December 21, 2022

Welcome Grow Serve Celebrate

Theologian Frederick Buechner said, “The incarnation is a kind of vast joke whereby the Creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers.” As we come to the close of another Advent season, a season marked by hope and expectation, a season reflecting on what it means to lift the phrase, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come,” we step closer to the day of celebration where we proclaim that in the incarnation, God chooses us by becoming one of us. We hope you are making space this Christmas season to celebrate this good news within a community of faith. If you will be in the Madison area, we hope to see you Christmas Eve at 5 pm and Christmas Day at 10 am for our brunch worship. It is not every year that Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, but what a gift for the church for this Christmas no one has to celebrate alone. If you know someone with no place to go, someone who can’t make it home, someone who may not have friends or family with which to gather, invite them to join us Christmas Day. This good news, the good news of Jesus Christ, is for all people! We are here and we have a place at the table for you.
-Dawn

Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion: 5 pm, nursery provided
In-person and livestreamed parkwayhillsumc.online.church.
Our Christmas Eve offering will support the work of our Beds for Kids Ministry (formerly named Bunk Bed Ministry).
Christmas Day Brunch Worship @ 10 am: Come as you are (pajamas accepted), bring a breakfast dish, and let us share a meal and celebrate the birth of Christ. No Sunday School and no nursery will be provided. In-person service only.
January 1: Worship @ 10 am, coffee and donuts for the New Year! No Sunday School. Nursery will be provided.

Thanks to your routine, faithful giving throughout the years, Parkway Hills is DEBT-FREE!! I give thanks for the way our church family has given throughout the years so that we could celebrate this moment, but our call and our work together continues. Sunday, January 8 at 10:45 we will celebrate the faithfulness of our church and discern our next faithful step. Founding pastor, Rev. Bruce Taylor will be our guest preacher. I hope you mark this service on your calendar, make plans to attend, and invite someone who may have a connection to Parkway Hills. It will be a great day of worship and celebration together.

-Dawn

Registration is closing today for the 2023 Winter Retreat! This trip to Camp Wesley Pines on Jan 14-16 costs $165, including a minimum $50 deposit due today. All youth are eligible to join us, including current confirmands who will be officially moving up into our ministry in January! Click here to sign up via online giving.

Our next youth event is our New Year's Eve Lock-In! Meet at the church at 8pm and welcome 2023 with us.

We have several slots remaining for adult volunteers at our New Year's Eve Lock-In. Follow this link to get signed up or contact Geoff with any questions. These events can't happen without the ways volunteers keep us running!

As we look towards a new year, we are updating our required background checks and training for our volunteers. If you are a volunteer or wish to volunteer with our Children and/or Youth Ministries, you should receive an email about an online training through Ministry Safe. We will hold a Volunteer Training Session following the worship service on January 29. This will go over Safe Sanctuary Policies we have in place at Parkway Hills UMC along with the Ministry Safe Training. Lunch and nursery will be provided.
Please let me know if you would like to be added to the volunteer list or if you have any questions. For more information email Haven.

Jeannie Chunn and Jerry Sandlin, serving a visitor at Grace Place this morning as part of PHUMC's Homeless Ministry. Homeless Ministry volunteers serve Grace Place at Galloway UMC on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

Christmas for the Troops!!

You may have noticed the many shipping boxes waiting in our education building hall. PHUMC Cub Scouts recently packed these Christmas care packages to be shipped overseas to military service men and women.

Christmas and New Year’s Office Hours:

Monday, December 26: Office Closed

Tuesday-Thursday (Dec. 27-29): Church office closes @1:00 pm

Monday, January 2: Office Closed

Meeting This Week:

Men's Morning Group meets every Thursday morning at 7:30 am.
Join them in the Garden Room or via Zoom.
**New Meeting ID: 823 5246 2635
New Password: 142295

No Handbell practice this Thursday

Parkway Hills Women meet via Zoom every Saturday morning at 10 am.
Meeting ID: 848 7196 9988 (note new meeting ID number)
Password: PHUMCLADY
Women of ALL ages are always welcome!

No Adult Choir Practice this Sunday.

Prayer Quilt Ministry: meets again Monday January 9.

Click here to learn more about Methodist Children's Homes. Little Light of Mine, the special offering for Methodist Children’s Homes, supports the daily operations of Methodist Children's Homes. Little Light of Mine Special Offering helps Methodist Children's Homes to care for the hundreds of children they serve each year.

RECORD OF OUR FAITHFULNESS

Year to Date, November 2022

Income: $536,035.27

Expenses: $626,734.01

Stewardship Goal: "Debt-Free in '23"

Mortgage Principal Balance as of Dec. 5: $0

December Communion Offering to date: $1345.00 supports
"Little Light Of Mine," A Special Offering for Methodist Children's Homes of Mississippi

Donations in honor of Juliet Huam have been received for the Homeless Ministry.

End-of-Year Giving: To ensure all end-of-year gifts are posted to your 2022 giving record, submit electronically or to the church office no later than Friday, December 30th. Any mailed gifts for 2022 should be postmarked no later than December 31st.

Send mailed gifts to: P.O. Box 1721, Madison, MS 39130-1721

Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

PO Box 1721
Madison, MS | 39130 US

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.