Statement of Faith
Defines what we believe.
"Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ,
does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the
Father and the Son." -- 2 John 9
Anyone familiar with historic Christian doctrine will find that these
statements fall in the center of evangelical theology. We want our core beliefs to be
centered in Christ and His message as found in and supported by the clearest
passages of Scripture.
THE BIBLE
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the sixty-six books
of the Old and New Testament. We believe that Scripture in its entirety
originated with God and that it was given through the instrumentality of
chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority
of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles and vocabularies of the human authors.
We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original
manuscripts. They are the unique, full and final authority on all matters
of faith and practice and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
GOD
We believe there is One true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- each of whom possesses equally all the attributes
of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created
out of nothing the world and all things therein, thus manifesting the glory of
His power, wisdom and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain
His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill
His redemptive purposes.
SALVATION
The central purpose of God's revelation in Scripture is to call all people
into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with
God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way and was thus
alienated from and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him
unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history
and all individuals since have suffered these consequences, are born sinful
by nature and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation
of humankind is, then, wholly a work of God free grace, not the result, in
whole or in part, of human works or goodness and personally appropriated
by repentance and faith. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of
any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing
it until the day of its full consummation.
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who was united
forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth.
He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned
for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus
satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in
Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in
which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right
hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man,
continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth,
personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus
Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, realized in the life of believers
as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was
sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to humankind the saving
work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a
recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of
salvation He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of
assurance, strength and wisdom and uniquely endows each believer in
understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are
appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life
of Christlike character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father.
HUMAN DESTINY
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all humankind, there
will be a resurrection of the body at the end of this age and a judgement.
Unbelievers will be separated from God into eternal condemnation.
Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be
rewarded for works done in this life.
THE CHURCH
The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become
members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal,
comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
The Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves
to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the sacraments
of baptism and holy communion, fellowship and service to one another
and the world. Whenever God's people meet regularly in obedience to
this command, there is a local expression of the Church. Under the watchful
care of the elders, deacons and other supportive leadership, its members are
to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of
glorifying Christ.
FAITH AND PRACTICE
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
The Elders are responsible to exercise the Scriptural discipline of
restoration, to correct members in doctrinal error and to bring those in
sin to repentance and forgiveness, in order that the truth and purity of
Christ be honored in His Church. The church recognizes it cannot bind
the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent.
Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom
he or she alone is ultimately responsible.
Statement of the Core Values of Cornerstone Church
Defines the thinking behind how we operate.
We can summarize our core values using the following 10 statements:
- We believe that practical biblical preaching and teaching is the primary means God uses to
transform lives.
- We believe that people who don't know God are a top priority of God, and therefore, ought
to be a top priority for us too.
- We believe that the church should be culturally relevant while remaining doctrinally pure.
- We believe that Christians should manifest authenticity and sincerely desire continuous
growth.
- We believe that a church should operate as a unified community of servants with each person
stewarding their spiritual gifts.
- We believe that loving relationships should permeate every aspect of church life.
- We believe that the benefits of our community-life are shared best in small groups.
- We believe that excellence honors God and inspires people.
- We believe that churches should be led by those with leadership gifts.
- We believe that the pursuit of full devotion to Christ and His cause is normal for every believer.
The Mission of The Cornerstone Church
"Our mission is to glorify God by reaching people with the Gospel and by producing
a congregation of fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ."
The Objectives of The Cornerstone Church
Defines what must be the purpose of anything we do.
- Connecting the Disconnected
To bring increasing numbers of unchurched people into contact with the
Gospel through the people and ministries of the church for the purpose of
evangelization.
- Building the Believer
To involve increasing numbers of believers in the ministries
of the church for the purpose of discipleship.
The Vision of The Cornerstone Church
Defines how we see ourselves as a church among churches.
The Cornerstone Church sees itself as part of a vast network of followers of
Jesus Christ living all over the world who are committed to carrying on the
mission of Jesus Christ locally and as a part of a worldwide redemptive
movement of God.
