The Friendly Church
Pastor's Desk Series
Pastor's Desk - Freedom
Freedom - The Awesome Responsibility of Christians in a World of Shifting Norms
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
Pastor's Desk - Advocacy and Justice
Dear Family,
“Love is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out” (1 Cor. 13:6 TLB)
There are two public issues that I want to use to illustrate an important ministry of the church, which is advocacy, that is, speaking up for and acting on behalf of others for their rights and welfare. These are the Mario Deane’s case and Kelsey Ferrigan murder.
Pastor's Desk - Focusing on the Family
“This month, we are focusing on the family. But the question is: which family? Most of us are part of many—our immediate biological family, extended relatives, and most importantly, the family of grace, the community of believers to which we all belong (Ephesians 2:19).
As we reflect on family, we must also consider the external forces that affect it—policies, economics, and global shifts that reach across borders and disrupt relationships, hopes, and livelihoods.
Pastor's Desk - The Rich Treasures of Grief and Loss
"I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places..." (Isaiah 45:3 NRSV)
The experience of grief and loss in any form tends to create so much pain, anxiety, and disappointment that one may ask, “Where are the 'treasures’ in grief and loss when your 'treasures' have been lost?
Pastor's Desk - JBU Assembly 2025
The curtains have been drawn on the 175th Assembly of the Jamaica Baptist Union, held in Montego Bay between February 19 and 23. This marked the first time the Assembly took place outside of Kingston since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. The Assembly's theme was “Keeping Faith with the Word in an Ever-Changing World,” complemented by the sub-theme
“Wholeness.”
Pastor's Desk - What's Love Got To Do With It?
What's love but a second-hand emotion?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?
Pastor's Desk - Happy New Year!
Happy New Year brothers and sisters,
My prayer for you as you begin this new year is that you will experience all the richness of the spiritual blessings that are in Christ Jesus. That you will grow more and more in favour with God, and love God from your heart. That you will love your neighbour from your heart as well. I pray that we all continue to be anchored to the word of God, which is unchanging, in a world that is forever changing. This is critical for the following reasons.
Pastor's Desk - Advent
Dear Members,
We are beginning another year of the liturgical calendar, usually starting in Advent. It’s a season of hope, love, peace and joy.
There are two issues I would like to comment on at this time. At the time of writing this message, six teenage boys were charged after being positively iden-tified for raping a thirteen-year-old girl. The boys have been charged with, “rape, forcible abduction, knowing and producing child pornography and dis-tributing child pornography”.
Pastor's Desk - November 2024
Dear Members,
I would like us to have a heart-to-heart talk. To that end, allow me to share a story that I am sure some of you may have heard before but is worth repeating here. The story is a demonstration of true love, commitment, and the power of hope. It is the story of a boy and his father after an earthquake in Armenia.