SERVICE: SUNDAYS AT 8:00AM & 11:30AM

Pastor's Weekly Update September 24, 2021

Hello Friendship! 

Happy Friday to you. I trust and pray this week’s email blog, and video blog finds each of you doing well. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to serve as your pastor and for the opportunity to worship God with you weekly. I will jump right into the update and keep things simple this week!

Here are your announcements and updates for this week:

8TH PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: 
Beloved, I am looking forward to this Sunday, September 26th, when we will celebrate my 8th Pastoral Anniversary serving here at Friendship. As I have been saying for the last couple of weeks, this is NOT merely my anniversary; it is OUR anniversary as Pastor & People! I am excited to welcome my friend, sister, and colleague, the Rev. Dr. Karen Elizabeth Stewart, First Lady and Director of Evangelism and Discipleship, at First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ as our guest for the day. She will preach for both the 8am service, and the 11:30am service. 

We will also have a refreshment hour outside from 9:45am to 11:15am, observing ALL safety guidelines. Ex-Hour will be canceled this Sunday for both in-person and online classes. I pray you will plan to join us. If you attend the 11:30 service, plan to come early and enjoy the SAFE fellowship! AMEN! I hope to see you there! For more information on the day, please go HERE.

SINGLES CHAT-N-CHEW:
Singles, it’s time for another exciting Chat-n-Chew Fellowship!  Since this is our last Chat-n-Chew for 2021, we wanted to bring you a speaker who almost needs no introduction.  Someone might ask, “Who’s that?”  We are glad you asked! Our guest speaker for the event is our very own beloved Deacon, Charles “Chuckie” Owens. He will be chatting with us in his own unique and funny way.  Deacon Chuckie’s Topic:  Show Me the Money and Oh Yeah, How To Budget Too!  In our time together, we will interactively talk about:

  • The Hype – Putting It All in Perspective
  • Being Bamboozled & Hoodwinked – Pitfalls to Avoid
  • Clockin’ Dolla’s – Saving & Budgeting
  • Keepin’ It Real – Nuts & Bolts - How To’s
  • Winning the Game – Attitude & Goals

This discussion will be an exciting and informative event.  It’s not too late to register. Check us out on the Singles Ministry page on the church website HERE. You are welcome to invite a friend or two. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, September 25th @ 2:00pm.
 
ATTENTION WIDOWS & WIDOWERS:
We have a new and exciting study entitled Anxious for Nothing based on the bestselling book by Max Lucado.  This study is focused on the needs and experiences of the widowed, both male and female. We all encounter anxiety, but we don’t have to let worry and fear control our lives, especially as we navigate a new normal. Join us as we walk through steps to manage thoughts and responses to fear and anxiety from a biblical perspective. To register, go HERE. This class will start next Tuesday evening, September 28th, at 7:00pm and will meet virtually every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month for 1 hour via Zoom.

SIDE-BY-SIDE COUPLES MINISTRY
The Side by Side Couples Ministry invites all married, engaged, and seriously dating couples to join us for a new study titled Growing Together in Christ. This study starts on Friday, October 8th, at 7 pm and will be held virtually via Zoom. Couples are encouraged to join us for this 6-week series, where we’ll learn about: The power of prayer in marriage, what it means to follow Christ together as a couple, and having a spiritual influence on other families. Growing Together in Christ will help you pursue God together as a couple. Go HERE to attend the class. All couples are welcomed and encouraged to attend as we strive to grow together in faith.

SCHOLARSHIP MINISTRY 2021-2022: 
We are excited to announce the open enrollment for our Scholarship Ministry beginning today through October 4th! We are now accepting applications for students to join for this academic year. The scholarship ministry is available for all students K-12th. Our scholarship ministry is designed to nurture Friendship’s students to be the best scholars and be a meaningful part of our faith community that we believe is a catalyst for faithful ministry and service. Potential applicants and their families can find the application on our website.  Please go to www.wearefriendship.church/scholarship to access the application.  We need all new and returning students to complete the online application.  More information about our “Virtual Kick-Off Meeting” in early October will be coming soon. If you have any questions, please email Rev. Jaron Singley at [email protected].  

REMEMBERING OUR LOST LOVED ONES: 
Looking ahead, We will have our 2021 Remembering Our Lost Loved Ones Service on Tuesday, October 19th, here at Friendship in the Sanctuary. Yes, we are planning an in-person event that will also stream live. If you would like to remember your loved one in this service, please send their name, relationship to you, and photo to Leigha Carrington in Membership Services at [email protected].  Especially note if your loved one passed away in 2020. You can submit via email or regular mail. The last day to submit this information is Friday, September 24th.

From the Community:

100 BLACK MEN OF ORANGE COUNTY – PASSPORT TO THE FUTURE: 
The One Hundred Black Men of Orange County invites young African American Males in the 6th through 12th grades to participate in their Passport to the Future College Prep & Mentoring Program! This mentoring program is free and seeks to assist the transition of these students from adolescent boys to confident young men ready to successfully take on the challenges of college, career, and community. For more information, visit the One Hundred Black Men of Orange County Website HERE. Also, HERE is the link to the 2021-2022 Passport to the Future registration portal.

General Church things to remember:

  • CHILDREN’S MINISTRY VIDEO: Remember there’s a weekly Children’s Ministry Worship Video designed to keep our children connected, encouraged, and worshipping! Rev. Jaron Singley works hard weekly to produce a Children’s worship video. It is available through our website HERE or via the Friendship Youtube Channel 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#. 
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  • 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 2:30p-4:30p.   

  • 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. 

  • 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.

Well, that’s all I have this week! Thank you for reading!  Thank you for your prayers and support! Continue to Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected  God loves you, and so do I! 

In His Service,
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lK6ri-mjKfB2sIhmcqg2Hi5NyudCSRNzgARr3Mf2K6eUJbquKsJKTjRH8bwIsoC_hqMxDcBGgvz_iM-bLMT8GRoG7ZyW8HAgJwXEgcNgXaSzgCXTwPnItGvBjZf7eqWKVIIalN7w
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor
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