A Word From Wes:

Park Avenue Family Ministry

Sympathy Our sympathy is with Anna McKinney and her family after the passing of her brother, Cecil Ray Hannan, on December 2. Funeral services were held yesterday in Colbert, OK. Our sympathy is also with Lula Smith following the loss of her brother, Johnny, recently.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Donna Hander and her mother, Carolyn McNeil who were baptized into Christ last Thursday. We celebrate with Donna and Carolyn and welcome them to the Park Avenue Church family. Contact information is as follows:

P.O. Box 4 Pottsboro, TX 903-647-0467

Congratulations also to Tyler & Saydi Atnip on the birth of their baby boy, David Luke Atnip, born November 20, weighing 9.5 lbs and 19.5 inches long.

Thank You’s

We wish to express our gratitude to PACC for embracing us and making us feel like a part of the PACC family from day one. We're overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from friends and strangers on the day of our wedding shower. Thank you to those who came and spent time getting to know us, and thank you to those who gifted anonymously. Your generosity toward helping us officially become a family of 3 was such a beautiful thing to witness firsthand. We love you all and are so blessed to have found this congregation of people. Our cups runneth over! A.J. & Whitney Vogl Thank you to Carolyn Spencer and Joyce Mahaffey for the decorations at the front of the auditorium. We appreciate you ladies!

News and Notes

Children’s C orner

Collide, a retreat in Midlothian

for Flight 56 students, will be

Feb. 6-7. The cost is $50. Please

RSVP to Rachel McClure if you

student plans to attend and

payment can be made closer to

the retreat date.

Rachel@parkavenuechurch.com

Poinsettas The poinsettas at the front of the auditorium are presented by Gerald Locke in memory of Barbara Locke.

Senior Singles Banquet

Today, following the morning worship there will be a “Senior Singles Banquet” in the Atrium. The Caring and Sharing Deacons are sponsoring this event.

SAMPACC

The bus will leave the building at 5:15 p.m. this Thursday, December 10 for the trip to Prestonwood Church. Sandwiches for supper will be provided on the bus. Marjorie Landrum has the tickets.

Donations Wanted

The deadline is today for the pringle and coffee cans for the Young at Art Ministry. Please place them in the donations box in the Youth Suite.

Ladies Gift Exchange Ladies, join us on Monday, December 14 for a White Elephant Gift Exchange beginning at 6 PM in the Atrium. Please bring your favor-ite finger food and a gift if you would like to participate in the gift exchange. The church will provide tea, coffee, apple cider and hot chocolate. If you would like sodas please bring those. Feel free to invite friends and neighbors. This is a great time of fellowship. If you have any questions please contact Amyee McAlister or Keary Conrad.

Christmas Get-Together We are having a Christmas Get Together on Sunday, December 20 at 5 p.m. in the Ark. Bring your favorite holiday food to share. We will sing Christmas carols and enjoy some fellowship together.

Candlelight Service Mark your calendars for our tradition-al candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 6 PM in the auditorium

Retreating We are away at Fall Retreat this weekend talking about working on the body of Jesus Christ, the church. One of the things that I think can be hard for youth group students to understand is the way in which we “graduate” them from church. To be sure, I love our tradition of honoring and celebrating our seniors each year. I think it is so worth giving the spotlight to whomever in the church is achieving. That being said, sometimes it can feel, even if only subconsciously, that as they

graduate from high school, from youth group, and so many other things, they can feel like they are graduating from church. We certainly always encourage our students to plug into Christian community wherever they find themselves as they move on but often times for seniors across the nation, church is another thing that gets left behind with graduation. The primary focus of our Fall Retreat this year is in asking our students to take ownership of their church wherever and whenever they are.

For now, that is here at Park Avenue. After Park Avenue, I hope they will lean into Christian community again. It starts with an understanding that Christ did not just die for me as an individual, but as Paul tells us Christ died for the bride, the church. Bless-ings on you this Lord’s day.

Announcements

-No small groups tonight post retreat -We will have Word Up tomorrow -All youth Christmas party next Sunday from 6-8 pm

For The Record - Nov. 29, 2015

Bible Class

200

Worship

441

Wednesday

195

Contributions

Giving Goal

$15,485

Received $13,499

Fifth Sun. $10,005

Thank you for your support of the Park Avenue Church of

Christ.

Thank you Church for volunteering to deliver

Meals on Wheels in Denison during the month of

December. You always respond in a gracious way. I

have more than enough volunteers and people in the

wings just in case someone isn’t able to make their

delivery. A big thank you to Billy and Linda

Martindale, Brandi Cassady, Rosa Ramirez, Ken and

June Washburn, Stacy Means, Whitney Allison, the

Kirkbride family, the Encalade family, the Catteau

family, and Linda, Ty and Caroline Pascal. These

meals are a huge blessing to the individuals that receive

them. It is indeed a work that I believe Jesus smiles

down upon.

Men’s Prayer group will meet at my house, 601

Ambassador St., Denison, this Monday night, December

7, 6 p.m. This will be our last meeting of the year. We

always enjoy a meal together, study and prayer. Please

RSVP to me if you’d like to join us.

It was a huge blessing to witness the baptisms of

Donna Hander and Carolyn McNeil last Thursday

morning. We welcome these two ladies with arms wide

open and are so glad to have them worshipping with us

at Park Avenue. Welcome Donna and Carolyn!

B a s i l ’ s B e a t O u t r e a c h &

I n v o l v e m e n t This Wednesday,

December 9

PAWS & Kid’s Cafe

Cranberry Glazed Chicken

Breast, Green Beans & Salad

Bar

This is the last PAWS of the year.

PAWS will take a break over the

holiday period and will resume again

on January 6.

Good morning, Park Avenue family. We’ve been

back from Casa de la Esperanza for almost a week

and I’m still completely overwhelmed and amazed by

the ways we saw God at work in Anahuac. I am

remarkably proud of the team we took, the ways they

served, and the love they shared. And I’m eternally

grateful for the opportunities to be with those

children; to better understand the Hope that God,

working through Casa de la Esperanza, brings to

them; and to know the love that they feel and share

with people. God is doing mighty things at Casa de la

Esperanza!

Saturday, December 12th 2-8pm

at the Prothro Center in Pottsboro

The cost is $5 per person

Join us for a day focused on build-

ing and leaving a Legacy of faith

and hope with our children.

Todd’s Take Meeting Times

Sunday Bible Class

9:00 AM

Sunday AM Worship

10:00 AM

Sunday PM

Small Groups

Wednesday Night

Classes 7:00 PM

Celebrate Recovery

Tuesday 5:45-8 PM

Upcoming

Events

Senior Singles Banquet Today

Dale & Kirkbride

Shepherding Group Luncheons

December 13

Ladies Gift Exchange

December 14

Christmas Get-Together

December 20, 5PM

Candlelight Service December 24, 6PM

3000 S. Park Avenue Denison, TX 75020

903-465-1288 office@parkavenuechurch.com www.parkavenuechurch.com

The Messenger December 6, 2015, Number 49

Communion Servers—Jeff Barnett, Rick

Beene, Kelly Brandt, Jackson Brandt, Jonathan

Brandt, Steve Bryant, Bill Conely, Jr., Bruce

Holley, Ty Kirkbride, Jeff Park, Jim Russell,

Griffin Wagner

Greeters—Macy Dennis, Wanda Elmore, Mark

Ewig, Rick Fawcett, Lyndon & Gay Nix

Ushers—Jimmy Rosser, Ed Spender, Bruce

Hottel

Nursery—Jennifer Chapman, Kenna Brandt,

Rayna Monroe

Communion to Shut–Ins—Bill Heironimus,

Ralph Baldwin

Prayer List Donnett Smith, John Scott, Marsha Jones, Jannie Bellows

Ongoing Needs

Easton Kirkbride (military), Jim & Jane Scroggins, Bobby & Peggy Slaughter, Ronda Bigham, Kaile Norris, Chris Keene, Mary Smith, Nell Caddell, Carolyn Riggins, Delmas Northcutt, Terry Waggoner, Jean Woodley, Barbara Corbett, Judith Waldene Nevil, Billie McGuire

Friends & Family of PA

Rebecca Taylor (great niece of Jim Russell), Marjorie Dusek (mother of Che Che Smith), Gil Sanchez (Director of CASA de la Esperanza), Lisa Peace (sister of David Kirkbride), Harold Keene (son of Chris Keene), Gentry McGarry (friend of Galen & Penni Smith), Wanda Hall (mother of Mary Lynn Foster), David Phillips (father of Devry Smith), Joanie Williams (friend of Ray & Sue Lain

Harrington), Tina Teel (mother of Megan Douglas), Alton Castleberry (father of Kelli Thompson), Mark Adams (father of Michelle Adams), Rachel Ramer (Teacher at Scott Middle School)

Please notify the church office at office@parkavenuechurch.com for up-dates to the prayer list. If no update is received, prayer requests will be retired after 30 days.

