You may recall that our key emphasis for this year is “Connection.” Connection is one of those critical measurements of a church’s vitality. We know that the main way people grow in their discipleship is through strong friendships that strengthen over time (see the 12 disciples). We at Parkway Heights are praying and working toward being the kind of “soil” through which strong relationships can thrive.

John Wesley began a world movement around small groups and bands that met regularly so that people could check in with one another, support each other in the trials of life and provoke one another to good works for the Kingdom. He knew that nothing can substitute or compensate for belonging to a small group of people on the journey following Jesus.

I’m excited to share that just since January, we’ve formed eight new bands in our church. We are on the verge of adding two more! By the end of 2018, our goal is to have 12 new active bands. We are well on our way to that end.

What do these new bands look like? Six of the eight new groups are “micro-groups.” These are groups of three people who are meeting together two or three times each month. They may have a devotional that guides them in prayer and reflection. They share prayer concerns with each other. They celebrate with one another. And they pray for each other throughout the week.

inmissionA PUBLICATION OF PARKWAY HEIGHTS UMC MAY 2018

Dates to RememberThursday, May 36 p.m. in Atrium

USM Golf Teams Dinner

Friday, May 46-9:30 p.m.

Parents’ Night Out

Sunday, May 610 a.m. in Founders Hall

Team5:1 Senior SundayOne worship service & BBQ picnic

Sunday, May 6The Sunday Fund accepted for

Methodist Senior Services

Monday, May 75:30 p.m. in Room 303A/B

Church Council meeting

Monday, May 7-Friday, May 11Early Encounters

Teacher Appreciation Week

Thursday, May 1711:45 a.m. in Founders Hall

Wesley Club monthly meeting

Sunday, May 202 p.m. in Room 314

Holy Land trip meeting

Tuesday, May 228 a.m. at Woodley ElementaryWoodley Elementary Field Day

Wednesday, May 236 p.m. in Sanctuary

Healing Service

Monday, May 28Church Office closed for

Memorial Day holiday

Banding Together... UPDATEAnother group that has formed is the “Way of Council” that happens once a month. This is a small group of men who listen to each other in a very empowering way. They welcome any man in our community who is looking for support and connection in his walk. This is an excellent opportunity to band together.

Another group of couples is having dinner together monthly. They’ve met twice, rotating host homes. They eat, laugh, visit and share. They finish their time with a discussion and prayer. As we see in the early church in the New Testament, there are few more sacred things people can do together than to break bread.

We’ve identified another 10 or so groups that have been operating as a band (some of them have been around for decades).

If you feel stuck in your spiritual life, I can’t think of a better way to get moving again. Pray about it! And let somebody on our staff know that you are interested in being a part of the next band! Get connected in 2018!

Peace,Bruce

Bruce Case

group are available, so please contact Pam Breland at psb3788@aol.com if you are interested in participating.

Willis will lead an information meeting on Sunday, May 20, at 2 p.m. in Room 314 for everyone who would like to learn more about the trip.

Information brochures with more details about travel itinerary and costs of the trip are also available in the Patio area of the Atrium. We hope you will consider being a part of this incredible time together.

fyi

Have you ever heard a friend or family member talking about a visit to the Holy Land and thought, “Wow! One day I want to go there and walk where Jesus walked. That’s on my bucket list.”

Now you can also experience this life-changing trip of a lifetime! Parkway Heights will be taking a group on a trip to Israel March 9-18, 2019. This trip will be led by Willis Britt through the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies.

Pam Breland, who has been to the Holy Land with Parkway Heights two times in the past, is organizing this upcoming trip.

Take a “Trip Through the Bible” in Israel with Parkway Heights“Words can’t express my personal spiritual experience each time I have walked where Jesus walked and prayed where He prayed,” Pam said. “I am excited for the opportunity to return to the land and share this experience with my Parkway family.”

On this 10-day journey, the group will travel from one end of Israel to the other, seeing everything from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. Visitors will also visit Bethlehem and Nazareth, take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and remember their baptisms at the Jordan River.

Although Israel is a modern country in places, it retains much of the atmosphere that makes it easy to connect with what it looked like centuries ago. All the places you have only previously been able to imagine when you read your Bible will come to life!

A limited number of spaces in the

Willis Britt talks to the group during Parkway Heights’ trip to the Holy Land in 2000.

Healing ServiceWednesday, May 23, 6 p.m.

Sanctuary

Healing Service PlannedWe will gather for a Healing Service on Wednesday, May 23, at 6 p.m. in the Sanctuary to celebrate God's heal-ing power and ask for God's presence to come into our lives. You don't have to have a physical illness to take part. We encourage everyone to attend. Experience the presence of a God who knows our needs and loves us beyond compare. Your presence will also provide emotional support for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Parkway Heights’ group trip to Israel in 2000

Team5:1 Senior Sunday - May 6To honor our high school seniors, our annual Team5:1 Senior Sunday will take place Sunday, May 6! We will worship together in ONE combined service at 10 a.m. in Founders Hall. After the service, we will enjoy a churchwide BBQ picnic. Please buy your tickets by Tuesday, May 1. Adult plates are $15; child plates are $8; and the family maximum cost is $40. Please bring your own table, chairs or blanket. We will provide seating for our senior adults and our high school seniors and their families.

Please also remember to bring notes or cards to our graduating seniors on May 6. They will each have a basket to receive the notes. Our seniors are Josiah Mansfield, Walker Matulich, Austin McCall, John Michael Payne, Blake Runnels and Ca’Toria Swain.

fyi

UMC District Office to Move to PHUMC CampusThis July, the Hattiesburg District of the Mis-sissippi Conference of the United Methodist Church will move its office into the Berry House on the Parkway Heights campus (115 South 24th Avenue). This move is a win-win for both of us! The district office will be pay-ing less in rental expenses than before, and Parkway Heights will receive rental income that we were not receiving previously. The Berry House is also a larger space than the district’s current office, which will allow for more room to work and grow. This summer, help us welcome our newest neighbors!

Online Band FormingDo you travel for work and

find yourself frequently out of town? Do you have kids and no sitter? Maybe you’re the

caretaker of a family member and can’t leave home?

If any of this sounds familiar, we have a perfect opportunity!

With the convenience of technology, why not bring the

group to you?

If you would like to become part of a “band” with others,

but your circumstances make it difficult to attend meetings,

you can become part of an ONLINE small group for prayer,

study and connection. For more information, contact Melissa Westmoreland at

melissaawestmoreland@gmail.com or at 601.954.4013.

Berry House on PH campus

UMW Garage Sale RescheduledDue to the inclem-ent weather on April 14, the garage sale to benefit the USM Institute for Disabil-ity Studies STEP UP Council has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 9, in the Youth Chapel. As part of its focus on local as well as global missions affecting women, chil-dren and youth, UMW is sponsoring this sale and encourages everyone to donate items or come shop at the sale.

Proceeds will be used to support various recreational activities of the Council, which promotes meaningful inclusion in community, as youth transition to adulthood, through lead-ership development, social activities and community service.

To donate items, please bring them to the church on the afternoon of Friday, June 8. You may contact BeckyMcKeehan at Rebecca.McKeehan@usm.edu to make other arrangements.

May CommunionOffering for Sunday FundOn Sunday, May 6, our communion offering will support the Sunday Fund. The Sunday Fund is the most critical support of the Methodist Senior Ser-vices ministry. Methodist Senior Ser-vices provides comfortable, affordable housing and other services to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of older adults.

The Sunday Fund is a benevolence fund designed to assist elders liv-ing on any of the Methodist Senior Services campuses across the state. Without Sunday Fund assistance, there are men and women who could no longer maintain their residency. One hundred percent of the money donated to the Sunday Fund is used to support elders who have outlived their resources and must ask for help.

Parkway Heights has several church members who call Wesley Manor Retirement Community, a Methodist Senior Services campus here in Hat-tiesburg, home. We encourage you to please give generously on May 6, so we can turn worry into joy and turn concern into peace for the elders God calls us all to serve.

Have you considered Parkway Heights in your Last Will and Testament or otherwise in your

estate plan?

fyi

SAVE THE DATE!

Senior AdultVacation Bible School

August 6-8, 2018 / 10-11:30 a.m.

A lunch option will be available.

hosted by Parkway Heights UMC

Rev. Joey Shelton will be our guest speaker.

Registration info coming soon!

Wesley Club to Meet May 17On Thursday, May 17, Wesley Club will host Paige Kenne-dy, chairperson of the board of directors for Fieldhouse for the Homeless. Paige will share about the ministries of Fieldhouse and how Parkway Heights is involved with Fieldhouse in different ways. The meal will be provided by the UMW Bevill/Vickery Circle.

Wesley Club meets on the third Thursday of each month from 11:45 a.m. until 1 p.m. in Found-ers Hall. Everyone over the age of 55 is welcome!

If you have never been contacted by a Wesley Club caller and are interested in attending, please call the Church Office at 601.544.7873 to make a reservation. Lunch is $7/person. If you have any other questions about Wesley Club, please contact President Diane Dobson or staff member Julie Collins.

April’s Wesley Club Gathering

Mike Lopinto of FestivalSouth was the guest speaker at the April Wesley Club meeting. Mike spoke about this year’s upcoming event.

Along with Mike Lopinto, several musicians with FestivalSouth performed during the April luncheon.

Opportunities to ServeWe have several opportunities for you to serve your church during the week. Here are a couple examples.

(1) Welcome Desk – If you enjoy answering the telephone and being hospitable, there is an opening for a Welcome Desk volunteer on Tuesday afternoons from 1-4 p.m.

(2) Worship Host for 8:30 and 11 a.m. worship services – If you enjoy greeting people as they enter into worship on Sundays, there is an opportunity for you to serve as a worship host. Worship Hosts distribute bulletins, collect the offering and direct communion as needed. Volunteers serve on a rotating schedule.

If you would like to serve in any of these areas, please contact Julie Collins at juliecollins@parkwayheights.org or at 601.544.7873.

USM Golf Teams HospitalityJoin us as we share a meal with the USM men’s and women’s golf teams on Thursday, May 3, at 6 p.m. in the Atrium. We’ll also cele-brate Jerry Weeks, head coach and member of Parkway Heights, as he retires this year. There might even be a golf trivia game! If you’d like to serve as a greeter, eat with the teams and/or provide a dessert, please contact Susan Perry at 601.270.2967.

fyi

A Deeper Well Women’s Ministry Spring Retreat

Almost 50 women gathered over the weekend of April 27-28 at the beautiful Longleaf Plantation in Purvis for a time of relaxation, fellowship and spiritual refreshment. Led by Susan Eaton, the women learned about living abundant life in Christ.

Stephen MinistryRead what Bettie Ross, one of our Stephen Ministers, has to say about this meaningful ministry:

“How are you?” is a familiar greet-ing.

Do you ever reply, “I’m doing just fine,” when you‘re not? I know that I have. Most Sundays at Parkway Heights as I am walking across the Atrium or going up or down in the elevator, someone will greet me and ask, “How are you?” In the process of going from one place to another, I usually pause and quickly respond, “I’m good.” To those whom I know well, I may more accurately reply, “I’m trying to be good.” Longtime friends who are more familiar with my distractions and activities may hear me say, “I’m either good or haven’t been caught.” I appreciate the greeting and interest, but I have a gut feeling the question is not an invitation for a comprehensive inventory of my current status.

If my life is any measure of reality, we all experience ups and downs. There are times when we are dealing with a challenge that is more than we

feel equipped to manage. Stephen Ministry is a service for those times when you are not doing “just fine.” I can recall times when I might have requested a Stephen Minister, if such a service had been available.

Parkway Heights now has Stephen Ministers available. These individuals have received extensive training to serve people who are experienc-ing challenging situations. Stephen Ministers are available to support, encourage, listen, comfort and care with confidentiality and with the help of God.

