Time Change Sunday

Dear Friends,

God is doing some amazing things at Cornerstone. Over the last 9 months the church has seen extreme growth due to your faithfulness and service, and God’s grace. In June 2005, average attendance was 91 in our one worship service. By October, we added an 8:15 early service to accommodate a crowd that had grown to 132. This trend has continued at a rapid pace, and this past Sunday we had 182 people worship with us.

As you can imagine, the rapid growth has created some unique challenges in ministering to the growing number of attendees. The greatest challenge is to create enough space in the adult worship services without overworking those who minister to the children. The addition of the 8:15 service and the sacrifice of those who volunteer at that time created 40 seats in the second service which have now been filled by new comers. We are thrilled that God has seen fit to bless us with more people with whom to serve our community. The challenge is that now the 10:30 service is again at capacity.

In January of this year we met in our monthly vision meeting to discuss the need to draw more to the 8:15 service. Many of you gave great ideas, and others made the commitment to come early to make more room at 10:30. However, in spite of the fact that 48 attended the 8:15 service this past week, there were 134 in the 10:30, a gap that needs desperately to be narrowed. Essentially, the room was at fire code capacity and there was not room for one more family to be allowed in.

The Leadership team has been working hard over the last 3 months to come up with the best possible solution; one that will adversely affect the least amount of people while positioning the church for continued growth. Beginning April 2nd, the church will move Bible Fellowship tables out into the welcome area. This will allow each Bible Fellowship Group the flexibility to meet at 8:15, 9:30, or 10:45 on campus, or at any time of their choosing off campus. This in turn will free up the lunchroom at 9:30 for the early worship service. It is hoped that the later start time will balance the attendance in the two services thus allowing the church to grow to over 250 in attendance as God continues to bless.

Those who are used to coming to the 8:15 Worship Service will still be able to come at 8:15 for Bible Fellowship and leave after the 9:30 service. Your schedule should remain the same with the exception of attending Bible Fellowship first and Worship second. Also, beginning at 10:45 for the second service will still allow the second service to be out by noon. The children’s departments will keep to the same schedule as before with 9:30 Sunday School and 10:30 Jr. Church. There will be no Sunday School for children at 8:15.

One of the added benefits of this move is that it will allow us to continue to grow without adding more services, and thus creating more pressure on existing ministries. Also, by adjusting the start times, it allows the church to once again add the 8:15 service, when 9:30 and 10:45 reach capacity. This would allow the church to grow to over 300 without having to make any drastic changes.

In summary, we want to be faithful with the ministry that God has given us now, and also lay out a vision for the future. As always, we are continuing to look for land that will meet the growing needs of the congregation. However, until God provides the land it is our duty to grow where we are planted. The staff is available to answer any questions that you may have concerning this change as we all look forward to seeing what God has planned for Cornerstone Baptist Church.

Together In Christ,
Joel L. Johns, Pastor

Sunday Report

Hello Everyone,

I have learned that many of you are now checking the blog to see the results of church on Sunday. I know it sounds like a broken record, but again this past week, for the third week in a row, we set a non holiday attendance record. Let me thank all of you who came out to be a part this past week. It has been amazing to watch the empty seats left when we began the early service to fill again, and again we are working on ways to create more room at 10:30. One of those ways is to convince any and all who can to join the early worship service. Both services are identical in program and in ministries to the kids. Plus, you get to have more time during the day. Right now we need to add another 20-30 people to our early service. I want to send a shout out to all those involved in ministry on Sunday, Elaine and Maribell, thanks for taking care of the babies in Nursery. Amy and Cheryl, Thanks for the Sunday School lessons. Tom & Sissy, my kids gave you an A+ for the kidZone Jr. Church. Chris, thanks for staying late and helping tear down. And thanks to everyone else who made Sunday a great day for those who attended Cornerstone. There are too many names to list all of you wonderful ministers of God!

Don’t Ever Give Up!

