April 24, 2016 at Dakota Community Church

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Dan Van De Laar (Fresh off the T4G conference) will be continuing the sermon series he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

Welcome - April 17, 2016

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Good morning and thank-you for joining us for our service this morning.

Please enjoy the service and follow along in the scriptures using the link below.

Scripture for today's sermon:

James 4:1-10; Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3; Isaiah 54:5; Hosea 4:12; Jeremiah 13:27; Ezekiel 23:28-30

Sunday Morning Preview - April 17, 2016

This Sunday at Dakota we will continue our study in the book of James where we find the apostle confronting his readers with what boils down to a rather straightforward question: 

“Is it our chief aim in this life to submit to God serving Him and others with selfless love and sacrificial priorities, or is it our aim to pursue and possess as much pleasure and prosperity as this world has to offer?”

What follows is stern warning and an aggressive chastening for any of us who dare to choose the latter. 

Please join me for this 22nd instalment in the Epistle of James entitled; “Friendship with the World.” 

Welcome - April 10, 2016

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Good morning and thank-you for joining us for our service this morning.

Please enjoy the service and follow along in the scriptures using the link below.

Scripture for today's sermon:

James 3:13-18; John 8:42-44; Proverbs 3:5-6; Joshua 1:6-9; Deuteronomy 17:18-20

Sunday Morning Preview - April 10, 2016

I hope you will join me this Sunday at Dakota Community Church as we continue our study of the Epistle of James with a look at two kinds of wisdom; one described as “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” and the other as “from above.”

There is a popular notion amoung believers in our time that everyone is basically good and that all that is required to turn them from a position of neutrality into Christians is a little education and gentle persuasion. The Bible supports no such notion. Instead what we find in the pages of scripture, even from the very lips of our Saviour, is that men are born hopelessly lost in sin and bent toward aggressive rebellion against our creator. 

We do not come to the table as innocents, or as neutral parties.

We show up as rebels who hate God and despise His authority over us.

I hope to see you for a wonderful time in God’s word in a message entitled; “Wisdom from Above.” 

Pastor Dan

Welcome April 3, 2016

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Good morning and thank-you for joining us for our service this morning.

Please enjoy the service and follow along in the scriptures using the link below.

Scripture for today's sermon:

Nehemiah 13:1-31

Sunday Morning Preview - April 3, 2016

In 1887 Charles Spurgeon published an article entitled; “The Down Grade” in which he was very critical of the liberal wing of his denomination saying that they were on a slippery slope away from sound biblical doctrine. He claimed that biblical infallibility, substitutionary atonement , and the finality of judgment for those who died outside Christ were being abandoned in favour of more socially palatable points of view.

In this Sunday’s biblical text Nehemiah is shocked to discover upon his return to Jerusalem that many of his reforms have been completely undone during his brief absence. The people; being ignorant of the requirements of the law, are engaging in unsanctioned relationships, the enemies of God have infiltrated the highest levels of power, one of them even taking up residence in the temple, and the priesthood has been effectively gutted by a kind of spiritual “business ethic” that has left them robbed of their appointed wages. 

How is that we are able to stray so far off the path so quickly?

I hope you will all join me this Sunday morning for a message I have entitled; “Drift.”

We will examine these historical events; the human tendency to fall away from faithfulness toward God, and the current direction of Christianity in  the western world.

Pastor Dan

Welcome - He is Risen!

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Happy Easter and thank-you for joining us for our service this morning.

Please enjoy the service and follow along in the scriptures using the links below.

Scripture for today's sermon:

Hebrews 10:19-25; Leviticus 16:14-15; Exodus 30:10; 1 Timothy 2:5

Easter Weekend at DCC

I am hoping you will all be present this weekend for the most important of all of our Christian “Holy days”; the annual celebrations of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

The Good Friday Inter-church Communion service is being held at New Beginnings Church [Formerly Evangel Chapel] at 1073 St. Mary’s Road at Dunkirk. This years speaker will be Pastor Marv Dyke of Crossroads MB Church and our own DCC team will lead us in worship. The service will begin at 10:30 am.

On Easter Sunday we will meet at our usual time and location for an encouraging message I have prepared which is in keeping with the season entitled; “Because He Lives.”

Pastor Dan

Please Note: This Sunday will be a “family service” which means no Sunday School will be provided

Palm Sunday 2016 at DCC

I hope you will join me this Sunday for the first day of what has traditionally been known as “Holy Week” in the Christian world. 

Palm Sunday is a day of joy and victory, the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem as the voices of His disciples shout “Hosanna” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Here comes the King to re-establish the Davidic throne, riding on a donkey just like Solomon had, fulfilling the prophesies of Zachariah and Isaiah. They must have wondered if they would soon take up arms to banish the Romans or if He would just use the amazing power they had seen Him exercise so many times and in so many ways. 

