SEE OUR
LOCAL CHURCH DIRECTORY
INSIDE ... Vol. 26 | Iss. 12 | DEC 2022
THE COOKIE LADY LAUNCHES GOD HAS A SWEET TOOTH By Libby Hopkins
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Columns: Grace Notes: Hooked On Books: Faith & Footprints: News From The Wire:
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LeAnne Crabtree in known in the Brandon area and beyond as “The Cookie Lady.” She is the owner of LeAnne’s Old Fashion Cookies and her rise to the prestigious title as “The Cookie Lady” has been quite the journey. As a Finance major at the University of Central Florida, one of Crabtree’s required marketing projects was to plan and set up a business, keep accurate records and report any profits or losses her ‘cookie business’ generated. “My cookies were an instant hit with the college students, professors, neighbors and friends, who were anxious to buy all the cookies I could make,” Crabtree said. “ My ‘cookie business’ immediately made a profit and the overwhelming demand for my cookies continued even after my professor gave me a ‘C’ on the project. He emphatically stated, ‘People are becoming too health conscious and will no longer eat cookies; therefore, this business will not be a success”. Ignoring her professor’s harsh criticism and the ‘C’ on her project, Crabtree’s “cookie business” has continued to prosper for more than 25 years. Crabtree had attended a few of business coach, Steve Hooper’s
LeAnne Crabtree is the owner of LeAnne’s Old Fashion Cookies. She recently wrote a book about her journey to be known in the community as “The Cookie Lady.”
events and she decided to have Hooper coach her on making her thriving cookie business more successful. “When Steve and I met, he told me one of the requirements for all his clients was that they had to write a book,” Crabtree said. “I told him, ‘I can’t write a book’ and he said, ‘Yes you can.’” Crabtree can now add ‘author’ as she just released her book, God Has a Sweet Tooth. “This book has been in the making for about three years,” Crabtree said. “This is a story of persistence and perseverance in the face of adversity. It’s a story of holding true to your faith no matter what may come your way and overcoming all obstacles on the journey to success.” In God Has a Sweet Tooth, Crabtree tells the powerful stories of LeAnne’s Old Fashioned Cookies and the valuable lessons learned along the path to building an empire. “This book will inspire you to fight for what you desire, love with all your heart and never give up on your dreams.” If you would like to learn more about LeAnne’s Old Fashion Cookies or if you’d like to purchase her new book, God Has a Sweet Tooth, you can visit her website at www.leannescookies.com or call 1-888-651-0045.
BELL SHOALS TO RELAUNCH RIVERVIEW CAMPUS IN SPRING
By Lily Belcher
Bell Shoals Church is preparing to relaunch its Rivthe core team,” said Executive Pastor erview campus by Easter of 2023 to spread God’s Scott Odom. message to the rapidly growing Riverview commuArmstrong joined Bell Shoals’ staff nity. Campus Pastor Tim Armstrong is working to this year but has decades of minisform a core group to relaunch the Riverview camtry experience and church planting pus in a new location with a larger assembly. experience. Armstrong currently The Riverview campus was established six years serves as the multisite strategist for ago and has spent the last three years in its locaBell Shoals Church, navigating the tion just off U.S. Highway 301. With its lease expirsuccess of the Brandon and Apollo ing this year, Bell Shoals took the opportunity to Beach campuses as well. relaunch the campus, stepping into a new building “We have six things we’re focused and core group of members to help establish the on in ministry, and one of them is we campus. are community-minded. We genuCampus Pastor Tim Armstrong will lead Bell Shoals Church’s Riverview campus “We’re kind of in a searching process of what inely care for our community,” said into its relaunch in spring next year. might be the right place to put ourselves in Odom. “Our goal is to plant a a prime location where the people of Riverchurch in Riverview that will view are at,” said Odom about the search make a difference in the commufor a Riverview campus location. nity, that will be a bright light in In November, Bell Shoals began reachthe community and that will reping out to their Brandon and Apollo Beach resent Jesus well.” campuses and asking for dedicated memFor more information on Bell campus. It hopes to host over 100 people in its conbers to serve in the core group of about 40 people. gregation when it opens in the spring. Shoals Church or the relaunch of its Riverview camThe core group will attend meetings over the next “A lot of the people that were at the Riverview pus, visit the website at www.bellshoals.com or call few months to form administrative teams for the campus … are just as passionate, and they’re part of the church at 813-689-4229.