Weekly Word from Pastor Curry: July 16, 2021

Happy Friday, Friendship Family, 

Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! I greet you with great joy in my heart. I am so very grateful to God for this week’s Discipleship Bootcamp, where we learned to build our lives on the foundational and durable love of Jesus Christ.

It was so good to see so many faces I had not seen in several months! I was encouraged really encouraged. Thank you to all those who attended! 

We had wonderful lessons and wonderful discussions as we learned and talked about Christ Foundation of Love and Forgiveness for our lives! Here’s what we learned:

✔️   Jesus chooses to love us, and we can’t earn it!

✔️   Jesus loves us regardless of our sin!

✔️   Jesus’ love is the foundation for the rest of our lives!

It was really encouraging and impactful teaching and a great time of community and fellowship.

Thank you to our teachers, Joyce Jackson and Elona Brown, Angella Gardner and Deacon Toreno Winn, and the Reverends Felton & Barbara Christian! I would also like to thank the discussion group leaders. Your service was truly appreciated. Thank you to our sound and media team!  Thank you to all those who volunteered in various ways, especially our safety team, who are ALWAYS on duty.  Thank you to Brother Lester McKinney for his great service to us. Thank you to Rev. Jaron Singley and his team for a wonderful Children’s and Youth Discipleship Bootcamp Program. Finally, Thank you to Sister LeShon Archer for her leadership as our Discipleship Bootcamp Coordinator. It was a GREAT week.

CHURCH PICNIC
Now, I am looking forward to tomorrow’s Church Picnic and 5K Health Walk. Remember, the picnic takes place at Craig Park beginning at 10am. Our meal for the picnic will consist of a sandwich from Chick-Fil-A, pre-packaged sides, snacks, sodas, and water to keep people safe. These items are FREE. Families are also encouraged to bring their own additional picnic basket lunch or lunch items. Maybe you want to bring a small grill and grill some hotdogs? Again the picnic and food are FREE, but we would be grateful if you would register, so we are sure to have enough food. You have until today at NOON to register. Also, don’t forget to bring your tents, pop-ups, lawn chairs, blankets, etc., and enjoy the food and fellowship. Please no alcohol.

Before the picnic, Lady Karima and I will host the 5K Health Walk at 8am. Join us for this relaxing time of fellowship, health, wellness, and exercise. Not competition, just community! Register HERE for the 2021 Picnic and let us know if you are coming to the Health Walk. 

WOMEN’S MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
Ladies, please remember that tonight is the Women’s Monthly Fellowship hosted by the Rev. Terry Abercrombie and the Women’s Ministry. This “Virtual” event begins tonight at 7:00pm.  Our guest speaker is Unique Page, Assistant Professor & Director, Portland Counseling and Training Center located in Portland, Oregon.  Professor Unique was raised here at Friendship and graduated from our youth ministry, and is the daughter of Dr. Gail & Peter Buck. She will speak about When Waiting Means Moving. To register and join this event, please go HERE.

CHURCHWIDE STEWARDSHIP MEETING

• On Saturday, July 24th, we will have our churchwide Stewardship Meeting at 10am via Zoom. Again, that’s next Saturday, July 24th, at 10am via zoom for all members. Leaders, your attendance is mandatory, but ALL members are invited to this churchwide business meeting. We will offer a mid-year update. Would you please plan to join us for this meeting? We will provide the zoom link next week. 

BAPTISM SERVICE:

• On Sunday, July 25th, we will host a special baptism service. The service is for all who desired to be baptized but, due to the pandemic, were not able to do so. It will take place at Friendship at 10am in the sanctuary. If you plan to be baptized, please register HERE.  

• Parents of children/youth pursuing baptism. We will have a special baptism “class” session where our Children’s Ministry Shepherd and Children’s Minister will greet and connect with parents and children/youth to share and hear what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and what the Bible says about being baptized. This small-group gathering will take place this Sunday, July 18th, at 1:30pm.  After you have registered for the Baptism Service, please also register for this class at [email protected]. 

• For our Adults who will be baptized, you will receive an email regarding your class, which will occur on Sunday, July 25th at 8:45am before the Baptism Service.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION UPDATE:

• Remember, we need your help. We want to serve you better, and to do so, we need your most up-to-date contact information. So, would you please follow the link HERE and update your personal information and the information for all household members? Thank you in advance for your participation in this.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

• We need volunteers and would love to have you join our volunteer core. Whether you have a heart for serving others, are skilled with technology, or love to make people feel welcome, we have space for you to use your God-given passions and talents for the sake of the Kingdom and the community! There is work to be done, and we need you. If you want to volunteer, complete the CHANGEMAKER form by clicking HERE, and we will get you connected to the right ministry opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you!

INTERNS NEEDED

• We also need interns in our media ministry. So if you are a student who needs an internship opportunity, we welcome you to be a part of the Media Ministry here at Friendship! To apply for a non-paid intern position, please email me at [email protected]. 

SERMON BASED SMALL GROUPS ~ PASTOR CURRY’S DISSERTATION PROJECT

• Many of you have asked about my progress on my doctorate and, specifically, my dissertation project. The pandemic pushed me back a bit because my research centers around sermon-based small group ministry and its effect on fellowship and discipleship within our cultural context. With Covid, it was challenging to meet the requirement of in-person small groups, and I was a bit discouraged, but with the vaccinations and things getting somewhat better, it seems I can get the project completed in the fall. So, I am here to ask for your help Friendship. 
• I need to have at least four small groups with 10-12 participants that meet in homes. So I need 40-50 individuals to commit to meeting for 8-10 weeks to discuss the Sunday sermon and its application to our lives. I also need four individuals/couples willing to serve as hosts for the small groups. 
• If you are interested and willing, please sign up HERE. The small groups will commence after Labor Day. Thank you in advance for your help with this.

General Church things to remember:
 

• IN-PERSON EX-HOUR: In-person Ex-Hour meets each Sunday from 10am to 11am each Sunday 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. We are studying Job & Ecclesiastes.

• EX HOUR: Virtual Ex-Hour meets weekly on Sundays via ZOOM. Join us for class at 10a 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. 

• 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.

I look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday morning, either in person or in the cyber sanctuary at 8am or 11:30am. We will continue our FREEDOM preaching series!  Please note that we are wearing masks in worship until the end of July. We are watching this Delta variant and want to be as safe as possible. You still do not need to pre-register to attend worship, and we will still have the on-campus Ex Hour available to you! 

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,

Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor