The Practices We Do
We know you have a busy life, so we’ll try to keep things simple at Parkside Church. We want people to have a holistic spiritual life, and we believe these three practices help equip us to both share good news and be good news to our neighbors, friends, and families.
Worship
To breathe out, you first have to breathe in. The purpose of worship for us is not to go through dry ritual or to entertain, but rather to clearly teach from God’s Word and joyously celebrate Christ’s sacraments of baptism and communion. We believe our worship should create space for the Holy Spirit to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
Community
Let’s be honest. A 20-minute sermon once a week is not sufficient for spiritual flourishing. Midweek community groups allow us both time to study in depth what it means to follow Jesus in our relationships, community, and culture — as well as to form meaningful friendships with others who can support us in both the highlights and downturns in life. We believe breaking bread and sharing a meal is a sacred act in initiating and building relationships.
Service
The good life isn’t about just getting, but giving. We create plenty of bite-sized ways to serve at Parkside. Help out on Sunday mornings, distribute groceries to our underprivileged neighbors on the weekend, or lobby local officials on justice and equity issues during the week. Perhaps you’d also be willing to be intentional about creating your own “ministry of presence” within your own sphere of influence? Whatever you’re passionate about, we’re here to put you in and cheer you on.