Quitters never win, and winners never quit, but those who never win and never quit are idiots. Monday night a Southern Illinois Cheerleader was dropped on her head from a 15 feet tall stunt. After some tense moments and strapped to a backboard, she continued to cheer on her team. While the paramedics wheeled her Kristi Yamaoka did the motions for the basketball team’s fight song. “As long as my arms were functioning; I could do the fight song.” She said. – Now that is the kind of cheerleader everyone needs. Last night at supper I overheard a conversation between my 4 year old son, and my 8 year old daughter. After coming in from playing together in the back yard, he asked if she would always cheer for him. She said yes, and a proud dad piped in that we all need cheerleaders. In life we all really do need someone who will cheer us on to victory. Even when the team is down and there is no hope of winning, I marvel to watch the cheerleaders on the sideline who continue to wave their arms and jump as if the game is close. Cheerleaders like Kristi Yamaoka, even though they are hurt, continue to keep the focus on the goals of the team. Kristi, you are my hero. As part of God’s kingdom team, I hope that no matter what happens to me, that I can be faithful to put the team’s victory first. As the pastor of Cornerstone, I hope that even if they are wheeling me out on a stretcher, that my arms will be motioning to the crowd to keep on cheering, the game is not over, we will win this one for the Lord! Go Church GO!

Joel, be serious. - Joel

I must say that one of my pet peeves is when people compare me to Joel Osteen. It is enough to make one not want to ever smile again. I have never been much of a Joel fan, maybe that is why I cringe at the comparison. To be honest I respect what Joel has been able to accomplish in drawing tens of thousands of people to church in spite of his zipity do dah. I have not read Joel’s book but had to write today to let you know that there is a new board game coming out based on the book by Joel “Your Best Life Now” You can check it out at www.endlessgames.com/press.html . Not to be taken too seriously this is a real game by the makers of Bull Craps dice game and Bull Spit Card game ( I guess based on the PBR) I want to go on record right now to say. “Joel, this has gone far enough.” “It is time to grow up and get serious about church, life, heaven and hell.” Somebody do something before Mattel replaces Ken with a Joel doll.

Moe Mentum

Today I finished up the first message in our new series on Moses. Moses was one of the most unique and colorful characters in all of the Bible. I am looking forward to seeing how God created such a wave of momentum from a baby in a river into a sea of people parting the Red sea. Moses' story will excite you and allow you to see potential in your own life through accepting God's plan for your life. This Sunday we will see that Moses' parents were key in positioning him for success as they, themselves followed God in the face of powerful opposition. In truth it was God who did the miracle as he gave Moses life, when all other babies were being tossed into the river. God brought Salvation to Moses along the banks of the Nile through Pharaoh's daughter, and Moses got on board with God's plan for leading God's people out of bondage in Egypt and into the promised land. The great part about this story is that it can become our story as well. God has given you life. He created you special. He made you the way you are in the place you are at this time because he has a plan for you. God has offered you salvation from spiritual death, through the substitution of His Son Jesus. You can receive Salvation by accepting Christ's payment for your sin. Finally, Moses' story can be your story if you will accept God's plan for your life. Moses had many temptations as the Prince of Egypt, but He chose to accept God's plan instead. I hope that you will join us this Sunday as we expound these thoughts in the first part of our new series on Moe.

Welcome Aboard!

It is with great excitement that we welcome Mrs. Sue King to the staff at Cornerstone. Sue and her husband Dave have been faithful members since the very beginning of Cornerstone. She will come on part time to help with managing the church office, a job that, until now has been multitasked by the pastoral staff. Of course, multitasking is the ability to mess several things up at one time. Her addition will greatly organize the week to week operations of the church and allow us to continue the strong growth by being more effective in ministering to the people who attend.

What can you buy with no money?

