Dear Cornerstone Family,
Today is the beginning of our winter Sunday School quarter at Cornerstone. Our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Meredith Suits, has been hard at work recruiting teachers and making preparations for our children’s Sunday School. She’s also reviewed our COVID-19 plans and protocols and made some minor adjustments in order to more smoothly conduct ministry in a safe way this winter. If you have any questions about children’s ministry or Sunday School in particular, do not hesitate to reach out to Meredith at elementary@cstonepres.org or 865-250-3579.
Speaking of Sunday school, please join me today in the chapel for the new class we’re starting for adults, Built to Last: Enduring Faith for Turbulent Times. In this three-week course, we will rehearse the key foundations of the Cornerstone vision, making specific application for how our philosophy of ministry is designed to meet the challenges and opportunities of our cultural moment. This class will instruct, inspire, encourage, and strengthen your faith as together we answer God’s call on our lives in this generation. Don’t miss it!
In other matters, I want to say (again) how thankful we are for your faithful giving to Cornerstone. You dug deep this past year and gave sacrificially to the work of ministry. Though we’re only halfway through our budget year— our budget year runs from July 1 to June 30—the steadiness of your support so far has helped us meet our needs and increase the reach of our ministry in several key areas! Please take a look at the mid-budget-year financial report below. As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Susan Bumpus in our church office at office@cornerstonepres.org.
FINANCIAL UPDATE 2020-21 July-December
Actual Budget Over/Under
Total Giving $535,307 $485,862 $49,445
Total Expenses $499,754. $443,950 $55,804
Difference $35,553 $41,912 ($6,359)
Finally, let me note one important area where your contributions are helping us increase the reach of our ministry. Early last year, the Personnel Committee began prayerfully discussing how to better support the needs of our growing women’s ministry. Since the beginning of Cornerstone, the women’s ministry has been led by able volunteer leaders—women who sacrificially gave of their time and energy to serve the women of Cornerstone. As Cornerstone has grown, the ministry to women has grown, and the workload of women’s ministry has grown precipitously. It’s grown to the point that the volunteer team leaders, the Personnel Committee, and the elders all agree—it’s time for a part time Women’s Director.
To that end, on Tuesday night this past week, the elders met and approved the hire of Mrs. Martha Brooks to be our first Women’s Director of Cornerstone. For the last two years, Martha has done excellent job serving as a volunteer co-leader of our women’s ministry with Mrs. Julie Kesler, and we are looking forward to seeing how Martha’s presence on staff will advance the ministry to women and help us further realize our vision—to glorify God in the gospel together as disciples who make disciples.
