Pastor's Update

Parkway Super Bowl Party

Not very many of you have signed up for the Super Bowl event at Parkway this Sunday afternoon. Please come if you can. I know, I know… it’s church! I can’t drink beer, gamble and cuss at the TV! Well… maybe that’s a good thing. We’ll have burgers on the grill and it will be a great time for your whole family to socialize while you’re watching those million dollar commercials… uh… I mean football. All that for only $5 per person with a $15 MAX per family! Please sign up by Friday so we have a good count for the shopping trip. If you have any questions, contact Brian Mullen at 832-549-4448. You can also just call him to thank him for putting all the work into organizing this event.

You can sign up here << Yes, click this thingy
Thanks, Charles Swihart

Boy Scout Sunday!

This Sunday we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Boy Scouts of America incorporation on February 8, 1910, by proudly having Scouts from Parkway’s sponsored Troop 38 and Pack 616 serve during our Worship services. BSA is one of our nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. For a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society. Cub Scouts are boys in first grade through fifth grade, and Boy Scouts are 11 through 17 years old. If you would like more information on Scouting at Parkway, please contact Dave Throgmorton. Dave is recognized by the United Methodist Church as Parkway’s Scouting Ministries

It’s About Our Kids

We have really good news to share with you. We are seeing more and more visitors at our Sunday morning worship services each week. While this is a good thing, it is beginning to create some new opportunities for our children’s ministry. You see, many of our guests will make their decision to return to Parkway based on the experience their kids have on Sunday morning. They watch what happens with their kids as they “check us out.” Do the teachers call their children by name? Are the children eager to come on Sunday morning because they anticipate enjoying themselves? Are the children learning about God and how to be followers of Jesus?

We have excellent teachers and curriculum, but our classrooms are starting to get a little crowded. This means we need to get more teachers in place as soon as possible. So I have an idea! If you presently worship one hour then go home, will you consider spending another hour at Parkway and make it about our kids?? For more information or to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity, contact me and I will get you pointed in the right direction.

Family Promise is Coming!

February 21-28
Parkway is again honored to be God's hands and love our neighbors by hosting Family Promise guests during the week of February 21-28th; we need servant volunteers to provide evening meals and hosting in our Worship Center. This is a great time for Grow Groups to fellowship and serve for one day. Families and individuals are especially welcome also. Please sign up now for the FP week by contacting Shirley Connally or signing up on the Outreach Kiosk in the lobby on Sunday morning.

Second Mile Work Day

February 20, 9am-12
Parkway’s next Work Day at 2nd Mile Mission happens Saturday February 20th, the same day as youth SMYLERS. We will stock shelves, sort donations, and help in the warehouse and anywhere else needed. Bring yourself, your whole family, and your whole Small Group; serving together is fun! If you have questions or to sign up please contact Pam Johnson.

A Word from Matthew Scribe

As many of you may know, I have been fund raising for the National MS Society for the past six years, and as you may have guessed, I've signed up for my seventh MS 150 this April 17th and 18th. The MS 150 is a bike ride that covers approximately 170 miles from Houston to Austin over 2 days to promote awareness and raise money towards finding a cure and providing support for the 20,000 families in Texas alone affected by Multiple Sclerosis, including both counseling and medication support.

This year is my senior year in high school, so it may be my last ride for a while. In an effort to impact both my world and the world of those around me one last time, I've set 2 major goals for the MS 150:

1. Do both days with only 1 stop - lunch; other than that, straight through to Austin!
2. Raise over $2,000 dollars to help the thousands of Texans who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis.

Number 1 is all on me, but I need help from you, my friends, to raise money to help stop Multiple Sclerosis. For those of you who don't know, Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disease affecting both muscle control and brain activity. Its effect can range from being unnoticeable to paralysis, and doctors still haven't found a cure.

The MS 150 and all that it stands for is something that I've been a part of for seven years, and I'd love to have you join me.

All donations are tax deductible. I accept cash, checks made out to the "National MS Society," and credit donations made online at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/scribe by clicking on the donate button.

It is the Year of the Revolution. A Revolution that starts with you and me. I believe that this Revolution is not something we can simply sign up for or join. This Revolution is a way of life. This year you and I are going to be called to this way of life…to become Revolutionaries. This Sunday, we are going to look to Simon Peter for our next step we must take in order to become a Revolutionary.

We have been called to remember our story and to live a life knowing that love is a verb. This Sunday, may be the hardest of all the steps we must take…at least for some of us. We will hear what the next step must be so that we might live the creed of the Revolutionary: Do whatever it takes to get closer to God and to help others to do the same.

On Sunday, we will gather around a Table and celebrate the meal of a Revolutionary. We believe in an “Open Table” when we celebrate this meal. This simply means that you are invited to celebrate Communion with us. You don’t have to belong to Parkway or the United Methodist Church; you don’t have to even belong to a church. You don’t have to be a certain age or even understand the mystery of Communion. Jesus Christ invites you and me to His Table to taste His amazing, incredible grace. When you go forward to receive Communion, I hope you remember the grace God showers upon you. I hope you remember that no matter where you have been; that no matter what you have gone through or will go through; there is nothing you can do to ever make God love you less!!

Please help out a Young Revolutionary.

I want to share with you how one young Revolutionary is making a difference. Makenna Shook went with her mom to the Mission Trip meeting last Sunday. There she heard about the children of Mexico, many who do not have shoes to wear. Many adults would have just shrugged it off, but not Makenna. She came up with a plan. Here is the letter she has given to all the teachers at her school in Needville:

Dear Teacher,
My name is Makenna Shook; I am 8 years old and a second grader at Needville Elementary in Mrs. Kocian’s class. I am a member of Parkway United Methodist Church in Sugarland, Texas. My church is doing a mission trip to Victoria Salinas, Mexico. I am too young to go on the trip but went with my mom to the meeting and heard them saying that a lot of the kids there don’t have shoes to wear. When I heard this I decided I wanted to do something to help them. I am asking each student to donate some of their old shoes so that we can give them to some of these less fortunate kids. I am asking each teacher to ask their kids to bring shoes and we will collect them and will ship them to Mexico in May. I am also offering myself to pay for a pizza party to the class that donates the most shoes. Thank you for helping me and my church to help these children out and give them shoes to wear.
Thank you so much!

Mackenna gets it. The Revolution is not something you join, but rather is a way of life. A life that embraces the love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13. You know, maybe Mackenna should preach this week! If you want to donate shoes, bring them to church anytime.

PLEASE EMAIL KATHY YOUR BIRTHDAY, YEAR NOT NEEDED!!