PASTOR’S WEEKLY UPDATE DECEMBER 9, 2022
PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY
SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS WRITTEN HERE ARE NOT IN THE VIDEO
SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS WRITTEN HERE ARE NOT IN THE VIDEO
Hey there Friendship Family,
Happy Advent! Happy Friday! Happy Weekend!
This week I am stuck on a song that is not a Christmas carol. It is CeCe Winan’s song Goodness of God! It says…
I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
All my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
All my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Then she says this…
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me…
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me…
Do you realize how good God has been to us? He’s a good God! It makes me consider Psalm 100:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Here is a LINK to the song. If you haven’t heard it, I pray it blesses you the way it has blessed me. If you have heard it, listen to it again! This time listen with fresh ears and a fresh appreciation for the God you serve and Who has been faithful to you!
Here are your announcements…
THE ADVENT SERIES CONTINUES THIS SUNDAY
Look, I am looking forward to seeing you this Sunday for worship. We will continue this ADVENT series. This Sunday, I will preach about JESUS ~ THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
Remember, we are doing this series based on a devotional published by Christianity Today entitled THE PROMISED ONE. We have several copies left, so pick up your copy this Sunday. Once they are gone, they are gone. Also, we have a LINK to the PDF of the devotional for those who prefer an electronic copy or for those who do not receive a hard copy once our supply is depleted.
Look, I am looking forward to seeing you this Sunday for worship. We will continue this ADVENT series. This Sunday, I will preach about JESUS ~ THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
Remember, we are doing this series based on a devotional published by Christianity Today entitled THE PROMISED ONE. We have several copies left, so pick up your copy this Sunday. Once they are gone, they are gone. Also, we have a LINK to the PDF of the devotional for those who prefer an electronic copy or for those who do not receive a hard copy once our supply is depleted.
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY LADY KARIMA
This Sunday, we will have a surprise celebration for our First Lady, who is turning 50. We will have cake and punch immediately after the 8am service from 9:30a to about 10:15a. We encourage the 11:30a service attendees to come early, enjoy refreshments, celebrate Lady Karima, attend Ex-Hour and then attend the 11:30a service.
We will also have blank birthday cards that you can complete with a personalized message. We invite you to do so. However, instead of gifts, if you desire to give one, Lady Karima requests your support for her upcoming 3-week mission trip to share Christ with the children and families of Ghana.
The small missions team, under the leadership of Latter Rain Ministries International, will run a vacation bible school for children, revival services for adults, home visits in surrounding villages, and spiritual support of the local church. Here is the LINK to the Amazon gift registry if you would like to purchase needed supplies for the mission trip. Also, here is Lady Karima’s Cashapp information ($KarimaCurry) if you would like to donate to mission expenses and the purchase of local supplies and bibles that cannot be transported. If you give through Cashapp, please say “Happy Birthday” and say this is for “GHANA.”
CHRISTMAS PLANS
- As you know, Christmas is on Sunday this year. So we have decided to meet in person and invite you all to join us. We will have one service at 10:30am. We plan to have a 75-minute service.
- Furthermore, we will have a Watch Night Service on Saturday, December 31st, at 10:30pm. This will be about a 90-minute service.
- Then on Sunday, January 1st, we will have in-person service at, yes, you guessed, 10:30am. This will be a 75-minute service. I hope that is easy enough to remember!
- All services from Christmas through the beginning of the New Year are at 10:30!
- Please NOTE we will not have EX-HOUR on Sunday, December 25th, or Sunday, January 1st.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NOTES:
● Parents, Children’s Ex-Hour is in full effect on Sundays! Please bring your children to Ex-HOUR at 10am on Sundays. All children & youth classes meet in the multipurpose building.
● Also, we have our Mommies with Babies class simultaneously in the Multi-Purpose 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!
● Also, parents, please note that we have Children’s Church on Sundays at 11:30a service ONLY. This is a worship service for kids in 5th grade and below! They are doing an advent series as well. They will not meet on Christmas, nor will they meet on New Year’s Day! So bring your kids out while you attend the 11:30 worship service.
