Hi Parkway People -- 

Last email I started by saying (complaining) that we were stuck with 80-degree days in November. As I write this, it is a gray, rainy, cold December day. It just goes to show, complaining on the internet does in fact work.

But more importantly, we are, as of Sunday, officially in the season of Advent! We kicked off this special season leading up to Christmas with a beautifully decorated Worship Center, new Christmas music, and our new Advent series: Artificial Light. 

This next week we'll welcome Parkway Children's Day School families to the 10.30am service. Our PCDS kids will lead us in some Christmas songs they've been working on with Jachin. As a way to welcome them and their families this Sunday, I'm asking anyone who's able to bring some Christmas Cookies to share at a reception after the service. If you can bring a dozen or two Christmas cookies, use this form (CLICK HERE) to let us know! 

If you were here on Sunday, you also saw the sea of Poinsettias that bring so much color into the Worship Center space. The poinsettias are still available to buy ($5) in honor or in memory of someone you love. This helps Parkway cover the cost of the poinsettias while making them even more meaningful to the community. If you'd like to buy a poinsettia, you still can! (CLICK HERE) Everyone who buys a poinsettia can take it home after their Christmas Eve service.

Ministry Updates:

What started as a SNAP Protein Drive is still going strong as our Advent Protein Drive. As of today, Parkway has given ~ 720lbs of protein that will feed our Fort Bend County Neighbors via Second Mile. Thank you to all who have grabbed an extra pack of meat at the store or who've given money to buy protein. We've committed to keep the drive going through the end of the year — freezers for unopened packages of meat and crates for shelf stable proteins (Tuna, Peanut Butter, etc.) will continue to be at the entrance to both buildings.

Our annual Second Mile Toy Drive continues until December 14th. If you're able, please drop off unwrapped toys in the Second Mile boxes near the entrance of both buildings. Second Mile will wrap the gifts and make sure they get to our neighbors this Christmas season. For more information click HERE.

Parkway Home Repair Crew completed its first jobs out in the community in November. Right now, we're assessing how round one went and making adjustments to our process — we're planning to send crews out to a second round of projects in January. Stay tuned for more information for the next set of Home Repairs.

Finally — this past fall, Parkway Students and Parkway Children collaborated to start a new combined Wednesday night group called 4:12 (Grades 4 - 12, get it?) 4:12 will meet for the last time in 2025 this Wednesday for a Christmas movie night, from 6-8pm upstairs in the Student Worship Center. There will be pizza, snacks, crafts, and a Christmas classic: Home Alone!

(Adult Bible Study will meet as normal on Wednesday from 6 - 7.30pm upstairs in the Parkway offices)

It's been a great start to the season and I'm looking forward to sharing in everything we have planned.

Stay warm out there!

Justin