Pastor's Blog

My world was rocked yesterday afternoon when I received word that my very good pastor friend, Terry Rainey, unexpectedly passed from this life.  The death of any pastor bothers me but especially the death of a close friend.  Pastor Terry helped do Soy & Deidra’s wedding in 2007.  He has preached revivals here.  We have done mission work together.  I was privileged to help with his wife’s (Miss Cookie) celebration of life service in July of 2015.  Pastor Terry was still pastoring the Motlow Creek Baptist Church in Campobello, South Carolina.  Pray for his daughter, Shannon, and her husband, Chris.  Arrangements pending.

The Lord blessed us with two really good services yesterday.  Praise Him!

Eddie Albritton’s sister is having a test today to see what is taking place in her body.  Pray!

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

My apologies for no entry yesterday.  Red truck.

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.  I pray that our attendance will be strong both times.

No real updates on those for whom we have been praying.  Just keep going before the throne.

Revival services Sunday, 3/23, through Wednesday, 3/26.  10:00AM and 5:00PM on Sunday.  6:30PM Monday through Wednesday.  Pray, attend, invite.

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

The Lord blessed us with a really good day in our services yesterday.  We basically had a full house in the morning service.  The evening service left something to be desired (good but not great) attendance wise but the singing and the preaching were spot on.  Pastor Roy can preach!  If you missed it, then you missed a blessing.  A word from God!

We now turn our attention toward the services Sunday, 3/23, through Wednesday, 3/26, with Evangelist Michael Mason being the messenger.  Al Stokes and some of the folks from Grand Bay Ministries will be our musical guests on Monday night, 3/24.  I am asking each member of the Friendship family to give absolute priority to attending these services.  Pray without ceasing.  No red trucks, please!

Riley Glass and Mariam Moates had a niece, Kimberly, pass away this past Saturday afternoon.  Kimberly is the daughter of Jean Graham.  Kimberly’s father, Thomas Graham, passed from this life last September.  Pray for this family.

Tim Knighten’s brother, Mark, was possibly moved to another facility yesterday.  Mark’s son, Kyle, was in our morning service yesterday.  Keep praying for Mark and family.

Clinton Stringfellow is home and is waiting on the next decision by the doctors.  Pray for Clinton.

Opening day for the soccer leagues this Thursday, 3/20.  Pray for this ministry.  Games on Saturday, 3/22.

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

Glory to God!  The work day yesterday was amazing!  Simply amazing!  Children, youth, adults, senior adults, families, males, & females came together to “work” for the Lord.  I will post more probably tomorrow but Bro. Abel said that he has served in six churches and that was the best work day he had ever seen!  Good stuff!

Sunday School today at 9:00AM followed by worship at 10:00AM.  Then Pastor Roy Crouch and family will be our guests in our 5;00PM service.  Friendship family, please give priority to joining us in Bible study and corporate worship today!

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

Work day, work day, work day!  Breakfast begins at 7:00AM in the CAB.  Jerry & Sharon have help but I will not tell you who so that you will come to breakfast anyway.  Just saying!

Work begins at 7:30AM.  Nanette Fontenot called last night to let me know that “if” we get any rain in Grand Bay then it will not begin until 2:00PM today or later.  So, there you go!

It is all about the K!  Jarrod Sessions sent word to me that Be”kk”a will bake a cake for 3/28. We have five but will take a few more if we have any takers.  FYI, KWhitney Edwards offered to bring two cakes from Pensacola.  How nice is that!  I declined her generous offer.

Sunday School begins at 9:00AM tomorrow followed by the worship service at 10:00AM.  Come one, come all!

Pastor Roy Crouch and family will be our guests in our 5:00PM service tomorrow.  I am excited about seeing my cousin, Rachel, and her children!

A shout out to Ethan Nelson, Jerry & Sharon and Bro. Abel for the work they have already done at the church Thursday and Friday.  Looking good!  (I am probably missing someone but I am only going on the information I have received!). Thank you to Eddie Albritton for unlocking the buildings earlier this morning.

Hope you will have a great Saturday with Jesus.  Join us for work today and worship tomorrow!

