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Happy Labor Day Weekend!
We pray it will be one of refreshment and rest! Please note the office is closed on Monday, September 1. We have lots of great stuff planned for you in the fall!
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A Spiritual Reflection for Your Weekend
by Henri Nouwen
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Fellowship of the Broken
Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it. As busy, active, relevant [people], we want to earn our bread by making a real contribution. This means first and foremost doing something to show that our presence makes a difference. And so, we ignore our greatest gift, which is our ability to enter into solidarity with those who suffer.
Those who can sit with their fellow man, not knowing what to say but knowing that they should be there, can bring new life into a dying heart. Those who are not afraid to hold a hand in gratitude, to shed tears of grief, and to let a sigh of distress arise straight from the heart can break through paralyzing boundaries and witness the birth of a new fellowship, the fellowship of the broken.
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Join us for Sunday Worship @ PWC
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This Sunday, August 31st,
10:00 a.m.
The 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Make the in-person commitment to be there on Sunday! Praise and Worship Never Ends…..It Must Be Lived!
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The PWC Fall 2025 Calendar is here!
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Click here for all the activities going on at PWC during September, October, November and December
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Casino Night & Dinner
@ PWC
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Saturday Evening, October 18, 2025
Please click below for all the details.
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Children’s Ministry begins
Sunday, September 7
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from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Building 4:12.
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Pizza and Pre-Planning
for Funerals
Wednesday, September 10,
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. @ PWC
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Receive information and learn about planning for your funeral taking the burden from of your loved ones.
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In Need of Pastoral Counseling?
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Fr. Mike Lessard is available for pastoral counseling on Wednesdays at PWC. Please call the church office to make an appointment at 480-649-0300.
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Marriage Enrichment: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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Men’s Ministry: 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
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Women of Faith Bible Fellowship
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Bible Study with Fr. Dale: 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
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Due to technical difficulties, our Prayer Chain is suspended temporarily.
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We hope to re-activate it in mid-September. In the meantime, please feel free to request prayers from the pastors and the staff.
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Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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Beginning this Fall…
All Adult Education classes
on Wednesday evenings will be
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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Pastoral Care Associates presents
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Second Annual Healthcare Symposium
This year's theme is:
Finding Inner Strength: How Spiritual Care Helps Healthcare Professionals Cope with Stress
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Visit our website to sign up, or call Rev. Michael Lessard to volunteer to help: 480-406-4746
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The office will be closed on Monday, September 1 in honor of Labor Day.
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At PWC
your tithing & generosity allow us to minister to so many who come through our doors with their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs.
Thank you for your tithing and
commitment to PWC!
From pastoral counseling to grief support, to bible study and adult education, to providing food through Matthew’s Crossing for families who are economically struggling, to Marriage Enrichment and our funeral ministry -- your consistent giving makes a difference, a big change in people’s lives!
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Here are the different ways you can tithe to PWC:
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• Mail in your gift to: Praise and Worship Center, 2551 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ 85225.
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• Sign up for monthly giving with a credit card or voided check. Just call the office at 480-649-0300 or stop by the office.
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Blood Pressure Checks take place at PWC on the first and third Sundays of the month from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Our medical team is providing the blood pressure checks.
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Arrive to Sunday Service prepared to hear God’s Word proclaimed.
The reading for this Sunday, August 31, the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, is Luke 14:1,7-14.
Here is a synopsis and reflection of the reading.
Jesus is invited to dine at the house of a Pharisee. He notices how people scramble for the best seats at the table, places of honor where others will see their importance. Instead of following this instinct, Jesus tells a parable that reverses expectations: take the lowest place, and let the host call you higher. He then extends the lesson further—do not invite only friends, family, or wealthy neighbors who can return the favor, but rather invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind—those who cannot repay you.
At its core, this passage teaches us about humility and generosity. True greatness in the eyes of God is not found in seeking recognition, status, or repayment. It is found in lowering ourselves, serving others, and giving without expecting anything in return. Jesus himself is the model of this way of life—he who took the lowest place by washing the feet of his disciples and giving his life on the cross.
This is challenging for us, because so much of life is about climbing, being noticed, or surrounding ourselves with those who can benefit us. But Jesus invites us to live differently: to choose humility over pride, to seek service instead of honor, and to give with no strings attached.
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Practical Suggestions for Daily Life
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- Practice Hidden Acts of Kindness
Do something good for someone without drawing attention to yourself or expecting thanks. It could be leaving an encouraging note, offering a prayer, or helping with a chore no one enjoys. Let it remain “hidden” between you and God.
- Choose the Lower Place
In conversations or group settings, resist the urge to dominate or to seek credit. Instead, listen more deeply, encourage others to speak, and let someone else shine.
- Give Without Expecting in Return
Be generous with your time, resources, or talents to someone who cannot repay you. Perhaps invite a lonely neighbor to dinner, volunteer with those in need, or give a ride to someone without transportation.
- Examine Your Motives
Ask yourself: Am I doing this for recognition, or out of love? Regularly checking our hearts helps us live in the humility Christ calls us to.
- Pray for a Humble Heart
Each day, ask God to help you see others as He sees them and to recognize your worth not in titles or honors, but in being His beloved child.
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Please pray for the school shooting victims, those killed and injured, their families, and the Annunciation community in Minneapolis. May we all work to end gun violence and allow the Peace of Christ to reign in all aspects of our lives.
We will see you on Sunday for Service at 10:00 a.m.! If you are on vacation or out of town, please join us on Facebook Live.
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Love,
Fr. Dale & Pastor Mark
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Keep up with all your PWC friends on Facebook
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Please do not reply to this email;
the sending address is not monitored.
Please reply to: [email protected]
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