Discipleship, Event, Women's Retreat | by Tiffany Butler

Save the Date for 2018

The next Women’s Retreat is scheduled for Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10, 2018 with keynote speaker Jani Ortlund. Mark your calendar and spread the word!

Treasuring the Cross

“The cross is a treasure to those in need of it.” Charissa Lundy set a great tone the opening night of the DCC Women’s retreat with that simple sentence. The gospel – that Jesus died because our sin is so great, but was joyful to do it because his love is greater (Heb. 12:2) – is indeed a treasure to those who know they need it.

The theme of the DCC Women’s Retreat was The Greatness of God. Often, we make our situations in life great, we make our fears great, we make our idols great, but God is greater than all of these. Jen Thorn, the keynote speaker, began her first session defining and explaining the greatness of God. In the battle to put to death our fear and idols, the roots come back to our theology – the study of the nature of God. As I understand the greatness of God and my position in Him, in Christ, my fears and idols are measured in their right perspective. I can then see clearly that I need the help of my Savior to put to death my fears and idols.

Leading up to the DCC Women’s Retreat, I was transitioning back to Seattle after living abroad for eight months. It was a bit of a rough transition, emotionally. During this time, the Lord further revealed idols I had set up in my life to navigate these fears and uncomfortable emotions. The weekend away helped me to process the ways in which I forget the greatness of God, and instead turn to fear and idols in my life. I was reminded through the testimonies, conversations, and gospel-saturated teachings that to rely on my own strength and my own idols will only lead to frustration and burn-out. The Lord wants more for us than that! Like a good Father, He will discipline us (sometimes in the form of just making life as we live it uncomfortable) in order to help us to grow into all that He has for us; He will prune us in order that we can bear more fruit (John 15:2).

Applying Truth & Learning to Wait

In talking with other ladies in the final hours of the retreat, we reflected on the evidences of grace poured out during our time there. Tears were shed, fears were identified and addressed, grace applied, and in some cases, doubts still remain. We are returning from the spiritual and physical mountaintop of Cle Elum to our daily lives. How will we continue to apply gospel truths every day to our joys and struggles, as well as to our relationships via friendships, families, coworkers and neighbors?

Personally, one of the biggest takeaways for me is to apply God’s truths to my idols; to take time in my day to slow down and check the recordings in my head; recordings that say, “I am not good enough.” “I can’t believe that I still struggle with this.” “Do they like me?” etc. Instead, I desire to apply God’s truths – I am loved (John 3:16, Rom. 5:8), I am ransomed (1 Tim. 2:6), I am His and He is mine (Song of Solomon 2:16, 6:3).

Finally, a common thread throughout the weekend was the act of waiting on the Lord with a hope-filled expectancy. Waiting is an active word where we anticipate God’s promises in Scripture. It is through the Word wherein we learn His character and what He is capable of doing. Let us dig into His Word daily, in solitude, as well as with our friends, families, and communities. Let His Word speak for Him, not our experiences and fleeting emotions. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, and I pray for my DCC sisters, as well as for myself, that we will continue to study together, consider God’s greatness together, discuss together, and wait together, hope-filled and expectantly, in Christ. For His truth is a necessary treasure!

I would encourage you all to save the date for our 2018 Women’s Retreat, February 9-10. I’m already looking forward to another great weekend of growing in faith, focusing on God’s truths, and connecting with you ladies!

Christ is all,

Tiffany Butler

Discipleship, Event, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

DCC Ladies,

Next weekend the women of DCC will be heading over the mountains to Suncadia for 24 hours of God-saturated learning, intentional relationship-building, and interactive fun. This will be our first women’s retreat, and though I won’t be there, I couldn’t be more excited about the theme: The Greatness of God. Who we understand God is, and what he is like, shapes everything about us, from how we view ourselves to how we relate to others, from how we handle suffering to how we tackle our sin, from where we find durable joy to where we find rest amidst the crazy. So, don’t get caught thinking that the greatness of God is merely an abstract theological truth. Our souls were made to revel in His greatness and live out of that profound reality. Ladies, that’s what next weekend is all about.

So, in light of that, I am making a last pastoral call to any women who have yet to register. As of today we have 90 women signed-up. That is really encouraging! Our prayerful aim is 120. Let’s say that DCC averages 650 people on Sunday and half are women. That makes roughly 325 women. That means there are still 200+ women who have time to participate in our inaugural retreat. My encouragement to you: register. You will not regret it. We understand that not all of you can make it, but this is for those of you that can. If you’ve waited this long, there are probably some barriers, so let me offer the following encouragements.

#1 The gift of carving out intentional space to learn about God.

Our culture is marked by busyness. Work demands. School demands. Kid demands. Project demands. Schedule demands. 24-hour news. Endless social media feeds. It takes intentionality to slow down for five minutes, let alone an entire day. That makes this retreat a gift. It is a gift to carve out intentional space in your calendar to learn about the greatness of God alongside others seeking to do the same. This kind of intentionality is good for our souls. Don’t miss out on this gift. 

