City Life, Event, Photos

Last Tuesday, we gathered as a church at Gasworks Park for a Picnic and games with the lake and city skyline as a backdrop. Here are some photos from the evening!

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, Kids, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Given that we’ve had so many new families join us – and lots of babies – over the last year, I thought it would be helpful to create a single post that consolidates the most helpful resources and recommendations I’ve come across for loving your kids to Jesus, in the every day. This isn’t exhaustive, but it is a great place to start.

SERMONS

When we were studying the book of Proverbs we walked through two sermons specifically on the gift of parenting from a gospel-centered perspective. You can get the audio and notes here:

The Heart of Parenting
The Practice of Parenting

READING

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp
Instructing a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp
Give them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus, Fitzpatrick and Thompson
Gospel-Powered Parenting, William Farley
How Children Raise Parents, Dan Allendaer
“Don’t Make Me Count to Three!” A Mom’s look at Heart-Oriented Discipline, Ginger Plowman

BIBLES

The Rhyme Bible (birth+) is the first Bible we used with our kids. It focuses on individual stories of the Bible, is well illustrated and has short rhyming chapters. It keeps things very simple for even the youngest of kids. To be honest, I’ve been tempted to rip out the chapter on Jonah due to its moralistic message but its solid otherwise. They also came out with this smaller version two years ago.

The Big Picture Story Bible (2+ years old) is an excellent children’s Bible. Transition to this Bible once your kids are able to listen a bit longer and grasp more. The chapters are a little longer, but it is the best children’s Bible when it comes to presenting the overarching storyline of the Bible.

The Jesus Storybook Bible (2+ years old) is also an excellent children’s Bible, probably the best all around. The chapters are longer with more text than the previous two, but is the best children’s Bible when it comes to showing how Jesus is the hero of the story of God. I literally wept when I first read the introduction. It is beautiful. I recommend reading this in rotation with The Big Picture Story Bible.

The Big Picture Interactive Bible Storybook (4+ years old) is put out by the Gospel Project, the same group that put together the material we use for the older kids on Sundays. Using this can help provide continuity between Sunday and the rest of the week, therefore reinforcing lessons learned. It also includes a “Christ Connection” at the end of the story to bring it back to Jesus every time.

As your kids get older (5+ years old) I recommend transitioning to a Bible that sticks closer to the actual text of scripture, such as ESV Children’s Bible or the ESV Seek and Find. However, I do recommend rotating in The Jesus Storybook and The Big Picture Story Bible from time to time to reinforce the unified story of God with Jesus as the hero.

DEVOTION

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing, by Sally Lloyd Jones, is an excellent, gospel-driven, beautifully illustrated devotional (short devotionals, at that). Honest parental moment: We turn to this when we’re too tired to do a longer reading, yet still want to land the day on Jesus.

CATECHISM

The New City Catechism is put out by Redeemer in NYC. It’s primarily experienced through an iPad app, however you can also download a pdf. There are 50 or so questions, making for one question for every week of the year if you stick with it. Each question also comes with recommended scripture, topical prayer and a really well done song (which our kids love).

Parenting is not easy, but it is a gift. By God’s grace, he’s given us tremendous resources, and one another, to lean on and learn from as we seek to point our littles to Him. I am praying for you all as you navigate this impossible, yet beautiful, gift of parenting, in Him. Know that you’re not alone. We’re with you and, even better, He is.

Christ is all!
Pastor Adam

City Life, Event

Join us at Gasworks Park this coming Tuesday for food and games as we welcome in the summer together! We couldn’t ask for a better spot to enjoy the water, the sun, and the beautiful skyline view of our city. Bring your neighbors and friends to kick off the summer with us!

WHERE. 

We’ll meet up at Gas Works Park, 2101 N Northlake Way. Look for everyone gathering just south of the picnic shelter, and east of the old plant structure (see map below).

WHEN.

Tuesday, June 10th, 6pm-dusk

WHAT.

Picnic & Games. Bring your own dinner (non-grillable), blanket, and friends, and we’ll have games for both adults and kids throughout the evening! Some drinks and snacks will be provided. 

PARKING.

There is a parking lot on the north side of the park, that should offer ample parking.

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