Parkway United Church of Christ  E-news
December 30, 2016

 
Worship with us this Christmas Weekend!

New Year's Eve Party for all ages in the Fellowship Hall and Gathering Space from 5-9pm ... Come and go as you please... bring some food to share and a board game or two. We'll have the karaoke fired up too! Feel free to bring some family and/or friends with you. Questions? Please contact Paul Roesler [email protected] or 314-629-8367. 

New Year's Day:
One Family Worship at 10:00am
Begin 2017 with us in worship. Say goodbye and hello at the same time.

We'll sing and pray and talk about possibilities and priorities.

This will be an interactive service and will also have contemplative moments because January 1st is a foot in two worlds.
 
Our scriptures are Psalm 8; Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Rev 21:1-6a; and Matthew 25:31-46  with a sermon entitled It Starts Now.
 
 
Here we are at the gate of the new year. What do you take with you? What do you leave behind? How were you who you wanted/needed to be and where did you fall short? What are your plans? What words and ways of Jesus' will you live out? What is your guiding story/quote/image of Jesus?
 
We will celebrate the sacrament of communion at our open table. Why not share this worship experience with someone you love?
 

Give-a-Meal Sunday January 1 AND 8!  Drop off non-perishable food and personal items to be picked up by Isaiah 58 Ministries for their food pantry. Suggested donations for January are:
Peanut Butter & Jelly, Pears, Spaghetti-O's, Carrots, Pancake Mix and Toilet Paper.
 

Adult Education
Sundays | 9:30am & 11am | Heritage Room

No Adult Education this Sunday, January 1.


Prayer Updates
The 12 Days of Christmas!
Bidding farewell to 2016 and welcoming 2017.
Marsha & David Peek - grieving & giving thanks for her father
(details on memorial service forthcoming).
Cheryl Schrenker - fractured left knee on ski slope - surgery Friday 12-30 in CO.
Greg Schmelig - bicep tendon replacement surgery on January 11.




Into the Mystic is the Rev. John C. Dorhauer's weekly podcast on UCC.org. 



Community
 
Taize Worship Service
December 31, 2016 | 5:30-6:15pm | Christ Church Cathedral,  1210 Locust Street, St. Louis, MO 63103

Join us for a New Year's Eve service in the style of Taize at Christ Church Cathedral. This quiet, contemplative service of prayer scripture, silence and chant invites us to enter the depths of our inner self where we may be still and know that God is God. Free off-street, lighted, secure parking is on the south side of the cathedral for you comfort.

We will conclude with a toast to the new year (champagne and non-alcoholic beverages will be served) and light snacks. All are welcome!
Contact Rosanna Hogarty: 314-265-7992 | rjhogarty@gmail. com

Workshop on Interpersonal Nonviolence, January 14
Hosted by Rev Dr Mark Robinson here at Parkway


Toy Collection the month of January
We will be collecting USED TOYS for the BRO (Board of Religious Organizations) during the month of January from Jan. 8th to Jan. 29th. A large box will be in the Gathering Space. These toys will be renewed and given to needy families next Christmas. It sounds far off, but the BRO's elves have emptied their shelves and are anxious to get to work for next year. These toys go to St. Louis families: the largest number of recipients are referred by our UCC Neighborhood Houses.
Here's a good chance to clear out and RECYCLE for a good cause. Contact Naomi Runtz for more information: 314-993-0469 | [email protected]


 
Read our Missouri Mid-South Conference publications to find out what is happening around the Conference:



Video: 
Inspiration from a children's hospital. These kids and the staff are amazing!


 
Announcements
PUCC Inquirers!
Mon, Jan 9 | 6:30-8:00pm | Heritage Room
As we arrive in the new year, you may be reassessing your life and priorities - where you spend your time and resources...how it is that you are healthy in body, mind, spirit and relationship. This may mean that, as a visitor to PUCC, you want to learn more about who we are and who we are becoming.
 
We'd love to get to know you better too. Please come to an Inquirers' Gathering on Monday, January 9th from 6:30-8pm in our Heritage Room. We will have dessert and great conversation.  Childcare can be arranged if you need it.... just ask! 
 
Please RSVP to Kevin Cameron - [email protected]; 314-872-9330.
Karen Boyd - Karen [email protected]; 314-378-7575.
 
 
**
We Are All Transformed as New Members Come to Parkway UCC
 
As far as New Year's resolutions go, attending church and being a part of a vibrant faith community is high on many lists. Congrats! You have come to the right place...we are bubbling up with the Spirit!
 
We consider ourselves to be a caring congregation filled with joy, creativity and faith. Our aim is not only build a strong covenant community here at PUCC, but to keep our eyes and ears open to learn about how we are needed in the world - how to put our faith into action.
 
We are eager to open our hearts and minds to welcome new members to the mix. When new people come, we are all transformed. We want to continue to grow in depth and width. We are looking for individuals and families who align with our vision and mission. We are inspired to welcome people of differing backgrounds and theologies. We blend well as we all seek the same source - the God of love and justice as revealed in Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
 
If you would like to talk more about membership, please contact us at your convenience. It's one of our favorite discussion topics!     
 
Sunday, January 22nd is our next New Member Sunday - at both worship services.
 
Kevin Cameron - [email protected]; 314-872-9330.
Karen Boyd - Karen [email protected]; 314-378-7575.

AWOL (Adventurous Women Out Late) to see
Hidden Figures
Sat, Jan 14 | Carpool from church 6:30pm, or at theater (TBA).
As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Based on the unbelievably true life stories of three of these women, known as "human computers," we follow these women as they quickly rose the ranks of NASA alongside many of history's greatest minds specifically tasked with calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and guaranteeing his safe return. Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes. RSVP Carmen Bumgarner [email protected] or text 314-330-0813. 


Youth Night
Wednesdays | 6:30pm | Fellowship Hall
We Like our Coffee!
There is currently a need for someone to make coffee on second Sundays of the month. The job requires making the coffee at 9am (or before). Clearing away and clean-up are not part of the job. Subs are available if needed.
If you are willing to do this important service for our church members and visitors, please contact Pat Klein at 314-989-1289 or [email protected].


Buy a Great Book and Support a Great Cause
Growing Up with the River: Nine Generations on the Missouri

By PUCCers Dan & Connie Burkhardt-$20
The total cost goes to help fund our July2017PUCC Youth Mission Trip to Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem, West Virginia.

Inclement Weather Policy
If we need to cancel church on a Sunday morning due to wintry weather, we will communicate with you in a variety of ways:
  • Church wide email.
  • Facebook/Twitter post.
  • KSDK.com listing.
  • Voicemail at church.
Judgment whether to come to church rests with the individual. If you feel it is unsafe to drive, please don't risk it. Stay safe. Stay home.


Joke 
How do you stop a bull from charging?
Cancel its credit card.
                                                 

Inspiration 
With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown. -Chinese Proverb