Worship with Us this Sunday - December 31 at 10am

Ot's the Twelve Days of Our scripture passages are Psalm 148 to raise our cause for celebration and Mark 1:1-20 --- a very different way to start a gospel ... not with a nativity story. How can this inform our seasonal celebrations?

Our music includes: Welcome to Our World; While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks; Spirit of the Living God; Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow; Cares Chorus; Joseph’s Song; and Go! Tell it on the Mountain

The worship bulletin can be found here:

https://parkwayucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/12-31-23-FINAL.pdf

Please participate in worship virtually via our livestream on Facebook if that is convenient for you and/or if you have health concerns. Masks are available and respected here.

FROM GABRIEL REQUADT ~

OUR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION & YOUTH DIRECTOR!

Well friends, the year is coming to a close. Seeing how it's a Fifth Sunday, as well as the last Sunday of the year, we won't be having any Youth Ministry or Children Ministry this Sunday. A kind of a precursor for our first Sundays of the month! That is when we will do our One Family Service where everyone will be in the sanctuary, all taking part in intergenerational worship, communion and fellowship time. 2024 is shaping up to be our best year yet. A season of change and revival. And I can't wait to see what next year will bring for us as a faith community. That we may all grow together; that all may be One. For God is still speaking!

[email protected]

Prayer List Updates as of December 29

All the acts of kindness, justice and equity near and far.

Seasonal beauty.

Families and individuals celebrating the holidays together.

Nancy and Jack Litzinger - his healing after their COVID.

Judy Waddell - as she continues to settle in at McKnight Place.

Coree Mix - also experiencing a fresh start - 8649 North Ave, StL 63114.

Rebecca Ray - that her book on suicide prevention will be published for a wide audience so her wisdom, gentleness, compassion will help others.

Students, families, faculty and staff - at the close of a semester.

Gabriel Requadt - graduating from Eden Seminary - MDiv this month!

Family and friends of Sue Houser as they mourn & celebrate her.

Pinky Wilcoxen - strengthening at Delmar, Creve Coeur after surgery.

Bill Hilgeman - continued healing after serious injuries.

Cherie & Mike Stolze - as they mourn and celebrate Cherie’s father.

Jackie - loving/supporting ailing mom (102); grieving step-father (103).

Lori Connors - cataract surgery on January 2 and January 8.

Val Detjen - additional surgery on January 9.

Becca Palmgren - preparing for surgery on January 11.

Kari Borgmann - her mom becoming more feeble, lack of awareness.

Matt Albers – cancer now in lungs - inoperable; clinical trial (Connors).

Grieving/struggling fams/individuals at the holidays and into 2024.

The continuing war in Ukraine.

War in the Mideast - Israel and Hamas….Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen

Because of you, our church changes lives….

This is a reminder from our PUCC Stewardship Commission:

If you haven’t pledged for 2024 and intend to, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. We are nearing the end of the campaign and your pledge is important for us to complete the budgeting process and planning for 2024. Blank cards are in the Gathering Space or contact either Amy Yakel ([email protected]) or Harold Cobb ([email protected]) Thank you!

Adventurous Men Out Early (AMOE) meets in the Heritage Room at 9:15am next Thursday, January 4, 2024. All are welcome. We drink coffee, eat extra high caloric pastries, and chat about most anything.

Contact Richard Scherrer: [email protected] | (314) 591-6803

Annual TWELFTH-NIGHT FEAST & FESTIVAL 2024

Featuring Visiting Choirs and other Musicians



Mark your calendars now for our annual TWELFTH-NIGHT FEAST & FESTIVAL here at PUCC on Friday, January 5th, 2024 -- the 12th Night of Christmas.

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC at 6pm, with the festivities beginning at 6:30pm. Featuring several visiting Choirs and other Musicians presenting their best (and last) of this Christmas Season’s music PLUS . . . good feasting after!

