Desert Cross December '09 E-zine

December 2009

What gift will you bring to Jesus? Pastor Mark

Weddings Bells and Bliss: Grittman / Wolfe Wedding

Murakami/ Gregory Wedding

Team Impact: Got your Armor on?

Convoy of Hope: Community Outreach Event

February 2010

The Family Room: Christmas Family Fellowship

Christmas Blessings: A year end challenge

In this issue;

Desert Cross is “Reaching out, Touching lives and Changing this World”

ReCharge — the name says it all. ReCharge is a time to get away and slow down. To be with your church family and friends. To let the noise of the city fall away and hear God speak to you. To you. To refresh your heart, and recharge your spirit. Once you’ve been to ReCharge, you don’t want to miss it. Just ask anyone in this picture. Plan now for ReCharge 2010, October 22-24, at beautiful Emmanuel Pines Camp, in the mountains outside of Prescott, AZ.

Visit us on the web @ www.dc3fmc.org

We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar. A wonderful

Christmas hymn. These men knew the prophecies of a coming King who

would change the world. And they acted on it. They left everything they

knew, traveled at their own expense, faced unknown and untold dangers, to

make a trip, to bring a gift to someone they didn’t know. Talk about faith

and obedience performing a beautiful waltz together.

A few years ago Cindy & I took a ballroom dancing class, and I was terrible at it. At least, at

first. It felt odd. It felt weird. It definitely felt very strange. I was doing something that called for

me to move in new ways, to go in odd feeling directions. But as I watched others dance, I was

drawn to the beautiful synergy between them, as they moved together so gracefully. I longed for

that. And I wanted to know that kind of grace too.

As we enter this new year we want to teach you to dance. We are going to become inten-

tional in our outreach as a church. We will create multiple opportunities and experiences for you

to get involved in outreach. And you maybe thinking, “Not me. I wouldn’t know what to do.” But

it’s a lot like ballroom dancing. When I first started ballroom, it scared the daylights out of me. I

didn’t know where to put my hands, feet or how to move. And if you know me, you know I did-

n’t have any grace in my movements. But you know as I stuck with it, I became more graceful.

Imagine that. And it even became fun.

The activity of outreach will feel odd. Count on it. It will feel strange, because it will call

you to move in new ways, in strange directions, doing something that you haven’t done before.

But as we get in step with Jesus, we will feel the pleasure of God and the presence of God. Why?

Because when God’s children move to the music of His heart, He dances with us. He takes the

lead, and we just follow his steps. And He gives us His grace, to move like He moves.

The wise men brought gifts to Jesus, that revealed who He really was. Those gifts dis-

played He was Gods’ Prophet, Priest and King. Their gifts were of the greatest worth, given to

one who was worth everything they could bring.

What gift of great value will you give Jesus this year? What will you bring to the manger

throne of Christ? Join me as we bring the best gift of all—us. Our time, talents and treasures to

be used by Jesus to be his hands, feet, and life to a world that needs the hope that those wise men

found, as they knelt before the manger.

Pastor Mark

What gift will you bring to Jesus?

You know you can listen to a podcast of all Pastor Mark’s weekly teaching, right?

Did you know that soon we will offer video podcasting?

Keep your eyes on www.dc3fmc.org

November Wedding Bells

New life is happening as couples join in covenant marriage at Desert Cross!

Congratulations to Donnie Grittman and Barbara Wolfe,

who were married on November 13th. They had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at his sister’s home.

One Proud Papa!

God’s richest blessings on them!

The Wedding Crew!

http://www.dc3fmc.com/connect/podcast2

Kenji Murakami and Cari Gregory exchanged wedding vows on November 28 in our Worship Center.

What a great couple.




More November Wedding Bells

A joyful sister

Pray for Kenji & Cari as they start this new life together...

At last!


Where is your mission fi

eld?




Team Impact — Children & Youth Ministry

Missions Matters - Desert Cross: a local, global outreach

This month our kids have

been learning during the

children’s sermon about

the armor of God.

Do you know what piece of armor protects your

heart from Satan trying to steal it from God?

Tune in on Sunday’s at

10:45 to find out!

- Desert Cross -

It’s where you belong!

Do you know who our missionaries are? Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t.

A lot of us may know the Tang family, but there are many others that we want to

introduce to you.

Each month we are going to feature an article to help us all grow in our awareness of

missions;

What's happening

Who’s doing it

What can we do to help.

Stay tuned for more ways you can get involved….

Contact Lincoln at [email protected]


Be the body of

Christ:

Start where you are, u

se what you’ve got,

do what you can.

In Jesus name

Can you make a difference in the world today?

Yes, you can. We need your giving of toiletries,

socks, Guidepost and Reader’s Digest are needed.

Thank you for your support to help those in need. The Food Bank and Shoebox

Ministries boxes are in the Fellowship Hall next to the kitchen.

Food Bank & Shoebox Ministries

What is Convoy of Hope?

Convoy of Hope is a community based outreach event. It is churches working together

to bring the hope in Jesus to hurting people. Convoy of Hope will bring free medical and

vision screening, kids activities and 37,000 pounds of food to the Grand Canyon Univer-

sity campus. This will show the love of God for hurting people in a way that says Jesus

really cares about you.

If you’re looking for a way to make an impact for God, share the gospel with those who

need to hear, and have a great time doing it, then we need you to be there.

Contact Melissa at [email protected] for more details. See you there!




Outreach - the hands and feet of Jesus to the world


We reach out with

our sympathy &

condolences to

Mae for the passing of Ben, her husband. May God sustain her with courage and strength during this difficult time.

Harry for the passing of his wife Kyoko. May God bring

comfort and strength to the family.

If you missed our Christmas lunch, you really missed out. Kenji & his catering partner Chuck, made a great meal.

Too much good food!

And we had some great entertainment too! We had Ken and his band of guitars, Warren played his ukulele, we enjoyed singing and great time of being together as

a family. Be sure to put it on your calendar to be with us next year.

Desert Cross — It’s where you belong!

Women’s

Ministry

Annual Meeting January. 26, 1:00PM in the Fellowship Hall.

Spring Fling Recharge Fund Raiser Breakfast, Sunday, Jan. 10, 9:00 AM.

First meeting for 2010 - Jan. 26 will be a luncheon meeting @ 12:00PM

Christmas

Post Office

The Christmas Post Office deadline is December 13. If

you wish to participate, contact Nancy Tanita (602) 841-

1183 or Gladys Sallas (623) 412-0343. All donations are

to support the missionaries. Make check payable to W.M.

—memo “Christmas P.O.” Thank you !

Christmas Lunch — WOW!




The Family Room

A DC3 E-dition reminder;


Desert Cross Community

Church

4143 N. 43rd Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85031

Phone: (602) 278-0917

E-mail: [email protected]

“Reaching out, Touching lives, and Changing this world.”

We still need your help to get people moved over to the Desert Cross E-dition. Here’s how you can help us.

If you know someone who is currently receiving our letter as a paper copy and they have email, please help us by encouraging them to make the switch over to electronic. If they have e-mail and would like to receive an electronic newsletter, please have them write us at [email protected] and let us know.

We want to get as many as possible on our E-letter list. Thanks for your help with this.

Let there be Light! A Desert Cross Christmas Musical

Mark your calendar for Dec. 13 to hear the Desert Cross Chorus as they bring “Let there be Light!” Plan now to join us and be sure to bring a friend.

Sundays: Diggin’ Deeper Discipleship will break for the Christmas season.

Tuesdays: Life Journey Groups at Pastor Mark’s and Dorothy Tanita’s at 7:00 p.m.

Fridays: Hebrews Bible Study at Church, 7:00PM. Bible teacher Lincoln Solis.

Dec. 13: Prayer Warriors meeting, 9:00AM

Dec. 13: Christmas musical during the morning service.

Dec. 20: DC3 Family Forum Meeting after morning service

Jan. 10: Women’s Ministry fund raiser breakfast at the church, 9:00 AM

Jan. 10: Society Meeting, after worship service. 12:30PM

Jan. 26: W.M. meeting at the church, 1:00PM

Feb 27: Convoy of Hope Outreach event

Feb. 27-28: Matsuri, Heritage Square.

Coming Soon to Desert Cross


We have been blessed to be your pastors this year. We love our family at

Desert Cross. As a family we have laughed, cried, and worked together. It

was together as a family that we pushed through the struggles to the

blessing of God.

This has been a year of growth in us all. Every plant always needs to

grow first, before the fruit is formed and ripens. This coming year is our

year of harvest. Can you feel it?

Join us in anticipation of what God is about to do in our midst. Pray

with us for the coming year. Let our obedience to Jesus be the catalyst for

many to come to know Jesus Christ in 2010.

A Christmas of hope, and a New Year of promise.

Page 10

Desert Cross December '09 E-zine

Documents

Transcript of Desert Cross December '09 E-zine