Stephen Ministers will be individually assigned by our supervising minis-ter, Julie Collins. If you would like to have a Stephen Minister or explore becoming a Stephen Minister, contact Julie at 601.544.7873 or juliecollins@parkwayheights.org. You can also find information plus stories from Stephen Ministers and care receivers in the Atrium nook next to the Welcome Desk.

WELCOME,NEW MEMBERS!

On Sunday, April 15, we wel-comed Will and Caroline Free-man as the newest members of Parkway Heights UMC. Then on April 19, Will and Caroline added another member to their family—and our church family—with the birth of William Henry Freeman, Jr. Congratulations and welcome, Freemans!

We are very happy to welcome Martha Cherry as a new member of Parkway Heights as well. Mar-tha joined our church family on Sunday, March 25. We are glad to have you with us, Martha!

Through volunteer labor and donations from UMCOR and the Greater Pinebelt Community Foundation as well as other organizations, R³SM—Recover, Rebuild, Restore Southeast Mississippi—has completed dozens of rebuild and repair cases that resulted from the January 2017 tornado.

These cases represent homes for people who did not have insurance or means to recover from the devastation on their own. Currently there are over 60 homes approved for assistance with that many more to be considered. During April, the NOMADS (UMC organization) and Mennonite Disaster Services, as well as many individual and church group volunteers, worked to get these people back into a home, whether to a repaired home, or one of the 10 brand- new homes that were under construction at one time. As of April 18, 12 new constructions had been completed with the homeowners moved back home.

Our Men’s Ministry partnered with R³SM and held work days once a month over the past several months. Thank you to all our men who served our community in this way!

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more, contact Wes Arrington at wesarrington@parkwayheights.org or at 601.544.7873.

R³SM Still Hard at Work

outreach

Volunteers Needed for Woodley’s Field DayWoodley Elementary School’s last day of the school year is Tuesday, May 22. Woodley will be holding Field Day for the students at the school that morning, with Parkway Heights providing some inflatables and other fun stuff. Volunteers are needed! To assist that day, look for the opportunity to sign up in the Sunday bulletin.

To find out more information, contact Wes Arrington at wesarrington@parkwayheights.org or at 601.544.7873. Thank you for your support of our Woodley Partnership!

The children always love the inflat-ables at their annual Field Day.

A String and a Prayer Jewelry SalesA String and a Prayer beading group will hold a jewelry sale on Sunday, May 6. The proceeds from this sale on May 6 will benefit our youth mission trip to Peru. It’s just in time for you to shop for Mother’s Day! Remember, there is only one service at 10 a.m. that morning, so please plan to shop before or after the service as there will be no sales during the service.

Another jew-elry sale will be held on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13. As always, all proceeds from this sale will go toward outreach and missions.

Heather Little-Hurst painted faces at a past Field Day at Woodley.

Brian Ford works on a roof repair for R³SM.

Men’s Ministry work day for R³SMThe jewelry tables will be set

up outside the Church Office.

Good Friday at the Fieldhouse For the second year in a row, Parkway Heights has hosted a Good Friday lun-cheon and worship service at Fieldhouse for the Homeless. We want to thank Charlie Bevon and his crew of volunteers for feeding a delicious meal to the men and women there. The day was a blessing to everyone who took part.

Bruce Case led a prayer with the Fieldhouse clients before the meal.

youthCultivate Group Experiences Great First YearIn Luke 10:2 Jesus says to His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the har-vest; ask Him to send more workers into His field.” This is the heart of a new discipleship journey for high schoolers we launched at the beginning of the school year called “Cultivate.”

Cultivate is essentially a “confirmation part 2” and is open to any of our 9th-12th grad-ers… it’s 100% elective. I chose the name because the focus of Cultivate is to help our high schoolers grow in their understanding of God’s Kingdom, what it means to cultivate God’s Kingdom in our own communities and what it means to live a life of Kingdom-minded servanthood. Our goal is to challenge our young people to think missionally and creatively about how to live out God’s Kingdom mission now and in the future in whatever they do for a living.

Beginning in September, we met one Sunday each month for lunch to dig deeply into a theology of God’s Kingdom mission, and we also had the privilege of learning from several leaders in our com-munity, who are living out God’s Kingdom mission in different ways. Our speakers included Bruce Case, Mike Dixon of Greater Pinebelt Community Foundation and pastor at Ekklesia Church, Linda Dixon of the Aldersgate Mission in Hattiesburg, Ann McCullen of Edward Street Fellow-ship Center and Susan Eaton. As part of

the Cultivate commitment, each student will receive a $500 mission voucher to use toward a local, regional or international mission trip.

Finally, we ended this year’s cohort with a camping and adventure trip to Chero-kee Rock Village in Alabama, led by Bill Blair of Rocks-to-Rivers. This was a time to get the cohort out of their comfort zone; challenge them with difficult climbing, hiking and rappelling initiatives; and process everything we’ve talked about over this school year.

We will form a new Cultivate cohort in August for the new school year, and I would love to have one or two adults who would commit to walking alongside our young people through this jour-ney!

-Wes IngramYouth and Family Ministry

We prayed over the Cultivate cohort in worship on April 29.

senior sn@p Crawfish Boil

Sunday, May 6 ~ 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Berry House Yard

$10 for crawfish

seniors eat FREE!

All youth are invited to come

celebrate our seniors!

The Cultivate cohort had (mostly) beautiful weather during their trip.

Our youth in the Cultivate cohort enjoyed the view from Cherokee Rock Village in Alabama during their weekend retreat April 20-22.

KIDNAP RETREAT 2018 Register now! Deadline is May 14!

BASE CAMP MISSION TEAM Registration is open until May 14.

SN@P END-OF-SCHOOL PARTY

SUNDAY, MAY 205-7:30 P.M.

CANEBRAKE LAKEPizza & drinks provided OR bring

your own supper. Current 6thgraders are invited to join us too!

Summer Events

Creative HeARTS

The girls in the Creative HeARTS class, led by Laurie Stetelman, finished off the spring session by making aprons. At left, Clara Pegues models the apron she made.

Camp Wesley Pines Summer DatesIt isn’t too late to register for summer camp! Parkway Heights will coordinate transportation June 18-20 for rising 1st-3rd graders and July 9-13 for rising 4th-6th graders. Contact Lesley Ellison at lesleyellison@parkwayheights.org or 601.544.7873 for more information.

children

Camp Wesley Pines Free DaySixteen children and adults enjoyed a fun day at Camp Wesley Pines on Saturday, April 21. Ropes course, canoeing, archery and good fellowship

provided a beautiful day of outdoor fun.

Lesley Ellison braved the lake with Neal Bryan, Joseph Ellison and Hayes McMillan.

Our children had a blast enjoying summer camp for a day at Camp Wesley Pines.

Coming Soon: Vacation Bible School! Register Now!At Hero Central VBS our children will experience God’s love, explore God’s mission for their lives and seek to learn ways to be God’s heroes. Come and join the adventure Monday, June 4, through Thursday June 7. Registration is now open atparkwayheights.org. Children age four (by Sept. 1st) through rising 4th graders are invited to participate, and rising fifth through twelfth graders are needed to help. Youth volunteers are asked to register at parkwayheights.org as well.

Volunteers needed!We have a great group of station leaders lined up, but we still need “crew” leaders to shep-herd small groups of “heroes” through the different VBS stations. We also need leaders to help with snacks and registration. Contact Lesley Ellison at lesleyellison@parkwayheights.org and find out how you can help!

Supplies needed!Keep a lookout in the Atrium for our VBS display and grab a few supply cards from the bulle-tin board! Please bring all supplies in by May 27. Thanks for your help!

Parents’ Night Out

Parents’ Night Out will be Friday, May 4, 6-9:30 p.m. The cost for the pizza option is $5 per child. Please register your children on myParkwayHeights by noon on Wednesday, May 2. Please register on time, so that we can give nursery staff adequate notice. We hope all our parents will take advantage of this night off!

