Parkside Blog

As we begin a new year together at Parkside Church, I’m reminded of the vision put forth by our elders and pastoral team. That vision was one of extending our reach for gospel growth which would be realized as each one of us invested in gospel relationships. Each of us were called to be in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as well as being active in pursuing relationships with unbelievers so that they could become committed followers of Christ themselves. There is no other greater work to be a part of.

With the new year well underway, we'd like to take this opportunity to update you on the progress of Parkside's vision for Building Into the Next Generation.

What do you get when you combine elementary-aged boys, balls of various types, pizza, and the Warehouse on a Friday night? You get a Boys’ Game Night event (BGN) that is all about good, old-fashioned “boy fun.” Boys’ Game Nights occur 3-4 times a year and are open to any boys in Kindergarten-5th grade. Boys must be in attendance with a male adult (dad, grandpa, uncle, friend), and we hear stories that the adults have just as much fun (maybe more?) as the kids do!

It’s December 14th and as Pastor Dan Southam looks out his office window (I don’t have one) he doesn’t see snow anywhere. But I know that it’s coming. We're in Ohio. And if there’s one thing I know about snow, it’s this -- snow means skiing.

Establishing regional churches is an integral part of our vision for Building into the Next Generation. We are pursuing a church plant in Lake County, OH. This will be under the leadership of Scott Kennedy, one of the members of our Bainbridge pastoral team.

In an effort to continue to provide gospel opportunities for gospel growth, we are looking forward to hosting our annual Marriage Matters Workshop on November 5, 2011.

Let's face it...Parkside is a big church. With almost 3,000 people attending Sunday services, it's easy to feel a little lost in the crowd. How can you make a big place feel smaller? It's easy! Join a smaller group! As we look toward Building into the Next Generation, we believe that developing solid, Christ-centered relationships is an essential building block for growing Parkside's church family.

As fall approaches, our ministries are ready to get back into full swing. We invite you to check one out that's right for you!

What do Children’s Ministry Workers LOOK like?

• People who like to have fun (what beats play dough & animal crackers?)
• People who like a challenge (some of our classroom puzzles are really hard!)
• People who like to learn (are you smarter than a 5th grader? Kids ask tough questions!)
• People who want to build relationships with others
• People who are members and regular attendees of Parkside for a minimum of six months
• People of all ages and stages of life—teens, singles, couples, retirees
• People who love the Lord Jesus Christ and who desire to see the next generation come to know and love Christ

The move from elementary to middle school can be exciting and a little bit unsettling for students…and parents. Club JV, the Parkside Middle School ministry, wants to help. Please join us this Tuesday, August 2nd at 7pm for a special "6th Grade Welcome Night" to help make that transition a little bit easier.

The Steps

Starting in July
The Elders have decided to proceed with the expansion of the parking lot and the addition of a parking lot exit to the traffic light at Pettibone Road. We believe that this will help alleviate some parking congestion as well as assist the entry and departures from the lot with a signalized intersection. As a part of the lot expansion some of the underground storm drains and utilities will be relocated as well in part to provide for the drainage capacity in case we decide to expand our building facilities.