PASTOR'S UPDATE AUGUST 18, 2023
Hey there Friendship Family!
Greetings is in the marvelous name of Jesus!
Indeed there is something about the name, JESUS! The angel said to Joseph, in Matthew 1:21 “And you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”
More than a great teacher, more than an enlightened man, more than a worker of miracles, more than giving us meaning in life, more than a self-help guru, more than a self-esteem builder, more a political liberator, more than a caring friend, more than a transformer of cultures, more than a purpose for the purposeless, Jesus is a Savior of sinners.
One song writer said it this way: “The name of Jesus charms our fears and bids our sorrows cease; tis music in the sinner’s ears, tis life and health and peace.” Another said, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.”
Yes, there really is just something about that name. No, not just something: make that everything. There is everything you and I need in the name of Jesus! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
Join us Sunday for worship! The Inspiration Voices Choir will provide music and the President to Gateway Seminary, Dr. Jeff Iorg will be our speaker.
SABBATH REST
I hope you are enjoying your SABBATH REST time! Sabbath Rest is a time to pause, reset, and renew. This allows the people here at Friendship to rest and the campus to reset. Remember, the word Sabbath is used to describe God resting on the seventh day in Genesis 2:2. It is the same word that would be used later calling Israel to cease their everyday activities.
God rested to establish a pattern for us to follow in enjoying the goodness of our created being without the need for being productive. As we pause and cease from the things that demand our attention and remember all that Jesus has done and all that He is, we display our trust in Him for all our needs and all the things that concern us.
Our prayer as a staff is that Sabbath Rest will reinvigorate us all in preparation for more excellent ministry in the fall. I know school is starting for many and many of you parents are busy getting your student ready to start, etc. I pray though you take some time to rest before it gets really busy!
Greetings is in the marvelous name of Jesus!
Indeed there is something about the name, JESUS! The angel said to Joseph, in Matthew 1:21 “And you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”
More than a great teacher, more than an enlightened man, more than a worker of miracles, more than giving us meaning in life, more than a self-help guru, more than a self-esteem builder, more a political liberator, more than a caring friend, more than a transformer of cultures, more than a purpose for the purposeless, Jesus is a Savior of sinners.
One song writer said it this way: “The name of Jesus charms our fears and bids our sorrows cease; tis music in the sinner’s ears, tis life and health and peace.” Another said, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.”
Yes, there really is just something about that name. No, not just something: make that everything. There is everything you and I need in the name of Jesus! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
Join us Sunday for worship! The Inspiration Voices Choir will provide music and the President to Gateway Seminary, Dr. Jeff Iorg will be our speaker.
SABBATH REST
I hope you are enjoying your SABBATH REST time! Sabbath Rest is a time to pause, reset, and renew. This allows the people here at Friendship to rest and the campus to reset. Remember, the word Sabbath is used to describe God resting on the seventh day in Genesis 2:2. It is the same word that would be used later calling Israel to cease their everyday activities.
God rested to establish a pattern for us to follow in enjoying the goodness of our created being without the need for being productive. As we pause and cease from the things that demand our attention and remember all that Jesus has done and all that He is, we display our trust in Him for all our needs and all the things that concern us.
Our prayer as a staff is that Sabbath Rest will reinvigorate us all in preparation for more excellent ministry in the fall. I know school is starting for many and many of you parents are busy getting your student ready to start, etc. I pray though you take some time to rest before it gets really busy!
TRANSFORM CONFERENCE
Please pray for me as I speak tomorrow at Gateway Seminary’s Transform Conference 2023!
The Transform Conference is a one-day workshop taking place at Gateway Seminary in Ontario on Saturday, August 19. This year’s theme is Cultivating Holiness. This Conference is designed for ministry leaders and will teach how to cultivate holiness within community.
The regular conference cost is $20, but our Friendship family will have a special group rate of only $10! If you sign up today I can still get you in! The registration will come to my email and I will inform Gateway that you are coming! Click HERE to sign up.
Please pray for me as I speak tomorrow at Gateway Seminary’s Transform Conference 2023!
The Transform Conference is a one-day workshop taking place at Gateway Seminary in Ontario on Saturday, August 19. This year’s theme is Cultivating Holiness. This Conference is designed for ministry leaders and will teach how to cultivate holiness within community.
The regular conference cost is $20, but our Friendship family will have a special group rate of only $10! If you sign up today I can still get you in! The registration will come to my email and I will inform Gateway that you are coming! Click HERE to sign up.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BACKPACK & SCHOOL SUPPLY GIVEAWAY
Our Back to School Backpack and School Supply Giveaway will take place on Sunday, August 27th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. YES CHURCH IS STILL TAKING PLACE! We are partnering with the NAACP of Orange County to kick off the 2023-2024 school year.
