As I type this week's edition of TAB, I am sitting in a hotel room in Hawaii.  This coming Tuesday, I will say goodbye to Jenna, as she begins her sophomore year of college at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.  Until then, I am treasuring our time together as we spend time exploring the island and making some lasting father/daughter memories.  But enough about Jenna and I...

Please join us Sunday at 9:30am, as Pastor Norm concludes our Focused series. 

As we say goodbye to summer and turn our attention to Fall, I want to take a moment and remind you of the vision behind the last 8 weeks.  For the last two months, we have intentionally focused our attention on who Jesus is and who He has called us to be as His followers.  Focusing our attention on Jesus will ultimately lead to an intimacy with Him which in turn allows us to experience abundant life.  Focusing on Jesus also brings freedom in our lives and allows us to see His purposes for us.  Now more than ever, we need to keep our focus on Jesus, so that He can bring clarity to what may seem chaotic and unclear.

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.

Special Update:  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, at 10:45am, we invite you to join our "after-church" discipleship class on the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation unveils the glory of Jesus Christ.  Written by the Apostle John, Revelation is a reminder to remain faithful and trust God, even when things around us don't make sense. 

See class details below: 
Discipleship Study:  Revelation (The Christian's Ultimate Victory)
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

Aloha from Hawaii!
Pastor Doug

Major W. Ian Thomas in his book, The Indwelling Life of Christ, wrote the following:

"The Lord Jesus came from heaven to earth not just to get us out of hell and into heaven--though He is the only One who can and does, if we let Him--but to get Himself out of heaven and into us.  He gave himself for us to give Himself to us, the gift of His Life, so that we may enjoy a wonderful, personal relationship with Him that never changes, because 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.' (Hebrews 13:8)"

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our Creator, God is remaking us into the image of Christ.  He wants us to be just like Jesus, to have the same attitude that Jesus had, an attitude filled with love, compassion, forgiveness, honesty, purity and hope.  This is to be our focus as Christians...the pursuit of Christlikeness.  This will be the focus of this Sunday's message from Pastor Roger. 

Please join us Sunday at 9:30am in our air-conditioned worship center as Pastor Roger shares with us from God's Word on how we can become more like Jesus.

Also, 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.

Special Update:  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, at 10:45am, we invite you to join our "after-church" discipleship class on the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation unveils the glory of Jesus Christ.  Written by the Apostle John, Revelation is a reminder to remain faithful and trust God, even when things around us don't make sense. 

See class details below: 

Discipleship Study:  Revelation (The Christian's Ultimate Victory)
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person ONLY

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

This week's edition of TAB comes from Florence, Oregon.  Larry Annes and I arrived yesterday (Friday) for a two day conference sponsored by the Oregon Mission Coalition.  One of our General Session speakers is Randy Adams who will be speaking on "Blessing the City:  A Biblical Model for Ministry in the Northwest".  Please pray for all the speakers, pastors and church leaders, as we continue to pursue God's design for His church.

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as we continue our summer series, FOCUSED.  We tend to be amazing learners when it comes to knowing Jesus, but how can we become better abiders in Christ?  Abiding in Christ happens as we make space in our lives, so the words of Jesus can transform us.  The transforming power of Jesus is most effective when we make him the most important thing in our lives and in our hearts.  Consider reading John 15:1-12 in preparation for this week's worship gathering.  After reading John 15:1-12, below are some questions to consider:

1.  What is currently the focal point of our lives?

2.  What do we need to get rid of, or push aside, so that Jesus can have space in our lives and the kind of space that allows Him the freedom to continue the transformation process that began when we invited him into our hearts?

Note:  Based on the most current CDC and OHA Guidelines, our Sunday service continues to meet at 9:30am, with two options for participating.

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  Masks are recommended, regardless of vaccination status.

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

After the service, at 10:45am, we invite you to join our "after-church" discipleship class on the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation unveils the glory of Jesus Christ.  Written by the Apostle John, Revelation is a reminder to remain faithful and trust God, even when things around us don't make sense. 

See class details below: 

Discipleship Study:  Revelation (The Christian's Ultimate Victory)
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person and on zoom
Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81594772166  (the zoom link has changed from previous weeks)

Finally, attached is this week's prayer letter.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

This Sunday at noon, Parkside Fellowship will be joining with Bedrock Community Church and New Creation Church (Chinese church) for our 2nd Summer BBQ of the season.  Unlike the one in June, this Sunday's weather report appears to be "just right" with temperatures around 78 during the event.  We will have both inside and outside seating, so come prepared to eat some good food and make some new friends from both Bedrock and New Creation.

Also this Sunday at 9:30am, we will continue our summer series called, FOCUSED.  One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target.  He never got off track.  Not once do we find him walking down the wrong side of the street.  Whatever direction Jesus walked, it was the right one.  The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task--the cross of Calvary.  He was so focused that his final words were, "It is finished".  Jesus had completed his designated task.  Would you love to be able to say the same?  Wouldn't you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do?

As we continue the conversation around living a "kingdom of God" focused life, let me give you 3 questions to ponder that just might help you stay on target, so at the end of your life, you can say, "Mission Accomplished".

1. Am I fitting into God's plan or am I trying to fit God into my plan?  Regardless of what you don't know about your future, one thing is certain:  you are called to contribute to God's gospel plan, to tell others about the God who loves them and longs to be in relationship with them.
2. What are my abilities?  Based on what I do well, how can I use my strengths to accomplish God's plan for my life?  Failing to focus on our strengths may prevent us from accomplishing the unique tasks God has called us to do.  
3. Am I serving God now?  What are you waiting for?

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

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  No capacity restrictions, no mask requirements, no COVID protocols to follow!

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

After the service, at 10:45am, we invite you to join our "after-church" discipleship class on the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation unveils the glory of Jesus Christ.  Written by the Apostle John, Revelation is a reminder to remain faithful and trust God, even when things around us don't make sense. 

See class details below: 

Discipleship Study:  Revelation (The Christian's Ultimate Victory)
10:45am to 11:45am
In-person and on zoom
Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81594772166  (the zoom link has changed from previous weeks)

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

This week has been especially busy with regards to prayer needs, both within our own church family and within our state.  Continue to pray for all those who have been and are being impacted by the devastating fires.  Also, pray for rain and that the weather would cooperate as firefighters and frontline workers battle to save homes and lives. Thank you for being a praying church.

This Sunday, we will continue our summer series called, FOCUSED.  I believe the word "focused" is a perfect way to describe how Jesus lived his life here on earth.  Everything Jesus said or did, from his formal teachings, parables and miracles, to his dinner conversations, were designed to point people to God and His kingdom.  Jesus said it best in Matthew 6:33:  "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously and he will give you everything you need." 

In Hebrews 11:6 the author writes these words, "He (God) rewards those who earnestly seek him".  Earnest, diligent, sincere, these are all great words to describe how we are to seek after God.  In other words, be hungry in your searching, relentless in your pursuit.  Don't be satisfied with the stars in the sky.  Seek him as the shepherds did.  Long for him as Simeon did.  Worship him as the wise men did.  God rewards those who seek him.  Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds.  The reward is reserved for those who seek nothing less than God Himself.  And what is the reward?  That we will be given the heart of Jesus (II Corinthians 3:18).  Can you think of a better gift than than to be like Jesus?  Come this Sunday, focused, ready to seek the face of God, so that we can be changed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the likeness of His Son, Jesus.   

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

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  No capacity restrictions, no mask requirements, no COVID protocols to follow!

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

After the service, at 10:45am, Trudy Reusser will continue her discipleship class on the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation unveils the glory of Jesus Christ.  Written by the Apostle John, Revelation is a reminder to remain faithful and trust God, even when things around us don't make sense. 

See class 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/81594772166  (the zoom link has changed from previous weeks)

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

I hope you and your family had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July!  Rose and I, along with our girls, just returned Thursday night from a week-long trip to Lake Tahoe.  We did some lounging at the lake, played mini-golf, hiked in an afternoon thunderstorm, got caught in a massive hailstorm on the freeway that literally stopped traffic, went river rafting down the Truckee River and saw two bears up close.  All in all, we had a great time! 

This Sunday, Pastor Norm will continue our summer series called, FOCUSED.  Our vision behind this series is to enter into a season where we intentionally regain our focus on who Jesus is and who He has called us to be as a church.  When we focus on Jesus, transformation in our lives and the lives of those around us is inevitable.  Focusing our attention on Jesus will ultimately lead to an intimacy with Him which in turn allows us to experience abundant life.

As you prepare for this Sunday's worship gathering, I would encourage you to read Psalm 84 and let the Psalmist guide you into  the worship of God.  In each of the three sections of Psalm 84, you will discover God's special ways of revealing Himself to us.  Psalm 84 lays before us a reminder of our life journey of knowing and pursuing God which serves as our base for our times of worship.  Verses 5-8 take us on a special path showing how the Lord is intimately involved in our lives--even during difficult times

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

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  No capacity restrictions, no mask requirements, no COVID protocols to follow!

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

After taking a break for the July 4th holiday and to deal with some health issues, Trudy Reusser will resume her discipleship class on the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation unveils the glory of Jesus Christ.  Written by the Apostle John, Revelation is a reminder to remain faithful and trust God, even when things around us don't make sense. 

See class 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/81594772166 

Finally, continue to pray for those in our church family.  

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

Happy "almost" Fourth of July.

It's hard to believe that this Sunday is July 4th.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate the freedom we have in this country to worship God than by gathering together to do just that.  The writer of Hebrews tells us not to neglect meeting together, especially as we look forward, with anticipation, to the return of Jesus.   

This Sunday, Larry Annes will kick-off our summer series called, FOCUSED.  Our vision behind this series is to enter into a season where we intentionally regain our focus on who Jesus is and who He has called us to be as a church.  When we focus on Jesus, transformation in our lives and the lives of those around us is inevitable.  Focusing our attention on Jesus will ultimately lead to an intimacy with Him which in turn allows us to experience abundant life.

Focusing on Jesus also brings freedom in our lives and allows us to see His purposes for us. In any area that we are struggling, as we set our eyes on Jesus, we will receive power to overcome those areas of weakness. Now more than ever, we need to keep our focus on Jesus, so that He can bring clarity to what may seem chaotic and unclear.

Last week, I tried to illustrate this with an object lesson.  I started with an empty jar and filled it up with little rocks, then I tried to squeeze in a big rock at the top.  When I did this the big rock wasn't able to fit in the jar and was sticking out the top. But when I placed the big rock in the empty jar first and then poured in all the little rocks, everything fit. In this illustration, the little rocks represent all of the things that can easily fill our time and energy: work responsibilities, family, to-do lists, entertainment, school, etc... If we put these things first, we won't be able to fit the big rock: Jesus and the things Jesus is calling us to do in our lives. But if the big rock comes first, all of the little ones will find their place. That is what it looks like to live a focused life. Jesus Himself lived a focused life. He was concerned with completing the task that God had given Him (John 17:4) and He was able to do that by keeping the right focus. In our lives, if we don't start first with Jesus, everything else will get out of line.

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

1.  Attend our live "in-person" gathering.  No capacity restrictions, no mask requirements, no COVID protocols to follow!

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

Please Note:  Due to the July 4th holiday, our discipleship class on Revelation will NOT be meeting.

Finally, continue to pray for those in our church family. 

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug