This Sunday, as we continue our series, Gazing at God's Glory, our focus will be on a "secret" meeting between Jesus and a religious leader named Nicodemus.  As strange as this may sound, I want you to read the words below from Ezekiel 36 in preparation for this Sunday's message.  Don't worry, it will all make sense on Sunday...I hope!

"For here's what I'm going to do:  I'm going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land.  I'll pour water over you, and scrub you clean.  I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you.  I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed.  I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands."  Ezekiel 36:24-27 (The Message)

NOTE:  Our Sunday service continues to meet at 9:30am, with two options for participating.

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  No reservations are required and we will continue to follow all necessary COVID guidelines.  Please wear a mask so we can keep everyone safe and healthy!

2.  We value our online church community and will continue to livestream our church service at 9:30am for those who wish to participate. 

Also, don't forget to stick around after the service for our "after-church zoom gathering".  We start at 10:45am.

Parkside Fellowship Annual Meeting.  February 27th.  3:00pm

Our annual meeting (celebration) will take place at 3:00pm on Saturday, February 27th.  Please save this date and plan to join us either in-person or on zoom.  Also, about a week prior to the meeting, we will send each member an electronic ballot that they can complete and email back to the church.  This will allow members the opportunity to vote using an electronic ballot.  At our meeting, we will present the proposed 2021 budget and Church Council nominees for approval.  Pastor Doug and Pastor Roger will also share what God accomplished this past year, even in the midst of a global pandemic, along with goals for 2021.
 
I also want to thank all of you for your continued financial commitment to the ministry of Parkside Fellowship.  During the early months of the pandemic and even into the fall, many churches struggled financially and had to make some tough financial decisions.  Thankfully, because of your faithfulness, we were able to weather the storm and continue our commitment to the love God and love our community.  Thank you so much for your faithful giving!
 
Finally, thank you for praying and for giving of your time, talent and treasure.  Continue to pray for Parkside Fellowship, asking God how and where he wants you to serve His church, so that others would know him and experience His glory! 
 
With love & appreciation,

Pastor Doug

As our nation and our community continues to live in a state of uncertainty and unrest, allow me to share a thought. 

Some things are just evil.  They can be feelings, events or even people.  Joseph was one of those people who experienced evil things.  You see, Joseph was his dad's favorite and it went to his head.  Joseph couldn't help but throw this fact in the faces of his brothers.  Instead of killing Joseph and solving the problem, they instead sold him into slavery.  This horrible, backstabbing act of betrayal, led to a very long season of pain and suffering in Joseph's life.  Sure, it worked out in the end, but that doesn't erase the evil.  Remember what Joseph said about the evil actions of his brothers?  He said, "As for you, you designed evil against me, but God designed it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are to today."  This incredible story of human trafficking and betrayal in Joseph's life had an evil design, first by his brothers and then by Potiphar's wife, but with this same event, God's design was good.  Joseph, as he sat in jail, had to decide which design to live under, God's good design or the evil design of his brothers.  That's a hard one to accept.

Anything that you and I experience, whether good or evil, lives under the sovereignty of God and contains two choices for us.  Like Joseph, everyone of us makes a daily decision to live under God's good design or the enemy's evil design.  As we continue to experience evil, the question is a simple one..."Whose design are going to live under?".

Please join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as Pastor Norm continues our series, "Gazing at God's Glory".  Our focus will be on John 1:35-51.  In this story, Jesus tells Nathanael that as a disciple, he "will see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man".  With this statement, Jesus is letting the disciples know that the glory of God will be seen throughout his ministry.

There are two options for accessing our Sunday service:

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  No reservations are required and we will continue to follow all necessary COVID guidelines.  Please wear a mask so we can keep everyone safe and healthy!

2.  We value our online church community and will continue to livestream our church service at 9:30am for those who wish to participate.  Also, don't forget to stick around after the service for our "after-church zoom gathering".  We start at 10:45am.

Also, it is not to late to sign-up for our Parkside Women Zoom Discipleship Class titled, The Sermon on the Mount.  This online class, led by Melanie Annes and Melissa Predmore, meets every Tuesday at 7:00pm
 
You can register for this class on our facebook page.  Here is the link:  www.facebook.com/events/712020736392195

Nominations for Church Council
If you know an active member of Parkside Fellowship with outstanding leadership ability, you can nominate them by submitting their name via email to doug.boyd@parksidefellowship.org or there will be submission forms available on Sunday.  All submissions will be due no later than January 18th.

Thank you for being a church that values prayer!

"See" you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

 I want to begin this edition of TAB with a prayer...

God almighty, you are capable of healing all diseases, parting the seas, and raising the dead to life.  We worship you and praise you.  Heavenly Father, we ask now, in the name of Jesus, that you would heal our land.  Our country is in desperate need of you.  Please use your church to point people to the light of Jesus.  God, I also ask that you would heal those who are sick and in pain.  Cradle them now and heal them.  Thank you that you hear us.  Thank you that Jesus healed those who were laid before him and that you still bring healing today.  In the name of your Son, Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Attached to this email is our weekly prayer list.  Please take time to look through and pray for those on the prayer list.  Both Bill Walker and Loren Sheets are recovering from hip fractures.  Pastor Roger's wife, Mary Jo and their son-in-law have tested positive for COVID.  Pastor Roger and their daughter Emily tested negative and are in quarantine.  Please pray that there will be no complications, no further infections and for a speedy recovery.

ATTENTION:  Parkside Women Zoom Discipleship Class titled The Sermon on the Mount.  Begins Tuesday, January 12th at 7:00pm. 

This is a 9 session study facilitated by Melissa Predmore and Melanie Annes.
We will "gather" by zoom on Tuesday evenings beginning January 12th, from 7:00pm-8:15 pm.  Below is a brief description of the class.
What does it mean to be a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven? Matthew's gospel opens with three chapters containing Jesus' longest recorded message--a sermon given to His disciples early in His ministry to articulate what the life of a Christ-follow would look like. Both practical and profound, the sermon asks of us the same questions it posed to its original hearers: How should a disciple relate to sin? To others? To the Law? How does a disciple think, speak, and act? What is the nature of true righteousness? Seat yourself on a mountainside to learn at the feet of Jesus. 
 
You can register for this class on our facebook page.  Here is the link:  www.facebook.com/events/712020736392195

Parkside Fellowship Annual Meeting (Celebration).

This year's annual meeting will take place on Saturday, February 27 at 3:00pm.  At this year's meeting you will have the opportunity to vote on new members to the church council.  A nominating committee has been put in place and is actively seeking recommendations to fill these open positions.  The members of the nominating committee are Mark Hester (chairman), Bev Lynam, Mary Stevens and Pastor Doug.  If you know an active member of Parkside Fellowship with outstanding leadership ability, you can nominate them by submitting their name via email to doug.boyd@parksidefellowship.org or there will be submission forms available on Sunday.  All submissions will be due no later than January 18th.

Finally, we are excited to be able to offer in-person services on Sundays at 9:30am.  Please feel free to join us.  No reservations are required and we will continue to follow all necessary COVID guidelines.  Please wear a mask so we can keep everyone safe and healthy!

We value our online church community and will continue to livestream our church service at 9:30am for those who wish to participate.  Also, don't forget to stick around after the service for our "after-church zoom gathering".  We start at 10:45am and the zoom link is below https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84125779768

Hope to see many of you on Sunday!

Pastor Doug