Pastor's Blog

Good Monday morning!  I am very thankful this morning for the blessings God bestowed upon the Friendship family yesterday in our services.  As I told several folks, there was a “buzz” in the auditorium prior to the service.  I like to think of it as a “Holy Spirit” buzz.  The freedom to preach was great!  Thank you to each person who prayed, attended and brought others.  Glory to God!

Virginia Morris sent the following note to the Friendship family:  “Steve and I want to thank all of you for the prayers, visits, food and generous gifts during Steve’s sickness.  We have a wonderful blessing in our church family.”  (Steve & Virginia)

Keep praying for Myrtle Bowden.  She has been having some good days and that is a blessing.

Henry Wyse will have a surgical procedure tomorrow.  Pray that all goes well.  He will be sidelined for the week following this procedure.

Jason Husband will have some medical things done later this month so please pray for him.

Sharon Jardee continues to need our prayer support.

Keith Barrett has been having some health issues and will be meeting with medical folks over the next couple of weeks.  Keith is a jewel and a vital part of the Friendship family.  Pray for Keith & Aninha.

Regular schedule on our campus this Wednesday, 1/11 – morning and evening.

DNOW for our students this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Pray for this to be a spiritually successful weekend.

Soccer sign up taking place again this Saturday & Sunday.  Contact Bro. Abel for more information.

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

Three reminders this morning:  first, our Sunday morning schedule now is Sunday School at 9:00AM followed by worship at 10:00AM.  (Evening schedule is unchanged)

Basketball games today from 8:00AM until noon.  Pray for this ministry.

Spring soccer sign up this afternoon in the CAB.  I “think” the times are 1:30 – 3:30PM.  Sign up will continue tomorrow afternoon  as well.

Last night was my first experience with our Friday night basketball as we had two grandsons playing.  How was it?  Yes.  LOL!

The Inspirations in concert this Thursday, 1/12, beginning at 7:00PM.  Everyone is invited and a love offering will be received.

Special offering for JZ Baker and family will be received on Sunday, February 5, 2023.  Please pray, attend and give as the Lord leads.

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

Good morning on this a bit cooler Friday.  Our basketball leagues resume play tonight and then again in the morning.  Pray for this ministry under the leadership of Bro. Abel and Kristy Siker.

Our spring soccer sign ups begin tomorrow afternoon and will take place this Sunday afternoon and then the following weekend with the same schedule.  Bro. Abel anticipates having full rosters following this four day sign up so do not delay.  Contact Bro. Abel for more information.

We begin with a new schedule on our campus this Sunday morning, 1/8.  Sunday School begins at 9:00AM followed by worship at 10:00AM.  Please pass the word and make plans to join us.

The Inspirations will be our special guests on Thursday, January 12, beginning at 7:00PM. No admission but a love offering will be received.  Come join us!

Myrtle Bowden had a treatment this past Tuesday.  Keep praying for Myrtle, Sammy and the family.

Wanda Womack’s mother is in a medical facility in Mobile.  Pray for her!

Sharon Jardee remains basically homebound.  Keep her in your prayers.  Sharon is a sweetheart!

A benefit seafood dinner for JZ Baker and family will be held on Sunday evening, January 22.  Details to be announced.

Bible reading for today – Genesis 15 – 17; Proverbs 6 and Matthew 4:12-25.

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

The Lord blessed us with a good day in our services/Bible studies yesterday.  Praise Him.

I am told that the supper was a huge success.  Thank you for each person who purchased a meal.  Special thanks to the folks who prepared, cooked, cleaned, et cetera.  What a blessing to JZ and his family.

This Sunday, 1/8, will see us have a new Sunday morning schedule.  Sunday School will begin at 9:00AM followed by worship at 10:00AM.  Please pass the word regarding this new Sunday morning schedule.

One week from tonight we will host The Inspirations quartet in concert.  This evening of worship will begin at 7:00PM.  Everyone invited.  No charge.  Love offering will be received.

Myrtle Bowden had a treatment on Tuesday and did well.  Praise the Lord!  Keep praying!

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

Regular schedule on our campus this morning and evening.  I am praying that the members of the Friendship family will be faithful to our midweek services and activities.  We have something for each member of the family.

This afternoon from 5:00 – 6:00PM there will be a benefit supper for JZ and family.  The meal will consist of a taco bar, beans, Mexican rice, dessert and drink.  Meal will be served in the Preschool Building.  Donations are eight dollars for adults and six dollars for children.  Great meal, great cause, great fellowship.

This Sunday morning, 1/8, we will have Sunday School beginning at 9:00AM followed by our worship service at 10:00AM.  Our Sunday evening schedule we will have Discipleship Training at 5:00PM followed by worship at 6:00PM.

The Inspirations will be our special guest on Thursday, January 12, beginning at 7:00PM.  No charge.  Love offering will be received.  Pass the word and invite others to join you.

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

As a church family, we begin 2023 with no one in the hospital.  We are grateful to the Lord for this blessing.  We do have folks who are battling various illnesses at home so we must continue to pray.

I realized way too late that our service this past Sunday morning, 1/1/23, was not being live streamed.  Totally my fault and I apologize and ask for your forgiveness.

The church office is open today and plans call for it to be on a regular schedule (Monday – Thursday 8:00AM until 12:00PM; 1:00PM until 4:00PM) each week.

This Sunday, 1/8/23, will see us begin a new Bible study/worship schedule.  Our Sunday schedule now looks like this:  Sunday School – 9:00AM; morning worship – 10:00AM; Discipleship Training – 5:00PM; evening worship – 6:00PM.  Please take note of this and pass the word!

Our Wednesday schedule remains the same with Bible study at 10:00AM and 6:30PM.  Mission classes and youth Bible study begin at 6:30PM.  No changes on Wednesdays.

Tomorrow night, 1/4/23, there will be a benefit supper from 5:00 – 6:00PM for JZ Baker and family in preparation for their family trip to Guatemala this April.  The menu will consist of a taco bar, beans, Mexican rice, dessert and drink.  Donations are eight dollars per adult and six dollars per child.  Questions?  Contact Daphne Hutto.

The Southern Gospel quartet, The Inspirations, will be our guests on Thursday, January 12, 2023, beginning at 7:00PM.  Doors will open at 6:30PM.  No cost.  Love offering will be received.  Questions?  Contact Andy Hamil.

Lisa and I had a delightful time visiting with my Mama, my siblings, and their spouses Sunday night.  I was honored to share a prayer at the swearing in ceremony of our niece-in-law, Tracie Turrentine, yesterday morning.  She is the first female to be elected to serve as the Superintendent of Education in Morgan County, Alabama.  Congratulations Tracie!

We capped our two day trip by meeting with Pastor BJ Parson and his wife, Nicole, along with Bo & Julie Brand at Jim-n-Nicks bbq in Prattville.  Good folks.  Good meeting.  Good food.

Lisa and I have been invited to join Keith & Aninha Barrett in reading the Bible through in 2023.  Aninha will send you the schedule if you simply ask her.  It is only day three so you have plenty of time to catch up.

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

Friendship family, please remember the visitation with the Steve Morris family today from 5:00 – 7:00PM in our church auditorium.  We are going to have a memorial type service beginning around 6:30PM.

If you are helping with the food for the Morris family then contact Rita Boutwell should you need any information.  Thanks to Rita for leading this ministry.

Robert & Roseanne Baria’s daughter, Darlene, is in the hospital.  Please pray for her.

This Sunday, January 1, 2023, will see us have one worship service which will begin at 10:00AM.  Nothing else on our campus this Sunday.  Pass the word!

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

Steven Morris, age 70, a resident of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, went home to be with the Lord on Christmas Day, 2022. Steven was born in St. Louis, Missouri on January 30, 1952 and was a member of Friendship Baptist Church in Grand Bay. Steven enjoyed working at the church and being with his family, especially his grandson, Tristen.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Louise Morris. Steven is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Virginia Morris; daughter, Gloria (Michael) Skinner; grandson, Tristen Skinner; brothers, Phil (Sharon) Morris and Tim Morris; sisters, Susan (Daniel) DeGeer and Judy (Jason) Creal; as well as nieces, nephews, other relatives, and dear friends from church.

Visitation will be held Thursday, December 29, 2022 from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Friendship Baptist Church in Grand Bay, Alabama. Graveside services will be held Friday, December 30, 2022 at 10:00 AM at Alabama Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Pastor Teddie Turrentine will be officiating. Serving as pallbearers will be Tristen Skinner, Greg Morris, Charlie DeGeer, David Hayes, Joshua Mott, and Scott Older.

Somewhere around 6:20 – 6:25PM on Thursday, 12/29, there will be a brief service in the church auditorium.  The actual service will take place on Friday, 12/30, at the cemetery.

Rita Boutwell is leading the ministry of feeding the family on Friday.  Contact her with any questions or for more information.

Pray for Virginia and family during this time.

Steve Morris went to sleep last night here on earth and woke up in Heaven!  “Absent from the body, present with the Lord!”  Pray for Virginia and family as they walk through this valley.  They will meet with funeral directors this Wednesday morning.  Obviously, arrangements pending.

It is almost unbelievable to me that Christmas Day 2023 is only two days away!  Wow!

Peggy Knighten’s surgery was a success.  She was taken to surgery in a timely manner and she was spot on as to her guesstimation as to how long the actual surgery would last.  She told me forty-five minutes and it took about forty minutes.  Now, for the rest of the story – well it is so “weird” that I will not even bother to try and explain it except to say it involved Cracker Barrel, Walmart and the Bel Air Mall.  What?  That is what I said!  The good news is that Peggy finally got home and in the bed around 11:00PM.  I am still just shaking my head!

Keep praying for Steve Morris, Myrtle Bowden, Sharon Jardee and the others for whom we have been praying.

One service this Sunday, Christmas Day, and it will begin at 10:00AM.  I am praying for a large number of the Friendship family members to be present for this service.  I saw a fellow pastor last night and he asked, “how can a follower of Jesus who is physically able not be in church for worship on Christmas Sunday?”  I had no answer but I do have the same question.  Yes, it will be cold (for us) but, thankfully, we do have heat inside our buildings.  Come join us and bring others with you!  O come let us adore Him!

As you know, my hope is that we will sell at least fifty more “JZ” shirts this Sunday morning.  The Bakers have plans to be in attendance which means JZ will be in the auditorium during the service (he is normally in children’s church).  Will you please come prepared to fill out an order form and bring a check (made payable to Friendship Baptist) or cash with you.  Or, you can Venmo Bibbi Bosarge or Daphne Hutto on the spot.  Pass the word, share the FB page, call someone, send an email, whatever.  Just help us help JZ and his family!

My wife finally came home last night.  The good news is that she brought her mother back with her.  The bad news is that she also brought her father back!  Win some, lose some!

Diane Trotti sent us a box full of navel oranges yesterday – how nice is that!  Thank you, Diane!

Speaking of fruit, I “think” one of our neighbors who happens to be a member of the Friendship family has been “taking” some satsumas in Charles’ absence.  Do I call the law?  Or just ignore it?  He claims he cannot lift his arm very high because of recent surgery but it seems to work well when reaching for the biggest fruit at the top of the tree.  LOL!  It is great to have great neighbors!

As I close this post, the weather folks say it is twenty-nine degrees in Grand Bay and will dip to twenty-four by 8:00AM.  Also says it is seven degrees in Hartselle.  Folks, stay warm and be safe.

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