F.A.Q.S about being part of the Corner-Stone Family
When did Corner-Stone Services Begin?On July 10th 2005 we began meeting on Sunday evenings at 5pm in the home of our Lead Pastor. On August 7th we moved Sunday nights to West Jackson Intermediate School. Sunday morning Services officially began March 5th 2006 at West Jackson Intermediate School.
Why Membership? Family Commitment.
Membership means Commitment- a Commitment on the part of the Church to care for, equip, and support Members of the Family. It is a Commitment on the part of the Member to being a creative, active, and viable part of this local Body of Christ for the Glory of the Father. God has designed us to be in meaningful relationships. As members of one Body we join together in our Journey with Christ and become accountable to each other. As a Staff and Church family we make a Commitment to our Brothers and Sisters and expect that in return they make the same Commitment to us. We are a Family and each New Year we will all have an opportunity to evaluate and confirm our Commitment to each other.
Are Numbers Important? No and Yes.
Numbers for the sake of numbers are not important to us. Our goal is not to gather as many people as we possibly can. We hold quality over quantity when it comes to Making Disciples. Therefore, the number of growing Disciples we have is very much important to us. We hope to make lots of Disciples!
What is expected of a "Family Member?" To Fight the Good Fight.
We expect members to be Disciples who are simply struggling well in their Journey with the Lord. We expect them to be creative, active, and viable parts of the Body of Christ and the major Component parts of our Church. We expect members to Commit to Following the Lord, Feeding the Sheep and Freeing the World.
What / Who is the priority on Sunday Morning? God.
Our First Priority is always God and The Gathering is our time together at God's feet. In The Gathering, our #1 goal is to sit at His feet in Worship as a Family of Faith. He is our focus. As an added bonus and general rule of how God works, as we Worship at His feet we are changed! We find strength, encouragement, hope, conviction, forgiveness and instruction at His feet. God shapes us as we Worship Him.
What Style of Worship does Corner-Stone utilize? Genuine.
You may have been hoping that the answer was either 'Traditional,' 'Contemporary,' or 'Blended' but the truth is we can't put a finger on it except to say that we desire that it simply be God centered and Genuine. God gives us great freedom as to how we should Worship and we hope that The Gathering allows for God to freely prompt you. We trust that you will know how to react when you encounter the Lord. When it comes to music in Worship, lets just say that you won't get bored!
What are Life-Groups and Why are they Necessary? It is the Best Way.
Life-Groups are small fellowships of people that have something in common. They will meet weekly or bi-weekly at the Church or in homes. Each Life-Group will choose when and where it meets. Some groups will meet at the regular "Sunday School" time and others will meet throughout the week. They exist because we cannot effectively or efficiently 'Make and Mature Disciples' in a large group setting like The Gathering. To train folks to Follow, Feed, and Free we must necessarily breakdown the large group into smaller, more intimate fellowships. In our large group we can set the course and cast the vision but we cannot develop the individual Disciple to his/her full potential. In addition, we cannot do a good job of tracking the Disciples we make unless we organize them in smaller groups. Tracking Disciples is important to be assured that they are connected, cared for and held accountable. Every member is expected to invest in a Life-Group. Here you will develop more intimate spiritual relationships.
What will Ministry Teams be? A Group of Servants.
God calls us to serve each other as a Family and in order to provide a variety of services we have set-up Ministry Teams. Ministry Teams make things happen. A Church needs servants in order to accomplish its Purpose. Every member is expected to find a natural place of service that matches his or her passion, personality, and giftedness. Each Ministry Team will be led by the servants in the Bible know as Deacons.
Do Children have something special on Sunday Mornings? You Bet!
Our goal is to spoil the kids. Our children can't get enough love and attention so we are making them a top priority. Although our Church is in the infancy stage itself, it has taken the responsibility for training and protecting our children very seriously.
Are you ever going to talk about Money? Yup.
The Bible deals with every area of human need or concern and money is no small issue. Our world is money driven and we must live with that as Believers. If we don't talk to you about money then we have done you an injustice! God speaks clearly on the subject and so will we.
What about MY Money? Lets make a Deal.
If your money is yours, you keep it- if God says that it is His, then we will be glad to put it to good use! If you don't trust that we will handle your money well or use it to do God's work then feel free to give it to another Church or Ministry. Simply put, we trust God for our resource- it is up to Him to keep us in business! Our purpose is to Make and Mature Disciples who Follow the Lord #1. We believe that if you are Following Him, then He will be able to mold your heart and even direct your finances. Our Family Members commit to doing what He says- even with their Money.
What kind of Time-Commitment are we Talking About? Great Question.
Lets be clear. Members are asked to make a Commitment and Time IS involved. We hope that the Church becomes a central part of your family's life but we DON'T want it to overwhelm your life. Simply put, we don't want you spending all your time and efforts at the Church building- we need you in the world building relationships and making an impact. We could easily fill your evenings and weekends with programs, practices, and projects but we would rather watch you come up with creative ways of Freeing the World in your sphere of influence.
What Can I Do? Be Yourself.
We need YOU- we need you to be the person that God has created. As a 'Body' of Believers we need ALL the parts. 'DO' what God has gifted you to do- not sure what that is- we can help. Use all your personality, passions, hobbies, talents, etc to be the best Disciple you can be with God's help and the support of the Church. Be Creative! We cannot and will not do it all for you- if you have a great idea or recommendation, be ready to help make it happen. Ask God to show you your options and then Glorify Him with whatever you 'DO!'
Who are the Ministers? Look in the Mirror.
Smile- you are it. The men or women that God has put on the 'Staff' of this Church are not the PRIMARY Ministers- YOU ARE. No matter what you do to pay the bills, as a Disciple, God calls you to be a Minister. The Pastors and Staff are here to help make you a success as a Disciple. WE will hand you the tools- so that YOU can build the Kingdom! Don't worry we will help.
Who is in Charge? God.
That is always easier said than done with humans but we organize and strive to that end. The Pastors of the Church are to be Biblically qualified and trusted as leaders of God's people. A Group of men called Elders will serve as guardrails for the Church and its leadership. An "Advisory Team" made up of participants from our partnering Churches and Organizations will serve as overseers in the early stages of Corner-Stone.
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