Denver First Church

May 24, 2009

keeping in touch...
DFC Ministerial Staff

Stephen Abbott
Young Adult & Family Pastor
Rich Cantwell
Business Administrator
Bud Curry
Hospital Chaplain
Tina Hayhurst
Student Ministries Pastor
Bob Huffaker
Interim Pastor
Scott Nauman
Pastor of Worship & Arts
Jerry Nelson
Minister of Instrumental Music
Randy Smith
Christian Education Pastor
Marvin Suyen
West Campus Pastor

DFC Church Board

John Bruneau
Curtis Clay
Glenn Domokos
Les Dryer
Troy Edwards
Table of Contents
Vini Giannatala
Bryant Jaggers
Lyle Johnson 1. First Impressions Lunch congregation…
Judy Jones
Gregg Moran
2. News update v. how you can
Bud Roe
i. important info help…
Kathy Tate
Jim Webb ii. kotchadoinggood vi. a testimony of the
Ron Williams miraculous
Bonnie York iii. news from the
board 3. Calendar of Events:
May 24-May 30
Denver First Church iv. timely news for the
3800 E. Hampden Avenue
Englewood, CO 80113
303/761-8370
www.DenverFirstChurch.com
News Update
Important info...

Dear Family and Friends of DFC,

This past Sunday Dr. Bob presented a powerful message, “Restoring Your Spirit of
Hope,” a theme that permeated the entire day. In the evening service we heard
two Celebrate Recovery testimonies of profound restoration: a woman testified
to having been delivered from a life of defeat through co-dependency,
substance abuse, and gender identity issues. A man testified to experiencing the
transformational power of Jesus Christ while he struggles with the complicated
psychiatric diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. The testimonies were followed
by a poignant message of hope delivered by Stephen Abbott that seemed to be
the Spirit’s “Amen!” to the day.

Please take a moment to read several announcements listed below that will
appear in Sunday’s Insight. If you are viewing these in the eblast, click on each
for important details; if you are reading this in the hard copy, please refer to the
Insight for important details regarding these upcoming events.

Refuge Class Party No Evening Service

Graduate Recognition Sunday
Mission:Denver
Ladies Book Club
DFC Widow’s Spring Tea
College Ministry Opportunity
DivorceCare
Singles Bear Lake Hike
Bake Out
Youth Retreat
Tennyson Center Outing
Military Support Group

Today’s email will cover the following topics:

• “Kotchadoingood!”
• News from the Board
• Timely News for the Congregation
• How You Can Help
• A Testimony of the Miraculous
News Update
kotchadoinggood!

• First Impressions team—including the team of youth—you provided our

congregation and guests with a wonderfully warm sense of welcome
this past Sunday! Thank you! And we extend particular thanks to First
Impressions team leaders Bob Cheney and Ken Bassham for work well
done.

• This past Sunday from 4:30-6pm, Karen Gunstream and Stephen Abbott
conducted an Adult Sunday School Teacher Training of the quality I
have dreamed about for DFC. Stephen expanded our understanding
of Strengthsfinders. Karen, with a palpable reverence for God’s Word,
brought practical insight into how His Word is to be rightly divided.
Karen and Stephen, please accept our humble thanks for using your
gifts to enrich the expressions of ours.

• In recent weeks many of you have expressed your gratitude for the
new format of the weekly eblast as it comes to your home. Special
recognition and thanks are due to Shawn Campbell for work well done
in making the formatting of the eblast more user-friendly.

• The DFC Choir and Orchestra have blessed us with ministry this past
year. Most of our musicians are taking time off for the summer months
and will reconvene towards the end of August. Thanks to Scott
Nauman and his team of committed workers for all that has been
accomplished through praise and worship this past year.
 News Update
news from the Board...
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This week's big news related to the Board is the completion of the election! The
members beginning a new, two-year term based on the results of the vote are
(ordered by last name):

Bob Cheney, Vini Giannatala, Bryant Jaggers, Judy Jones, Gene Rakes
and Kathy Tate
These will join the following members serving the remaining year of their two-year
term in the 2009-10 year:

Curtis Clay, Gregg Moran, Bud Roe, Jim Webb, Ron Williams and Bonnie
York
Also continuing in their service are:

John Bruneau - NMI President, Troy Edwards - NYI President and Glenn
Domokos - Sunday School Superintendent
This upcoming year will, I think, prove to be a pivotal one in the life of our
congregation. Not only are we in a pastoral transition, but we are also in a
transition of focus as a body. We cannot cling so tightly to the past working
of the Spirit through DFC that we strangle our effectiveness today. Rather, we
must allow the history of how God has worked through us to be an inspiration for
looking forward to His fresh purposes for us!

Just as the Lord instructed Joshua to stack 12 stones to commemorate the way He
brought His people out of Egypt and crushed the Egyptians (Josh. 4:1-7), He
commands in Isaiah 43:18-19 -- in direct reference to those very events of the
Exodus --
18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
 News Update
news from the Board...

We are called as His children to be in fellowship with Him and to be so sensitive to

His will that we act in accordance with His plan. It is never our responsibility to
figure out a formula we can repeat over and over. Jesus taught us to pray that
the Father's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. He prayed to the Father that
we (those who would believe in Him through hearing the Gospel) would be
unified and "in God" (John 17:20-21).

We are to passionately seek our relationship with the Father through Christ,
empowered by His Spirit, and from that relationship there is a natural emergence
of what He would have us do. The moment we turn our hearts away from
maintaining the relationship and begin to focus on the work, we've lost our
guidance and our ability to operate in His divine provision. There is never a time
when we can rely on our understanding or our familiarity with the past to
determine where He will take us next. We must always be moving when and
where He moves.

As we look with anticipation to our next pastoral leader, let us each prepare our
hearts to be ready for our Father's leading. He is always moving. He always has a
purpose. We are privileged to be sons and daughters of the Living King of the
Universe! Let us constantly be about His business by staying close to Him.

Serving Him Alongside of You,

Vini Giannatala
News Update
timely news for the congregation...

• We apologize for having had a shortage of gift books for women on Mother’s
Day. Women who did not receive books can get them at the breezeway
table following the morning service, May 24.

• Once again, we wish to welcome as new members into the family of DFC the
following parishioners: Ron and Gloria Achenbach; David and Janet Baker;
Miseon Kim; Charla Knox; Matt Lamoureux; Bill Parks; and Helen Rickert.
Welcome and God bless you!

• We are continuing to vet possible solutions to the rough entrance into the west
side of the church lot from Hampden. We are addressing the issues regarding
Monroe Street with the city; it is included in our current long term negotiation
with Cherry Hills to develop a permanent strategy. We have included some
additional monies in the budget for next year to work on a more permanent
solution. We appreciate your patience.

• On Sunday, May 31st we will recognize our graduates at all levels in the
morning worship service. In the evening service, at 4:30pm in the Fellowship
Hall, we will honor our graduating high school seniors. Special speaker Chanshi
Chanda will be giving the message. Following the service, we will have a cake
and appetizer reception. Please join us in honoring our seniors and their
accomplishments AND in pledging to them our ongoing support.
 News Update
timely news for the congregation...

LOOKING FORWARD:

Saturday, May 30, is a day filled with many opportunities.

• Mission:Denver—Help serve food and distribute clothing to those in need!

Location is 2877 Lawrence Street in downtown Denver. Meet at the church
at 8:00am. We will return to DFC at approximately 1:30pm. For more info
contact John at 303.328.7303.

• Wakeup Call for the Summer ‘09 Promise-Keepers event at Southeast

Christian Fellowship in Parker – 9am-12pm. We encourage every man who is
available to come to this meeting for the purpose of offering prayer support
for this summer’s event, ‘A Time to Honor.’

• MMADmen service project -- Fourteen workers are assisting with the

maintenance and upkeep of the home of one of DFC’s widows. We are
grateful for their assistance.

• Singles hiking -- Meet at DFC at 7:30am to car pool up to Rocky Mountain

National Park to hike Bear Lake. Bring a sack lunch, sunscreen, hiking gear,
snacks and water. Contact Elsie at 303.806.0248 for more information.

“Widow’s Might” Spring Tea will take place on Saturday, June 6th at 2pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Spread the word and come for light refreshments, games and fel-
lowship! Our special speaker will be Karen Gunstream. Please RSVP to Gwenda
at 303-806-2612 by May 30th! Transportation will be
provided upon request. Oh, and don’t forget to wear your favorite hat!!

Please be in prayer for the family of Nelma Smith, a long-time church

member. She passed away Thursday morning. Her service is set for
Tuesday, May 26th at 2:00 pm at their Nazarene Church in Nampa.
News Update
timely news for the congregation...

Peek to Peak
Peek to Peak, the Wednesday evening program for children at DFC, had
an exciting season. During Peek to Peak, children became immersed in a
challenging curriculum called “Kid Quest: Discovering God’s Plan and
Discovering God’s Word.” As children moved through the Kid Quest
curriculum on Wednesday evenings and during their home Bible study
devotionals, they were challenged to know and grow in Christ.

“Three Nights in Bethlehem” and “African Safari into the Kingdom of the
Son” were additional treats that were woven into the Peek to Peak season.
The “Three Nights in Bethlehem” mini series allowed participants to go back
in time and experience what it must have been like right before the birth of
Jesus. The five week mini series called “African Safari into the Kingdom of
the Son” took kids on a journey to a distant land where they learned that
God listens, provides, forgives, protects, and rules.

Of course, a program designed for kids wouldn’t be complete without an

evening to reflect and celebrate! The menu of Lion Kabobs, Spotted Stew,
and Zebra Dropping S'mores provided children with a unique snack and a
night of fun that they will always remember.

The children, their parents, and our entire DFC family would like to thank
Jerry Storz and a host of volunteers for a job well done. Thank you for
investing in our kids, serving willingly, and modeling what it means to walk
daily with the Lord. Thank you, also, for embracing Proverbs 22:6: “Train a
child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Sincerely,
Susan Foster
News Update
how you can help...

• The Children’s Department needs additional help in the Preschool

Department this summer. Several families are unable to continue offering
assistance over the summer; therefore, we are asking for your help. Can
you help once or twice during a chosen month over the summer? Please
call the Children’s office at 303-806-2612 and let us know your availability.
Thank you!

• Help Send a Child to Summer Camp! The Children’s Department is asking

40 people to give $40 to help send children to summer camp. You can
donate by placing a check in the offering plate marked “Children’s
Summer Camp” or dropping it off in the Children’s office.

• Special Needs class: We are starting to gather toys that have tactile
qualities appealing to autistic children. Please call Randy’s office or the
Children’s office for more information about how you can help.
News Update
testimony of the miraculous...

On Monday evening I was at work and received a text message from my wife
saying to call her immediately…it was urgent! Before I could pick up my phone
my boss walked up behind me and said: you need to call home now! Right
away I knew something “not so good” had happened and my mind began
spinning. Tina Hayhurst called me at that moment letting me know that my son,
Caleb, had fallen out of a window at home and onto the driveway. He was
being taken to the hospital via ambulance. You can imagine the thoughts going
through my mind as my heart was racing. The first I said to myself was, “God
no! Not my Caleb, please no!” While I was driving to the hospital I was thinking to
myself how our lives might be changed because I knew that falls like these are
often serious. Tina had told me that he was okay but I had to see it for my-
self. Within minutes, people from DFC, friends and family from everywhere (some
across the country) began sending me text messages to say they were
praying. At one point I could not keep up with responding to all the messages
coming in.

I arrived at the hospital bracing myself for how I might find my son. Angela was
there already with Caleb and holding his hand when I walked into the
room. Caleb was quiet at first until I leaned right over his head (he had a full
neck brace on) and he said to me, “Hi Daddy.” We waited for scan and x-ray
tests to come back and after a full and thorough examination, there were NO
broken bones to be found or any internal injuries! The only visible sign was a
bruise on his right hip. The doctor said to us that Caleb was very lucky to have es-
caped serious injuries considering the hard fall, which by the way, was about 25
feet. It was truly a miracle! I saw Him work that night in not only our son’s life, but
in mine. If I hadn’t seen the miracle then I was truly blind. Irene Rosales put it
best. “God must have special plans for Caleb because he was totally watching
over him tonight.” Caleb was released from the hospital at a very late hour that
evening. I still felt dazed by the fact that we were leaving with Caleb completely
intact after what had just happened. I almost could not believe it!
News Update
testimony of the miraculous...

The next day I made my way into the office later in the morning. I was listening to
the Christian radio station and every song played was about God’s grace and his
healing power in our lives. Ironically, as I got close to my office there was an
accident up ahead and the traffic was backed up a bit. As I passed by the
scene I glanced over at the single car accident and it was evident to me that the
driver had not survived. I was reminded again from the night before with Caleb
that life was not only precious but short! To this day the miracle of life and God
truly watching over us sticks in my mind vividly. I can’t explain it. You see, I
needed this experience, as terrifying as it was for a few hours, to jolt me to realize
that we need God. I honestly do not know how people live life without Him…I just
don’t get that. I have tried living life using my agenda and it does not work all
that well. What’s more…as for DFC…the church was the church for us that
evening. With Tina and Irene being there with us along with a host of others
praying from home, we knew God was at work.

I just had to share.

Obed Maldonado

A FINAL WORD
Very few moments of conversation with a member of the Pastoral
Selection Committee are required before one senses raw enthusiasm.
Something is a-brewing, folks, and that “something” is good. Dr.
Reuben Welch was famous for saying, “When nothing’s happening,
something is happening!” During this time of transition, God has
neither abandoned us, nor left us, like an orphan in the storm. Let’s
press on and finish strongly our prayer support for the Selection
Committee, for the Board—old and new—and for God’s will to be
done.
On behalf of the Ministerial Staff of DFC, God bless you.
Randy Smith
 Calendar of Events
May 24-May 30

Sunday, May 24: Wednesday, May 27:

8:30 am: Youth Prayer 4:30 pm: Hang Time in the Youth Café
9:00 am: Sunday School (all ages) 5:30 pm: Rock Worship Band Sound Check
Nursery & Preschool open 6:30 pm: Prayer Meeting
(Community Room)
10:30 am: Morning Worship Service
(Sanctuary) Celebrate Recovery
(Room 200, 202 & Cry Room)
Nursery available
Youth Worship Service
10:30 am: 1st - 4th Grade Children’s Church
(Rock Room)
(GLA)
5th & 6th Grade DOGS Worship 6:45 pm: MASH Men’s Bible Study
(Dog Pound) (Room 201)
12:00 pm: Refuge Class Lunch & Games Thursday, May 28:
(Third Floor Youth Area)
8:30 am: MOPS
2:00 pm: Growing Kids God’s Way (Fellowship Hall)
(Fellowship Hall)
Friday, May 29:
Childcare for ages birth - 3
(nursery) 9:00 am: Mission:Denver Cooking
Childcare for ages 4 and older (Main Kitchen)
(GL Room #5)
5:00 pm: Celebrate Recovery Sponsor
4:00 pm: Financial Peace Meeting (Cry Room)
(GL Rooms Auditorium)(Childcare
provided in Room 5) 6:00 pm: Celebrate Recovery
(Fellowship Hall)
Monday, May 25:
Divorce Care (Fellowship Hall/
Memorial Day - Church Closed Community Room)
Tuesday, May 26: Saturday, May 30:
7:00 am: Men’s Bible Study 7:00 am: Men at Prayer (Community Room)
(GL Conference Room)
Ladies Prayer Walk (DFC Parking
7:00 pm: Prophesy Bible Study - Bereans Lot)
(Fellowship Hall)
8:00 am: Mission:Denver
(off-site)