widows attended and sat with friends and church family.
The banquet of smothered chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, and red velvet cake was cooked and prepared by volunteers from Ty Ty FBC. The youth served the food and carried it to each table, which were beautifully decorated with place settings complete with either flowers or candles, a small gift, and chocolates.
Couples also had the opportunity to have their photos professionally taken. The women’s ministry team coordinated the banquet, but every church team helped with this event.
The event was free, and donations were accepted. The donations covered the cost of the event, and any extra will be used to help send the youth at Ty Ty FBC to camp at Superwow this summer.
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