#2 The gift of building new relationships.

Or, maybe you just don’t know anyone. It can be intimidating entering into something like this without knowing anyone else. We all get that. But, here’s the thing: that’s what retreats are for! More relational-traction can be gained with a retreat than with a dozen brief Sunday meet-and-greets. A retreat is the perfect place to get to know others. No one is “busy.” You’re all there for the same purpose. So, will this require you to take a step of faith? Yes. Will you be alone? No. Will you forge new relationships with others? For sure. Will it be worth it? No doubt. Embrace this as a gift of building new relationships.  

#3 The gift of temporarily getting out of your context. 

We all know what a gift it is to pause our normal rhythms for a change of scenery. Our family tries to get out of the city at least once a month. The process to get into the woods can be challenging, but once we’re there I always ask, “Why did I hesitate? This is amazing.” It is a gift to temporarily get out of our context to think, laugh, rest, and reflect—especially when it involves clean mountain air, tall evergreens and a river in your backyard (i.e. Suncadia). Sometimes that’s what it takes to get the fresh perspective we’ve been looking for. Embrace this retreat as a gift to get out of your context for a weekend.  

#4 The gift of telling the enemy to take a hike. 

For years as a new believer I noticed that all kinds of things came at me when I was presented with an opportunity to go on a retreat: family emergencies, other plans, lack of funds, sudden desire to be alone, etc. Often, I needed someone to come alongside me and say, “You really need to go to this and I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.” So, in most cases, I went. I can recall cases where I even regretted it while I was on my way there. But, guess what? Not once did I regret it afterwards. Not once. I’ve come to see that this is a common tactic of the enemy to keep us from opportunities like this that are sure to increase our faith, deepen our joy, and anchor our love in God—and all that he is for us, in Jesus. The enemy doesn’t want that. He wants us at home by ourselves watching Netflix. So, embrace the gift of telling the enemy to take hike. Put aside doubts. Change plans. Get your shift covered. Take a step of faith. You won’t regret it. 

Ladies, you’re going to have a great time. All that said, here are the details: 

Dates: Friday, May 5th – Saturday, May 6th
Details, registration, scholarship info
Retreat FAQ
Carpool link
Questions:

Q: Will you join me in praying for 30 more women to sign up by this weekend?  

Christ is all, 

Pastor Adam

Easter, Good Friday, Uncategorized | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

This weekend we celebrate Good Friday (4/14 @ 6:30pm & 8:30pm) and Easter (4/16 @ 8am, 10am & 12pm). That makes this weekend all about reflecting and rejoicing. Will you join us as we celebrate the most important week of the most important person who ever lived? It is easy for the significance of this time of year to be lost amidst a sea of pastels, egg hunts, honey-cured hams and chocolate bunnies, but it doesn’t have to be. We need to take time to reflect and rejoice. This is particularly true amidst a culture that celebrates what is fleeting and transient while neglecting what is most profound and real – like a mighty savior who is also our sinless substitute.

So, I invite you to join us this weekend as we reflect on Good Friday and rejoice on Easter. There are a few things to keep in mind as we approach this weekend:

First, Good Friday and Easter go together.

I encourage you to consider participating in both Good Friday and Easter. Immerse yourself in the (true) story this weekend, starting on Friday and culminating on Sunday. Cancel your other obligations. Say “no” to Netflix for one Friday night. Keep your kids up. It is worth it.

Second, our Good Friday gathering is unique.

If you’ve never been part of our Good Friday gathering, don’t think of it as a normal Sunday gathering on a Friday. It is a completely different gathering. Over the the last six years we have prayerfully labored to create a fresh experience of the ancient Good Friday story. It is unique, moving, and powerful. You really don’t want to miss it.

Third, arrive early.

We recommend that you arrive early on Friday and Sunday. On Good Friday, arriving early will give you time to pray, reflect, and read the scriptures. The auditorium will be open 20 minutes prior to our start time. On Easter, we are expecting a full house at each gathering, so arriving early will ensure you are able to secure seats for your whole party. We will be adding chairs, tightening the rows, and creating an overflow space, but we anticipate that it will still be full.

Fourth, parking is provided.

As always, we will validate parking for everyone at the Art Institute parking garage on Friday and Sunday. The lots adjacent to our building will be also available for first time visitors, families with children, and individuals with special needs on Friday and Sunday.

Fifth, your kids are covered.

If you’re a parent with a child from one to eight years old, our Cornerstone Kids team has generously offered to serve families on Good Friday (*6:30pm only) and Easter. This is an act of sacrificial service and love on their part, so please be sure to thank them!

Sixth, let’s be praying for Jesus to move.

Most importantly, let’s be praying for Jesus to save, awaken, and reinvigorate souls to the breathtaking reality of his grace and redemption this weekend. Invite your friends, families, neighbors, and co-workers. Let’s ask Him to do what only He can in our lives, and in the lives of those who do not yet know him. He is able!

Because the cross is full…and the tomb is empty,

Pastor Adam