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Fulgent Hope

"It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Revelation 22:16

A radiant sunset settled over Desert Cross after evening worship. Its beauty recalled these words about sunset by one of my favorite poets, William Wordsworth:

"The weary Sun betook himself to rest; — / Then issued Vesper (evening star) from the fulgent west."

Fulgent is an apt word to describe the glowing western sky at sunset. Fulgent comes from the Latin verb fulgēre, meaning "to shine brightly." We can use the word to depict radiant splendor. That’s how I am thinking about Jesus this Advent as we journey to the manger. He is our fulgent light of the world. He shines radiant light that banishes the darkness. It’s a lovely way to think about our hope in Christ that radiates and cannot be stopped. As we wait and watch for the newborn King of light in our weary world, look for his bright, shining star in difficult places. Seek his radiant splendor and share his light with others.

Where is our bright morning star shining into your life giving you fulgent hope this Advent?

- Pastor Andrea

Meeting Agenda:

• Welcome
• Opening Prayer
• Financial Update
• 2026 Church Budget
• Property Status
• Announcements
• Closing Prayer
• Adjournment

Click the video below to view the livestream.

Order Your Poinsettias Today!

This Christmas we will once again be decorating the Tempe Sanctuary with live poinsettias.

As in the past, you have the chance to purchase one of these lovely plants. Envelopes are available now in the Tempe Narthex and the cost of each plant is $17.50. Payment can be enclosed along with your dedication.

Dedications and payments must be placed in the offering or brought to the office by December 8th.

Please contact Wendy Williams at wwilliams@desertcross.org with any questions!

Desert Cross 2025 Advent Series:

"Journey to the Manger"

This Advent, journey with Mary, Joseph, and the faithful across ancient roads of hope, peace, joy, and love. By tracing their steps from Rome’s imperial decree to the quiet streets of Bethlehem, our congregation is invited to experience the anticipation of Christ’s coming in new and meaningful ways—remembering that Advent is not just about the arrival of God’s greatest gift, but also about the road that leads us there. Both children and adults will embark on a spiritual pilgrimage through four pivotal cities: Rome, Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem. Each week will build anticipation, faith, and preparation, guiding us deeper into the meaning of God’s promise and inviting our hearts to linger in expectation and wonder, preparing to receive God’s greatest gift. Children will receive a passport and stamps for each week of our faith travels!

Join us on Advent Wednesdays

Holden Evening Prayer with church member journey stories on:

December 10th and December 17th

Tempe (with livestream)

5:30pm – Soup Supper

7:00pm – Worship

Gilbert

6:00pm – Soup Supper

7:00pm – Worship

December 6th – 7th

JERUSALEM: The Heart of Worship

The center of longing & spiritual expectation.

• Saturday at 5:00pm (Tempe)
• Sunday at 9:30am (Tempe* & Gilbert)
  *Tempe with livestream

December 13th – 14th

NAZARETH: The Place of Preparation

God chooses the unexpected.

• Saturday at 5:00pm (Tempe)
• Sunday at 9:30am (Tempe* & Gilbert)
  *Tempe with livestream

December 20th – 21st

BETHLEHEM: The Town of Promise

God makes room & invites us to do the same.

• Saturday at 5:00pm (Tempe)
• Sunday at 9:30am (Tempe* & Gilbert)
  *Tempe with livestream

Advent Wednesday Soup Dinner & Fellowship

Join us for warm soup and even warmer fellowship on Wednesdays before our Advent Services at the Tempe campus!

December 10th and 17th
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Tempe Campus Fellowship Hall

If you have any questions or would like to donate to the cause, please speak with Shelley Mardany or Karen Koslow.

Tempe Sanctuary Tree Decorating Party 🎄

📅 Sunday, December 14th

🕤 10:30am (after service)

📍 Desert Cross – Tempe Campus

SAVE THE DATE! You are invited to the Third Annual community tree decorating party! Please join us on Sunday, December 14th after church. Young or not-so-young, short or tall, all are welcome to join us.

Please reach out to Jane Yost at janeyost73@gmail.com or Shelley Mardany at shelmardany@gmail.com with any questions!

2025 Angel Tree – Tempe Campus

The Angel Tree in Tempe is set up now in the Narthex! Here's how you can help bring joy to a child this Christmas:

1. Choose a Tag (or two!): Take one or two tags from the Angel Tree in the Tempe Narthex.
2. Shop and Wrap: Purchase a gift for each tag you take. Each child (ages 15 and under) will receive two gifts – one toy or special wish item, and one piece of warm clothing. Be sure to wrap the gift and securely tape the tag to it.
3. Grocery Gift Cards: Some tags are for grocery gift cards to support each family. Please do NOT wrap gift cards. Place them in the container marked “Angel Tree Gift Cards” or drop them off at the church office clearly marked for the Angel Tree.

