Discipleship, Event, Women's Retreat | by Laura West

Hey ladies,

I’m really looking forward to spending Saturday, May 14th, with y’all! As the date gets closer, I want to answer a few questions about the day and invite you to join us:

Q: I’m not sure what to expect. What will the day be like?

Our hope for the day is to grow together as sisters-in-Christ, equipped and encouraged for what God has set before us. Practically, this means the day has time set aside to meet and build relationships with other ladies, interactive sessions to hear about topics deeply relevant to us all, and space to take it all to Jesus. To give you an idea of what this will look like, a basic outline for the day is:

Breakfast and social
Worship and welcome
The Word and Our Worldview, Stacy Borkert
Roundtable Discussion
The Word and Our Relationships, Katie Krombein
Roundtable Discussion
Lunch
The Word and Our Witness, Tiffany Butler
Roundtable Discussion
Prayer and reflection
Panelist Session
Worship and close

Q: What will the speakers talk about?

The Word and Our Worldview (Colossians 3:15-17)
What shapes our worldview? What influences our reactions and what do we do with our fears and struggles? We will be looking at Colossians 3:15-17 and how when we look at our lives through the lens of the Word of God, we can rest in the peace of Christ and worship God, with a spirit of thankfulness.

The Word and Our Relationships (Romans 12)
What does it mean to live sacrificially as part of the body of Christ? Who are you in Christ and how does your identity inform the way that you love, and how you live with others in the church? In our second session, we will look at Romans 12, and what it means to humbly participate in the life of other believers.

The Word and Our Witness (John 4:1-30,39-42)
What comes to mind when you think about sharing your faith with others? Does sharing your faith come easy to you or is it something you struggle with? During this session we will seek to demystify what it looks like to be a witness for Christ. We will consider the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan women which subsequently compelled her to be a witness to others about Jesus that they in turn would “come and see” for themselves.

Q: What is included in the cost of registration?

Your registration helps us cover the costs of this mini-retreat, including breakfast, lunch and refreshments, as well parking validation and materials for the day. We’ll also be giving away two books to encourage and equip you.

Q: Can I bring my friends?

Yes! This day is for all ladies seeking after Jesus.

Q: What if I can’t afford the registration? What if I can’t find childcare? What if I don’t know anyone?

If you don’t have $35, we have scholarships available and would love to invite you to participate – register! If you can’t find childcare, we’d love to help you find help – email us! If you don’t know anyone, that’s perfect. You’ll know a ton of amazing ladies at the end of the day – register!

Q: I’m on the fence. Should I register?

It’s understandable that many would be unsure about what to expect and if they should make time. In short, come! What do you have to lose? What would really stop you from spending a day with other ladies, growing together, learning about God’s word, and trusting in Jesus?

Q: Okay, I’m in. What’s next?

Register online in advance! We’ll send an email reminder the week of the event with details for the day. Encourage ladies in your community to join you. Doors open at 8:30am and breakfast begins at 9am. Come prayed up, expectant and ready for God to move. Park in the lot next to the building (for free). Give Jesus your concerns for the day and embrace all that He has waiting for you. Meet someone new and be known. Participate in the sessions and reflect on what God is teaching you. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you afresh and be ready with thanksgiving when He does. Sing loud because God is with us.

Whether you’re registered, still considering, or unable to join that day, I’d encourage you to pray for this time – it’s going to be good, by God’s abounding grace. I hope to see you on May 14th!

Discipleship, Event

Ladies of DCC, we are holding our Women’s Discipleship Day on Saturday, May 14th – and you are invited!

The purpose of this discipleship day is to provide a unique opportunity for the women of DCC to connect and consider what it means to trust Jesus together. Our hope for the day is to grow together as sisters-in-Christ, equipped and encouraged for what God has set before us. Practically, we have set aside time during the day to meet and build relationships with other ladies, to enjoy interactive sessions to hear about topics deeply relevant to us all, and space to take it all to Jesus!

The theme of this year’s event is “Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly” taken from Colossians 3:16. The day will include three women from our body speaking on “The Word and our Worldview,” “The Word and our Relationships,” and “The Word and our Witness.”

WHEN. Saturday, May 14th 9am – 3:30pm | Doors open at 8:30am

WHERE. Auditorium (2333 Western Ave)

REGISTRATION. The cost of attendance is $30/person if you register by April 30th and $35/person starting May 1st (including day-of registration). Your registration helps us cover the costs of this mini-retreat, including breakfast, lunch and refreshments, as well parking validation and materials for the day. We’ll also be giving away two books to encourage and equip you. Please register HERE!

PARKING. We are offering parking (for free) in the lots next to the building. If those lots are full, we will provide validation for the Art Institute garage.

KIDS. There will not be Cornerstone Kids provided. As we’d love for this time to be a retreat for the ladies, we encourage the men to help care for children during this time. If you’re having trouble finding childcare, please email and we will be happy to help.

If there is anything that would prevent you from being able to participate (Don’t have $30? Can’t find childcare? Don’t know anyone?) please let us know by emailing  and we will do all we can to come alongside you.

Community, Discipleship, News

Downtown Cornerstone,

As many of you know, last Sunday we presented Randy Lundy to the church as a pastoral candidate. We are taking the next two weeks to give you time to meet with him, ask questions and/or express any concerns you may have. One of the over-arching qualifications for a pastor is that he must be “above reproach” (1Tim 3:1). This waiting period is our attempt to ensure all bases are covered and you have an opportunity to speak into the process.

The office of pastor (or elder) was created by God, for the leading, feeding, and protecting of his flock, the local church. Therefore, we treat the equipping and installation of such men with great seriousness. Randy has completed a multi-year development process that included reading, writing, hands-on ministry, shared life and an assessment interview with area pastors.

Randy is a good man with integrity, character, love for Jesus and passion for the spread of the gospel. He is also a friend. I believe he is called, qualified and ready to be installed as a pastor of Downtown Cornerstone, however we are taking this time in case you know something that we do not.

That said, would you pray for the Lundy’s in this season? Would you also pray for our church? It is a sign of God’s grace to us that we have men, like Randy, being raised-up to lead, feed and protect Jesus’ flock. Let’s ask Him for more. Provided nothing arises that would cause us to stop the process, which we don’t foresee, we will install Randy as a pastor of Downtown Cornerstone on Sunday, April 24th. It will be a great celebration and a joyous moment.

What follows (below) is a short interview with Randy so that you can get to know him a bit better.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns you can email me at .

Christ is all,

Pastor Adam

………………………………………………..

How did you meet Jesus? How has he changed you?

RL: Jesus has been incredibly kind to me. Both Charissa and I grew up in loving Christ-centered families, where Jesus was regularly worshipped, the gospel was prized, and grace was applied to everyday life. I saw my need for Jesus at an early age, and through those early formative years I grew to love and treasure him more and more through the modeling of my parents and teaching of my church. If it were not for Jesus, I’m sure that my life would have been a wreck, but instead I have been graced with a joy that only he could give, rescued from my sin, adopted as a son, secured in Him. Apart from anything I could ever do or deserve, he has poured out his love lavishly upon me. And I’ll be gladly, freely singing the praises of my King for as long as I have breath!

Tell us a little about your family.

RL: My most precious treasure in this world is my bride of nearly 7 years, Charissa Joy. She is my best friend, trusted counselor, loyal companion, and faithful co-laborer. Jesus has given us three amazing kids – Aiden (3yr), Theo (1.5yr), and Harlow (3mo) – together they make up a formidable threesome! We love city-living. We love good food and friends to share it with. You can often find us at Seattle Center, SLU park, or Myrtle Edwards – all within walking distance of our 2-bd apartment in Lower Queen Anne. Charissa is an incredible cook, loves to be outdoors, and is passionate about the gospel and biblical counseling.

What are you most passionate about?

RL: There are a lot of things I’m passionate about – coffee, outdoors, music – but only one thing that I’m most passionate about – and that is seeing people come to know, love and worship Jesus for all that He is and has done. And not just worship in a corporate gathering sense, but in an all-of-life sense. I want people to be able to see Jesus as supremely worthy of worship in work, in play, in rest, in celebration, in suffering, in literally every aspect of life. As I’ve come to see Jesus as the source and center of all of life, I’ve tasted the sweetness of surrendering my life to Him, the Giver of all life. I want more people to experience the joy, freedom, and sweetness of knowing all that Jesus is and has done for them.

How did you get involved with DCC?

RL: We joined the DCC launch team in 2011 and were glad to jump in wherever we could to help support the vision of establishing a new gospel-centered church in the downtown core, as well as to eventually plant more churches across the city and around the world. In the months leading up to that, Jesus was doing a profound work in my life around the subject of worship – giving me fresh vision for the relational and pastoral functions of worship in the gathered context. When Pastor Adam made a call for worship leaders, I was in. The rest is history. It’s been a crazy ride and couldn’t imagine it any other way :).

What are your current areas of oversight?

RL: I currently oversee our creative arts teams, which includes music, productions, design, visual art, and media. All of these are means by which we can help facilitate and focus our worship of Jesus together as a people. It’s one of the greatest privileges of my life to work with so many extraordinary artists and musicians, who genuinely desire to see Jesus made much of through their work. Over the past few years, I’ve also provided ad hoc support on counseling, discipleship, and financial matters as we’ve grown as a church.

How did you determine you were called to be a pastor?

RL: This has been something at work in me from an early age. Said simply, I’ve grown to love the church deeply. And I don’t say that from an idealized, sugar-coated standpoint. I’ve seen some pretty messy things through the years in the church, and experienced my own messiness in the middle of it as well. Church is messy. But I’ve come to love the church as I have because of how radically I’ve experienced Jesus’ love for me – and all who he is redeeming through his life, death and resurrection. The calling to undershepherd (i.e. pastor) a local expression of Jesus’ flock is something that I want to give my life to, under his direction as our Chief Shepherd. And if there’s any way that my life and leadership can lead others to encounter the beauty, glory and hope in Jesus afresh, I want to be about that work.

How can we be praying for you and your family in this season?

RL: We are overjoyed for this task, but with it we know there comes additional weight and burden. We would covet your prayers for strength, wisdom, and joyful conviction knowing our sufficiency comes freely and abundantly from Jesus. Please pray that Jesus would protect our family and give us good times of rest. Please pray that our trust and hope would be only and fully in Jesus. Please pray that Jesus would increase our fruitfulness as we submit to his sovereign, gracious plans for us. We love you all and we’re eager to see what Jesus has in store for us as a church these coming years!