First, work day tomorrow.  Breakfast will be served at 7:00AM with work beginning 7:30AMish.  Jerry & Sharon Poiroux are graciously cooking for us so please show up to eat.  It is either sawmill gravy, cathead biscuits, grits, eggs, bacon, sausage, Conecuh, et cetera OR pop tarts.  Feast or famine – LOL!  I appreciate Jerry & Sharon.

Folks, bring your tools and a mind to work!  As Miss Kittie often said, “many hands make light work!”  Grant Tillman called me earlier today to say that he will be present for the work day and that is “making” Katie come too!  How about that!  I am impressed!  We are going to have a good time of fellowship and will get much done to the glory of God!

Clinton Stringfellow was to have some testing done yesterday.  Not sure if that happened but please keep praying for Clinton.  Great guy!

One of Eddie Albritton’s sisters is having some health issues and will undergo tests next week.  The following week Eddie will have surgery as they will fuse some vertebrae together.  Pray for these needs.

Keep praying for Tim’s brother.

Regular schedule this Sunday morning, 3/16, and then a very special service at 5:00PM with Pastor Roy Crouch and his family.  Folks, lets fill the house!

Revival services Sunday, 3/23, through Wednesday 3/26, with Evangelist Michael Mason preaching the Word.

Ben Thomas of al.com fame writes an article each Friday and always includes a quote.  Here is today’s:  “We judge ourselves by our intentions but others by their actions.” – Stephen Covey.  Ouch!

By the way, pray for Ben’s father as he is on hospice care.  He is a follower of Jesus which is a great thing but it is difficult watching your love ones struggle.  Ben & Michelle a great friends!  (They are not in the “13” but no one is perfect!)

It must have something to do with the letter “K” as we now have four ladies who have stepped up to bake a cake for the BCM cake auction on Friday, 3/28.  Kayla Hatcher, Peggy Knighten, Jennifer Kirschenman and Lisa Klark.  Next volunteer?

I am looking forward to seeing a great crowd tomorrow morning and a much larger crowd Sunday morning and then Sunday evening.

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

Last year I asked folks to consider giving toward helping pay the salaries for our teachers at Colegio JET on GRACE Mountain.  The annual cost for a teacher is around six thousand five hundred dollars ($6,500).  We have some churches and others who sponsor at least one of those salaries.  Some give even more.  Thank you!  However, I fully realize that not everyone can give $6,500.  I am fine with that and deeply appreciate each cent given to this cause.

So, we began our “A Baker’s Dozen” emphasis last year.  God blessed and it worked well as folks responded.  I am little later in the year this year but I am asking folks on this thirteenth day of March to prayerfully consider being a part of a baker’s dozen.  Simply means that you will commit to giving at least five hundred dollars ($500) between now and September 13, 2025.  It can be given any way that works for the giver – all at once, monthly, two gifts of $250, et cetera.

One can give online at aglimpseofgrace.com or by mailing a check made payable to GRACE Ministries and mailed to P.O. Box 223 Grand Bay, AL 36541.  Friendship family members, you can just give a check to me at any time if you are not giving online.  Or, you can give it to Heidi Butler.  If needed, Heidi can help with the “how to” of giving online.

Will you help by sharing this information with others?  I do no social media so if you could share it with churches, small group Bible studies, other ministries, et cetera then that would be awesome.

Colegio JET cannot operate without our teachers.  Our teachers cannot teach without folks giving to support this ministry.  Thank you for making this a matter of prayer.

We will end this emphasis on March 31 but folks can give at any time even if they do not commit/pledge to do so.  Lisa and I are committed to helping pay our teachers at Colegio JET.  Will you join us and others?

One final note – any gifts given to this effort must be in addition to your regular offerings to your church.  That should go without saying!

The work day scheduled for this Saturday, 3/15, is a GO!  One minor change – breakfast will be served at 7:00AM and the work will begin no later than 7:30AM.  We will finish by 11:30AM or so.  Cannot come for the entire time?  Come when you can and help as long as you can.  Allen Glover will be changing light fixtures in our adult SS building.  I would imagine he could use some other electricians to help him.  We need mowers, weed eaters, edgers, rakes, hoes, shovels, blowers, pole saws, chainsaws, et cetera.  We will not have a roll off container here but will have a dump trailer.  Men, come help us!

