Discover Preston Trail Class If you would like to learn more about PTCC, this gathering is for you. Don’t miss this exciting class led by Pastors Jim Johnson and Paul Basden. Our next class will be October 22. This will be at the home of John & Jeri Taylor (6091 Rachel Dr.) from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. For more information, please email us at info@prestontrail.org.

Food Drive For Frisco - During the month of October, PTCC will be participating in a food drive for Frisco residents. We will be working through Frisco Family Services, an organization that serves people living in Frisco and those in the Frisco ISD. This Sunday morning you will receive a “grocery bag" with instructions. Help us feed the hungry!

Serving Team Conference Interested in joining a serving team? Already on a serving team? Then this is for you! Mark your calendars for the Serving Team Conference on November 11 from 8:30AM - 12:00PM at the PTCC building. Join us for food, training, and tons of fun! Stay tuned for more info!

Women’s Fall Bible Study - Sign Up Today!
This Fall, Carla Moss, Director of Women’s Ministries, is leading a new study called The Power of A Praying Woman. The session will run 11 weeks. Sign up for either Thursday nights 6:30 - 8:30p.m. at Dellanna O'Brien's home (12439 Bruschetta Drive), or Friday mornings 9 - 11a.m. at the home of Carla Moss (6060 Pintail Lane). In January 2007, we will start our large group/small group expanded bible study program. The Spring Bible Study will be Beth Moore’s Daniel. For more information, visit our website or send an email to womens@prestontrail.org. MORE

Tickets are on sale for our Women's Home Decorating Event on Sunday, October 15th. More details are available on our website. MORE

CLASSIFIED: Get on board!!!
Are you looking to make a difference at PTCC? Enclosed in this week's program is a Classified Ad which highlights some of the best serving opportunities at PTCC. Use the gifts God has given you while developing new friendships by simply signing up for a team on the back of your welcome card or by sending an email to info@prestontrail.org. MORE

Partnership - Take the next step in your commitment to PTCC by becoming a partner, our membership program. Partnership can be achieved by completing a bible study on our core values, the 5Gs of Grace, Growth, Groups, Gifts and Good Stewardship. You can do this on your own by downloading the guide here on our website or by attending our next partnership class on Sunday, September 23rd 9AM - 12 PM at the home of JD Tomlin.

Online Giving
Make your life simpler by automating your giving. Follow the easy directions at www.prestontrail.org to setup for debit or credit card for regular giving and dream big donations. All transactions are secure and will appear on your regular statement.

Life Groups
Sign up at the Information Table or email info@prestontrail.org and get involved in a group!

Winning is the only thing …

NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi used to say, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing!” That’s why Buck Showalter was just fired as manager of the Rangers – he didn’t have a winning record. That’s why Avery Johnson is back with the Mavs this year – he had a great season last year. And that is how Bill Parcells will be evaluated when the Cowboys’ season ends – was he a winner?

In the kingdom of sports, it’s easy to tell who’s winning. Just look at their won-loss record.

But how about the Kingdom of God? Can you tell what churches are succeeding? Is there an ecclesiastical won-loss column somewhere that identifies spiritual winners and losers?

Well, not exactly … but there is a point I’m trying to make.

God calls every church to be effective, to be successful. And the way God measures Kingdom success is this: obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission. That’s it – if a church takes seriously Jesus’ marching orders from Matthew 28:19-20, that church is a winner in God’s eyes. Here’s the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

At PTCC we intend to do everything in our power to obey the specific commands found in this Commission: make disciples, baptize, teach. In the first two areas we’re doing OK, but we want to improve on the third one: teaching people to obey everything Jesus taught.

When Jim and I started PTCC, we followed a two-service model that was effective at Willow Creek Community Church and Saddleback Valley Community Church. That model involved a weekend service and a midweek service. The weekend service would have messages that were biblically based and music that was worshipful, but it was specifically designed so believers could invite friends and neighbors to join them and hear about Jesus in a friendly and fun environment. That service would help us “make disciples and baptize.” Quite different would be the midweek service, which would have an in-depth Bible Study designed to take believers deeper in God’s Word. It was to be a venue for teaching believers all of Jesus’ commands.

In theory this twofold structure looked great. But in practice the midweek service never took off … or caught on … or fit in. Scheduling and timing did not attract our young families with young children. So we’ve been re-thinking how to teach all of you Jesus’ commands regularly and thoroughly.

And we’ve come up with a plan we like.

• It’s gender-specific – because we think guys are more honest when girls aren’t around … and vice versa!
• It’s focused on Bible Study – because we think that real life-change occurs only when God confronts us in His word and we obey Him.
• It’s weekly – because we think something as important as spiritual growth deserves weekly maintenance.

Simply put, we are going to enhance men’s groups and women’s groups so that the Bible is the primary curriculum, gifted teachers are teaching God’s Word, weekly meetings are inspiring and uplifting, time and place are set so that most of our people can attend, and spiritual growth is the norm … not the exception!

Over the next few weeks we will share more with you, but rest assured: PTCC longs to be successful in God’s eyes. We believe that winning is the only thing. And we intend to teach Jesus’ commands to everyone who calls Preston Trail their home. I hope that includes you …

Read previous Trail Notes here

Click here for more information on Dream Big!

Chapter 2
Join us WEEKLY on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM, for a deeper service of biblical teaching, looking into the Life of Jesus. Led by our senior pastors, this will be a meaningful time of prayer, worship and teaching. 7:00 pm AMC Theatre.

LISTEN! Preston Trail Podcast
Sermons now available online! In keeping up with the times, all PTCC Worship Sermons are available for downloading on our website. So, if you missed a service, go here and take a listen.
You will have the option of downloading and listening to them on your computer or even subscribe here (or press the iTunes image on the right) to have them come to your computer automatically each time one is added - then play them on your computer or your iPod.