City Life | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

“Do I have to move downtown in order to partner with Downtown Cornerstone?” That’s a common question. The simple answer is, “No.” Our aim is to connect urban dwellers (approximately 60,000) and urban workers (approximately 250,000) to Christ. While many have moved downtown, others live anywhere from Auburn (South) to Lynnwood (North). What we all share is a common love for the city and for Jesus.

While we highly encourage you to consider moving in order to promote the faithful presence of Christ through his people in the urban core, it is not expected nor required. Whether you follow, are curious, or are skeptical of Jesus – and love Seattle – we invite you to join us in community or Sundays at 10:00AM downtown. Who knows? Maybe you’ll feel compelled to follow Jesus’ lead and partner with us in planting this church – maybe even move.

News | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

I don’t know about you, but I love new beginnings.

This year is no different. As many of you know, we are a newly forming church in the downtown core of Seattle. We exist to build a great city through the gospel of Jesus for God’s glory. In other words, we love Seattle and not only want to build a great church, but a great city. As we enter into 2011 we’re entering into a new season as a church plant. This is an important stretch as we make final preparations for a healthy launch, while avoiding a premature birth. There is a lot happening and I can’t wait to see how our Great King moves.

Grace in 2010

Jesus has been gracious to us from drawing people, to providing design, to offering web help, to moving many to fund this new work, to finding space(s) for us to gather in and more – He has provided for His people. It was only several months ago we hosted a dinner to celebrate the first 15 people to commit to the Downtown Cornerstone Launch Team; now, we have nearly 40. Only last month we were meeting in a conference room of a highly secured building; as of last week we are on the ground in the middle of Pioneer Square. Only last week, we were gathering as one community; as of this week we are multiplying for the first time (with two more on the horizon). Jesus is building his church.

“The Last Trimester”

At times the process of church planting is compared to pregnancy. As of this past Sunday, Downtown Cornerstone is in the last trimester of planting (coincidentally – or maybe not – the Sinnett family is also entering into our last trimester with a baby girl due in April). We’re public, but we’re still getting things figured out. We’re taking this winter to (1) ensure missional and ministry health, (2) multiply communities and (3) grow our Launch Team (see below). That means our Sunday gatherings won’t be perfect, but our God will be – week after week. If you notice a hole, it’s there for you to fill. Thank you.

Weekly Sunday Gatherings

Beginning on January 16th we began a new weekly series examining who Jesus claims to be. We’re starting with Who Jesus Is because if Jesus is who he said he was that changes everything for us today – and forever. You can learn more about the new series HERE. You can learn more about our new, but temporary, space in the Pioneer building (600 1st Ave) HERE.

Cornerstone Communities

Downtown Cornerstone is not just interested in holding events but 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. To learn more or to join a Cornerstone Community go HERE.

Launch Team

A “church” is a group of people; not a place or building.  Therefore, because a church is a people, churches are planted by groups of people; not solitary, isolated pastors. We call that group of people the Launch Team. Church planting is not easy. True to its name, church planting is much like planting a field for harvest, requiring substantial preparation, inordinate patience and supernatural perseverance. It is thrilling, yet daunting. Yet, the glorious harvest is well worth the pain, heartache and challenge endured along the way. We encourage you to prayerfully consider joining the Launch Team. God calls particular people, not all people, and each one of us must decide through prayer, sober-assessment and wise counsel whether this is the right move. The importance of the initial launch team cannot be understated. In subtle, and not-so-subtle, ways this group will determine the culture of Downtown Cornerstone for years to come. Our hope, this winter, is to grow our launch team to 50-75 people and prepare for a launch celebration on Sunday, April 3rd.

It’s an exciting season. Let’s continue to ask God to do what only He can do in 2011. I pray that “as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” (2 Cor 4:15)

News | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

New Location!

By God’s grace, and favor of several good neighbors in Pioneer Square, we have located a place to gather for the next three months. We will meet in an old antique mall (next to the Underground Tour) in the Pioneer building. It is a perfect space for us in this season as we grow our launch team, multiply communities and aim for a healthy launch. You can go here for more information on how to get involved. If you have any questions email .

The address is: 600 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

Work Party. Saturday, Jan 15th @ 10AM.

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

It is the most important question any of us could seek an answer to. Without a doubt he is the most significant, polemical, and influential person to ever walk on this planet. More songs are sung to him, books written about him and lives changed by him than anyone in human history. Our calendar revolves around his arrival, kingdoms are created and conquered in his name, and the book (i.e. the Bible) describing his life, death and resurrection is the best-seller of all time.

There is no question why there is such controversy and confusion around this man. Christians say he is God. Muslims say he was a prophet. Mormons say he was a good man who became a god. Jehovah’s Witness’ say he was just a man. Buddhists say he was an enlightened one. Jews say, at best, he was a great teacher and, at worst, a deceiver. Who is Jesus?

It is impossible to escape him and foolish to ignore him. No matter who you ask, or where you live, you must deal with Jesus of Nazareth. Many have have speculated, but what did Jesus say about who he was, why he came and how we are to respond? Those are the questions we must ask. Therefore, this winter we invite you to join us as we explore Who Jesus Is: The Seven I Am’s of Jesus on Sundays at 10:00AM.

• Sunday, January 16th I Am the Bread of Life (John 6:25-35; 48-59)
• Sunday, January 23rd I Am the Light of the World (John 8:12-18; 25-30)
• Sunday, January 30th I Am the Sheep Gate (John 10:1-9)
• Sunday, February 6th I Am the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18)
• Sunday, February 13th I Am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:1-44)
• Sunday, February 20th I Am the Way, Truth and Life (John 14:1-7)
• Sunday, February 27th I Am the True Vine (John 15:1-17)

No pretension, no religiosity, no bait-and-switch. Just real people, exploring real issues, and worshiping a real God.

WHERE:
The Pioneer Building (next to underground tour)
600 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
WHEN:
Every Sunday @ 10am, beginning January 16th, 2011
PARKING:
Parking downtown is free on Sundays, so there is no cost to park. However, do leave allow additional travel time to secure a parking spot on the street.
IS CHILDREN’S MINISTRY PROVIDED?
Yes, Cornerstone Kids will be provided for kids 6 months to 9 years old.
MORE INFO:
For more information on our Sunday Gatherings email: info (at) downtowncornerstone.org

Uncategorized | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

We exist to build a great city through the gospel for the glory of God. This means our aim is to not merely build a great church, but a great city. Our welfare is deeply connected to the welfare of the city. We love Seattle and want all who live here to know their Creator, Jesus Christ. We are doing this by planting communities of Jesus-followers that enjoy God, redemptively engage the city and reach the world. We have a big vision, but to get there we need your help.

This is a great time to consider year-end giving or further involvement in 2011.

Pray.

We need prayer. For all our preparation, we cannot succeed without God building his church. Jesus promises to build His church and 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 daily prayer to our God who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask, think or imagine (Eph 3:20). You can keep up with our prayer updates here. We’re still in process of finding 100 people to pray for us daily for one year. Let us know if you’d like to join the front-lines prayer team.

Join.

Whether you already live in Seattle, or Orlando, perhaps God is moving you to join us downtown Seattle. Are you a dreamer, builder, missionary, or faith-filled risk-taker? Pray about joining us, even moving, downtown. Some of you should consider raising support and becoming an integral part of this new work. You can learn more about our vision here.

Give.

Our aim is to be self-sustaining by the fall of 2014. Until then we are dependent on outside financial partners. In the life of a young, urban, missional church in a challenging context, every dollar makes a difference. Would you consider regular monthly giving over the next three years or a one time gift? You can learn more about giving options here.

Let’s build a great city together, through the gospel, for God’s glory, in 2011.

News | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

The city is a creation of God, not an invention of man. The city is intended by God to be a place of safety, justice, culture-making, and spiritual seeking. Yet, under sin, it is a place of violence, lawbreaking, pride, and religious pluralism. God intends to fix this.

The world to come is pictured as a perfect city. (Rev 21:1) It is a city in which God is at the center and life is as it should be with no suffering, no tears, and no sin. It is a city of equality, justice, and beauty, centered around Jesus Christ. It is a city where God is with God’s people in God’s place forever. If we’re honest, this is the city we all want and it begins now, in part.

God is already at work creating this new city in our midst by redeeming, forgiving and adopting people by faith in Jesus Christ. Together these people form a new society, an alternate city, a church of broken people rescued by grace. Together, these followers of Jesus are intended by God to serve as a foretaste of the world that is to come, to bring the City of God into the City of Man, by showing the world what life should, and one day will, look like.

This Sunday, December 19th @ 5:00pm, we will be hosting our third preview gathering for friends, supporters, the curious, the skeptical, saints and sinners alike. No pretension, no religiosity, no bait-and-switch. Just real people, exploring real issues, and worshiping a real God. More info here. We hope to see you there.

Community, Uncategorized | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Just six months ago we gathered a small group together in a conference room in downtown Seattle to pray about planting a new church. The name was undecided, the values unarticulated, and the exact timeline unknown. Yet, the vision was clear: plant an urban Gospel-centered, Jesus-loving church in the city, for the city. There is little that has not changed since then. God has been gracious to us. These prayer updates are intended to recount God’s grace and invite others to support this new gospel work in prayer. You can read our last prayer update HERE. You can also receive email updates of new blog content by entering your email in the “Subscribe to Updates via Email” box in the right column.

Here are some snapshots of the last two months:

Growing Launch Community

Biblically, the church is a group of people, not a building or institution, who have been forgiven, redeemed, and adopted by God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, churches, though led by pastors, are planted by teams or communities of people who have experienced this true life in Christ. We call this initial community our “launch community”. Church planting is a bit like this video; the real momentum happens as more people follow Jesus’ lead in getting involved. Over the last two months we’ve seen the largest numerical growth in our launch community yet. We are literally holding a moving party every other week as people move into the city. It is very encouraging to see others step out with us, in faith, to see the gospel take root in the heart of Seattle.

First Two Preview Gatherings (Oct 24th & Nov 21st)

This fall we’re hosting three preview gatherings (10/24, 11/21, 12/19), two of which have already occurred. During these gatherings we’re unpacking a short series, The City of God, examining what it means to be a people, rescued by the grace of Jesus, who are sent to love, serve, and challenge this city. Our first two gatherings have gone well. We’ve learned a lot already. We’re leveraging these larger, public gatherings to cast vision, build our communities, continue fundraising and networking, and iron out production/logistic wrinkles. We have one more to go on December 19th and are tentatively planning on moving to a more traditional weekly gathering format on January 16th.

Pumpkin Patch, Bubble Tea, EMP, UGM, etc

Since we first started meeting we’ve had a two-fold strategy that consists of gathering on Sundays (for vision, prayer and worship) and connecting during/throughout the week (for community, mission, and service). It’s been an eventful fall from participating in First Thursday ArtWalks in Pioneer Square to happy hours to Bubble Tea in the International District to serving at the Union Gospel Mission (UGM) to visiting the Experience Music Project. These times help shape us as a newly forming community, while providing many opportunities to invite people in and get to know our city. Follow us here at the blog, under events, to find out what’s happening this week.

Monthly Prayer Meetings

God tells us in the Word that He answers prayer (Mt 6:8; Mt 21:22; Mk 11:24; Lk 11:9-13; James 4:2; 1 John 5:14-15). We believe Him. Prayer is not only an expression of faith, but a cultivator of faith. So, this fall we’ve added a monthly all-church prayer night to our regular rhythm of life together. We always devote significant portions of our time together to prayer. But, these evenings provide extended, focused time to pray for one another, our neighborhoods, and our city. These evenings have already become a vital component of our church planting “strategy” (Pr 16:3; 19:21) and will be for the foreseeable future.

Man Camp 2010 w/ Taproot (Nov 12th-14th)

In September I was invited by Pastor Danny Braga at Taproot Church (Burien, WA) to speak at their Man Camp, Nov 12-14. It was a great opportunity for the men of Downtown Cornerstone and Taproot to spend a weekend together in the woods sharpening one another. I was humbled to be involved. I was also thankful for the opportunity to connect with another Acts 29 church that is several years further down the road than we are. Please take some time to pray for Pastor Danny and Taproot. God is doing some great things through them in the south-end of Seattle.

Relationships and Networking

I continue to meet with as many people as I possibly can to learn about what God is already doing in Seattle. He’s already at work in the city, going before us, and we’re humbled to participate. I’ve met some great people and have grown even more in love with this beautiful city. I believe that God is replanting his church in Seattle in this generation and we are just a small part of that bigger story. If you’re in Seattle and would like to connect, or know someone whom I should connect with, let me know.

Family Update

Honestly, the Sinnett family is doing really well. Macy is enjoying a preschool co-op on Capitol Hill, Carter is finishing his first round of swimming lessons in the Central District and we found out last week we have a baby girl (!) arriving in April. Jen is doing well with the pregnancy. There are, miraculously, no complications. Please pray there will be no bed rest required with this pregnancy as there was with Macy. Macy has also been seizure free. As our schedule has normalized, Jen and I are finally establishing a regular rhythm of weekly date nights. I also wrapped up another course for my Masters degree. We are blessed and very excited to spend the Christmas season in the city.

For December, please pray:

• We would continue to be a church marked by a deep love for Jesus.
• Many souls will be saved and lives transformed through this new gospel work.
• We’d experience favor in Seattle.
• All of our financial needs will be provided for.
• Jesus-loving, talented musicians and artists will join this work (!).
• A central, strategic, well-known, yet inexpensive, gathering location for us would open up for 2011.
• Seattle would be loved, served, challenged and changed through the gospel.
• Many Gospel-centered Jesus-loving churches would be planted.
• 100 people, outside the church, to pray for us daily.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

For the God of this City,
Pastor Adam