swag - s3.amazonaws.com

Name:____________________________________________________________________

swag

Dayspring Community Church

Rev Dr. Cynthia T. Turner, Pastor

Soaring With A Goal 2014

Ministerial Team

Minister Email Cell

Pastor Cynthia Turner [email protected] 301-580-6533

Min. Tee Clark [email protected] 301-503-2778

Min. Yvonne Lamb [email protected] 202-306-3453

Rev. Barbara Walker [email protected] 301-437-5677

Min. Aleisha Langhorne* [email protected] 757-575-7058

*Away on Internship

1

Dayspring Community Church

We Worship Sundays at 9:30 am:

Goddard Montessori School Auditorium | 9850 Good Luck Road | Lanham, MD 20706

We Do Everything Else at Our Office and Meeting Site:

9300 Annapolis Rd | Suite 105 |Lanham, MD 20706
Ph. (301) 649-4449 |[email protected]

dayspringcommunitychurch.org | dayspringcommunitychurch.org
facebook: Dayspring Community Church (PG County)

c. Dayspring Community Church 2014. All rights reserved.

2

swag

Dear Dayspring Family:

Every year, many of us go to the doctor to get a checkup for our bodies to
see how we are doing physically and to determine whether anything is
wrong. We take our cars to the shop to get tune ups, do maintenance and
get repairs. Rarely, do we take
time to do a spiritual checkup.

This guide is your chance to
take your pulse see what kind
of health you are in spiritually,
to assess your progress and
make improvements
throughout 2014 and to get to
know God and God’s will
better. Daniel 11:32 says “The
people who know their God
shall be strong and do great
exploits.”

I’m excited about taking this
journey with you. Prayerfully, at the end of the year, we will all be in the
best spiritual health we’ve ever been in -- stronger, better nourished and
more spiritually fit than ever. May God bless you. My prayer for you is
that you increase your SWAG as God works with you to soar exceedingly
abundantly above all you can ask, think or imagine in 2014!

Very best,

Pastor Turner

3

soaring...

Why SWAG?
A few years ago an old word took on new meaning in our culture that characterized
a person with a certain “something” that catches the attention of others and makes
them take a second look. The word is swag, short for swagger, which once had a
more urbane connotation but today has been brushed off and given a new look.
When we say a person has swag, we are complimenting them on a quality that
transcends the superficial and t angible. It’s not from their clothes, or cologne, or
hair, but it’s in their overall essence and demeanor. Here’s how one online
dictionary defines it: swag, n. The way one presents to the world.

It’s a certain way of being in the world that attracts others. That’s our mission as
believers in Jesus Christ — our SWAG should draw others to Jesus Christ.

For our purposes, SWAG stands for Soaring With A Goal. The followers of Jesus

Christ were meant to soar, not crawl. To rise above, not bend beneath. To travel the

upward way, not settle for the mundane. Yet, too often, Jesus’ disciples end up more

like caged birds, never really getting off the

ground, says author Richard Stearns. Our goal is

to launch toward God’s beckoning hand, taking swag, n. The way one
giant leaps of faith as the Lord’s co-workers. presents to the world.

This does not come without effort. Our

mission is to create spiritually mature people

whose faith lasts them for a lifetime. Genuine, authentic, soaring faith takes daily

nurturing. It requires being fully present in everyday life, ready to meet God’s

assignments with energy and power and grace. Spiritual growth is a lifelong

process. We never really arrive, but we can never cease from striving God-ward as

we work to advance God’s Kingdom here on earth.

The Bible says that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek God.
(Hebrews 11:6) These pages are designed to help you do just that. With these six
areas, we hope you will develop a pattern that will help you strengthen your faith
and live a fruitful life, as God has promised. ... A life of Godly SWAG!

4

...with a goal “Be prepared. You’re up
against far more than you
The meaning, purpose, and significance of our can handle on your own.
lives are found only by aligning our lives with Take all the help you can
God’s purposes, in lives committed to following get, every weapon God has
Jesus Christ.” issued, so that when it’s all
over but the shouting
—Richard Stearns, The Hole in Our Gospel you’ll still be on your feet.
Truth, righteousness,
At times, we all yearn for a deeper peace, faith, and salvation
sense of purpose in our lives. are more than words.
Learn how to apply them.
Let’s be clear. Merely going through You’ll need them
the motions of any or even all of these throughout your life. God’s
focus areas will not — I repeat, will not — Word is an indispensable
answer any of our heart’s deepest long- weapon. In the same way,
ings. They will not make you a super prayer is essential in this
Christian any more than sitting in a garage ongoing warfare. Pray
will make you a car. We will still come up hard and long. Pray for
empty and short if we fail to connect our your brothers and sisters.
story to the bigger resurrection story God Keep your eyes open.” —
is still writing. Don’t forget. We are
players in God’s plan. There are no bit Eph. 6:10-17 The Message
parts and no benchwarmers. We are God’s
revolutionaries who were placed here to
bring about a new world order. We are
part of an army of believers whose goal is
to make God’s Kingdom reign here on
earth.

