Cornerstone Weekly Highlights

Escape 22 Team is back from Panama!

2009-08-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

A team of high school students spent the past week in Panama with the Embera people...

working on building projects
helping with kids camp during the day
celebrating God during Youth nights with the teenagers of the village each evening

The team leaders were able to train the adults:

in inductive Bible study
parenting skills
in understanding a biblical model of marriage

And to wrap up their time, the students were invited into the homes of the villagers to celebrate a meal together.

Pray that the skills, truth and lives shared will continue to bear fruit among the Embera!

Summer Planting

2009-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Fruit is anticipated through...

a return trip to Rosebud - incoming high school freshmen ministered to the Native Americans this last week. One Native American woman said that "if a Cornerstone Church existed on the reservation, I would be a part of it."
D6 - as the children's ministry kicked off a week of VBS in parks at a big celebration at Cornerstone on Sunday night
Escape - the Cornerstone high school ministry will be sending one group of students to Minneapolis to reach out through a prison ministry, to the Somali refugee community, and other inner city missions. Another group of students will be heading to Panama to serve and share the gospel.

Pray that God will multiply His fruit through each of these ministries!

Youth Teams Return

2009-06-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

God's work in Rosebud...

Escape 22 took 18 students to the Rosebud Reservation with a goal of each student making one long lasting contact with a Rosebud teenager.
28 Rosebud teenagers are connected! They will be discipled via email and Facebook on a longterm basis, and followed up personally when Cornerstone again travels to Rosebud.
This is a vital ministry at a critical time in their lives - the average age that children begin to consume alcohol on the reservation is 11 years old. Pray for God's work in these 28.
Westwind also sent a team that shared at a rehab center in Rosebud. One of the men on the Westwind team, thinking he had come to help build with a hammer in hand, was used by God to instill hope at the rehab center as he shared his own story of God's deliverance from alcohol and drugs. Hope is a precious commodity at Rosebud. Pray that the God of all Hope will invade their lives.

180 Student Life Campers...

50 junior high students from Cornerstone went to the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri to grow in their walk with God.
the camp speaker, an Iranian Christian, shared on the cost of following Christ, and what it means to walk in authenticity and unity as believers.
9 students gave their lives to Christ!
pray that the students will continue to live out the reality of their faith in authenticity and unity for His glory.

A Global Church...

2009-06-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Take a look at how God is working globally through Cornerstone:

Jeff Dodge is in Zambia, having just returned from 4 days away from the Hope Center. Check out the latest on the Hope Center blog: http://hopechildrenscenter.blogspot.com/ .
Tim Lubinus has just returned from Central Asia where he has been networking with believing nationals from other Central Asian countries who can more easily penetrate the culture of these unreached groups with the gospel.
Cornerstone is in a series of meetings with the leadership of the International Mission Board to discuss ways to more effectively reach the nations for Christ.
Pray for God's continued blessing in each of these areas!

Good News Proclaimed

2009-04-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

On Easter weekend...

over 2,800 people heard the story of the Ragman, the One who will exchange our filthy rags for linen, bright and clean
the Salt Company's freshman group heard the gospel presented using a coconut, a method that believers in India shared with Lance
Internationals celebrated with a dance on Saturday because...

HE'S ALIVE!!!

The Fusion of Internationals

2009-04-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

The International Friendship Connection (IFC) met for Fusion ...

There were more IFC Leaders at Fusion this year than all the internationals that were at Fusion last year
The entire group viewed the Passion clip of the crucifixion
Tim Gartin shared the miracle of Christ's resurrection from the Word
A believer from Malaysia led another international to the Lord!

Leading by Serving

2009-03-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

In Turkey, a team made up of fathers and sons prayed "lead us"...

they were able to hand out 30 gospel packets to interested individuals
encourage Cornerstoners serving in Istanbul
and randomly "ran into" the Cornerstone semester team!

On the home front...

High school men served a banquet to the high school women to bless and honor them and then presented a drama and music program to make them laugh!
190 came to the TSC Parents' Banquet and heard Troy share the vision of Salt Company to believers and non-believers alike

Spring Fruit

2009-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

The 70 who went out from The Salt Company have returned from Tyler Texas...

Having cleared timber, dug canals and completed several months of work for the camp
Exercised the opportunity to have their mouths and hearts line up with the work of their hands
And grown into a close knit family.

The TSC students who went to Jamaica...

spent every day sharing in the public schools, beginning with morning devotions
2,000 students heard the gospel clearly presented

International Friendship Connection...

took several internationals to Tennessee on a road trip
the time on the road was filled with opportunities for spiritual conversations
the wife of one of the Chinese grad students arrived in the U.S. in January and just received Christ as her Lord and Savior last week!

Spring Break Outreach

2009-03-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Pray for Cornerstoners...

The Salt Company has a group of 70 students heading to Tyler, Texas to work at Pine Cove Christian Camp during the day while being equipped at night.
Another group of Salt students have gone to Jamaica to share the gospel verbally and through acts of service
A small group is in Turkey, sharing gospel literature in areas that have few if any believers in their communities.
A leadership team is heading to Zambia to prayerfully and strategically plan how to best utilize the newly constructed buildings of the Hope Children's Center in the coming months.
God is bringing redemption and restoration in many lives as sin is exposed, confessed and true repentance is evidenced.

Pray for God's glory to shine out as the Good News is spread and His Church is purified!

Daring to Share

2009-02-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

180, Cornerstone's Junior High Ministry is on the move...

46 students and adult leaders went to the youth conference "Dare to Share" in Lincoln, NE
many shared the gospel as they went door to door asking for canned goods for the poor
one of the adult leaders had the privilege of leading someone to Christ
60 6th graders spent Friday night at a Cornerstone "lock in"

Stan Hayek, The Salt Company Freshman Group Director, and 8 TSC students...

led at a highschool retreat at Twin Lakes Conference center
52 students were challenged to commit or re-commit their lives to Christ
many responded boldly, confessing their faith before their peers for the first time

D6 Ministry is training new parents...

Scott and Joy Andrews are leading 40-45 adults in a Wednesday night class
These parents are learning for the first time what it means to raise children in a God-centered home with consistent, appropriate discipline

May God continue to grow us from the cradle to the grave!

The Beginning of a "God Story"

2009-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

On Friday...
a young woman walked into Cornerstone's foyer,
following a "weird" impulse to stop after driving by for weeks.
She had been pushed onto the streets at 13 by her parents.
She had never been inside a church, but she was spiritually hungry.

On Sunday...
after a phone call from Jill, she texted that she would come to the 11:00a service.
She was greeted with a hug, and walked into "church" for the first time.
She experienced worship, saw people stepping into the waters of baptism,
and the Word was spoken in a a way that she had never heard before.

I can't wait until next week...

Across the nations

2009-01-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

IFC Ministry had a retreat last weekend...

attendance doubled from previous years to 50!
a Chinese believer shared that she had heard these truths from her grandmother in China. She called her that very hour (2:00am in China) to tell her that she had found people here who believe the same. Can you imagine the reaction of the Chinese grandmother who so faithfully taught the Truth to her granddaughter as she raised her in an atheistic culture?
another international believer sat in her small group and shared the bridge diagram to explain the way to salvation to the other internationals in her group.
God is at work!

Esmerelda!

2008-12-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Over 6,000 people came out in the last week to see "Esmerelda". Here is a taste of how God impacted lives:

"My family and I were fortunate enough to see the production on Saturday night. Wow, what a spectacular effort to visually and accoustically inspire us! Miss Grace Scheibe did a wonderful job! Thanks again for the inspiration. My 7 year old son said at the end, "Mommy, can we stay for the next show?!"

"I am a freshman at Iowa State University. I have heard a lot about your church from many classmates, as well as teachers although I have never actually been to any of your services myself. Tonight I attended your "Esmerelda" play and was at a loss for words. It touched me in many ways. Being a freshman this year, I haven't had the experience of college life that I expected as I have had to deal with a few difficult situations with a couple of close friends back home dealing with death. This has made it difficult for me to remember who I am. Being said, I was wondering what I needed to do to possibly become part of "Salt" on Thursday evenings. Again, your play was absolutely amazing."

Pray that the reality of the King who pursues us in love and our simultaneous yearning to "fly free" in Him comes to life in the heart of many who heard the clear message of the gospel through "Esmerelda".

