Neighbors & Nations May/June 2025

Parkway leadership has been meeting together for the past year with a missions coaching agency, praying together about how to refine our strategy for reaching our Neighbors and the Nations.  This time of prayer and planning has helped us to narrow our focus on the work we are called to do in the world.  During Neighbors and Nations week in August, we will be rolling out this new strategy to the congregation!  This is truly an exiting time to be a part of Parkway Church.  Along with the rollout,  we will be offering a list of "Discovery Trips" for 2026.  We realized that the word "Mission Trip" could have different meanings to different people depending on their understanding of missions.  "Discovery" communicates a clearer message that people who participate in trips are going to discover God's heart for the nations, discover a new culture and people, and discover their part in God's plan for the world.  Stay tuned for these opportunities to support and encourage our partners in the field by discovering the work God is doing in their communities first hand!  (Pictured above, an exploratory team visiting partners in Panama)

BIBLE TRANSLATION
In April's Neighbors and Nations newsletter, we highlighted a project that Parkway has been involved in that is gaining momentum and has been so exciting to be a part of!
Parkway is part of a group of seven churches in Roanoke working together to reach an unreached people group with the Word of God.  The "Baker" people are a community of 166,000 people in Southeast Asia. There is currently no church in their community, and the Bible has not yet been translated into their heart language.  The Roanoke Bible Translation Coalition is partnering with Pioneer Bible Translators to support and pray for the translation of the Bible to be completed in the Baker language.  
The update on this story is also very exciting!  A short film about the Roanoke Bible collaboration has just been released nationwide, in an effort to encourage other churches across the country to work together with one another in their communities for the sake of the gospel.  The "Roanoke Current" is something unique that is happening, and Parkway is blessed to be a part of it!  Check out the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIPoJk_5lS0

Recently, a group of Parkway volunteers spent the day at Crisis Response International (CRI) in Blue Ridge, VA. Just a few miles down the road from Parkway, hidden down a back road is the former Camp Jaycee property.  The camp was purchased by CRI a few years ago as a training base for their international global crisis response ministry.  The leaders of the base moved to Roanoke last year, and have been attending Parkway since January.  They are working on renovating the buildings on the property, specifically to be able to welcome the community for trainings, community days, retreats, and other activities.  There are so many ways that people can help out at CRI!  Emily Perry took the initiative to organize a crew in June to paint decks on the multiple cabins on the property.  What a fun day of fellowship and service!  To learn more about CRI, visit their website at https://www.criout.com.

Gerald McCraw is part of the Parkway Men's group, and one of the biggest cheerleaders for Parkway Church and for individuals in his life.  Guys from his group describe Gerald (G-Ray) as someone who will go out of his way to pray for, and encourage others in the Lord. He is always inviting people to come to church, and serves as on the greeting team.  He's the first smiling face you see when you get to the top of the Kid's church stairway.  G-Ray shows up for church and he shows up for people.  He recently volunteered to pick up a washer and dryer donated by a Parkway member to deliver to a Care Portal family.  He uses those opportunities to connect with people in the community who need to know the love of Jesus, and he intentionally encourages people going through tough times.  If you don't know G-Ray, be sure you give him a big hug next Sunday!