This week I want to share with you 3 things I have learned about Cornerstone UMC in my 3 months of being your pastor. Of course there are more than 3 things, but these things are significant and what I believe will be crucial to remember as we bring the Kingdom of God here and now at Cornerstone!

1. Cornerstone Members have grit! Grit has become a hot word today for use in the education system, but I remember this word from one of my favorite movies, True Grit with John Wayne. A favorite line of mine from that movie is when Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) tells Mattie Ross, “Baby Sister, I was born game and I intend to go out that way.”  John Wayne’s character may have come off stubborn to most, but what he had wasn’t that, it was grit. A person with grit has passion for a particular long-term goal or end state that is coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective.
2. Cornerstone members have great love for one another! This is the experience of Christian love, not just talking about it.I can see examples of this in the amount of effort placed in spending time together, compliments, being aware of personal problems, and laughter. This church is a functional family and one that anybody is welcome to become a part of.
3. Cornerstone members out work their pastor! Honestly I can’t keep up with the pace! Church members here have an attitude of servanthood, not seeking control, power or status. This churches fosters a climate where everyone is useful in God’s work. They acknowledge Jesus as Lord of the church and know that whatever positions individuals hold are for His glory and the extension of His kingdom.

These three things about Cornerstone excite me as a pastor because I know that if I can help create a vision at Cornerstone we have members that will be passionate about us getting there. So as we enter the last quarter of 2017 and look forward to 2018 let us remember these words from Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

In God’s grip,

Rev. Chuck Church