Mercy Ministries, Mercy Update | by Pastor Justin Keogh

The Mercy Ministry Updates are a regular snapshot of our Mercy Ministries in DCC, where we are working to serve and uphold the value and dignity of God’s most vulnerable image-bearers in our city. Each update highlights one of our focus areas and current prayer requests across all of our focus areas.

Gospel Framework

The Bible, as God’s inspired word, displays God’s good design and our radical need for a savior, found only in Jesus, and calls us to live out our new identity in Christ as we engage the world around us. 

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be bless in his doing.” (James 1:22-25)

God’s Word instructs every aspect of our lives so that we may more fully glorify him and enjoy him forever. Here, in his letter to the early Christians, James is calling us beyond mental assent or cultural acceptance, inviting us to a life that displays the truths of God’s Word. He goes on to connect this with the call to “visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27b). Here, we see that the call to be doers of the Word envelopes our whole lives, both in our hearts and minds, and in how we love and serve others. We do not have to prove ourselves or earn our salvation through works because we have been made his children through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. And because of Christ’s work on our behalf, we can live and serve others joyously and generously for their good and God’s glory.

Mercy Focus Highlight: Mercy Ministry Training

Scripture is full of imperatives for us to serve others – not to earn God’s love, but in response to God’s lavish and gracious love for us. But how exactly are we to go about serving those around us in our city?

This year we are hosting a Mercy Ministry Training on various topics every quarter. We had our first one last Sunday with a great turnout of folks who were eager to learn more about engaging with our city in terms of mercy. Please save the date for the next one–Sunday, February 9th at 11 am. More details will be posted on our Mercy Ministries website.

Partner Prayer Requests

Please join us in praying for the people impacted and involved in each of these focus areas.

Homelessness and UGM

• Pray for the homeless that they will be kept from physical and emotional harm and that they might find hope in Christ through UGM’s outreach and recovery programs.
• Pray for us to be welcoming and loving people to all of our neighbors as God’s image-bearers.

Foster Care & Adoption

• November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Pray that God would continue to draw families to foster care and adoption, that the church would live out God’s concern for vulnerable children.
• Pray for families to be equipped to care for the children they’ve adopted long term with all the various issues and trials that will come.

Refugees

• Pray that as the nations come to us, that we as the local church would make the most of every opportunity to make Jesus’s name known and great among them, so that they may be glad and rejoice in the good news of the Kingdom (Psalm 67:3-4).
• Pray for our brothers and sisters that are being persecuted around the world for their faith in Christ. Pray specifically for countries such as North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, and Pakistan.

Juvenile Detention

• Pray for the youth currently in detention, that they would not be defined by their incarceration status but find their identity as a child of God.
• Pray for godly volunteers willing to serve as mentors, pointing youth to Christ.

Life Project

• Pray for a full-time nurse for the CareNet mobile unit, so they can expand into downtown Seattle. Ultimately, Care Net is in need of more staff nurses, ministry wide.
• Pray for those who have chosen abortion(s) and are now understanding their ongoing trauma and feelings of shame. Pray specifically for those seeking care/recovery from Care Net and that the staff/volunteers can help these women process through their choice of abortion, hopefully leading them to Christ. Praise that some of these women seeking care are also now choosing life for their current pregnancies.

Stay Connected

Join the focus area city groups in order to hear more regular updates, events, and opportunities to serve.

• Mercy Focus: Foster Care & Adoption
• Mercy Focus: Homelessness
• Mercy Focus: Juvenile Detention
• Mercy Focus: The LIFE project
• Mercy Focus: Refugees

Discipleship, Event | by Pastor Justin Keogh

Men of DCC,

In just over two weeks, on Saturday, October 19th will be our 2019 Men’s Training Day, from 9a-3p at DCC’s building. Think of this single-day event as a “mini-man-camp,” but without the drive! We’ll be gathering for instruction from God’s Word on what it means to cultivate a fruitful life in Christ. We’ll also be hearing testimonies of God’s work among us, with space for personal reflection and group discussion.

Over the years, I’ve found these events to be deeply encouraging – and I know many others have as well. I’d encourage you to make it a priority to attend, as an investment in your relationship with Jesus as well as an opportunity to build relationships within our body. It is our prayerful aim to gather with 200 men!

What will we be doing?

Anchored in Jesus’ parable of the soils (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23), we’ll consider what it means to bear fruit through receiving the Word. We’ll look at those things, internally and externally, that threaten to choke out our faith, and how to combat them. The goals of the day are to instruct and equip through the Word and to build relationships across our church body.

What if I have plans?

Consider changing them and making this an intentional investment in your faith. We only host these training events every nine months, so there are limited opportunities to grow in this unique way. You can bring others too! You don’t have to be a member to attend; you’ve just got to be a dude. (Don’t worry, ladies, there will be a Women’s Training Day in February!)

What if I don’t know anyone?

Don’t worry – you won’t be the only one! This event is a great way to meet other men in our body. Events like these are like relational Insta-pots: you can grow in your relationships more through a single day like this together than over many months of short meet-and-greet conversations.

Why a single day event?

Our goal is to remove many of the barriers that exist with a full weekend retreat – a much shorter drive (and no ferries!), easier family logistics, lower cost – while keeping much of the same rich biblical content, time with brothers in worship and discussion, and practical equipping.

What does the $25 cost include?

We’ll provide a light breakfast, coffee throughout the day, a box lunch, the materials for the day, parking, and a book. If the cost is a financial hardship – just let us know in the registration, as there are scholarships available!

With all of that, here are the event details:

WHEN: Saturday, October 19th
WHERE: DCC’s Building – 2333 Western Ave, 98121
TIME: Doors open for registration and light refreshments at 8a, the event starts at 9a and will go until 3p.
PARKING: Free parking is available in both lots next to the building for this event. Validation will be available at the Bell Harbor Garage (located at 2323 Elliott Avenue) if both parking lots are full.
LUNCH: Box lunch included with registration.

Click here to register.

I am looking forward to gathering with you on the 19th!

Pastor Justin