Weekly Word from Pastor Curry: May 14, 2021
What’s Up Friendship Family?
Happy Friday to each of you. I am grateful to God to connect with you this week. Sincerely I am! I trust you have had a great week and that last Sunday was a great Sunday for you. Further, I pray you are anticipating a great weekend!
As I noted last week, things continue to go well in Southern California. Los Angeles County entered the yellow tier on Thursday, May 5th. This past Tuesday, several news outlets reported Orange County would move to the yellow tier next week if the current numbers hold until Tuesday. The current Orange County case rate is 1.8 cases per 100,000 residents. Amen! These numbers are below 2 per 100,000, which is the threshold. Los Angeles County is at 1.4 cases per 100,000 residents.
Also, many of you are aware that the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have approved the Pfizer vaccine for young people 12-15 years of age. The goal is reaching herd immunity through vaccination and disease recovery. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune or are vaccinated. Health officials expect herd immunity in LA County by July, and many feel the rest of Southern California should follow shortly after that. So progress is happening!
As a leader and your pastor, I believe it’s important to remind you that we are not entirely out yet. Therefore, I still advise you to wear your mask regularly when around others. Remember, all indoor activities require a mask.
This past Sunday was a good worship Sunday for us! It was great to see so many of you in person and have you in the Cyber Sanctuary. It was great to celebrate Mother’s Day with ALL of you! Registration is NOW open for this Sunday’s worship experience. Please register today. Registration allows us to monitor capacity. To register, please go HERE. Remember, all attendees will still need to wear masks for worship. As stated, this is a state mandate. It will stay in place until the state lifts it. Please note Ex Hour now meets from 10am to11am. If you desire to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend Ex Hour in person, please indicate this on your registration so we can accommodate you.
We continue to need willing workers to help us with our regathering efforts and weekly worship experience. If you are willing to volunteer and help us execute weekly worship, WE NEED YOU! To volunteer, please contact Rev. Eric Archer at [email protected], and he will direct you to the right ministry opportunity. If you are unsure what ministry is right for you, fill out the CHANGE MAKER form by clicking HERE.
This week’s announcements:
SIDE-BY-SIDE COUPLES MINISTRY
The next Virtual Side by Side Couples Ministry class, “The 5 Love Languages,” will take place tonight, 14th, at 7pm. The topic for this class will be “Receiving Gifts.” You can join the meeting via the zoom link HERE. Should you have any questions, you can contact Deacon Hilton McDaniel by email at [email protected] or call (949) 652-1489
HOPE FOR WIDOWS 5K WALK
The FBC Kingdom Widows Bible study invites all widows, widowers, and the entire church family to join them tomorrow, May 15th, at 8:00 am for a 5K walk safely distanced walk to bring attention to the challenges of more than 245 million widowed women worldwide. The Hope for Widows Foundation sponsors this event. You may participate live with the Kingdom Widows at Yorba Regional Park tomorrow, May 15th, at 8am or, virtually, from your location, at your pace. For those who join us live, this will be a time of fellowship in motion, encouragement, support for widows/widowers, and remembrance of loved ones.
To register, go to https://hopeforwidows.org and select the option to join a team, then choose FBC Kingdom Widows. Those who register will receive a customized race bib to “Say their name” with the name of the loved one, finisher’s medal, and proceeds benefit the Hope for Widows Foundation grants and projects for widows. For additional information, go HERE.
MINISTERS & TEACHERS CONFERENCE
Attention all Ministers and Teachers of Friendship, tomorrow, May 15th, is our yearly Minister’s & Teacher’s Conference. It will take place at the church from 10am to 12pm in the Sanctuary to allow optimal physical distancing. It’s a short day but is sure to be both impactful and meaningful. If you have not submitted your RSVP, please do so ASAP. We want to be sure we have enough materials, and you boxed lunch for you. You should have received an email to submit your RSVP.
WOMEN’S MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
The next Women’s Monthly Fellowship will take place on Friday, May 21st at 7pm via ZOOM, and all the women of Friendship are invited. Our speakers will be Sis. Angella Gardner and Sis. Elona Brown. They will continue the series based upon the book Wait and See – Finding Peace In God’s Pauses and Plans by Author Wendy Pope.
Their topic is When Waiting Means Working Out. Did you know God does most of His work in us, in private? He meets us in the pastures of life with a desire to cultivate within us a heart like His. This cultivation may take years, as it did with David. Often, we would rather rush through our time in the pasture than wait there to experience His work. We tend to hurry to the finish line when we should patiently stay put, showing ourselves faithful. How? By doing what we know to do and responding to our Father with obedience, even if it means staying in our pasture. Why? Because it is in the pasture that God is preparing us for what is ahead. We have to allow God to do work in us before He can do work through us. Come for this exciting topic, When Waiting Means Working Out.
