Dear New 6th Grade Parents,                                               

I hope this letter finds you enjoying summer! As the new school year will be here before we know it, I wanted to inform you and your student about the Middle School Ministry here at Parkside Church. We are all looking forward to the arrival of the incoming 6th grade class, as they always bring a fresh excitement and enjoyment to our ministry.

First and foremost, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mac Matthews and I serve on the Parkside Pastoral Team. After graduating from Michigan State University in May of 2016, I was hired at Parkside Church as a Pastoral Intern. I served here as an intern for a year before transitioning to my current role on staff in September 2017. Along with the other responsibilities I’ve been given as a member of the pastoral team, I have the great privilege of directly overseeing the Middle School Ministry here at Parkside. I married my wife, Keara, who serves in our High School Ministry, in 2016 and we currently live in Shaker Heights. I am tremendously grateful to serve at a Christ-centered church like Parkside, and I love that I get to do so in our Middle School Ministry. 

Before our year gets underway, I look forward to the opportunity of meeting each of you! We will be hosting an incoming 6th Grade Parents Meeting on Sunday August 5 at 9:45am in Room B020 (in the lower level of the Commons). The meeting will be brief and will provide time to address any questions and concerns you may have.

It is also my privilege to invite your son or daughter to Middle School Student Impact (formerly known as Club JV) beginning Tuesday August 7, which will be a  special night of welcome for new 6th graders. Student Impact meets regularly on Tuesday evenings from 7-9pm at the Warehouse, which is located at 31200 Solon Road in Solon. Your middle-schooler will be challenged by the Bible, develop meaningful friendships, and surely will have some fun.

When we reach the beginning of the school year, your student will have the opportunity to be a part of a Middle School Small Group (formerly known as Powerhouse). Middle School Small Groups are led by our Adult Ministry Team (AMT) members and meet the first Tuesday of every month in place of Student Impact. The small groups gather in local homes from September through June, split up by grade and gender. Our intent in having small groups is to allow students to spend time together in a more personal and discussion-oriented environment. 

During the school year (September through June), students are also invited to our Middle School Life Group (previously known as U-Turn), our Sunday morning gathering which meets each week in room B020 during the 9:45am worship hour at Parkside Church. 

I encourage you to take note of the dates of the upcoming retreats and events, especially Mohican Madness, our annual camping trip August 25-26. This will be the first retreat that the 6th graders will have the opportunity to attend. I highly recommend it to all of our incoming 6th graders, as it is a tremendous opportunity to make new friends and develop lasting relationships. Registration and information is available at www.parksidechurch.com/mohican.

There are several ways to remain updated on what is happening in the middle school ministry. Sign up to receive our email newsletter by going to www.parksidechurch.com/ms. We also keep that website updated with the most current announcements and events. Parents can also receive text message updates by texting ‘ParksideMS’ to 33733 and follow us on Instagram @parksidems.

Our mission is to see unbelieving students become committed followers of Jesus Christ. It is the deepest desire of myself and our AMT to see every student that passes through our youth group come to know Jesus Christ in a personal and intimate way, and that they would find their identity in Him, and in Him alone. I truly believe that God will use Parkside Student Ministries to make disciples and it is with that confidence we welcome you and your 6th grader to join us.

Our goal for this ministry is to come alongside you, the parents, in helping to encourage your student to grow in their relationship with Christ. Please partner with me in praying that God will make Himself known to your student, and that He will do incredible things in and through their lives. Thanks again for your partnership and involvement in our ministry. Whether it is on a Tuesday night, a Sunday morning, a Parent Potluck Dinner, or whenever the opportunity presents itself, I encourage you to stop in and say hello.  I would love to introduce myself to you in person and get to know you.  

In Christ,
Mac Matthews
mmatthews@parksidechurch.com