Hi Parkway People -- 

I think it feels like Advent is sneaking up on me because it feels like May outside. And, as one of the dozen or so Texans who love cold weather, it just feels.... wrong. 

But there is connection here to Advent. 

Advent— the season of preparing to celebrate Christmas — is, in some ways, a season that acknowledges disconnection. That the days we wake up and live — the reality we face — the headlines and focus of our culture are often disconnected from our hopes and expectations for how things ought to be. And rather than avoid, ignore, or deny, we as followers of Jesus are called to live faithfully in the disconnection between what is and what can/will be.

Living faithfully in the disconnection is not something new that will start with Advent on Sunday, November 30th. 

We've already been practicing this recently in two big ways:

Protein Drive

Parkway kicked off a Protein Drive to help our Fort Bend neighbors when SNAP benefits lapsed. Since then, we've donated ~ 460lbs of protein to Second Mile. We've committed to extend this Protein Drive through the end of 2025 — freezers are available for unopened packages of meat in both buildings. You can also bring shelf stable protein like peanut butter, tuna, etc.



Parkway Home Repair Crew just completed its first two jobs this past Sunday! Thanks to PHRC, two families have projects done, repaired, and taken care of that otherwise would not have happened. Stay tuned, there will be more projects and more workdays to come!

These are ways we're using what we have to meet needs and care for neighbors in a time when lots of families can't keep up with prices and are falling through the cracks. This is faithful living in the disconnect — we believe in a world where families are fed and people get the help they need, so instead of complaining that it's not happening, we're stepping up to help make a difference. Thanks to all who have helped make this possible!

LOOKING AHEAD TO ADVENT

Advent Decorating

This Sunday, November 23rd, we'll take any and all help decorating for the season after the 10.30 service. If you can stick around for 30 minutes or so, we can set up trees, wreaths, and lights that make the Advent season special at Parkway. We'll order pizza so anyone looking for lunch can grab something to eat.

Christmas Poinsettias

To go with our regular decorations, we've also ordered poinsettias from The Brookwood Community to decorate the stage in the Worship Center. If you'd like to buy a poinsettia in honor or in memory of someone, you can do that by clicking HERE. We'll print all in honor/in memory of in the Advent bulletins, and you can take your poinsettia with you on Christmas Eve.

Parkway Women's Bunco on December 2nd

It's time for the annual Parkway Women's Christmas Bunco on Tuesday, December 2nd in the Student Worship Center on the second floor of the Ministry Center. The goal here is connecting and community — so even if you're not a bunco pro, this is a great opportunity for the women of Parkway to connect. Use this REGISTRATION LINK to let us know you'll be there!

PCDS Families Invited Sunday, December 7th

Jachin has been working with our Parkway Children’s Day School kids on Christmas music. We've invited them to join in and sing at the 10.30 service on Sunday, December 7th. This is a great way to close the gap between the school and the church and be a welcoming community for our day school families. 

If you're able, please bring some cookies, Christmas or otherwise, for a reception after the 10.30 service so our PCDS families can grab a cookie and meet some Parkway people before they head home. Use this LINK to let us know if you will be bringing cookies on the 7th.

Advent at Parkway: Artificial Light

On Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve, we'll dig into the themes and stories of Advent in a series called Artificial Light. The usual stories and readings in Advent often contrast darkness and light, sudden brightness in the black sky, and stars in the night silently guiding towards some new happening. But humanity's relationship with darkness and light has changed since these ancient stories were written. Our nights and lives are filled with artificial light — phone screens, street lamps, flashing Christmas lights, and more. Our lives are infinitely brighter than the people who came before us, and our control over how we light our lives has changed our relationship with light and darkness.

As we walk through Advent this year, we'll explore how we can make sense of these ancient stories of darkness and light as people who have all sorts of artificial light at our fingertips.

It's shaping up to be a great Advent season at Parkway (especially if we can find our way into at least the 70's).

I'm looking forward to celebrating this season with you.

Justin