Parkside Mission

One of the great moments in the Christmas story is when the Angels surprise the shepherds with announcement of the good news:    "And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10 Even today there is joy when we bring the good news to people in words of truth and actions of love. The focus of our ministry in neighborhoods around Piedmont Park is bringing the truth and love of Christ. We are in the middle of a fruitful year, but we greatly need additional funding to continue our plans for 2016. We are thankful to announce today that a $10,000 matching challenge has offered to effectively double gifts for the December.  You can donate online at  https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift2/?giftid=03BF3A19610E4B1 , All donations are tax deductible and you will receive a receipt for your gift.  If you have any questions you can always call Trent directly, 404-932-2...

The following article is the product of what I adapted from early days of discipleship in campus ministry, my seminary training, and my work as a pastor in Atlanta. The result is a thorough but flexible personal devotion plan. Personal Devotion Plan by Trent McEntyre Approach Pray for God’s Spirit to give you understanding and submission to God and His will revealed in the Scripture. (Pray Psalm 119:10 or Ephesians 3:14-20) Study Read a paragraph or a chapter of the Bible. 1. List what the passage tells about God or Christ.      a. His character or attributes    b. His ways or works 2. List what the passage tells about us.    a. Our sins or limitations    b. Our likeness to God or potential   3. List examples to follow or avoid, promises to claim, or commands to follow.   Meditate   Now write out one or two (at most!) of the main thoughts/teachings you derived from the passage. For each teach...

The treasure principle: “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.” Treasure principle keys 1 “God owns everything. I’m His money manager.”  What difference does it make to live like we are stewards not owners/? 2 “My heart always goes where I put God’s money.” What do you think happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things?  3 “Heaven, not earth, is my home.” How does our citizenship in the eternal kingdom help us around roadblocks to giving?          Heb 11:13-16 4 “I should live not for the dot [life on earth] but for the line [eternity in heaven].”          How does an eternal perspective motivate us to give? 5 “Giving is the only antidote to materialism.” Have you seen giving improve the life of someone who struggled with materialism? 6 “God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard o...

Are you interested in an opportunity for fly fishing and fellowship? Then consider helping us change lives in the heart of Atlanta by supporting Parkside Community Ministry through our second fishing retreat. What you can expect: Expert instruction and guided fly fishing for trout Fishing  on a private access section of the Toccoa River and Hothouse Creek (a trophy managed private stream). Fish cookout Monday evening Ways you can participate: Chose a plan that works for you • A - Day of Fishing - Monday 9 am - 6 pm Lunch and Dinner included • B - Fishing retreat - Monday 9 am -Tuesday 12 pm Lunch, Dinner, Lodging and Breakfast included.  Lodging will be at Firefly Lodge in Mineral Bluff, GA. • C- Can’t attend? Sponsor another. Give a gift to fuel our ministry.  “…so where the river flows everything will live.” Ezekiel 47:9 More info: Map of Toccoa River, Firefly Lodge, and Hothouse Creek

First, I'd like to tell you a story about a man who considered the Gospel of grace scandalous. Amir was a highly educated young professional in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Amir invited our family over for a traditional Bosnian meal. After supper, over Turkish coffee, he told me his personal story of returning to Islam. I then shared my story of discovering the grace of God through Christ in college and explained passages from the NT book of Romans that make the case that the only way for us to be right with God is by faith in God's grace. Amir's reply was one of frustration, "So, you think you do nothing to earn God's mercy?" Most people I talk to in Atlanta do not quite share Amir's contempt, but they do share something in common with his confusion and suspicion towards grace. We have a hard time holding together free grace with the truth that grace changes us. We are tempted to compromise; either in a relativistic or in a moralistic way. Which brings me to...

During our Athens days, (Athens, GA that is!) Trent met a fascinating singer songwriter named Bill Mallonee. Bill wrote songs from a Christian point of view that spoke at times with a haunting voice:       "I heard a sneer outside the garden,         salutation, so well-heeled.        Final Stop! No points beyond Struggleville!        Welcome all you suckers to Struggleville." If we read the Apostle Paul's great letter to the Romans carefully, we will hear the same haunting voice. In Romans chapter 7, God speaks to the fact that Christians do in fact continue to struggle with their faults and failures even after they begin to trust the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we know ourselves, we know we struggle too. And like Paul, we want to know how the grace of God ought to help  us in our struggles. In Romans 8:1-15, The Apostle Paul shows us how Christ and the Gospel offer the help of God's Holy Spirit rig...

This summer Trent has been preaching a short series of sermons from Romans chapters 5-8. The first is a message from Romans 5:1-11 called Surprise by Joy Here are the notes in a varied outline form: Surprised by joy: Romans 5:1-11 The surprising power the Gospel brings us to rejoice Intro Story about the power of surprise to bring us joy. Whenever we experience a relationship that is free from expectations they are full of surprise and they have the power to bring us joy… Fallen Condition Focus - Why we need to look at Rom 5?  We all struggle to find joy in our lives. Especially when we stress out to find whether we get the promotion…as we wonder why we are still suffering physically or financially. You might be miserable. You may just be bored, but we all struggle to find joy What I hope you take away from this? If you not yet believer? Usually some lack of joy has prompted your spiritual quest. You have tried to find satisfaction in work, jobs, travel, things…b...

What have you read this summer that is worth rereading? How about a something worth reading over and over? Most of us find few things that we go back to like that; acceptance letters, love letters, perhaps lyrics to our favorite songs. Christians ought to read and reread the entire Bible like nothing else, but honestly we struggle. Thankfully there are passages like Romans chapters 5-8 that can wake us up to what we have been missing. This summer Trent is preaching a short series of sermons from Romans chapters 5-8. I will publish my study notes and links to sermons. Feel free to use them for your study or teaching ministry. Grace, Trent

Summer wraps up in two weeks! Here are our favorite snap shots of the summer: Emily and Trent at Ecco, a popular Midtown dining destination. Chris White with a beautiful Brook trout caught on the Parkside Fly Fishing Retreat. Our Daughter Langley and Trent on evening bike ride on the Atlanta Beltline trail. Two young men who have been great to work with, Jeremy and Collin,  at Atlanta's Central Park for a St. Paul's Pres. kick ball social. 

Prayer requests as we begin the summer: 1. For God's love to continually renew our hearts. (Romans 5:5) 2. For God to continue blessing the ministry in our community. (Colossians 1:10) 3. For success in our summer emphasis on increased giving and prayer support. (Philippians 4:19,20) A old fly fishing reel passed down to me by my Father and a favorite verse that inspires our ministry.

A sampling of what's happening in our ministry: Friday April 24th, 9 am - 10:15 am, Neighborhood Bible Study at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church Trent leads an open Bible study for men and women, people with no homes, people with nice homes, come connect in a discussion of a relevant scripture passage. Click here for directions. Neighborhood Bible Study Sunday April 26th, 6 pm, Community cookout at the McEntyre's home. Emily and Trent are hosting this month's neighborhood dinner. Trent will be cooking a Turkey on the smoker. Bring a dish to share. Email us for more info or to RSVP. Tuesday April 28th, 8 pm-9:30pm, Virginia Highland/Morningside Men's Bible discussion at Mark Gallagher's home. Men of various ages and backgrounds come together for a lively discussion of ancient scripture. Email Trent for directions. Friday, May 1st, 8:15-9:15.  Women praying for area schools.  If you are a woman, come join us to pray for our area schools, tea...

We are focusing on four things in February: 1. Neighborhood Bible Study - On Tuesday nights, Trent leads a group for the reaches out to men in our neighborhood. Emily and Trent at the rink at Piedmont Park, February 2015. 2. Prayer Ministry - Trent is developing a variety of ways to increase our ministry of prayer for the neighborhoods around Piedmont Park 3. Ministry Partnership s- We are working in close partnership with St. Paul's Presbyterian Church and the Midtown Young Life ministry. 4. Monthly Financial Partners - We need additional people and churches to support us with monthly gifts to cover the monthly expenses of our ministry. If you give in this way already, Thank You! There are a few other things happening and in the works. We would love to hear from you if you are interested in participating in or supporting this ministry. Grace, Trent and Emily McEntyre

Resources for January “Physical training is of some value…” 1 Timothy 4:8 You might find this New York times article a solid encouragement to keep moving with your exercise plan: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/how-exercise-keeps-us-young/?src=me If you live or work near us in Midtown and are looking for a gym, Emily and I enjoy Urban Body Fitness in Amsterdam Walk. http://www.urbanbodyfitness.com “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2 I was challenged by Mike Metzger’s article on insights for Not For Profit leaders from elite For Profit consultants. http://www.doggieheadtilt.com/not-very-profitable/ Care for your soul A very short but enlightening devotional on gratitude by Henri Nouwen: http://wp.henrinouwen.org/daily_meditation_blog/?p=3471#comment-264817 Love thy neighbor Hopefully, whatever we resolve in the New Year, it is so that we can better love others and make the world a better place for our neighbors. ...