Fishing event marks return to Logan Martin Lake
Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted Photos
Just like the movement it represents, the God is Bigger annual fishing tournament on Logan Martin Lake continues to grow and inspire more and more to get involved.
The tournament returns Sept. 23 at Lakeside Park in Pell City. Ninety-four boats competed in 2022. More than 100 are expected to launch in this year’s tournament.
Guaranteed prize money is $6,000 and will be paid to 16 winning places. In addition, there’s a “No Weigh-In Drawing” for a chance to win $125. Entry fee is $130 per boat, which includes $10 for Big Fish.
Nitro, Triton, Tracker and Ranger Bass Pro Shops Tournament Rewards are for qualifying boats and sponsored through Sylacauga Marine. Bass Cash is available by AmFirst.
Tournament registration Is online at: gibmovement.com.
Pre-register by Sept. 21, and you’re automatically entered for a chance to win a seven-night stay at Seascape Resort in Miramar Beach, Fla. The beach giveaway winner will be drawn the day of the tournament, and presence is not required to win.
All paid anglers will be provided with breakfast, lunch and one free draw prize ticket. All registered boat numbers will be entered for a chance to win one of two $250 Bass Pro gift cards.
The event will center at the pavilion near the beach, Jerry Wood Memorial Pavilion, and while anglers are competing, there will be plenty of free activities, including drawings for prizes.
Bestselling author, Russell Estess will speak at the tournament and share his testimony on how the God is Bigger Movement impacted his life and the lives of his fans. His books will be available for autographs, and his new book, God is Bigger Than The Mountain You Are Facing, is tentatively set for release on Sept. 23.
Estess is one of the testimonies that has come out of the God is Bigger Movement. Someone gave him a God is Bigger bracelet, and it became his story and his mission because those three significant words, he said, helped give him the strength to fight the battle with cancer.
His friend, Shawn Dennison, Christian singer/songwriter will be performing in concert free to the public from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and will be showcasing his new song that he wrote for Russell about his battle. The song is called God is Bigger.
Refreshments from food trucks will be available for those in attendance.
The Genesis of God is Bigger Movement, Tournament
When doctors gave Rachel Shaneyfelt the diagnosis no one wants to hear – “You have six months to live” – the year was 2011, and she was in school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to become a nurse practitioner.
The diagnosis didn’t dissuade her. Instead, she leaned on her faith to help her through, and it sparked a movement with worldwide impact. Early on after much prayer, she told one of the doctors she worked with that her lesion had shrunk 70 percent and followed it with, “Praise God.” The doctor, a non-believer, casually responded, “Go get a Tshirt.”
So she did. She had the words, “GOD IS BIGGER” printed on them and gifted them to friends and family who prayed for her. Paying it forward, she then bought 1,000 silicone bracelets imprinted with the words, “GOD IS BIGGER,” and started handing them out to strangers. Within a week, they were gone.
Others quickly joined her movement and today, 800,000 bracelets have shipped around the world.
Rachel finished her degree and worked in her field before succumbing to Mesothelioma. Her six months turned into six years of life dedicated to spreading the message. Her wish was to keep the God is Bigger momentum going.
Her cousin, Stacey Reed of Springville, is the driving force behind it now. Six years ago, an idea from a 13-year-old friend, Evan Meers, gave birth to the fishing tournament to raise money for the movement. Now, it’s one of the largest on Logan Martin Lake.
“I have big shoes to fill,” Reed said. This ministry truly has become a movement. It has evolved into “their story and their mission” through those three words that made an impact and changed their lives. “It’s given them hope, she said, quoting Luke 1:37: “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.”