Again this event takes place virtually via Zoom. Register HERE.
BABY DEDICATION SERVICE
I am excited to announce that we are planning a special baby dedication service for all the families who have had babies in the last 18 months to two years and have not had their babies dedicated and desire to do so. This service will be a special service separate from our Sunday morning Worship Service. Our tentative date is Sunday, June 13th at 10am. If you are interested in participating, please register HERE.
Here are some general information things I would like to share with you.
VACCINATIONS:
We continue to advocate for the vaccine. As we do so, we will share information with you regarding locations to get a vaccination. If you have information on clinics, please contact my office so we can share that information. Please read the joint statement from the Black Orange County pastors HERE.
COVID RECOVERY KITS:
We still have Covid Recovery Kits through Providence Health and the Yorba Linda Rotary Club. These kits help individuals who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and are recovering at home. Each kit includes a pulse oximeter to monitor breathing, a thermometer, a box of masks, and a package of sanitizing wipes in a small canvas bag. If you or someone in your family could benefit from one of these kits, please call the church office and arrange to get one.
General Church things to remember:
I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday!
God loves you, Friendship, and so do I!
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected!
In His Service,
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor
Happy Friday to each of you. I am grateful to God to connect with you this week. Sincerely I am! I trust you have had a great week and that last Sunday was a great Sunday for you. Further, I pray you are anticipating a great weekend!
As I noted last week, things continue to go well in Southern California. Los Angeles County entered the yellow tier on Thursday, May 5th. This past Tuesday, several news outlets reported Orange County would move to the yellow tier next week if the current numbers hold until Tuesday. The current Orange County case rate is 1.8 cases per 100,000 residents. Amen! These numbers are below 2 per 100,000, which is the threshold. Los Angeles County is at 1.4 cases per 100,000 residents.
Also, many of you are aware that the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have approved the Pfizer vaccine for young people 12-15 years of age. The goal is reaching herd immunity through vaccination and disease recovery. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune or are vaccinated. Health officials expect herd immunity in LA County by July, and many feel the rest of Southern California should follow shortly after that. So progress is happening!
As a leader and your pastor, I believe it’s important to remind you that we are not entirely out yet. Therefore, I still advise you to wear your mask regularly when around others. Remember, all indoor activities require a mask.
This past Sunday was a good worship Sunday for us! It was great to see so many of you in person and have you in the Cyber Sanctuary. It was great to celebrate Mother’s Day with ALL of you! Registration is NOW open for this Sunday’s worship experience. Please register today. Registration allows us to monitor capacity. To register, please go HERE. Remember, all attendees will still need to wear masks for worship. As stated, this is a state mandate. It will stay in place until the state lifts it. Please note Ex Hour now meets from 10am to11am. If you desire to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend Ex Hour in person, please indicate this on your registration so we can accommodate you.
57th Church Anniversary:
This Sunday, we will celebrate our 57th Church Anniversary. We commemorate our church anniversary every year on the 3rd Sunday in May. Friendship’s birthday is May 20th. God has been good to Friendship. We are GRATEFUL that we are STILL here!
We continue to need willing workers to help us with our regathering efforts and weekly worship experience. If you are willing to volunteer and help us execute weekly worship, WE NEED YOU! To volunteer, please contact Rev. Eric Archer at [email protected], and he will direct you to the right ministry opportunity. If you are unsure what ministry is right for you, fill out the CHANGE MAKER form by clicking HERE.
This week’s announcements:
SIDE-BY-SIDE COUPLES MINISTRY
The next Virtual Side by Side Couples Ministry class, “The 5 Love Languages,” will take place tonight, 14th, at 7pm. The topic for this class will be “Receiving Gifts.” You can join the meeting via the zoom link HERE. Should you have any questions, you can contact Deacon Hilton McDaniel by email at [email protected] or call (949) 652-1489
HOPE FOR WIDOWS 5K WALK
The FBC Kingdom Widows Bible study invites all widows, widowers, and the entire church family to join them tomorrow, May 15th, at 8:00 am for a 5K walk safely distanced walk to bring attention to the challenges of more than 245 million widowed women worldwide. The Hope for Widows Foundation sponsors this event. You may participate live with the Kingdom Widows at Yorba Regional Park tomorrow, May 15th, at 8am or, virtually, from your location, at your pace. For those who join us live, this will be a time of fellowship in motion, encouragement, support for widows/widowers, and remembrance of loved ones.
