PASTOR'S UPDATE JULY 29, 2023

TRANSFORM CONFERENCE 2023
I am excited to announce Gateway Seminary’s Transform Conference 2023!  The Transform Conference is a one-day workshop taking place at Gateway Seminary in Ontario on Saturday, August 19. This year’s theme is Cultivating Holiness. This Conference is designed for ministry leaders and will teach how to cultivate holiness within community.

Gateway is offering this conference to Southern California churches and online to churches across the globe. I am honored that I have been asked to lead one of the breakout sessions! The regular conference cost is $20, but our Friendship family will have a special group rate of only $10! We have 30 slots at this price. Click HERE to sign up.

FAITHFUL GIVING
Beloved, as the summer approaches, we encourage you to remain faithful in your giving. I know it is graduation and travel season, but we still have ministry and financial obligations, and we need your faithful tithing support to meet those obligations! Therefore, we ask that you begin or continue to be faithful and trust God by bringing God your “whole” tithe. Remember, you can still give online, via the mail, or in person on Sundays. Give HERE.

FUTURE NOW INITIATIVE
We also want to thank those who have already started to give for our FUTURE NOW INITIATIVE. We request that you submit your PLEDGE FORM and begin making your pledges.

On the pledge form, please indicate your planned pledge amount and your frequency of giving. Again, if you have the printed form, please put your total pledge amount on the KICK STARTER LINE. Then tell us, on that form, whether you will give your pledge over 12 months or 15 months. Lastly, please tell us the frequency of your giving, whether you will give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly (as a one-time gift). Also, the form is available online HERE.  
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure to follow us on our social media pages for upcoming content. For Facebook, that’s Friendship Baptist Church. For Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, it’s @wearefriendshipchurch.

General Church things to remember:

• 2023 CHURCH THEME:

      Resilient Faith
      Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV

• JULY PRAYER FOCUS:

      July – Walking in the Freedom of Christ
     2 Cor 3:17; John 8:36; Gal 5:13-14; Psalm 119:45; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 6:22

• BIBLE READING

     We invite everyone to consider reading God’s Word this year! As of today, you have  155 days to complete a Bible reading plan, including today. At Friendship, we encourage every member to read one of six Bible reading plans in the year. Consider joining a Bible-reading small group that will be starting soon! The 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)

• WEEKLY HEALTH WALK 

      Remember,  Health Care Ministry is sponsoring a weekly Health Walk every Saturday  from 7:00 am to 7:35 am led by Rev. Aubrey Craig and Sister Sandra Jones. This is a 30-minute walk. The walking group will meet on the corner of Bastanchury Road and Rose Drive.  If you want to participate, show up with water and energy snacks. Water and snacks will not be provided. For more information, please call Sister Sandra Jones at  909-438-7217.

• IN-PERSON EX-HOUR: 

      We invite you to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend EX-Hour in person. Remember, we have two adult classes meeting in person on campus and a Young Adult Class. They meet as follows:

• Adult Class One (Sanctuary): The team teaching in the Sanctuary includes Lady Karima Curry, Pamela Jones, Deacon Demetrius Linebarger, Melanie Porter, Vivian Randolph, & Deacon James Shelby
• Adult Class Two (Carrington Building Room 217): The team teaching in the Carrington Building Room 217 includes Le Shon Archer, Deacon Rick Archer, Karen Ammons, Gwen Matthews, and Rev. Phil Yoder
• Young Adults Class (Carrington Building Rooms 207-208): This class is designed for those aged 18-35.
• EX HOUR: Virtual Ex-Hour meets weekly on Sundays via ZOOM. Join us for class at 10:00 am via this link HERE.
• YOUTH EX HOUR: Our in-person youth EX-Hour takes place during our designated EX Hour time in the Multipurpose Building. Parents, please encourage your students to join youth teachers for this biblically fun opportunity to learn God’s Word, connect with others, and grow.
• CHILDREN’S EX-HOUR: As stated in previous weeks, our Children’s EX-Hour is back and meets on Sundays at 10am in the Multipurpose Building. Parents, please note you must check in and check out your children weekly for Ex-Hour.  
• MOMMIES WITH BABIES: We have our Mommies with Babies class simultaneously during EX-Hour in the Multipurpose Building. Mommies with two years old and younger children are invited to this EX-HOUR class and are encouraged to bring their children with them! Come for encouragement, community, and growth! Amen!
• WEDNESDAY Prayer Day: Join us each Wednesday for Prayer. We pray at 6:30 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:30 pm. 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 a bag of groceries.  The Food Bank’s hours of operation are Tuesday - Thursday, 2:30 pm-4:30 pm.  

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday for worship! Remember God loves you and so do I!
Be blessed Friendship!

In His Service,

Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor