Event | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

When Christmas falls on a Sunday

This year Christmas falls on a Sunday. The next year that will happen is 2022, then 2033. For many churches, the question becomes, “What will we do?” Should we cancel our Sunday gatherings or keep them? Or, should we hold Christmas Eve gatherings on Saturday in addition to Sunday? Or, should we just have Christmas Eve in lieu of Sunday? Or, maybe we should compromise and have a Christmas Eve midnight gathering? There are a lot of options.

Christmas complexities

The factors underlying this discussion are many. First, is the issue of volunteers. It takes volunteers to brew coffee, put out signs, greet and usher, play in the band, run productions, and disciple the youngest kids. Without sufficient volunteers it is impossible to host. Second, and relatedly, is the issue of attendance. Who will actually be in town? For those who are around, when will they be available amidst the many holiday happenings? After all, it doesn’t help to gather if there is no one to gather with. Third, is the issue of family traditions. Most families, have treasured Christmas traditions that involve delicious foods, gifts, and more. This is, perhaps, the hardest element to consider sacrificing or making changes to. Fourth, most importantly, is the issue of what moving Sunday gatherings communicates about our convictions regarding Christ and his purposes in the world. Needlesstosay, it can be complicated. 

“Are we free to move our Sunday gathering?”

Churches are free to choose when and where they gather to worship. Churches are not required to gather on a particular day. (Romans 14:5f; Galatians 4:8-11) Churches that cancel Sunday gatherings in lieu of Christmas Eve gatherings are not sinning nor violating a command of the Lord. In some cases, depending on their specific context or resources, that may be the best thing to do. Ultimately, it is up to the elders of each local church to prayerfully consider what is best for the church entrusted to their care and the cause of Christ in their community. 

The significance of Sunday

However, the practice of Jesus’ church for the last 2,000 years has been to gather on Sunday, the first day of the week, due to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on that first Easter Sunday. (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) Gathering on Sunday, week-after-week, millennium-after-millennium, is meant to be a joy-filled, conviction-driven, emphatic declaration to the world that He has risen, death is defeated, sin is forgiven, and we are His. Or, to put it more succinctly, that God has come for us. (Matthew 1:23) 

The significance of Christmas

Now, think about what Christmas is. Christmas is not merely an irrelevant celebration; a hold-over from ancient antiquity. Christmas marks one of the most pivotal moments in God’s redemptive story. Outside Easter, Christmas marks the most important day in human history. The truth celebrated on Christmas was announced by angels (Luke 2:13-14), supernatural cosmic events in the starry host (Matthew 2:10), and long foretold by prophetic witnesses (2 Corinthians 1:20). Christmas marks the day God invaded the story he wrote to save those he loves. (Phil 2:5-11; Luke 19:10) In other words, the truth celebrated on Christmas is infinitely more important, and precious, than what we celebrate on our birthdays, or anniversaries, or civic holidays or, yes, even our beloved family traditions.

The unique gift of Christmas on a Sunday

Christmas falling on a Sunday should be viewed as a unique gift, rather than a scheduling nuisance or family tradition breaker. When you put the significance of Christmas alongside the significance of gathering on Sunday, we get a special day to be welcomed, embraced and enjoyed because it simultaneously points us to Jesus’ birth (Christmas) and his resurrection (Sunday). That’s a lot of meaning packed into a single day. Why would we not want to gather on such a Sunday? Does all of this meaning unravel if we happen to cancel Christmas gatherings? Of course not. Do we lose a unique gift if we do? I believe so. We won’t have another opportunity to do so until 2022. Rather than seeing Christmas falling on Sunday as something that gets in the way of our plans, what if we saw it as a beautiful gift around which we organized our plans? 

An invitation

Let’s embrace the unique gift of Christmas on a Sunday. I invite you to join us on Sunday, December 25th, at 9:00am and 11:15am. We’ll sing, pray, enjoy the DCC kids “choir”, and learn from the Scriptures. Cornerstone Kids will be provided for kids up to 4 years old. Parking, as always, will be validated and the lots next to the building available for families and visitors. We hope you can make it as we celebrate the living God, in Jesus, and all that He is for us. Our Saving-King has come – and is coming again.

Because the manger is full (Christmas) and the tomb is empty (Sunday),

Pastor Adam

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

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

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

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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

News, Photos

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)