​I want to provide you with an update on Parkside's search for an associate pastor.  At our annual meeting in February, I shared with our church family that I had posted on ChurchStaffing.com, Parkside Fellowship's desire to hire an Associate Pastor to help us move forward in our Replant/Revitalization process.

Since then, myself, along with our church council has poured over many resumes, narrowing our search to a list of 5 potential candidates.  After reading through their responses to a "Get-to-Know You" questionnaire and a theological questionnaire, we conducted phone interviews with 2 candidates and have narrowed our search to the individual we believe God is calling to join us as our new associate pastor.

We feel very good about the calling, character and competency of our final candidate and now want to evaluate his chemistry with myself, our council and our church, by inviting he and his wife to visit Parkside for a few days.

During this visit, I will be spending significant time meeting with him, driving him around Beaverton and sharing with him the vision of Parkside to become a church of irresistible influence in our community.  In addition, he will meet with our church council, personnel committee members and I would like to have him meet members of our Grow Young team as well.  

I understand this may be short notice for some of you and that this is also Mother's Day weekend, but would love to have you join us if possible.  We will also have a Q&A with he and his wife on Sunday, May 12th during our 10:30am service.

I am still in Utah helping Cassie move out of her dorm room and into an apartment, but when I return to the office on Monday, I will send each of you a copy of his resume, along with his answers to the two questionnaires we had him fill-out.

I want to thank each of you for your prayers and efforts in helping Parkside continue it's revitalization process and I view this potential addition to our staff as another key step in this process.  Please continue to pray for both our church and our potential candidate as we prepare to meet and discern whether or not God is calling us to join together to expand our influence in our community.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

​Nobody is a whole team.  Each one is a player.  But take away one player and the game is forfeited.

Nobody is a whole orchestra.  Each one is a musician.  But take away one musician and the symphony is incomplete.  

Nobody is a whole play.  Each one is an actor.  But take away one actor and the performance suffers.

Nobody is a whole hospital.  Each one is part of the staff.  But take away one person and it isn't long before the patient can tell.

Cars are comprised of numerous parts.  Each one is connected to and dependent upon the other.  Even a tiny screw, if it comes loose and falls out of the carburetor, can bring the whole vehicle to a stop.

You guessed it.  We need one another.  You need someone and someone needs you.

To make this thing called life work, we gotta lean and support.  And relate and respond.  And give and take.  And confess and forgive.  And reach out and embrace.  And release and rely.

Especially in God's family.....where the "One Another" of the New Testament should be a part of every church's standard operating procedures manual.  For the church, love and acceptance are not optional luxuries.  Neither is tolerance.  Or understanding.  Or patience.  You know, all those things you need from others when your humanity crowds out your divinity.

Since none of us is a whole, independent, self-sufficient, super-capable, all-powerful human, let's quit acting like we are.

Join us this Sunday as we kick-off a brand-new series at 9:15am titled, "One Another".  Each week we will focus our attention on one of the key characteristics that not only sets us apart from the world, but is vital if we desire to have a "Jesus" influence in our community.

During our 10:30am service, we will be looking at the essentials of a healthy marriage and how trusting Jesus is vital to married life.

Finally, our Room 4 Hope ministry is one way we come together to provide hope to those who have been affected by homelessness.

Starting Sunday, Parkside Fellowship will become a safe, temporary “home” for families in our community. 

To learn more or to volunteer, simply write “HOPE” on your connection card or reply to this email and we will contact you.

Hope to see you Sunday!

Pastor Doug

​Jesus knew it.  He knew before the war was over, he would be taken captive.  He knew that before victory would come defeat.  Jesus knew that before the light of Sunday would come the darkness of Friday.

Never had Jesus felt so alone.  "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," Jesus confesses.  His humanity begged to be delivered from what his divinity could see.  Jesus, the human, peers into the dark pit and begs, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me."

Did he know the answer before he asked the question?  Did his human side hope his heavenly Father had found another way?  Regardless, Jesus asked God for an escape plan.  He begged for an exit strategy that involved something other than suffering a horrific death on a cross.  There's an old hymn titled, "He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels" that speaks to the ability of Jesus to forgo the cross and return to his throne in heaven.

But he couldn't

He couldn't because, as he knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane, begging his father for another way, out of the corner of his spiritual eyes, he saw you and he saw me.  He saw you living in a world that isn't fair.  He saw you betrayed by those you love.  He saw you with a body that gets sick and a heart that grows weak.  He saw you staring into the mouth of your own pain and suffering and he didn't want you to be alone.

He wanted you to know that he understands, for he too has lived in a messy, broken world.  He too has been plotted against and betrayed by those who claimed to love him.  He knows what it's like to smell the stench of Satan.  And, perhaps most of all, he knows what it's like to beg God to change his mind and to hear God say, "No."

For that is what God says to Jesus and Jesus accepts the answer.  You may have thought the battle was won on Golgotha.  It wasn't.  You may have thought the sign of victory is the empty tomb.  It isn't.  The final battle was won on a dark, lonely night in Gethsemane.  And the sign of conquest is our Savior, at peace with what lies before him.

It was in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus proclaimed, "I would rather go to hell for you than to go to heaven without you."

Join us tonight as we reflect on this unbelievable act of compassion and love by Jesus.  Our Good Friday service begins at 7:00pm.  There will be times of reflection around the Lord's Supper, special music by members of Parkside Fellowship and El Buen Pastor and a Good Friday message by Pastor Daniel from El Buen Pastor.

Finally, plan to stick around after our service and join with El Buen Pastor, Anthem Church, Global Community Church and members of Common Ground as we gather in the Fireside room for a time of fellowship.

See you tonight.

Pastor Doug

​You might be wondering what happened the last few weeks, as I have not been consistent in sending out my weekly TAB update.  It's really very simple.....3 kids, 2 spring breaks, separated by 1 week, equals chaos in the Boyd household!  Hopefully with spring breaks behind us, our family can get back to "normal" which really isn't all that normal.

There is a lot going on this month, so hopefully this edition of TAB will serve as a reminder to pray for and consider being a part of what God is doing at Parkside Fellowship.  Below is a list of upcoming events:
Tomorrow, April 6th.  Spring Cleaning Day at Parkside Fellowship.  We will gather rain or shine at 9:00am and clean-up the church campus, in preparation for our Good Friday and Easter Services.  Due to the rainy forecast for tomorrow, we will spend the majority of our time inside.  With this in mind, please bring any cleaning supplies that you would like (cleaning rags, window cleaner, disinfecting wipes, etc.).  We will focus our efforts on windows, classroom floors, tables, etc.  I hope to see you there.
 
Good Friday Service will take place at 7:00pm on April 19th.  We will be joining with El Buen Pastor for a English/Spanish service.  Songs will be sung in both English and Spanish.  Pastor Daniel will preach a Good Friday message in Spanish and it will be translated into English.  I will officiate the Lord's Supper in English and it will be translated into Spanish.  I'm excited to see two cultures coming together to remember the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.  In addition to our combined service, the Korean church, Chinese church and Anthem church will also hold services on our campus at 7:00pm.  Needless to say, it will be a busy Good Friday at Parkside!  Be praying for each church as they remember in there own way, the death of Jesus.
 
Easter at Parkside.  This Easter, we will offer our two regular service times at 9:15am and 10:30am.  At our 9:15am service, the goal will be to create a service that allows believers to gather together and celebrate our risen Savior.  There will be congregational singing, special music, a special Easter video and a brief message on the importance of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.  At 10:30am, Paul Metzger, Professor of Theology at Multnomah Seminary, will lead us in a conversation focused on the claim that Jesus rose bodily from the dead.  Dr. Metzger will focus his discussion on the disciples of Jesus, answering the question, "Were the disciples liars, lunatics or sane and sound in presenting Jesus as Lord".  Begin praying now and asking God to show you who is your one that needs to hear the message about a Savior who died and rose from dead so they can experience eternity with God in Heaven.
 
Room 4 Hope.  Beginning Sunday night, April 28th, we will once again provide a week-long "home" to families who are currently experiencing homelessness.  Please consider being a part of this amazing opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Stay tuned for more details on how you can volunteer.
Finally, join us on Sunday at 9:15am, as we continue our journey through the book of John.  This Sunday's message will be from John 11 and will begin a transition from the ministry of Jesus to his final week here on earth.  At 10:15am, we will wrap-up our series on navigating the multi-faith maze.  During this hour, we will discuss the fear that many believers struggle with.....the fear that God is not real.  Take some time over the next day or so and read Luke 24:13-35, then come ready to discover how the chasm between doubt and faith can be filled with scripture and fellowship.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

​This Sunday at 9:15am, we will continue our series in the Gospel of John.

Why did Jesus change the water into wine?  To impress the crowds?  Because He was thirsty for some good wine?  Because his mom asked him to?  To get the wedding party's attention?  What motivated his first miracle?

John 2:1-12 tells the story of this often overlooked miracle by our Savior.  In preparation for our time together on Sunday, let me briefly talk about this inaugural event marking the beginning of Jesus' ministry here on earth.

While the wedding ceremony was a complete success, the reception hit a snag that threatened to derail the entire event.  Back in the first century, wine was to a wedding what a cake is to a wedding today.  Guests couldn't imagine a wedding without wine.  To offer wine was to show respect to your guests.  Not to offer wine at a wedding was an insult.  

As part of the catering company, what Mary faced was a large knot that quickly needed to be untied.  So what did she do?  Her solution poses a practical plan for untangling life's knots.  "They have no more wine." she told Jesus (John 2:3).  That's it.  That's all she said.  She didn't go ballistic, throw a temper-tantrum, she simply assessed the problem and gave it to Christ.  She could have passed the blame on to someone else.  She could have imploded, blaming herself for not planning accordingly.  She could have hid in the kitchen, hoping no one would notice that the wine was all gone, but instead, she focused on the problem and took it to the right person.

Let's move on and see what happened next.  "Jesus told the servants, 'Fill the jars with water,' when the jars had been filled, he said, 'Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.'  So the servants followed his instructions." and as we know, the water, while in transit, became wine.

While there are several things we can learn from this simple story, without spoiling Sunday's message, let me leave you with this thought.  Next time you face a problem, follow the example of Mary at the wineless wedding:
Identify the problem.....don't waste time blaming yourself or others
Present it to Jesus......he wants to help you
Do what he says.....no matter how crazy it sounds
Join us on Sunday at 9:15am, as we dive a little bit deeper into this story and allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen your belief in Jesus as the Son of God.

At 10:15am we will continue to make our way through the multi-faith maze, as we discuss the different paths people try and take in their journey to find God.

See you Sunday

Pastor Doug

​This week's edition of TAB is meant to keep you updated on what's happening around our church campus over the next week.

It all begins tomorrow at 3:00pm, as we gather together for our all-church annual meeting.  At this meeting, we will look back at how God has shaped our church for the future and look ahead at some of where we see God taking us in 2019.  You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the 2019 budget.  Ballots to approve the 2019 budget will be available after the meeting and must be submitted by noon on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, at our 9:15am service, we will wrap-up our series on Loving God......Loving Others.  For this final week, my goal is to tie the past seven weeks together around one central theme......LOVE!  Take some time over the next few days and read John 15; then, join us on Sunday at 9:15am and learn what it really looks like to be a loving church.

At our 10:30am service, we kick-off a brand-new series called, Do All Roads Lead to God (Navigating the Multi-Faith Maze).  Through-out this series, we will look at what other world religions teach and compare each with Christianity.  My hope is to give you the opportunity to wrestle with the implications of a message that says all these outside faiths are missing the one crucial ingredient.

On Thursday, both our Adults on Mission group and our Young @ Heart group will be meeting.  I'm excited about our Adults on Mission meeting, as our newest editions to the Parkside Fellowship family, Charles and Diana Jordan will be sharing about their time spent as missionaries in Japan.  This meeting begins at 10:30am and will be followed by our Young @ Heart lunch at noon.  Please join us for both of these relationship-building opportunities.

I hope to see you at one or all of these events over the next week. 

Have a great weekend, stay warm and as always.....see you Sunday!

Pastor Doug

I want to quickly thank all of those who attended our church's annual meeting last Saturday and took the time to vote on our 2019 proposed church budget.  The budget passed with 100% approval.....God is good!

In case you missed the meeting, below is a recap of the main talking points:

2018 Highlights:

• Refinanced existing loan with NW Baptist Foundation
• Sold orchard property and home for $440,000 to THPRD.  The net proceeds from the sale was used to reduce our loan debt
• After the sale of the property and the refinance with NWBF, our new loan balance as of February 1st is $997,320 and our monthly payment dropped from $11,600 to $4,738
• Changed our church name from First Baptist Church Beaverton to Parkside Fellowship
• 3 baptisms
• Provided housing and meals for 6 families over 3 separate hosting weeks.
• Parkside was a summer meal site for the Beaverton School District
• Parkside participated, along with 462 volunteers from other area churches, in the Good Neighbor Project, where Parkside took a Sunday morning to help clean-up and prepare the exterior and interior of Beaverton High School for its upcoming school year

Our council presented a proposed 2019 budget of $404,000.  (Budget was unanimously approved)

I shared some facility projects that we will be focusing on throughout the year.....

• Replace existing sanctuary roof (March)
• Paint sanctuary interior and update lighting (March/April)
• Upgrade I.T.
• Replace existing front-lawn banner sign with a permanent "monument-style" sign

2019 Ministry Goals:​

• Sell Middle (green) home in order to further reduce our debt
• Hire Associate Pastor
• Build healthy ministry to Senior Adults
• More intentional church collaboration

Please join me in thanking God for what He accomplished through us in 2018 and ask Him to guide us in fulfilling our initiatives for 2019.

This Sunday at 9:15am, we will begin a 9 week journey through the book of John.  Take a few minutes and read John 1:1-18, as we will take this first Sunday to look at the purpose behind the writing of this book.

At 10:30am, we will continue to navigate the multi-faith maze that exists in today's religious landscape.  Greg Malinowski will be presenting the differences between Roman Catholicism and our Christian faith.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Doug

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!  For most of us, this day can be summed up in one of two words that both begin with the same letter......LOVE and LONELINESS!  To love and be loved is the bedrock of our existence.  Thankfully, we have a God who at His core is love.  John 3:16 says it best, "For God LOVED the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life".....now that's love!

What about the lonely?  What about those who don't have a relationship with our God of love?  How can we show them God's love?  Let me share with you a story I heard about one person's desire to love others to Jesus.

"I work at a local community college and often buy lunch in the cafeteria.  When I first encountered the lunch lady, she was taking my money.  I noticed that she had short, gray hair and the kind of fingernail polish that changes according to the holiday.  I also noticed that her nametag said "Dottie".  The next week I told her I liked her nails, and I noticed that she had a bad chest cold.  I prayed for her health, but I didn't mention my prayer to her.  The following week, I asked how her cold was.  She said it was getting worse and she was worried because she is a cancer survivor.  She was afraid that the cancer might have come back.  It was two more weeks before I saw Miss Dottie again.  When I asked how she was, she said the doctors had confirmed the return of her cancer.  We teared up together, and I promised to pray for her.  The next week I brought Miss Dottie a present.  It was a book on facing cancer with faith, hope and humor.  I also gave her a card thanking her for always being there to smile at me, and I offered to go to treatment with her sometime.  She grabbed my hand and said, 'Thank you so much!'  Then she asked me to come around to the other side of the booth to give her a hug.  Later Miss Dottie had to quit her job due to her cancer.  Our church hosted a 'We love Miss Dottie' fundraiser and raised over $1,000 for her family.  She was astonished that strangers would care for her in this way.  I'm grateful to God that I noticed Miss Dottie.  God has planted her family in my heart, and I can't stop praying for her." 

We have an opportunity to have God plant a "Miss Dottie" in our lives.  This Sunday at 3:00pm, Parkside Fellowship is in charge of leading the worship service at Creekside.  I want to ask you to consider clearing your calendar and joining myself and several others as we simply love others who are lonely.  We also want to do the same for Beaverton Lodge and will be planning opportunities to love this community as well.

Again I hope to see you Sunday, both at one of our morning services and again at Creekside Village at 3:00pm.  Until then, remember this, noticing others will change your life.  It will plant people firmly in your heart.  When that happens, everything changes......including you!

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug

​I'm excited for this Sunday and hoping the potential forecast, that calls for snow, will not interrupt our Sunday service.  Myself and several others will be watching the weather and monitoring the roads and our church parking lot to see if we feel comfortable asking our congregation to drive to church.  Please check our church website after 7:00pm on Saturday, as we hope to make a decision by that time.  I will also send out an email update around that same time and ask that you relay the message to those you know who do not have email access.

With the weather report out of the way, let me tell you why I am so excited about this Sunday.  First of all, at our 9:15am service, we will kick-off the second half of our two part series on Loving God.....Loving Others.  We have spent the last four weeks looking at what it really means to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Loving others is the external manifestation of this internal love for God that we are commanded to do.  Our main passage for this series is Matthew 28:19-20, which is commonly referred to as the Great Commission.  Over the next three weeks, we will break this passage down into three separate requests by God:  the command to go; the command to baptize and the command to disciple.

Then at 10:15am, we will continue our series titled, "Who Needs God?"  This week, I have invited three individuals to come and share their views on faith, God, church and culture.  Each of these panelists brings their own unique view of God and faith, based on their life experiences.  They don't all have the same faith in God that we do, which presents each of us with a unique opportunity to hear and ask questions about how to live out our particular faith in today's world.

Finally, attached is the proposed church budget for 2019.  Please take the time to look it over and then join us at our annual meeting on Saturday, February 23rd at 3:00pm.  At this meeting you will have the opportunity ask questions regarding the budget and hear from myself and our church council, on where we see God leading our church in the future.

Hope to see you Sunday......weather dependent!

Pastor Doug