Pastor's Blog

Happy fourth birthday to our youngest grandchild, Jayden.  As a family, we celebrated Jayden’s special day yesterday afternoon.  We love Jayden and pray that he will become a champion for Christ!

We had a pretty good day in our services yesterday.  Good attendance in our first service, fair attendance in our second service and a pretty strong attendance in our evening service.  The Bible study on Romans was well attended too.

Sonny Bates will be going to New Orleans on Wednesday for a scan.  This is supposedly the latest and greatest of this particular scan so pray it gives the medical professionals a clear look at what is taking place in Sonny’s body.  Needless to say, his hip replacement surgery scheduled for 2/1 has been delayed.  Pray for Bro. Sonny.

We continue to have folks within the Friendship family battling the virus.  None serious at this point.  Keep praying!

Basketball games tonight beginning at 5:30PM.  Pray for this ministry.

“Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me!”  Join me in praying for revival.  Evangelist Danny Long will be with us the dates of Sunday, 2/13, through Wednesday, 2/16.  Pray for revival!  Remember, YAM!

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

Sorry for no entry yesterday.  Some days there just is not much to write about.  And some days life can be a little hectic.  Not making excuses.

We had pretty good attendance in our morning service yesterday but our evening service attendance was poor.  I am very grateful for those who attended but I am confused as to why so many folks missed?  We were missing leaders, young adults and senior adults.  I sure hope it was just an abnormal night!

Pastor Horace Vinson passed from this life this past Monday.  Pastor Horace was eighty-six years old.  He is the founding pastor of the Grand Bay Community Church.  The visitation and celebration of life service will take place today at the Holder-Wells Funeral Home in Moss Point.  Pray for the Vinson family as they walk through this valley.

We continue to have members of the Friendship family battling the virus.  Thankfully, none seem to be serious and there are no hospitalizations.  Praise the Lord!

We are on a regular schedule this Sunday, 1/23.  The study on the Book of Romans will begin at 4:45PM in the auditorium.  Everyone invited to attend this study which will be facilitated by Bill Kendrick.

A ladies Bible study will begin on Thursday, February 3, at the home of Edna Pearl Morgan.  Sheila Booker will facilitate this study which will begin at 10:00AM.  They will be doing a Tony Evans study on the book of Esther.

Our basketball leagues continue play this Saturday, 1/22, with a starting time of 9:00AM.  Eddie Albritton leads this ministry and does a really good job.

Revival services Sunday, 2/13, through Wednesday, 2/16, with Evangelist Danny Long preaching.  Pray.  Attend.  Bring others with you.

I have not watched them play even one second but I am impressed with the Auburn basketball team.  Honestly, they should be ranked number one at this point.  One person voted them number nine in this week’s poll – are you serious!  Alabama finally won a game last night but they are struggling.

I am like Pastor Jack Bailey in that I love rainy days like today.  Good stuff!

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

Site has gone live today.  Covidtests.gov.

Well, how about that!  I wrote a blog entry early yesterday morning and posted it.  Imagine my surprise when I went online this morning and there was no entry from yesterday present.  Someone stole my blog entry!  So, I placed a call to the blog police (they have not been defunded yet) and after some expert work they located yesterday’s entry and returned it to me.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.

The forecasters call for us to have a nice weather today and tomorrow before things change beginning Thursday with rain and much colder temperatures.  Just FYI.

Every family in the USA is eligible to receive four free in home covid tests beginning tomorrow, 1/19.  I am told that you simply go to covidtests.gov to place your order.  Again, just FYI.

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

Good Monday morning from a still cool (36 degrees) Grand Bay.  We are heading to a low of thirty-two degrees tonight before hitting a warming trend (72 on Wednesday) before going to four consecutive nights of lows at, or below, freezing.

Blessed Sunday on our campus.  Our attendance was not great (youth retreat, cooler temps, virus, holiday weekend, et cetera) but we were blessed with a sweet spirit.  Thanks to Ian Tagert for leading our musical worship in Brad’s absence.

Bro. Abel and crew will return home this morning.

Our nine active deacons for 2022 are Eddie Albritton, Brandon Baker, Joey Bosarge, Rick Bradley, Bill Kendrick, John Milton Ladnier, Jimmy Tagert (chairman), Grant Tillman (vice chairman) and Larry Whitehurst.  Excellent group of spiritual leaders.

Revival services with Evangelist Danny Long the dates of Sunday, February 13, through Wednesday, February 16.  Pray for revival.

Regular schedule on our campus this Wednesday – morning and evening.

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

Good morning from a “cool” Grand Bay as the present temperature is thirty-eight degrees and is expected to drop to thirty-three by 7:00AM.  The forecast calls for strong winds today which will make it feel much colder than the actual temperature.  The forecast high for today is forty-six.  (And Mark Mast thinks they have cold weather!)

Pray for Bro. Abel, the chaperones and our students who are on the retreat in Citronelle today and tomorrow.  Certainly not a good weekend weather wise but prayerfully it will be great spiritually.

