Pastor’s Weekly Update January 14, 2022

Hey there, Friendship Family! 

I pray your week is going well and that you remember that you are blessed and highly favored by our great God! I greet you in the saving name of Jesus Christ! 

Friendship, as stated on Sunday, our 2022 Church theme is United & Unashamed: God’s People United in Mission, Ministry, & Mandate. This theme is designed to remind us that here at Friendship, we come together to worship God, to study His Word, and to “spur each other on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).  

Here, at Friendship, we come together to encourage each other, pray for each other, and discern together ways we can reach out to our hurting world with the Good News of the Gospel.  

Here, we are a family – not always perfect but always bound together by something more significant than we are. Centered on God’s Word, and empowered by His Holy Spirit, together we seek to be the Church God has called us to be.

Yes, we are United & Unashamed: God’s People United in Mission, Ministry, & Mandate. 
This Sunday, I hope to continue the series that embodies this theme and challenges our commitment! Amen!

Here are a few announcements for you this week:

21- DAY CORPORATE FAST
As stated Sunday and last week’s update, we started our time of Prayer and Fasting for 2022 on Monday, January 10th. I trust that these first five days have been beneficial to you. Our time of prayer and fasting goes for 21 days through Monday, January 31st. This is a 21 Day Fast of your choosing. You can choose a complete fast, selective fast, or partial fast. You govern your own fast to grow closer to God. You must decide through prayer and commitment what type of fast you will do.

Here is a fasting guide designed by Pastor Miles McPherson and The Rock Church HERE to assist you. We used this last year. Join us each day for prayer at 12p. To connect with our prayer services, please follow this link HERE or dial in at +1 (413) 418-4274 and use the PIN 287683504#. We have prayer leaders for each day as follows:
 
CONVOCATION
With the current COVID surge, the spike, the uncertainty of in-person classes, etc., I have decided to postpone Convocation 2022 until April. It will now take place the week of Easter and will most likely be virtual. I will keep you posted. 

SIDE BY SIDE COUPLES MINISTRY
The Side by Side Couples Ministry will kick off the 2022 year tonight, January 14th, via Zoom at 7:00pm. This class uses the book entitled The Art of Marriage: Growing Together in Christ. The topic of next Friday’s session is The Guidebook for Growth. You can join the meeting via Zoom HERE. Should you have any questions, you can contact Deacon Hilton McDaniel by email at [email protected] or call (949) 652-1489.

NEW MEMBERS CLASS
On Sunday, January 16th, we will begin a new eight-week New Members Class session.  Suppose you joined Friendship but have not completed the New Members Class. In that case, we strongly encourage you to complete this eight-week course that will introduce you to Friendship’s foundational beliefs, biblical doctrine, and operations.  This course takes place in person on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am.  To register, CLICK HERE.

BIBLE CLASSES
Most Bible Studies started back last week, and we are meeting regularly. I encourage you to get into a Bible Study!

Friendship family, we have two new Bible classes starting in January and February:

The first class is a Precept study on the book of Mark: The most critical question you will ever answer is this: Who do you believe Jesus Christ is? With all the opinions floating around - He’s a good man, a teacher, a prophet, the Son of God - how can you know who is right? The book of Mark’s account of Jesus’ life gives you the answer. Rather than rehearsing what people said about Jesus, Mark shows you what Jesus did. Facilitated by Dr. Laseanda Wesson, this 10-week Precept course starts on Tuesday, January 25th, at 7:30pm and will be held virtually. If you’re seeking a solid understanding of the book of Mark, we invite you to join this study! Unfortunately, space is limited, and participants need to purchase their own workbook in advance via the Precept site. We look forward to studying the book of Mark together and discovering that Jesus left no doubt about who He claimed to be. To enroll, please go HERE. To order your workbook, please go HERE. Please note for a comprehensive study (approx. 60 minutes of homework), select Precept Upon Precept. If you are pressed for time but still want a solid understanding of the book of Mark, select the In and Out Study (approx. 30 minutes per day).

