MEN'S MINISTRY KICKOFF EVENT
Join the Men’s Ministry of PTCC, Sunday Sept 9th from 5:30-7:00 PM for a chili supper, guest speaker, and a brief look into the Fall Men’s Ministry. We will have guest speaker, Jonathan Spinks, Former Undefeated Professional Fighter and Kickboxing Champion. He now shares Christ with the US military through the OSU Tour. Also, stay afterwards to watch the Cowboys opening game in hi-def on our big screens!

STARTING POINT
If you are in the part of your spiritual journey where you are asking questions like, “Does God exist?”, “Is the Bible reliable?” or “What happens to those who don’t believe?” our Starting Point groups are a great place to start to get answers. These informal discussion groups allow you to be yourself, raise any issues or questions you have about spiritual matters, express your thoughts and opinions without judgment, hear what other seekers are thinking and learn what the Bible has to say about life today. We are launching Starting Point on Sunday, September 23rd during the 11:00 service in the room to the right of the main entrance as you enter the building. You can check out the group without feeling like you have to sign up for a long-term commitment. Go once and see what you think.

For more information about how to connect with a Starting Point group, contact Matt Moss at StartingPoint@prestontrail.org

SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
It’s not often that a church has a school in its backyard ... literally! Well we do -- and PTCC is partnering with Christie Elementary School this year to enrich the learning environment there through tutoring and mentoring students, especially those who are bilingual. To learn more, come to an informational meeting on Thursday September 6 from 7 to 8 PM, at the church building. Also, please sign up at the YES Table.

CLOTHE-A-CHILD
October 13 & 20 2007 at Kohl’s in Frisco, TX
Clothe-A-Child is coming for two weekends in October this year! PTCC has a goal this year of sponsoring 85 children and providing 100 volunteers. Please prayerfully consider investing in the lives of these of these children by helping to sponsor a child, and/or signing up to volunteer. You can sign-up to volunteer and/or drop off cash donations at the Clothe-A-Child table (located at the north entrance) each Sunday morning from 9:10am - 9:30am & 10:30am -11:00am now thru the end of our volunteer and donation campaign on 9/9. For more information click on: http://www.prestontrail.org/family/clothe-a-child.htm, or contact Leigh Anne Crow at leighacrow@netscape.net or 972-377-2300.

PARTNERSHIP
Take the next step in your commitment to God and to PTCC by becoming a partner, our membership program. Partnership focuses on five biblical principles that we call the 5Gs: Grace, Growth, Groups, Gifts and Good Stewardship. You may complete the self-directed Bible Study found on our website or you may attend our next partnership class Sept. 23 from 9:00 AM - Noon at the PTCC building. Sign up at the Yes! Table today!

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!

THE VALUE OF SMALL GROUPS

When I received my undergraduate degree many years ago, I had a decision to make – pursue graduate work, take a job with a previous employer where I grew up, or set my sails for a land unknown. Which curtain do you think I chose? It was an easy decision at the time - curtain #3 (curtain #1 wasn’t opened until a few years later)! I started a career that had little to do with my degree but a lot to do with the salary that was offered to a 23-year-old single guy. Being the wise, discerning young man that I was(n’t), I had not researched the demographics of this particular town and soon discovered that there weren’t very many young, single adults around (particularly of the female gender!).

It didn’t take long before I began to feel lonely and crave friendships. They were in no short supply in college, but they didn’t follow me to west Texas for some reason. The church where I began attending had a single’s small group, and the median age was 40 years my senior! I gave it a shot, however, and discovered that while our lives were quite different there were some valuable life lessons that I learned:
· I could actually be friends with people my parent’s and grandparent’s age!
· I began to learn the difference between shallow, superficial friendships and deep, authentic ones.
· Life happens best in the context of relationships. I wouldn’t have initially pursued these relationships, but they truly became my friends.
· These new friends spoke into my life, were painfully honest at times, and helped me mature and develop more into Christ-likeness.

Have you ever had an authentic relationship with someone you just see in passing for a few minutes once a week? Do you wish you had more significant relationships at church? That’s why Small Groups are so important. We make the search for a Small Group simple by offering a variety of groups - men’s, women’s, and co-ed Life Groups - at various times during the week. From weekends to weekdays, in the mornings or evenings, it will be easy to find a time that works best for you.

The purpose of Small Groups is to create a deep sense of friendship and community around the teachings of the Bible. Small Groups provide a living laboratory in which each person can learn how to love, serve, and care for others as Jesus has cared for us. Small Groups provide the primary place for you to develop meaningful friendships at PTCC.

If you are interested in joining a Men’s or Women’s Small Group, or a Single’s or Married Life Group, we can help you find the one that is right for you. Let us know of your interest by a) checking the appropriate box on the Welcome Card in Sunday morning’s program, b) stop by the Yes! Table where someone will be happy to assist you, or c) email men@prestontrail.org, womens@prestontrail.org, or info@prestontrail.org. We want to help you connect with a small group that’s best for you!

Life together is much better than alone!

JD Tomlin
Director of Connections

Visit MyMiserableMarriage.com

INVITE A FRIEND

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.

Read previous Trail Notes here

LISTEN! Preston Trail Podcast
PTCC worship messages are available by subscription to our podcast or for listening on our website. So, if you missed a service, or want to share one with a friend 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 while you're exercising or driving.

Calendar at a glance...

Sept. 9 Men's Ministry Kickoff

Sept. 16 Discover Preston Trail - 11:00 Corner office

Sept. 23 Partnership Class 9:00 AM - Noon, Corner Office

Sept. 23 Starting Point class 11:00 AM, North Entrance