FOOD BANK HOURS:
Out Food Bank remains open through the end of the year with its regular hours Tuesday - Thursday, 2:30pm-4:30pm. So if you or someone you know needs food, please stop by or encourage them to do so!
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR ESSAY WRITING CONTEST :
The Friendship Silver Eagles Ministry calls for students in the 3rd grade through 12th grade to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Writing Contest.
Students are encouraged to research and learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, accomplishments, and how he worked to help improve people’s lives, and write an essay that explains how Dr. King’s life inspires the legacy you would like to make on our community and
world.
An interested participant can find details for the Essay Contest HERE. The essay submission deadline is Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 4:00pm. By this date and time, all essays should be emailed to Rosa Kelson at [email protected] or placed in the Silver Eagles Ministry mailbox in the Carrington Building.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS & CLOSURE
Here at Friendship, things begin to slow down for the end of the year. However, we are still here working and preparing for the New Year. Yes, we are getting ready for 2023, but our operations are less involved, and many of our staff members are on much-needed vacations. If you need to come to the church during the week, please call first to be sure we are available.
Please note the church office is closed Friday, December 23rd, and Monday, December 26th, and we will be closed Monday, January 2nd
Out Food Bank remains open through the end of the year with its regular hours Tuesday - Thursday, 2:30pm-4:30pm. So if you or someone you know needs food, please stop by or encourage them to do so!
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR ESSAY WRITING CONTEST :
The Friendship Silver Eagles Ministry calls for students in the 3rd grade through 12th grade to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Writing Contest.
Students are encouraged to research and learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, accomplishments, and how he worked to help improve people’s lives, and write an essay that explains how Dr. King’s life inspires the legacy you would like to make on our community and
world.
An interested participant can find details for the Essay Contest HERE. The essay submission deadline is Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 4:00pm. By this date and time, all essays should be emailed to Rosa Kelson at [email protected] or placed in the Silver Eagles Ministry mailbox in the Carrington Building.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS & CLOSURE
Here at Friendship, things begin to slow down for the end of the year. However, we are still here working and preparing for the New Year. Yes, we are getting ready for 2023, but our operations are less involved, and many of our staff members are on much-needed vacations. If you need to come to the church during the week, please call first to be sure we are available.
Please note the church office is closed Friday, December 23rd, and Monday, December 26th, and we will be closed Monday, January 2nd
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
We have just THREE more Sundays to meet our 2022 budget, and it is within our reach!
Friendship, thank you for your generous financial support of your church. You are amazingly faithful and generous. This fourth quarter push campaign helps to ensure we finish 2022 strong financially! Please remain faithful to your church and continue your financial support. Your generous contributions have assisted us in maintaining a high level of ministry here at Friendship. Currently, we are behind by about $100,000. Finishing strong will help us this year and position us greatly for next year as we anticipate greater in-person ministry opportunities! Please know we are constantly investing in the ministry here at Friendship! We are making progress!
Know that many of you make year-end gifts that you want to be credited in the current year; I have included a schedule below to help you ensure that your gift is credited correctly. Would you please read it and govern yourself accordingly?
We have just THREE more Sundays to meet our 2022 budget, and it is within our reach!
Friendship, thank you for your generous financial support of your church. You are amazingly faithful and generous. This fourth quarter push campaign helps to ensure we finish 2022 strong financially! Please remain faithful to your church and continue your financial support. Your generous contributions have assisted us in maintaining a high level of ministry here at Friendship. Currently, we are behind by about $100,000. Finishing strong will help us this year and position us greatly for next year as we anticipate greater in-person ministry opportunities! Please know we are constantly investing in the ministry here at Friendship! We are making progress!
Know that many of you make year-end gifts that you want to be credited in the current year; I have included a schedule below to help you ensure that your gift is credited correctly. Would you please read it and govern yourself accordingly?
● Subsplash/Online Giving: Sub-Splash will not process any giving over Christmas weekend. For Sub-Splash, the last date of transmission for 2022 is December 28th. Therefore, we recommend that members who want to give electronically for 2022 do so no later than Thursday, December 22, 2022. Due to the Holiday season, any giving processed electronically after December 22, 2022, will most likely be credited for 2023. Please note that we do not control when Subsplash processes the giving batches.
● In-Person Giving during Worship Services: Contributions given on Sunday, December 25th, will be counted on December 27th and credited in 2022. Giving at the Watch Night Service will be counted on January 3rd and credited in 2022. Contributions given on Sunday, January 1st, will be counted on Tuesday, January 3rd, and credited to 2023.
● Concerning mailed giving: All financial gifts postmarked December 31, 2022, will be processed for 2022. Keep in mind mail is much slower nowadays. So please be aware that all giving received under this time frame will not hit your bank account until 2023.
If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact our Interim Finance Manager, Jim Hopkins, in the church office or at [email protected]. TRANSFORMATION MINISTRIES CONFERENCE 2022
We will host the 2023 Transformation Ministries Conference on February 2nd and 3rd, and I am happy to serve as a speaker again this year. The 2023 Transformation Ministries Conference is built around the theme: PRESENCE. Of course, we are talking about God’s presence.
We will need volunteers to serve. If you are available, please get in touch with Sharon Preston in the church office HERE. If you would like to attend, it is FREE to attend. We need you to register, however. To register, go to tmchurches.org/tmc-2023 and select “I need to add my name to my church’s registration,” then follow the prompts. 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.
We will host the 2023 Transformation Ministries Conference on February 2nd and 3rd, and I am happy to serve as a speaker again this year. The 2023 Transformation Ministries Conference is built around the theme: PRESENCE. Of course, we are talking about God’s presence.
We will need volunteers to serve. If you are available, please get in touch with Sharon Preston in the church office HERE. If you would like to attend, it is FREE to attend. We need you to register, however. To register, go to tmchurches.org/tmc-2023 and select “I need to add my name to my church’s registration,” then follow the prompts. 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.
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
● DECEMBER PRAYER FOCUS:
Praying that Friendship is Grateful for our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ
Lk. 12:8-9; Jn. 8:12; Rom. 5:1, 8:1; Gal. 3:26; Eph.1: 7-10; Phil. 4:19.
● 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.
● BIBLE READING
You have 22 days to complete a Bible reading plan, including today. This is a reminder that you still have time to read the WORD and accomplish a goal you may have set for yourself! At Friendship, we encourage 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)
If you have not completed a reading plan, there is still time. So let’s finish strong and read our Bible before the end of 2022.● IN-PERSON EX-HOUR: In-person Ex-Hour meets each Sunday from 10am to 11am. We now have two adult classes meeting in person on campus, along with a Young Adult Class. They meet as follows:
We invite you to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend Ex Hour in person.
Please NOTE we will not have EX-HOUR on Sunday, December 25th, or Sunday, January 1st
○ 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.
We invite you to stay after the first service or come earlier for the second service to attend Ex Hour in person.
Please NOTE we will not have EX-HOUR on Sunday, December 25th, or Sunday, January 1st
● 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 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 ExHour and Children’s Worship service is back. The archive of all the weekly Children’s Ministry Worship Videos is still available to keep our children connected, encouraged, and worshiping during the week or anytime! 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 COVID-19, we invite you to apply for one of our $500 assistance grants. The guidelines are available HERE, and the application is available HERE.
● LOST & FOUND
Have you lost your favorite Bible, glasses, or a personal item while here at the church? If so, please get in touch with the church office at 714-528-0990 or stop by on the 1st floor of the Carrington Building Monday-Friday between 9:00am-5:30pm or Sunday between 10:00am-2:00pm. There is a collection on the blue counter under the TV monitor.
Well, that’s all I have, and that’s enough! See you Sunday!
God loves you, and so do I!
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and Stay Connected!
In His Service,
Rev. Kenneth C. Curry, Jr.
Your Pastor
Posted in COVID-19