These six focus areas will help arm us
as we move forward with God’s plan. They
are designed to enhance and equip you for
the journey, as you willingly and excitedly
exchange your will for the Lord’s will.

5

getting started

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This is your personal record of your devotional life and journey for 2014, for your
eyes only. It is only a beginning step of a true and vital personal spiritual
discipleship plan to help you soar. Keep it close by. Refer to it often to see if you’re
on track. Make notes, keep records, look at how well you’re doing and how far you
have to go. Set goals for yourself and try to keep them. There are 6 areas of focus:

Praying (P) / Worshiping (W) / Serving (Se)
Studying (St) / Giving (G) / Fellowshiping (F)

Start here with your PERSONAL ASSESSMENT:

First, on a scale of 1 to 5, mark where you are right now with an N (now).
Then mark where you want to be with a G (goal).
1 = Nowhere / 2 = Grounded /3 = On the runway / 4 = In flight / 5 = Soaring

123 4 5

Praying

Worshiping

Serving

Studying

Giving

Fellowshiping

6

calendars, events & notes

At the back of this book are calendar pages to track your faithfulness in each
area. There are also notes pages where you can record a sentence or two of
what you hear God saying through the sermons/studies you hear each week.

Keeping Tabs on Your Progress

Consistency is the key to growth. So throughout the year we will have
periodic SWAG events and fellowships, where we will check in with each
other on how well we are doing and how much progress we are making.

In addition, there are various ways you can keep your SWAG going by
checking in with others and staying accountable. Groups or individuals can
work together. For example:
· Husbands and wives
· Parents and children
· Friends
· Ministry leaders
· Prayer partners
· For Men Only
· For Women Only
· Singles

7

six key areas of progress

 praying (devotionals)
 worshiping
 serving
 studying
 giving
 fellowshiping/community

8

praying (devotionals)

“Prayer is a necessary step to sustain a healthy soul.” — The Dayspring

Statements

Prayer is our direct communication with How To Measure My Progress
God. It’s a two-way communication where
we must be as anxious to hear from God as · I have established (or am in the
we are to lay out all our petitions and process of developing) a regular
concerns. Prayer is the soil and fertilizer for prayer/devotional life.
every other Christian discipline and duty. It
all begins with and hinges on prayer. · I have a prayer journal to track how
God is moving in my life.
We must pray individually and we
must pray together. One often used model · I take time to listen to God’s voice for
for prayer is ACTS: Adoration, Confession, guidance.
Thanksgiving, Supplication. Begin by adoring
God, confessing your sins, offering thanks for · I pray before making major decisions
everything and making your requests known and I wait on God before I make a
by asking God for what you need. move.

Our heart must be in our prayer. · I pray for others and with others,
Someone once wrote: including my spouse, children and
loved ones.
‘Tis not enough to bend the knee
And the words of prayer to say · My prayers are not all about me and
The heart must with the lips agree getting my way, but I seek to
or else we do not pray. exchange my desires for what God
wants from me.
SCRIPTURE:
What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will · I sometimes fast as a way to
pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my strengthen my prayer life.
spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. -- 1 Cor.
14:15 · I am a member of a prayer team that
prays daily for at least 10 minutes.

· I use scriptures when I pray.

9

worshiping

“We come to be startled again by the truth of God’s Word, that in hearing we
might believe and in believing we might give our lives back to God. This is
where we come to love God back, through the songs we sing, the prayers we
pray, the hands we hold, and the tithes and gifts we bring.” — The Dayspring

Statements

Worship matters to God. God demands our How To Measure My Progress
worship. God deserves our worship. God
desires our worship. To worship means to · I make church attendance a
celebrate God for who God is and for what nonnegotiable priority in my life.
God has done. No one and nothing is more
worthy than God to receive our worship. · I expect to encounter God through
worship.
“If the soul of the believer is in a healthy
condition, s/he will take occasion to · My worship life extends beyond
frequently come into God’s presence on Sunday morning, 9:30 – 11:00 am.
purpose to have communion with God.”
– A. W. Pink · In my private spaces, I take time to
sing love songs to God, i.e., in the
So how do we worship? By focusing all shower, in my car, at home.
our attention on the Lord. There are any
number of ways. Sometimes we lift holy · Before I arrive, I prepare my heart
hands, bow down in reverence, kneel in and mind for worship through
submission, bow our heads in humility, clap reading my Bible, meditation,
in celebration, shed a tear in awe, speak in prayer and listening to spiritual
fiery tongues, run, dance, and shout. That’s music.
just to name a few. Additionally, when we
give, serve, and obey God’s word, that’s also · I bring my worship with me, in my
worship. willing spirit and cheerful heart.

SCRIPTURE: I urge you, brothers and sisters, · I listen attentively to the sermon
in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies and participate in all of the worship
as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to service.
God—this is your true and proper worship. —
Rom 12:1

10

serving

“We leave here .. better equipped to participate in God’s wondrous
transforming mission in the world.” — The Dayspring Statements

Jesus was a servant. While many How To Measure My Progress
religious leaders of the day were
gathering titles and putting on airs, · I regularly help people in need and
Jesus insisted on His status as a servant. expect nothing in return.
He went about healing the sick, feeding
the multitudes, giving sight to the blind · I lead or am a part of a ministry of
and even raising the dead. Jesus washed service.
the disciples feet. When Jesus left, He
gave us an assignment to serve in His · I want to serve others through
stead. He even said we would have the helps, teaching, clothing drives,
power to do greater works than He did. missions, or some other area.
We become His hands and feet, elbows
and mouthpiece in the world. · I am reliable and can be counted on
to serve in at least one of these
Today, there are many ways we ministries: children, youth, men,
can carry out Jesus’ command to serve, women, missions, multimedia,
both inside and outside the church. choir, ushering, setting up/tearing
There is a great deal of work to do and down, greeting, crisis response,
not enough workers to carry it out. prayer leadership, and special
days/events leadership.

· I minister to others by sharing the
Word of God with them.

· I invite others to a life with Christ.

SCRIPTURE: The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. — Mark 10:45

11

studying

“We believe in the Bible as our primary guide for living.” — The Dayspring

Statements

God uses God’s word to spiritually feed us. Not only that, God uses God’s word to
direct us, give us insight, and to

correct and strengthen us. That’s why How To Measure My Progress
the Bible says we should desire the
pure milk of the Word, so that we can · I read my Bible every day.

grow. (1 Peter 2:2) Too many · I have a study plan or devotional
believers bumble along year to year
without ever deepening their beliefs guide.
or practices because they neglect
God’s word. They cannot even cite one · I try to memorize at least one new
time when their life was impacted or Scripture a month.

· I am part of a Bible Study group that

altered by God’s Word. meets regularly (i.e., Wednesday

night at 8 pm, MasterLife,

Personal daily Bible study is a Discovering God, Spiritual Gifts, etc.)
way for us to develop an intimate · I seek to hear God’s voice and
relationship with God. It’s important
that if we want to hear God’s voice and discern God’s will through my
studies.
discern God’s direction that we spend · I use Scriptures to inform my
time in God’s word. But that’s not all. thoughts and prayers.

Each year, our church offers · My marriage, family, relationships,
weekly Bible study series to foster home, career and resources are
your spiritual growth. Take advantage impacted by God’s Word.

of this time to go deeper in God’s
Word, to hear God’s voice, and to seek God’s guidance. It is impossible to fully know
God’s will for your life without studying God’s Word.

SCRIPTURE: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. -- 2 Timothy 2:15

12

giving

“This is where we come to love God back through ... the tithes and gifts we
bring.” — The Dayspring Statements
How To Measure My Progress

All that we have comes from God and is · My beginning point for giving is
on loan to us, including our finances, our based on the tithe (10% of my
abilities, and our time on earth. We need gross income).
a plan for giving that is consistent with
God’s word. Too often, we end up giving · I freely give offerings over and
God what’s left after we have taken care above God’s tithes.
of ourselves, our bills and our pleasures.
But that’s not a biblical way of living. · I regularly support the building
plan (The Bricks Campaign) for our
God has been generous to us and new church.
expects us to be generous in return:
· I purchase nonperishables for the
· First, there’s the tithe. One-tenth of food pantry.
all we have (gross earnings) belongs
to God off the top. We are to bring · I give of my time to assist in a
our first-fruits to the Lord as our ministry.
obedient thanksgiving to God for
being so generous to us. The Bible · I use my talents and abilities
says to bring God’s tithes into the (giftedness) to bless someone
storehouse. else’s life.

· Next there’s the offering. It’s over · I know my spiritual gift(s).
and above the tithe. Rewards come · I am concerned about the welfare
when you take every advantage to
give over the tithe. of the world and give to global
missions.
· I invest my money for a profitable
return as a good steward.

When you give, be sure to do it with a glad heart, for the Lord loves a cheerful giver.

SCRIPTURE: Honor God with everything you own; give God the first and your best. — Proverbs
3:9 (The Message)

13

fellowshiping/community

“Our purpose is to grow ... Closer through fellowship, grow deeper through
discipleship, grow stronger through ministry, and grow wider through
evangelism.” — The Dayspring Statements

In fellowshiping, we grow together and How To Measure My Progress
form healthy relationships that are
pleasing to God. Fellowshiping is critical · I make taking the Lord’s Supper a
to a maturing faith because it meets with priority in my life.
God’s expectations of us to love the Lord
and love our neighbors. That’s the · I am a part of a fellowship group
greatest commandment. (Matthew that meets outside of worship
22:36-40) hours.

Love is our insignia and our way. · I reach out to others I have not
We can be busy doing a lot of work in the seen, by phone, text, visit, email,
church and acts of charity in the world, or note or some other means.
but without a genuine heart of love and
fellowship, it means nothing. (1 · I pray regularly with a partner or
Corinthians 13:-1-3) group.

Let’s face it. One of the hardest · I don’t hold grudges or harbor
things to do is to maintain healthy unforgivenness in my heart.
relationships. But being in good
relationships is what we must seek to do. · I really pay attention to the
It takes time, earnest prayer, a response when I ask someone how
willingness to be quick to forgive and they are doing.
energy.
· I show hospitality to others.
· I open my home to fellow disciples

for potlucks, studies, and
fellowshiping time.
· I share God’s Word with others as
a way to draw them to Christ.

SCRIPTURE: How good it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity. — Psalm
133:1

14

2014 calendars & sermon notes

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Who do I call when I want to: Phone Email

Name 301.580.6533 [email protected]
301.498.2923
Join church or serve in a ministry Pastor Turner/Ministry Leaders 301.580.6533 [email protected]
Receive special prayer Elder Lillie White 301.580.6533 [email protected]
301.498.2923
Pastor Turner/Ministers 202.306.3543 [email protected]
301.237.1074
Obtain help for a life crisis Pastor Turner/Ministers 301.237.1074 [email protected]
Elder Lillie White 202.722.0625 [email protected]
703.309.3561 [email protected]
Enroll in automated giving Min. Yvonne Lamb 301.237.1074 [email protected]
Elder Deborah Hill 301.580.6533 [email protected]
301.580.6533 [email protected]
Receive daily text devotionals Elder Deborah Hill [email protected]
301.437.5677 [email protected]
Update my contact information Sis. Jean McGruder 301.919.6674 [email protected]
Elder Arlene Brewer 301.580.6533 [email protected]
[email protected]
Know whether we are having church Elder Deborah Hill 301.503.2778 [email protected]
301.649.4449 [email protected]
Lead an event on the calendar Pastor Turner/Ministers 301.580.6533 [email protected]
301.580.6533 [email protected]
Start a new ministry Pastor Turner
301.503.2778
Serve an existing ministry Rev. Barbara Walker 301.649.4449

Make a special donation Elder Hardy Bennett

Receive pastoral care/counseling Pastor Turner

Testify of God’s goodness Min. Tee Clark

Share a great idea Ministers/Elders

Notify church of a death in my family Pastor Turner/Ministers

Get married/seek counseling Pastor Turner

Join a missions trip/event Min. Tee Clark

Get more instructions on this guide Ministers/Elders

26

Our Dayspring Statements

Leader: What are we doing here?
People: We have come to be startled again by the truth of God’s Word, that in
hearing we might believe and in believing we might give our lives
back to God. This is where we come to love God back, through the
songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the hands we hold, and the tithes
and gifts we bring.

Leader: What are the core beliefs that define our faith?
People: We believe in God as our Creator, Jesus Christ as Our Redeemer, the
Holy Spirit as our Sustainer, the Bible as our primary guide for living
and Prayer as a necessary step to sustain a healthy soul.

Leader: What is our purpose?
People: Our purpose is to grow: grow higher through worship, grow closer
through fellowship, grow deeper through discipleship, grow stronger
through ministry, grow richer through giving, and grow wider
through evangelism.

Leader: What is our mission?
People: Our mission is to create spiritually mature people whose faith lasts
them for a lifetime.
Leader: What is our vision?
People: We are becoming a biblically functioning community that seeks to
liberate God’s people to live life mightily.

Leader: What happens when we go away from here?
People:
We leave here stronger, and yet more dependent on Christ.
We leave here bolder, more hopeful, and better equipped to
participate in God’s wondrous transforming mission in the world.

27