Curious about who we are at Parker United Methodist Church?  Wonder what United Methodists believe?  Wanting to join this amazing faith community and become a member?

Join us this Sunday, September 21 from 11:45-1:15 for our next New Member Class!  This is a great place to get connected and ask your questions!

Lunch is provided, and childcare is provided upon request.  

Please RSVP to Pastor Laura to sign up for this class.

New this year! We love the Spark Picture Bibles so much that we would love for families to have them in their homes. This year first graders will be getting a Spark Storybook picture Bible and third graders will receive the traditional Bible. This will be on September 21 at both services. Please let me know if you have a 1st or 3rd grader in your household.   

Please RSVP to Noelle to sign up for a Bible.

We look forward to resuming our rehearsals soon:

• Chorale rehearsals start Wednesday, September 24, at 7 p.m.

• Handbells rehearsals start Thursday, September 25, 6:45 p.m.

• Cambiata rehearsals start Wednesday, October 15, 6 p.m.

Contact Paul Ijames for information about Chorale and Cambiata and Jon Bray for Handbells.

Looking for connection with others who have younger children?  Join us for our Young Families Lunch!

Bring a dish to share and join us next Sunday, September 28 at 11:45 for our Young Families Lunch.   This is a great place to get connected with others who are in the same life stage! 

All are welcome!

If you have questions, contact Cody

As you move around in the ocmmunity, we invite you to wear a church t-shirt. We have some that have "Love Outside the Box" on the back and some have "I Can Help" on the front. There are a variety of sizes and colors for each style.

Donations appreciated. Contact the church office if you are interested in getting one.

Have you noticed the rising costs of your favorite chocolate?  Our chocolate prices remain the same!

We are still selling chocolate and would love to fill your pantries up!  Each of our World's Finest Chocolate bars is $2 and every penny goes to our youth program.  

Buy your chocolate in the church office today!

Are you or a family member on active military duty?  If so, we wish to acknowledge your service members and pray for them. If desired, please add active service members from your family to our prayer list by answering the questions in this survey. 

We would also like to recognize any veterans tied to our church community, so we are seeking that information as well.

If you have multiple individuals to list, please fill out and submit another form. Questions? Please reach out to Pastor Laura.

Thank you very much!

Parker UMC is again sponsoring a Vitalant drive on Sunday, October 19 from 8:30 a.m. - noon. If you are able to help with a donation, you can make an appointment by logging in to donors.vitalant.org, click on the dot for “blood drive code” and enter 0894. From there you will be able to open the list of available times. If you prefer, you can use the QR code below to go directly to the scheduling page. Again, thank you for prayerfully considering another donation. 

If you have any questions or need help signing up, please email me at davekronbach@gmail.com or text me at (630) 926-4996.   

In preparation for Sunday worship, here are questions to consider ahead of time. You can use these in your own devotion time, in conversation with family and friends, or in a small group setting. All are welcome to join one discussion group every Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Room 216 in the church. You can also form your own discussion group. 

Contact Doug McKinney if you are interested or have questions. We hope this practice will help you engage with the scriptural texts and sermon at a deeper faith level. 

For September 21 worship:

• A Father's Blessing

• Scripture: Genesis 25:29-34, 27:21-29, 28:12-15, 33:1-3; Deuteronomy 6:5-9

• Guiding Questions:

1. In our scripture this week, we hear how Isaac and Rebekah have two sons, Jacob and Esau, who have a complicated family relationship.  Each son is unique and each is imperfect in their own way. How would you describe Jacob and Esau as individuals? What lessons can we learn from their story, especially regarding family relationships?  

2. Read Genesis 25:19-26. How did Isaac and Rebekah turn to God with their concerns and what guidance and help did they find?  Who do you turn to when you have concerns or need guidance?  In what situations do you turn to God for guidance? 

3. Read Genesis 26:32-27:29. Usually a father would call his sons around his deathbed and would bless each one.  Isaac was not just a naive victim, but was actually trying to bypass Jacob.  Do you believe that God could have worked without Rebekah's deceit or not?  How do you decide when to wait and trust God and when you need to act? 

4. Read Genesis 27:42-28:22.  Have you ever had a moment like Jacob's, where you had this sense that surely God had been in that place?  Or have you ever had a moment where you felt like maybe you missed God's presence that was there?  How can you become more aware of God's presence in your life?

5. This story is all about receiving a blessing. What does it mean to receive a blessing, from a parent, a mentor, or from God? Do you think blessings are just words, or do they carry something deeper? Why? How might you be a blessing to others in your family, your friends, or your community?

Please join us Sunday as we continue our sermon series, In the Beginning . . . An Exploration of Genesis. This Sunday's messsage is A Father's Blessing; our scripture readings are Genesis 25:29-34, 27:21-29, 28:12-15, 33:1-3; Deuteronomy 6:5-9.

Regular Worship Services

• 9 a.m. Sunday: Blended service with traditional elements and a variety of music including hymns, handbells and choir.

• 10:30 a.m. Spark! Worship: This service includes contemporary praise music, and an informal style that offers a play area for children, opportunities for you to be involved in service, and the freedom to practice prayer and worship in exciting and personalized ways. 

• 5:30 p.m. 2nd Wednesday of each month: At The Table. We gather around a meal, share conversation and stories of faith, and complete a small mission project.