Hope Center in Zambia in the Omaha Herald

2008-12-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

We just received this email note from our partners in Zambia at Brookside Church in Omaha:

The Omaha World Herald did a pretty nice spread on the Hope Center today.Thought you might want to see it. It was nearly a full page on the front ofthe LIVING section.You can view it online - see link below.

Here's the online link.http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3940&u_sid=10506548

Back to the Reservation

2008-12-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving with the Lakota Tribe at Rosebud

Roger Wheeler, his family, and several others spent Thanksgiving at Rosebud
A Thanksgiving meal was served for 50 native Americans
a Bible study was started using "The Trail of Hope"
plans were made to return over Christmas vacation

Pray that hunger for God and His Word will transform the culture on the reservation.
Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to raise up workers!

Youth Ministry Grows

2008-10-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

180 Junior High Ministry Retreat looked like this:

2 busloads
110 students
an awesome speaker
15 new believers in the Kingdom!

Fall Kicks Off!

2008-09-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

God is growing each ministry at Cornerstone...

D6 began this year with 350 children, up from 260 last year! As a result, we are literally breaking down walls in the children's wing to create enough space for the next one.
The annual IFC hayride had 500 participants this year!
180, our junior high ministry, had 147 students
Westwind, our Waukee church plant, kicked off their first service with 160 people

What about the individual? Look at this one snapshot to see how God is at work:

Jack Owens related this story, "Ben, a new Chinese believer, met Shay, a Nigerian believer on Cyride. Ben invited Shay to the IFC hayride. Shay shared the gospel with an unbelieving Chinese man named Tim. Tim received Christ at the hayride! When I met Tim on Sunday, he told me of his decision and said he would like an English Bible to study."

Kids Camp Orients Hearts

2008-08-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week 93 2nd - 5th graders spent a week at Hidden Acres with Kelly Fischer and a team of counselors...

walking through Hebrews 11 heroes of faith with Pastor Geoff Safford
memorizing Scripture each day
being led in worship by Mark Duvick
developing a heart for the nations as they considered what persecution means
began to ask questions about end times
getting excited about God!

Summer Fruit

2008-06-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

Junior High students return from Rosebud Indian Reservation

21 students and leaders spent the last week at Rosebud
each evening they held Kids Camp for 40-50 children and their parents
Truth was shared, kids were loved, and seeds were planted for future ministry

Cornerstone Kids Camp

72 kids in kindergarten through second grade spent the week at Cornerstone
learning the fruit of the spirit (ask them!)
having fun, and
growing to love their Lord and their church.

Windows into Zambia

2008-06-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Picture Pastor Tom teaching 70 Zambians in a cinder block school room with a mud-coated roof. As Pastor Tom teaches, the listeners shout their "amens" with celebratory ululations. And what is the message? The same one Pastor Tom teaches here - the gospel's power to save and free us from bitterness, enabling us to walk before Him in joy.

Picture Pastor Jeff and Teresa, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in Zambia, as they reaffirm their vows in a traditional African wedding ceremony.

Picture African pastors listening to Bible teaching from 8-5 and then saying, "Please don't stop. We are not tired. It is God's truth. How can we be tired of that?"

Summer Ministry Begins!

2008-06-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

180 and Escape 22 kicked off their summer meetings with God's "rain plan":

Unable to meet outside for the activities and games due to the heavy rains, junior and senior highers met inside the auditorium for praise and worship
they gathered in groups in areas of the auditorium to pray for their schools
and finished off the evening by splitting into 180 and Escape fellowship groups of 120 each!

Internationals welcomed at the Des Moines airport:

16 Americans and 2 new Chinese believers welcomed 19 Chinese students at the Des Moines airport at 1:50a this morning
the 2 Chinese believers had arrived in last year's visiting group as unbelievers!

Westwind has their first church service

105 people participated in the first worship service at Waukee elementary on Sunday
Pastor Troy attended and rejoiced in the authentic worship and excitement of God at work in their midst

From Beijing to Bangkok to Rosebud

2008-06-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Jack and Connie Owens just returned from China where they reported that

the teams are unified and love working with one another
the teams have been instrumental in raising up new house churches
Jack & Connie sovereignly "bumped into" a young man named John Mark at a law school in Beijing. John Mark had been led to Christ 3 years previously by one of our staff members, Stan Hayek, while Stan was in China for a Cornerstone summer trip. John Mark is one of three believers in the law school, active in a house church, and strong in his faith!

Jah, from Bangkok, visited the Cornerstone staff meeting as a guest of Jen Lee's...

she had been discipled for 2 years by Jen who was in Thailand in the late 90's as a 2-year journeyman missionary
Jah was just trained by Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in the states as a missionary and spent two months sharing the gospel in Izmir, Turkey where 2 people received Christ!

Stan Hayek returned from Rosebud Reservation where...

his goal was to find a couple of strong believers among the Rosebud people that Cornerstone could partner with to reach out more effectively to the native Americans
God led him to Bob & Teresa Whitehorse-Steed...a couple who met Christ as alcoholics, have since walked with Him consistently and have raised a godly family.
Pray for much fruit through the power of His Spirit and this team effort at Rosebud!

Moving Forward

2008-05-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

At our biannual Family Meeting:

all the existing elders and the new elder, Jack Owens, were affirmed unanimously
the financial report indicated that our general fund giving is at 105% of budgeted giving!
all "Your Move" benchmarks have been met (99.8% of 2006 pledges received, 57% total pledges received, maintain a growth rate of 5%+)
the cost of the building with some cost cuts (landscaping, office, paving, dam for retention pond, "black box" equipping room) was kept to 13.7 million in order to maintain a maximum debt load of 22%
steel was ordered last week and should arrive in 14 weeks
construction begins on Tuesday, May 27th

Thank you for continuing to pray for this process!

Celebrate with Escape 22

2008-04-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Escape 22 held their Senior/Parent banquet...

23 seniors and their families - 110 people honored seniors graduating this year
many came to Christ through Cornerstone having been raised in unbelieving families
these "spiritual orphans" were prayed for by their parents - perhaps for the first time - as Cody directed parents at each table to stand behind their children, lay their hands on them and pray out loud!

A Band of Brothers

2008-04-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

310 men, juniors in high school to grandfathers, attended the men's Band of Brothers retreat this past weekend at Sunstream Retreat Center:

a freshman from DMACC, an acknowledged alcoholic, heard the gospel for the first time and received Christ as Geoff Safford presented the gospel in his message
a highschooler brought his unbelieving friend and his girlfriend's father - both came away wanting to know God more fully
one father explained why he had begun to attend Cornerstone: "If my son is excited about coming to church, I'm coming too!"

Cornerstone Abroad

2008-04-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

Moldova and Albania and on to Turkey...

Tim Lubinus was in Moldova and Albania this past week to meet with

church leaders from a specific people group in Moldova called the Gagauz, who are also Turkish speakers, in order to recruit partners from Europe to reach the Turkish people for Christ
Ylli Doci and Cornerstone Church of Tirana, Albania. Ylli has already begun to recruit students to reach the Turkish for Christ!

God supplies unexpectedly and abundantly in Zambia!

Not only did God allow us to get the piece of land adjoining our original property, but we got it free!
Pastor Navice from Zambia left a voice message for Jeff: "The land is ours! I have the deed right here!"
How great to serve a God who does far more abundantly than we can ask or think!

Celebrating in Serving

2008-03-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

Reaching out with God stories and laying the ground for new ones:

the Cornerstone West Des Moines/Waukee church plant had an initial gathering for fellowship and vision casting: 70 people were present!
negotiations are under way in Zambia for an additional 12 acres of property which would allow the Hope Children's Center to feed 150 orphans from the crops grown onsite
Don Harms, a TSC alum and Pella employee, shared with TSC his vision for reaching out with the stewardship God has given him - capping his family's standard of living at 50% of his current salary, so that everything beyond that can be used for God's kingdom
TSC held their annual parents' banquet to celebrate with parents and students all that God is doing in their children's lives through the ministry of Salt Company
at Escape's "open mic" time, several students came before their peers saying "I want God to be first...before sports, before anything!"

God, we are hungry for more!

Heart for the Nations

2008-03-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

God is reaching the nations through every yielded vessel...

