December 19, 2016

	CONTENTS
	Monday, December 19, 2016	-	Sunday, December 25, 2016
1	Pastor's Sermon & Prayer Requests
2	Call to Action: (a) Christmas Arms of Love, (b) Grammy Award, (c ) MSBC CD Sale, (d) Food Industry, (e ) Marketing, (f) Social  Media Contact Links
3	This Week's Schedule - (a) Mon, (b) Tue, (c ) Wed, (d) Thurs., (e) Fri, (f) Sat, (g) Sun
4	Upcoming Engagements/Event Dates
5	Other Announcements - (a) Birthdays, (b)
1	Scripture & Prayer Requests
1a	Isaiah 7:14
	King James Version (KJV)
	14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
1b	Prayer List (Chaplains - E. Paster, J. Brown, J. Champs)
	The Turner Witherspoon Family Mother Ora Lee Law Family
	Mrs Laura Webster & Family
	Mrs. Juanita Williams & Family
	Rev. Melvin & Helen Brown & Family
	Prisners of war
	Rev. Ballard & Family
	Sis. Maple King Family
	Sis. Rachel Lewis & Edmund Vojtik Family
	The Stroud Family
	Bro. Thomas Freeman
	Sis. Tierney Carter-Brown
	Deacon Robert Hendrix
	Sis. LeeAnn Hicks
	Clardy Wells
	Sis. Ruth Williams
	Deaconess Mary Riley Craig & Family
	Anyone want to be added?
	Please send an email to with subject "Prayer List" to:
	Deacons-Deaconesses@greatfriend.org
	Prayer Line Request?
	Prayer offered day or night, 24 hour availability for prayer
	Call: 612-559-0061
2	Call to Action!
2a	Christmas Arms of Love
2b	Vote Darnell Davis Producer of the Year!
2c	2 for $10 Minnesota State Baptist Convention CD Sale!
2d	Food Industry Seminars!
2e	Market Your Ministry Events!
	Contact GFMBC Marketing Team:  Marketing@greatfriend.org
	● Need posters, flyers, announcements, event marketing (Click on Link Below 2 Start)?
	● Marketing Materials Request Form v1.01
2f	Social Media Contact Links
	Questions? Send email to support@greatfriend.org
	· www.greatfriend.org
	· facebook
	· twitter
	· youtube
3	Monday, December 19, 2016	-	Sunday, December 25, 2016
3a	Monday, December 19, 2016
	6:00 PM	-	Hospitality Ministry Meeting
			1st Monday of Month
	6:30 PM	-	Usher Ministry Meeting
			2nd Monday of Month
3b	Tuesday, December 20, 2016
	6:00 PM - 7:15 PM	-	Reception with hors d'oeuvres
	7:30 PM	-	Performance
			Music for the Holidays
			Cowles Center for Dance & Performing Arts
			528 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403
	7:00 PM	-	PACT II (Friendship Community Services)
			Support Services Meeting
			For those reestablishing lives disrupted by:
			incarceration or addiction
			(New Members Classroom)
			Email: fcs2600@gmail.com
			Web:  www.friendshipcommunityservices.org
	7:00 PM	-	Education Equity Team Meeting
	RESUMES IN JANUARY		GFMBC Friendship Hall
			[4th Tuesday of Month]
3c	Wednesday, December 21, 2016
	10:00 AM - 11:00 AM	-	Sunday School focused Bible Study & Prayer Service
			Lesson for December 25, 2016: The Savior Has Arrived (Luke 2:1-21)
			Email: SundaySchool@greatfriend.org
	2:00 PM	-	Protect Drug Sentencing Reform
			Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1100
			95 University Ave. West
			St. Paul, MN 55155
	See Section 5b
			RESUMES JAN. 4TH, 2017!
	6:30 PM - 8:00 PM	-	Bible Study & Prayer Service @ GFMBC
			Facilitated by Pastor Billy G. Russell
			The LORD's Prayer
			by Thomas Watson
			Bookstore Email: gfmbcbooksandmore@gmail.com
			Christian Education Email: ChristianEducation@greatfriend.org
			Mission Ministry Presents…
			Christmas Arms of Love!
		-	Please help Mission Ministry provide
			Christmas for four families
			Each family is on a Christmas Tree with their wish list! Please pick an item you would  like to help purchase and return to the appropriate box by December 21st
			2600 E. 38th Street
			Minnepolis, MN 55406
			www.greatfriend.org
3d	Thursday, December 22, 2016
			The Beat!
	5:00 PM	-	Minister Darnell Davis
			● Tune in to soarradio.com
			● Or download Live365 Radio App on your Smartphone
	CANCELED --- 6:00 PM	-	Men of Praise Rehearse!
			[Thursday b4 2nd & 4th Sunday]
	6:30 PM	-	Faith Bible Institute Registration Open!
			2017 FBI Registration GFMBC
	6:30 PM - 8:00 PM	-	Teacher I Want to Be Training
			1st Thursday of Month
			Fireside Room
			2600 E. 38th Street
			Minneapolis, MN 55406
	CANCELED --- 7:00 PM	-	Music Ministry Bible Study!
			Greater Praise Rehearsal!
			[Thursday b4 1st, 3rd, & 4th Sunday]
	CANCELED --- 8:30 PM	-	Grateful Praise (Praise Team) Rehearsal
			[Thursday b4 1st, 3rd, & 4th Sunday]
			GFMBC Music Ministry
			Email: MusicMinsitry@greatfriend.org
3e	Friday, December 23, 2016
3f	Saturday, December 24, 2016		4th Saturday
	CHRISTMAS EVE!
	No Meetings or Rehearsals Scheduled
3g	Sunday, December 25, 2016		4th Sunday
	CHRISTMAS DAY!
	6:00 AM	-	Bro Pete Rhodes Presents: "Urban Perspectives"
			Comcast Channel 937 BMA Networks
			www.urbanperspectives.tv
	7:30 AM	-	Song review & Devotion
			Deacon Brown Choir Room
	8:00 AM	-	Call to Worship --- Worship Leader
	8:05 AM	-	Devotion --- Deacons/Deaconesses
	8:20 AM	-	GFMBC Christmas Choir!
			Attire: Casual for Youth Sunday
	Sermon	-	Rev. Dr. Billy G. Russell, Sr. Pastor
	8:59 AM	-	New Members Class -
			Email: NewMembers@greatfriend.org
			Facilitated by Executive Pastor, Eddie Bolden
	9:00 AM - 10:30 AM	-	Marriage Ministry Presents…
			Marriage Built to Last: Living Intentionally & Loving Biblically
			Email: MarriedMinistry@greatfriend.org
			Facilitated by Rev. L. Wilder & Sis. Jean Wilder
	--> No Sunday School 9:01 AM	-	NO Sunday School <--
			Email: SundaySchool@greatfriend.org
			Lesson for December 25, 2016: The Savior Has Arrived (Luke 2:1-21)
	10:00 AM	-	Bro Pete Rhodes Presents: "Urban Perspectives"
			Comcast Channel 937 BMA Networks
			www.urbanperspectives.tv
4	­­­­­­­­­---------- Upcoming Engagements/Event Dates ­­­­­­----­----­­­­­
	Saturday, December 31, 2016
	7:00 PM	-	GFMBC Thespian Ministry Presents…
			God, the Holy Spirit, for Real!
			2600 E. 38th Street
			Minnepolis, MN 55406
			www.greatfriend.org
	9:00:00 PM - 12:01 AM	-	Watch Night Service
			2600 E. 38th Street
			Minnepolis, MN 55406
			www.greatfriend.org
	Sunday, January 1, 2017
	10:15 AM	-	Unity Service
	Monday, January 23, 2017
	7:00 PM	-	Emergency Preparedness Team Meeting
			GFMBC Fireside Room
			2600 E. 38th Street
			Minnepolis, MN 55406
			www.greatfriend.org
	Sunday, April 30, 2017
			Deacons, Deaconesses, & Mothers Service
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5a	Other Announcements
	Birthdays!
	Happy Birthday to those born
	in the month of		December
	Thank You & God bless!!
5b	Dear GFMBC, Reminder - the hearing on Drug Sentencing Reform is next Wed, 12/21 - see below. We hope to see many of you there -- if you can't make it, please email the commission (sentencing.guidelines@state.mn.us) to urge them to protect drug sentencing reform.  Key points: 1)       it’s unwise, ineffective and immoral to imprison people for the disease of drug addiction. 2)       it’s unfair to only apply the harsher standards when the law is changed. 3)       our state cannot afford to continue on this path of increase rates of incarceration and increasing racial disparities. Also, the final vote is scheduled for Friday 12/30/16, 10am, also at the MN Senate Building, 95 University Ave W, Room 1100. Hope you can make it then! ACTION ALERT – PROTECT DRUG SENTENCING REFORM! WHAT: Public Hearing of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission WHEN: Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. WHERE: Minnesota Senate Building, Room 1100, 95 University Ave. W., Saint Paul, MN 55155 WHY: Minnesota has some of the harshest drug sentencing laws, fastest growing prison population and worst racial disparities in the country. Recently passed drug sentencing reform is under attack, and the change could mean More people who are addicted to drugs serving longer prison sentences Worse racial disparities in our criminal justice system. ACT:  Save the date and plan to attend the Hearing. Every voice counts! Please register to testify OR submit written comments by email sentencing.guidelines@state.mn.us, or by phone (651) 296-0144.  Please contact Lars Negstad, LNegstad@isaiahmn.org and/or Paul Washington, PWashington@isaiahmn.org if you can come or need help in preparing your testimony. BACKGROUND (Short version) Prosecutors (The MN County Attorney’s Association) are pushing for rules that would mean a harsher application of the new drug sentencing law. This would mean that a person’s “criminal history score” – a key factor in determining length of sentence, or even whether someone is incarcerated rather than serving probation – would be based on the old, harsher standard. This violates the intent of the reforms, which were to stop punishing people for being addicted to drugs (which is ineffective and inhumane.) It is also unfair and inconsistent with past practice. In the 1990’s, when drug sentences were increased, the new harsher sentences were used for calculating the “criminal history score.” Now that sentences for some drug crimes have been reduced, why shouldn’t criminal history scores be calculated on the new, lighter standard? MORE BACKGROUND Minnesota’s drug sentencing laws have been widely recognized as some of the harshest in the country. This has had devastating effects on our communities and an even harsher impact on our poorest communities and communities of color. Last year, after a campaign organized by ISAIAH and our partners, Governor Dayton signed drug sentencing reform into law after legislative action. The intent of the reform was to reduce sentences for those who struggle with drug addiction. When judges sentence someone in Minnesota they use criminal history score to determine their sentence – the higher the score the longer the sentence, or in some cases the presumption that it will be a prison rather than probation sentence. The statutes do not say how criminal history for these offenses should be calculated, that is up to the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission. After these drug sentencing changes, Guidelines Commission staff have been advising people that a person’s criminal history score for a past drug offense should be calculated using the new statutes, rather than the statutes that were in effect at the time of the offense. This advice is based on their interpretation of guidance in the Sentencing Guidelines, and is consistent with an interpretation of the Guidelines that has been in effect for decades. When drug sentences were greatly increased in the 1990’s, the new, harsher sentences were used for calculating criminal history. Under this interpretation today, the person would receive the benefit of the new law change and therefore potentially receive a shorter sentence or probation instead of prison. Recently, the Minnesota County Attorneys Association objected to this interpretation and asked to have the old, harsher statutes applied to past drug offenses for calculating criminal history. Now the Sentencing Guidelines Commission is considering granting the request of the County Attorneys Association and reversing the Commission staff’s prior interpretation and guidance. They will be considering this change based on public comment provided at a hearing Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at 2:00 p.m.in Room 1100, of the Minnesota Senate Building, 95 University Ave. W., Saint Paul, MN 55155. According to a Minnesota County Attorneys Association press release, in 2016 Minnesota passed “historic” drug sentencing reform legislation “to appropriately distinguish between nonviolent drug offenders motivated by addiction and dangerous offenders motivated by greed”, and to allow “more flexibility in sentencing and less prison time for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders who primarily need treatment to help fight addiction.” Not allowing the new drug sentencing statutes to be used in calculating criminal history score goes against the intent of the legislature and the community to provide more effective options for treatment rather than sending these individuals to prison. NOTICE OF HEARING The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. in Room 1100, of the Minnesota Senate Building, 95 University Ave. W., Saint Paul, MN 55155. The public hearing will be held to consider proposed modifications to the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines and Commentary resulting from legislative and non-legislative amendments. A copy of the proposed modifications is available free of charge on the agency’s website at mn.gov/sentencing-guidelines or by contacting the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission by mail at 309 Administration Building, 50 Sherburne Avenue, St. Paul, MN  55155, or telephone at (651) 296-0144. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the hearing and offer comments. Persons wishing to speak may register in advance by contacting the Commission’s office at the above address or telephone number, or by e-mail at sentencing.guidelines@state.mn.us.                Connect with ISAIAH               2356 University Ave W Ste 405 Saint Paul, MN 55114 isaiah@isaiahmn.org www.isaiahmn.org
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