Operation Christmas Child

DCF was very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in Operation Christmas Child, under the leadership of Steve Hamer who served as Area Coordinator. This is the third year DCF has been able to participate in the event run by Samaritan's Purse and sponsored by Curves. OCC was designed as a way to show the love of Jesus in a practical way by collecting festively wrapped shoeboxes filled with gifts to be shipped to children in third world and war-torn areas. Samaritan's Purse works directly with established organizations in the receiving areas to ensure the safe delivery of the boxes. Many of these children have never received any gifts in their lives. The program is most commonly promoted through schools across Ireland, however this year, DCF was also able to host a one day event at Dungarvan Shopping Centre to open the program to the public. We had pre-wrapped boxes to allow last minute shoppers the opportunity to contribute and many people brought bags of toys to help supplement boxes. The response was so generous and exciting. Some DCF members were also able to go to the warehouse to help pack the boxes for shipping. It was a great way to serve as a community, and although it was hard work, it was so worth it! We are pleased to have collected almost 600 boxes from our area. This means almost 600 children's lives will be dramatically impacted by our area alone! Thanks to everyone for their support and labors to help make this Christmas memorable for a child in need of love.

UCD Fresher`s Week

With the change from summer to autumn, came the beginning of new school terms across Ireland. DCF was able to assist Cornerstone Church in Dublin with their annual booth at UCD Fresher`s Week. Living Stones, sponsored by Cornerstone, is a Christian society on campus that hosts a weekly Bible study and discussion groups as well as other activities. The UCD event is designed so incoming students can see the variety of societies that are available to them. Over the course of four days, thousands of students plow through the tent lined with booths. Our booth was located between the Socialist Party and the Agriculture Society. It was a new experience for the folk from DCF as they recieved a broad range of replies upon hearing that it was Christian. Some students were willing to engage in conversation even though they claimed athiesm. Other students laughed outright. Several students did show interest and by the end of the week over sixty had signed up for the society. One group of international students who were promoting their society spent the days coming over and asking questions about faith and perspective, one even accepting prayer for a revelation of God in his life. The week ended with a free barbeque for the students that had signed up. It was a festive event and many folk from other Christian societies joined in, demonstrating a spirit of unity. We were blessed to be able to support Cornerstone and Living Stones and pray that this school year will be a time of spiritual transformation for the students of UCD.

The Servolution Has Begun...

"The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.' " -- John 21:17

At DCF we have been looking at what it means to live what we say we believe. Recently, one member of DCF presented a very practical way to help people. He had seen a need and wanted to help, showing up with a load of water bottles and an idea. In the wee hours of the weekend, two DCF folk took to the streets of Abbeyside to simply give the water bottles to the folk leaving the pubs. There was no agenda or preaching, rather just a chance to do something with no strings attached. God`s love is free, shouldn`t ours be as well? The evening went well and many folk were happy to talk and get to know each other`s stories, even asking when they would see us again. We look forward to many more similar opportunities to live generously as a group, for no other reason but that same love was once shown to us through Christ..

“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” -John 10:13-14

The Power of Prayer

This summer at DCF ended with an extended visit from Kathy Ruddick. Kathy is a minister at Believer`s Church located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been teaching on prayer for many years and works with the prophetic ministries of BC. Kathy shared her powerful testimony of how God delivered her from a childhood of abuse in a mentally unstable home and brought her to a place of wholeness. Kathy also taught on prayer and inner healing. In her time, Kathy was able to introduce the tool of Theophostic Prayer to DCF and many were blessed by the personal ministry time she spent with them. DCF is excited to continue the training program for Theophostics as a group. It was an enlightening visit and we look forward to our growth and understanding of the tools and wisdom imparted during her stay.

Enjoying Life Together

One of the things we enjoy at DCF is a sense of community. Every so often we like to get together, share food, stories and plenty of laughs. Recently we experienced just such an afternoon together. The Browers opened their home to host the number of people and everyone brought a dish to share which made for a smorgasbord of tasty treats. In addition to just playing with their friends in the garden, the children also got to make their own pet rocks! These days are great because they give folk the chance to relax and just enjoy life together.

Cornerstone Summer Kids Camp

DCF was recently blessed to be able to participate in a summer kids camp run by Cornerstone Christian Church in Dublin. This was the first year for Cornerstone to host the event comprised of puppet shows, crafts, and games all designed to show the love of Jesus in our lives. Over sixty children from the ages of 4-12 took part over the course of five days. Some folk from DCF were able to travel to Dublin and stay as volunteers for the camp. It was a successful week that was well planned by Cornerstone and many parents were asking about future camps. One family attended Sunday services the following week as a direct result of the camp. We are thankful for the hospitality shown to us in our time there and look forward to hearing more good reports of what God is doing in Dublin. We are blessed to have the opportunity to encourage and support the body of Christ across the country.

Easter Celebration

Our Easter weekend began on Good Friday afternoon when a member`s living room was opened up for an evening of praise, prayer and worship.  From 4pm until after midnight the space was available for DCF members and friends to freely come and go as they pleased.  There was no formal structure which allowed people to focus on God.  In this time, people also wrote the things they wanted to surrender to God, sealed them, and exchanged them for rocks as a reminder that our burdens were laid to rest with Christ`s death and burial.  It was a special time and God made His presence known.

On Sunday, Steve spoke on the necessity of Christ`s resurrection to our faith.  He emphasized how the evidence of the resurrection is also an integral part of the story.  It was impactful as he showed a secular judge`s modern take on the evidence list.  After sharing communion, we ended the service with praise and celebration for what God did and is continuing to do in us.  During this time, people took the rock that tied them to their surrendered burden, dropped them on the pile of thier sealed statements, and walked away as a statement of faith that we no longer have to carry the weight of our sin.  As He rose, we are free!

We continued to celebrate with a community dinner at the Brower`s house.  The afternoon was filled with good food, fellowship and laughter.  The children decorated and dyed eggs that were later hidden by a few sneaky adults.  The children`s task of finding them proved to be entertaining for everyone!  It was a great weekend.  We stand wonderfully amazed at the awesome love of God.  

Local Psychic Fair

In February, DCF was able to participate in a more radical form of evangelism as Cliff, Kyle, and Holly attended a local Psychic Fair.  They ministered through prayer and Words of Knowledge for the people who attended, as well as some of the vendors.  Through this event they were able to share the message of Christ and are still in communication with some of those spoken to that day.  God gave us favor with the organizers who have since asked us to return for future events, despite the fact that we are Christians and are literally selling nothing.  We are amazed at the ways God has opened this door to reach the desperate and hurting people who would otherwise go unreached.