Any questions, please contact [email protected]; (636) 485-5378

Come to the Quiet is a silent retreat, January 5-7, at Mercy Conference and Retreat Center just down the street from church off Clayton Road. 

The retreat opens with 5:30pm supper Friday and concludes at 11am on Sunday. The cost is $165 for a private room with a private bath. The retreat has minimal structure with optional sessions and informal spiritual companioning to help participants connect with the silence within.

Dawn Stringfield, Executive Director of Mercy Conference and Retreat Center will lead the retreat. Dawn was one of the founders of Lydia's House here in St Louis.

Register at www.mercycenterstl.org by January 1.

Inquirers' Gathering - for those who want to know more about PUCC and who want to be known

Monday, January 8, 2024 | 6:30-7:45pm | Heritage Room

Our goals that evening include:

· getting to know one another a bit more

· describing Parkway’s worship, outreach, education, leadership, fellowship

· taking a look at our denomination, the United Church of Christ

· sharing ideas about the exciting future of Parkway UCC

· soliciting your thoughts on how we can be a more welcoming

and inviting community of faith

·  discussing some key issues of faith

·   answering any of your questions

You will find our time together meaningful and informative.

Some churches call this sort of gathering a New Members Class—we do not.

While we do know that there are a number of visitors who have expressed interest in becoming members of the church, we do not assume that Inquirers are seeking membership. We just want to be hospitable, get to know you and have the chance to express gratitude for your presence among us.

Kevin Cameron: [email protected] | 314-872-9330

Childcare is available that evening if requested ahead of time.

Upcoming:

January 14

Lobbying with Our Better Angels: Working with Congress to Build Bridges

Author and activist Cynthia Changyit Levin shares real stories from her non-partisan advocacy experiences to illustrate the importance of working with members of Congress even when we don't agree with them. She will also give an update on Bread for the World's advocacy on the Farm Bill and offer a letter-writing action for participants to help bring nutrition to people in poverty in the U.S. and around the world.

January 21

Remembrances of a Parkway Pastor

Rev. John Nourse served Parkway for many years with distinction and compassion. He will share his memories of those times and welcome audience participation to provide their own recollections and favorite stories of this special person, as we embark on an hour of nostalgia, grace, gratitude, and humor.

January 28

The Kim Gardner Saga: A Public Service Disgrace

By all objective standards, Kim Gardner was a stunning failure as the City of St. Louis' top prosecutor, but she stubbornly refused to give up her position. Our speaker, Bill Corrigan served as the number two person in the Missouri Attorney General's office and will recount his story as the lead attorney in the court case that successfully forced Ms. Gardner out of office.

Our Speaker Series is in person in the Heritage Room and on Zoom.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84691476997?pwd=aEM2ZURYWURLNmkwd0EzV0VHV1IyQT09#success 

Meeting ID: 8469147 6997 | Passcode: 181565 | Dial (312) 626-6799

For more info, please contact Richard Scherrer -

[email protected] | (314) 591-6803

AWOL - Adventurous Women Out Late

You are invited to go AWOL this winter and spring!

Join us as we make new connections and strengthen existing ones.

Saturday, January 13

Golden Globe Nominated Film - TBA. Carpool to nearby theater from church at 6:30pm

Thursday, February 15

‘Mamma Mia’ at The Fox Theater 7:30pm (around $65)

RSVP by Sunday, January 7 so we can purchase tickets.

Sunday, March 3 at 1pm

Art in Bloom @ The St. Louis Art Museum. This event also requires RSVP

Saturday, April 13 at 1pm

Spend a couple of hours with us outdoors at Laumière Sculpture Park

Friday, May 10 at 6pm

Dinner on the patio of a great restaurant - details TBA.

RSVPs and questions to Carmen Bumgarner [email protected]; 314-330-0813

Tuesday Evening Dialogue - January 9

2nd & 4th Tuesday in the Heritage Room

6pm potluck | 7pm discussion

Please join us on for our first session on The Book of Charlie by David Von Drehle. This is the true story of the author's neighbor, 109 year-old Charlie. Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable man a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation, an inventive nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life. Read the first 50 pages for our first session.

Contact Helen Race: [email protected] | (314) 401-4382

Parkway Adventurers - Open to All!

Join us for a Dutch Brunch & 2024 Planning on Tuesday, January 16 at 9:30am at Sunny Street Cafe in Des Peres - 11692 Manchester Road, 63131.

We will plan interesting outings for 2024 with different PUCCers coordinating each outing. We usually go somewhere for lunch at a nearby restaurant too. Being with church members and learning something new about the St. Louis community is fun and educational.

SEE JANUARY 25 INVITATION BELOW ....

Past adventures have included The Magic Chef Mansion; The History Museum; The Holocaust Museum and The La Salle Retreat Center.

RSVP to Carol/Harold Cobb at [email protected]; 314-640-8166

Adventurers ~ Urban Archaeology: Lost Buildings of St. Louis

Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington Boulevard, StL 63108

Join the PUCC Adventurers on Thursday, January 25 as we visit the Pulitzer Arts Foundation's exhibition Urban Archaeology: Lost Buildings of St. Louis. The modern Pulitzer building is accessible, parking is close, and entry is free. We'll meet at Parkway at 9:30am for carpooling or 10:00am at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. Afterward we'll head to a restaurant for lunch.

This fascinating exhibition brings together salvaged architectural elements from landmark buildings, residential homes, and neighborhood institutions built in St. Louis between 1840 and 1950. The artifacts on display represent important histories of material innovation, labor, and the everyday lives of the people who inhabit the city. The exhibition sheds light on the city's history, revealing complicated legacies of power, wealth, and neglect that shape our experience of the built environment and daily life. Those people with a long history in the St. Louis area will remember many of the buildings from which the artifacts were salvaged. Included is a 15-minute film about St. Louis architecture, demolition, and revitalization, and an opportunity to provide your own input to the exhibit if you'd like. For more information: https://pulitzerarts.org/art/urban-archaeology-lost-buildings-of-st-louis/

There is a very small modern art exhibit in the building that can be viewed as well if you'd like, Sarah Crowner: Around Orange.

Contact Jackie Eiffert at [email protected] with any questions.

Tuesday Afternoon Dialogue: The Anthropocene Reviewed

by John Green

TAD resumes Tuesday, January 16 at 2:00pm. We're looking forward to hearing what books everyone enjoyed over our break. Discussion from 2:00pm – 3:00pm and fellowship at 1:45pm.

TAD's next book is John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays On a Human-Centered Planet. From Amazon: “The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, bestselling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale—from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar. Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity.” TAD would love to have you. Contact Jackie Eiffert: [email protected]; 661-378-6781

Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83670617428?pwd=bUxPZEdDMlU4ay9oNndTWW4yZUYwUT09

(312) 626-6799; Meeting ID: 836 7061 7428; Passcode: 480007

Lost and (hopefully) Found

This is a call for any Nancy Drew or Hardy Boy!

A PUCCer has lost a very valuable item and could use some help finding it.

From the forlorn person -- "I realize the chances of finding it are one in a zillion. I just can't give up until I've covered all possible bases. I tremendously appreciate any help that anyone is willing to offer."

If you are a friend of St Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of lost things, please contact [email protected] and we will set you on your way!

Ponder

There’s a strong, misguided tendency in present-day discourse to amplify the bad, to suggest that we live in uniquely horrific times. I think it’s an attempt to prove that you’re a serious person, not some mindless Polyanna. But it’s narcissism, just the flip side of saying that we, out of all who have ever been, live in the best of all possible worlds.

No, we just live in the world, the only one there is. We ought to try to make it better in reality, but we shouldn’t start by making it worse in our imaginations. To give a fair accounting of our time here, we need to see the world for what it is: good, bad, everything.

~ Jonathan Malesic

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