The View

September 2015

Special events

this month:

Awana begins on

Wednesday, Sept. 9th

from 6:30 to 8:15 pm

Parkview on the Lawn

Sunday, Sept. 13th at

10:00 am.

Discovering Parkview

Next Step Class begins

on Sunday, Sept. 20th.

Refuge Food Pantry the

third Saturday of the

month

All Things Women

meets the 3rd Tuesday

of the month at 6:30

pm

Next Generation Kids

Ministry begins Sept.

20th with the Gospel

Project curriculum.

SYATP Wednesday,

Sept. 23th at 7:30 am

Haiti Mission Trip Jan

10-19, 2016 if inter-

ested contact Rex Hunt

at 325-3012 or Tim

Davis at 325-0048.

Parkview on the Lawn! Sunday Morning,

September 13th 10:00 am - 1:30 pm

Fall Church Wide Study

Will You Worship? In a sense it is a rhetorical question,

all of us worship something or someone.

It is within our nature to worship. We

were created to worship. For many of us

we worship our kids, grandkids, sports, a

team, a job, a lifestyle, a band, an actor,

or an athlete. All of us know how to

worship. The question really is, will you worship the one who created you to wor-

ship? Now we are getting personal and for some uncomfortable. Unfortunately we

have learned to worship the creation and not the creator. And really why would we

do that? The creation will always disappoint us, fail us or simply leave us empty.

On the other hand the creator will never disappoint, fail or leave us empty. If it is

so great why do we not all love to worship God?

Unfortunately…

We misunderstand who we are worshipping

We misunderstanding of how to worship

We have a wrong perception of what worship is

This church wide study Will You Worship will help you understand. What is

worship, why we worship, who we worship and how to worship. If you have never

had the experience of worshipping God with goose bumps up and down your arm,

tears flowing and words of praise flowing from lips, then you have missed out on

a wonderful experience.

This September join a small group and learn who, why and how to worship!

You are invited to join us for a great day together!

What you need to know & bring! Lawn chairs or Blanket, Awning,

Sunscreen. Dress very casual. The hospitality team will be

providing our noon meal! We will have games (all ages) & a great time of getting to know

each other.

Invite a Friend or Neighbor!

Sunday Morning Groups

With the start of the church-wide study we are going to be aligning our middle school group and re-launching

our high school group after a few weeks break at the end of summer around the study “Will You Worship?”

They will start Sept. 20th. It’s a great opportunity for students to engage with the entire church and go through

the same study as their parents.

Wednesday Night @ the Refuge

We’ve gotten off to a great start this school year @ the Refuge! It’s been exciting to see so many faces from

last year and a ton of new faces walking in the door.

Starting September 2nd we’ll be focusing on the theme “Thrive” and answering the question “How do we

thrive in our faith?” for the remainder of the semester. This will be a time where students are encouraged to

examine where they are in their walk with Jesus and challenged to grow their faith into one that is thriving.

Brent

Student Ministries Updates September 2015

Attendance Record YTD Small Group Average: 147

August Small Group Average: 85

YTD Worship Average: 268

August Worship Average: 271

Parkview’s Financial Report (Figures as of 08/26/15)

YTD Ministry Fund Rec.: 330,743.77

YTD Min. Fund Needed: 380,712.00

Weekly Average Needed: 10,094.79

Weekly Average This Mo.: 11,543.00

YTD Ministry Fund Spent: 320,339.51

Building Fund Balance: 1.016,833.87

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Andy and Lauren May

Campus Crusade For Christ

I call them “Our

Hobbits” A, M-I and M-2

come from the Middle East,

t r a v e l i n a p a c k

everywhere they go, and

tease and wrestle each

other relentlessly like

brothers. “A” attended our

Bible study and had some

good questions afterwards.

T h e i r c o n v e r s a t i o n

concluded with “A”

saying, “I don’t know

what’s true. Let’s keep

talking about this.” Andy

tried to contain his

excitement as he responded

with “Sure!”

All four went to church

with us for Easter and

really enjoyed it. They

were especially captivated

by the music straight from

the get-go. L looked at

them and all 4 of them

were taking video and kept

saying, “that’s so cool!”

a n d “ W o w ! H o w

beautiful!” Music is not a

part of worship in their

religion so it definitely

stood out to them.

M-I’s mom was getting

our of heart surgery back

home. At our home we

were able to pray for her,

he was so grateful

afterward and was almost

in tears. It breaks my heart

that these guys don’t have

free access to their God-

they can’t just crawl up

onto the lap of their

Heavenly Daddy and be

comforted. Please join us

in pleading for God to

save our 4 sweet hobbits

from their darkness.

Core Value Living by Faith Though there is great variety in how God has made

us, we are united in our faith relationship with Him as

Christians. We also share some core biblical values as

his followers in the Parkview family. These values

help us promote and pursue unity with each other as we follow Jesus together.

One of our core values is “Living by faith.” We are convinced that faith is the only way to

experience God’s pleasure and live in His will.

Hebrews 11:6 teaches, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to

God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Salvation

comes by faith alone. The Christian life can only be lived by faith. By faith believers obey God

when it is hard or doesn’t make sense. By faith we live differently from the culture that seeks

to shape us. By faith we bring God worthy offerings though we may have other worldly de-

sires.

Faith believes God knows and acts in our best interest when we are willing to trust Him

obediently. In Matthew 19:26 Jesus taught, “with men this is impossible, but with God all

things are possible.” Faith is not limited to what we can see, test or verify. Faith does not wait

for the evidence but trusts in the word and leading of God.

When a church of believers is willing to live by faith, God is free to lead them to greater

holiness, joy and impact. They are free from the fear that holds them back. They recognize that

their highest call is to trust and that the outcomes depends on God anyway. There are blessings

that come only to those who believe. Let’s continue working to trust God as He provides and

guides us as part of His family.

Discovering Parkview If you are fairly new to Parkview and want to know more

about why we do what we do, want to know what we believe

and how we do things around here then we want to invite

you to be a part of this class. This is a great way for us to get

to know each other. This class is also one of the steps for

membership. If you have been a part of Parkview for a long

time I invite you to RE-DISCOVER Parkview by joining us

in this class.

Discovering Parkview Next Step Class begins on Sept. 20th.

If interested in being a part of this class contact the church office at 324-4410 or

sign up on the website at parkviewfamily.com

Women’s Fall Bible Study BREATHE: Making room for the Sabbath By Priscilla Shirer

We are in bondage to busyness. We constantly strive to complete the limitless

to-do lists that hinder us from experiencing all that God has for us. We miss the

moments because we rush ahead to the next thing. It is time for us to breathe

and build margin into our lives God. Sabbath was intended as a gift, and it is still a gift to us

today. If you are weary, worn out, and exhausted, the concept of Sabbath will change your

life.

This 5 session women’s study will begin on Monday evening, September 21st at 7:00 pm at

the church and Monday morning, October 5th at 9:30 am at Gayle Jorgensen’s home in Lex-

ington.

Registration will be available on September 13th at the Women’s Ministry table.

Contact Jane Reynolds (324-2023) with question.

Kids Quest is now:

Next

Generation

Kids!

Yes, you read right; with the new school year

comes new opportunities and we in the kids’ minis-

try are excited about what the future holds for our

youth. The name change simply reflects our re-

newed focus on the fact that today’s kids will be

their generation’s believers and leaders and our de-

sire is to give them a solid, biblical foundation from

which to grow. It is our aim to help kids come to

know Jesus, grow in their walk with Him, and know

what they believe and why they believe it by the

time they enter Middle School. This is precisely

why we are beginning our multi-year journey

through the entire Bible via the Gospel Pro-

ject starting September 20th. This is an in-depth

curriculum that points to the gospel of Jesus Christ

as the source of life-transformation and the founda-

tion for spiritual growth while showing how the

entire Bible reveals God’s plan of redemption

through Jesus Christ. If you have, or know any ele-

mentary-aged kids who want to have a blast while

learning the Bible, send them our way on Sundays

during second service!

James Morton

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Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Bible is God’s Story. It’s the most beautiful

love story and the most gruesome war story. It

has love, lust, lies, truth, justice and injustice,

right and wrong. It is everything the most ac-

complished human author would love to be able to write, but

never could. It is timeless. And most of all, it is Perfect.

It’s hard to believe that most people in this world have never

read the Bible. A book this good is meant to be read. Its’ stories

are meant to be told. Its’ wisdom is meant to be shared.

This year in Awana we are doing just that! Each week, our

clubbers memorize verses FROM the Bible, but this year during

story time, we are going to walk our clubbers THROUGH the

Bible from beginning to end so they can see how it all fits to-

gether. In our few short weeks together, we won’t have time to

cover every detail, but hopefully our clubbers will get a better

idea how God’s story IS the WHOLE story!

To help engage our parents (and volunteers) as well, we are

offering them the opportunity to read along with us. For those

parents who want to read the stories of the Bible for themselves,

but are maybe intimidated by trying to understand the scripture,

Max Lucado’s book “The Story” is a great introduction. Parents

that are interested in reading the scripture that tells God’s story,

we will help them with a reading plan in the Chronological Bi-

ble. For parents that want to read along with their children, Max

Lucado has also published his book “The Story” in formats for

younger readers, those that read by themselves or together and a

picture book parents can read to younger children. We also hope

to offer opportunities for parents to discuss any questions they

have so that they feel more comfortable answering their chil-

dren’s questions.

Spiritual growth is so important at any age and from any

stage. Awana wants to partner with our families to raise the next

generation of followers of Jesus Christ. If you want to be a part

of someone’s story of coming to know Jesus Christ, Awana is a

great place to start! We need volunteers of any age and stage of

spiritual life.

We will have an informational meeting for returning and

potential volunteers on Wednesday, September 2nd at

7:00pm at the church. Come hear about our plans to reach

kids for Christ and how you can be a part of it! If you are inter-

ested in possibly helping in some way, you can contact the

church office at 324-4410 or Keri West at 325-4852 or keri-

west@yahoo.com.

Awana will start up again with clubbers on Wednesday,

September 9th at 6:30pm. Registration forms can be picked up

outside the church office or online starting September 1st. We

hope to see many returning and new faces this year in Awana!

A Big, Heartfelt Thank-you!

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the

love you have shown him as you have helped his people

and continue to help them. – Hebrews 6:10

After 18 faithful years of serving in Kids Quest

Alvin and Kayleen Zimmerman have stepped

down as leaders of the Sunday morning kids’

ministry. Only the Lord knows the immeasur-

able extent of their sacrifice on behalf of the

youth at Parkview and we as a church owe them

our gratitude for their faithful, devoted ser-

vice. If you’ve had a kid grow through the

ranks of Kids Quest or were one of those kids,

let the Zimmerman's know how much they’re

appreciated!!

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Seven Things We Should

Say to Guests!

“Thank you for being here.” Its just that basic. I

have heard from numerous church guests who

returned because they were simply told “thank

you.”

“Let me help you with that.” If you see someone

struggling with umbrellas, young children, diaper

bags, purses, and other items, a gesture to hold

something for them is a huge positive. Of

course, this comment is appropriate for member

to member as well.

“Please take my seat.” I have actually heard that

comment twice in church where I was speaking

in the Nashville area. The first comment came

from a member to a young family of five who

were tying to find a place to sit together.

“Here is my email address. Please let me know if

I can help in any way.” Of course, this comment

must be used with discretion, but it can be a

hugely positive message to a guest.

“Can I show you where you need to go?” Even in

smaller churches, guests will not know where to

find the nursery, restrooms, and small group

meeting areas. You can usually tell when a guest

does not know where he or she is to go.

“Let me introduce you to _____.” The return rate

of guests is always higher if they meet other peo-

ple. A church member may have an opportunity

to introduce the guest to the pastor, other church

staff, and other members of the church.

Would you join us for lunch.” I saved this ques-

tions for last for two reasons. First, the situation

must obviously be appropriate before you offer

the invitation. Second, I have seen this approach

have the highest guest return rate of any one

factor. What if your church members sought to

invite different guests 6 to 12 times a year? The

burden would not be great; but the impact would

be huge.

By Thom Rainer.

President of LifeWay Christian Resources.

Members of Govier’s Small Group

serving the community - supervising at the

Majestic Theater.

Small Group Members are Bill & Audrey Cover, Dave &

LaRee Trembley, Sheryl Fellers, Jerry & Cindy Lauby,

Jack & Gerri Govier.

“Quarters for Kids” Last year the Kids Quest children did “Quarters for kids”

and donated that money to kids in India. We just heard how

they decided to use the money. Brother Samuel’s daughter

bought umbrellas and backpacks for the kids that she

teaches. Umbrellas are a great protective gift as they have

acid rain where they are that can make them very sick (acid

rain is from the rain going through all the pollution in the

air and bringing it down onto the people). We are so happy

that our kids here were able to be a part of something that

helps these children in India.

Come get your picture

taken or updated at

“Parkview on the

Lawn” and be a part of

our Online Directory!

Regardless of how much good

information a web site might offer,

it can never replace the care pro-

vided by your physician. If your

elder goes to more than one doctor,

it is important that each one know

what the other is prescribing. To

avoid medication mistakes in the hospital, always carry a

list of your elder’s prescription and non prescription

medication, plus any supplements. One of the best ways

you can help your loved one is to be informed about the

resources and services that are available to seniors.

Thank you to all who pray for LIFE Ministry.

The range of a person’s faith in Christ involvement

before retirement is a reasonable indicator of their faith,

commitment after retirement. Even a senior who is bed-

ridden can still be a powerful intercession. This is when

sensivity to your aging loved one’s spiritual needs can

give comfort and stability in a time of change and uncer-

tainty.

Helping with practical needs often opens the door to

sharing the Word of God and praying with care - giving

families. If an elderly person disengages from church

services, the reason my be a simple lack of transporta-

tion. As you take care of your again loved one, don’t

neglect your own times of prayer and personal Bible

study.

It takes just one person and a lot of prayer to get a

senior ministry started. It took a leading from the Lord

plus prayers to get LIFE Ministry started. Thank you to

those that faithfully pray for this ministry.

Sincerely in Christ, Barb Chase

Will You Worship! We’re getting ready to start one of my favorite times of the year, the time when we

launch a church wide study. If you haven’t heard or experienced this this before I highly rec-

ommend jumping in. The church wide study is a time when the entire church joins together on

a journey of spiritual discovery. There is something special that happens when we are all trav-

eling together on our walk of faith. The study this year is based on a great book by Ray Jones

called “Will You Worship”. I have had the privilege of meeting Ray and listen to him share

about what worship really is, why it’s important to us, and why it’s such a big deal to God.

A.W Tozier said: “Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”. We were all created to worship and we

all worship something or someone. As we walk through this study together we will learn new truths and insights, dis-

cover the joy and privilege of worshiping God, and hopefully experience a new or renewed passion and excitement in

our worship.

So go ahead, if you’re not in a small group, join one. If you’ve never led a small group, maybe this is the time to try

it. If you’ve been inconsistent in church attendance, commit to joining us for all six weeks of the study and just see what

God can do in your life.

As the lyrics to a song we sing on Sundays say: “You gave Your life that we might live”

“Assurance that only You could give”

“Your glorious death claimed victory with an empty tomb”

“The least I can do is worship You”

See you Sunday! Scott Sarnes

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Refuge Food Basket The Refuge Food Basket

was gratefully able to serve 89

families this month. God is so

awesome at providing enough

food and enough help each

month!

Something that we haven’t mentioned much about the

food pantry is the time that we get to tell the kids that come

with their parents, a little bit about Jesus. We have a few

different volunteers that do an amazing job telling the chil-

dren a story, praying, doing crafts and playing with them.

These children are so sweet and always have big smiles on

their faces. Children seem to bring joy into the building

when they come, and we are so thankful that God has

blessed us with people that have a heart for kids and want to

share Jesus with them.

Each month we have volunteers, mainly men that carry

bags out to our guest’s cars. We are so thankful for this and

we know that our guests are as well. There was a man who

was not a volunteer but seemed to be one of our guests get-

ting food. He decided that he was also going to help carry

bags for these families! It was so neat to see this man being

our guest and also wanting to help us out. God is so amaz-

ing in how He works!

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus

said, “Let the children come

to me. Don’t stop them! For

the Kingdom of Heaven be-

longs to those who are like

these children.”

‘The View’ Pastor’s log September 2015

John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth;

for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

This week we seem to be experiencing early hints of a coming change of seasons. For many that means an

end to travel schedules and a return to regular home base living. That often involves a return to school, to

regular work habits and we hope to regular worship habits.

As you return you will experience the final weeks of our J-Files series focusing on intimate encounters

people had with Jesus and the encouragement we gain from them today. Soon however, we will launch our

church0wide Fall series: Will You Worship? This 6 week series will be the longest intentional series we have

ever done on worship. Seems crazy doesn’t it.

Worship may be one of the aspects of church life that is most taken for granted. It has been one or our

strengths for many years. We just assume it happens every week whether we are there or not. The frequency

and familiarity can easily make us complacent. In fact in early summer we did two version of our church

health survey and discovered that those who attend worship less frequently think more highly of it than

those who attend more. (Please call me right away if you understand the implications of that)!

Think with me for a minute though. If you & I were talking could you tell me what worship is, why it

matters or what God wants? What makes worship true or false? What can I expect if I embrace it OR neglect

it? Rick Warren argues that a church grows deeper through worship. Chuck Swindoll warns that worship

should be a commitment not a war. What do you say?!

We are going to dig into this biblically beginning this month on Sunday mornings & in every small

group. I want to ask something of you during this series that will be different for many. Will you worship?

That is the big question. Here are the slices. Will you commit to embracing worship with us every week dur-

ing this series? Will you connect with a small group to dig deeper with others in understanding the place of

worship in our lives as believers? Will you prepare to participate in gathered worship by learning about per-

sonal worship? Will you worship?

I really hope to see you over the next few weeks. Imagine the joy we would bring Jesus and the impact in

our lives & community if we went just a bit deeper in our worship of God.

With you for Him,

John

Visit Our Website at

www.parkviewfamily.com

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