A team of TSC and community people spent a week at Rosebud Indian Reservation, painting, cleaning and sharing the gospel. The week culminated in a concert and Easter service.
Two Chinese students were led to Christ in the last week by international students who were previously led to Christ by Cornerstoners.
18 internationals drove 17 hours each way to spend the week together in the Houston area. One of the students, although a non-believer, has enjoyed the IFC family groups so much that he is going to encourage all 200 of his country's fellow students at ISU to participate!
For the first time, the summer TSC team to reach out to internationals on campus will include internationals. The heart for the nations is coming full circle!

Heart Change

2008-03-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Through the Cornerstone/Salt Company Women's Conference:

360 women turned out to hear Becky Tirabassi speak on "Change Your Life"
several women committed their lives to Christ for the very first time
scores of women have committed to make a daily appointment with God to meet Him through the Word and prayer - the heart of revival!

Through two third graders sharing with their classmate,

Through a bus load of senior highers having spiritual conversations with strangers at Jordan Creek mall,

Through the team in China,

6 new believers in 24 hours
10 baptisms
one Chinese overhearing a conversation, approaching the team with the words "I've been searching for The Father, can you tell me how I can know Him?"

Unexpected Ministry

2008-02-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

Pastor Tom met a man...

who visited Cornerstone once
who he shared the gospel with
who received Christ
who died last week at the hospice house
for whom he was asked to speak at his funeral
for which he presented the gospel with a hand-raising altar call
to which 10 people responded and received Christ!

Intentional Relationships

2008-02-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

Time with Junior High students...

53 Sixth Grade students spent Friday night at Cornerstone led by Mike Heintz. The goal? To build relationships as a foundation for the gospel and discipleship. It worked!
50+ 7th and 8th Graders went to Dallas this last weekend for the "Identity in Christ" conference. As Babatunde, one of the adult sponsors, shared his story on the bus, a junior high gal realized that she could become a child of the King and have her own past redeemed.

Turkish Fulbright scholars...

were connected with Cornerstoners to experience American culture
one of these Turkish scholars was sovereignly connected with TSC students when she ended up "lost" in Ames
These same TSC students attended the party that the Turkish students attended - and rejoiced in their recognition of one another and the number of Americans who love their country!

Reaching out, meeting needs

2008-02-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Reaching out...

Cody Cline took several Escape 22 leaders and students to Jordan Creek Mall to prayerfully share the gospel with anyone God allowed them to engage in conversation with
Joel Vint shared a Bible overview with internationals at IFC - internationals who have begun discipling other internationals because they know God is calling them to reach out
Freshman Group ministry has begun a Theology of the Gospel class comprised only of international students

Meeting needs...

Jeff Dodge was able to purchase 15+ acres in Zambia with Cornerstone's Global Outreach funds to begin establishing a self-sustaining orphanage
This land has fertile soil, is bordered by a stream that flows even during the dry season, is near a school for the children, and already has an apple orchard!
In the future, they are planning to add fish ponds, and plant beans, corn, and melons to feed the children.
Jeff was also given the opportunity "to weep with those who weep" as he prayed for a pastor's son who was dying of AIDS
and then, within half an hour, "to rejoice with those who rejoice" as he prayed with another man to receive Christ.

God's Hand at Work

2008-01-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

In healing...

a young college student's ear drum miraculously healed a day prior to surgery. The doctor's first response: "Is this the right ear?" and then "I can't believe this!"
a returned soldier with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, receives Christ and his emotional health is immediately restored
another student, facing reconstructive wrist surgery to correct an improperly set injury, was listening to the teaching of God's Word and found that her wrist had regained full mobility. She returned to her orthopedic surgeon who said to the team of doctors and residents who gathered around, "You are seeing a genuine miracle."

In salvation...

3 more Chinese students that have been in the U.S. for only 3 weeks became believers
a new Connection Group has formed in the dorms consisting only of Chinese Christians!

New Beginnings

2008-01-24T06:07:00.000-08:00

Over 400 people turned out for the Cornerstone marriage conference: Enduring Marriage...

Couples who had been ready to "throw in the towel" are now working purposefully toward healing past hurts, creating an Enduring Marriage.
Engaged couples came away with a great foundation for the future.
All of the couples were exhorted to embrace what God hands us and accept it with trust in his neverfailing love.

A new building...

Favorable letters from the county and D.O.T. were received.
We are expecting to start construction in the spring.
God continues to bring more and more to each ministry so we are thankful that increased space is on the way!

Upward Movement

2008-01-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

We are on the move...

Upward Basketball has kicked off with the biggest group yet...over 345 total kids on the court!
God has met and exceeded the benchmarks to begin construction in the spring. We asked for 50% of total Your Move pledges by the end of 2007 and we received 51%!
D6 starts this week with a whole new look and lots of new families
The Salt Company is currently at their winter retreat in Colorado to kick off a new semester of ministry

Christmas Came One Night x 10

2007-12-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

God showed Himself strong...

close to 6000 people attended 10 performances
the performers were enabled through each performance (despite one illness requiring a visit to the ER for dehydration)
the set continued to rotate on cue
many heard the gospel for the first time
many re-evaluated their life purpose
some made decisions to follow Christ!

Upward

2007-11-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

Upward Basketball, the community basketball outreach to children K-5th grade

has 100 more enrolled this year than last year
has resulted in a great partnership with First Evangelical Free to make this growth possible
some of the coaches serving this year came to Christ through serving in the previous years in Upward!

Drawn to Christ

A TSC student shared Christ with an uncle who was going to leave his wife. He responded to the gospel and has returned to his family!
International students heard the gospel for the first time at Thanksgiving meals all over the region. Pray for those seeds to grow.
Several thousand will hear the gospel at the upcoming Christmas production. Pray for the message to be clear and to fall on receptive hearts.

Seeds Planted

2007-11-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

And God produces the growth:

3 more internationals came to Christ last week
49 people met on Saturday to explore the possibilities of a West Des Moines church plant
after the message on 2 Corinthians 6, several spoke of their need to break the yoke with those who have been leading them away from Christ rather than urging them onward in their walk with Him
a staff member's neighbor, often drunken, came to church for the first time last weekend and thought the message had been planned for him

God's Word is producing fruit by His Spirit. Let's pray for more and more!

More New Life!

2007-11-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

We are seeing God's Spirit at work...

Escape 22, our high school ministry, had 160+ students at their weekend retreat at Hidden Acres. As Paul Sabino shared the gospel and the reality of heaven and hell, many students gave their life to Christ...many more than the 5 that Josiah, Paul's 9 year old son, was asking God for.
A TSC leader has prayed with 6 international students to receive Christ in the past week!
IFC has 140-150 internationals participating in the Thanksgiving dinner outreach during this next week.

Please continue to pray for more and more fruit and that the fruit would remain.

New Life

2007-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

The Body of Christ is growing...

After Paul Sabino spoke this weekend from 2 Corinthians 5 on what it means to become a new creature in Christ, he received this phone call from a 9 year old who had been in the service...

"Pastor Paul, when I saw that there was communion this weekend, I was offended because I knew that I couldn't participate. But then when you began to talk about how to have a relationship with Christ, it was as if time stood still. I knew that I could give my life to Him right then...and I did!"

Sports and the Gospel

2007-10-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

The latest men's outreach, a men's dodgeball tournament, drew 130 men last Friday evening to the Ames Middle School. In addition to having a blast watching the unexpectedly agile win games and the rest get creamed, at least 40 men who have never attended Cornerstone were able to hear the gospel for the first time.

On another front, the Iowa State women's soccer team invited our TSC Women's director, Jill Paullus, to lead Bible studies for any team members who wanted to participate. Almost the entire team was attending these studies by the end of the soccer season.

Upward Basketball has sent informational flyers home to every student in the Ames school district. Those stories are yet to be told...

Transformed?

2007-10-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

After this weekend's message, a visiting Chinese student asked, "Is it true? Can I really be transformed?" And then, one story after another about God's amazing transforming power...

Bob, a member of the Communist Party, a father who is Muslim, a mother who is Buddhist, excited about the number of arenas he has been given to reach out with the gospel truth
A neighbor invited to attend an Intro to Cornerstone class, finds her God-story written in class as she asks Christ to be her Savior
A Salt Company student thanked by visiting parents for reaching out to their son with the gospel...the son that they had been praying for, crying out to God for other believers to reach out to him.

