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 If I were to ask you, "Who is Jesus to you...personally?", how would you respond? Before you answer, in Matthew 16:15, Jesus asked this same question of his disciples and Simon Peter's response received praise from Jesus. Why? Simon Peter's answer wasn't based on education, it wasn't based on speculation, and it wasn't based on what others said about Jesus. Simon Peter answered the question solely on the foundation of his personal experiences with Jesus. So again, how would you answer the question, "Who is Jesus to you?"
Join us this Sunday, November 1st at 9:30am, as we continue our series Surprise the World. This week, we will look at the difference between learning about Jesus and simply learning Jesus. Successfully sharing Jesus as the reason for the hope that we have begins with learning Jesus. 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. After the service please consider joining us at 11:00am for our "after-church" gathering on zoom. Also, beginning this Sunday, Pastor Roger will begin a 4 week discipleship class utilizing the book, Habits for our Holiness, by Philip Nation. Through this 4 week study, we will look at how our spiritual disciplines are meant to be practiced in community and on mission. The class begins at 10:45am and each participant will receive a free copy of the book, Habits for Holiness. Finally, because of the restrictions on in-person gatherings, the memorial service for Carolyn Hext, scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:00pm is by invitation only. However, the service will be available via livestream. I will send out a link tomorrow (Saturday) morning with a link to the livestream. See you on Sunday. Pastor Doug Major W. Ian Thomas in his book, The Indwelling Life of Christ, wrote these words: "Only when your quality of life baffles your neighbors are you likely to get their attention. It must become patently obvious to them that the kind of life you are living is not only commendable, but beyond all human explanation. The people around you must be convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ is Himself the essential ingredient of the life you live."
Ask yourself this question, "Are those around you baffled by what God is doing in your life?" Join us this Sunday, October 25th at 9:30am as we continue our series Surprise the World. Pastor Roger will be sharing on the missional habit of listening. By listening, we mean, setting aside a designated time each week where we spend time in solitude, silence and prayer, for the purpose of listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit. As you listen to the message on Sunday, our hope is that you will recognize the importance of the Holy Spirit as you continue to develop the habits of generosity and hospitality toward unbelievers. 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. Also, consider joining us at 11:00am for our "after-church" gathering on zoom. See you Sunday. Pastor Doug This Sunday, October 18th, at 9:30am, we will once again host a limited, in-person gathering in our worship center. As I stated in an email earlier this week, based on state guidelines, we are limiting capacity in the worship center to 50 people and are asking everyone to reserve your spot ahead time by email, phone or text. Also, all social distancing protocols will be strictly followed and masks will be required.
We recognize that there are those who will not be able or do not feel comfortable attending a public gathering. With this in mind, Sunday's service will be available via livestream on YouTube beginning at 9:30am. Also, for those of you who are not able to attend the live service, we will still have our regular zoom meeting at 11:00am. This Sunday is also the final week of our discipleship class called, Every Body Matters. Even if you haven't been able to attend this special class, Pastor Roger and I would love to have you join us for this week's class, as we focus on the practical application of our study: physical health. We are privileged to host Dr. John Gobble. Dr. John Gobble is provider of medical nutrition therapy and therapeutic lifestyle services at Cascade Family Practice. Dr. Gobble earned a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Preventive Care and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in both Public Health Nutrition and Health Education. John enjoys exploring the pristine Northwest wilderness with is wife Lynn. Our Q&A panel will also consist of our very own Nancy Hester and Larry Annes. Our focus will be on nutrition, flexibility, and exercise. Everyone can gain something from this 1-hour class, so feel free to join us this Sunday, October 18th at 10:45am and bring along a friend. There is no cost for the class. Thank you for being a church family that prays for one another. See you Sunday! Pastor Doug ![]() I know many of you really enjoyed being able to gather together in-person this past Sunday! If you weren't able to attend last week's in-person service, the good news is, there is still room for you to join us this Sunday, October 11th at 9:30am. As I stated in an email earlier this week, based on state guidelines, we are limiting capacity in the worship center to 50 people and are asking everyone to reserve your spot ahead time by email, phone or text. Also, all social distancing protocols will be strictly followed and masks will be required. This Sunday kicks-off a brand new series based on the book, Surprise the World, by Michael Frost. Each family that attends on Sunday will receive a copy of the book and will be encouraged to read it and follow along as Pastor Roger, Pastor Norm, Larry Annes and I unpack for you, 5 essential missional values: engagement with neighbors, connection with each other, a deeper experience of God's leading, a stronger understanding of the gospel, and a framework for identifying ourselves as missionaries. If you are not able to physically attend the service on Sunday, simply email either Roger or I and we will be happy to drop-off a copy of the book next week. "When the audience thinks they know what you're going to say, and you go ahead and say it, it makes very little impact. On the other hand, when an audience is surprised or intrigued, they will think long and hard about what they've heard." Michael Frost We recognize that there are those who will not be able or do not feel comfortable attending a public gathering. With this in mind, Sunday's service will be available via livestream on YouTube beginning at 9:30am. You can watch the livestream by visiting our church webpage, www.parksidefellowship.org. Once you are on our home page, scroll down to where you see "SCHEDULE". Click on the "YouTube Live" link and you will be automatically directed to the service. Also, for those of you who are not able to attend the live service, we will still have our regular zoom meeting at 11:00am. Thank you for being a church family that prays for one another. See you Sunday! Pastor Doug It's hard to imagine that the last time we gathered together in our worship center was on Sunday, March 8th...almost 7 months ago. In fact, I went back this week and listened to our first Facebook live service that took place on March 15th, and in that service, I announced that we would be cancelling our in-person worship services through March 29th. When I made that announcement, I never would have imagined that those 3 weeks would turn into 7 months.
Thankfully, this Sunday, October 4th, at 9:30am, we will be offering a limited occupancy, in-person worship service. As I stated in an email earlier this week, based on state guidelines, we are limiting capacity in the worship center to 50 people and are asking that you reserve your spot ahead time by email, phone or text. Also, all social distancing protocols will be strictly followed and masks will be required. Our speaker this Sunday is our very own Mary Jo Sharp. Mary Jo will be speaking on the topic of Deconversion and Doubt. If I ask a person why they aren’t in church today, many may say it’s because of the hypocrisy of Christians. For Mary Jo Sharp, this objection is personal, painful, and forms the background of her latest book, Why I Still Believe. Though she’s an apologist and professor, her experiences in the church have driven her to question if Christianity is true…or even worth it. Having been drawn to God through the beauty of His creation, but seeing the ugliness of human failings, she’s heartbroken that what she found in church didn’t match what she longed for. Mary Jo calls her journey an “anti-deconversion” story about finding hope and answers in the grace of truth of Jesus. A former atheist who came to faith, Mary Jo has experienced two worlds of American culture: the post-Christian culture of the Pacific Northwest and the evangelical culture of the Bible Belt. You won't want to miss her story! While we are excited to offer this opportunity, we also recognize that there are those who will not be able or do not feel comfortable attending a public gathering. With this in mind, Sunday's church service will be available via livestream on YouTube beginning at 9:30am. You can watch the livestream by visiting our church webpage, www.parksidefellowship.org. Once you are on our home page, scroll down to where you see "SCHEDULE". Click on the "streaming on YouTube " and you will be automatically directed to the service. Also, for those of you who are not able to attend the live service, we will still have our regular zoom meeting at 11:00am. Finally, attached to this email is our weekly prayer list. Thank you for being a church that prays! See you Sunday. Pastor Doug Even though we have had several opportunities to worship in person outside, I know many of you have been longing for a chance to worship God together in person and in our worship center and I'm excited to announce that time has finally arrived! Our worship services will now be held indoors and in our church worship center beginning this Sunday, October 4 at 9:30am. Below are some things you need to know as we come back together.
Don't forget to RSVP if you are wanting to be a part of our indoor gathering this Sunday, October 4th at 9:30am. For God's glory! Pastor Doug As you look out your window and see the rain, you might be saying to yourself, "I wonder if Parkside is still planning to have an outdoor parking lot service this Sunday, September 27th?". The answer to your question is a big.....YES!!
According to the weather predictions I've looked at, the weather for Sunday should be partly cloudy with a high of 71 degrees, so as of now, we are planning to meet outside this Sunday, September 27th at 9:30am. We will let you know if anything changes. I also wanted to let you know that at the end of our service this Sunday, we plan to celebrate Bill Walker's 90th birthday. Pastor Norm will be sharing some thoughts on Bill's legacy here at Parkside and we will sing, with masks on, "Happy Birthday" to Bill! After the service, consider joining us in the worship center at 10:45am for our discipleship class taught by Larry Annes. Here is an excerpt of the class offering: “Few pastors or Christian writers have dared to approach the subject of how proper eating and an active lifestyle can affect how we serve God. Author Gary Thomas does just that. And he reaches all the way back to the apostle Paul, who wrote that we need to prime our bodies to become, "an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." – Promo from “Every Body Matters” book that we will utilize our main resource. Please make plans now to join us for our last outdoor service for the year and our in-person discipleship class. As with past services, we will provide chairs, bottled water and pop-ups to help with shading. As a reminder, below is the list of COVID-19 statewide gathering requirements that Parkside will be following:
While we are excited to offer this opportunity to gather together as a church family and worship God, we also recognize that there are those who will not be able or do not feel comfortable attending a public gathering. With this in mind, Sunday's church service will be available via livestream on YouTube beginning at 9:30am. You can watch the livestream worship service the same way you watch the service every Sunday. Simply go to our webpage, www.parksidefellowship.org. Once you are on our home page, scroll down to where you see "SCHEDULE". You can then click on either the "streaming on youtube" or "streaming on facebook" and you will be automatically directed to the service. Also, for those of you who are not able to attend the live service, we will still have our regular zoom meeting at 11:00am. Note: Please use the following link to join the zoom gathering. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83826986555 I hope to see many of you this Sunday at 9:30am in our church parking lot! Also, if you know of someone that does not receive our email, please let them know about this Sunday's opportunity. Finally, thank you for being a church that prays! See you Sunday. Pastor Doug Anyone who knows me is aware of my struggle to "get off the treadmill". Getting off the treadmill is my way of combating the "Get it done" trap that I easily fall into. My day usually starts out with a walk, then a jog and before I know it, I'm sprinting through my to-do-list and even though I may be tempted to push the panic (stop) button, I can't for fear that I won't finish. On top of that, I can also allow the expectations of others, or many of my own expectations, to increase the speed...to move faster! This mode is not only exhausting and stressful, it creates an independence from God, who came to give me abundant life and a freedom from performance-based approval.
We all have things on our "to-do-lists" each day that need to get done. We probably even have Jesus on that list, even if just a sliver of time with Him. Sure, my list might get completed, but did Jesus get to complete the work He wanted to do in and through me. Do we truly understand that he is in the middle of everyday stuff? He wants us to interact with Him as we walk (or run) through our day. No matter what the task or the conversation; He is present and whispering to get our attention, so that He can give us input and lead us! John 10:4 says "After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice." God wants to lead us. How can He lead if I'm not listening because I am too busy doing for Him rather than being with Him? It is such an encouragement when He gently reminds me in the middle of my "treadmill" mode that He is standing next to me, waiting for me to hit the stop button, asking me to take a deep breath and follow at His pace. God is with us. He is with us not only to be our help in time of need or bring us peace in difficulty, He is also with us to lead us and celebrate the victories. Whether today brings troubling circumstances or great joy, remember Jesus is in the middle of it all. I invite you to join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we continue to take a deep-dive into the life of Jonah. Due to the continued unhealthy air quality, our service will once again be available online ONLY. The Every Body Matters discipleship class with Larry Annes is also cancelled for this Sunday. To access this week's service, go to the church website (www.parksidefellowship.org) and then click either “Streaming on YouTube” or “Streaming on Facebook.” Following the service, consider joining us for our Parkside "after-church" zoom gathering that begins at 11:00am Note: Please use the following link to join the zoom gathering. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83826986555 So, don't forget to join us this Sunday, September 20th for our on-line worship service via YouTube, beginning at 9:30am. Be sure and pass this information along to those you know who do not have internet access. Thanks. Stay safe and know that you are being prayed for. Pastor Doug |
Doug Boyd - Sr. Pastor Archives
January 2021
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