Newsletter - November 8, 2009

Denver First Church November 8, 2009

keeping in touch...

DFC Ministerial Staff Shawn A. Siegfreid Lead Pastor

Stephen Abbott Young Adult & Family Pastor

Rich Cantwell Business Administrator

Bud Curry Hospital Chaplain

Tina Hayhurst Student Ministries Pastor

Scott Nauman Pastor of Worship & Arts

Jerry Nelson Minister of Instrumental Music

Randy Smith Christian Education Pastor

Marvin Suyen West Campus Pastor

DFC Church Board John Bruneau Bob Cheney Curtis Clay Glenn Domokos Troy Edwards Vini Giannatala Bryant Jaggers Judy Jones Gregg Moran Gene Rakes Bud Roe Kathy Tate Jim Webb Ron Williams Bonnie York Denver First Church 3800 E. Hampden Avenue Englewood, CO 80113 303/761-8370 www.DenverFirstChurch.com

Table of Contents 1. A Taste of Christmas 2. news update i. important info… ii. “kotchadoingood” iii. board perspective iv. timely news for the congregation…

v. how you can help… vi.a final word... 3. calendar of events: November 8-14

News Update Important info... Dear Members and Friends of DFC, “What an awesome sight!” I’ve been hearing this statement or sentiment many times over the last few days in regards to what took place last Sunday morning at the close of our service. DFC saw dozens and dozens of people coming to the altar asking God to fill them with His Spirit. I trust if you were one of these people or simply a part of our service, you are still living in the overflow of God’s presence and power among us! When we see and sense God moving among us it reminds us that God does want to pour out His blessing on us! Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Jesus wants to bless us and He wants to bless the church! In order for that to happen we must listen and respond; that is what happened last Sunday! He is always ready to pour out His Spirit. The question is: are we ready to receive the power of God? As I prepare for Sunday, I am praying that you will make yourself ready to hear and respond to His loving voice. I want us to dream of how much He wants to bless us and our families. He wants us to live in victory. Some of us experienced a real Spirit victory for the very first time while others were renewed. Keep living in that victory and trusting God for today and tomorrow! I believe God wants to bless our church! This Sunday, we will be talking about His Church and the people who make up His Church. Please come prepared to hear His voice and bring someone with you who, like us, needs that drink of living water that changes everything for His glory! May His Presence be your Peace! Pastor Shawn A. Siegfreid Please take a moment to read several announcements listed below that will appear in Sunday’s Insight. If you are viewing these in the eblast, click on each for important details; if you are reading this in the hard copy, please refer to the Insight for important details regarding these upcoming events: A Taste of Christmas Baptism Evening Service

Thanksgiving Offering

Singles Bowling and Dinner

IN Group Banquet

Sale in the Bookstore

Men’s Basketball

Supporting our Youth Today’s publication will cover the following topics: “Kotchadoingood!”, Board Perspective, Timely News for the Congregation and How You Can Help

News Update “kotchadoingood!” Nicaragua Work and Witness Trip Report Thanks to DFC for supporting missions! A team of nine returned safely from Nicaragua, Central America on October 27 from an eleven day Work & Witness trip. The team ministered to children through Vacation Bible School and started construction of a 30x60 foot cement block church. The church is located 1 ½ hours by plane (or as John Bruneau and I learned, 8 hours by bus) from the capital city of Managua. From there, another 45 minutes by boat, then a one hour trip by truck on bumpy roads to the site of the town and church. The town of Las Colinas has about 1,000 people; the Nazarene church is healthy with 110 members. A new church is needed as the current one is constructed of wood and does not hold up to the rain and termites. The young pastor and his wife are expecting their first baby and are living in the front ¼ of the current church. $12,000 from DFC missions and W&W team members bought materials to build this new facility for the Nazarene church in Las Colinas, Nicaragua. We were blessed to have about 12 men from the congregation building the church with us. The ladies of the church prepared traditional rice and beans with chicken for our lunches every day. Construction of the church will be complete within the next five weeks. Vacation Bible School with puppets and a gospel message were presented in 4 remote towns. Construction on the church was every day until 3:00pm, and then the whole team would pack up for VBS at various churches in the area. It was encouraging to see pastors, parents, and children serving the Lord in what appeared to be a difficult place to live. On the way back from one of the churches our truck got stuck in the mud. Three hours of rain contributed to the deterioration of the dirt covered plank bridge such that our truck got stuck half way over the bridge. We all had to get out of the truck then lift the back wheels of the truck back onto the wood planks of the bridge. Team members on this trip were John Bruneau, Marvin Floyd, Don and Michael Funk from Seattle, Dale VonSeggen, Gwenda, Josh, and Levi Rakes, and myself Gene Rakes. Once again it was amazing to watch God put things together for His purposes. Each team member had unique contributions to help accomplish the mission. We were happy to have additional contributions of $700 for the purchase of Bibles. One story of God's planning was that one day when we arrived for VBS we found the church to be locked with no sign of a pastor or a key to the church. There was a misunderstanding on the day we were expected to arrive. Fortunately one member of the congregation knew about a school that was meeting nearby. The school was a

News Update “kotchadoingood!” Nicaragua Work and Witness Trip Report, continued... wooden, one room, dirt floor building with about 15 students between 1st and 8th grade. The teacher let us hold VBS in the classroom during normal school hours. More children and parents from the community continued to come to the school house for VBS until there were about 40 children in all. We had puppets, the salvation story, a craft, and a soccer game with all the children. What an awesome God we serve! All are welcome on these trips. Thank you for your support and to God be the glory! Gene Rakes Halloween Alternative Fred October was in hiding again last Friday night. The Search for Fred October is our human scavenger hunt where over 50 Senior High students searched throughout Southlands Mall in a race to see who would find him first. Youth from the Crash joined us in our frantic search for Fred which has become an annual, highly anticipated outreach event for our Senior High Youth. After Fred was discovered, the students returned to DFC for a fun-filled lock-in night with games, food and fellowship. What a great alternative to the typical Halloween party scene! October Mission:Denver Report Mission Denver was on Saturday, October 31st. We had eight tubs full of hygiene packs this month. Thanks to the church for continuing to keep us well supplied. It was great to see Jon and Krystal Tinniswood along with four young men and a friend from the Tennyson Center to help in serving. There were about 200 people that received lunch, clothes, and hygiene packs this month. A special thanks goes to the faithful crew that come every month for Mission:Denver.

News Update Board perspective... Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The past few weeks I've been encouraged to see both old friends with whom I've not enjoyed fellowship for awhile as well as the opportunity to get to know new people. Already it seems that Pastor's emphasis on "going out" and "bringing in" is having an effect on us! Let's remain diligent to keep our focus on reaching out to those in our sphere of influence and introducing them to Jesus Christ. Last Saturday we pulled our PT Cruiser into the church parking lot alongside several dozen other vehicles to pop the hatch, decorate the interior and participate in Trunk-or-Treat. Earlier in the day, the Mission:Denver crew had been downtown ministering to the homeless as they do each month. Those are just two examples from a long list of thriving ministry activities in which to be involved at DFC. If you haven't yet found a place that's right for you, the leadership is nearly ready to help you along that discovery path. Stay tuned for more details soon. "...and they took note that these men had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). These words delivered by Pastor Sunday morning have continued to ring in my ears through the week. Though it is the longing of my heart, I can't help but wonder if anyone takes note that I've been with Jesus. I've come to the conclusion that it depends on HOW I spend my time with Him. In Luke 9:23, Jesus puts it all very clearly in perspective. It's not about me. I must deny myself. I must be vigilant about rejecting my ego -- the focus on "I" -- where the enemy of my soul always lurks. Once I've been saved, my primary mandate is to simply be a witness for Jesus (Matt 10:18; Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8, 2:32, 24:48). So, I can spend my time before Him focused on me and my desires. Or I can realize the incredible responsibility He has entrusted to me to carry the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20) and grasp the fact that He is engineering every circumstance in my life to maximize my ability to be a witness (1 Peter 4:1219). Only then will the "fragrance of the knowledge of him" spread wherever I go (2 Corinthians 2:14). Serving Him Alongside of You, Vini Giannatala

News Update timely news for the congregation... DFC Military Support Group We are a group of concerned church members with relatives in our country's armed forces. We meet on the first Sunday of each month, 5:00- 6:00 PM, in Room 200. Our next meeting will be on December 6th. Right now we have a special need: current addresses (including country) for our military people. They are listed on the back of the "Prayer Requests" brochure, available every Sunday at the main usher stations around the church. If you can help us out, send the info to Pinky Sloane, 720-344-8825, email [email protected]. Here are some specific service members for whom you can pray right now: 1. SGT Jeffrey Leeper (US Army), his wife and new baby are moving with his unit from Grafenwohr, Germany to Schweinfurt. They hope to come home to the states for Christmas. (Grandparents are Dean & Barbara Kornelsen.) 2. 1LT Nathaniel Miller (USAF) flies the Air Force's C5A cargo aircraft. He is now at an airbase in Spain, ferrying Army helicopters in his C5A to a unit in Afghanistan. (Mother is Nancy Miller.) We're gathering/updating addresses to begin sending cards and letters to our military people, and we'll be in with the Missions Council at church on Nov. 15, offering boxes for folks to fill and mail to our service members overseas, especially those in the war zones, for the Christmas season.

