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

PASTOR’S WEEKLY UPDATE AUGUST 5, 2022

Greetings, Friendship Family!

It is Sabbath Rest, and I asked Pastor Jaron Singley to stand in for me this week with the video.
Pastor Jaron has been 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. Again, welcome, Pastor Jaron to his new
position!

Remember, Sabbath Rest is a time to pause, reset, and renew. This allows the people to rest and the campus to reset. The word used for God resting on the seventh day in Genesis 2:2 is Sabbath, the same word that will be used later calling Israel to cease their everyday activities. In the creation account, God established a rhythm for us to follow, both in our work and in our rest, to maintain our effectiveness and purpose as created in His image.

God rested to establish a pattern for us to follow in enjoying the goodness of our created being
without the need for being productive. One day in seven set apart for rest and reflection on the
work we have completed requires us to acknowledge our dependence on God for His provision
and freedom from finding our identity in our work.

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.

Here are your announcements and ministry updates for this week…

YOUNG ADULT EX HOUR:
Ex Hour Live, the Young Adult Edition, is coming! We will launch a new Ex-Hour class for
Young Adults ages 18-35 on August 7 th . This class will be held in the Carrington Building Room
207 and offers young adults the opportunity to explore the Bible, examine the scriptures,
and experience transformation relevant to this stage of their lives. Join HERE to sign up for this
class and receive more information before class begins. Parents, if you have young adults, why
don’t you encourage them to participate?


SUNDAY WORSHIP CHECK-IN:
For those of you who attend in person, you probably have noticed that we count the number of
people attending our services on Sunday. We also track how many people watch our services
online through various algorithms and the check-in feature in the church app. While these are
good measurements of how many people are in the church and watching in the cyber sanctuary, it does not help us connect with our members. Knowing who is present at church helps us to be aware of who is in our church community. Additionally, we can better serve our church community as we receive check-ins to know who is here and who is missing—knowing our active community helps us better show love, care, and support!

So, beginning this Sunday and for the entire month of August, we will distribute “check-in”
cards to those members that are present in the sanctuary. We need to know your name, family
member’s name, and your e-mail address so we can match up with our database. Short and
sweet. Again, we are asking every household to please complete a card each week this month.
You may drop your card off with your offering as you exit after service. If you do not receive a
card, please stop and complete one in the lobby of the sanctuary. You will hear more about this
process on Sunday.

For those of you in the cyber sanctuary who have the church app and utilize it to check-in weekly, please continue to check-in there. If you attend via the cyber sanctuary and have the church app but have not been checking-in please begin to do so this Sunday. If you do not have the church app you can check-in on the home page of the church website. Please do so this Sunday and every Sunday thereafter.

SPECIAL PRAYER FOR STUDENTS SUNDAY:
Also, this Sunday, we will have a special prayer for all students returning to school. This prayer
will take place at both services and is for all students! See you Sunday!

SCHOOL SUPPLY GIVEAWAY
School supplies, like everything else, have increased in cost. It is up twenty percent over last
year. So good news, Friendship family, our annual Backpack Giveaway is August 9, 10, 11, or
until inventory runs out.

Applications are now available at the food pantry or outreach table on Sunday morning on the
quad. The applications must be completed and returned by August 5 th . Applicants will receive a claim check ticket when their completed application is submitted. Applicants must present that claim check to receive the backpack(s). All backpacks must be picked up by 5:00 p.m. on August 11th .

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION (CCCU)
Friendship has maintained a great relationship with the Christian Community Credit Union
(CCCU) as a trusted faith-based financial partner for many years. Recently, to positively impact
our church, CCCU has pledged to donate $50.00 to Friendship Baptist Church anytime one of
our members or attendees joins the credit union.

CCCU has a heart for missions and a commitment to supporting ministries such as our church.
We encourage you to explore the positive impact Christian Community Credit Union is making
by visiting their website www.mycccu.com or by calling our dedicated representative, Michael
Antaramian, who is available anytime to answer questions or share more information. He CAN
BE REACHED at 1.800.347.2228 extension 6224. Check out THIS link to CCCU as well; it is
designed just for the Friendship Family.

TITHE & OFFERING FINANCIAL UPDATE:
Remember, Friendship is not immune to the current difficulties of the economic times, inflation,
deflation, and increased fuel cost. The summer months can be challenging for the church and our budget as we seek to avoid what is known as the summer slump in the church administration world.

I prayerfully ask for your partnership and support as we seek to honor God in our giving. I
believe we can make up for our current shortfall. Thank you in advance for your consideration
and partnership!

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.
Also, we have returned to a MASK REQUIRED when indoors protocol. My prayer is that you
will understand our decision. We want to keep everyone safe; this is the only way we know how.
We will also return to a more strict physical distance seating protocol. A safe in-person worship
experience is the priority! Remember our refrain: We pray, we don’t panic, we take
precautions, and we remain patient.


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 e-mail us here at [email protected]. It takes a village to
bring our children back, and we need your help!

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

AUGUST PRAYER FOCUS:
Praying that Friendship Rest in the Lord
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 SABBATH REST

BIBLE READING
You have 148 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)

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. Please note that Ex Hour will continue
to meet weekly in person during Sabbath Rest in August.

EX HOUR: Virtual Ex-Hour meets weekly on Sundays via ZOOM. Join us for class at
10am via this link HERE.  Please note that Ex Hour will continue to meet weekly online
during Sabbath Rest in August

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. Please note that Youth Ex Hour will continue to meet weekly online and in
person during Sabbath Rest in August.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY VIDEO: A weekly Children’s Ministry Worship Video is
provided to keep our children connected, encouraged, and worshipping! 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. In addition, our
food pantry ministry will remain open during Sabbath Rest in August.

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 PastorIn His Service,

Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor