George and Ethleen Taggart were generous in remembering the church in their estate planning. They establish a permanent endowment fund through Parkway for theological education.

            

In the past Gretchen Wolbrink, Karen Ware Jackson, Mark Tarrant, Michael McLane, and Paul Kucera received financial support from the proceeds of this fund. When Parkway has not had a member pursuing theological education a distribution from the endowment fund has been sent directly to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

           

Every week in worship an offering is received. The recent Reaching for Excellence Campaign asked for a pledge in support of the ministry of the church.  From time to time special needs are lifted up for financial support.

            

Another avenue for your continued support of the ministry of the church is to do what the Taggart's did: Remember the church in your estate planning. Jeannie Tanner did with an Youth Endowment. If you are interested in how to make an estate gift, please contact one of the pastors.

Bible Studies Available to Women

Ladies, looking for a Bible study to join? Seeking spiritual nourishment outside of worship times? Consider joining one of Parkway's women's Bible study or Circle groups. You will find them to be welcoming and enthusiastic.

Here's an overview of the groups:

 

WOMEN OF THE WORD

Meets every Tuesday from noon until 1:00 PM in the Garden Room. Currently studying a book on the Holy Spirit, which I am told is very inspiring! That runs through September 27, ending that day with a potluck luncheon. In October they start a new book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:  Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of the World. The description sounds compelling: "An invitation for every woman who feels she isn't godly enough...isn't loving enough...isn't doing enough. The life of a woman today isn't really all that different from that of Mary and Martha in the New Testament. Like Mary, you long to sit at the Lord's feet...but the daily demands of a busy world just won't leave you alone. Like Martha, you love Jesus and really want to serve him...yet you struggle with weariness, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy."   This study will run through December 13.

 

WOMEN AT THE WELL

Meets once a month on the first Wednesday, from 6:30-8:00 PM, in the Library. Led by Associate Pastor Laura Neely, who described the study group thus: "As Christ followers we know that that there is something special that happens when we gather together around food and conversation. This group meets once a month for fellowship, food and book discussion. Someone brings food, we catch up on life and unpack a chapter of reading. In October we will finish up Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton and in November begin a new book still to be determined. Reading is not required for attendance, so simply come and enjoy good company and conversation. We welcome women of any age and place in life. We meet the first Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the church library (couch area right inside the office). The next two gatherings are October 5th and November 2nd."

 

DODSON-MOORMAN MORNING CIRCLE

Traditional women's Circle meeting once a month, on the second Tuesday of the month from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM in the Garden Room. This group will hold their first meeting on October 11, 2016. Subject matter will be:  Who Is Jesus  1. A ccording to Mark?  Jesus is God's son. 2. A ccording to Matthew? Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish messiah whose teachings open the kingdom of heaven to us here and now. 3. A ccording to Luke?  Rejected by his own-Jesus, prophet of God, turns the world upside down with his teachings. 4. A ccording to John?  Jesus and God are one. 5. A ccording to Paul?  Paul stresses the centrality of the cross of Christ in understanding true discipleship. 6. A ccording to Hebrews?  Believers are to hold fast to their faith in times of adversity, and remain firm in their commitment to Jesus who has run this race before them and now reigns in glory with God. 7. According to the non-canonical gospels? Early Christians held diverse views of who Jesus was. 8. A ccording to the other Abrahamic faiths? Judaism, Christianity, and Islam understand Jesus in very different ways. 9. A ccording to contemporary cultural interpretations?  Each of us who reads the New Testament is an interpreter of the text; how we interpret depends in part on who we are. 

 

EVENING CIRCLE

Traditional women's Circle meeting once a month, on the third Monday of the month from 6:30 - 8:30 PM in the Garden Room. (During the holidays the meeting moves to the second Tuesday evening of the month.) The first meeting for this group will be September 19, 2016. Each meeting kicks off with a homecooked meal furnished by one of our members. Many of the members work full time so the meal is a way to streamline an evening's typical activities with a Bible study. The study this year is from Sparkhouse and is titled

Animate: Practices. Not a traditional Bible study per se, but rather an innovative tour of the life traditions we all share and how they are impacted by, or how they impact, our faith life. The lessons are written by contemporary theologians and examine these areas: prayer, food, worship, sacraments, money, service, and community. No advance reading or preparation is necessary but members can order a copy of the workbook if desired.

 

The Circles differ from the Bible study groups only in that they take on a few mission or outreach type activities during the year. Otherwise, all study groups inspire further spiritual growth and exercise for Parkway women of all ages and backgrounds. You don't have to be a Bible scholar to join us!

Help Support Our Educational Ministries  

All the Educational Ministries of the church are gearing up. We can't make all the programs, classes, and behind the scenes work happen without the help of our volunteers. Do you have gifts and abilities to contribute in some way? Or would you like to get involved in a specific event that we have coming up? There are all sorts of ways that you can help and we want to know the ways you are willing to dedicate your time to the education that happens at Parkway. 

 

CLICK HERE to see all the areas that you can support and pick a few that fit you. 

 

Thank you for sharing your time and gifts with us!

Tree 4 Hope Speakers at Parkway, October 1st & 2nd

Hopefully by now you are familiar with the name Hogar Miguel Magone, the orphanage, or children's home (hogar means home in Spanish!), that we support in Guatemala. This summer a group of eight from our church traveled there bringing donations of underwear, shoe money and quilts; and sharing their time doing work projects and spending time with the children. None of this would have been possible without the help of a non-profit organization called Tree 4 Hope. This Pennsylvania-based agency supports the work of the hogar so that the staff there can focus their efforts in creating a stable and nurturing environment for the children. Tree 4 Hope organizes volunteer groups, like ours, arranging for accommodations, transportation, meals, and work projects. They also serve as a bridge between the hogar and those that want to give donations. For example, Tree 4 Hope let us know of the needs for shoes and underwear so we were able to give items that we knew would be of use. 

 

Jennifer Crist and David Tringali are two Tree 4 Hope leaders that have been influential to our work there. Jennifer is an ordained Lutheran pastor and the co-founder of Tree 4 Hope. David is a seminary student and served as one of the group leaders for our team that visited the hogar back in June. The weekend of October 1-2, Jennifer and David will be here at Parkway to tell us about their work and join us in some conversations around local and global mission.  

There are several opportunities to meet and hear from Jennifer and David over the weekend:

 

Mission Workshop: Saturday, October 1st, 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Fellowship Hall

Interested in talking about a vision for mission in our church? Come for some conversation around mission using the world cafe process. In small groups we will get into what we individually and collectively believe about local and global mission. Children, youth and adults are all welcome! For planning purposes, please, let us know if you plan to attend.  You can sign up in the narthex the next two Sundays or email Cheryl. 

 

Tree 4 Hope Presentation: Sunday, October 2nd, 9:30 AM - Fellowship Hall

Come learn more about Tree 4 Hope: the beginnings, current projects, vision for the future and how you can be involved. Jennifer Crist will give a presentation for all adults during the Sunday School hour. Youth will meet in the Youth Center with David and have their own program on Tree 4 Hope, too! 

 

World Communion Sunday Worship: Sunday, October 2nd

Jennifer is our guest preacher this morning. In addition, David will join Allen and Laura in worship leadership. Celebrating our Guatemala partnership will be a great way to lift up the unity intended in the celebration of World Communion Sunday. 

 

Many thanks to the Mission Outreach Committee for organizing this event.

 Hope you will make plans to attend what will be a meaningful weekend with our church family!

Parkway supports the work of Presbyterian Mission co-workers Jim and Jodi McGill. For more than 25 years, the McGills have worked with Malawian partners to help people in Malawi gain access to clean water.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Malawi lack access to a reliable source of clean drinking water. More people die from water-related diseases like typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis than from AIDS. In recent years, erratic rainfall and flooding have added to Malawi's challenges. Crop yields are down significantly, and many have been left without a reliable source of nutritious food. Rope pumps can help mitigate both of these problems by providing safe water for Malawian families and irrigated water for their crops. Through the McGills' work, they are bringing clean water to people who desperately need it.

Your donation to the Peace and Global Witness Special Offering goes in part to support the missionary work of people like Jim and Jodi McGill. 50% goes to these programs. 25% supports mid councils and 25% is retained in Corpus Christi to support the work of peace at Family Counseling and Services. This offering is collected on World Communion Sunday, October 2. 

●     Give in worship on World Communion Sunday - October 2nd, 2016

●     Text PEACE to 20222 to give $10

●    presbyterianmission.org/give/peace-global

 

Parkway Presbyterian's Annual Rummage Sale October 22, 2016

NOW RECEIVING DONATIONS OF SMALL ITEMS

You can begin bringing small items and place them behind the curtains on the stage in Fellowship Hall. 

No furniture at this time, please.  Also, as has been done in the last couple of years, no clothing.  If donated, clothing will be passed along to El Divino for their clothing project.

 

Proceeds from this event will be divided between Youth Programs, and the Choir Scholarship Program.  Start cleaning those closets and shelves today!

Message sent from Pastor Burton Bagby-Grose

This is your congregation's chance to fight hunger. To show the world you care. Please create a team and walk to end hunger.

CROP Hunger Walks help children and families worldwide - including here in the U.S. - to have food for today, while building for a better tomorrow. CROP Walkers, volunteers and sponsors put their caring into action, raising funds to help end hunger and poverty at home and around the world.

The St. Paul United Church of Christ CROP Walk Team has raised more money than any other Corpus Christi congregation for the past two years. It would be great for your church to win that place this year!

Please create a team and promote the walk with your congregation.

Just go to http://www.crophungerwalk.org/corpuschristitx, then click the big blue "Register" button. Then create your team as part of the registration process.

Together we can be part of the solution!  The CROP Walk will be on Sunday, November 6th.

In Christ's service,

Pastor Burton

The Reverend Burton Bagby-Grose

St. Paul United Church of Christ

https://www.crophungerwalk.org/corpuschristitx/PastorBurton

How Can I Help You?
There are those among us at Parkway whose lives would be enhanced by being remembered in special ways - a card, a call, a visit from a friendly face.  There are circumstances which prohibit some of our fellow members from participating in the life of Parkway as they once did.  

Our MEMBER CARE COMMITTEE has a new sub-committee, FRIENDS AT HOME.  We are asking  you to help some of our members that now find it hard to get to worship and participate in the activities of our congregation.

We are inviting active members of all ages (yes, bring your children along in this program) to brighten the lives of others and in so doing, to brighten your own life.  You will find there is great joy in remembering these members with a phone call,  sending them a card, visiting them and making a new friend. 

You know that you have been wondering what gift you can give to your church and this just may be it. Take time this week to pray about this program.  If you want to find out more about how you can participate (and you know want to), please call Margot Whitaker (361-548-1904).

Perhaps five of the most welcome words to hear and to say are, "HOW CAN I HELP YOU?".