Merry Christmas Parkside.

This year, many families, including ours, will be spending Christmas with only those in our immediate household.  However, even though this might make things a little less chaotic than normal, the danger of missing the birth of Jesus remains.  As we prepare to spend Christmas in isolation, apart from family and friends, the danger of including Jesus in our quarantine protocol is amplified.

As you prepare for Christmas, I want to share a quote from the book, Because of Bethlehem, by Max Lucado:

"On that first Christmas night, the innkeeper missed Jesus knocking at the door.  Today many still do.  They miss the chance to open the door.  They let the birth of Jesus pass them by.  The miracle of Bethlehem still happens.  God enters the hamlets of our lives and speaks to us.  He speaks through scriptures, sunsets, the kindness of a friend, or the warning of a medical report.  He sings to us through Christmas carols.  He calls to us through Christmas sermons.  He reaches out through the Christmas story.  'Here I am!'  Jesus invites.  It's not too late to open the door and invite Jesus in.  You are never too old, too messed up, or too worn-out.  Elijah was depressed.  God still came to him.  Abraham was old.  God still led him.  Moses was long retired.  God still called him.  Jonah ran from God, Peter betrayed Christ, Thomas doubted Christ, but each learned it was not too late.  It's never too late to come to Christ for help".  

This Christmas, as you celebrate either apart from family or only with close family, don't miss the message of Jesus.  A message that reads, "I came to lift burdens, not add to them."

Please join us tomorrow for our Christmas Eve candlelight service.  This year, due to COVID restrictions, our Christmas Eve service will be online ONLY.  You can access our service on our website, www.parksidefellowship.org.  Click on the "Parkside Fellowship Christmas Eve Virtual Candlelight Service" picture located near the top of our homepage.  Once you click on this link, you will be directed to the service recording.  The Christmas Eve service will be available beginning at 4:00pm and can be accessed anytime after that time.

Finally, attached is the weekly prayer list.  Pray for those you know who will be spending Christmas apart from family.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Doug

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King.  For many, Christmas might spark this question, "What's the big deal about the baby in the manger?" The "Big Deal", the reason we sing...no shout...Joy to the World, is because of the baby in the manger.  Because of the baby in the manger, God is with us.  God is where we are.

As we prepare to close out 2020, now more than ever, we need the truth of God with us!  God in our homes, God in the doctors office, God at our workplace, God in our family struggles.  The joy of Christmas is knowing that wherever we are, whatever fears, doubts, questions or struggles we might be experiencing...God is always near us.  God is always rooting for us.  God is our biggest fan and because of this, we are forever on God's mind and in his plans.  

"She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God with us.'"  Matthew 1:23 

Don't miss our online service this Sunday at 9:30am, as Pastor Norm continues our series Surprised by Jesus.

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.  

Please continue to pray for each other, our neighbors, our community and our nation.

"See" you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

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

 Merry Christmas Parkside Family!
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Christmas is here!  It's time to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, whose name is Immanuel...God with us!
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As I have been sharing in our "Christmas Wonder"... series, the Christmas story began long before Mary and Joseph, a bunch of shepherds and some wise men watched as Jesus exploded onto the scene.  The story of Christmas began way back in the book of Genesis, when God first promised that one day, He would send a Messiah to redeem mankind from his brokenness.  And while the last chapter of the Christmas story begins with the words, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  She gave birth to her first child, a son.  She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available to them.", it doesn't end there.  The last chapter is still being written.  Bethlehem was just the beginning.  Jesus gave a promise of a repeat performance.  The skies will open up, trumpets will blast and a new kingdom will begin. 

The point of Christmas is that you and I need a Savior and because of Bethlehem we have one!  Let's not keep this a secret.  Invite someone to join you this Sunday morning at 10:30am for Christmas at Parkside!  Below are the details:

This Sunday, December 22nd, we will have ONE service at 10:30am.  There will be NO adult Sunday School.

The morning kicks-off at 9:30am with our Christmas cafe' featuring an assortment of fruit, bagels, pastries, cookies, coffee and hot chocolate.

At 10:30am we will all gather in our main sanctuary for a time of celebration featuring Christmas carols, advent candlelighting and a presentation by our very own Mary Jo Sharp, who will be speaking on the topic, "Is the Story of Jesus a Copy of the Pagan Myths?"  Mary Jo is an accomplished Author, Professor and Apologist. 

This Sunday represents a great opportunity for you to invite a relative, friend or neighbor who may need to hear the true story behind the birth of Jesus.  Who are you going to bring with you this Sunday?

