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

PASTOR’S WEEKLY UPDATE JULY 1, 2022

Happy Friday, Friendship Family! 

It is Friday, July First! So welcome to the second half of 2022. We have six months left this year; therefore, it is time to maximize the time if you haven’t already! 

I want to thank you, Friendship, for being a responsive congregation!

✔️ Responsive to God’s Word!
✔️ Responsive to God’s Holy Spirit.
✔️ Responsive to Pastoral Leadership.
✔️ Responsive to the needs of others!
✔️ Responsive to the spiritual condition of the world around us!

We must be responsive in prayer, praise, and worship because God responds to the responsive and humble heart. It is guaranteed an audience with the Almighty. His heart is drawn to humility and commitment to obedience. He knows a responsive heart can be trusted with His truth. So when He finds someone responsive to righteousness, He has found someone who can be entrusted with His blessing. A responsive heart is teachable, tender to truth, and quick to obey. It is the opposite of a hard heart.

Stay responsive to your heavenly Father, and watch in awe as He quietly, boldly, and lovingly responds to you. A responsive heart to God is quick to obey Him and slow to sin. So let’s remain responsive, Friendship! 

That’s my encouraging word. So let’s get to the updates and get you to your holiday weekend.

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED
Please note the church office will be closed Monday, July 4th, in celebration of the Fourth of July Holiday. 

FAMILY PRAYER SERVICE CANCELED
Since Friday, July 1st kicks off a holiday weekend, we will not have our Family Prayer Service TONIGHT. However, we ask that at some point TODAY that you would pray for your church in preparation for First Sunday, July 3rd.  

FIRST SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2022 ~ COMMUNION SUNDAY
Remember, this Sunday is the First Sunday. So this is Communion Sunday. So if you do not join us in person Sunday, remember to prepare your communion elements as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together on Sunday. If you need more information on your items, please go HERE.

Now, here are your announcements and ministry updates for this week…

DISCIPLESHIP BOOTCAMP
Friendship Family, we invite you to join us for Discipleship Bootcamp on Tuesday, July 12th through Thursday, July 14th, from 7-9 p.m. here at the church. This year’s theme is “Claim Your Crown” and is inspired by 2 Timothy 1:5-9.  

In this year’s Bootcamp, we’ll learn how God wants us to claim our crown as leaders by examining leaders in the Bible and their demonstration of valuable leadership traits.  Our crown is claimed as we grow into the godly leaders God desires us to be for His kingdom.
We will host classes for adults, children, and youth. Please register on the Events page on the church’s website or via the link in the written portion of my email below so we can plan and prepare appropriately. We will provide learning materials and snacks during breaks for all Bootcamp participants; your registration is critical to our preparation.  Additionally, all Tuesday - Thursday evening Bible studies are paused for the week of Bootcamp. 

We look forward to seeing you for great fellowship, fun, and learning at Discipleship Bootcamp 2022, July 12th-14th. We aim to have 200 children, youth & adults participate. Register HERE.

We need VOLUNTEERS to work with the children & youth during Discipleship Bootcamp. If you are available, would you please contact Pastor Jaron HERE? We thank you in advance for your willingness to assist. 

CHURCH PICNIC
Our Annual Church Picnic and 5K Health Walk will take place on Saturday, July 16th, at Ted Craig Regional Park. We are returning to the time before the pandemic, with the foods we enjoy, hamburgers, hot links, desserts, and the famous roasted buttery corn. We will have games, jumpers, and lots of fun for the entire family. More information will be provided in the coming weeks. Volunteers are needed to cook, serve, and set up. Please contact Sharon Preston in the church office to volunteer, and don’t forget about the 5K Health Walk.

5K HEALTH WALK
The 5K Health Walk takes place on the same day as the picnic, July 16th, at Ted Craig Park and starts at 8am before the picnic. This is an excellent opportunity to exercise and fellowship!

5K HEALTH WALK TRAINING
In preparation for our Annual 5K Health Walk at the Church Picnic, our Healthcare Ministry is offering pre-walk training on Saturdays. The next pre-walk training takes place tomorrow, Saturday, July 2nd, at 7:15am. This training takes place on the El Cajon Trail in Yorba Linda. Participants will meet in the parking lot of the St Jude’s Heritage Medical Group at 4300 Rose Drive, that’s just one block from the Ship. The last date for training is July 9th. So join the Healthcare Ministry and have fun walking!

SIDE BY SIDE COUPLES MINISTRY
The next Side by Side Couples Ministry class is scheduled for Friday, July 8th, at 7pm via Zoom. This Bible study for couples utilizes the book You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by best-selling author Francis Chan and his wife, Lisa Chan. The topic for July 8th is Learn to Fight Well. Should you have any questions, please contact Deacon Hilton McDaniel at  (949) 652-1489 or his wife, Sheila McDaniel, via email at [email protected]. To join the session, go HERE. They look forward to you joining the class.  

WOMEN’S MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
Ladies, the next Women’s Virtual Monthly Fellowship is Friday, July 22nd, at 7:00p. The special guests are Sister Elona Brown and Sister Sonya Griffin. They will speak on I’m Not Okay, Is That Okay? These two women love the Lord! We invite you to come to learn, be encouraged, and be encouraging! Register today HERE.

Here are some church business and administrative information I want to provide you…

NEW EXECUTIVE PASTORS START IN JULY
Some of you heard my announcement on Sunday. This month we welcome two Executive Pastors to our Administrative Team.

Pastor Jaron Singley: As announced on Sunday, Jaron Singley is being promoted to Executive Pastor of Ministries. The executive Pastor of Ministries assists the Senior Pastor by providing leadership and direction to staffed ministries to accomplish the church’s mission and pastoral vision. This includes but is not limited to Christian Education & Discipleship; Counseling, Outreach, & Evangelism; Celebration Arts, Pastoral Care; Student and Children’s Ministries; and Media. Welcome, Pastor Jaron, to his new position!

Pastor Rodney Friend: Our second Executive Pastor is Rodney Friend. He will serve as the Executive Pastor of Operations. As the Executive Pastor of Operations, Pastor Friend will assist the Senior Pastor by providing leadership in strategic planning, finance, administration, human resources, and day-to-day operations. All administrative staff, including facilities staff, will answer to Pastor Friend. Pastor Friend comes with over 30 years of pastoral experience, extensive human resource management, and professional experience in the corporate arena.
I am ecstatic to have both of these men in these roles! Please know that I am working hard to fill the Children, Youth & Young Adults leadership position that is now vacant with Pastor Jaron’s promotion. We also have a few more critical roles to fill that are necessary to help advance Friendship in mission.

SAVE THE DATE
We have a  Church Stewardship Meeting on Saturday, July 23rd, @ 10am. This meeting is open to ALL members and will be informative, encouraging, and inspiring! So please plan to join me!

TITHE & OFFERING FINANCIAL UPDATE:
Look, you should have received an email from me on Wednesday. If you didn’t, go back to your email and look for it. In that email, I gave you an update on where we are financial year to date! 

Beloved, Friendship is not immune to the effects as the country struggles through difficult economic times, inflation, deflation, and increased fuel cost. While many have remained faithful in their tithes, the overall giving level is significantly down. Our revenue is currently down approximately 10% of our budgeted anticipated giving, equating to about $155,000. Additionally, the summer can be difficult for the church and our budget. In the church administration world, it is known as the summer slump. I prayerfully ask for your partnership and support as we seek to honor God in our giving and avoid the summer slump. 
Don’t forget that there are multiple ways you can give to Friendship: cash (on Sundays) and check (anytime), and also you can give online, via your desktop, laptop, or smartphone at our website or the church mobile app. To give TODAY, please go HERE.

COVID SAFETY UPDATE:
Beloved, since there has been a slight spike in Covid cases, we have decided to return to Praise & Worship Teams only for July & August, meaning we will not have choirs during this time. This is a precaution to keep everyone as safe as possible. We look forward to seeing you in worship each week. 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ~ CHRISTIAN EDUCATION & DISCIPLESHIP
Christian Education and Discipleship is preparing to bring back children and youth Ex-Hour in September this year!  We are also preparing for the children and youth Discipleship Bootcamp and need volunteers for both areas.  If you are ready to see our children back in their age-appropriate bible study groups and are willing to help with teaching, classroom assistance, and administration, please email us here at [email protected]. It takes a village to bring our children back, and we need your help!

Here are a few church office updates…

General Church things to remember:


2022 CHURCH THEME:
United & Unashamed: God’s People United in Mission, Ministry, & Mandate
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 ESV; Romans 1:16-17 ESV

 ⚫ JUNE PRAYER FOCUS:
Praying that Friendship Embraces the Grace of God
Eph.2:8-9, Acts 20:32a, Rom. 5:2

BIBLE READING
You have  187 days to complete a Bible reading plan, including today. Friendship encourages every member to read one of six Bible reading plans in the year. These plans include;

✔️ 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)

Bible Reading Small Groups:
Congratulations to everyone who participated in our Spring Bible Reading Small Groups and completed one of the 5 Bible Reading Plans! Amen!  We are excited to share that almost 40 people completed reading one of the 5 Bible plans in 90 days! A special thank you to our Small Group facilitators for guiding each group: Karen Ammons, Shawna Chambers, Bill Jenkins, James Shelby, and Keah Talley. We appreciate your service and willingness to encourage others to read God’s Word. We will offer Bible Reading Small Groups again in the Fall for those who want to complete a reading plan (or a different plan) before the end of the year.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure to follow us on our social media pages for upcoming content. For Facebook, that’s @FriendshipBaptistChurch. For Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, it’s @wearefriendshipchurch.

IN-PERSON EX-HOUR: In-person Ex-Hour meets each Sunday from 10am to 11am in the Multipurpose Building. We invite you to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend Ex Hour in person.

EX HOUR: Virtual Ex-Hour meets weekly on Sundays via ZOOM. Join us for class at 10am via this link HERE.  

YOUTH EX HOUR: Our youth Ex Hour takes place during our designated EX Hour time via Google Meet and in-person. Yes, it’s a hybrid approach! 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.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY VIDEO: A weekly Children’s Ministry Worship Video is provided to keep our children connected, encouraged, and worshipped! Rev. Jaron Singley works hard weekly to produce a Children’s worship video. It is available through our website HERE or the Friendship YouTube Channel HERE.

WEDNESDAY Prayer Day: Join us each Wednesday for Prayer. We pray at 6:30am, 12pm, and 6:30pm. To connect with our prayer services, please follow this link HERE or dial +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, 2:30pm-4:30pm.  

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 COVID Membership Assistance Grant applications. 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!

Continue to Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and 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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