The View. July Save This Date VBS 2017 July 23rd-27th!

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1 July 2017 The View Special events this month: Middle School Super Summer July 3rd-7th 8-week groups for people struggling with relational and sexual brokenness will begin on July 9th at 10:45 am at the Refuge Mexico Mission Trip July 14th-22nd Refuge Food Pantry the third Saturday of the month July 15th Royal Family Kids Camp July 16th-21st All Things Women meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm VBS July 23rd-27th Save This Date VBS 2017 July 23rd-27th! Galactic Starveyors 2017 VBS from Lifeway reignites children's sense of discovery and exploration as they marvel at the wonders of the starry sky. As they gaze toward the God who created the universe and everything in it, kids learn that He wants to have a personal relationship with them! Show kids that God is over the moon in love with them! Theme Verse: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:15-16) We Need VBS Volunteers! Please volunteer the week of July 23 rd -27 th, to help children be introduced to the creator and Savior of the universe. We need adults/teens to come along side and help children 3yrs -6th grade have fun and hear about Jesus and become Galactic Starveyors. Men we would especially like to challenge you to take a risk as boys and girls need Positive examples. Please be in prayer for what part God will have you play. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Kelli Bender at or Julie Shields at or the church office.

2 Page 2 Student Ministries July Update Brent Crass Removed from Student Ministry Leadership During solemn worship services on June 25 th, Brent confessed to wrongfully pursuing a young woman, with the intention of a sexual encounter. Once reported and confirmed his position was vacated. Pastor John shared biblical instruction on discipline, consequence & biblical restoration. Church members who were out of town may request summary copies of that lesson. Please be in prayer for the Deacons, Trustees and Student ministry volunteers as they continue to work through the transition questions & details. Especially pray for those hurt by this including students and the one pursued with sinful intent. Our hope & understanding is that there is nothing more and no other women approached in this manner. If you know that this not the case and there are in fact others, please let pastor John or one of the deacons know as soon as you are able. Please see the pastor s log in this newsletter for pastor John s heart on this situation. FAQs He is no longer functioning as pastor of student ministries. Other details are still being worked out. The Deacons, trustees and other staff will continue working on transitioning the student ministries. If you have questions you can reach pastor John at johnparkiewch@msn.com or I have a prayer update for C.L. that she is half way through the radiation treatments with three weeks remaining. Please continue to pray for her that the treatments will destroy any remaining cancer cells. I found a new coloring book for those with Alzheimer s disease called Color Your Mind. There are activities that family members can do with their loved ones. It gives them the feeling of accomplishment and enjoying time with friends, family & grandchildren. When it is devotion time I use 365 Pocket Prayers, Guidance and Wisdom for Each New Day Topical Index from Abilities to Worth. I try to keep the devotion & prayer time effective, but short. Their attention span is not long, especially those that do not know Christ. Thank you for praying for LIFE Ministry. Also thank you to a friend of this ministry for turning yarn into crosses. They are well received at the nursing home. Barb Chase Parkview s Attendance Record YTD Small Group Average: 122 June Small Group Average: 71 YTD Worship Average: 258 June Worship Average: 254 Parkview s Financial Report (Figures as of 06/28/17) YTD Ministry Fund Rec.: 256, YTD Min. Fund Needed: 263, Weekly Average Needed: 10, Weekly Average This Mo.: 9, YTD Ministry Fund Spent: 228, Building Fund Balance 1,121,320.62