The Salt Company Fall Retreat

2007-10-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

The Salt Company had 360 students at its annual fall retreat this past weekend at Hidden Acres. As guest speaker, Ed Noble, spoke on drawing close to Jesus in personal prayer time, the students were given the opportunity to seek God individually... and a new level of humility and brokeness were the result. God is drawing our students to Himself in holiness.

New Life in Christ

2007-09-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend Cornerstone celebrated 21 baptisms! Included in this number were 2 of the 15 visiting Chinese students that IFC has been reaching out to since their arrival in the States. Isn't it great to see God birthing new life through a local church with a global vision?!

God is growing His church!

2007-08-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

What a joy it is to see healthy ministry growth on every front!

The Salt Company started off the year with 750 students at the Thursday night meeting in the gym. (Up from 7 when Jack Owens started the student organization 35 years ago!)
The Freshmen group had 300 at their Sunday evening kick-off.
D6 was packed for an exciting kick-off this past Wednesday.
Escape 22 and 180, our junior and senior high ministries, each had 150 students
The weekend worship services have grown 15% over the same period last year

Join with us in thanking God for hearts that are hungry for Him. Pray that He will find yielded hearts through which His work can continue to move forward unhindered throughout central Iowa!

Gearing Up for the Fall

2007-08-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

5 Services will begin on the weekend of August 18/19...

Sunday worship will have services at 9:00a and 11:00a in the auditorium, and 9:15a and 11:15a in the gym.
To make this new schedule work, it will be more important than ever that people arrive on time to services. We will need to close the auditorium seating at 5 minutes after the start of each service and begin ushering people down to the gym for the next services.
These are growing pains. In Troy's words..."It will be chaotic. But what a great place to be!" God is doing great things!

Kids Camp is underway...

More than 100 children are at Hidden Acres this week for Kids Camp.
Pray for Paul as he teaches, Mandy as she leads the counselors, the counselors, and the kids!

Mission teams are coming back...

The Panama highschool team, the Thailand college team, the college Zambia team and one of the community Zambia teams returned this last week.
The second Zambia team will be returning tomorrow...along with Pastor Jeff.
Come out this weekend to the services to hear what Pastor Jeff learned in Africa as he shares "Lessons from Africa" with us. Isn't it great to be part of "a local church with a global vision"?

Your Move is Moving On

2007-07-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Pastor Troy and Mike just returned from meeting with our architects in Utah. Here are a few of the highlights:

One of the lead men at BGW (Building God's Way) said "God is clearly at work in this project. I've rarely seen a church that looks so healthy."
Steps were taken in the initial selection of materials.
BGW's vision for making the whole building process a ministry to those involved has inspired our team.

This is our second week of Vacation Bible School:

Many wondered if two weeks were really necessary...and they are! We are experiencing a 30% enrollment over last year.
Experienced teachers turned to Mandy in the first week and said "I can't believe that someone has finally figured out how to make this fun for teachers...thank you!"

Junior Highers Going Deeper with God

2007-07-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

In the last two weeks, God has shown Himself strong in the lives of junior highers:

23 incoming freshmen served on a Native American reservation sharing the gospel of hope
within the last month, this same tribe had lost 7 individuals to suicide within a 24 hour period
the tribal president gave them permission to share Christ and His Word freely on the reservation!
43 junior highers spent a week at Student Life camp
the hallmark of their time together was unity
4 gals and 1 guy came to Christ
they spontaneously prayed with and for one another for 25 minutes and rejoiced!

God's truth changing lives...

2007-06-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

God stories heard in the foyer in response to the clear teaching of the Word:

"I needed to hear the truth - not have people tell me things were OK in my life when they really weren't. I needed to know how to get on track with God. That's what I'm hearing from the messages each weekend. My life is changed!"
As one of our pastors called a young man to repentance, he said "I know I'm calling you to a hard thing." With tears in his eyes, the young man responded, "It is a hard thing, but it's exactly what I need to hear. I want to know what God wants me to do."
"I've never understood the Bible before. Now I'm beginning to understand. I want to know God the way my friend does."

The Home Front and Beyond...

