Archive for the Announcement Category


Jan 16

Help Pick Songs for a New DSC Album

2015 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Announcement

Over at the DSC Music Blog, Drew Hodge broke some good news this past week: He and DSC’s musicians are working on a new studio project to record a number of original songs and arrangements that have found a place in the life of our church.

Here’s from his post:

Help us choose the songs for our next recorded studio album. Below is the list of songs to choose from. All of these songs are original DSC compositions and/or arrangements. Pick one to ten of your favorites. Songs that have blessed, challenged or encouraged you.

To pick, email drew@desertspringschurch.org with your picks. Subject line: This Is Our Song

I would also love to hear any stories about these songs working in your life.

Be a part of the process!

Come and Dine – lyric, chord chart, mp3

Great Things – lyric, chord chart, mp3

God Moves In A Mysterious Waylyric, chord chart, mp3

Lord, We Come to Hear Your Word – lyric, chord chart, mp3

Be Strong – lyric, chord chart, mp3

My Father Planned it All – lyric, chord chart, mp3

Blessed Assurance – lyric, chord chart, mp3

Raise Your Voicelyric, chord chart, mp3

We Give Thanks – lyric, chord chart, mp3

Clap Your Hands – lyric, mp3

Christ Is All – lyric, chord chart, mp3

In Christ – lyric, chord chart, mp3

Jesus You Reign – lyric, chord chart, mp3

O God Our Help in Ages Past – lyric, chord chart, mp3

Awake My Soul – lyric, mp3

Cornerstone – lyric, mp3

It Is Well – lyric, mp3

All Hail the Power (Exalt the Name of Jesus) – lyric, mp3

By the way, if you haven’t subscribed yet to the DSC Music blog, you should consider doing so. Every Monday, Drew Hodge posts a service recap with links to lyrics and audio for the songs we sang that Sunday. Check out the blog and subscribe here.

Also not to miss, Drew is hosting a Saturday Seminar on February 21 called, “Come, Let Us Sing!” Click here to learn more and to register.

Dec 5

Guidance, Wisdom, and the Will of God

2014 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Announcement

In October we began our new Sunday Adult Education class, called, Equip. Click here for handouts from the class we just wrapped up, “Joshua: Seeking Rest in the Land,” and to plan ahead for what classes you might join us for in the months ahead.

Starting this Sunday, Tim Ragsdale will teach a class, titled, “Guidance, Wisdom, and the Will of God.” Join us at 10:45 in the West Wing on Sundays from here through January for this helpful class.

On this important subject, Kevin DeYoung has written a helpful book, titled, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will. Here’s a quote to whet your appetite for our next session in Equip:

“The only chains God wants us to wear are the chains of righteousness–not the chains of hopeless subjectivism, not the shackles of risk-free living, not the fetters of horoscope decision making–just the chains befitting a bond servant of Christ Jesus. Die to self. Live for Christ. And then do what you want, and go where you want, for God’s glory.”
—Kevin DeYoung

Pick up Kevin’s book at the Book Nook or on Amazon.

Oct 25

Missions Emphasis Week Begins!

2014 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Announcement

There is no week or day or moment for the church during which missions is not an emphasis. That’s why we host Missions Emphasis Week each year. It’s a way of centering our church’s life on the cross and its proclamation for God’s glory among the nations.

Here’s a run-down of what to expect for Missions Emphasis Week:

Silent Auction (Sunday – Wednesday, October 26-29)

A Silent Auction will run from 8:00 AM, Sunday morning to 6:00 PM, Wednesday evening. See the Missions Blog for details and previews of things and services being auctioned. Winners will be announced after the Lord’s Supper service on Wednesday. All proceeds from the auction will go toward our Sunrise North Africa Partnership (SNAP).

Sunday Services (Sunday, October 26)

Missions Emphasis speaker, Drew Hunter, will preach a sermon from Matthew 10:16-42, titled, “The Cost of Missions and the Courage to Endure.” Drew is the Preaching Pastor at Zionsville Fellowship in Zionsville, Indiana, and the author of Isaiah and Matthew in Crossway’s Knowing the Bible series.

Dinner with the Missionaries (Sunday, October 26)

From 5:00 – 8:00 PM we will enjoy dinner and hear from missionaries representing our three global initiatives: Chuck Harper of Western Indian Ministries (WIM), Eder Ixcopal of Operation R4 (OR4) from Guatemala’s Rabinal Achi people, and Mr. C, the father and husband of our second SNAP family headed to North Africa in early 2015. All proceeds from the dinner will support the three featured missionaries. Click here for more information and to register.

Lord’s Supper Service (Wednesday, October 29)

Redemption Church Leaders will share about the C’s early 2015 departure. As always, we will focus on the cross and share in the Lord’s Supper together, proclaiming Jesus’ death until he returns. Dinner is at 5:30 PM and the service begins at 6:30 PM.

The Gospel in an age of ISIS (Sunday, November 2)

At 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM in the Youth Room, a guest speaker will share how the gospel and new churches are taking root in the Middle East and North Africa despite the spread of radicalized Islam. Our speaker represents Preparing Arab-world Leaders for Ministry (PALM), an organization that exists to nurture self-replicating discipleship groups and to train their leaders in countries without historic churches.

Sep 15

The Elders Q&A Is Coming Up – Questions Welcome

2014 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Announcement

Questions are crucial for understanding, unity, and fruitfulness in almost any relationship. This is obvious in marriage, parenting, and at work.

Good questions and thoughtful answers are important in the context of the church as well, perhaps especially between shepherds and the flock. And so DSC’s elders are available in the halls around church, by email, and once each year we set aside an evening to take questions in the context of a corporate gathering. We call it, an “Elders Q&A.”

Our next Elders Q&A will take place on the last Wednesday of this month, September 24, at 6:30 PM.

If you have a question, submit it. If you don’t, think of one and then submit it. Here are four ways to ask your questions:

  • Submit your question using your bulletin Comment Card next Sunday and drop that in an offering box.
  • Email your question to info@desertspringschurch.org.
  • Communicate your question for the Q&A to an elder directly.
  • Show up with your question on the 24th. The elders will take some questions from a mic in the course of the evening.

Of course, we appreciate your questions early. This helps us notice recurring themes and spend our time in a way that best serves the congregation. Any questions that are not addressed at the Q&A will be answered through the DSC Blog or by email.

Get acquainted with DSC’s elders by reading their biographies on the Leadership Page. Also, audio from previous Elder Q&A evenings is available at our Messages Page under the topic “Elder Q&A.”

Sep 6

“Oh How Good It Is”: A Song for the Family of God

2014 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Announcement

This weekend we will sing a song that is increasingly familiar to us at DSC: “Oh How Good It Is.” This is a song about what it means to be the family of God written by Keith and Kristyn Getty, who will be with us in just two weekends for a concert on Saturday, September 20. By the way, if you haven’t already, click here to register.

Here’s a video of the song followed by lyrics:

[RSS and email readers, click here to view this video]

Here are the lyrics to this song, written by Keith and Kristyn Getty, Ross Holmes, and Stuart Townend.

Verse 1
Oh how good it is
when the family of God
dwells together in spirit,
in faith, and unity;
Where the bonds of peace
of acceptance and love
are the fruit of His presence
here among us.

Chorus 1
So with one voice we’ll sing to the Lord,
and with one heart we’ll live out His Word,
till the whole earth sees
the Redeemer has come,
for He dwells in the presence of His people.

Verse 2
Oh how good it is
on this journey we share
to rejoice with the happy
and weep with those who mourn;
For the weak find strength,
the afflicted find grace
when we offer the blessing
of belonging.

Verse 3
Oh how good it is
to embrace His command,
to prefer one another,
forgive as He forgives;
When we live as one
we all share in the love
of the Son with the Father
and the Spirit.

Click here to purchase the song, and here to purchase the album, Hymns for the Christian Life.