Parents, bring your children out for a fun day of play and praise! Get the school supplies you need! Plus, there will be an ART Village where students can personalize their backpacks with creative pins and patches. They will also have the opportunity to take selfies with a nice Back-To-School backdrop. We will have food trucks, cotton candy and more!!! Our scholarship ministries will be taking sign-ups for the new school year! The whole family can get their praise on with our combined Children & Youth Choir at the 8:00 am and 11:30 am Services! Friendship, this is a great opportunity to invite families you know to worship with you and get ready for the school year.
Friendship, this is a great opportunity to invite families you know to worship with you and get ready for the school year.
Our special guest speaker will be the Dr. Victor Chayasirisobhon, Director of Missions for the Orange County Southern Baptist Association.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Friendship Family, our Celebrate Recovery Ministry, invites you to join them weekly for encouragement and fellowship! Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens the face of his neighbor.”
Celebrate Recovery is a biblically-balanced approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing to our hurts, habits and hang-ups. It guides us toward new healthy truths and life-giving habits as we repair our broken relationships. Join us every Thursday Night in the Multipurpose Building. Dinner begins at 6:00 pm. The General session begins at 7:00 pm and the Men’s and Women’s Small Group begins at 8:00 pm. Celebrate Recovery still meets throughout the month of August even though is Sabbath Rest.
A men's step study on the first four books has begun, and will be conducted on the first and third Thursday of each month; and a step study on books five through eight will be conducted on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. The books are based on the eight principles of recovery found in the Beatitudes and address the 12 steps of recovery. A Celebrate Recovery step study is a confidential group where you can share the answers to the questions found in the Celebrate Recovery study guides. It is basically an in-depth look at the Celebrate Recovery curriculum. You will walk hand in hand with others in your group.
ANGEL TREE SIGN-UPS
The Outreach Department has begun sign-ups for the Angel Tree projects. Angel Tree mobilizes local churches like ours to minister to hundreds of thousands of children by delivering a gift, the Gospel message, and a personal message of love on behalf of their mom or dad behind bars.
If you are interested in participating, please complete the interest form HERE.
Our Back to School Backpack and School Supply Giveaway will take place on Sunday, August 27th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. YES CHURCH IS STILL TAKING PLACE! We are partnering with the NAACP of Orange County to kick off the 2023-2024 school year.
Parents, bring your children out for a fun day of play and praise! Get the school supplies you need! Plus, there will be an ART Village where students can personalize their backpacks with creative pins and patches. They will also have the opportunity to take selfies with a nice Back-To-School backdrop. We will have food trucks, cotton candy and more!!! Our scholarship ministries will be taking sign-ups for the new school year! The whole family can get their praise on with our combined Children & Youth Choir at the 8:00 am and 11:30 am Services! Friendship, this is a great opportunity to invite families you know to worship with you and get ready for the school year.
Friendship, this is a great opportunity to invite families you know to worship with you and get ready for the school year.
Our special guest speaker will be the Dr. Victor Chayasirisobhon, Director of Missions for the Orange County Southern Baptist Association.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
Friendship Family, our Celebrate Recovery Ministry, invites you to join them weekly for encouragement and fellowship! Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens the face of his neighbor.”
Celebrate Recovery is a biblically-balanced approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing to our hurts, habits and hang-ups. It guides us toward new healthy truths and life-giving habits as we repair our broken relationships. Join us every Thursday Night in the Multipurpose Building. Dinner begins at 6:00 pm. The General session begins at 7:00 pm and the Men’s and Women’s Small Group begins at 8:00 pm. Celebrate Recovery still meets throughout the month of August even though is Sabbath Rest.
A men's step study on the first four books has begun, and will be conducted on the first and third Thursday of each month; and a step study on books five through eight will be conducted on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. The books are based on the eight principles of recovery found in the Beatitudes and address the 12 steps of recovery. A Celebrate Recovery step study is a confidential group where you can share the answers to the questions found in the Celebrate Recovery study guides. It is basically an in-depth look at the Celebrate Recovery curriculum. You will walk hand in hand with others in your group.
ANGEL TREE SIGN-UPS
The Outreach Department has begun sign-ups for the Angel Tree projects. Angel Tree mobilizes local churches like ours to minister to hundreds of thousands of children by delivering a gift, the Gospel message, and a personal message of love on behalf of their mom or dad behind bars.
If you are interested in participating, please complete the interest form HERE.
FAITHFUL GIVING
I want to say thank you for your giving and partnership. I have told you in the last several weeks we are in a $200,000 deficit. Our deficit continues, but I am happy to report our giving is bouncing back. Continue to be both faithful and generous, Friendship. We have a tremendous amount of work to do. Let’s keep giving to make Friendship a BETTER CHURCH! Give HERE.
