​This week, I started reading a book titled, Rediscover Church, by Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman.  The premise of the book is that a "Christian without a church is a Christian in trouble".  As I talk with other pastors, we all agree that since the abrupt closing of churches due to the pandemic, many Christians have yet to return to being an active participant in their local churches.  If the church really is the hope of the world, now more than ever, we must recommit ourselves to gathering together as individual followers of Jesus, who together, make up the body of Christ.

We've all heard the statement, "A church is not a building, it's people".  I would like you to consider a follow-up question to this statement.  Is a church merely people, or is it people who gather together to be shaped by God's Word, for the purpose of encouragement, accountability and love?  I believe gathering together is what makes a church...a church.  Even the author of Hebrews stressed the importance of gathering together when he wrote:

"Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that.  We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer."

Consider gathering with us in-person this Sunday at 9:30am, as we will conclude our series called, EXODUS: Discovery God in the Journey.  We started our journey in Exodus 3, where we listened and watched as God enlisted Moses and Aaron for the purpose of drawing his people out of slavery.  As we wrap up our time in Exodus, we will seek to answer the question, "In drawing His people out of slavery, what was He wanting to draw them into?".

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend at 9:30am...and don't forget your mask!

It's not too late to join one of our Sunday discipleship classes.  We have two studies currently meeting each Sunday morning at 10:45am.  See Class details below:

Topic:  A Study in the book of James
Facilitator:  Mark Hester and Jonella Malinowski
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Senior Adult Discipleship Class
Topic:  A Study in the book of Mark
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Please reserve Sunday, November 14th, for a Parkside Fellowship All-Church Meeting.  I, along with our church council, will be sharing with you the report that we received from the NWBC Church Health Assessment Team.  The meeting will take place in the Fireside Room, immediately following our Sunday morning worship service. 

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

On the despairing shores of the Red Sea and at the base of Mt. Sinai, the Israelites couldn't see what was in the distance.  They had no way of knowing where Canaan was or how far they still had to travel.  But the Lord gave them a simple plan: "tell the children of Israel to go forward".  The nineteenth century expositor C.H. Mackintosh believed the Red Sea did not divide all at once, but opened progressively as Israel moved forward, so that they needed to trust God for each step along the way.  Mackintosh wrote:  "God never gives us guidance for two steps at a time.  I must take one step, and then I get light for the next.  This keeps the heart in abiding dependence upon God."

As you prepare your heart to gather together and worship God, be encouraged by the words of the hymn, Day by Day:

Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.

This Sunday at 9:30am, we will continue our series called, EXODUS: Seeing God in the Journey.  Larry Annes will be looking at the portion of Exodus where we see God giving instructions to the Israelites for the construction of a tabernacle.  I love the beauty of Exodus 25:8, "Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them."  For me, the building of the tabernacle serves as a foreshadowing of the presence of God in Christ with His church.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online.

It's not too late to join one of our Sunday discipleship classes.  We have two studies currently meeting each Sunday morning at 10:45am.  See Class details below:

Topic:  A Study in the book of James
Facilitator:  Mark Hester and Jonella Malinowski
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Senior Adult Discipleship Class
Topic:  A Study in the book of Mark
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Please reserve Sunday, November 14th, for a Parkside Fellowship All-Church Meeting.  I, along with our church council, will be sharing with you the report that we received from the NWBC Church Health Assessment Team.  The meeting will take place in the Fireside Room, immediately following our Sunday morning worship service. 

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

This Sunday at 9:30am, we will continue our series called, EXODUS: Discovering God in the Journey, as we take a look at the giving of the Ten Commandments by God, to the nation of Israel.  Ironically, Christianity Today recently published an article on the 10 Commandments.  Below is an excerpt from this article.

"Considering they are among the most influential words ever written, there are a number of curious things about the 10 commandments.  To start, there are two versions with subtly different wording (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21).  Most awkwardly, there appear to be more than 10.  The phrase "you shall not..." appears 12 times, and that does not include commands to 'remember the sabbath day' or 'honor your father and mother.'  The Orthodox Church and most Protestants solve this problem by combining all the commands on coveting into one.  Roman Catholics address it by grouping the prohibitions on idolatry:  Augustine argued that the first commandment (no other gods) includes what many would consider the second commandment (no graven image).  But another curious feature of the Ten Commandments, and which frequently goes unnoticed, is the fact that there are ten theological affirmations--ten attributes of God, if you like--woven through them.  If the text tells us who we should be, it also tells us who God is.  Revelation sits alongside regulation."

Join us this Sunday as we take a deep-dive into one of the most beautiful parts of the book of Exodus, as the 10 commandments reveal to us who we are as God's children, and is the key to understanding God's desire for His children.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online.

If you haven't taken the opportunity to attend one of our Sunday discipleship classes, I would like to encourage you to take time this Sunday and do just that.  We have two studies currently meeting each Sunday morning at 10:45am. 
See Class details below:
Topic:  A Study in the book of James
Facilitator:  Mark Hester and Jonella Malinowski
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Senior Adult Discipleship Class
Topic:  A Study in the book of Mark
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Both of these classes are designed around the premise that no one is meant to walk alone.  At Parkside, we want to be a bridge that anyone can cross over in order to explore faith, Jesus, and how a faith in Jesus brings life-change.  We believe this type of life-change happens best in the context of community.

Note:  The results are in!  This past week, our church council met with the NWBC Church Health Assessment Team.  During our time together, they presented their report and answered questions.  Please reserve Sunday, November 14th, for a Parkside Fellowship Sunday Lunch Gathering.  This lunch gathering will include a time of discovery, as we hear from our church council regarding the church health assessment.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

If you haven't taken the opportunity to attend one of our Sunday discipleship classes, I would like to encourage you to take time this Sunday and do just that.  We have two studies currently meeting each Sunday morning at 10:45am.  See Class details below:

Topic:  A Study in the book of James
Facilitator:  Mark Hester and Jonella Malinowski
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Senior Adult Discipleship Class
Topic:  A Study in the book of Mark
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Both of these classes are designed around the premise that no one is meant to walk alone.  At Parkside, we want to be a bridge that anyone can cross over in order to explore faith, Jesus, and how a faith in Jesus brings life-change.  We believe this type of life-change happens best in the context of community.

Speaking of community, I am so thankful to be a part of a group of pastors that collaborate together on our campus, in order to blanket our community with the gospel of Jesus.  Please continue to pray for the other churches that meet on our campus and the pastors who lead them. 

One benefit of having multiple churches share our campus is the ability to lean on each other when needed.  Yesterday, I tested positive for COVID-19, thankfully, my symptoms are mild.  However, I must quarantine for 10 days from the onset of my symptoms, which means that I will not be able to preach on Sunday.  While I am disappointed that I will not be able to be with you on Sunday, Pastor Avery from Common Ground, has graciously agreed to preach in my place.

So, please join us this Sunday, at 9:30am, as Pastor Avery shares God's word with us and Nancy Hester leads us in giving glory, honor and praise to our God!

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

Last week in our discipleship class on the book of James, one of the passages we looked at was James 1:3-4, which reads:

"For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

With these verses, James is providing us with a picture of the reason God took the Nation of Israel through the wilderness.  The purpose of a wilderness experience is to test us and to stretch our spiritual muscles.  As commentator Philip Ryken wrote:  "Going through the wilderness was not necessary for Israel's salvation, but it was necessary for their sanctification."

Join us this Sunday, at 9:30am, as we continue our series called, Exodus: Seeing God in the Journey.  This week, we be in Exodus 16 and 17, as we look at a trio of tests, God took the Israelites through, in order to prepare them for a covenant relationship with himself.

Prior to our 9:30am service, join us at 8:45am in Pastor Doug's office, for a special time of praying for Parkside and the other churches that meet on our campus.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online

As our church continues to move toward a sense of normalcy on Sunday mornings, Roger and I are excited to announce that our Sunday Morning Bible Study classes have resumed meeting at 10:45am, for the purpose of supporting each other on our individual spiritual growth journeys.  Please consider taking advantage of one of these discipleship opportunities.  See class details below: 

Topic:  A Study in the book of James
Facilitator:  Mark Hester and Jonella Malinowski
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Senior Adult Discipleship Class
Topic:  A Study in the book of Mark
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

Of all the letters Paul wrote, II Corinthians is the most autobiographical.  In it, Paul lifts the veil on his private life and allows us to catch a glimpse of his needs and weaknesses.  In his letter, Paul records the specifics of his pain and sufferings.  He spells out the details of his persecution, imprisonments, beatings and feelings of despair.  However, in the midst of revealing the "dark" side of his life, Paul begins his letter by writing:

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."  II Corinthians 1:3-4

Sometimes, God uses suffering so that we might learn what it means to depend on Him.  Over and over He reminds us of the danger of pride, but it frequently takes suffering to make the lesson stick.  Paul reminds us to welcome hard times as opportunities to stop trusting in our own wisdom and strength, to start leaning on God and to give Him thanks for His sovereignty over our lives.  Take time over the next few days to read II Corinthians chapters 1-5 and may the words of Paul encourage you the next time you find yourself in a God-orchestrated dilemma.

Join us this Sunday, at 9:30am, as we continue our series called, Exodus: Seeing God in the Journey.  This week, we be in Exodus 13 and 14, as we look at probably the most notable story and most celebrated miracle in Israel's history...the crossing of the Red Sea.  It was in this moment that the nation of Israel experienced a divine encounter with God, as His power flowed through their obedience, which led them into some tense, uneasy, scary moments for this tired, yet hopeful nation.

Prior to our 9:30am service, join us at 8:45am in Pastor Doug's office, for a special time of praying for Parkside and the other churches that meet on our campus.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online

As our church continues to move toward a sense of normalcy on Sunday mornings, Roger and I are excited to announce that our Sunday Morning Bible Study classes will begin meeting this Sunday, October 3rd at 10:45am.  It's been over 18 months since either our Senior Adult Class or the Hester/Malinowski class has been able to meet.  It will be awesome to see many of you reconnect in these smaller communities.

Please consider taking advantage of one of these discipleship opportunities.  See class details below: 

Topic:  A Study in the book of James
Facilitator:  Mark Hester and Jonella Malinowski
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Senior Adult Discipleship Class
Topic:  A Study in the book of Mark
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

This Sunday, at 9:30am, we will continue our series called, Exodus: Seeing God in the Journey.  This week, we be in Exodus chapters 5 and 6, as we learn how obedience to God's call does not mean everything will be easy.  Remember what Jesus told his disciples in John 16:33:

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Three timeless principles we can take away from this verse are:  1.  Circumstances that turn against us force dependence.  When you find yourself in a situation that suddenly goes from bad to worse, you are humbled, and that forces you into a position of dependence upon the Lord.  That's precisely where God wants you.  2.  Circumstances that force dependence teach us patience.  In a position of dependence, we are forced to wait on God and give Him time to work.  3.  Circumstances that teach us patience make us wise.  The wisdom we learn from our experiences and from our testings will stay with us and bless us the rest of our lives. 

Let your minds meditate on James 1:2-5 as you prepare your hearts for our Sunday gathering.

Prior to our 9:30am service, join us at 8:45am in Pastor Doug's office, for a special time of praying for Parkside and the other churches that meet on our campus.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online

After the service, consider staying for one of our two discipleship classes that meet at 10:45am.  See class details below: 

Keeping It Simple:  Spiritual Disciplines for a Focused Life
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person and on zoom
Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82089655176

Revelation:  The Christian's Ultimate Victory
Facilitator:  Trudy Reusser
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

​Tucked away in the 3rd chapter of Proverbs are a couple of verses you probably know from memory.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Over the past few months, God has been reminding me to rely on him, letting him take the lead and yielding the steering wheel of my life to his steady hands.  There's also a warning in these verses that we tend to skip over:  "lean not on your own understanding".  In other words, don't attempt to lead in your own strength; but rather, lean hard into God and his will.  Our part in God's plan for our lives is to trust him whole-heartedly, in every corner of our lives, recognizing that he is the one in charge.

But let's not forget God's promise in verse 6.  "He will make your paths straight".  Other translations use the word, "smooth".  In other words, he will smooth out your path.  He'll take care of each of those obstacles on the trail ahead of you.

I want to thank you for continuing to pray for Parkside Fellowship.  As we patiently wait on God to show us which path to take, let's commit ourselves to lean on him, focus on his will and let him begin to smooth out the path in front of us.

This Sunday, at 9:30am, we will continue our series called, Exodus: Seeing God in the Journey.  This week, we be in Exodus chapter 4, as we look at how the power of God almost always flows through obedience rooted in faith.  Also this Sunday, Bedrock Community Church will be joining us for a portion of the service, as they baptize kids who accepted Jesus as their Savior during VBS.  I am excited that Parkside is able to join in the celebration, as we witness the power of the gospel to change lives!  God is awesome!

Prior to our 9:30am service, join us at 8:45am in Pastor Doug's office, for a special time of praying for Parkside and the other churches that meet on our campus.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online

After the service, consider staying for one of our two discipleship classes that meet at 10:45am.  See class details below: 

Keeping It Simple:  Spiritual Disciplines for a Focused Life
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person and on zoom
Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82089655176

Revelation:  The Christian's Ultimate Victory
Facilitator:  Trudy Reusser
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Update on Bill Walker Celebration of Life service.  A service for Bill Walker will be held here at Parkside Fellowship on Saturday, September 25th at 10:30am.

Finally, attached is this week's prayer list.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

​I want to begin this edition of TAB by thanking everyone for faithfully praying with me and our church council, in asking God to show us the path he has for us.  As we faithfully wait on the Lord, I want to share with you a quote from Andrew Murray, who is a South African Pastor.  Pastor Murray wrote these words when faced with a terrible crises:

"First He brought me here, it is by His will that I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest.  Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child.  Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.  Last, in His good time He can bring me out again--how and when He knows.  Let me say I am here, by Gods appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time."

My prayer is that as we wait on God to move, we will recognize we are EXACTLY where He wants us to be.

This Sunday, at 9:30am, we begin a new series called, Exodus: Seeing God in the Journey.  To know the story of Exodus and God's people is to recognize it as our own.  Through this series, we hope to learn more about how God leads us into certain situations, so that He can lead us out.  Two questions for you to think about as you prepare for Sunday are:  1.  When faced with a difficult decision or choice, do you look back or look forward? and 2. Do you walk with your eyes focused on your own steps or do you look for the footprints of Jesus, who is walking right beside you?  If you would like to get a jump start on this week's message, I will be sharing from Exodus 3.

Prior to our 9:30am service, consider joining us at 8:45am in Pastor Doug's office, for a special time of praying for Parkside and the other churches that meet on our campus.

As we gather for our in-person service, Parkside church staff and leadership will be wearing masks and we are asking everyone to do the same.  Please consider joining us this weekend.  We were created by God to worship and praise Him together, in community, so plan on being at Parkside this Sunday at 9:30am and don't forget your mask!

Also, for those that are not able to join us in-person, you can still join us online

Not only is this Sunday, September 12th the beginning of a brand-new sermon series, but we would also like to invite you to join us right after the service at 10:45am for a NEW Discipleship Class titled, Keeping it Simple: Spiritual Disciplines for a Focused Life.  In this 3 week class, we will look at how to turn our confusion, chaos and clutter into a simpler life that is focused on God. 

See class details below: 

Discipleship Study:  Keeping It Simple:  Spiritual Disciplines for a Focused Life
Facilitator:  Martha Bailey
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person and on zoom
Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82089655176

In addition to this new Discipleship Class, our current class on Revelation will continue to meet at 10:45am.  Please see class details below:

Discipleship Study:  Revelation
Facilitator:  Trudy Reusser
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Finally, as most of you know, Bill Walker passed away this last Sunday.  A Celebration of Life Service is being planned for Tuesday, September 28th in the morning.  I will let you know once a time has been finalized.  Thank you for praying for the Walker family. 

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug