Thank you to the members of the Friendship 100 and supporting churches for allowing us to offer this 9-week Financial Peace University class free to the public. Starts May 16th from 6 to 7:30 pm and ends July 18th.
Last day to register for this class is April 25th. Spots are filling quickly, so please do not wait. Email Joe at ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org to register!!!
The class will be presented by Jeff Jergens, an LPL Financial Planner with Five Talents Financial Management Group.
***FOOD PANTRY***
(LAST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, 4:30 TO 5:30 PM)
https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-nondiscrimination-statement
***FAMILY FUN NIGHTS***
BINGO TOURNAMENT at 4 PM, DINNER at 5 PM, and MOVIE at 6:30 PM (Summer Months Only)
146! Since November 1st, the Friendship Center has welcomed 146 new individuals to the center’s ministry. Thank you!!! The Center would like to invite all 546 facebook followers to consider joining the Friendship Center’s 100 for the 2018 Calender year. What is the Friendship Center 100?
The Friendship Center 100 is a group of 100 people who care about the Friendship Center and desire to see its ministries significantly impact the surrounding community. The basic structure of the Friendship Center 100 is that each member commits to an annual term of partnership in which they will be invited to quarterly events and will be expected to contribute $100-$150 each quarter.
For those that choose to support the Center in 2018, the center would like to offer you a Thank you gift. Each new supporter that commits to one year of support will receive a FREE Friendship Center T-Shirt, 5 Inspiring Films from the Kendrick Brothers and an ESV Bible.
Those interested, please contact the center at ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org and be signed up TODAY!!!!!
Good Afternoon FBC Family and Friends,
We have our Food Distribution this Thursday from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. All other activities from the center are closed until January 8th. During the break, I will be working on painting, organizing the diaper room, making Kids Club changes and schedule and reaching out to “The 100” on our first meeting in February 2018. If you have any suggestions on types of ministries the center could be involved in 2018, please send your suggestions to ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org. Here is a quick update on the ministries happening at the Center.
Kids Club (Avg 40 + for combined both days)
Had their Christmas party this past week and it was a joy to be a part of. Had some quirks that will be worked out before next year but overall a fantastic experience. Thank you, FBC family. We also had the Christmas brunch on Saturday and was filled at times. ***Side note, people, love popcorn*** Must have gone through 30+ bags of popcorn that day. It was a great blessing and thankful to the volunteers who showed up, made blankets and bought Walmart gift cards to be handed out.
Disciples Youth Group(Avg 13 kids):
Is moving to Friday’s in 2018. If you would like to volunteer to bring a meal, please email Chris at disciples@friendshipbaptistcenter.org and he will put you on the schedule. Disciples Youth Group will have its winter retreat at Seven Oaks on February 9, 2018. Cost is $13 per student for 2 hours of snow tubing and $6 for each additional hour. If you would like to sponsor a child for this winter retreat, please write “Disciples Retreat” on the For line of the check. The center will pay for any child who is not sponsored, and for renting a van to get to Boone, Iowa. Also, looking for a Fall Retreat for the Disciples Group. So if you know of any camps or places we could take them too, please let Chris know.
Building Updates:
We now have ADT for the security of our building. As of this morning, a local non-profit was broken into and items stolen from their place. The FBC has offered to donate money for their repairs if needed. Have not heard back from them. So if you volunteer at the center and have a key, please call me before entering the Center so you won’t be visited by Des Moines’s finest!!!! My cell number is 515.729.3267
We are changing the Front Door entry and will be receiving a new door and entrance in January. We have been having issues lately with securing the door and will change the way it is swung. Please use the Front door for entering the Center.
Thank you for a fantastic month and a half here at the center, and I look forward to working with you all in 2018. If you have not donated in the fourth quarter, please consider doing so.
.
Merry Christmas,
Joe
Christmas is almost here!! If you would like to help the Friendship Center here are some options.
The children and youth that come to the after-school programs are “adopted out” and fill out a wish list. These children and youth will also invite the family members living in their house to come to a Christmas Brunch. Those children and youth who come to the brunch and have not already been “adopted out” will receive a Walmart gift card.
If you want to help us this year you will have two options:
(1) adopt a child by calling us at 244-1701 for a specific child/children for their exact wish list or email us at ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org
OR
(2) buy a Walmart $25.00 gift card for the Christmas Brunch on Dec. 16th.
The deadline for all gifts is December 4th!!!
We need around 40 gift cards and 30 children and youth to be sponsored!
If you choose to buy for a specific child, we ask that you get what is on the list spending approximately $75 per child. They will select items from the following three categories: 2 pieces of clothing, shoes and something fun. We will send you their “wish” list with their sizes listed.
*Please do not wrap items.
*Place unwrapped items in a gift bag.
*Place the child’s name on the bag.
*Include a detailed list of each piece purchased.
Thanks for all your help!!!
In many cases this is the only Christmas present these children will receive.
Each year we hope to build on positive Christmas traditions and memories – these gifts help us do that. Thanks for your help in this significant and tangible way to show God’s love.
Kids ClubYou read last week that we want you to know more about the ministries offered at the Friendship Baptist Center. Each of these ministries are intended to foster community as well as minister to a different part of the neighborhood. At the end of this highlight you will find a list of ways to help or contribute. Consider how you might be able to be a part of this community with us!
This week let’s think about Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at the Center.
After school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays children (grades K-6) are invited to come to the Friendship Baptist Center for homework help, fellowship time, Bible study, and supper. This is a rich time to get to know each other and invest in the lives of children.
Our adult and teen volunteers work one on one with children with their homework or with quality skill reinforcement exercises. Whether it is something they are doing for their teacher in the classroom or a math or reading skill they are improving on, each week the children at the Center are learning.
Working with children (especially year after year) is such a rewarding experience. Volunteers get to watch a child grow up before their eyes. They get to see children become young men and women who then can come back and help others to grow and become men and women as well. Isn’t that a good description of community? We are there for one another, and we get to pass the baton on. That is what the long-term volunteers at the Friendship Baptist Center get to be a part of.
How can you help?
Immediately – We need volunteers for homework help on Tuesdays. (Remember, this is elementary homework – you can do it!)
– Our annual Safe, not Scary Halloween Party is October 28. Could you (or individuals from your church) run one of the games? It’s fun… you get to laugh, encourage children, and give out prizes! What could be cooler?!
What’s next – In November we will be sending a letter out to our churches and supporters about our annual Christmas party. This is a great time to share the blessings that God has given you with a child (or their family) who regularly attends Kids Club. There are a variety of ways to help at Christmas, so don’t hesitate to contact the Friendship Center with your interest.
If you have any questions or would like to be a part of Kids Club in some way, contact us at ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org or 515-244-1701.
Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting the ministries offered at the Friendship Baptist Center. Each of these ministries are intended to create community as well as minister to a different part of the neighborhood. At the end of each highlight you will find a list of ways to help or contribute. Consider how you might be able to be a part of this community with us!
This week let’s think about the Tuesday morning Community Breakfast.
Each Tuesday at 9:30 AM individuals and families are welcome to come to the Center for Breakfast! These breakfasts are a generally simple affair that focus on fellowship and community. Some of the breakfasts are provided by volunteers who want to invest in this community. Others are made right there at the Center by members of the community who want to invest in their friends and neighbors.
At these breakfasts there is also an opportunity to receive help in necessities like bread, diapers, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc. Those desiring prayer are also invited to pray with others who care deeply about the members of this community.
I wish that I had the words to explain the sense of camaraderie I feel at our weekly breakfasts. We share stories. We share our lives. It may seem like a little thing, but walking next to one another is a powerful experience. I have been welcomed so warmly there. I think every member of God’s family would be welcomed here.
How can you help?
Immediately – We are out of shampoo right now. Could you donate some?
Ongoing
If you are interested in this ministry, or any of our ministries, contact our office at ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org or 515-244-1707
The Friendship Center 100, as you may know by now, is a group of individuals who financially support the work and ministry of the Center. The funds generated through FC 100 ensure uninterrupted ministry to children and youth through after school programs, a host of hunger ministries and many more community services.
Currently, FC 100 has about 60 members. We would love to get to the 100 mark before our next quarterly get together (May 4th).
If you have not joined this growing group of donors, I would ask you to consider doing so today. Your partnership in this work is vital to the success of these ongoing ministries of the Center. We are grateful for so many who have already partnered and would love to answer any questions you have as you consider joining us as well.
Of course, all gifts to the Friendship Center are tax deductible within accordance to IRS guidelines, as the Center is a 501c3 classified non-profit organization.
Thank you for your prayers, your partnership and your impact in this community.
As many of you know, the Friendship Baptist Center is currently taking resumes for a permanent Executive Director for the Center. The Board wants to make sure that everyone knows about this opportunity and that we are currently accepting resumes for the position. If you are interested, please email the Friendship Baptist Center at ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org or mail your resume to Friendship Baptist Center, PO Box 41188, Des Moines, IA 50314. We are accepting resumes through September 19th, 2017.
For those interested in this position, consider these qualifications and duties:
Mission and Partnership
Executive Director Qualifications:
Authority:
Responsibilities:
Salary:
This is a full-time position with benefits. Salary range and benefit package will be explained at interview.
If you have any questions, please call the Center at 515.244.1701 or email us at ministry@friendshipbaptistcenter.org
2) We are gearing up for an exciting fall here at the Friendship Baptist Center. All of our school year ministries begin: Kid’s Club, Disciples, Mom’s group, ESL, etc. Each of these ministries is a great time where this community and our churches team up to walk together in a particular area. If you are a regular giver to the Center or a member of the Friendship Center 100, thank you so much for making these ongoing ministries possible. As you give, we work together in this community to help, teach, grow, and seek Jesus. We do it together. Please continue to give and see how God will work through your gifts!