In February, our War Room Bible Study class begins and will be held virtually on Thursdays at 7pm. We likely remember and have seen the movie War Room, released in 2015. It was a powerful movie on the power of prayer. It focused on a couple wrapped up in their lives and had become complacent in their relationship with the God who created them for their glory. Sometimes, we, too, become wrapped up in our hectic lives and forget our first Love and the subtle enemy who wants to keep us from Him. Participants will be called to evaluate their spiritual life and growth through this Bible study, uncover their true character, trust in the God of grace, declare victory over the true enemy, and find their identity in their Savior. If you desire to strengthen your prayer life this year, we invite you to attend this study and discover that prayer really is a powerful weapon. This class will be facilitated by Deaconess Celeste Wall and Sister Le Shon Archer and will be held weekly starting Thursday, February 3rd. Participants are asked to purchase their own books and may do so via Amazon or Christianbook.com. To enroll in the class, please go HERE.

IGNITION YOUTH CONFERENCE
Attention all youth in the 6th through 12th grades, our Youth Ministry invites you to attend the Ignition Youth Conference on January 21st - 22nd. This is a weekend experience for middle & high schoolers designed to intentionally create an environment where students can exalt Christ, engage scripture through messages and small group discussions, and be equipped with the necessary tools to pursue Christ passionately.

At the Ignition Youth Conference, there will be four Gospel-centered messages that cater to youth, high-energy worship, and a weekend experience that will inspire our students to be the best version of themselves, leaning into who God created them to be. Plus, the conference offers an awesome concert featuring Social Club Misfits, a Christian Hip-hop duo. Space is limited, so sign up soon. The cost of the conference is $40. Parents are welcome to attend. The event begins on Friday evening, January 21, from 6:00 pm until 9:30 pm. We then resume on Saturday at 9:00 am and go until 9:00 pm. Click HERE for more information and to register.

TRANSFORMATION MINISTRIES CONFERENCE 2022
I am excited to announce that I have been asked to speak at the next Transformation Ministries Conference being held on February 10th and 11th at South Shores Church in Dana Point. This is the conference we hosted for Transformation Ministries in 2015 here at Friendship. The 2022 Transformation Ministries Conference is built around the theme: Only GOD. We will revisit the book of Acts and look at how the supernatural work of God turned the world upside down. I will speak from the thought, ONLY GOD IS WORTHY! HERE is the link to Transformation Ministries advertisement for the conference this week, featuring your PASTOR.

All of you are invited to attend the conference! It is FREE for you to do so as long as you register under Friendship! To register, go HERE. Select “I need to add my name to my church’s registration.”  Then enter Friendship Baptist Church for the church name and enter our church address which is 17145 Bastanchury Road, Yorba Linda, CA 92886. Then enter your contact information under Attendee Information. Let me know if you have a problem by emailing me HERE.

CHURCH OFFICE REMINDERS
Please note the Church Office is closed  Monday, January 17th, for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Operations will resume on Tuesday, January 18th. 

Also, our Administrative Team is onsite daily to provide support to the membership as needed and to the best of our ability. We are still having difficulty with our phone system; however, we hope to address this soon. For now, please get in touch with church staff via email, and they will call you back. If you need to come up to the church, please call before you come so we are prepared for your arrival. 

Remember, many things can be handled electronically, including a request for contribution statements. You can request a CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT HERE. Also, our food pantry remains open, and our staff is available for their support as well.

Also, Friendship, with the continued surge of the Omicron Variant, I want to encourage you to do everything you can to keep yourself safe. Please wash your hands, watch your distance, and wear your mask. The guideline suggests that we utilize N-95 Masks or that we double masks. A cloth mask alone is not enough against the Omicron Variant. Remember, we pray, don’t panic, take PRECAUTIONS, and remain patient.

General Church things to remember:









Well, that’s all I have this week. Continue to Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected!

God loves you, and so do I!

Happy New Year, again!!!

In His Service,

Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor