Pastor's Update

Gifts of Love

You can participate in a miracle; we need help showing Christ's love and assisting 100 families, in the following areas: Christmas Story-Tellers, Shopping Guides, Greeters, Prayers, Spanish Translators, Personal Wrapping Assistants, Photographer, and Refreshments. If you, your children, and/or your Grow Group are able to serve on December 19 from 11am-5pm at Parkway, contact Pam Johnson.

Blue Christmas, 6:00 pm December 20th

Elvis crooned about it. “You'll be doing all right, with your Christmas of white, but I'll have a blue, blue Christmas." 'Tis sad but true…for those dealing with job loss, depression, grief, illness or financial strain, the holidays can be anything but happy. In stressful times, there's just no merry in Christmas. On Sunday, December 20th, Parkway is offering comfort for those who are struggling a Blue Christmas Service. Sometimes all the happiness and celebrating around this season can make us feel sad, alone, depressed or just BLUE. Parkway understands this and is living the out the words of Isaiah 40:1,”comfort, comfort ye my people.”

This service will emphasize the hope, goodness and grace God offers to us. It will focus on the Christ child who is called Emmanuel, God with us. Through music, prayer and a word of hope, we pray God will touch our hearts and continue His healing process. To me the highlight of the service is when we are given the opportunity, through candles, to release our pain, hurt and concerns to God. There will also be a chance to pray and be prayed with at the altar, if you desire. Everyone, regardless of church background (or lack of it) is welcome.

Christmas Eve Services

This year we are offering 3 Christmas Eve services at 5, 7 and 11 pm. We will sing carols, receive communion and have the traditional candle lighting at all 3 services. These services will be a beautiful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior with your Parkway family.

We will also have something special for our kids at the 5 and 7 pm services. We invite the children to experience firsthand what the night of Jesus’ birth might have looked like! Our message will focus on the story from the book of Luke. Children can come to the service dressed as their favorite character and as the Gospel is being read, the children will be invited to come onto the stage to take their place in the re-enactment of the nativity scene. Search your children’s Bibles and storybooks for ideas, and help your child choose which character they would like to dress up as.

HOPE for ONE

We have the opportunity to reach NEW TERRITORY with the message of the Gospel through the gift of music. We are going to professionally record and produce a CD with a mix of Top 40 and Christian songs and mail it out to every residence in New
Territory. There are 4601 homes and 500 apartments. We can reach every home for only $5 per family. What a great and non-threatening way to get into every single family in our immediate area with the message of the Gospel.

We have had some people ask about other areas to reach. Let me assure you, if this is “successful” we will begin to target other ministry areas such as Pecan Grove, Greatwood and River Park. Please help our effort even if you don’t live in New Territory. Everyone can afford to buy for a family, and some of you, maybe a whole neighborhood. Encourage your kids to sponsor a family and make them feel like this is their outreach too. We have designated one of the walls in the worship center as the Wall of Hope. For every family that is sponsored, we will put a card up on the wall that says "Hope for One."

Charting Your Course is Coming!!

Running Around In Circles? Try Charting Your Course instead! Working step by step in a group of four, you'll recognize your own preferred picture of who God is and how He relates to you. Then you'll create a storyboard of your own life in order to identify your core values and key life lessons. In discussion with a few others and in time alone with God, you'll search out God's vision for your future. The workshop will end with you choosing your next step-that strategic "next action" for you to press forward in the right direction!

Women’s Retreat

Parkway’s Women’s Ministry is hosting an in house weekend Retreat January 29-30th. Our theme is Tapestry and how friends color the fabric of our lives. “It is our relationships with other women which often bring color and brightness, honesty and security, to our lives.” We will have dinner Friday night followed by a speaker, friends and fellowship. Then on Saturday we will serve breakfast and then a day packed full of topics about Taking Inventory, Prayer and Good Friends, Goal Setting and Silence and Solitude. We hope you will join us. Tickets go on sale December 13th for $35.00 on the website www.parkwayumc.org. If you have any questions contact Debbie Mullen (281-343-7197).

POTLUCK SUPPER AND DON PIPER

Mark Your Calendars Now!!

We know of three people, from Scripture, who were privileged to see heaven. All of these men, Stephen and the Apostles Paul and John, were alive when they were given a glimpse of the wonders of heaven. Don Piper, a Baptist pastor, claims to be a fourth, though unlike the other three, he first had to die. Returning home from a conference, Piper’s car was crushed under the wheels of a truck. Medical personnel declared him dead at the scene of the accident. But ninety minutes after this accident, a pastor, waiting at the scene, was told by God to pray for the dead man. He did so, and Piper immediately returned to life. For the 90 minutes that his body lay lifeless inside the car, Piper claims to have been in heaven. He now carries with him memories of paradise and in 90 Minutes in Heaven, a book which has sold over 500,000 copies, he seeks to encourage other Christians with a description of our eternal home. “Because I was able to experience heaven,” he says, “I was able to prepare [friends] for it. And now I am preparing you.”

Reverend Piper will be with us on the evening of January 17th!!
This is something you won’t want to miss!!

How Are We Doing?

Worship Attendance December 6
Adult Worship..................................160
Children’s Ministry...........................154
Student Worship...............................29
Total Attendance.......................... 543