Making Disciples at Downtown Cornerstone

The heart of Jesus’ commission to his church is to make disciples. The term disciple refers to being a student, a follower, or a learner. Being a disciple of Jesus is the lifelong process of learning to trust and become more like Him in every sphere of life—and help others do the same.

Classes

In addition to Sunday gatherings, we offer classes and midweek Bible study as an opportunity to grow in the life of our church as well as dive deeper into specific aspects of Christian living and beliefs. Classes normally meet before the gathering on Sundays, and are taught by pastors of DCC. We encourage those attending to participate in the gathering after the class.

Foundations

If you are new with DCC, we would encourage you to start with the Foundations class. This class is meant to be the first stop for folks seeking to dive in and learn about the nuts and bolts of our church, join a Cornerstone Community, be baptized, and become a member. By the end of it, you’ll have clear next steps for how to grow and get further connected.

Exploring Christianity

If you are a skeptic exploring the claims of Christianity, we would encourage you to start with the Exploring Christianity class which walks through the claims and life of Jesus, and what it means to be a Christian.

Midweek Bible Study

In addition to the above classes, we offer Midweek Bible Study on Wednesday evenings, led by pastors of DCC. The purpose of offering this is not to create big heads, but big hearts. However, the way to our hearts is through our heads (Rom. 12:2).

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Community

From beginning to end, God’s aim is to glorify Himself through a people He is calling out from all tribes of the world and all neighborhoods of Seattle through the gospel. He calls this community of people the church.

Downtown Cornerstone desires for people to connect, share life, and form communities that are deeply rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. These are communities of diverse imperfect people that are committed to living out the implications of the gospel in every sphere of life. These are communities of radical grace, sacrificial service, and joy. These are communities that eat together, pray together, laugh together, and study the Bible together (i.e. share life). These are communities that build up the church by encouraging people to faith in Jesus Christ and build up the city through deeds of justice and mercy. These are communities where you can be who God created you to be, yourself. It’s our hope and prayer that everyone who calls Downtown Cornerstone home will find such community.

Why community?

God has forever existed in perfect loving relationship within the Trinitarian Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). This means that Ultimate Reality is a community of Persons who know and love one another. In other words, radical, other-centered, loving community is central to reality. We are created for this type of community, with God and others, because we are created in His image. Yet, our every day experience of this is distorted by sin. Jesus Christ came to restore, renew and redeem all of our relationships, starting with God. We can experience community as it was intended now, in part, by centering our lives on Him.

Downtown Cornerstone aims to cultivate a culture marked by the following:

Jesus. We study the Bible, pray for one another, and talk about Jesus.

Gospel. We believe in and work out the implications of the gospel in all of life.

City. We look to bless those outside our communities and participate in the life of our city.

Church. We’re a diverse group brought together by the gospel for relationship, life and worship.

Mission. We love people and are sent into the city to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Renewal. We volunteer our time, extend compassion and work for justice for the poor and marginalized.

Multiplying. We seek to multiply Jesus-followers, communities and churches throughout the city – and world.

How can I get connected?

To begin connecting with our church body, we recommend joining our Foundations class, a 5-week class that walks through what we believe (doctrine), why its important to belong (membership), who we are (vision, mission, and values), why we are here (context), and how we live together (leadership, ministries, partners, and finances). By the end, you’ll have clear next steps for how to grow and get further connected with a Cornerstone Community. You can jump into the class at any time, simply sign up here.

If you have any questions, email us at .

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Family Ministries

The mission of our family ministries is to build up the next generation of believers by partnering with parents to cultivate children to know, love, and treasure Jesus. We desire to help equip parents as the primary disciple-makers of their families and are committed to partnering with you to joyfully teach, show, and model who God is and what He has done for us through the person and work of Christ.

To learn more about our family ministries including Cornerstone Kids and Youth, click here.

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Pray

We need prayer

For all our strategizing and preparation, we cannot succeed without the Spirit of God building his church. Please pray with and for us daily. Jesus will build his church, but he does so through the faithful work, service and prayers of his people. There is much spiritual opposition, relational tension, financial strain and physical hardship involved in planting a church. Please join us in prayer to our God who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask, think or imagine (Eph. 3:20).

Prayer Gatherings

We regularly gather together for an evening of prayer, vision and worship. This event occurs in lieu of our normal weekly community rhythm, and is an opportunity for our church body to go before our Father, asking Him to do what only He can do.

Vision.

We’ll talk about where we are and where, by God’s grace, we are going.

Worship.

We’ll sing to the King.

Pray.

Most importantly, we’ll pray. God has been exceedingly generous to us and we can’t help but think that it is due to us asking Him to do what only He can. We don’t ever want to feel like we somehow have this church planting thing covered. This is His church; we are His people.

“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven…’” (Matt. 6:9)

“Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matt. 9:38)

“…that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)

For more info and location details please check out our Prayer Night event page.

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Serve

Serve with us

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

If you call DCC home and have not yet found a way to serve, you are needed! As a family on mission in the city, we rely on the faithful service of our people to make things run.

To see a full list of service opportunities, please visit our serving page.

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Baptism

If you have recently professed faith in Christ and/or have not yet been baptized as a believer in Jesus Christ, we want to extend the invitation for you to be baptized and become part of the DCC family! To begin that process, we invite you to take our next Foundations Class. This 5-week class walks through what we believe (doctrine), why it's important to belong (membership), who we are (vision, mission, and values), why we are here (context), and how we function (leadership, ministries, partners, and finances). By the end, you’ll have clear next steps for how to grow and get further connected. ***This class is required for baptism & membership with DCC.***

The Gospel is the good news of the forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ.

Water baptism is a visual and symbolic demonstration of a person’s union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It signifies that a person’s former way of life has been put to death while, at the same time, being born again to a living hope in Jesus.

When we repent of our sin, trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, we should be baptized (Acts 2:41).

Why should Christians be baptized?

Jesus commanded that all Christians be baptized (Matt. 28:19).

Who should be baptized?

Every baptism in the New Testament is preceded by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus (Acts 22:16). In other words, only Christians who have repented of sin and have trusted in Jesus should be baptized. Therefore, baptism is not intended for non-Christians or children too young to demonstrate repentance and articulate faith.

Is membership a requirement for baptism?

In scripture we repeatedly see that Baptism is a sign to the watching world that we identify ourselves as part of God’s family, the local church. When someone chooses Jesus, they choose Jesus’ church. Therefore, we view baptism and church membership going hand in hand.

Where can I learn more?

If you'd like to learn more about baptism you can listen to Pastor Adam's "What is Baptism?" sermon and read DCC's Baptism Primer.

How do I begin the process toward baptism?

If you would like to be baptized, please sign up for the next Foundations Class.

If you have any questions, please email us at .

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Church Membership

Becoming a member of a church is not like becoming a member of your local gym, country club, or grocery store. Rather, to become a member of a church is to formally covenant and commit yourself to God’s people, in Christ, in a local context. Church membership is a tangible way of demonstrating that you are a member of the household of God (Eph 2:19), a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), and a partner in the gospel (Phil. 1:5) by faith in the person and work of Jesus. We have a membership process designed to facilitate mutual understanding and care for one another, which is outlined here:

#1 JESUS.

This (almost) goes without saying, but church membership is for those that have repented of their sin and embraced Jesus Christ as their Lord, Savior, and Friend. If you’re still peeking over the proverbial fence of Christianity, we’re glad you’re here - but let’s continue the conversation about Jesus before becoming a member.

#2 CLASS.

A significant aspect of the process is walking through the entire Foundations class that merges essential Christian doctrine with important elements of DCC’s mission, core convictions, and practices. You don’t have to agree with everything we believe, but we do ask that you not be contentious or divisive when differences arise.

#3 PARTICIPATE.

In Christ, we are spiritually united; the local church is the primary place where that new union is tangibly expressed. The church is meant to be a home, not a hotel, where members gladly exercise their God-given gifts to “build up” the church in love (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12-14). Therefore, a vital component of membership is participation in the life of the church: to know and be known by others (i.e., community), to exercise your gifts through service (i.e., service), and to faithfully steward your financial resources for the care of the church and the spread of the gospel (i.e., giving). If you’re not yet participating in these ways, we are happy to help you take these steps even as you pursue membership.

#4 APPLICATION & COVENANT.

The application covers basic information, your faith testimony, affirming your alignment with Downtown Cornerstone Church’s doctrine, outlined in the Statement of Faith and Elder Affirmations, and agreement with the Member Covenant and Church Constitution. After you've completed the application, we'll reach out to schedule your meeting with a pastor.

#5 MEETING WITH A PASTOR.

Pastors are called to care for, lead, feed, protect, and oversee the church as undershepherds to Jesus. They are to do so joyfully and personally, as they will give an account to God for those entrusted to their care (Heb. 13:17). In this meeting with a DCC Pastor, you'll discuss your application, cover basic doctrinal questions, and the member covenant. Don’t worry! This isn’t a try-out. If you follow Jesus, are participating in the life of the church, have taken the Foundations class, and have completed the application, you’ll do well. This is an additional opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to get to know us. Most find this is their favorite part of the process!

#6 CONGREGATIONAL VOTE.

After your meeting, the pastor will update the other elders so they can get to know and pray for you. Together, they will make a recommendation to the congregation to receive you as a member (or, if you need to be baptized, as a member pending baptism) at the next Members Meeting. In that Members Meeting, a pastor will present a brief summary of your testimony and participation in the church, answer any questions, and then lead a congregational vote. After the meeting, you'll be notified and added to the Members group (on Church Center), or scheduled for an upcoming baptism (if you've not yet been baptized).

Please email us at with any questions you might have.

Learn More

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Resources

This ever-growing list of resources is intended for the encouragement, edification and equipping of the saints of Downtown Cornerstone Church. (Eph. 4:11-16)

Serving

Cornerstone Community Leadership Role Descriptions This document describes the primary leadership roles and leadership development processes within our Cornerstone Communities: Community Leader & Apprentice, Women’s Discipleship Lead & Apprentice, Community Connectors, and Community Hosts. If you’re interested in pursuing any of these roles, reach out to your current community lead.

Deacon Primer & Process This document is intended to clarify the office of Deacon and provide an overview of the process of becoming a Deacon at Downtown Cornerstone Church.

Volunteer Background Check This Background Check form needs to be completed and submitted by all Cornerstone Community Leads and Hosts, as well as DCC Service Leads.

Ministry Descriptions This is where you can find descriptions of the Ministry Lead, Service Leads and Volunteer roles for each DCC Ministry (in process).

Growing

Personal Discipleship Plan A Personal Discipleship Plan (or PDP) is a tool to help in exercising our faith and stewarding all that we have to God’s glory and our joy, by setting spiritually minded goals among various dimensions of our identity in Christ. A simple Pre-Assessment can help identify areas for growth and prioritize the goals you’ll set. Once you’ve created a PDP, be sure to share it with your Discipleship Group, and review and update it periodically.

Discipleship Group Starter The purpose of this document is to clarify the form and function of our Discipleship Groups (DGs). These are small (2-5 people), gender-specific, biblical, and missional groups that regularly meet together for life-on-life intentional discipleship. Watch this short video to hear more about Discipleship Groups at DCC.

Recommended Reading List While we do not necessarily fully endorse everything in every book listed here, every book listed has something to offer. This is not an exhaustive list, but these books can serve as tools in cultivating us as a God-saturated, Gospel-centered, and Christ-exalting people.

Combined navigator + m’cheyne bible reading plan This is a customized, combined version of The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (which plans for 25 days of reading each month, leaving five days for catch-up or further study) and the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (through which you read the New Testament twice and Old Testament once per year). You can pick up a printed copy of this plan at the Connect Desk on Sundays.

DCC Family Hymnal The hymnal is a resource is provided to members of Downtown Cornerstone Church to encourage and facilitate gospel-centered worship in both personal and community settings. Our hope for this hymnal is that it would stir in our church a deeper affection for Jesus and all that He is for us. May you experience the radical heart-transforming nature of putting the eternal truths of God upon your own lips, expressed from the heart.

Planting

Launch documents This document is a compilation of the various resources we created, synthesized or adapted during the Launch Community development phase (June-Dec 2010) of Downtown Cornerstone Church.

Vision prospectus This booklet was created in the initial phase of planting to help cast a vision for this new work and call others to join us on mission here in Seattle.

Sex offender policy The Downtown Cornerstone Church Sex Offender Policy is designed to protect families, members, visitors and “Sex Offenders” by encouraging accountability, full-disclosure, and compliance with the laws of Washington State.

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Discipleship Training

Discipleship Groups

At the heart of the Christian faith is “discipleship” or, in other words, being a learner of Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20). Growing as a disciple of Jesus doesn’t happen on accident, intentionality is required. Therefore, we have created Discipleship Groups (DGs) which are small (2-5 people), gender-specific, biblical, and missional groups who regularly meet together for life-on-life intentional discipleship. The purpose of these groups is to cultivate trust in Jesus, growth in holiness and missional living. To learn more, watch this short video and read our Discipleship Group Starter guide.

EQUIP

EQUIP is designed to “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). In other words, the purpose of EQUIP is to make disciples who make disciples that are anchored in all that God is for them, in Jesus. This one year development track (roughly 52 weeks) is designed to help this happen in the context of small (4-6 people), covenanted, gender-specific groups. These EQUIP groups will meet regularly for discussion of preselected content, scripture, prayer, and sharpening. EQUIP is not intended to be a class, but a context for life-on-life missional discipleship. Click here to learn more.

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Missions & Church Planting

Overview

God has given his people, the church, the mission of making and maturing disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). Disciples are made through the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 10:14-15) and are brought to maturity by engaging in the life of the church (Eph. 4:11-16). Therefore, to fulfill our mission we must proclaim that God saves sinners through Jesus and we must gather those who have repented and believed this message into healthy churches. As a relatively small group of people in a single city, we want to extend our reach in this global mission in two ways: equipping and supporting.

How We Equip

We want to send out DCC members to evangelize and plant churches locally and to the ends of the earth. Join our Global Missions Interest Group to let the DCC leaders of your desire to grow in your biblical understanding of and involvement in God’s mission to the nations. This group is intended for both those who go and those who send! For a detailed description of our equipping pathway, refer to our Global Missions Handbook.

Who We Partner With

In addition to equipping our own members in their efforts to reach Seattle and the nations, we partner with other churches that are doing the same. DCC is currently partnered with the Acts 29 Church-planting Network and the Association of Churches for Missions & Evangelism (ACME). As a church, we set aside at least 10% of our general fund giving towards local and global church planting efforts. For a list of DCC and other Global Partners we support, click here.

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Mercy Ministries

Our vision for mercy ministries at DCC is centered on upholding the value and dignity of God’s most vulnerable image bearers, so that we might both declare the good news of Jesus Christ and be a display of that good news to our city. God calls us to love others because, in Christ, we recognize our own spiritual need and the value of others as His image-bearers.

To learn more about our mercy ministries, click here.

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Ethnic Harmony

Our ethnic harmony efforts at DCC are focused on pursuing conversations and action within a biblical worldview that honors everyone as God’s image-bearers—seeking to act in a Christlike posture, and motivated by love for one another. As we engage in topics of race/ethnicity in these ways, we hope to build up Jesus’ church and be a light to the watching world.

To learn more about our pursuit of ethnic harmony, click here.

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Care

It is important to us that each individual member in the DCC family is supported and cared for in various seasons of life. We work to foster a culture of discipleship where mutually encouraging relationships are built into daily and weekly rhythms of our life together. Care ministry at DCC is meant to serve those in the church who desire more in-depth pastoral counseling and support. Click here to learn more.

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Pre-Marital

DCC’s Building a Strong Marriage (Pre-Marital) Class is a 5-week study on biblical marriage designed to help you gain clarity on theology, your relationship, and relational skills. The class is open to engaged couples who want to build a solid foundation for their marriage. This class is required if you wish to have a DCC pastor officiate your wedding. Click here to learn more.

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