December 2009 What gift will you bring to Jesus? Pastor Mark Weddings Bells and Bliss: Grittman / Wolfe Wedding Murakami/ Gregory Wedding Team Impact: Got your Armor on? Convoy of Hope: Community Outreach Event February 2010 The Family Room: Christmas Family Fellowship Christmas Blessings: A year end challenge In this issue; Desert Cross is “Reaching out, Touching lives and Changing this World”
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Transcript
December 2009
What gift will you bring to Jesus? Pastor Mark
Weddings Bells and Bliss: Grittman / Wolfe Wedding
Murakami/ Gregory Wedding
Team Impact: Got your Armor on?
Convoy of Hope: Community Outreach Event
February 2010
The Family Room: Christmas Family Fellowship
Christmas Blessings: A year end challenge
In this issue;
Desert Cross is “Reaching out, Touching lives and Changing this World”
ReCharge — the name says it all. ReCharge is a time to get away and slow down. To be with your church family and friends. To let the noise of the city fall away and hear God speak to you. To you. To refresh your heart, and recharge your spirit. Once you’ve been to ReCharge, you don’t want to miss it. Just ask anyone in this picture. Plan now for ReCharge 2010, October 22-24, at beautiful Emmanuel Pines Camp, in the mountains outside of Prescott, AZ.
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Visit us on the web @ www.dc3fmc.org
We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar. A wonderful
Christmas hymn. These men knew the prophecies of a coming King who
would change the world. And they acted on it. They left everything they
knew, traveled at their own expense, faced unknown and untold dangers, to
make a trip, to bring a gift to someone they didn’t know. Talk about faith
and obedience performing a beautiful waltz together.
A few years ago Cindy & I took a ballroom dancing class, and I was terrible at it. At least, at
first. It felt odd. It felt weird. It definitely felt very strange. I was doing something that called for
me to move in new ways, to go in odd feeling directions. But as I watched others dance, I was
drawn to the beautiful synergy between them, as they moved together so gracefully. I longed for
that. And I wanted to know that kind of grace too.
As we enter this new year we want to teach you to dance. We are going to become inten-
tional in our outreach as a church. We will create multiple opportunities and experiences for you
to get involved in outreach. And you maybe thinking, “Not me. I wouldn’t know what to do.” But
it’s a lot like ballroom dancing. When I first started ballroom, it scared the daylights out of me. I
didn’t know where to put my hands, feet or how to move. And if you know me, you know I did-
n’t have any grace in my movements. But you know as I stuck with it, I became more graceful.
Imagine that. And it even became fun.
The activity of outreach will feel odd. Count on it. It will feel strange, because it will call
you to move in new ways, in strange directions, doing something that you haven’t done before.
But as we get in step with Jesus, we will feel the pleasure of God and the presence of God. Why?
Because when God’s children move to the music of His heart, He dances with us. He takes the
lead, and we just follow his steps. And He gives us His grace, to move like He moves.
The wise men brought gifts to Jesus, that revealed who He really was. Those gifts dis-
played He was Gods’ Prophet, Priest and King. Their gifts were of the greatest worth, given to
one who was worth everything they could bring.
What gift of great value will you give Jesus this year? What will you bring to the manger
throne of Christ? Join me as we bring the best gift of all—us. Our time, talents and treasures to
be used by Jesus to be his hands, feet, and life to a world that needs the hope that those wise men
found, as they knelt before the manger.
Pastor Mark
What gift will you bring to Jesus?
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You know you can listen to a podcast of all Pastor Mark’s weekly teaching, right?
Did you know that soon we will offer video podcasting?
Keep your eyes on www.dc3fmc.org
November Wedding Bells
New life is happening as couples join in covenant marriage at Desert Cross!
Congratulations to Donnie Grittman and Barbara Wolfe,
who were married on November 13th. They had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at his sister’s home.
Mae for the passing of Ben, her husband. May God sustain her with courage and strength during this difficult time.
Harry for the passing of his wife Kyoko. May God bring
comfort and strength to the family.
If you missed our Christmas lunch, you really missed out. Kenji & his catering partner Chuck, made a great meal.
Too much good food!
And we had some great entertainment too! We had Ken and his band of guitars, Warren played his ukulele, we enjoyed singing and great time of being together as
a family. Be sure to put it on your calendar to be with us next year.
Desert Cross — It’s where you belong!
Women’s
Ministry
Annual Meeting January. 26, 1:00PM in the Fellowship Hall.
Spring Fling Recharge Fund Raiser Breakfast, Sunday, Jan. 10, 9:00 AM.
First meeting for 2010 - Jan. 26 will be a luncheon meeting @ 12:00PM
Christmas
Post Office
The Christmas Post Office deadline is December 13. If
you wish to participate, contact Nancy Tanita (602) 841-
1183 or Gladys Sallas (623) 412-0343. All donations are
to support the missionaries. Make check payable to W.M.
—memo “Christmas P.O.” Thank you !
Christmas Lunch — WOW!
You know you can listen to a podcast of all Pastor Mark’s weekly teaching, right?
Did you know that soon we will offer video podcasting?
“Reaching out, Touching lives, and Changing this world.”
We still need your help to get people moved over to the Desert Cross E-dition. Here’s how you can help us.
If you know someone who is currently receiving our letter as a paper copy and they have email, please help us by encouraging them to make the switch over to electronic. If they have e-mail and would like to receive an electronic newsletter, please have them write us at [email protected] and let us know.
We want to get as many as possible on our E-letter list. Thanks for your help with this.
Let there be Light! A Desert Cross Christmas Musical
Mark your calendar for Dec. 13 to hear the Desert Cross Chorus as they bring “Let there be Light!” Plan now to join us and be sure to bring a friend.
Sundays: Diggin’ Deeper Discipleship will break for the Christmas season.
Tuesdays: Life Journey Groups at Pastor Mark’s and Dorothy Tanita’s at 7:00 p.m.
Fridays: Hebrews Bible Study at Church, 7:00PM. Bible teacher Lincoln Solis.
Dec. 13: Prayer Warriors meeting, 9:00AM
Dec. 13: Christmas musical during the morning service.
Dec. 20: DC3 Family Forum Meeting after morning service
Jan. 10: Women’s Ministry fund raiser breakfast at the church, 9:00 AM
Jan. 10: Society Meeting, after worship service. 12:30PM
Jan. 26: W.M. meeting at the church, 1:00PM
Feb 27: Convoy of Hope Outreach event
Feb. 27-28: Matsuri, Heritage Square.
Coming Soon to Desert Cross
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We have been blessed to be your pastors this year. We love our family at
Desert Cross. As a family we have laughed, cried, and worked together. It
was together as a family that we pushed through the struggles to the
blessing of God.
This has been a year of growth in us all. Every plant always needs to
grow first, before the fruit is formed and ripens. This coming year is our
year of harvest. Can you feel it?
Join us in anticipation of what God is about to do in our midst. Pray
with us for the coming year. Let our obedience to Jesus be the catalyst for