We have thirteen readers for this blog.  So, I was thinking that asking five of them to bake a cake for Friday, 3/28, would not be too much.  I think I was thinking wrong.  Not even my wife responded.  The “you have not because you ask not” did not work in this situation.  No store bought cakes unless they are coming from Anderson’s Bakery, Loaves & Fishes or some place along those lines.

I am asking the members of the Friendship family to pray fervently and then to show up in strong numbers for our 5:00PM service this Sunday, 3/16.  Pastor Roy Crouch will be preaching.  His family will be leading us in musical worship.  May we pack the house.

Obviously, I am praying for a mighty move of God among us the dates of Sunday, 3/23, through Thursday, 3/26.  Evangelist Michael Mason will be our guest messenger.  Friendship family, pray, attend and bring others with you.

Clinton Stringfellow is in the hospital.  Pray for him.  He has been having issues for some time now.  Clinton is a great guy!

Still rejoicing over what God is doing in the life of Tim’s brother.  Praise the Lord!

Will you join me in continuing to pray for Dr. Mike & Dottie Clark in Guatemala, please?

There are other prayer needs that I cannot share at this time.  Just pray!

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

First, my Tuesday got totally off track early on and I never could get the train back on the track.  My day was consumed with our daughter, Dana, and her surgery.  Her husband, Herbie, was out of town on business so I was the one who tried to help her.  I am just thankful that I could call on Daphne regarding medicines, et cetera.  I also served as Dana’s nurse through the night as that is not Lisa’s forte in any way, shape, form or fashion.  Dana is better and will be fine.

Second, I tried to post an entry this morning but had connection issues.  Sorry!  I do not have a “white cow” but I do have a “red truck!”  Just saying!

God has performed a miracle in Tim Knighten’s brother’s situation.  Too much for me to write but just know that Tim, Peggy and family are giving God the glory!  Praise Him!

My cousin, Tony, is battling pneumonia in one lung.  This seems to be an ongoing situation each year.  The doctors contribute some of the cause to second hand smoke.  Imagine that!  Pray for Tony!

Join me in continuing to pray for Mike & Dottie Clark.  Good friends.  Great people.

Our loose change offering this past Sunday totaled $1,815 with almost one thousand dollars coming from loose change!  How about that!  Special thanks to Richard Bentley for counting, rolling, sorting all of it.  Thank you to each person who gave!

I am looking for five folks who will bake a cake to be sold at an auction on the campus of USA on Friday, 3/28.  This will benefit the Summer ministries of the Baptist Campus Ministries.  If you are willing to bake a cake then please contact me personally no later than this Sunday night.  I will deliver the cakes.  Lisa?

I am excited about Pastor Roy Crouch and his family being with us this Sunday evening, 3/16, beginning at 5:00PM.  Friendship family, pray, attend and bring others with you!

I am also excited about Evangelist Michael Mason being with us Sunday morning, 3/23, through Wednesday evening, 3/26.  Regular times on Sunday and then 6:30PM Monday through Wednesday.  Pray, pray, pray!

Hey pastor, are we having a workday this Saturday, 3/15?  Great question due to the weather forecast.  I will make a final decision no later than early Friday morning, 3/14.  Stay tuned!

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

Tim Knighten’s brother is scheduled for surgery this morning (it is 11:15AM) and he is perhaps in surgery now.  Pray, pray, pray!

Yes, the Lord showed up in our services yesterday.  Praise Him.  I am thankful!

I am also thankful to the Friendship family and guests for their faithfulness on time change Sunday.  Yesterday may have been our best “spring forward” Sunday during my pastorate.

The “change” offering was very good.  I would even say “great!”  Thank you, Jesus!  Thank you Friendship family for giving to the Lord!  We will perhaps have one or two more prior to camp.

I am excited about the service this Sunday evening, 3/16, as Pastor Roy Crouch and his family will be our guests helping us to prepare for revival.  It would be great if revival begins even before this service!  I am asking the members of the Friendship family to please give attending this service a huge priority!

Revival services with Evangelist Michael Mason – Sunday, 3/23, through Wednesday, 3/26.  Pray, pray, pray!

I am thankful to our resident plumbers and to those who are working on the renovation project.

If the weather forecasters are correct, our workday set for this Saturday, 3/15, may be in trouble.  We shall see.

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