Deadline: All gifts and gift cards are needed by the morning of December 14th. We’ll be sorting and distributing the gifts that day.
Please note: if you take a tag and cannot bring a gift by the 14th, please put the tag back on the tree before the 14th. We were unfortunately short on the amount of presents for kids last year.

Thank you for making Christmas brighter for these under privileged children in our area.

Blessings and thanks,

– DCLC Community Outreach Committee

Please contact June Bowman with any questions.

2025 Angel Tree – Gilbert Campus

Help us collect sweatshirts for students at Concordia Charter School!  

Pick up a tag (or 2!), purchase and wrap your gift, and bring your gifts back (with the tag attached to the OUTSIDE) by Sunday, December 14th.

Thank you for your generosity!

A Winter Rose: Songs of Worship and Wonder

Desert Cross Gilbert Christmas Cantata

📅 Sunday, December 14th

🕓 4:00pm – 5:15pm 

📍 Desert Cross – Gilbert Campus  

🎄 Christmas Cookie Reception to follow

On a quiet night in Bethlehem amidst the stillness of winter, the world received a gift like no other... the Rose of Heaven, born to bring hope and peace.

Join us at Desert Cross Gilbert for an afternoon of music and reflection. This year's Christmas Cantata will feature selections from The Winter Rose by Joseph Martin, as well as carols for all and beautiful music that celebrates the wonder and majesty of the Savior's birth. Performed by our talented Desert Cross groups and accompanying musicians, we will also welcome special guests: Jennifer Nagy singing "O Holy Night" and Fred Chao, Phoenix Symphony Cellist, playing "Silent Night" and "The Lord's Prayer".

Join us and bring a friend, family or a neighbor to share in the beauty of this sacred time of Advent.

Tempe Children's Ministry Christmas Pageant

📅 Sunday, December 14th

🕤 9:30am Worship Service

📍 Desert Cross Tempe Campus  

Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 14th at 9:30am (during worship)! Our Children’s Ministry – along with the wonderful support of our congregation – will share a special presentation of the Christmas Story. It’ll be a joyful moment where our kids help bring the story of Jesus’ birth to life through readings and participation.

We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate this joyous season together!

Tempe Choir Festival: Songs for the Manger Throne

Get ready for something really special! On behalf of the Tempe Sanctuary Choir, I want to invite you for a one-of-a-kind Choir Festival called Songs for the Manger Throne.

📅 Sunday, December 21st

🕤 9:30am Worship Service

📍 Desert Cross Tempe Campus

This event is built around the big themes we’re hearing in worship that weekend: light breaking into darkness, love showing up in unexpected places, and the surprising hope of Bethlehem. Expect energy. Expect beauty. Expect something that’ll stick with you long after you head home.

And the best part is, everyone is welcome. Maybe you’ve been here for years or perhaps you’re walking in for the first time, no worries, just come join us. Bring your friends. Bring your family. Bring your neighbors who claim they “don’t do church.” Bring the coworker who keeps saying they want to come sometime. This is the perfect weekend.

We can’t wait to see you there!

– Joni Van Rossum

Director of Worship & Media Arts

Gilbert Children's Christmas Musical: "A Tree Lot Christmas"

Get ready for laughter, music, and a message straight from the heart! The children of Desert Cross Gilbert are bringing joy and holiday cheer in this year’s Christmas musical, A Tree Lot Christmas – a story full of generosity, and the true meaning of Christmas.

📅 Sunday, December 21st

🕤 9:30am Worship Service

📍 Desert Cross Gilbert Campus  

In this delightful tale, a group of children set up a Christmas tree lot and bake up delicious goodies to raise money for toys for kids in need. Their plan seems perfect – until they meet Mr. Carmichael (played by Jerry Whiting), the town’s toy store owner, who lets them use his lot... but only if they agree to buy all their toys from him!

As the story unfolds with catchy songs, heartfelt moments, and a visit to the manger, we witness a beautiful transformation – the hard-hearted Mr. Carmichael discovers the joy of giving and the love that changes everything.

Let’s gather to cheer on our amazing kids, sing along with the carols, and be reminded of the greatest gift of all – God’s love, born in Bethlehem.

Sharing, Serving, Loving – Thank You!

On behalf of the Outreach Committee, I would like to thank the DCLC Congregation for your generous donations to the Tempe Thanksgiving Food Drive this year. We ended up with almost two full loads of non-perishable food in the bin in the Narthex! We also had several gift cards donated.

The majority of the donations went to the Kyrene Resource Center. Irma Horton (the director) said the needs were greater this year due to less government assistance.

The donated gift cards went to several families who are homeless; some of whom are living in cars. And lastly, some of the food went to our African refugee family who are struggling to make ends meet.

We truly appreciate all that you did. Thank you for your generous hearts!

Gratefully,
Heidi Maxson

Feed Your Neighbor 💜 Feed the Planet 💜 Feed Your Soul

Borderlands Produce Rescue at Desert Cross Tempe Site

Upcoming Distribution Date: December 20th (DUTA Only – "Drive Up Take Away" – Pre-order Boxes Only, No Cash Boxes in December)

Tempe Site

Distribution Time: 8:00am – 11:00am

Volunteers Report at 6:00am (Volunteers must sign up ahead of time through Borderlands)

We held our first Borderlands Produce Rescue Distribution Day on November 15th. More than 20 volunteers gathered before sunrise to prepare produce boxes for distribution. We packed nearly 450 boxes and distributed more than 30,000 pounds of produce. We saved good produce from the landfill, we distributed healthy food, we helped folks stretch their food dollars, we served our neighbors, and we had lots of fun! It was a very, very busy morning!

Our next Distribution Day is Saturday, December 20th. Borderlands only does DUTA distribution in December. What's DUTA? It stands for "Drive Up Take Away". It's their pre-order program. You'll find all the info below.

How can you participate?

1. Sign up to volunteer with us! Below is a link to the Borderlands Idealist volunteer sign-up program. It's open to all, so we'll be serving with folks outside of Desert Cross. What a great way for us to meet new people!
   Volunteer with Borderlands at Desert Cross
   
2. You can also preorder a produce box for pick up on December 20. It's called DUTA or Drive Up Take Away. You'll still wait in line to pick up your box, but a box will be waiting for you. To preorder a box, use the link below to visit the Borderlands website. The preorder boxes cost a bit more because they include the card processing fees. The preorder option for December is already open.
   DUTA Reserve at Desert Cross
   
3. Spread the word! Let your family and friends know about our partnership with Borderlands Produce Rescue. This is open to all!

If you have questions or if you'd like to volunteer in this new ministry, contact Denise McClellan at dmcclellan@desertcross.org or 480-730-8600. We'd love to have you join us!

Youth Group Meetings

Next Meeting: Sunday, December 7th at 5:00pm

The Youth Group, grades 6-12, meets on Sundays from 5:00pm – 6:00pm. We will meet in Room 104 at the Gilbert Campus.

If you have any questions, please email Tessa Faust at tfaust@desertcross.org.

Faith Formation Adult Forum

Next Meeting: Sunday, December 7th

Sundays at 8:45am – 9:15am

Tempe Community Center Adult Classroom

OR

Sundays at 10:45am – 11:15am

Gilbert Sanctuary



We choose a monthly theme based on the lessons read during the worship services. We'll explore the theme by discussing the lessons and using the Adult Playlist posted each month on our Faith Formation Website.

If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Andrea or Pastor Thadd at acain@desertcross.org or tbook@desertcross.org or 480-730-8600.

C3

Meeting every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month

10:00am – 11:30am

Gilbert Fellowship Hall

C3 is a Discussion/Fellowship group for ANYONE. When you bring preschool children we will figure out whatever is needed.

The group is open to ALL. Treats are always welcome.

Next meeting is Tuesday, December 9th

Theme: A Pastor's Faith

This month's second meeting is Tuesday, December 23rd

Theme: Carols & Carol Stories

Dinner Groups Return in January!

New Dinner Groups will launch in January 2026 and run until April 2026! Our first round of Dinner Groups was a big success – everyone had a wonderful time sharing meals and building connections.

A Dinner Group brings together three couples or singles who meet once a month to enjoy a meal together. It’s a fun and relaxed way to meet new people or spend more time with familiar faces. Each group will have a coordinator who hosts the first gathering. After that, hosting rotates monthly – meals can be home-cooked, potluck-style, or even at a favorite restaurant. And while most gatherings happen over dinner, you’re welcome to meet for breakfast, lunch, or brunch instead!

If you are interested in participating in the second group, please contact Greg Beatty via email at labloverfromtempe@hotmail.com by December 15th, 2025.

In this space, you will find the musical offerings for the upcoming worship services. Please come and enjoy!

TEMPE CAMPUS

DECEMBER 7th

Sanctuary Choir – Crown Him Lord of All

DECEMBER 14th

Ringing Praise – Advent Celebration

GILBERT CAMPUS

DECEMBER 7th

Chancel Choir – Every Valley (from Winter Rose Cantata)

"Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music..."

Psalm 95

Taking Faith Home

Available for Home Study

Taking Faith Home is a weekly study guide you can use at home for individual study, with your family, or with your friends. It's based on the Revised Common Lectionary and includes scripture readings, conversation starters, devotional readings, and service ideas. It is available in the "old school" format of a hard copy in your church mailbox.

If you'd like to sign up to receive this study tool, please contact Wendy Williams in the church office at wwilliams@desertcross.org or 480-730-8600.

If you are interested in having your child baptized, please reach out to Pastor Thadd at tbook@desertcross.org.

Do you have a news item, upcoming event, or ministry story you'd like to share? Please send the information to Wendy at wwilliams@desertcross.org. The deadline is TUESDAYS for same-week inclusions.