Normal morning schedule today.  Kid’s Bible Club at 5:00PM; children’s choir at 6:00PM; deacon’s meeting at 5:00PM; evening worship at 6:00PM.

Revival services with Evangelist Danny Long the dates of February 13 – 16, 2022.  Pray!

I pray that you will have a great Sunday with Jesus.

Here is our schedule for this Sunday, 1/16:

Worship services @ 8:00AM; 10:30AM & 6:00PM

Sunday School @ 9:15AM

Friendship Bible Club @ 5:00PM

Deacon’s Meeting @ 5:00PM

Children’s Choir @ 6:00PM

Our 8:00AM service will be live streamed with no password required.  Simply go to our website.

Basketball tomorrow.  Eddie Albritton & Bro. Abel have lined up an impressive awards night for Saturday, February 12, beginning at 5:00PM.  More details coming!

Bro. Abel will be taking our students to a retreat this weekend – leaving tomorrow at noon and returning Monday.  Pray for this retreat and those involved.

Evangelist Danny Long will be with us the dates of Sunday, February 13, through Wednesday, February 16, 2022.  Our service times will be 10:30AM & 5:00PM on Sunday and then 6:30PM Monday through Wednesday.  Please pray, invite others and attend each of these services.

I pray that you will have a great Friday with Jesus.

The Friendship family is going to do something way different today – we are going to have services on a Wednesday!  Can you believe it?  Who has been setting this schedule?  Perhaps it is time for him to be “let go” by offering him a five year severance package which included full pay and benefits.  Just thinking out loud – LOL!

So, morning Bible study at 10:00AM and evening activities begin at 6:30PM.  Hooray!

Hey, we could use five sponsors for teachers at Colegio JET in Guatemala.  These sponsors could be an individual, a family, place of business, church, Bible study group, et cetera.  The cost is six thousand dollars per year.  The school year in Guatemala begins in January.  Cannot do a full sponsorship?  Any amount can be helpful and will be appreciated.  Contact Deidra (dtaylor0811@gmail.com) to become a sponsor, with questions or for more information.

Our Sunday, 1/16, schedule is normal with worship services at 8:00AM, 10:30AM and 6:00PM.  Sunday School at 9:15AM.  Study on the book of Romans at 5:00PM.  Children’s Bible club at 5:00PM.  Children’s choir at 6:00PM.

Our deacons will meet this Sunday at 4:00PM.

We will once again live stream our 8:00AM service this Sunday, 1/16.  No password required.  However, I am asking those who are healthy to prayerfully consider attending the services in person this Sunday.

Keep praying for those who are battling illnesses.

Finally, we do not discuss Alabama basketball on this blog!  Coach Pearl has put together a really good team on the Plains!

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

I am officially calling for a football “day of mourning” after the Bama defeat last night!  Congratulations to the Georgia Bulldogs.  There a couple hundred thousand sad Alabama fans in the USA today while there are like eight hundred million happy fans!  I was not surprised by the outcome and I basically sat in silence during the entire game.  Folks, it is just a game and one team cannot win it all every year.  I will be ok after four or five months of rehab!  Honestly, I can never remember Alabama losing a game so life is good!

We will be on a regular schedule tomorrow morning and evening.  Lord willing, ditto for Sunday morning and evening.  I am ready to get back to “normal!”

Keep praying for those who are battling sicknesses.  Ray Stringfellow’s treatments begin soon.  Debbie Hyatt is recovering at home.  Brittney Godwin had her wisdom teeth surgically removed yesterday.  Markee Brinkman saw his doctor and will most likely be having surgery this Summer.  I learned of two more folks from the Friendship family who are battling the virus.  Pray for all of these folks.

They say the present temperature in Grand Bay is thirty-five degrees.  I was outside a few minutes ago and I think they are incorrect as it feels much warmer.  We need some colder temperatures or the bugs are going to have a field day this Summer.

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

This entry is way late.  I apologize.  No excuses.

Obviously, our in house numbers were down yesterday.  However, the services were blessed.  I received the following this morning from one of our members – “Good morning, Pastor.  Don’t know if u get this.  Enjoyed the service.  The Holy Spirit showed up big time.  From the beginning of the first song.  This country needs what we experienced yesterday.  Love you.  You are always in my prayers.”

By the way, our live stream numbers were up significantly which was expected.

One of our senior saints called me yesterday afternoon to share that they enjoyed the message via live stream and is grateful that the senior saints are taking into consideration.  That echoed what I received from several other senior saints.

If my numbers are correct, we have five or six folks from the Friendship family presently battling the virus.  Pray for each of them!

The plan is to resume a regular schedule this Wednesday, 1/12 – morning and evening.

Yes, there is a college football game tonight.  Yes, Lisa and I have tickets.  No, we are not going to attend the game.  Somehow Soy & Deidra got our semi-final tickets and now Brad & Daphne have gotten our national championship game tickets.  The good news is that they let us pay for them and also to keep their children while they are away.  How nice is that!

Here is my prediction – either Alabama or Georgia will win the game!

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.