A Cornerstone Summer…

For the typical American (if there is one anymore) summer has traditionally meant baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet Fiat.

For your family it may mean vacation, kids at the pool, homemade ice cream, 4^th of July fireworks, or some other enjoyable tradition.

For our church family at Cornerstone, we are once again being blessed by God with…

A Fantastic Celebration Singers Father's Day Concert

This past Sunday night, a nearly full auditorium was encouraged and inspired by a beautiful selection of songs sung by our very own Celebration Singers student choir. The musicians from CBF and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra played inspirationally as our students put scripture to music and ministered to every one of us in attendance. Cornerstone, be proud of these young people! Encourage them, support them, and appreciate them as they have once again displayed their willingness to work extremely hard in order to glorify God through the medium of music. They now take a couple of months off but before you know it, they'll be back once again working hard each Monday night to prepare themselves to be used by God to minister here and around the world.

 

An Energetic Music and Drama Camp

It was great to take a break and walk through our campus this morning to see the more than 100 registered M&D Camp kids singing, dancing, snacking, and cheering their way through another Music and Drama Camp. The volunteer adults and students who are working with these amazing kids may actually be having more fun than the kids themselves! What a great example and offering to our community this week is of how much children are valued and loved at CBF. Many kudos to pastor's Eric Day and Eddie Airheart and their adult teams who have labored for many weeks to prepare for such a tremendous camp experience. Don't miss the culminating performance this Friday night at 6:30 p.m.!

 

A "sold out" IGNITE summer camp

Ben and Cody shared with me this week the fact that all 40 reserved spots for the Student Life Summer Camp in Branson have been filled. This is more students than we've taken to a summer camp since 2006! With unprecedented support from the church for the student ministry rummage sale (which raised over $2500), this affordable camp experience will undoubtedly have a great spiritual impact on our students. Our student ministry is gaining in momentum and excitement as the summer roles on and plans are even now under development to make the upcoming fall semester one of the best in recent memory. Verbally and prayerfully continue to support and encourage this ministry and Student Pastors Ben and Cody Van Scyoc as they become fully engulfed in their first year of leadership in this crucial ministry!

 

Transformational Teaching from God's Word

I've seen written accounts and heard personal testimonies over the last few weeks of how God's word has been powerfully working in the lives of individuals, marriages, and families through the Sunday morning teaching here at CBF. Though there have been 3 different pastors who have taught recently, it's obvious that there is ONE Spirit directing the messages from the ONE Word of God in such a way that lives are being changed and transformed into a closer likeness of Christ. Being one of the 3 who have taught recently, I'll share one such testimony which is similar to comments the other two who have taught have also received. A gentleman approached me after a recent message and said "…during that message it was like no one else was in the room. I felt that you were talking directly to me and to no one else! I needed to hear every word spoken in that message!" To which I replied "… You and I are a lot alike. I had the exact same experience while studying for the message. I needed every word of if too!" (As I sit here, I can't recall the exact words used, but this is only a slight paraphrase of this actual conversation.) I often have the same experience when listening as John or others teach.

 

While the summer may be a needed break from school, busy schedules, and too much TV watching, the Lord's ministry to people through His church takes no breaks. Let's remember to praise God this summer for what He's doing through His bride at Cornerstone and for the lives that He's impacting (from the very young to the not-so-young) even during the summer heat!