November 22, 2021
Nov. 28 | Discovery
What do faithful people do to keep from growing weary or losing heart?
Articles for tag: Surprise
December 7, 2015
Storytellers: Worship Beyond Music
By Laura Dingman Everyone loves a good story. We live for the intrigue, the action, the surprise, the mystery. We love a valiant hero, a triumphant underdog, a liberated prisoner, a conquered villain. Hearing good stories never grows old. God wired us to love story. He reveals his character in the stories of the patriarchs and moves the plot forward in the books of history. He discloses his compassionate and just nature in words contained in the poetry of the Psalms. Jesus, a masterful storyteller, taught in parables, explaining new truths to his listeners in accessible, everyday forms. God authored
June 12, 2011
Large, Healthy Churches Merge in Phoenix Area
By Jennifer Taylor What if thousands of people drove past one another on the highway to worship at churches that weren”t located too far apart? What if both churches coordinated hundreds of small groups in their communities””groups studying different material and never working together to reach the city? When Christ”s Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ) and Parkway Christian Church (Surprise, AZ) saw this scenario playing out in their shared mission field, they made a surprising decision””to merge both churches and do more together than they could apart. The two churches, both located in suburbs of Phoenix, officially merged in
November 17, 2010
Churches Participate in “˜Just One Sunday”
By Jennifer Taylor Churches around the country have participated in “Just One Sunday,” a challenge from Christian college and university presidents to pray for “just one” person who might become a vocational kingdom worker and to make Matthew 9:38 a special prayer emphasis during worship services. Parkway Christian Church (Surprise, AZ) created a “Just One Challenge” card for each child at the church, from newborns to high school students. During the service, PCC members each selected a card and committed to pray for that young person at least once a day. David Doty, senior minister at Woodland Hills Church of
April 15, 2007
MEGACHURCH PROFILE: Parkway Christian, Surprise, AZ
By Kent Fillinger PARKWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Surprise, AZ) Senior Pastor: Trent Renner Attendance: 1,200 Size Rank: 100 Launched: 1997 Web site: www.parkwaychristianchurch.com SURPRISING INNOVATIONS Organizational leadership guru Peter Drucker defined innovation as “the effort to create purposeful, focused change in an enterprise”s economic or social potential.” Innovative approaches to ministry are resulting in exciting growth for 10-year-old Parkway Christian Church. Parkway, a daughter church of Christ”s Church of the Valley (Peoria, Arizona), was started in October 1997 by lead pastor Trent Renner. At the first service, 168 people attended in a rented facility on a Saturday night because nothing was