Isaiah 55
I was just reading my Bible and a came across a verse that said “you who have no money come.” I thought to myself. That’s me, no money. Then it said to “come and buy.” And I thought, how can you buy something when you have no money? Then it said “Why do you spend money on things that are not bread?” and “your work on things that don’t satisfy.” Wow! We do that all the time. We waste our hard earned money on things that don’t satisfy. Still intrigued I read on. God says “Listen to me, and you will eat that which is good. Let your soul delight itself in God’s fullness and your soul shall live.”

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, he said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Then, when he was at the well of Samaria, his disciples were off buying food and he was sharing salvation with the woman of Samaria, the disciples returned with food and he was not hungry. He said that his “food was to do the will of the One who sent me.” So often in life we …can’t get no satisfaction. We try and try… in truth it is possible to be satisfied, even when you have no money. How you ask? First we must hang onto every word of God. Second, we must do the will of the one who sends us. A life of satisfaction comes through communion with Gods word, and connecting with God’s will.

Why Good People Die

A good man died this week. Grandpa Gibbs was known for his prayer notebook. Many people coveted being in that binder. He would sit and look at pictures and notes and talk to God. A mutual friend lamented that she will miss his prayers. I guess you can still pray from heaven right? Now it is just in person. In Isaiah 57 the Bible ponders why good people die. In an almost sarcastic way it questions why people never seem to learn that good people die to get away from the evil to come in this life. Life is often a hard thing. Death is a wonderful thing for good people; people who have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Death was a good thing for Grandpa Gibbs. He is with the Savior, and the woman he loves. Verse two says ‘They shall enter into peace” so the next time someone wonders why good people die, you can tell them that God said in the book of Isaiah that for a saved person, the seemingly untimely death is to avoid the trouble that would have come into their lives and so that they can enter into eternal rest with their Savior. That is why good people die.

Bricks & Mortar

Bricks and Mortar is a term people use to refer to something with substance. I thought it would be ironically funny to call the blog by that name. As a new church the one thing that everyone wants to know is “Are you planning on a building?” This has always been a frustrating question for me. Not that I don’t understand the need of a church building as a tool, but that so many of my peers (other pastors) along with “church people” think that a building is what legitimizes a church. Don’t take me wrong here; I do want one day for us to have a place of our own. But only in God’s timing and that will be when the cost in money and attention will not hamper, but help the church. As far as legitimacy goes, I am glad that God is not judging us on the number of buildings we erect, but the lives that are built. I also wish that the average guy on the street would look past rented facilities and try us out. We had a great family visit last year. They came a few weeks and seemed really to enjoy the church, but opted for another church in the next town (without a pastor then and still to this day). When following up, they said, “We just did not want to do the church in a school thing.” You probably can tell that it still hurts to this day. They chose bricks and mortar over a really dynamic young church that just so happens to meet in a school. One day I guess I will understand that, but I hope that I will never accept it. Bricks and Mortar stands for substance; Cornerstone is a church with substance and that is a legitimate enough reason for me.

Building Life Together!

Four Corners is an easy place to build a house, but a difficult place to build a home. The majority of communities are made up of people from all over the country with more reasons not to come together than they have to come. One of our stated goals as a church has been to help families not only strengthen their home, but to help them connect with other families in the community which will in turn provide long term stability.

Most people long for community, but are not willing to pay the price to obtain it. Like any relationship, community takes work. But, the benefits far outweigh the cost. It is only through paying the price of transparency, that those in our community can see our hurts and come together to meet our needs. It is only by paying the price of time, that we can get beyond the superficial wave and smile relationship we have with most of our neighbors. Legend says the handshake was invented by knights of old who, when approaching another knight, would extend an open hand showing vulnerability and the innocence of a weaponless hand.

It is hard to develop community with our neighbors. It takes a vulnerability that many of us are not comfortable with. However, staying inside our homes, emerging only to commute back and forth to work will never build the deep relationships that God intended us to have with one another. Take a chance today, open your front door, walk over to the neighbor’s home and invite them into your life. It will take vulnerability and time, but it will strengthen your community and home.