So, don't forget this Sunday, December 22:  One service at 10:30am.  No Sunday School.  Christmas Cafe opens at 9:30am.  Don't come alone!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Doug

​Let me begin by wishing everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!  

I plan to keep this edition of TAB brief, as I want to encourage all of us push the pause button on the hustle and bustle that comes with Christmas and spend a few moments reflecting on the day Jesus came to us.....in the flesh.

As you reflect on what the arrival of our Savior means to you personally, take a moment and read this excerpt from the book, God Came Near, by Max Lucado.....

"The noise and the bustle began earlier than usual in the village.  As night gave way to dawn, people were already on the streets.  Vendors were positioning themselves on the corners of the most heavily traveled avenues.  Store owners were unlocking the doors to their shops.  Children were awakened by the excited barking of the street dogs and the complaints of donkeys pulling carts. 

The owner of the inn had awakened earlier than most in the town.  After all, the inn was full, all the beds taken.  Every available mat or blanket had been put to use.  Soon all the customers would be stirring and there would be a lot of work to do.

One's imagination is kindled thinking about the conversation of the innkeeper and his family at the breakfast table.  Did anyone mention the arrival of the young couple the night before?  Did anyone comment on the pregnancy of the girl on the donkey?  Perhaps.  Perhaps someone raised the subject.  But, at best, it was raised, not discussed.  There was nothing novel about them.  They were, possibly, one of several families turned away that night.

Besides who had time to talk about them when there was so much excitement in the air?  Augustus did the economy of Bethlehem a favor when he decreed that a census should be taken.  Who could remember when such commerce had hit the village?  

No, it was doubtful that anyone mentioned the couple's arrival or wondered about the condition of the girl.  They were too busy.  There was too much to do to imagine that the impossible had occurred.

God had entered the world as a baby.

Those who missed His Majesty's arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren't looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?"

Plan to join us this Sunday at 9:15am, as we gather together to celebrate the birth of Immanuel.....God with us!

If you can't make our Sunday gathering, please consider joining us for our Christmas Eve service, Monday, at 4:00pm.  This brief service will include carols, a brief message from God's Word and a time to pause, light a candle and sing, Silent Night!

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

First of all, let me apologize for not sending out my weekly TAB email the last few weeks.  I'm sure you can agree with me when I say that there are times in life when things pile up and you find yourself running from one thing to another.  Hopefully things will start to slow down a bit, but with Christmas quickly approaching, I'm not sure that will happen.  Thanks for you prayers and understanding.

Speaking of Christmas, I want to focus this edition of TAB on this crazy time of the year when we waver between getting caught up in the excitement of the season and trying to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas.  Sadly, apart from the angels nudging a few scared shepherds and a handful of wise star-gazers who were able to decode a cryptic star, many missed out on that very first Christmas when Christ was born in Bethlehem.

Missing the prophetic mystery of Jesus' birth means missing God-with-us, God-beside us, God becoming one of us.  Missing out on Jesus changes everything.  Like many, we can become lost in crowded malls, financial debt, and endless lists of gifts to buy, only to miss out on the one gift that can truly satisfy our thirst for more.

How do I keep from missing Jesus?......focus on the eternal over the temporal.  Colossians 3:2 reads, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."  We are celebrating the arrival of our Savior.  The significance of giving presents is to be directly related to God's presenting us the gift of His Son.

Next, Christmas is the time of year when people are wide-open to the Gospel.  Remember who we represent.  We are His chosen ambassadors, doing His business, so let's do it this Christmas.  Share Jesus with a co-worker or invite a neighbor to our Christmas Eve service, which will take place at 4:00 pm and include carols and candlelight.

Finally, one of the most effective maneuvers of the world system is to create a false sense of excitement.  As Christians, we are in danger of climbing the Christmas mountain, only to get lost in the afterglow of the New Year.  Guard yourself.  Enjoy the 25th.....but not at the expense of the 26th.  Make Hebrews 12:3 your theme verse for Christmas and beyond....."Consider Him.....so that  you may not grow weary or fainthearted."

Join us this Sunday, at 9:15am, as we begin our Christmas series titled, "He Came...."  This week, we will focus on the fact that Jesus came to rescue us from our suffering and our sin.  Our passage will be Isaiah 53.  Take some time over the next few days to read this incredible chapter showing God's incredible display of love through His Son, Jesus.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug
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