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Better than any other word, change describes our world. Vast, sweeping changes, especially in the last 15 months! All of us, some more than others, have had to make adjustments. Whether it's the way we work, the way we shop, the way we communicate, all of us have had to modify our methods. The old Roman politician, Publilius Syrus, was right when he wrote: "It is a bad plan that admits of no modification."
And I don't mean just slight modifications. Some things must undergo drastic alterations if we hope to stay on the cutting edge. Technological advancements in the last century and in some cases, the last 6 months have changed drastically. Agricultural processes have changed, house, modes of transportation, medicine, music, computers and cars have all undergone changes. With change comes the need to stay creative, original and sensitive, so as not to become dated and institutionalized. More than anything else, I'm convinced, the thing that attracted people to Jesus was His fresh, authentic, original style in a world filled with tired phrases, rigid rules, and empty religion. Remember the report made to the Pharisees? "Nobody ever spoke like this man." He was in step with the times without stepping out of the Father's will. Fresh, authentic and original, not only described the ministry of Jesus, but also the early church. Join us at 9:30am as Larry Annes continues our series, Fasten Your Seatbelts. This week, we will be in Acts 12, as we continue to read about how God used a group of diverse, untrained, radical Christians to spread the gospel within the context of a constantly changing environment. Also, don't forget to join me in my office at 8:45am for a brief time of prayer before our worship gathering. As a reminder, individuals attending church services at Parkside Fellowship, who are fully vaccinated, will not be required to wear a mask or social distance from others who are fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, a person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after their second dose series, such as Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 14 days after a single dose vaccine, such as Johnson and Johnson's Janssen vaccine. We ask those who are not fully vaccinated to continue to wear a mask and social distance for your own health and the health of those around you. In addition, anyone who does not yet feel comfortable attending church services without a mask is encouraged to continue wearing a mask or face covering. 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. Note: There will NOT be an "after-church" zoom gathering this week. Next week, we will begin a brand-new discipleship class at 10:45am. See details below: Discipleship Study: Revelation (The Christian's Ultimate Victory) Facilitator: Trudy Reusser 10:45am to 11:45am In-person and on zoom Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84125779768 Finally, continue to pray for those in our church family. See you Sunday. Pastor Doug As most of you are aware, on Tuesday, May 18th, the Oregon Health Authority released updated mask and social distancing guidelines. Based on these guidelines, our church council has adopted the following mask policy for Parkside Fellowship, beginning this Sunday, May 23rd.
Individuals attending church services at Parkside Fellowship, who are fully vaccinated, will not be required to wear a mask or social distance from others who are fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, a person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after their second dose series, such as Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 14 days after a single dose vaccine, such as Johnson and Johnson's Janssen vaccine. We ask those who are not fully vaccinated to continue to wear a mask and social distance for your own health and the health of those around you. In addition, anyone who does not yet feel comfortable attending church services without a mask is encouraged to continue wearing a mask or face covering. I don't know about you, but these newest guidelines from OHA provide me with a sense of hope that the end of the pandemic is near and a "new normal" is right around the corner! If you have any questions, please email Pastor Doug at doug.boyd@parksidefellowship.org Then join us on Sunday at 9:30am, as Pastor Doug continues our Fasten Your Seatbelts series. Our focus this week will be on Acts 9, as we peek into the unlikely conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who would later become known as Paul the Apostle. Luke's description of Saul's hatred for Christians drips with intrigue. Earlier, the narrative indicates that Saul had supported the plot to arrest, convict, and stone Stephen. Saul then began a reign of terror in Jerusalem, ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. Saul's persecution may have lasted as long as 3 years. But instead of destroying the church, his efforts sent the gospel farther, faster. Later on, we will learn how Paul's past actually helped in his newfound role as chief protagonist for Christianity. Please join us at 9:30am, as we gather together to give glory to God for all He has done for us! Also, don't forget to join me in my office at 8:45am for a brief time of prayer before our worship gathering. Note: Our Sunday service continues to meet at 9:30am, with two options for participating.
Note: For our "after-church" zoom gathering, we will be joining Mark Hester, as he continues his discipleship class titled, Informed Christianity. Be sure and join us at 10:45am, in-person or on zoom. See details below on how to join. Discipleship Study: Informed Christianity 10:45am to 11:45am In-person and on zoom Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84125779768 Finally, continue to pray for those in our church family. See you Sunday. Pastor Doug Being from California, I am absolutely loving this weather. I know we need the rain, but take some time this weekend to get outside and enjoy this playground called earth, that our Heavenly Father created just for us!
In fact, as I step outside into the sun, I am reminded of Psalm 100, "Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever and his faithfulness continues to each generation." Then join us on Sunday as Pastor Norm continues our Fasten Your Seatbelts series. Throughout the book of Acts, Luke shows the church challenged, the church guided by the Holy Spirit, and the church triumphant. The purpose of Acts is to demonstrate, from the facts of history, that the church has become God's instrument for our redemption and restoration, that the church is guided by His Spirit, and that nothing can prevent Christ from building His church. The book of Acts opens with Jesus commissioning his followers to be witnesses of his death and resurrection, to lead His church forward, and it closes with the assurance that, even under duress, the preaching of the "kingdom of God" will continue. Please join us at 9:30am, as we gather together to give glory to God for all He has done for us! Also, don't forget to join me in my office at 8:45am for a brief time of prayer before our worship gathering. Note: Our Sunday service continues to meet at 9:30am, with two options for participating.
Note: For our "after-church" zoom gathering, we will be joining Mark Hester, as he continues his discipleship class titled, Informed Christianity. This week, Mark will look at Titus 2:15 which reads, "These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you." This can be a challenging verse in the face of today's culture. Be sure and join us at 10:45am, in-person or on zoom. See details below on how to join. Discipleship Study: Informed Christianity 10:45am to 11:45am In-person and on zoom Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84125779768 Finally, continue to pray for those in our church family. Attached is this week's prayer list. See you Sunday. Pastor Doug With yesterday being National Day of Prayer, I had the privilege of joining with 5 other pastors for a prayer walk through downtown Portland. One moment that sticks out in my mind was an opportunity our group had to share Jesus with a man named James. James currently lives in transitional housing near PSU. He shared with our group that while he recognizes his sin and his need for forgiveness, he can't understand how Jesus could die for sins that he has not even committed yet. We were able to share with him the complete and eternal forgiveness that was made possible through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. While James did not commit his life to Christ, I am hopeful that he will continue to investigate the forgiveness Jesus offers to everyone and that one day, he will accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Until then, please join me in praying for James and your "One" who needs Jesus.
This Sunday, we will continue our Fasten Your Seatbelts series, as we look at the first Christian to be killed for their faith in Jesus. While the life of Stephen only makes up two chapters in Acts, his impact can be felt even today, as churches all around the world struggle to maintain their commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission. Please join us at 9:30am as we will be in Acts 6 and 7. Also, don't forget to join me in my office at 8:45am for a brief time of prayer before our worship gathering. Note: Our Sunday service continues to meet at 9:30am, with two options for participating.
Note: For our "after-church" zoom gathering, we will be joining Mark Hester, as he continues his discipleship class titled, Informed Christianity. This four-week class will combine Bible study with practical application, as Mark explores questions like:
Discipleship Study: Informed Christianity 10:45am to 11:45am In-person and on zoom Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84125779768 Finally, continue to pray for those in our church family. See you Sunday. Pastor Doug Let me begin by thanking Pastor Roger, Pastor Norm and Pastor Avery for joining me last week, as we continued our journey through the book of Acts. I hope you enjoyed hearing from each of these men as they shared their thoughts on what it would look like if our church looked more like the church in Acts.
This week, we will continue our Fasten Your Seatbelts series, as we take a peek into one of the first challenges faced by this brand-new movement called, "The Church". Please join us at 9:30am as we will be in Acts 3 and 4. Also, don't forget to join me in my office at 8:45am for a brief time of prayer before our worship gathering. Note: Our Sunday service continues to meet at 9:30am, with two options for participating.
Note: For our "after-church" zoom gathering, we will be joining a brand-new discipleship class titled, Informed Christianity, led by Mark Hester. This four-week class will combine Bible study with practical application, as Mark explores questions like:
Discipleship Study: Informed Christianity 10:45am to 11:45am In-person and on Zoom Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84125779768 Finally, Wayne Smith passed away yesterday morning. Please pray for Josie and the Smith family as they mourn the loss of Wayne. Even though Wayne is no longer with us, we celebrate his homecoming, knowing that he is in the presence of Jesus. See you Sunday. Pastor Doug |
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