NEWS & NOTES

New Members
Please welcome Larry & Glenda Watson to PACOC and also their son, James Watson. Their address is 117 Iron Horse Lane, Denison, TX 75020.
 
Baptism
Congratulations to Velma Auldridge, aunt of Joyce Henshaw, who was baptized into Christ by Basil McClure last Monday. We rejoice with Velma and her family.
 
Sympathy
Joyce McChristian passed away on September 7th. Our sympathy is with her family at this time. Services were held Saturday at Waldo Funeral Home.
 
Congratulations
Jerry & Jeannie Gregory are happy to announce the birth of their first great-grandson, William Grant Davis III, born on September 11th. Proud parents are Will & Shiloh (Cooksey) Davis. Baby William weighed in at 9lbs. and is 20 3/4" tall.
 
Thank You
A big thank you to the Flight 56 kids and adult volunteers who packed weekend-to-go kits for the Barnabas Center last weekend. The kids who volunteered their time are Sawyer Howard, Stella Cassady, Riley Adams, Emery McAlister, Paityn Brooks, Charlotte Chapman, Graham Claborn, Jackson Corbin, Trevor, Gabriel Smith, Evan Johnson, Jacob Barton, along with adult helpers, Neal Smith and Rachel McClure.
 
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Our Thanksgiving Food Drive is underway and will run through Sunday, September 29th. This will assist the Barnabas Food Pantry as they prepare to hand out Thanksgiving boxes over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Tabs are available in the atrium this morning – so go ahead and grab a tab or two to help us stock our pantry!
 
Trunk ‘n Treat
Mark your calendar for our Trunk ‘n Treat on Sunday, October 27th at 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the church parking lot. If you would like to volunteer your trunk you can sign up on the app.
 
Four Rivers Outreach Giving Banquet
Four Rivers will  have an outreach giving banquet on September 24th featuring The Isaacs at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn. For more information please call 903-870-4000 or visit www.fourrivers.org
 
Lady Jacket Breakfasts
If you are looking for a great way to serve our DISD students, here it is!  Contact Tyler if you want to help out.  You can also sign up on the app.
 
Fall Discipleship Communities
We have had a great kick off to our fall communities. It is not too late to join a group! Our Fall DMC options are available on the app. If you have any questions, contact Todd.
 
PAWS Help
we are needing a couple of people to set up tables and chairs for PAWS on Wednesdays before 4 pm. Please contact Gary or Shelly Calvert if you can help.
 
Youth Ministry

  • Sun. September 15th: Connect in the gym from 5:00-7:30! Dinner will be walking tacos. 
  • October 12-13: Fall Retreat 

 
PAWS This Wednesday
Join us for our PAWS meal at 5:15 PM. We are having Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, Green Beans, Salad Bar & Dessert, prepared by Shelly Calvert and her team. Corn Dogs and fruit for the kids. Serving starts at 5:15 PM and stops promptly at 6:15 PM. 
 
Prayer Requests
Prayer List—Debbie Black, Madison Francis, Daisy Miller, Che Che Smith, Waymon Hinson, Patrick Mullins, Neal & Judy Odom, Arlene Joines, Keith House, Roy Galyon
 
Ongoing Needs—Chris Reinsch, Elizabeth Phillips, Floyd Clark, Lisa Cobble
 
Homebound—Dewey & Joyce Martin
 
Expectant Mothers—Alissa Cope, Candsis Slaughter
 
Missions—Hammer & Dela Afakule (Togo), Mario “Pepe” Torre (Monterrey, Mexico), Jimenez family (Cartagena, Colombia), Cristian & Ana Corrales (Bucaramanga, Colombia), Jhon & Deisy Gonzalez (Bogota, Colombia), Adrian & Gabriela Galvan (Paraiso, Monterrey)
 
Friends of Park Avenue—Allen Bernard (Director of Center Cross Ministries), Rebekah Taylor, Nicholas Taylor (great niece & nephew of the Russell’s), Becky Sanchez (wife of Gil Sanchez, former Director of orphanage in Mexico), Greg Oliver (father of Karee Earnhart), Marsha Jones (former member), Charlotte Harris (great niece of Steve & Donna Hodge, Misty Pryor (sister-in-law of David Pryor), Ronny Thomas (brother of Tommy Thomas)
 
Please notify the church office at office@parkavenuechurch.com for updates.
 
TODD’S TAKE
Good morning and welcome to our worship services this morning.

We will continue looking at the letter of James this morning. James begins his letter addressing one of life’s most pressing struggles - struggles itself. After a brief greeting, this is what James writes - Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  (James 1:2–3, NIV) No doubt James had seen his fair share of troubles as had most followers of Christ living in a world that was not too accepting of this relatively new belief system. I tend to believe that’s not just true of James’s original audience. Trials are not a matter of “if”, they are more a matter of “when.” To think that a life of discipleship comes with a life-long exemption from struggles is a considerable misinterpretation of Scripture.
 
Trials are an inevitable part of living and, as with all matters of living, Scripture speaks to how we can respond to the turbulence of life as people of faith. And James suggests what seems to be a rather mystifying response to trials – joy!
 
That’s not my first response. It usually isn’t my second or third either. Anger, complaining, resentment, protest, despair – those are my default reactions to trials. Yet James calls us all to modify our response to one of joy, and then he gives us the rationale. These trials are tests that actually refine us, and when we can face trials with hope and the prospect of growth we can actually find real joy when those troubles come. Note, it’s not the trials that bring us joy but the fruit of those trials.
 
Perhaps the most important word in his advice is “consider.” James realizes that our initial response to trials may not be joy, so he calls us to “consider.” Instead of simply letting our emotions control us, he urges us to engage our minds and our faith and think through the trial. Ask ourselves questions like, “How can this trial make me stronger?” or “How can this difficulty prepare me to serve others?”
 
Look past the trial and see the potential positive outcomes. And with God, there is no trial that does not have a potential positive outcome. “Consider” your trials with this in mind and maybe, just maybe, joy will bubble up through your suffering.
   
  

Sunday Schedule
Adult Bible Classes
9AM Room D & Youth Suite
9AM Sonshine Hour for kids 4 years old to 6th grade in ARK for parents attending Bible Class
Worship
10:00 AM
Children Dismissed to Bible Classes at
10:45-11:30AM
0 - 3 Year Olds—Nursery Area
Pre K-6th Grade—Family Life Center
Youth Group Activities
5:30-7:30PM
Discipleship Making Communities (DMC’s)
Meet at various times and locations

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