In Year Two

20 DECISIONS

20 people made a decision to follow Jesus

BAPTISMS

32 people declared their faith publicly through Baptism

367 PEOPLE EACH WEEK

Total average engagement in onsite and online services

78 NEW HERE

78 new people reported worshiping with us at Cornerstone

Thanksgiving Eve 2022

449 total engagement in onsite and online services

Christmas Eve 2022

338 total engagement in onsite and online services

Average Weekly Attendance

37 Kids
16 Youth

THE SHINING LIGHT: SPECIAL NEEDS ENVIRONMENT

2 Shining Light friends in average weekly attendance

“LOVE IS RED” CONFERENCE

12 youth participated

Vacation Bible Scool

31 children participated

Cornerstone Kids hosted a second successful year of VBS as children dug through Jesus’ parables and followed the clues to understand them in our detective theme week: “On the Case.” Several children chose to be baptized following VBS!

LOOKING AHEAD

In 2022 we laid the groundwork to implement Life Journey courses for Cornerstone Youth. The 2023 spring semester of cGroups will offer a Life Journey group for youth.

Kendal Yovanovich

In February of 2022 I started to regularly attend Cornerstone services and Wednesday Youth nights. I have learned so much from the youth leaders and have gained so many friendships. 

A friend from youth group that has helped me grow as a person and on my walk with Christ is Cassie Cain. She has inspired me more than anyone else in the past year. She has shown me what it means to fully trust Christ, even when you’re in some of the hardest circumstances. She has been there for me during every single one of my struggles. 

On May 15, 2022, I decided to get baptized, which was the best decision of my life. In the past year, I have started to serve on the Worship Team and in Cornerstone Kids. My relationship with Christ has grown so much in the past year and I have grown as a person. 

I have more respect for the people in my life, and more patience with every person I encounter. I have learned who Jesus truly is. God has given me a family in Cornerstone, and I couldn’t be more grateful for them. 

25 cGroups

181 people engaging

LIFE JOURNEY DISCIPLESHIP COURSE

12 people completed 28 weeks of classes

MOMS ON TARGET

Average of 10-15 Moms & 20-30 Kids participating
Average of 10 Women at “Mom Nights” 
10 New Mom Blessing Bags gifted
105+ new joined the Facebook group

CARE CONNECT

109 Meals provided
202 Cards sent
2 Housecleaning service projects
6 Nursing Home Visits
4 Special Prayer appointments
10 New Child Blessing Bags
1 Marriage Blessing Bag
3 Caregiver Blessing Bags

John Trier

Hello, my name is John Trier. My journey began when I came across Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing, and perfect.” I do believe God led me to Cornerstone so I can fully understand this scripture, and all that it means.

When I was new to Cornerstone and didn’t really know many people, I was approached about serving and I happily accepted the opportunity to set up the spaces for cGroups each week. 

I was given access to the church and this one act of trust gave me hope in people again, and looking back now, hope in myself. This showed me that you have to trust. 

Then, as I went through the Life Journey course, this wall I’d built over the last 40 years started to crack slowly. The more I did and the more I interacted with people, the faster the cracks grew until stones started falling out. 

Now the walls I spent so long building are coming down faster than I ever imagined. The peace and joy I could never feel before have come into my life. And I owe all this to God for bringing me to the Cornerstone family, as well as my cGroup helping me with the true meaning of the Romans scripture and how to have a personal relationship with Jesus; to truly understand what it means to have a renewed mind and live for Jesus. 

With this renewed mind, I find myself loving others and wanting to help those who need it. I find myself looking back and being thankful for all I have been through and how blessed I am today for having gone through it. I’m even more thankful for my church family for showing me who I am: one of God’s humble servants.

Tia Werner

Life Journey has really changed my life. As a whole, the experience of going through it was transformative; but specifically, the “breaking the agreement” exercise sparked confidence in me that I didn’t know I could have. 

I felt so many negative things about myself and such deep shame over a situation beyond my control, and in that moment in our cGroup, I was able to fully give it to God. The way I value myself since that day has changed so much. I truly didn’t even realize the impact that situation had on the way I regard my experiences and emotions. I spent almost my entire life people-pleasing because I just wanted someone to love me enough to protect me. 

I pushed my own needs aside because I thought that’s what was necessary to be loved. Breaking that agreement and hearing those words “Jesus believed you” from one of my cGroup friends made me really know that my value is in HIM. I don’t need to perform for God, so why in the world am I spending so much energy performing for other people?! I’m good enough for God exactly how I am, and he loves me, flaws and all. I’m learning to love myself the way my heavenly Father loves me.

I’m healing in a way I didn’t know I was strong enough for because I’m finally really surrendering it to him. It’s been truly life-changing.

Giving

$575,030.59

2022 Total Budget Income

As we collectively stretch, save, and step in faith towards our renovation and new construction, we have worked hard to significantly decrease our budget spending over the last two years. We brought our budget spending down $50k this year compared to 2021!

BUDGET SPENT

2020 $604,063
2021 $587,453
2022 $536,797

MISSIONS

$18,263 Clear Blue Global Water Project
$9,048 City Lights Compassion Ministries
$4,800 Shirkman Family: Missionaries to Slovenia

Serving

174 TOTAL MINISTRY PARTNERS

Average of 45 MPs serving on the weekends
Average of 25 MPs serving during the week

1,000+

Hours of Serving

$9,000

Donated to personal outreach

10,000 lbs.

of food distributed to those in need

Memorial Team

30 Memorial Ornaments gifted to families who lost a loved one in 2022
17 Memorial Services Officiated
8 Memorial Meals Provided

Give & Serve Day

90 Volunteers
500 Hours of Serving
12 Service Projects

Eric & Alexis White

Prior to coming to Cornerstone and accepting Jesus as my Savior in 2003, I prided myself on being self-sufficient, responsible, and reliable. That isn’t to say I didn’t make plenty of unwise choices, but I had a good job, paid my bills, had an apartment, and a car. In 2008 I bought my first home. I felt pretty good about myself and I don’t think I ever credited anyone but myself and the financial examples that my parents provided me growing up.

My giving experience began when I started attending Cornerstone Church and accepted Jesus as my Savior during a very low time in my life. After attending church for a while and getting connected with people, I started sponsoring a child in another country. Occasionally I would throw some money in the basket on Sundays.

Although I can’t remember specifically when I started tithing, by definition, I can remember how it felt when it clicked. I became involved in different groups at the church, planning and leading events, and serving in outreach ministries. The more I invested my time in the church and different ministries, the more I gave to support those ministries. When I became connected, I cared. I cared for things that Jesus cared for and I wanted to connect with Him and His church. Eventually, l started to actually tithe, giving 10% of my income. I was serving the church, loving and following Jesus and growing spiritually, but I didn’t realize or acknowledge that all good things were from him.

Fast forward to 2014. I was 4 years into marriage to my amazing husband, Eric White. We were faithful tithers, supporting the church budget and several ministries with our 10%. We both had good jobs, paid our bills, and served at church. When I was six months pregnant with our second daughter I was fired from my company after a little more than 12 years of service. Eric and I decided I would stay home since I was due with our baby soon; I could look for work later. Little did we know that Eric would lose his job just four weeks before I was due. All of a sudden we had no income, a mortgage, a car payment, a 23 month old, and a baby on the way! How would we pay for anything?! I panicked, prayed, and cried. A lot. Guess what? We never went without. God promised to meet our needs and He did! Our Cornerstone Church family and the church’s City Lights Ministry provided us with food, and Eric received unemployment. My family helped with meals. We never stopped tithing and we never went without. It wasn’t until this time of uncertainty in my life that I had to rely on God alone. I was no longer providing for myself and it was humbling.

It wasn’t until I went through this scary time that I realized it was never me taking care of myself. It was Jesus. I didn’t provide for myself. Jesus did. I didn’t get myself out of the bad situations I put myself in. Jesus did. During these moments I realized there wasn’t a day he wasn’t by my side. There wasn’t a day he let me fall. I looked back at everything I did and saw his grace and mercy all over my life. He saved me from so much!

So much more has happened over the last several years that is evidence of God’s provision. We transferred to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2018 when I was four months pregnant with our fourth daughter. We left our family and friends, beloved church family, and everything we knew. We had two mortgage payments until we could sell our Ohio home and mounting expenses that accompany a move. We continued to tithe and God came through still and again. We never missed a payment or did without. 

Finally, there was a sermon preached several years ago about tithing. Afterwards, I was convicted about the definition of first fruits. After prayer and wise counsel, my husband and I agreed to tithe on our gross income instead of our net, giving God our first fruits, not the government. We no longer divide our tithe amongst different ministries, and we tithe only to the budget, trusting the church to use the funds where they need it most. We’re working towards more generous living to give above and beyond our tithe on a consistent basis to ministries we support. We have been so blessed by tithing and I’m honored to serve God in this way. 

I am moved by the lyrics in “Faithful to the End” by Bethel Music:

“There wasn’t a day that you weren’t by my side
There wasn’t a day that you let me fall
All of my life your love has been true
All of my life I will worship you”

Here & Now

Building Campaign

215

Total Commitments

(Individuals & Families)

20

New Commitments in 2022

$283,051

Given in 2022

$655,720

Given in to Date

The Hibbs Family

When we decided to go ahead and go all in for the Here & Now campaign, it was a no-brainer. We knew what we decided to give each week in light of what it cost us to live day to day was going to be challenging, but we trusted things would work out. It has been difficult at times knowing the money is going to come out of our bank every Sunday, and the feeling of “Oh no, we’re going to be short all week” was tough. Nearly two years of paying every single week, we can look back and see that there wasn’t a day we went without - and that is thanks to God alone. We know that giving to the Here & Now campaign is going to do amazing things for Cornerstone; and along with that, means it’s gonna do amazing things for our family and our kids in the future. God provided when we asked, and we’re so happy we’ve been part of this campaign. Seeing the work God has done and not knowing or being scared of what comes next is amazing to us. We are going to keep trusting in God 100% and know that He will lead us!