Fresh, Authentic & Original

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