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As I type this email, I'm still recovering from a self-induced "Turkey, Ham, Corn on the Cob, homemade bread, lil' smokies, chocolate silk pie" coma.
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, we have so much to be thankful for and I hope each of you were able to celebrate this Thanksgiving with family and friends, even if it meant celebrating by phone, face-time or zoom. This Sunday at 9:30am, we will continue our series, Surprised by Jesus. We will also light the first candle of Advent, which represents Hope. Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 33:18 and Jeremiah 29:11 are a few passages that speak of the hope we have because of our faith and trust in God and His son, Jesus. Please join us this Sunday as we turn our attention to the upcoming celebration of Jesus willing leaving his throne in heaven in order to become human so that he could die for the sins of all mankind. I love what J.I. Packer writes about the true message of Christmas... The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross. As we shift back to an online church service, I want to remind you how to access our livestream service. You can access the livestream on our website, www.parksidefellowship.org. Click on the "YouTube live" link located on the home page where it reads "Schedule". Once you click on this link, you will be directed to our livestream service that begins at 9:30am. After the service please consider joining us at 10:45am (note the time change) for our "after-church" gathering on zoom. "See" you Sunday. Pastor Doug What are you thankful for?
As you reflect on this past year, your initial response might be...nothing...absolutely nothing! After this initial "off-the-cuff" statement, let me encourage you to take some time this week and look up, look around and look within and say, "Thank you, Lord, for..." Here are a few, "Thank you(s) to get you started:
Our God is truly worthy of our highest praise. To Him goes all the glory! This past Wednesday, I sent out an email letting you know our Sunday plans for the rest of 2020. Based on the latest restrictions and the continued spike in COVID cases, we have decided to shift back to online services for the rest of the year. Below are some of the points I shared in that email:
After the service please consider joining us at 10:45am (note the time change) for our "after-church" gathering on zoom. We will be spending one more week with Roger and his discipleship class, "Habits for our Holiness". After this week, our "after-church" zoom gathering will return to its regular format of sharing and a time of prayer. I, along with Roger and our church council, thanks you for your continued support and prayer as we discuss, pray and make decisions in what has become a constantly changing environment. Allow me to close with this prayer from Jude 24-25. "Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen." "See" you Sunday. Pastor Doug I am so blessed to be a part of this church family. Thank you for being a family that I want to spend time with. I have really enjoyed the past several weeks, as many of us have been able to gather together in-person to worship, learn from God's Word, pray together, share in the joy of communion and hear from members of our church family how God is using them to share his love...even during this pandemic. I have seen God show up in some amazing and unexpected ways.
During the past year, I have been reminded often that the church is not a building. It is us. It is because of Jesus. It is because we take Jesus with us everywhere we go, and we have in us the power of prayer. As we continue to navigate the pandemic restrictions that have been placed upon us, please don't forget that we are still the church and the church is never closed or cancelled. Based on the latest restrictions ("freeze") and the real possibility that it could be extended, below is what will be happening at Parkside Fellowship for the remainder of 2020:
Please continue to pray for our leadership as we pray and ask God to lead us where he wants us to go. May God grant you His peace and protection. Pastor Doug Well the weather outside is frightful...you know how the rest goes, so I will just leave it at that!
This week Parkside continues the theme, Surprise..., as we kick-off a new series called, Surprised by Jesus. Does Jesus surprise us today like he did his original followers of the 1st century? When was the last time you were surprised by something Jesus did in your life? Our ability to be surprised by Jesus has largely been shaped by the New Testament, and too an even greater degree, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Traditions and past experiences have also shaped our idea of how Jesus moves and works in our lives and in the world around us. I believe that because of these two factors, the Jesus of the Bible and our own experiences, our ability to be surprised by Jesus is limited. Not because of Jesus himself. Not because Jesus isn't doing some amazing things today; but rather, because of our own self-imposed limitations or beliefs in how we experience Jesus. Through this series, Surprised by Jesus, our hope is to shatter whatever box we've placed Jesus in. Jesus wants to lead us, guide us, teach us...even surprise us! Don't miss this opportunity to learn Jesus. Join us this Sunday, November 15th at 9:30am for our in-person gathering (at this time, no reservations are required to attend). As COVID cases continue to rise in our state and community, we recognize that there are many who do not feel comfortable attending an in-person gathering. With this in mind, we will continue to offer a livestream option. You can access the livestream on our website, www.parksidefellowship.org. After the service please consider joining us at 10:45am (note the time change) for our "after-church" gathering on zoom. Also, this Sunday, available to both our in-person and zoom attendees, Pastor Roger will continue his discipleship class utilizing the book, Habits for our Holiness, by Philip Nation. The class begins at 10:45am and each participant will receive a free copy of the book, Habits for Holiness. Thank you for being a praying church. See you on Sunday. Pastor Doug I'm excited for this week's service, as Larry Annes wraps up our series, Surprise the World. Larry will unpack the 5th habit in the BELLS model for "mobilizing Christians up, in and out into mission. That is, up into deeper connection with the Triune God; in to a stronger sense of community with other believers; and out into the neighborhood." (Surprise the World by Michael Frost)
This last habit in the BELLS model is the habit...Sent. Developing a habit of sent, happens as we begin to view ourselves as missionaries. In preparation for Sunday, ask yourself this question, "What does the reign of God look like in my own life and, how am I alerting people to his reign?" To put it simply, "What exactly am I pointing people too?" Join us this Sunday, November 8th at 9:30am for our in-person gathering (at this time, no reservations are required to attend). For those who are unable to attend, Sunday's service will be available via livestream on YouTube beginning at 9:30am. You can access the livestream on our website, www.parksidefellowship.org. After the service please consider joining us at 10:45am (note the time change) for our "after-church" gathering on zoom. Also, this Sunday, available to both our in-person and zoom attendees, Pastor Roger will continue his discipleship class utilizing the book, Habits for Our Holiness, by Philip Nation. The class begins at 10:45am and each participant will receive a free copy of the book. Thank you for being a praying church. See you on Sunday. Pastor Doug |
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