As we know things unfolded perfectly according to plan, but not the plan as they imagined it. 

Join me this Sunday as we uncover the ultimate hope hidden for us in their momentary disappointment.

Pastor Dan

March 13, 2016 at Dakota Community Church

Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday night and then please join me at DCC Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Joel Cormie from Lighthouse Mission will be bringing the Word.

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday March 6, 2016 at Dakota

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Dan Van de Laar will be continuing the sermon series he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Welcome to DCC - February 28, 2016

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Thank-you for joining us for our service this morning.

Please enjoy the service and follow along in the scriptures using the links below.

Scripture for today’s sermon:

James 3:1-12; Romans 3:9-20; Matthew 5:21-22

Sunday Morning Preview - February 28, 2016

This Sunday at Dakota we will continue our study in the book of James with a final examination of the power of the tongue.

In this week’s section of the text James begins to lament the terrible inconsistencies that are demonstrated by our words. 

“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

I want to come at this from another angle, drawing on the powerful words of Paul in Romans Chapter 3. The subduing of the heart in salvation does lead to a silencing of the prideful tongue; humility within results in humility expressed. 

Please join me for this 21st instalment in the Epistle of James entitled; “Every Mouth Silenced.”

Pastor Dan

February 21, 2016 at Dakota Community Church

This Sunday at Dakota Community Church we welcome Barnabas Mam, Regional Director of AFCI.

During Pol Pot’s reign of terror as the leader of the Khmer Rouge, 1.7 million Cambodians died; Barnabas Mam was one of only 200 Christians to survive the Killing Fields.

“How many times have I said that? I should have died. But the Lord assured me that I would not die; that I would survive for His purpose.”

Born Sovann Mam, Barnabas Mam was raised in a devoutly Buddhist home in Cambodia during a time in history that his country would rather forget.

Join us this Sunday and invite a friend for what is sure to be a wonderful service!

Pastor Dan

Welcome - February 14, 2016

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Thank-you for joining us for our service this morning.

Please enjoy the service and follow along in the scriptures using the links below.

Scripture for today’s sermon:

James 3:1-12; Proverbs 26:18-23; Proverbs 15:4

February 14, 2016 at Dakota

This Sunday at Dakota we will continue our study in the book of James with a further examination of the deadly power of the tongue.

We have looked at the seriousness of careless speech especially for teachers and those whose words carry added responsibility because of authoritative influence. We will now follow James further along this path as he drives home the point by giving us five convicting illustrations of the tongues ability to cause harm. It seems the author is intent on not allowing us to just flippantly nod a thoughtless agreement that we need to be more careful about our speech, he wants us to dwell on this issue — and so we shall.

I hope you will join me for this 20th instalment in the Epistle of James which I have entitled; “Poisoned.”

Pastor Dan

Welcome - February 7, 2016

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Thank-you for joining us for our service this morning.

Please enjoy the service and follow along in the scriptures using the links below.

Scripture for today’s sermon:

James 3:1-12; Matthew 12:34; Proverbs 26:18-23; Proverbs 15:4

Sunday Morning Preview - February 7, 2016

This Sunday at Dakota we will continue our study in the book of James with a further examination of the power of the tongue.

Whenever I am preaching to unbelievers I like to point out that we are unable to save ourselves in that we are incapable of sticking with even the most minor of resolutions toward self-improvement. No matter how determined we are to be better, we inevitably fall back into sinful patterns in very short order. One of the most obvious evidences of this is our inability to tame the tongue.

Our mothers all tried to teach us; “If you don’t have anything nice to say…” You know the rest!

In this Sunday’s text James is very much reinforcing our mother’s good intentions in this area. The tongue is small. But its power, both for good and for ill, is out of all proportion to its size. 

Have you ever benefitted from a few  kind or encouraging words? Have you ever known the sting of gossip?

I hope you will join me for this 19th instalment in the Epistle of James entitled; “World of Unrighteousness 2.”

Pastor Dan

Sunday Morning Preview - January 24, 2016

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Dan Van De Laar will be continuing the sermon series he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

January 17, 2016 at Dakota Community Church

This Sunday at Dakota we will continue our study in the book of James with a further examination of the power of the tongue.

Whenever I am preaching to unbelievers I like to point out that we are unable to save ourselves in that we are incapable of sticking with even the most minor of resolutions toward self-improvement. No matter how determined we are to be better, we inevitably fall back into sinful patterns in very short order. One of the most obvious evidences of this is our inability to tame the tongue.

Our mothers all tried to teach us; “If you don’t have anything nice to say…” You know the rest!

In this Sunday’s text James is very much reinforcing our mother’s good intentions in this area. The tongue is small. But its power, both for good and for ill, is out of all proportion to its size. 

Have you ever benefitted from a few  kind or encouraging words? Have you ever known the sting of gossip?

I hope you will join me for this 18th instalment in the Epistle of James entitled; “World of Unrighteousness.”

Pastor Dan

January 10, 2016 at DCC

This Sunday we are excited to welcome Steve Paulson & Teen Challenge to minister at DCC.

Teen Challenge of Central Canada is a 12-month Christian discipleship program for men & woman struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction.

The first Teen Challenge centre was founded by the late David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade, more than 50 years ago in Brooklyn NY. Today Teen Challenge operates more than 1000 programs in 80 countries around the globe, making it the largest and most successful faith-based drug treatment program in the world.

Teen Challenge of Central Canada began in 1995 with a small 10-bed trailer in Hadashville, Manitoba. Today they run men's homes in Winnipeg, Denare Beach and Thunder Bay as well as a woman's home in Brandon. 

January 3, 2016 at Dakota Community Church

For far too many Christians the New Year involves resolutions, self improvement, goal setting and just a whole lot of navel gazing in general. In order to remedy this situation we started a new tradition at DCC a couple of years ago; devoting one of the first few services of the new year to a missions emphasis.

I know you will be encouraged and inspired once again this year as we welcome Pastor Brian Hamilton of Ambassadors for Christ Canada. 

AFC is the Ministry that Kathy and I have visited the Dominican Republic and Cambodia with.

Pastor Brian will share the value of short term missions and the unique AFC approach to getting the job done in third world countries.

Invite a friend and start the year off on the right foot! 

May God richly bless each and every one of us as we enter the harvest field in 2016.

Pastor Dan 

December 27, 2015 at Dakota Community Church

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning to close out the year with an important message from the Book of James on the relationship between faith and works.

There is a lot of talk in the Church these days about the importance of emphasizing deeds over creeds. The popular idea is that there is far to much “talking the talk” in Christian circles and no where near enough “walking the walk.” 

Is this a legitimate concern? 

Can these two categories even be rightly separated from one another?

What value is there in a faith that demonstrates no corresponding works — then again; what good are works that do not spring from saving faith? 

I hope to see you all this Sunday morning 

- Pastor Dan

Christmas Eve at Dakota

Please join me in the upstairs sanctuary this Thursday evening at 5:30 as we light the final Advent Candle, share communion and celebrate the birth of Christ with Christmas carols and fellowship around the Word of God.

My message this year is entitled “Christmas Rush” and is a simple call to stop for a moment in the middle of all the seasonal excitement to reflect on Who this story is really all about.

Have you seen? Have you heard?

Have you responded appropriately?

I hope to see you all Christmas Eve!

Pastor Dan

December 20, 2015 at Dakota

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Dan Van De Laar will be continuing the sermon series he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed either of the first two messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - December 13, 2015

 We have a busy weekend planned at DCC:

On Saturday at noon we have the Sunday School Christmas Pageant practice. Pizza will be provided and pick-up is at 1:30pm

Sunday morning we will start things off at 10 with a Pre-Concert Pot Luck Brunch followed by the Sunday School Presentation, a time of worship and a brief message from Pastor Dan C. on the importance of not falling into the practice of comparing and judging one another in the Body of Christ.

Please remember to bring along some brunch type goodies to share, beverages will be provided. 

Sunday Morning Preview - December 6, 2015

I hope you will join me this Sunday at DCC as we continue our journey through the Epistle of James with Part 7 of “Pure Religion”.

Last week we continued our examination of what James meant when he said that Christians are to keep themselves “Unstained from the world” and Sunday I am planning to wrap this series up with a closer look at 1 John 2:15-17 (See Below).

Notice that worldliness is expressed here in sinful tendencies that come from within us.

• Desires of the flesh 
• Desires of the eyes
• Pride of life  — which is literally pride in possessions 

This is what John says characterizes the evil world we are commanded not to love and that James warns us not to become stained by.  Notice also that these fleshly failures set the agenda for our entire world system. 

Join me this Sunday for another sober look at worldliness; and what it means to avoid it. - Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - November 29, 2015

I hope you will join me this Sunday at DCC as we continue our journey through the Epistle of James with Part 6 of “Pure Religion”.

The last time I spoke (at the beginning of November) we began to examine what James meant when he said that Christians are to keep themselves “Unstained from the world”. This week I want to try to further define our understanding of this concept by viewing it in light of 1 John 2:15-17.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Notice that worldliness is expressed here in sinful tendencies that come from within us.

• Desires of the flesh 
• Desires of the eyes
• Pride of life  — which is literally pride in possessions 

This is what John says characterizes the evil world we are commanded not to love and that James warns us not to become stained by.  Notice also that these fleshly failures set the agenda for our entire world system. 

Join me this Sunday for another sober look at worldliness; and what it means to avoid it. - Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - November 15, 2015

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Dan Van De Laar will be continuing the sermon series he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. I advise everyone to bring notepaper and pen for this one! If you missed week one it is available on the revamped website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com 

Hope to see you all there!