ALMOST HERE!

We'll have the main course and beverages all taken care of. 

Bring some yummy side dish(es) to pass, 

or some munchies 

(we'll need lots of chips and cookies and such for game time). 

Bring your favorite board games for game time. 

Invite friends and family. 

Turn off the nonsense on TV, 

step away from the worldly party scene, and 

come celebrate the New Year with your brothers and sisters in Christ!

Just a reminder

Light of the World!

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12 NKJV).

This time of year, there is so much that draws our attention. Parties and packages... tinsel and trees... shopping and singing... family and food.... If we let it, the Christmas holiday can become burdensome. But there is a solution... there is a way to avoid Christmas becoming stressful rather than "bless"full, and it's simple - don't let anything other than the Christ of Christmas occupy first place! With all the busyness of the season, it can be difficult to keep Him central, but if you do, your Christmas will be a more joyful occasion, and the stress of the holiday will be minimized! 

At Friendship Bible Church we offer several different opportunities this Christmas season... opportunities for you to immerse yourself in the Christ of Christmas:

Saturday at 6:30 PM - "Light of the World" - our Christmas musical featuring the FBC choir, and various other individuals and groups. Beautiful music about our beautiful Savior! For your planning, this service will last just about an hour.

Sunday at 10:30 AM - "Light of the World" - second performance of the Christmas program. There will be no Sunday School this Lord's Day, so just come a little before 10:30 to get your seat. And again, for planning purposes, the service should be just about an hour in length.

Monday at 6:30 PM - Christmas Eve candlelight service, featuring the carols of Christmas, a brief message from God's Word, and concluding with the traditional "Silent Night" by candlelight.

It's going to be a great Christmas celebration at FBC, and I encourage you to pick one or more of these opportunities, and attend, for it will help you to avoid that Christmas burnout... and to keep Christ the center of your Christmas this year.

Oh... and bring somebody with you... maybe somebody who doesn't yet know the Christ of Christmas. What better gift could you give them than the gift of the Savior?

Remember - You have friends at Friendship Bible Church

How Might We Pray For You?

It's prayer meeting time - 6:30 every Wednesday evening, and the faithful will gather tonight to pray. We'd love for you to join us. But if you can't, we'd also just love to know how we might pray for you. If you received this via email, reply back and let us know your requests. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

Whirlwind Weekend!

All I can say about this Saturday, October 27th, is WOW. There is so much going on!

8:00 AM - Men's Prayer Breakfast

9:00 AM - Ladies Bible Study

3:00-5:00 PM - Setup and prep for Trunk or Treat 

5:00 PM - Trunk or Treat, followed immediately by the final Campfire Fellowship of 2018.

There's always something happening at Friendship Bible Church because...

You have FRIENDS here!

See you Saturday?

A very SPECIAL speaker

Don't forget - we have a treat in store for prayer meeting tonight with a special speaker here. You won't want to miss it! 6:30 PM!

Does Everybody Know What Time It Is?

No... it's not tool time.

It's PRAYER MEETING TIME. Will you join us in prayer this evening at 6:30 PM?

Operation Christmas Child - ASSEMBLY LINE!

What a great evening working alongside brothers and sisters, enjoying their fellowship, eating good church-lady-cooked food, and putting together materials for Operation Christmas Child. Thanks to Candy for organizing! Now we pray that everyone of these items finds its way into the hand of a child and / or family that needs Christ... and finds Him.

Soaking and Seeking

We will soak and seek.

We will soak in God's Word, and we will seek God's help. 

Will you join us this evening as we pray for one another, for our community, and for our country and world?

Tonight - Wednesday - Prayer Meeting - 6:30 PM!

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!

THIS SATURDAY at 8:00 AM!

You've missed it all summer and now it's here again!

Join us for the food, and for the fellowship and for the Word and for prayer!

MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST IS BACK!!!

Who Doesn't Love PASTA????

It's almost here! Tickets are on sale now in the church office, and will be on sale Sunday before and after services. This fund raiser is to benefit Operation Christmas Child this year, and every penny raised will be used to win children and families to Christ.

3 things are needed to make this a success:

1. Prayer!  Please pray for a successful outcome, and specifically for all those who serve.

2. Ticket buyers! Forget your dinner plans for that evening and buy pasta dinners! They are delicious, and cheap, and you will be witnessing for Jesus with every bite!

3. Donations of food! If you are able, please bring any of the following to the church by Sunday, September 23rd: Cases of water, Green peppers, Onions, Black pitted olives, shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced pepperoni, dinner rolls, individual butter packets, ranch dressing, italian dressing, cookies, brownies, Ragu sauce (traditional) or Bob Evans sausage (original).

Who would want to miss this????

Another big weekend here at Friendship Bible Church.

It starts Saturday at 5:00, when we’ll gather at the Gibbons Barn for the penultimate campfire fellowship of the year. If you haven’t experienced the Gibbons Barn yet, let me just say that you’re missing out on one of the wonders of the world. Bring a dish to pass if you’d like, and join us starting at 5:00. 

Next, we move into Sunday morning, where two wonderful things are happening. First, we return to our normal schedule, with Sunday School at 9:30 and Worship at 10:30. We’re offering FIVE adult classes this quarter, so there’s something of interest, hopefully, for all. Give Sunday School a try at 9:30. Parents, do right by your kids and have them in their place at 9:30. When they say they’d rather sleep, just smile and look forward to the praises they will heap on you when they come to their latter years and thank God over and over that you cared enough to take them to church! And this week’s worship service is all about our young people, so you won’t want to miss worship, either!

Sunday afternoon rounds out the weekend activities with round 3 of the Pastor’s Masters, which tees off starting at 1:45 at Suffield Springs. 

As Tattoo Would Say - The Plan! The Plan!

As several have asked about our Old Fashioned Sunday plans in light of the current weather forecasts, I wanted to update you on those plans.

Old Fashioned Sunday is a go, although we may alter a few of the days' events if the weather does turn out to be uncooperative. Since we have a wonderful tent already in place, the food and fellowship, silent auction, and other "under the tent" activities will be unimpeded and proceed as planned. A couple of the planned outside activities (balloon art, and photo booth) will probably be moved inside the church foyer. Outside games, and possibly the dunk tank supporting missions, may be suspended, depending on the weather.

Of course, we're praying that God blows this nasty weather and this nasty forecast out to sea. He's done it before. Remember when the disciples were in a boat and a storm blew up? Jesus was asleep in the boat as the waves crashed and the winds blew? Remember?

The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.

Pray for a beautiful day, and know that we're prepared for whatever the Lord brings. 

See you this Old Fashioned Sunday!

Counting Down the Days!

It’s almost here - Old Fashioned Sunday! And this evening we will be praying very specifically for God’s blessings on that day. Join us as we thank Him for the opportunity to share FBC with the community on this day. Join us as we pray for his blessings and help in preparing for and executing on that day. Join us as we pray for the worship and the preaching and the fellowship and the outreach!

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!

Will you pray with us this evening? Prayer meeting starts every Wednesday evening at 6:30, and ends no later than 7:30. Invest an hour in eternity!

Imagine!

Imagine getting to heaven and seeing the things you will see! Imagine the sounds of music that we have only poorly been able to reproduce in this life - perfect music that blends without a single sour note in praise to our King. Imagine seeing Him... the King... the Savior... Jesus, and rejoicing as never before as He wraps those arms and those nail scarred hands around you. Imagine!

Then imagine the people who will be there - the ones who you knew and loved... the ones you've missed so long... the ones you never stopped loving after they left the earth, and now weep with joy to see them again. And imagine the ones you never knew on earth, but who come to you now and say "Thank you." Maybe you gave to support your local church and they were saved as a result, and now they say "thank you." Maybe you served as a missionary or a church worker or a teacher, and now they say "thank you." Maybe you sent a shoebox at Christmas time, and they received it and were saved and now say, "Thank you."

OR MAYBE, you sent a postcard inviting them to Old Fashioned Sunday at Friendship Bible Church, and they came, and heard the gospel, and were saved as a result. And now they say, "Thank you."
We will be prepping the postcards for mailing this evening (Wednesday) immediately following prayer meeting - 7:30. Pizza and pop will be on hand, so join us for the ministry part, and stay for the fellowship part. The "thank you's" that you will hear as a result will stay with you forever.

A Fire-less Campfire Fellowship!

It’s gonna be way too hot for a fire, but we will nonetheless gather at the JohnsonAcres compound for an evening of great food and fun and fellowship.

A taco and fajita bar is in the works, as well as the numerous yummy dishes brought in by you! That’s how it works - we’ll provide the main course and the drinks, and you can bring a dish of your specialty to share. There’s always plenty of food, though, so if you can’t bring anything, SHOW UP ANYWAY. Bring a lawn chair, and your fishing pole if you want to try and catch one of the ever-more-elusive bass from the pond. The homeowner has even said he will pay $10.00 for every snapping turtle you catch out of that pond!

So join us Saturday at 5:00 PM at Johnson Acres.

Ball Game Time!

Just a quick reminder for those who purchased tickets to tonight's Rubber Ducks baseball game. The game starts at 7:05. If you want to ride up with others, or caravan up together, meet at the church at 5:00. See you at the ball park!

PLAY BALL!

Join us on Friday, August 10, as we travel to Akron to watch the Akron RubberDucks take on the Portland Sea Dogs. A portion of the $8.00 cost per person benefits one of our favorite mission organizations - the Haven of Rest. Make sure you get your name(s) on the sign up sheet this weekend, so our brother Don Richards can get the proper number of tickets ordered!

Wow Whatta Weekend!

Are you ready for this big weekend at FBC?

It all starts Saturday:

First, at 3:00, Operation Christmas Child guest speaker Mariya Snizhko will speak to us about how receiving a shoe box changed her and hers forever. Refreshments will be served.

Then there's the first Campfire Fellowship at the Harrod / Salisbury homes. Great food and great fun will be had by all who join us there starting at 5:00. Bring a lawn chair to sit on and a dish to pass, and enjoy this wonderful time with brothers and sisters in Christ.

The fun continues on Sunday:

After our wonderful worship service concludes, those who wish will convene at the Suffield Springs Golf course at 12:30 for the second round of the Pastor's Masters. Cost is only $15.00 with a cart, or $9.00 if walking. Can't play golf, you say? Join us anyway. We always play a scramble, which means no matter your familiarity with the game, you are guaranteed to have fun.

Oh, and I almost forgot one other little item for Sunday. Since it's the last Sunday in July, the kids will be taking up their Noisy Offering during the service. Bring your spare change to help support Operation Christmas Child.

National Day Of Prayer for Unity

Friendship Bible Church will be open from 5-9PM this evening if you wish to come by and pray. Church family, let's keep prayers before the throne nonstop this evening!

"Prayerlessness is the fundamental sin of the busy Christian." (R. Kent Hughes)

"Prayer can never be in excess." (Charles H. Spurgeon)

"If you think God is answering fewer prayers these days, maybe it's just that fewer people are praying." (Unknown)

"A little prayer to our big God can have a huge impact." (Unknown)

"Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power." (Unknown)

"Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees." (William Cowper)

"Prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God's help is not partial but total." (Alistair Begg)

"Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one ever bothered to ask!" (Billy Graham)

"Pray and let God worry." (Martin Luther)

My Favorite Once a Year Post!

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (I Timothy 1:15 NKJV)

I've published this same blog posting for the last few years. Each year it gets more precious. Praise the Lord.

It was May 3, 1970. In just 24 hours one of this area's most well-known historical events would occur - the shootings at Kent State University. But on May 3, something happened that didn't make the news, and is unknown to all but a select few now. On that day, a twelve year old boy experienced the most important event in his personal history. That boy was me, and on May 3, 1970, I trusted Christ as my Savior. I am, spiritually, 48 years old today. And so it is a special day as I look back over the journey Christ has led me on so far - a journey that has included both ups and downs, successes and failures, victories and defeats. But one thing is certain. I am more sure today of His love for me than I have ever been. He promised, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) I can testify after 48 years of walking with Him, that He never has, and He never will.

“Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” (John Newton)

Son Rise

The palm branches have been swept away. The bloody cross has done its deed. The tomb was full and the stone was rolled into place.

But then...

Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. (Mark 16:2 NKJV)

The sun rose! And so did the Son! Worship Him with us this Easter. Music and fellowship and friendship will abound as we rejoice in the Son rise!

10:30, Easter Sunday morning.

Good Friday YES, Prayer Meeting NO

Due to our special Good Friday service this week, there will be no prayer meeting on Wednesday evening. Please join us Friday at 6:30!

How Can It Be? Crucified for Me?

How Can It Be? Buried was He?

How Can It Be! RISEN IS HE!!

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV)

WHY IS IT STILL SNOWING???

Because winter can’t end until we have our final winter fun day here at FBC!

Join us Saturday evening at 6:30 for Family Game Night. Bring your favorite board game or games, along with something fun to eat, and we’ll provide everything else. This is a great fun time for all ages, so bring the kids... bring the grandparents. Laugh and have fun with your brothers and sisters in Christ!

You know what time it is!

6:30 every Wednesday!

Rejoicing in Heaven Today!

Sitting at the feet of Jesus!

S.U.N.D.A.Y. F.E.B.R.U.A.R.Y. 1.1.T.H.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11TH!!!!

Sunday, February 11th!

RED HEART SUNDAY ALERT!

Just a quick note to let you know there is NO SUNDAY SCHOOL on Red Heart Sunday (February 11th). Services begin at 10:30!

Pass the word along if you would, as I forgot to announce this last Lord's Day, and I'm trying to contact as many as possible.

See you Red Heart Sunday! Wear something RED!

Alas

I'm sad to say we're going to need to cancel the game night that was scheduled for this Saturday evening. Stay tuned, though, for we will reschedule it sometime in the future!

TODD TODD TODD

Two important announcements to remind you of for Saturday, January 6.

First, we will be removing the greens and putting away the Christmas decorations. With enough help this job usually takes less than an hour. Can you join us at 5:00?

Second, our dear brother Todd is moving to Cleveland, and we are having a small reception for him at 6:30 Saturday evening. Refreshments provided. Come and wish Todd well in his new venture.

Of course, there's all the normal good stuff happening on Sunday - the Lord's Day. Don't claim it as your's, when He's already claimed it as His. Join us for Sunday School and Worship starting at 9:30!