2007-06-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

After 25 years of being a believer, Pastor Jeff Dodge is rejoicing to see God moving among his extended family. Pastor Tom Nesbitt has led two of Jeff's nieces and one nephew to Christ...and that is just the beginning!

In the church family... last week Cornerstone hosted Day Camp for children ages 4-7. In the words of one little guy: "I learned that not everybody knows about Jesus and I need to tell them!" Not only did they latch on to the need to share the gospel, but they also learned how to share and practiced it on the staff of the science center!

Further afield... a spontaneous international ministry is springing up in Texas led by former IFC students (the International Ministry of Cornerstone Church at Iowa State). International students are coming to Christ in the United States and then reaching out to other internationals in the U.S!

The auditorium stage could not hold them all...

2007-06-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we had more youth on stage to be sent out to the nations than were in our youth group 5 years ago!

180, the junior high ministry under the leadership of Joel Vint, is sending

23 students to serve at the Lakota Indian Reservation
42 students to Student Life Conference to be more deeply equipped

Escape 22, the senior high ministry under the leadership of Cody Cline, is sending

22 students to come alongside the believers in Panama and Thailand, sharing the gospel and encouraging the local church
17 students to the Student Life conference in Wheaton to be more fully equipped

Our goal is that the next generation will rise up to serve God in a mighty way. Thank God with us for the evidence of His work in the youth at Cornerstone!

Cornerstone welcomes...

2007-05-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Four new staff members for Cornerstone's Family Ministry. As the Director of Family Ministries, Paul Sabino, will be leading a team of Children's Ministry staff and 3 new summer interns to energize and equip parents to lead their families with joy this summer. Great plans are in the works!
Ylli Doci, from Cornerstone Church of Albania met with staff this morning. God has begun to raise up another generation of believers from the initial 1994 gospel outreach who are now going out as missionaries to the surrounding nations.
Pastor Troy Nesbitt's two new sons, Malachi and Trey. He went to Ethiopia and brought the nations back home. God has begun to melt their hearts with the unconditional love that they see in the Nesbitt family. The world is being reached...one person at a time.

“I will sing for joy at the work of Thy hands…” (Ps 92:4)

2007-05-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

God continues to fill us with gladness by what He is doing in and through the people at Cornerstone:
• A married couple have experienced restored communication and understanding after several years of estrangement. Their relationship is a joy to see!
• A short-term missionary, Zach Ludwig, was given the opportunity to share the gospel to 300 people at a funeral in Zambia.
• Pastor Troy and his wife, Pam, were able to see the answer to the prayers of many as God cleared the way for them to adopt two brothers from Ethiopia.
• God continues to sovereignly make connections among the Body to encourage and comfort those going through trials.

Huge Thank You Weekend at Cornerstone!

2007-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

The 657th person to be sent out from Cornerstone to reach the nations for Christ was commissioned this weekend
Over 500 youth gathered at the Anthem concert to thank God for His work in our world
Parents and kids celebrated together at the first annual Parents vs. Kids contest...and parents rejoiced that they won!
Over 250 D6 teachers and helpers were honored at a year-end appreciation BBQ
9 graduating Escape students were honored at a Senior Banquet

What a joy to celebrate with the family of God all that He is doing in and through His people!

We're Growing!

2007-04-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

God is growing our church family! This past Easter weekend, 2,320 people gathered to celebrate our Risen Savior. We have become a church that draws those who are seeking a relationship with God. Pray for those many visitors (400 over our normal weekend services), that the clear teaching of God's Word will open their eyes to the reality of their need for Him and His love for them.

Architects at Cornerstone

2007-04-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

As God grows us numerically, He is showing us the next steps to provide room for those that are coming. This past week, our staff met with an architect design team from Building God's Way. In four days of intensive design, they came up with a preliminary design that will give us 50,000+ square feet of additional ministry space. The new auditorium will immediately accomodate 1300 with the ability to expand to 1900. The two ends of the stadium seating level will initially be large classrooms. The large foyer space will include space for a cafe. A large equipping room (twice the size of our current one) will be available for youth ministry, the Light, etc. The nursery will be expanded considerably to allow for the corresponding growth needs that we will feel in this area as a result of increased attendance in the auditorium. The architect did an amazing job of watching costs and giving us more for the price...still within our budget!