Dear Church Family,
A great suggestion? No, Jesus gave us a great commission. “Make disciples.” Literally, it’s a command. In other words, Jesus is saying, “Don’t just have good intentions; get this action done.” That begs the question, “How?” The good news is Jesus didn’t make this impossible. He actually made it doable! Last week we learned that it’s not just for religious professionals like pastors and teachers, but for everyday disciples to whom God has given the powerful message of the gospel. This week we’ll learn about how the doctrine of vocation connects with the word “Go” and how that fits in with your life and our intentional plan to carry out Christ’s great commission together as Divine Savior Church. This isn’t mission impossible. But, together, with Jesus, it’s mission possible!
I’m looking forward to worshiping with you all in person in the commons this Sunday at 9:30 am as we continue our study of Matthew 28:16-20.
ICYMI:Watch my message from Sunday – part two of Mission Possible about how we can actually “make disciples” by planting gospel seeds and trusting God to work through his word.
Everyone Outreach Event – Please join us for our “Everyone Outreach” event on Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd. In this fun, interactive event, facilitators will help us to get excited about bringing God’s love to those who don´t know it yet. Click here to find out more. Click here to reserve your spot.
DSYouth starts today, Friday, September 23: DSYouth’s motto is “Disciples of Christ, Stronger Together.” If you’re in Middle School or High School and you’re interested in growing deeper as a disciple of Jesus alongside other Christians, DSYouth is for you. We study the Bible together, pray together, and talk about how we live as followers of Jesus in our world. We also play some games and eat some tasty food each time we meet. We have 2 separate groups for DSYouth this year: one for Middle School and one for High School. Join us on Friday, September 23rd from 6-8:30pm! We’ll meet in the high school entrance and grow stronger together as disciples of Jesus! Parents, please fill out the Parent Consent Form and the Student Registration Form. You will only need to do this once this year.
Family Sports Day: Join us on the DSA athletic field this Sunday, Sept 25 for an afternoon of fun! We’ll meet after the Spanish worship service – about 1:00 pm. Plan on a pick-up game of soccer and whatever other outside sport activities you might enjoy! All ages can participate and the little ones can be in the park. Bring a snack to share if you’d like. We will have bottles of water. For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact David Gómez on his cell phone at 305-321-5006. See you there!
Jump into the New Testament! This year as a church we’ve been reading through the Bible chronologically. To all of who you made it with me through the Old Testament, congratulations! The OT is richly rewarding, but sometimes challenging. And so now we’re schedule to start the New Testament on October 4. This would be great a time to come on board for 15 minutes a day of reading through the whole NT with other people from our church family. How to join? Open our Divine Savior Church app – click Connect at the bottom – then click Bible Reading Plan, or simply click this link to accept my invitation to join us in the YouVersion Bible App. Let me know if you have any questions.
Connect Groups – Starting the first week in October we will be kicking off our Fall season of Connect Groups. To see a list of all the current group choices and to enroll in a group visit this link. They are also easy to find in the DSC app. If you’re not sure which group to join, there’s a choice for that too on the sign up! Please reach out to Jeremy Seeger our spiritual growth coordinator to ask any questions.
START Class – What does the Bible teach? Participate in our upcoming START class. It’s where you START learning with others in a small group guided by our pastor. This class studies the foundational teachings of the Christian faith using the Bible as our sourcebook. Participating in this class will also prepare you to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion at Divine Savior Church when you’re ready. START class is also the first step to becoming a member of our church family. This class will be Thursday evenings starting October 7 from 7:00-8:30 pm. Free childcare provided. Register by filling out this brief form.
GROW Class – How can I live with less anxiety, more hope, and a greater sense of purpose? Participate next in a GROW class. These lessons from the Bible will help you GROW in how you connect with God, interact with people, and live in a way that gives peace, hope, and purpose to your life and others. Participating in this class is the second step to becoming a member of Divine Savior Church through what is called Adult Confirmation. A prerequisite to GROW class is START. Our new GROW class will be Tuesday evenings starting October 4 from 8:15-9:30 pm. Pastor Ben will be reaching out to all those who’ve completed START class with more info.
“$2,025 for 3 Years” – Demo of the old auditorium is almost finished. Soon they’ll begin building our new church – the Worship and Ministry Center! One of the ways we agreed to fund this project is through a campaign whereby we are asking our members to consider giving over and above their regular offerings at least $2,025 a year for the next 3 years. This is a needed bridge to cover expenses as we hope to grow and raise the level of regularly weekly giving with God’s help. Please visit our special campaign web page for more info and to either 1) make your total 3 year pledge there, or 2) make a contribution toward your pledged amount. Thank you to those who have pledged and given and to all who are prayerfully considering it!
Share a snack? God is bringing more and more people to every worship service. What a wonderful blessing! As part of our hospitality, we offer coffee and a light snack for everyone who attends. It is a simple thing that allows us to enjoy fellowship together and meet someone new. However, we need help. Serving as a volunteer to bring a snack occasionally is a beautiful way to make others feel welcome. Would you be willing to serve on the team by bringing snacks once in a while? If so, please contact our Refreshment Team Leader, Kate Londono or if you have any questions.
Weekly Offerings to Budget:
Needed for Current FY 2022-2023: $10,002 / wk | Current Weekly Average: $10,112.13 / wk
Projected Amount Needed for FY 2023-2024: $11,918 / wk
Projected Amount Needed for FY 2024-2025: $12,126 / wk
Save the Date
Saturday, October 1 & Sunday, October 2 Everyone Outreach Event
Week of Oct 2 Kick off of Spiritual Growth Opportunities
DSC on YouTube: Watch past messages and worship services on-demand on our church YouTube channel.
Giving: To give simply follow this link to go to our secure giving page, or click Give at the bottom of the church app. You can make one-time special gifts or set up recurring gifts as well. Thank you for keeping in mind that setting up your regular giving via ACH vs credit card saves our church over 2% in additional fees.
Changing Lives with Jesus,
Pastor Ben
