Discipleship, News, Service | by Pastor David Parker

This Saturday 11 of us will leave for Brazil for 9 days of ministry (Aug 9th-18th) alongside Restore Brazil and church planting efforts in the flavelas (slums) of Rio. Personally, I couldn’t be more excited for this trip and for the team Jesus has brought together. We’re looking forward to serving and ministering alongside our fellow brothers and sisters in Rio!

(Top Left) Pastor David Parker, Tyler Johnson, Linnell Pitt, Edward Sumner, (Middle Left) Catie Rizzo, Peter Isaza, Katie Collins, (Bottom Left) Anne Johnson, Shelley Pierson, Chelsey Scheffe, Peter Duong.

As we get ready to go, I wanted to send out a brief update so you know how you can be thanking Jesus with us, and praying for us over the next few weeks.

Thank You!

First, Thank You! This past Sunday evening, we packed over 17 suitcases (with a few more to go!), filled with hundreds of toiletry kits, mercy outreach supplies, kids activities, toys, games, shoes, a/v equipment, and more! Not only has Jesus provided for our whole team to go, but I’m so thankful to see God’s provision above and beyond our goal, and that we’re able to bring so many needed things down to Brazil to bless the churches we’ll be partnering with. Thank you to those who gave above and beyond to see the Gospel take a deeper root in Rio!

Will you commit to praying for us these next two weeks?

Second, As we’ve been preparing for this trip, I was reminded of Ps 127:1 the other day which says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” We could spend tons of time preparing and taking lots of stuff down, and yet if Jesus doesn’t go before us in every way, scripture says that our labors are in vain. With that in mind, we’ve been praying boldly, and would covet your prayers that Jesus would go before us in the following ways:

• Pray for safety in travel, and that all our suitcases would make it there safety and get through customs.
• Pray for continued unity on our team and that we would be rooted and grounded in all that God is for us in Christ, regardless of what might happen on the trip.
• Pray that we would be a blessing to the churches in Rio, and that through our outreach and partnerships, some would trust in Jesus for the first time.
• Pray for me as I preach in one of the churches we’ll be partnering with, that Jesus would break down any social and language barriers, so that others would get to taste and see how good our Savior is.
• Pray for energy for all of us. We have a full week of ministry with kids, the homeless, the addicted, and the orphaned as well as lots of other ministry and details (music, video, training, repairing equipment, etc.).
• Pray that above all else, through this trip Jesus and His glory would be made known to everyone; from those we’ll share a seat with on the plane, to the most needy and broken in Rio.

Join us to pray this Friday at 6:30pm

This Friday, August 8th, at 6:30 we’re going to meet as a team in the ImPark parking lot at 5th and Bell Street to handoff suitcases, do some last minute shuffling of gear, and pray together. We’d love to have anyone that can and wants to join us in praying for this trip to come out!

Stay Connected

Lastly, many of you have asked how you can stay up to date with us while we’re in Brazil? Great question! We created a public FaceBook page, that we’ll be posting trip updates to as we’re able.  It’s a public page, so you can still view it, even if you don’t have a FaceBook account. As well, we’ll be using the hashtag #DCCbrazil2014 on Twitter and Instagram if you want to follow updates there as well.

Thank you for partnering with us!

For the entire Brazil team,

Pastor David

City Life, Event, Photos, Serve the City, Service | by Pastor David Parker

I wanted to briefly follow-up with a big “Thanks” to all who came out to serve the city with us! When it was all said and done, we had over 100 folks show up to come alongside Seattle Schools and Gatewood Elementary in helping prepare their playground and school for this next year!

Over 30 cubic yards of weeds, ivy, and branches were removed. Lots of boxes were packed and moved. Things were dusted and cleaned, and gallons of paint were applied to spruce up the playground and provide additional activities for the students this fall.

Not only did God bless us with great weather, but it was an awesome opportunity to tangibly display His grace and love in how we’ve been eternally served by Him in Christ. Thank you for giving freely of what you’ve been given! (Matthew 10:8)

Praying that we would continue to be a people marked by a deep love for the Gospel and the people He’s places around us to love and serve in this city.

-Pastor David

Below is a note from the principal at Gatewood that I wanted to pass along, as well as some pictures that were captured from that day.

Downtown Cornerstone,

Thank you so much for the generous donation of paint, mulch, supplies and church participants, who worked tirelessly to help improve the school grounds and interior organization at Gatewood last Saturday. It’s difficult to find the right words to help express the magnitude of my gratitude. Because of Cornerstone Church, when staff and students return to school in September, they will have a new feeling of respect. When the environment in which teaching and learning occurs is cherished, kept clean, and organized, students and teachers feel valued. When teachers feel respected by their community, they teach better. When students feel respected by their community, they learn better. What your church community did for Gatewood will be appreciated for a long time and in many ways. Early in August, I will meet with the Gatewood PTA Board and I will share the work done by the Cornerstone Church. I believe they will be inspired to finish the job and continue the school improvements!

Feeling blessed,
Connie Aleman, Principal
Gatewood Elementary

Click on the image below to check out some of the pictures that were captured that day!

Serve the City, Service, Video

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Jeremiah 29:7 

We’re just over 1 week away from our Serve the City event! If you haven’t registered yet, or have yet to reach out and invite others, do so today!

As a church, we not only want to be about proclaiming the Gospel in word, but demonstrating it in deed.

The Seattle School District has only 5 groundskeepers to maintain 34 schools in the South Seattle school district. This leaves many of the schools without adequate funding and manpower to maintain the properties. As such, these schools heavily rely on volunteer efforts to come alongside and help maintain their properties and facilities. We asked Seattle Schools where their greatest need is this year, and they told us Gatewood Elementary.

Romans 5:8 says that even while we were enemies of God, Christ died for us. As a church, we believe that we’ve been infinitely loved and served by God, through the person and work of Jesus. Because of that, we believe that the good news of the Gospel is not only shared in word, but demonstrated in deed. Serving is not just “giving back” but a tangible expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – serving as we’ve been served, in Christ.

We hope to see you there! If you are on the fence about joining, watch this video from last year’s event:

City Life, Event, Serve the City, Service

News, Service | by Pastor David Parker

Downtown Cornerstone,

As I mentioned during our gathering on Sunday, this summer (August 9th-18th) we’ll be sending a team down to Brazil to aid and assist in mercy outreach and church planting efforts in Rio de Janeiro. For more details on who we are partnering with and why, check out this post.

Several of you have asked a couple questions in one form or another so I wanted to post a quick update addressing those. Over the next several weeks we’ll continue to be posting updates so you know how you can be specifically praying and participating as we prepare to send this team to Brazil.

Who’s going?

So you can be praying for, encouraging, and prayerfully considering who you can help send, here’s the folks we’ll be sending to Brazil:

(Top Left) Peter Isaza, Linnell Pitt, Peter Duong, Catie Rizzo, Tyler Johnson, Edward Sumner, Pastor David Parker (Bottom Left) Anne Johnson, Shelley Pierson, Chelsey Scheffe, Katie Collins.

How are things going?

We met last weekend for our second team meeting to spend some time growing in unity, gospel fluency, and language learning together. It was a great evening together and already  looking forward to our next time together at the end of this month. Specifically, It’s been awesome to see how Jesus is even using our preparation and fundraising to stretch and grow our faith and dependency on Him. Thank you for praying for us. I couldn’t be more excited to see how Jesus will continue to grow, shape, and mold us as we prepare to go. We’ll be posting more stories in the weeks to come, stay tuned!

If you are interested in supporting the team through prayer and/or by giving to the Brazil Fund, you can learn more here.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at .

Until the whole world knows,

Pastor David

Discipleship, Service | by Pastor David Parker

This summer we’re preparing to take a team down to Brazil to aid and assist in mercy outreach and church planting efforts with Jay Bauman and Restore Brazil. We couldn’t be more excited that Jesus has given us this opportunity to continue deepening our partnership and support of a fellow friend and church planter in Rio de Janeiro! If you’re not familiar with what Jay is doing in Brazil, check out this video on Restore Brazil.

As of now, we’ve solidified the team of 11 members, plane tickets have been bought, visa applications have been submitted, and team training meetings have begun! Over the summer we’ll continue to prepare through language learning, gospel fluency, sharing our testimonies, kids ministry, and more! Personally, I couldn’t be more excited, and looking forward to all that Jesus has in store for us.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

First, Prayer. We know that without Jesus going before us in every way, this short-term ministry trip will be no more than a trip. In light of that, we would ask for your prayers in the following ways:

• That Jesus would form us into a people that live and believe the Gospel into every sphere of life.
• That through our team meetings this summer, we would grow in unity, preparation, and language learning together.
• That we would be a blessing and encouragement to Jay, Restore Brazil, and church planting efforts taking place in Rio.
• That Jesus would give all of us a deeper love and passion for Jesus’ mission not only here in Seattle, but around the world.
• That Jesus would provide financially for all of our team needs.

Second, would you prayerfully consider how you can help send this team down to Brazil this summer?

Not only is each team member personally sacrificing and working on fundraising for this trip, but we’re looking to corporately raise 10K towards this trip. This will help cover the cost of everything from mercy outreach supplies (toiletry kits, shoes, crafts, etc.), to some filming and computer equipment that we would like to bless Restore Brazil with so that the Gospel could be spread in the City of Rio and beyond.

BRAZIL FUND

If you would like to contribute to the Brazil fund, you can give in the following ways:

• On Sunday via check or cash (please write Brazil in the memo line or use a giving envelope located at the connect desk).
• Give online using this link
• Mail your gifts to: Downtown Cornerstone Church, 1700 7th Ave STE116 #324, Seattle, WA, 98101-1323. Write in the memo line of the check “Brazil Fund”

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email .

For the Gospel in Seattle, and to the ends of the Earth,
Pastor David

Community, Discipleship, Service | by Pastor David Parker

Downtown Cornerstone,

This past Sunday we took some time to unpack the current state and health of our church in regards to finances and serving. I wanted to briefly follow-up on the serving front so you can prayerfully consider how you can respond.

WHY WE SERVE

The mission of Downtown Cornerstone is to build a great city through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God. One of the ways we get to build a great city is by serving others as we’ve been served in Christ. If you are a follower of Christ, part of our ongoing discipleship is a life of service to God and others. Dallas Willard wrote these helpful words, “A disciple is not a person who has things under control, or knows a lot of things. Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to follow through on their decision to follow Christ.”

The only place we’re going to get the motivation and drive to follow Christ’s example in serving others, is when we understand and know how much God has served us through the person and work of Christ. Romans 5 tells us, that even while were enemies of God, He infinitely served us and loved us by dying for us. He gave His Son, so that we would be rescued from ourselves — and living for ourselves — and brought back into relationship with our Creator! I don’t know about you, but nothing motivates me more, and reminds me of why I serve, than looking to Jesus and being reminded of how much He served me.

THE NEEDS

Currently we have just over 100 volunteers that are in a regular rotation of serving, but in order to breed health among our ministries, and see more people come to know and love Jesus, we need over 175 volunteers!

You might ask, how could we need over 75 more volunteers, everything seems to be going fine on Sundays? The reality is a few fold, 1) We have many folks that are carrying a lot of weight, and “doubling down” in many areas or serving almost every week. This isn’t sustainable, nor healthy. 2) While Sunday is when the majority of our volunteer needs come to light, we also largely run on volunteer efforts throughout the week (e.g. community leads, website, communications, design, etc.). 3) Lastly, there’s more ways that we want to love and serve the city that God has placed us in, and see more people come to know, love and treasure Him. As we look to the fall, our prayer is not only that we’d have healthy teams, but that we’d be able to launch new ministries so that many more people would get to experience all that God is for us in Jesus Christ.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

For those of you who are faithfully and regularly serving, thank you! For those of you who maybe are brand new, we’re glad you’re here. Take your time, ask your questions, get connected. But for those of you who call Downtown Cornerstone home, consider how you can live out of your identity as a servant of Jesus Christ inside of our body.

Below is a basic list of serving opportunities and current volunteer needs for many of our teams. Most ministries have an every other week rotation of serving, except for Cornerstone Kids, which is roughly once a month. If you would like to learn more about a particular ministry, check out our serve page, and email  to ask any questions or to get connected to a serve team.

SUNDAY OPERATIONS

• Facilities: 5 volunteers
• Connect: 2 volunteers for email followup*
• Beverage: 2 volunteers
• Greeting: 4 volunteers

PRODUCTIONS

• Band: 2 vocalists, 1 drummer, 1 bass player, 1 pianist, 2 guitarists, 2 band leads*
• Audio/Slides/Lighting: 3 set-up techs, 2 sound engineers, 1 monitor engineer, 1 recording engineer*, 1 service lead*

CORNERSTONE KIDS

• Nursery: 5 volunteers, 1 service lead*
• Cornerstone Kids: 10 volunteers, 3 teachers*

MEDIA/DESIGN

• Graphic Design: 4 designers
• Video: 5 videographers
• Photography: 6 photographers

COMMUNICATIONS

• Web Development: 1 webmaster*, 2 developers
• Social Media: 3 editors/contributors

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Planning: 3 volunteers
• Event Set-up/Tear Down: 8 volunteers
• Decorations/Food: 4 volunteers

* Position requires church membership

Because He infinitely served us,
Pastor David

Service | by Pastor David Parker

This Summer we’re preparing to take a team down to Brazil to aid and assist in mercy outreach and church planting efforts with Jay Bauman and Restore Brazil. We couldn’t be more excited that Jesus has given us this opportunity to continue deepening our partnership and support of a fellow friend and church planter in Rio de Janeiro! If you’re not familiar with what Jay is doing in Brazil, check out this video on Restore Brazil.

Over the last few weeks several folks have asked in some form or another, “Why go?” Great question! In short, loving our neighbor isn’t an abstract idea. The two greatest commandments God gave us were to love Him and love others (Matt 22:37-39). Not only do we want to do that here in our local context, but we want to go to the ends of the earth with the good news of the Gospel (Matt 28:19-20). That Jesus offers forgiveness of sin, and new life in Him, both now and forever!

Here’s 5 reasons why I would encourage you to consider joining us this summer:

1. Your view of God and His unfolding story will grow.

The church is so much bigger than what we see in our context. We can lose sight of the grandeur and beauty of Jesus, His plan, and the way He’s using His church to accomplish His purposes. Whether it’s across the country or around the world, often short-term ministry trips profoundly change our view of Him, and all that He is doing. God used an opportunity He gave me to serve the people of Haiti in 2001 that radically shifted the way I see the world, suffering, Jesus’ church, and just how big our God really is.

2. Learn how to be a better missionary at home.

Going into another context creates an opportunity for us to better learn what it looks like to live on mission. When we’re taken out of our comfort zones and dropped into another culture, we’re forced to interact with people in new ways.These experiences help us be more effective missionaries at home.

3. Partner with and encourage others in ministry.

Through the declaration and demonstration of the Gospel, we’ll have an opportunity to partner with local church planters and missionaries who are on the ground. We’ll be Preparing to go through language learning and team building; Preaching to the local churches and Sharing in small groups; Visiting the favelas (slums) around the city and Praying for the people; Serving the children of Rio by Teaching them the gospel in a Bible school setting, and whatever else God has in store for us!

4. See and be involved in what you’re supporting.

DCC not only gives to several local church planting efforts in the states, but we’re currently supporting planters in Brazil and Mexico. We want each of our members to be a part of what God is doing around the world. When we see the spread of the Kingdom, the work being done first hand, and the needs on the ground, it encourages us to more fully invest and give faithfully with joy.

5. Lastly, Short-term ministry is often where long-term mission starts.

Going on short term trips break down our fearful or romanticized views of missions. Suddenly missionary work becomes something that you COULD actually do. Going helps confirm or challenge “callings” on our lives, and invites others into that process with us. Entering another context can solidify and deepen the passion and drive to live on mission amongst the people of Seattle. It motivates us to want to see more people come to know, love and worship Jesus.

Praying that through this trip we would all walk away with a deeper love for Jesus, and the people He’s put around us.

– Pastor David

For more info on this trip or to apply, Click HERE.
**Application deadline is March 30th. Membership with DCC is required**

City Life, Service

Written by Linnell Pitt, Downtown Cornerstone Church member and teacher at White Center Heights Elementary

DCC Family,

Words can hardly express my gratitude for your generosity this Advent season.  Back in late November, I posted a need on The City, hoping to get a couple people to take advantage of Black Friday to get a couple sweatshirts for my school’s sweatshirt drive.  I didn’t expect all of DCC to rally around my school and have a full-blown sweatshirt drive.

For those of you who may not have heard about DCC’s Advent “Adopt a Neighbor” campaign, I’ll give a little background.  I am a 2nd grade teacher at White Center Heights Elementary School, which is located in a very poverty-impacted neighborhood.  About 90% of the students at my school receive free and reduced priced meals, meaning that many parents and guardians are struggling to provide the basic necessities for their families.  The staff decided that we wanted to provide every child in our school with a sweatshirt as a “winter” present since a lot of the students don’t have proper winter clothes and are cold at recess.  However, with around 650 students in our school, that was a very lofty goal for us to obtain, so we reached out to our friends, family, and communities.

That is where Downtown Cornerstone Church came in!  After I posted the need on The City, Pastor Adam and Pastor David asked me if my school’s sweatshirt drive could be a part of DCC’s annual “Adopt-a-Neighbor,” and I heartily agreed.  The total number of sweatshirts given by DCC was 81, which is awesome! The sweatshirts were all so cute and stylish!  In addition, one of our church members, Natalie, got her company to do a sweatshirt drive and they raised just over 90 sweatshirts (as well as a matched cash donation). That’s a total of over 170 sweatshirts, which was well beyond what I had hoped or expected!

In the end, our school was only about seventy sweatshirts short.  That was an easy fix because many staff and community members had made cash donations, making it possible for a last-minute shopping trip to get the remaining sweatshirts.  The other teachers and I gave the sweatshirts to our students on the Thursday before winter break.  When I told my students that the teachers, staff, community, and my church had all worked together to provide brand new sweatshirts for every single student in White Center Heights Elementary, my class started clapping and cheering.  As sweatshirts were handed out, it was joyful chaos in my classroom with students dancing, singing, and jumping up and down with excitement.  Some of the kids even started a conga line!  I heard the same report from other teachers in the building, with one teacher saying that her students were “beside themselves with joy.”  The students at White Center Heights Elementary were absolutely thrilled to have new, warm sweatshirts, and just in time for our snow day that Friday.

As a church, we believe that we have been infinitely loved and served by God through the person and work of Jesus, so we give because we’ve been given everything in Christ. Thank you DCC for serving the kids of White Center Heights Elementary as you’ve been loved and served by God in Christ. We were all so blessed by your generosity.

Thank you again, and I wish you all the best in 2014!

Linnell

Service

If you call DCC home and have not yet found a way to serve, you are needed! As a church plant, we rely on the faithful service of our people to make things run. Please consider serving as there are new teams being formed to meet our growing needs. As a church, we believe that we have been infinitely loved and served by God through the person and work of Jesus, and our service is a response to how we’ve been served in Christ. From set up to design, there are numerous opportunities to get involved. Start by filling out an connect card on Sunday morning, tell a leader after the gathering or email .

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 1 Cor. 12:7

DCC SERVICE TEAMS

 Production

The Productions Team is responsible for the set-up, operation and take-down of all audio-visual and lighting equipment. This includes sound technicians, slides, videos, lighting techs and more. Prior knowledge of the task is recommended but not required; they are willing to train the right folks!

 Cornerstone Kids

The Cornerstone Kids Team is comprised of both Helpers and Teachers who partner with parents to create a safe, welcoming and fun environment for kids to understand and apply Gospel truths. The service commitment is one Sunday every 4 weeks, but we also need occasional help with Tuesday Prayer Nights and Wednesday Night Membership meetings. You don’t need a lot of                                            experience (we’ll train!).

Band

The Corporate Worship Team is composed of musicians and vocalists responsible for prayerfully preparing for and leading the church in corporate worship music each Sunday. They are currently in particular need of vocalists, bass & electric guitarists, and additional worship leaders. If you are plugged into a Cornerstone Community and interested in the band, please visit the Connect desk or contact Randy Lundy () for more information.

Media

As the church, we love Seattle and desire to steward the creative arts to share the good news of the gospel in order to bring personal gospel renewal to this city. Graphic Designers, Web Designers, Photographers, Illustrators, Artists, Editors, Videographers; we invite you to join the Media Team!

 Facilities

The Facilities Team is an integral part of making our Sunday gatherings happen, and is responsible for completing all tasks associated with setting up and taking down DCC’s Sunday gathering space. They gather early to move crates, set up signs, tables, and other equipment making sure other ministries have what they need. This team is dedicated to joyful and humble service and would love to have you join them!

 Beverage Team

As a church, we want to be known as a hospitable people. The Beverage Team is responsible for setting up hospitality stations ensuring that beverages, beverage tables & communion tables are prepared for DCC’s Sunday morning worship service.

 Greeting Team

The Greeting & Ushering Team is responsible for cultivating a hospitable and welcoming environment for all individuals and families arriving at our gatherings each Sunday. This includes extending a friendly welcome, distributing Bibles & Handouts, and ushering guests to open seats – among other tasks. If you call DCC home and are not yet serving, consider joining the                               Greeting Team!

 Connect Team

The Connect Team is responsible for  welcoming visitors and helping individuals get connected to a Cornerstone community, answer questions, and connect people to  The City. If you are plugged into a Cornerstone Community and want to help others get involved in serving or being known within the church, please stop by the Connect Desk after a Sunday gathering to                            learn more.

Security Team

The Security Team is responsible for  ensuring our Sunday gatherings are safe for individuals and families. Serving on this newly formed team entails being trained and remaining in the lobby during the service to direct people who arrive late and make sure the lobby and theater spaces we gather in are protected.

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” Rom. 12:6