Pastor's Blog

Earlier today Jack Dowdy was sleeping and peacefully passed from this life.  Pray for his wife, Doris, and the rest of the family during this time.  Sue Wyse is Jack’s step-daughter and Terrell Brooks is his brother-in-law.  More information to come.  Arrangements pending.

I am going to be honestly in saying that the unexpected passing of Pastor Terry Rainey still is weighing very heavy on my heart and mind.  The arrangements are still pending.  Pray for his daughter, Shannon, and her husband, Chris.  Rejoice that Pastor Terry is now in Heaven.  Shannon thinks that her dad has already connected with Soy – oh my!  LOL!

Bro. Abel asked me to do the beginning prayer last night at the opening of our Spring soccer league.  Wow, what a crowd!  Is there anyone in the world who can do a better job than Bro. Abel at coordinating a sports ministry?  He is top notch!  Games tonight and tomorrow morning.  Pray for this ministry.

Friendship family, pray for revival and then pray some more.  I like the following quote from Leonard Ravenhill – “You never have to advertise a fire. Everyone comes running when there’s a fire. Likewise, if your church is on fire, you will not have to advertise it. The community will already know it.”

There service for Kimberly Graham Waller will be a private and for family only.  Pray for the Waller family.

I have plans to do something today that I only have to do about two times each year in the States – get a haircut!  (It will cost me more today for one haircut then would cost for a haircut once a month for a year in Guatemala.  LOL!)

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

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.