To register, go to https://hopeforwidows.org and select the option to join a team, then choose FBC Kingdom Widows. Those who register will receive a customized race bib to “Say their name” with the name of the loved one, finisher’s medal, and proceeds benefit the Hope for Widows Foundation grants and projects for widows. For additional information, go HERE.
MINISTERS & TEACHERS CONFERENCE
Attention all Ministers and Teachers of Friendship, tomorrow, May 15th, is our yearly Minister’s & Teacher’s Conference. It will take place at the church from 10am to 12pm in the Sanctuary to allow optimal physical distancing. It’s a short day but is sure to be both impactful and meaningful. If you have not submitted your RSVP, please do so ASAP. We want to be sure we have enough materials, and you boxed lunch for you. You should have received an email to submit your RSVP.
WOMEN’S MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
The next Women’s Monthly Fellowship will take place on Friday, May 21st at 7pm via ZOOM, and all the women of Friendship are invited. Our speakers will be Sis. Angella Gardner and Sis. Elona Brown. They will continue the series based upon the book Wait and See – Finding Peace In God’s Pauses and Plans by Author Wendy Pope.
Their topic is When Waiting Means Working Out. Did you know God does most of His work in us, in private? He meets us in the pastures of life with a desire to cultivate within us a heart like His. This cultivation may take years, as it did with David. Often, we would rather rush through our time in the pasture than wait there to experience His work. We tend to hurry to the finish line when we should patiently stay put, showing ourselves faithful. How? By doing what we know to do and responding to our Father with obedience, even if it means staying in our pasture. Why? Because it is in the pasture that God is preparing us for what is ahead. We have to allow God to do work in us before He can do work through us. Come for this exciting topic, When Waiting Means Working Out.
Again this event takes place virtually via Zoom. Register HERE.
BABY DEDICATION SERVICE
I am excited to announce that we are planning a special baby dedication service for all the families who have had babies in the last 18 months to two years and have not had their babies dedicated and desire to do so. This service will be a special service separate from our Sunday morning Worship Service. Our tentative date is Sunday, June 13th at 10am. If you are interested in participating, please register HERE.
Here are some general information things I would like to share with you.
VACCINATIONS:
We continue to advocate for the vaccine. As we do so, we will share information with you regarding locations to get a vaccination. If you have information on clinics, please contact my office so we can share that information. Please read the joint statement from the Black Orange County pastors HERE.
- We are working to bring vaccines here to Friendship through our Food Pantry and will have information on that for you next week.
- Also, our member, Nurse Karon Heard, informed me this week that Kaiser Permanente is offering Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years old and up. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. You do not have to be a Kaiser patient or subscriber. To make an appointment, call 1-833-KP4CARE (1-833-574-2273) (TTY 711).
- Again, as I get more information on vaccination clinics, I will share that information with you. If you have information on clinics, please contact my office so we can share that information.
COVID RECOVERY KITS:
We still have Covid Recovery Kits through Providence Health and the Yorba Linda Rotary Club. These kits help individuals who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and are recovering at home. Each kit includes a pulse oximeter to monitor breathing, a thermometer, a box of masks, and a package of sanitizing wipes in a small canvas bag. If you or someone in your family could benefit from one of these kits, please call the church office and arrange to get one.
General Church things to remember:
- Phone Line for Worship: For our members who may have a tough time connecting to our worship service online for whatever reason, we are now offering a way for those members to dial in and listen to service over the phone. To access the service via telephone, members and guests need to dial 1 216-930-8774 and enter the PIN: 464 267 559#. It is live for both the 8:00am and 11:30 worship services.
- EX HOUR: Ex Hour meets weekly on Sundays, and we are studying Luke. Remember, EX Hour takes place every Sunday through the video conference app, ZOOM. Join us for class on Sundays at 10a via this link HERE. Also, there is a YOUTH EX HOUR: Our youth Ex Hour takes place during our designated EX Hour time via Google Meet. Parents, please encourage your students to join youth teachers for this biblically fun opportunity to learn God’s Word, connect with others, and grow. To join Youth Ex Hour, follow the link HERE.
- WEDNESDAY Prayer Day: Join us each Wednesday for Prayer. We pray at 6:30a, 12p, and 6:30p. 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 bag of groceries. The Food Bank’s hours of operation are Tuesday - Thursday 2:30p-4:30p.
- COVID Membership Assistance Fund: We are STILL accepting applications for the COVID Membership Assistance Grant. If you are experiencing financial distress due to COVID19, we invite you to apply for one of our $500 assistance grants. The guidelines are available HERE, and the application is available HERE.
I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday!
God loves you, Friendship, and so do I!
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected!
In His Service,
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor
Posted in COVID-19