Please join us in lifting these people up in prayer

Shepherds Greg Clay—580.920.6648 Kevin Dale—580.916.1470

George Hatfield—903.357.3563 David Howerton—903.271.8678 David Kirkbride—903.436.7283 Billy Martindale—903.815.1394

Don Skelton—903.463.2299 Galen Smith—580.380.9055 Ernie Sturch—580.924.3389 Tommy Todd—903.464.0772

Staff Todd Catteau—903.624.9395 todd@parkavenuechurch.com

Wesley Encalade—903.624.9265 wesley@parkavenuechurch.com

Chris Heflin—903.624.1002 chris@parkavenuechurch.com

Basil McClure—903.624.1726 basil@parkavenuechurch.com

Rachel McClure—903.624.6156 rachel@parkavenuechurch.com

Joy to the World #1018

O Come, All Ye Faithful #997

Opening Prayer—Ken Bell

Wonderful Story of Love #286

What Child Is This? #998

Lord’s Supper—Wesley Encalade The Lord’s Supper is open to all who have gathered to honor Jesus.

Lamb of God #176

Communication Cards Please fill out a card and place it in the contribution trays

Offering—Wesley Encalade

Listen to Our Hearts #810

Kingdom Kids Dismissed

Blessed Jesus #218

Theme Prayer—Patrick Mullins

Sermon: Why Christmas?—Todd Catteau

Welcome to Our World

Shepherd’s Prayer—Ernie Sturch

Stronger

(Two elders will be available in the alcoves of the atrium after the sermon to receive prayer requests.)

Order of Worship Sunday Servants

Serving Park Avenue

Sermon Notes

Why Christmas?

Don't lose the Spiritual __________ of Christmas.

Don't miss the Spiritual __________ of Christmas.

Don't forget the Spiritual __________ of the world.

We are honored to have you with us this morning. A warm welcome to all our members — how good and pleasant it is for us to worship together! And a special welcome to our guests! Please take a few

minutes to visit with us after services. Stop by the welcome centers in the main hallways for more information and a free gift from us. Let us know how we can serve you.

creation. Christ’s coming was announced with shouts of joy and celebrated with the hope of peace and good will. May those senti-ments be the most treasured gifts of the season. I want to give you advanced notice of a special service we are planning for January 3—the first Sunday of 2016. We are calling it Covenant Sunday and are challenging all PACOC members to make a spiritual resolution as we enter into a new year. It is my belief that the church is a powerful spiritual influence in our world and that influence is dependent on full participation from the entire body. It’s also my belief that we find our greatest purpose and deepest peace as we live out our disciple-ship to Jesus. On Covenant Sunday we will renew our vows to the Lord as a church and as individuals. This service has the potential to change our church and our lives for 2016 and into eternity. You’ll be hearing more about Covenant Sunday in the weeks to come. Set you hearts and minds into worship mode as we come before the Lord with gladness!

Good morning and welcome to our gath-ering. We’re so glad

you have joined us. As you read through the Messenger you’ll see a number of activities we have planned for the Christmas Holidays. They’re all designed to help us all embrace the joy and spirit of the holiday. I do admit, however, that at times instead of helping us embrace the holiday all these events lead us to dreading all the commitments we make. Instead of embracing we sometimes end up enduring! That said, during our sermon times this month I will try to lead us into truly appreciating all that the coming of Christ means to us personally and to the world in general. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the celebration passes and we are not drawn more into this wonderful story of redemption and grace? Christmastime can be distorted and abused leading us away from the virtues and peace God has called us to, and shame on us if we don’t seize and lay claim to this opportunity to be reminded of God’s plan for His