31st Annual IN Group Banquet—Saturday, Nov. 21 This event will be at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. The theme is “Around the World with Dr. Jim Diehl.” Tickets are $20.00 (reserved by table number) and are available at the IN Group Booth (south entrance). Music will be provided by Van & Miriam Owen accompanied by Linda Jackson on the piano. Note: Semi-Formal dress. The IN Group is now open to all adults. The reception area will be open at 5:00 pm in the Community Room.

News Update timely news for the congregation... Baptism Class Sunday, November 15th, will be Pastor Shawn’s first baptism service here at DFC. He will baptize people in our morning service. If you are interested in being baptized, please come to the class this Sunday, November 8th at 5:00 pm in Room 200.

A Taste of Christmas - Sat., Dec. 5 Ticket sales begin this Sunday, November 8th! Tickets are $12.00. Volunteers are still needed in all areas. See Gay Borrego at the ministry booth near the South Entrance.

Widows and Mature Single Ladies of DFC Join us for a brunch on Saturday, Nov. 14th at 10:00am in the Fellowship Hall of DFC. Our own Dixie Whittaker will be our speaker. Secret Sisters will be revealed! Bring a gift with your own name on it. Please call Sarah at 303-806-2625 by Nov. 8th to reserve your spot. Transportation will be provided upon request. Join us for fun, food and fellowship!

Singles Bowling & Dinner On Saturday, Nov. 14, meet at Monaco Lanes at 3pm for a few games of bowling! We’ll go to Gunther Toody’s for dinner afterwards. Bring $20-25 for expenses (shoes $4.95, one game of bowling - $5.50, dinner – approx. $10). For more information contact Jincy Mills at 303/552-7970. Shoebox Christmas Christmas is just around the corner and our tradition at DFC is to fill "Shoeboxes" for the needy in our world. This year boxes will be delivered to the Navajo Nation in Arizona and Jesus of Nazareth Compassion Center in Denver. Boxes will be distributed November 8th & 15th with boxes returning on Sunday, November 22nd when we will celebrate Thanksgiving with an Offering for World Missions & "Build the Wall" of gifts. We will also have opportunity to reach out to our Military with care packages. Those instructions will be distributed Sunday, November 15, 2009.

News Update timely news for the congregation... Kid’s Corner The Children’s Department would like to thank our DFC family for supporting Trunkor-Treat 2009. Last Saturday, the west parking lot was lined with SUVs, trucks, minivans, sedans, hatchbacks, and one stroller. Each of these vehicles were thematically decorated by volunteers who were ready to greet children from the community. As you will recall, our church family collected 10,000 pieces of candy for this event. Every single morsel was shared with the children! In addition, the Ground Level Auditorium was packed with families who experienced a “dinner theater” of sorts. While the magicians entertained the crowd, families dined on hot dogs and warm chili. Families also enjoyed fellowship with one another. We would like to thank the 80 volunteers who made Trunk-or-Treat a priority. Volunteers included grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, teens, kids, and even one baby (with the help of her parents). Thank you for your time, your smiles, your welcoming words, and especially your prayers for those who came to Trunk-or -Treat 2009 filled with curiosity about our church and, more importantly, our Savior. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Psalm 136:1(NIV) Sincerely, Susan Foster

News Update timely news for the congregation... Calendar November Dates: 11/08 Baptism Class 11/14 Widowed & Mature Single Ladies Brunch 11/15 Baptism 11/17 November Board Meeting 11/20-22 Power Surge District Retreat 11/21 11/26

IN Group Banquet Thanksgiving day – no Mission:Denver in November

December Dates: 12/03 Point Loma preview days 12/03-04 A Taste of Christmas preparation 12/05 A Taste of Christmas 12/06 DFC Christmas concert 3pm 12/06 Bake Out: Bake Sale 12/11-13 Navajo Shoebox trip 12/13 DFC Children’s Christmas program 12/24 Christmas Eve service – Baptism & Communion

News Update how you can help... Help Support Our Youth, It’s Easy! Stop by the Student Ministries Booth or the GL Welcome Center and purchase a King Soopers gift card. We sell cards in $25, $50 and $100 increments. For each card you purchase, a percentage goes to the Youth Department. Your support will help our youth go to retreats, missions trips and camp. Stop by and see how it works! Pantry During the holiday season, we have many families and individuals in need that come to the church in search of help. The DFC Pantry is an important ministry here at DFC. We depend on your contributions to help those in need. If you are able, please donate non-perishable food, hygiene and paper goods to the Pantry. Right now, we are running low on oatmeal, canned salmon, peanut butter, canned veggies and soup, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, crackers, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and all sizes of diapers. We truly appreciate your donations. Thanksgiving If you would like to help prepare the Thanksgiving baskets this year, please call Randy Smith’s office at 303/806-2625 by November 16. A Taste of Christmas - Saturday, December 5th from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Gentlemen, you are invited to be a participant this year for A Taste of Christmas! As in years past, we are relying on you to help serve food & beverages and to fill in where extra hands are needed (before, during and after the event). Please let Cheryl Gallentine know if you would be interested in helping ([email protected] or 303/795-0500).

News Update a final word...

This past Sunday’s morning worship service reminded of an experience I’ve had hiking desert canyons. I remember one time in particular when it rained - well, “desert-style” - and what I noticed was that, whereas the packed-down path on which I was hiking rejected the moisture, the sandy soil beside the trail soaked it up thirstily. In our service last Sunday, people responded to the Spirit’s calling without hesitation, thirstily. The response was not far from Jesus’ analogy in the Parable of the Soils: “But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people. They listen to God’s words and cling to them and steadily spread them to others who also soon believe.” (Lk. 8:15, TLB) Let’s invite those Fresh Rains of the Spirit—those showers of blessing—not so that we alone may be well-nourished, but also that we may produce a large crop for His kingdom by “steadily spreading [His words] to others who also soon believe.” God bless you. Randy Smith

Calendar of Events November 8-14 Sunday, November 8:

Wednesday, November 11 (continued):

8:00 am:

Praise Team Sound Check (Sanctuary)

8:30 am:

Choir & Orchestra Sound Check (Sanctuary)

9:00 am:

Sunday School (all ages)

Women of the Word (Fellowship Hall)

Nursery & Preschool open

Choir Rehearsal

Morning Worship Service (Sanctuary)

Celebrate Recovery (Room 200, 202)

Nursery available

Youth Worship Service (Rock Room)

10:30 am:

6:15 pm:

Nursery Open (ages 2 and under)

6:30 pm:

Wednesday Night Prayer (East Diehl Chapel)

1st - 4th Grade Children’s Church (GLA) 5th & 6th Grade DOGS Worship

Men’s Study - Tender Warrior (Room 201)

2:00 pm:

Rock Band Practice

3:00 pm:

Tsunami Band Practice

4:00 pm:

Collaboration Band Practice

4:30 pm:

Youth Committee Meeting

8:00 am:

Quizzing for Blue Level - 4th - 6th Grade (GL Room # 14)

MOPS (Fellowship Hall)

12:00 pm:

Adult Sunday School Teachers Meeting (Community Room)

IN Group Board Meeting (Community Room)

6:15 pm:

Praise Team Vocals & Rhythm

5:00 pm:

8:15 pm:

Baptism Class (Room 200) Traditions Service (Diehl Chapel)

Choir Rehearsal Childcare (Room #5) 7:00 pm:

Celebrate Recovery Sponsor Meeting (Cry Room)

6:30 pm:

Caregivers (Community Room)

Friday, November 13: 9:15 am:

Seniors Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)

5:00 pm:

Celebrate Recovery Sponsor Meeting (Cry Room) Refuge Class Talent Show (Fellowship Hall)

Tuesday, November 10: 7:00 am: 9:00 am: 9:30 am: 7:00 pm:

Men’s Bible Study (GL Conference Room)

MOPS Date Night 6:00 pm:

Women of the Word Leaders (Fellowship Hall)

Divorce Care for Kids (GL Room #6) Saturday, November 14: 7:00 am:

Wednesday, November 11: 5:00 pm:

Women of the Word Leaders

6:00 pm:

Men at Prayer (Community Room) Ladies Prayer Walk (Parking Lot)

10:00 am:

Widowed/Single Ladies Brunch (Fellowship Hall)

Rock Band Practice

4:00 pm:

Bible Quizzing - Red Level 1st - 3rd Grade (Room 2)

His Cornerstone Class Potluck (Fellowship Hall)

6:00 pm:

Celebrate Recovery Movie Night (GL Fellowship Hall)

(Fellowship Hall) 5:30 pm:

Celebrate Recovery (GL Fellowship Hall) Divorce Care (Community Room)

Women of the Word (Fellowship Hall) Bereans Prophesy Bible Study (Fellowship Hall)

Praise Teams & Choir Orchestra

Monday, November 9: 9:40 am:

Youth Night at Chili’s

Thursday, November 12:

Puppet Practice (5th & 6th Grade) (Room 12) Bible Quizzing - Blue Level 4th - 6th Grade (Room 14)

6:00 pm:

Children’s Activities (all ages)

Youth Baptism Class