3 Swedbergs Snippets Dear Co-workers, Yes, we have been in the U. S. since May 2nd and we need to give a bit of an update. It has been an interesting, exciting six weeks. We attended Jennifer s graduation, Nathan Patefield s wedding, two funerals, a one day seven hour Bible Conference, visited seven supporting churches and one who doesn t support us. Plus, we got to visit with many of you. It has been great. Thank you for praying, hosting, encouraging and listening. Tomorrow, we will leave on our longest trip which will include seeing those in our family we haven t seen yet plus four churches, the BMM Annual Conference and Grandson John s marriage to Sarah Brown on July 15. Continue to pray for our journey and health. Pray that we will be an encouragement and blessing. Our church in Brazil was to have a Bible conference the 23rd and 24th for their birthday, but John Leonard who was to be the speaker had some serious health issues and had to have emergency surgery on his lung. Pray for John s recovery as he fights infection. The conference was postponed to October. Faithfulness to the services continues to be a concern. Our phone numbers are: John (402) and mine is: (402) Lord willing, we will return on August 8th, arriving there on the 9th. Day of Caring Fall 2017 Page 3 Core Value Loving Others Though there is great variety in how God has made us, we are united in our faith relationship with Him as Christians. We also share some core biblical values as his followers in the Parkview family. These values help us promote and pursue unity with each other as we follow Jesus together. One of our core values is loving others. We are determined to love people as Christ commands. This love should be genuine and practical. In John 13:35 Jesus says By this all men will know that you are My disciples, of you have love for one another. He repeats in John 15:12, This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Love, real love impacts what we do and how we do it. Love for people should be a defining mark of who are as a church family. Love is the goal of our spiritual growth and the bond that unites us as we serve God together. (1Tim 1:5) When facing a challenge or decision we must ask, What is the loving way to engage this situation? Love does not always give in, but it seeks what is ultimately best. Love allows us to accept each other as we are AND to encourage each other to move forward in holiness and spiritual growth. Such love goes a long way to building our unity as we build each other in Christ. The Parkview Outreach Ministry Committee is sponsoring a church wide Day of Caring this fall. The purpose of the Day of Caring is to reach out to members of out congregation and the community that physically need help in their homes or in the community to complete projects. Our Hope is to meet people s basic needs and show them the love of Jesus Christ through our actions and building personal relationships. We would like as many of our faith family as possible to participate in this service opportunity. If you are interested in being part of the steering committee that helps set up and organize the day please contact Tim Davis at Our first organizational meeting will be at the Church this Wednesday July 5. Please keep this unique day in your prayers We will be sharing more details with you in the next month. Thank you for praying. We are His for Brazil, Karen and John Swedberg

4 Page 4 Greetings from Next Generation Kids! Summer is in full swing and we are moving right along! The month of June brought with it some highlights. We had our First Annual (hopefully!) Next Gen Kids Potluck out at Bender s, complete with water slide, bouncy houses, and good home cookin. This was a fun opportunity for kids and parents alike to unwind and enjoy some fellowship with one another and celebrate the wonderful kids that make up our children s ministry at Parkview. Every Sunday we as children s leaders are reminded of the tremendous opportunity we have to make a significant contribution into the spiritual development of our youth, and it is our aim that the Gospel is faithfully preached and that kids are encouraged to get into their Bibles. With that being said, if your child is in need of an easy to read Bible, please let a leader know and we d be happy to make one available! Kids also received an update concerning our current Kids Helping Kids project. Sara Ferguson, fresh from the mission field, offered our kids a look at some of the kids who are on the receiving end of their offerings all the way in Nepal! This was an exciting report as we learned of the many unreached children who are now being exposed to the good news of Jesus, in part, through the generosity of the offerings our kids are bringing. Please keep up the good work as it is a tremendous blessing to use what God has blessed us with to bless others! Once again, thank you for the privilege of spending Sunday mornings with your kids and we pray that we can all continue to grow together! Come Join us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 for ages 3 yrs to 5th grade.

5 Page 5 June's Pantry was extraordinary in that we were able to provide each of our 72 families a pork roast and frozen hamburger because of the generosity of some people in our congregation. In total, we handed out 123 bags of food which reaches an estimated 327 individuals. The volunteers are intentionally connecting with our guests before, during and after the food exchange which has been awesome to see the relationships developing. Pastor Paul came to speak to our group about meeting the spiritual needs of the people we serve during the "Prep Day" on Wednesday prior to the Saturday Distribution. God continues to bless us and everyone involved with the Food Pantry...even some who do not! For instance, after the doors were locked and the last volunteers were leaving this month, a woman who had been abandoned by her husband and stranded in a camper across the street at the park for days came to them in tears needing help for gas in her vehicle in order to get to Kearney where she had friends to support her. She was blessed with support and prayers and the volunteers were blessed to be able to provide in a time of need. God's timing and provisions are perfect. Thank you all for doing your part in being God's hand's and feet on this earth. Royal Family Kids Camp! Royal Family KIDS is part of a network of week-long summer camps for abused, neglected, and abandoned children. The primary purpose of Royal Family KIDS Camp is to give children a week of positive memories. Some children in the system never get to have a birthday party... at camp there is a special day called, Everybody s Birthday! We have a big celebration where we give each child a small birthday cake and presents. This year we will again have the opportunity to participate in the Royal Family Kids camp birthday party. We will be providing the children with a birthday box and are in need of the following items: Birthday Box for Children ages 6 12: Children s books, children s puzzles, necklaces, bracelets, Nerf balls, nail polish, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, jewelry, watches, small cars, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, Slinky, journals, socks, Legos, beach towels, pens, markers, crayons It is helpful to have multiples of similar items. A box for the above items will be in the foyer until Sunday, July 9th.