Uprising FunUprising Sunday evenings at Parkway Heights are fun! Our fifth and sixth graders enjoy games and fun together!

Fifth and sixth grade students enjoyed an egg toss in the church’s back parking lot recently.

MailRoom

Dear Parkway Heights,

Thank you so much for supporting the USM Wesley Foundation at our annual Friends of Wesley fundraiser. We raised over $12,000, and we couldn’t have done it without you! I am thankful to be part of your church family, and I’m overwhelmed with your support for college students at USM.

Love,

Mary GodboldAssistant DirectorUSM Wesley Foundation

Dear Parkway Heights Friends,

What a blessing your generosity is for “the least of these” in our community! Your monthly support of Edwards Street Fellowship Center provides hope and help to families and individuals who often feel like society has given up on them. They have exhausted their resources and wonder how long they can survive.

Thanks to you, they can receive food at our food pantry, medical care at our health clinic, clothing and home furnishings at our thrift store and Christian encouragement through our programming. God bless you for shining the light of God’s love throughout the Pine Belt!

With gratitude for you,

Ann McCullenExecutive DirectorEdwards Street Fellowship Center

Prayer ConcernsParish Brown, Ryan Daniels, Debi Davenport, Bud Kirkpatrick, Landa Ryan, Emily Shepard & Nicholas Wright

Praise... - for the birth of William Henry Freeman, Jr., born to Will and Caroline Freeman on April 19, 2018.

Sympathy to... - Steve Mansfield on the death of his father, Noel Mansfield - Charles Redmond on the death of his mother, Wanda Bennett - Brian Thompson on the death of his grandmother - Mary Turner on the death of her brother, Nolan Brown - Anne Hutto on the death of her sister

WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVEA good time was had by all at the first-ever Wednesday Night Live event to benefit our youth mission trip to Peru. $3,775 was raised through ticket sales and the silent auction! THANK YOU to everyone for your support!

PH Happenings

LIVE @ FIVEThanks to everyone who has helped

with the Live @ Five setup and clean-up on Friday nights to benefit the

Hattiesburg High School Band(pictured at right). Special thanks to

Wes Ingram for his leadership of this effort!

HOLY WEEK SERVICESOn Maundy Thursday, March 29, our congregation celebrated Holy Com-

munion together in the Youth Chapel. Susannah Case, Mollie McCarroll and Susan Eaton provided special music.

Annual Conference Info

The time is rapidly approaching for the yearly gathering of United Methodists across our state. This year’s annual conference will be held May 31-June 2. The Mississippi Conference has released a new Guidebook app, which will provide instant access to the latest information regarding annual conference for anyone interested.

To enter your cell phone number and have an app download link sent directly to your phone, visit: http://guidebook.com/g/powerofwe.

To view all of the contents of this year’s annual conference app on your computer via a traditional web page, visit: http://guidebook.com/guide/120262.

Our mission: “To connect, equip and send people for Christ”

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Parkway Heights UMC2420 Hardy Street

Hattiesburg, MS 39401-5911parkwayheights.org

601.544.7873Bruce Case, Lead Pastor

Julie Collins, Executive Pastor

Susan Eaton, Associate Pastor

David Sellers, Pastor, The Open Door Community

Wes Ingram, Youth & Family

Lesley Ellison, Children & Family

Wes Arrington,Outreach & Facilities

Sunday GatheringsWorship: 8:30 & 11 a.m.

Fellowship: 9:30 a.m.Sunday School: 9:45 a.m.

The Open Door Community2180 Oak Grove RoadThursdays: 6:30 p.m.

Parkway Heights UMC2420 Hardy StreetHattiesburg, MS 39401-5911

Special thanks to our InMission proofreader Nova Corley

PHUMC Finances March 2018 Income ................................... $128,068 Expenses ............................... $107,122 Net ............................................... $20,946 YTD Actual Income ................................... $350,267 Expenses ............................... $350,365 Net ..................................................... $(98) YTD Comparison Income ................................... $431,455 Budget .................................... $350,267 Budget Deficit ...................... $81,188