BACK TO SCHOOL YOUTH BASH SUNDAY NIGHT - If you are in middle school or high school, we want you to join us Sunday night for free food, live music, and more free food at Lone Star Ranch Community Center from 6:00PM - 8:00PM. This will be a time to hang out, as well as praying for the new school year. Directions are at the information table. You will not want to miss out!

Women’s Fall Bible Study - Sign Up Today!
This Fall, Carla Moss, Director of Women’s Ministries, will be leading a new study called The Power of A Praying Woman. The session will run 11 weeks. Please signup today if you are interested. The number of groups, date and times will be finalized once signup is completed. The study will start in late August/early September. In January 2007, we will start our large group/small group expanded bible study program. The Spring Bible Study will be Beth’s Moore’s Daniel. For more information, visit our website or send an email to womens@prestontrail.org. 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

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.

Flywheel Update

In a previous Trail Notes I highlighted Jim Collin’s metaphor of a “flywheel” as a picture of breakthrough growth.  He says picture a huge metal disk mounted on a horizontal axle that is 30 feet in diameter, 2 feet thick, and weighs 5,000 pounds.  Now, the challenge is to get the flywheel turning as fast and as long as possible.

The initial turns are incredibly difficult.  The movement may even be imperceptible.  But, with continual pressure and effort hour after hour, day after day, the wheel begins to turn faster and faster.  Eventually the flywheel breaks through and the momentum of the disk starts working in your favor.  You are pushing no harder than you were before but the flywheel goes faster and faster.  He concludes: “Each turn of the flywheel builds on the work done earlier, compounding your investment of effort.  A thousand times faster, then ten thousand, then a hundred thousand.  The huge heavy disk flies forward, with almost unstoppable momentum.”

We have been building Preston Trail with the flywheel in mind.  The goals of our leaders have been to create relevant and practical worship services and age group ministries that open people’s hearts to the love of God; to create a sense of belonging and community among our attenders; to give everyone the opportunity to make a difference for God by using their gifts to serve him on a regular basis, and by making the next right strategic decision along the way.  We have been committed to this process from the very beginning and believe that with God’s gracious favor and our persistent effort that we would someday experience a “breakthough” and attain a momentum that would allow us to have an ever increasing impact on our community and world for Christ.

This summer, I believe we are beginning to see that breakthrough on the horizon.  Our attendance has grown at a 30-40% clip through the summer.  More and more of you are investing in relationships with people who are far from God and inviting them to join you at Preston Trail.  We have had a huge new wave of people make the decision to become full partners with our ministry.  And, a new Women’s Ministry is going to be revealed this fall that will become an awesome spiritual resource to the women of North Texas.

Add to this the fact that we are only 3-4 months away from getting into our very own building and we have a lot of factors that are coming together to create some incredible momentum for the kingdom.  Our ability to reach and touch people with the good news of Christ is about to increase exponentially.  With God’s power and our commitment to our mission we will have the opportunity to see thousands of lives changed in the next five years. 

To make sure we provide all the space necessary for the new folks who will be coming our way when school starts up again, we are making a few organizational changes.  We are adding a second CurbSide.  Beginning August 13th kids ages 4 through 1st Grade will be meeting with Jeri Taylor in Theatre 15.  Grades 2-5 will be led by Chad Davis in Theatre 1.  We will still have the same fun and creative approach to learning about God.  This new configuration will allow us to maximize our children’s ministries on Sunday morning.  

Remember, we will stick with our 10:00 AM schedule until we move to the new building. Don’t miss the final installment of What Do I Tell My Kids About?  Paul will be addressing the ticklish issue of dinosaurs!  Many of you have asked and now here’s the answer.  We’ll have boxed sets of this series available in the lobby on August 13!   

See you Sunday!

Jim 

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. CDs will no longer be sold at our Resource Table, however entire sermon series will be available for purchase once our new building is complete.