6 Page 6 Boundaries Now or Tears Later 8-Week Groups Offered for Healing Relational & Sexual Brokenness Two 8-week groups for people struggling with relational and sexual brokenness will begin on July 9th. Men Pursuing Purity and Women at the Well will meet on Sunday morning 10:45 at the Refuge. Such brokenness may involve deep wounds or addictions including: abuse, pornography, addictions, promiscuity and same sex attractions. Participants have found a depth of healing that enables healthy relationships and freedom from deep wounds and dark addictions. Our world is facing a hidden epidemic of deep hurts & dark addictions. The shame that comes with them often prevents people from finding real hope. God creates each of us to be good gifts to each other. However most are broken in our ability to love others well and receive love in healthy ways. This group lays a Christ centered, biblical foundation for sexual and relational wholeness. There is hope! Several in our church family found it extremely valuable while quietly piloting this ministry the past 4 years. This ministry will be led by our trained & caring Living Water team members. To sign up or to learn more about it please contact Todd Jess Sheryl Fellers (sheryl.fellers@unl.edu) or pastor John soon at: johnparkviewch@msn.com or look for the living waters link at FAQ'S WHAT IS Men Pursuing Purity & Women at the Well? They are introductory Christ centered, community based ministry for those seeking healing in their sexual and relational brokenness. It teaches a foundation for a lifetime process of healing. A more in depth (20 week) version may be offered beginning in October. Tuesday, August 8 th, 2017 Parkview Baptist Church A special presentation for young teen girls and young women. Mothers we invite you to bring your daughters. In this stage of life, it is hard to understand why boundaries are a necessity of life much less where they are needed or how to apply them. Free Taco Bar 6:30 p.m. Program 7:00 p.m. Door Prizes Please RSVP to Parkview Baptist Church for meal count but walk-ins are welcome. Call WHO IS IT FOR? Anyone hurting from abuse, self-hatred, divorce, emotional dependency, promiscuity, addictions, gender confusion, pornography, same -sex attraction or inability to receive or extend love. IS IT SAFE? Yes. Leaders are trained believers who have walked through healing in their own journey and understand it well. Confidentiality is a high value that is carefully guarded. Any who violate this will not be allowed to participate. Sponsored by the ladies of Living Waters Ministry and Parkview Baptist Women s Ministry

7 Page 7 Pastor s log July 2017 The View 1Cor 12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. We are all hurting sin always brings forms of death in its wake. Death brings grief. Like you I have more thoughts and feelings than can or should be shared in a public written space. I want to share a few core thoughts that have settled more deeply in my own heart in hopes of encouraging you in Christ as we walk this path together. It is not my intent here to give a full biblical theology or even a coherent collection of thoughts. Just my heart for you, Jesus and His work among us. As you deal with your own thoughts & heart about what is happening, I encourage you to unpack your grief with Jesus. I know no other source of healing and strength than the presence of Jesus through His Cross. This is where I run. I invite you to join me. Once again I am learning that in the darkest of nights, His light is most beautiful. Moments like this remind us why we need the gospel, why we need Him. Deepen your trust in Jesus through following His Word. It is time to move closer not further from Him. It is time to advance in our obedience not retreat. In His word we find a holy balance of how to walk in truth and grace. We all tend to lean one way or the other. Embracing one without the other is wrong. Most of the time we end up in sin because we have listened to Satan s whispers and our own fallen instinct instead of God s Word. Let s not make a bad thing worse by adding our sin to the pile. Deepen your relationship with Jesus family. Moments like this remind us of our great need to be connected to the body of Christ. Through our connection we find comfort, counsel, encouragement, correction and many other things that help us follow Jesus well. WE gather NOT to gossip or slander. If you hear that, confront & correct it. We gather rather to encourage each other in a deepening relationship with Jesus. Finally, Remember we live not in heaven but on a spiritual battlefield. God s enemy unleashes his sinister attacks. When we follow Jesus, He overcomes evil through His good. WE can experience that even now. It is time to acknowledge the reality of our condition with unified hearts & voices. It is time for the captives among us and around us to come free from sin. It is time for us to shake our complacency about sin & holiness & purity. It is time to recognize we live on a spiritual battlefield with a real enemy who with full knowledge of what our Creator offers. An enemy that promises much out of pure hate for our Creator, knowing if we turn away from God s truth to his deceitful offers that we will be further wounded & enslaved by darkness. We must decide whether we believe the gospel or not. We are hurt, but I have hope. My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness. We can stand together, secure, in truth & grace on Jesus as our Solid Rock. I love you and I love Jesus. Let s take up the challenge of living out our faith in Him together. Let s deepen our relationship with Jesus, Each other and His Mission. If you missed last Sunday or would like a copy of my lesson on discipline and restoration just contact the office of go to my sermon blog through our church website. Standing with you in Him, John