We are pleased to share that Clarus has officially sold out!

This is a simple truth, but with deep meaning. Not really. But we would like to tease out some of what this means for this weekend’s conference.

First, this means that more people will be with us than in previous years.

That’s wonderful. A full house is exciting when you’re almost anywhere: a concert, a baseball game, a movie. But a full house to hear the Word of God is the fruit of the work of God in the lives of the souls of those who come. May each person leave filled with a vision of God and love for his church.

Second, this means that some people who hoped to attend will be at home. 

That’s a sad thought! We want you to know that saying “no” by publishing the “Sold Out” banner this morning was met with a frown by the planning team, since we know that some will be left out. Thank you for understanding.

This means that we won’t be selling registrations at the door this year. And, just to be clear, only those whose names are written in the Clarus book of registration will be able to participate in the conference. So, even if you are going to one session, you can’t let someone else attend in your place. God is glorified in your problem-solving creativity, though!

For those who aren’t able to join us at Clarus, the conference audio will be available at the Clarus site early next week.

Third, this means that we need to use every seat.

Plan to sit next to someone. That’s right: no seat between you and that person you don’t know. It’s okay. Scoot in. And even consider siting in the very, very front row. This is unheard of on Sunday, but go ahead and give it a try at the conference.

Also, don’t make plans to save seats for your friends. Here’s what we mean. You can save seats for a person who came in the room with you and put their stuff down with you. But you will not be able to save seats for people with whom you hoped to meet up with. Ushers will be around to help with seating ahead of and shortly into each session.

With that, let’s look forward to being with one another in the Word this Friday through Sunday at Clarus. Oh, and if you weren’t able to register in time, still come on Sunday for our regular Worship Services with Paul Tripp preaching.

This past Sunday morning Pastor Ron Giese gave an extended update on our Sunrise North Africa Partnership, also known as SNAP. With the launch of our first global church planting couple in January 2014 fast approaching, we are calling the new monthly update our “Countdown to Sunrise.” This is a time to focus our prayer, effort, and giving in a unique way toward the end of planting churches among the unreached of North Africa.

A Bit of History

Sunrise North Africa Partnership (SNAP) is DSC’s top global missions priority. It began back in 2006 when the Elders decided to expand the global missions focus by adopting an unreached people group (less than 2% evangelical Christian). Seven years later we are on the brink of sending out our first home grown family to North Africa. They are slated to leave January 1, 2014. (For a running countdown till their departure, visit the SNAP home page). We are also seeking to partner with Redemption Church (our first local church plant) to send out our second church planting family to North Africa in 2015.

Ever wonder why we call it Sunrise? Look here, or here: Isaiah 9:2; 42:6; 49:6; 58:8; John 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 John 2:8, Revelation 21:23.

Financing the Mission

God has already moved in amazing ways among us to support these efforts financially. The overall church budget has basically been frozen (no growth) over the past few years, leaving all the financial growth of the body to shore up this commitment to church planting. Since late in 2010, DSC folks have given over $150,000.00. Across two fiscal years, this represents a 50% increase in the missions budget, and about a 5% increase in the overall church budget (all of which is going to planting new churches). What a wonderful gift from God to grow our church in this commitment to His mission of making disciples and planting churches locally and globally.

Much of these funds have been used to get Redemption Church on their feet. From the very beginning of Redemption Church, the goal has been to help them a lot up front, then wean them off of DSC financial support. However, because church planting giving is a bit behind this fiscal year (see the bulletin), we are already cutting back from Redemption faster than originally planned. This is not ideal as Redemption Church is eager to stand on their own two feet, yet still in need of our support some this and next year. Any extra giving to church planting this fiscal year will help us slow this drop off.

Supporting the personal income, travel, training, and ministry budget of one family on the ground in North Africa can average $1,500 weekly. For two families, we will need to double that to $3,000. As a church we are currently at just over $1,500 given per week to church planting. Our goal is to continue increasing that as God provides so that in 2014 we will be able to store up funds for the second family coming from Redemption, and continue to support our first family.

Do you know if your church planting giving is being counted?

Some folks at DSC seem to have increased their giving each month, even by the expected $1 per day or $2 per day since 2012. However, if it is not clearly designated to “church planting,” any giving to DSC is counted toward the general church budget.

When it comes to giving toward church planting, you can use United Way, online giving at DSC, or you can write a check on Sunday mornings and place it in an offering box. Just be sure to designate it using the online fields or your check memo line to make sure it gets counted correctly.

Stay tuned for the next Countdown to Sunrise in March, and stop by this blog and the missions blog for upcoming efforts this spring to help the DSC body think outside the box when it comes to serving and supporting SNAP.

For more details on the finances, check the SNAP home page.

To keep up with the latest on SNAP, be sure to subscribe to the Missions Blog.

Sunday’s message from 1 Peter 1:13, “A Fixed and Focused Hope,” brought us to the subject of Christ’s return, and the subject of Christ’s return brought us to the subject of heaven. Why is Christ’s return so great? Why is heaven so great? Because God and Christ are there.

Heaven is something Christians certainly believe in, but it’s something most of us aren’t sure what to say about.

Well, here’s some help. If you’re into sermon reading, check out a sermon by Charles Spurgeon, titled, “The Heaven of Heaven.” Then, if you’re into sermon listening, listen to the excellent message by Sam Storms, titled, “Joy’s Eternal Increase: Edwards on the Beauty of Heaven” (click here for the video).

Listen, enjoy, and look forward to all that God has in store for those whose hope is set fully on the grace that will be revealed to us at the appearing of Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

“Do You Still Want to Be Like Mike?” (Matt Smethurst)

An excellent reflection on a much loved sports hero who is sadly living out the implications of a, quite literally, self-centered worldview.

“Reaching Catholics in Your Community” (Chris Castaldo)

With the Pope’s retirement comes an opportunity to consider how we might reach our Catholic neighbors with the gospel.

“Are You Worshiping the Idol of ‘Open-Options’?” (Barry Cooper)

The false god of limitless choices, like at the coffeehouse, is enslaving modern Americans.

“Was Adam For Real, and Does It Matter?” (John Piper)

John Piper answers this important question.

“Ten Sure Signs We’ve Lost Our Minds” (Trevin Wax)

Documenting the bizarre beliefs and inconsistencies that surface in contemporary discourse.

“7 Things Pastors Should Teach Those in the Marketplace” (Lukas Naugle)

Insightful words about the diversity and dignity of work, and how we can go about it to the glory of God.

“Why the Afterlife Bores Us” (Russell Moore)

Our very verbiage of “afterlife” indicates that we think of heaven as a postlude to our more exciting present life.

“D. A. Carson: ‘This Is Now the “Must Read” Book in the Field’” (Justin Taylor)

If D.A. Carson recommends a book, consider getting it. Here’s an important new book on ethics and the beginning of human life.

“What Is the Bible?” (Dane Ortlund)

Here’s a great answer to this question by J.I. Packer.

Colin Marshall published an article this week with a title that sounds strangely familiar, “Church Was Great! Let’s Not Talk About It.”

Here’s how Colin’s article begins:

We’ve just heard the Word read and proclaimed, sung the praises of our great God, and petitioned him for mercy in our time of need. And then we spend our time afterward talking about last night’s movie, the game, the hobby, the state of the nation, or whatever.Anything but the great truths of the gospel we’ve just heard and by which we’re saved. Why do we do this?

Then, he suggests a number of familiar reasons:

“Drive-thru church” doesn’t help. We have six other commitments on Sunday, so we aim to get through church as efficiently as possible on the way to the next thing. Some of us have just never thought about having conversations about the sermon (apart from pestering the preacher about something). Others know it’s crazy to talk about everything but God, yet they still feel uncomfortable striking up “spiritual” conversations. We’ve never been in a context where this is normal. Sometimes, perhaps too often, we leave the service with no sense of engaging with God by Word and Spirit, and so we have nothing to say to anyone.

For still more, the underlying problem is our consumer view of church—an unsurprising consequences of “what’s in it for me” contemporary Western culture. “Church is put on for me by the professionals and their teams,” we assume. With this mindset, engaging in spiritually encouraging conversations certainly won’t be on the agenda.

Ironically, those with a serving mindset—the antithesis of consumerism—can also find it difficult to get into “God talk” at church. The busyness of serving can keep us from stopping to encourage others and can let us feel we’ve done enough by helping to organize things.

At least one or two of these dynamics will ring true for any of us. Click here for some of Colin’s suggestions for how to think and talk about Sunday.

Then, looking forward to Sunday morning, read and talk about 1 Peter 1:13, the text for this Sunday’s sermon: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”