FUTURE NOW INITIATIVE
Also, please continue to pray for the Future NOW Initiative. God is up to something!
We also want to thank those who have already started to give for our FUTURE NOW INITIATIVE. We request that you submit your PLEDGE FORM and begin making your pledges.
On the pledge form, please indicate your planned pledge amount and your frequency of giving. Again, if you have the printed form, please put your total pledge amount on the KICK STARTER LINE. Then tell us, on that form, whether you will give your pledge over 12 months or 15 months. Lastly, please tell us the frequency of your giving, whether you will give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly (as a one-time gift). Also, the form is available online HERE.
General Church things to remember:
Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV
Psalm 62:1-2; Psalm 91:1; Psalm 116:7; Jeremiah 6:16; Psalms 23:1-2; Matt. 11:28-30; Heb. 4:9-11
✔️ The entire Bible,
✔️ The Pentateuch (or the first five books of the Old Testament),
✔️ The entire Old Testament,
✔️ The Gospels (or the first four books of the New Testament),
✔️ The entire New Testament, and
✔️ Psalms and Proverbs (3 times)
That is all I have!
BLESSINGS FRIENDSHIP FAMILY!!!
In His Service,
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor
I want to say thank you for your giving and partnership. I have told you in the last several weeks we are in a $200,000 deficit. Our deficit continues, but I am happy to report our giving is bouncing back. Continue to be both faithful and generous, Friendship. We have a tremendous amount of work to do. Let’s keep giving to make Friendship a BETTER CHURCH! Give HERE.
FUTURE NOW INITIATIVE
Also, please continue to pray for the Future NOW Initiative. God is up to something!
We also want to thank those who have already started to give for our FUTURE NOW INITIATIVE. We request that you submit your PLEDGE FORM and begin making your pledges.
On the pledge form, please indicate your planned pledge amount and your frequency of giving. Again, if you have the printed form, please put your total pledge amount on the KICK STARTER LINE. Then tell us, on that form, whether you will give your pledge over 12 months or 15 months. Lastly, please tell us the frequency of your giving, whether you will give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly (as a one-time gift). Also, the form is available online HERE.
General Church things to remember:
- 2023 CHURCH THEME:
Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV
- AUGUST PRAYER FOCUS:
Psalm 62:1-2; Psalm 91:1; Psalm 116:7; Jeremiah 6:16; Psalms 23:1-2; Matt. 11:28-30; Heb. 4:9-11
- BIBLE READING
✔️ The entire Bible,
✔️ The Pentateuch (or the first five books of the Old Testament),
✔️ The entire Old Testament,
✔️ The Gospels (or the first four books of the New Testament),
✔️ The entire New Testament, and
✔️ Psalms and Proverbs (3 times)
- WEEKLY HEALTH WALK
- IN-PERSON EX-HOUR:
- Adult Class One (Sanctuary): The team teaching in the Sanctuary includes Lady Karima Curry, Pamela Jones, Deacon Demetrius Linebarger, Melanie Porter, Vivian Randolph, & Deacon James Shelby
- Adult Class Two (Carrington Building Room 217): The team teaching in the Carrington Building Room 217 includes Le Shon Archer, Deacon Rick Archer, Karen Ammons, Gwen Matthews, and Rev. Phil Yoder
- Young Adults Class (Carrington Building Rooms 207-208): This class is designed for those aged 18-35.
- EX HOUR: Virtual Ex-Hour meets weekly on Sundays via ZOOM. Join us for class at 10:00 am via this link HERE.
- YOUTH EX HOUR: Our in-person youth EX-Hour takes place during our designated EX Hour time in the Multipurpose Building. Parents, please encourage your students to join youth teachers for this biblically fun opportunity to learn God’s Word, connect with others, and grow.
- CHILDREN’S EX-HOUR: As stated in previous weeks, our Children’s EX-Hour is back and meets on Sundays at 10am in the Multipurpose Building. Parents, please note you must check in and check out your children weekly for Ex-Hour.
- MOMMIES WITH BABIES: We have our Mommies with Babies class simultaneously during EX-Hour in the Multipurpose Building. Mommies with two years old and younger children are invited to this EX-HOUR class and are encouraged to bring their children with them! Come for encouragement, community, and growth! Amen!
- WEDNESDAY Prayer Day: Join us each Wednesday for Prayer. We pray at 6:30 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:30 pm. To connect with our prayer services, please follow this link HERE or dial in at +1 (413) 418-4274 and use the PIN 287683504#.
- FBC FOOD BANK OPEN: The FBC Food Bank is OPEN with a new drive-thru system where our clients will receive a pre-packaged food box and a bag of groceries. The Food Bank’s hours of operation are Tuesday - Thursday, 2:30 pm-4:30 pm.
That is all I have!
BLESSINGS FRIENDSHIP FAMILY!!!
In His Service,
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor