PASTOR’S WEEKLY UPDATE FEBRUARY 10, 2023
Happy Friday.
I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday for Friendship Day. Remember, one service. @ 10:00am. Then we can go and celebrate the Super Bowl and all that, but let’s come and give God the glory first.
Also, please start making your pledges for the FUTURE NOW building project. If you would start making those now, it will make a tremendous difference for the future and what we are trying to do at Friendship.
Continue to pray for me (Pastor Curry) as I travel this weekend.
Here are this week’s announcements…
NEW MEMBERS CLASS
Attention NEW MEMBERS! A new session of our 8 week New Members Class has begun. If you joined Friendship, but have not completed the New Members Class, we strongly encourage you to complete this 8-week course which will introduce you to the foundational beliefs, biblical doctrine, and operations of our church. Do not worry about the classes you have missed, you will be able to make those up at a later date. This course takes place in-person on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am.
Register HERE.
But there will be no class this Sunday because…
FRIENDSHIP DAY
This Sunday is Friendship Day! And we will be having one service at 10am…and right after service we’ll have a time of fellowship and food and fun - we’ll have games, raffles, activities for the kids and more… So come - we’ll praise together and then we will play together.
RHEMA MENS MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
Ok. Fellas…RHEMA Men's Fellowship Monday, February 13th at 7pm in the multipurpose building here on campus. Brothers, Resilient Faith calls for us to take action in our walk with Christ. In our candid real talk time together we will break down the difference between being a disciple and the act of discipleship, as well as speak to and provide objectives and practical application for discipling and reaching others in 2023. Food will be provided, so come for the camaraderie and join in on a session that is sure to be action packed.
Please RSVP HERE so we can plan accordingly.
NEW CLASS OFFERING
we invite all those who are interested in learning to share their FAITH to join us for this upcoming exciting class called "Live Ready: Sharing Jesus As You Go."
Sharing the gospel with others can seem difficult and daunting, stressful and adversarial. This class will help with that! The class is set to start soon and is an opportunity to build resilience as we faithfully move forward in our call to share the Gospel. To register, click HERE.
2023 SILVER EAGLES’ BLACK HISTORY CONTEST
As you are aware, we are nearly in the middle of February and Black History Month! As a reminder to all children, youth, and their parents, the 2023 Silver Eagles’ Black History Contest is here and you are invited to participate! The contest is open to all children and youth from 1st through 12th grade.
This year's theme is "Incite Hope, Not Violence."
You are to choose an African American or other person of color from the past or present who inspires you because he or she has made or is making his or her life count to incite hope, not violence and make a video sharing your thoughts. Again, contest submissions are to be video presentations that are 2 minutes or less. For more info, go to wearefriendship.church/silvereagles. There, you can also see the video from last year’s winners. Submissions must be received by this Sunday, February 12th.
HEALTH SURVEY
Please, Don’t forget about the Health Survey. It is live and we need several hundred more participants!
We need to hit our goal of 3500 participants by the end of February 2023. Beloved, we want to equip the black community in OC with information, services, and tools to remove adverse effects on our health which sets us up for poor outcomes when significant illnesses/pandemics (like COVID-19) occur.
Here is a link to the HEAAL website.
Also, Second Baptist Church, in partnership with the Association of Black Cardiologists, Friendship Baptist, Johnson Chapel A.M.E., and Christ Our Redeemer A.M.E. is hosting a series of 9 more community-based heart health educational sessions designed to provide the African American community with tools and resources to reduce cardiovascular disease and improve health outcomes by reducing disparities in cardiovascular disease. These sessions are offered via zoom on the 4th Tuesday of each month. To attend the session, go HERE.
FRIENDSHIP CHOIR @ DISNEYLAND
Please note… Our Friendship Choir will sing at this year’s Disney Celebrate Gospel on Saturday, February 18th. More information is coming in the near FUTURE!
MARRIAGE CONFERENCE
Also, on Saturday, February 18th, Join Pastor Kenneth and Lady Karima Curry at the Building Strong Marriages Conference at Atherton Baptist Church in Hawthorne. For tickets, please go HERE.
WOMEN’S MINISTRY PRAYER CONFERENCE
Ladies, it is with exuberance, excitement, and jubilant joy that we invite you to our very first "In-Person" event in 2023 - FBC Women’s Ministry Prayer Conference! Join us on February 25th at 9:00 a.m., and as a church community and as Women of Faith, let’s get together to Praise and Pray! Our guest speaker is the Rev. Dr. Sonya Dawson of the New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. Mark your calendars, save the date, and most importantly, don't forget to register by going HERE.
FBC FOOD PANTRY
Our food pantry has a couple of requests. First, Are there any homeless and or hungry families you are aware of; in your neighborhood, or your circles of influence? Have you considered providing food to those who are less fortunate? The FBC Food pantry has an opportunity for you to fulfill the gospel in a practical way. All that is required is a willing heart and a little time to deliver bags of groceries to those who are in need. Further information will be provided for those who answer the call.
Secondly, Attention Men of Friendship. We need you! We need men to help us pick-up donated food from area stores and other sources so that we can serve those with food insecurity. This requires some mild lifting.
We really need your help on Mondays and Fridays during the morning hours! If you are free during those times able to assist please contact Gloria Banks or Rev. Felton Christian here at the church. You can reach Rev. Felton Christian HERE.
BEREAVEMENT COMMITTEE
We also need individuals to serve on our bereavement committee providing assistance to bereaved families at funerals during the repast. If you are interested in serving please contact the church office.
We are still taking requests for CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS now, you may do so HERE.
General Church things to remember:
Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV
Romans 12:1; James 4:7-8: Rom 12:2; James 4:10; 2 Cor 5:17
Well, that’s all I have this week. Continue to Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and Stay Connected!
God loves you, and so do I!
Hope to See you on Sunday…
I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday for Friendship Day. Remember, one service. @ 10:00am. Then we can go and celebrate the Super Bowl and all that, but let’s come and give God the glory first.
Also, please start making your pledges for the FUTURE NOW building project. If you would start making those now, it will make a tremendous difference for the future and what we are trying to do at Friendship.
Continue to pray for me (Pastor Curry) as I travel this weekend.
Here are this week’s announcements…
NEW MEMBERS CLASS
Attention NEW MEMBERS! A new session of our 8 week New Members Class has begun. If you joined Friendship, but have not completed the New Members Class, we strongly encourage you to complete this 8-week course which will introduce you to the foundational beliefs, biblical doctrine, and operations of our church. Do not worry about the classes you have missed, you will be able to make those up at a later date. This course takes place in-person on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am.
Register HERE.
But there will be no class this Sunday because…
FRIENDSHIP DAY
This Sunday is Friendship Day! And we will be having one service at 10am…and right after service we’ll have a time of fellowship and food and fun - we’ll have games, raffles, activities for the kids and more… So come - we’ll praise together and then we will play together.
RHEMA MENS MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
Ok. Fellas…RHEMA Men's Fellowship Monday, February 13th at 7pm in the multipurpose building here on campus. Brothers, Resilient Faith calls for us to take action in our walk with Christ. In our candid real talk time together we will break down the difference between being a disciple and the act of discipleship, as well as speak to and provide objectives and practical application for discipling and reaching others in 2023. Food will be provided, so come for the camaraderie and join in on a session that is sure to be action packed.
Please RSVP HERE so we can plan accordingly.
NEW CLASS OFFERING
we invite all those who are interested in learning to share their FAITH to join us for this upcoming exciting class called "Live Ready: Sharing Jesus As You Go."
Sharing the gospel with others can seem difficult and daunting, stressful and adversarial. This class will help with that! The class is set to start soon and is an opportunity to build resilience as we faithfully move forward in our call to share the Gospel. To register, click HERE.
2023 SILVER EAGLES’ BLACK HISTORY CONTEST
As you are aware, we are nearly in the middle of February and Black History Month! As a reminder to all children, youth, and their parents, the 2023 Silver Eagles’ Black History Contest is here and you are invited to participate! The contest is open to all children and youth from 1st through 12th grade.
This year's theme is "Incite Hope, Not Violence."
You are to choose an African American or other person of color from the past or present who inspires you because he or she has made or is making his or her life count to incite hope, not violence and make a video sharing your thoughts. Again, contest submissions are to be video presentations that are 2 minutes or less. For more info, go to wearefriendship.church/silvereagles. There, you can also see the video from last year’s winners. Submissions must be received by this Sunday, February 12th.
HEALTH SURVEY
Please, Don’t forget about the Health Survey. It is live and we need several hundred more participants!
We need to hit our goal of 3500 participants by the end of February 2023. Beloved, we want to equip the black community in OC with information, services, and tools to remove adverse effects on our health which sets us up for poor outcomes when significant illnesses/pandemics (like COVID-19) occur.
Here is a link to the HEAAL website.
Also, Second Baptist Church, in partnership with the Association of Black Cardiologists, Friendship Baptist, Johnson Chapel A.M.E., and Christ Our Redeemer A.M.E. is hosting a series of 9 more community-based heart health educational sessions designed to provide the African American community with tools and resources to reduce cardiovascular disease and improve health outcomes by reducing disparities in cardiovascular disease. These sessions are offered via zoom on the 4th Tuesday of each month. To attend the session, go HERE.
FRIENDSHIP CHOIR @ DISNEYLAND
Please note… Our Friendship Choir will sing at this year’s Disney Celebrate Gospel on Saturday, February 18th. More information is coming in the near FUTURE!
MARRIAGE CONFERENCE
Also, on Saturday, February 18th, Join Pastor Kenneth and Lady Karima Curry at the Building Strong Marriages Conference at Atherton Baptist Church in Hawthorne. For tickets, please go HERE.
WOMEN’S MINISTRY PRAYER CONFERENCE
Ladies, it is with exuberance, excitement, and jubilant joy that we invite you to our very first "In-Person" event in 2023 - FBC Women’s Ministry Prayer Conference! Join us on February 25th at 9:00 a.m., and as a church community and as Women of Faith, let’s get together to Praise and Pray! Our guest speaker is the Rev. Dr. Sonya Dawson of the New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. Mark your calendars, save the date, and most importantly, don't forget to register by going HERE.
FBC FOOD PANTRY
Our food pantry has a couple of requests. First, Are there any homeless and or hungry families you are aware of; in your neighborhood, or your circles of influence? Have you considered providing food to those who are less fortunate? The FBC Food pantry has an opportunity for you to fulfill the gospel in a practical way. All that is required is a willing heart and a little time to deliver bags of groceries to those who are in need. Further information will be provided for those who answer the call.
Secondly, Attention Men of Friendship. We need you! We need men to help us pick-up donated food from area stores and other sources so that we can serve those with food insecurity. This requires some mild lifting.
We really need your help on Mondays and Fridays during the morning hours! If you are free during those times able to assist please contact Gloria Banks or Rev. Felton Christian here at the church. You can reach Rev. Felton Christian HERE.
BEREAVEMENT COMMITTEE
We also need individuals to serve on our bereavement committee providing assistance to bereaved families at funerals during the repast. If you are interested in serving please contact the church office.
We are still taking requests for CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS now, you may do so HERE.
General Church things to remember:
- 2023 CHURCH THEME:
Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV
- JANUARY PRAYER FOCUS:
Romans 12:1; James 4:7-8: Rom 12:2; James 4:10; 2 Cor 5:17
- BIBLE READING
✔️ 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)
✔️ 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)
- 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 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 is back and meets on Sundays at 10am in the Multipurpose Building. Parents, please note you must sign your children in 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 6:30am, 12pm, and 6:30pm. 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, 2:30pm-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.
Well, that’s all I have this week. Continue to Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and Stay Connected!
God loves you, and so do I!
Hope to See you on Sunday…