Downtown Cornerstone Blog
Nov 22
2016

Give and Serve this Advent Season

Advent Drive, City Life, Event, Foster Care, News | by Pastor Craig Sturm

The season of Advent has historically been intended to cause the hearts of Christians to remember and rejoice in the glory of the truth that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us! We celebrate that He has broken into human history to redeem that which was enslaved; restore that which was broken; to renew that which had been dead! The incarnation of Jesus is the single greatest act of love, grace, and mercy in the history of humanity. It is good news of great joy — for the world, and for us as individuals. As we reflect on God’s abundance to us in Jesus, there are two ways that you can partner with DCC to serve and give this Advent season:

FOSTER CARE CLOTHING DRIVE

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On any given day there are 1,200 to 1,500 children in foster care in King County. Whether children are picked up from school or removed directly from home, they often don’t have the chance to bring their clothes with them. Consequently, many children come into foster care without coats or sometimes even socks! It can take weeks for DSHS to get foster children these basic winter essentials. Life in foster care can be extraordinarily challenging and disruptive for kids and teens, both emotionally and developmentally. Having the comfort of warm clothes can go a long way in helping children transition into foster care. Downtown Cornerstone has chosen to partner with DSHS this advent season to provide comfortable clothes for foster children entering state care. The items donated will give DSHS offices a supply of winter items to give out to children as soon as they enter care.

How to Participate:
Starting November 27th, donate clothing for elementary-aged children by dropping clothing in barrels on Sunday or by purchasing items online using the Amazon Wish List.

More Details:
More details, including a list of needed items, can be found at www.downtowncornerstone.org/foster-care-drive

VOLUNTEER WITH THE CARE NET MOBILE UNIT

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After Sanctity of Life Sunday this year, a small group of people within Downtown Cornerstone Church felt convicted and called to respond to the alarming statistics of how abortion affects our city. In response, the group began The LIFE Project, which targeted two connected areas of need: Pregnancy Crisis Support and Adoption/Foster Care. The Pregnancy Crisis Support team partnered with CareNet, the largest pregnancy crisis resource in the Puget Sound, to support their strategy of bringing a Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) to Seattle. The Mobile Medical Unit is a bus that will serve women and families where there are currently no life-affirming pregnancy service available. The MMU has the flexibility to park near college campuses, churches, and community centers, reaching women right in their neighborhood for free pregnancy testing, ultrasound appointments, and STI screenings. The statistics for the Mobile Medical Unit are staggering: 4 out of 5 women who board a Mobile Medical Unit choose life for their baby. By God’s grace, working through your passion and generosity, Downtown Cornerstone Church helped support the purchase of the first Mobile Medical Unit for Seattle! The next step in our partnership with CareNet is to serve in ways that directly affect the Medical Mobile Unit.

How to Participate:
There are a number of unique ways that you can serve including: Drivers, Marketing Volunteers, Men to give counsel and support to potential fathers, Medical Volunteers, and Medical Professionals.

More Details:
To learn more about these opportunities, our partnership with Care Net, and to volunteer to serve, visit https://www.downtowncornerstone.org/carenet

If you have any questions on these two efforts, please email . If you’d like to participate with the LIFE Project (Foster Care/Adoption or Pregnancy Support), please email .

For His glory,
Pastor Craig

Nov 17
2016

Advent Photo Installment – Invitation to Contribute

News, Photos

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With the Advent season coming soon, the DCC Visual Arts Team is excited to invite the entire DCC community to participate with us in celebrating the season through creative photography!

THE VISION

Our desire is to create a dynamic photographic art exhibit in the Commons that would feature various kinds of photography around our Advent theme this year.

This year’s Advent theme “A Light Has Dawned,” comes from Isaiah 9:2:
“The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.”

The experience of light and darkness is all around us. Additionally, the medium of light is central to every visual art form. We want to harness this beauty for the gospel reflections of Advent this year, specifically by inviting all of you to contribute to the growing and collaborative photo installation that will be located in the long hallway next to our Commons gallery space.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Over the course of the four weeks of Advent (beginning Nov 27th) we’ll begin printing and hanging images to our photo installation wall. Anyone can contribute to this by posting photos with the hashtag #alighthasdawned on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Our Visual Arts Team will be reviewing the hashtag feed weekly to select and print images to add to our hallway installation. Our hope is that over the four weeks of Advent, this piece will grow – photo by photo – to be a unique visual devotional, a reflection of the creativity and diversity in our church body, and beautiful reminder of God’s presence with us in this city.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

You can contribute to this project through the following channels:

  • Post your photos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using the hashtag #alighthasdawned
  • Email photos directly to (please include the subject line: “A Light Has Dawned Photos”)

This is not intended to be a professional installment, but rather an organic expression of the creativity within our church and the themes of light and darkness in our everyday lives. Due to the limited space of the installation, we won’t be able to display every photo that is submitted. However, anyone and everyone is invited to use the hashtag and share things that inspire them this Advent season! The images selected for the final installation will be the ones that best meet with the following criteria: 1) connection to theme, 2) image quality, and 2) creativity in depiction.

Every expression of beauty is a testimony to the grace and glory of God! Snap those pictures! And share the ways you see God at work in the beauty around you this Advent season!

(Please note: by using this hashtag you are giving DCC permission to print and display your photos with this hashtag)