Pastoral Notes for Sunday, April 14, 2024

Dear Cornerstone Family,

I have good news! After months of construction, we received a certificate of temporary occupancy to the downstairs Fellowship Hall from the city of Franklin. What that means is we can use the space for ministry while we continue to prepare for a final walk through and (hopefully!) a certificate of permanent occupancy.

We are utilizing the new Fellowship Hall today for the new Classics of Personal Devotion adult Sunday School class. But if you’re not in that class, take a moment soon to venture down there and check out the space. For the next few weeks, worship overflow will remain on the Third Floor while we’re working on getting the Fellowship Hall completely finished. We’ll notify you as soon as we’re ready to move overflow from the Third Floor to the Fellowship Hall.

But it’s not just spaces and classes that are new. We also have exciting news about new staff! But, some sad news first. After four faithful years of service, our sister, Robin Spychalski, is stepping away from her role as Office Administrator to address some ongoing health issues. We are going to miss Robin’s friendly demeanor and servant’s heart. We praise God for the last four years we’ve shared with her, and we’re prayerful for her health and continued effectiveness as the Lord’s servant in the days to come.

On the positive side, we are adding two part-time positions to the church to fill the vacancy left by Robin’s departure. First, Tammy McCoy is joining the Cornerstone staff as our bookkeeper. Originally from British Columbia, Canada, Tammy is no stranger to many of you. She joined the staff of New College Franklin in 2008 as Admissions Officer where she now serves as the Head of Operations. Tammy has been married to her husband, Tim, for 37 years, and they have four grown children and 2 grandchildren. In 2018 Tammy, Tim, and their two Canadian-born children became U.S. citizens. Tammy brings all the requisite financial skills to keep us running smoothly and is eager to be a blessing to the church. Welcome, Tammy! You are an answer to prayer.

Second, we welcome Whitney Ruff to the Cornerstone staff as Interim Office Administrator. Born in Memphis but growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Whitney moved to Franklin in 2020. Whitney studied at both the University of Mississippi (1986) and Vanderbilt (1988). She has 3 grown daughters in FL, KS, TX and 5 grandbabies with 1 on the way. Whitney is a servant of servants! She is excited about the opportunity to support the staff and the church. As those of you who know her can testify—you won’t find a kinder person. I’m looking forward to seeing how the Lord uses Whitney in our midst.

Last but not least, Jonathan Crampton is coming on as a new Youth Intern. Born and raised in Tupelo, MS (but that is in question since he prefers biscuits without gravy), he moved to Franklin to attend New College Franklin, where he graduated in 2023, and he now works at Renasant Bank. He and his wife Faith were married in October. One of his six siblings, Kelley Shell, is on staff with us already as our Administrative Assistant for Discipleship and Youth Assistant. Jonathan has been a youth volunteer for a couple of years and is already beloved by the students. He is excited about testing gifts and aptitudes for ministry as he seeks the Lord’s face for wisdom regarding a call to ministry.

Please pray for these new additions to the staff and this exciting season of growth and transition!

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, April 7, 2024

Dear Cornerstone Family,

We have the privilege to welcome Dr. Irwyn Ince to the Cornerstone pulpit today. Dr. Ince is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and is currently serving as the denomination’s Coordinator of Mission to North America.

Dr. Ince was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He is married to Kim, and together they are the proud parents of four wonderful children and two beautiful granddaughters. Following his graduation from City College of NY in Harlem with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, he began his professional career as a systems engineer and project engineering manager in the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan area.

In 2016, he received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological Seminary. His dissertation was on Identity Formation in Diverse Churches. He firmly believes that the ministry of reconciliation demonstrated in the local church by the gathering of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities is the natural outworking of a rich covenantal theological commitment.

Dr. Ince sensed a call to ministry and earned his Masters degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, DC on a part-time basis while continuing his engineering career. Following his graduation in 2006 Dr. Ince helped plant City of Hope Presbyterian Church in Columbia, MD.

In 2018, the 46th PCA General Assembly unanimously elected Dr. Ince to serve as moderator—the first African American elected to the position.

Dr. Ince is the author of Hope Ain’t a Hustle: Persevering by Faith in a Wearying World published in February 2024 and The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best published in 2020.

In addition to his passion for his family and for ministry, Dr. Ince enjoys coffee and kettlebells. Connect with Irwyn at irwynince.com, on Twitter (@Irwyn), or on Instagram (@pastorirwyn).

In addition to preaching today’s service, Dr. Ince will join me for a Q&A session during the Sunday School hour. During that time, we will have the privilege to get to know Dr. Ince personally while addressing a number of cultural and kingdom matters—most noteworthy, the work of Mission to North America. Please join us!

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, March 31, 2024

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Holy week is the crescendo of the Christian calendar, because the crucifixion and resurrection are the center of the Christian faith. Without the shedding of blood, as Paul reminds us, “there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22), and if Christ has never been raised from the dead, then our “faith is futile and we’re still in our sins...and we of all people are most to be pitied.” (I Corinthians 15:17, 19)

However, because Jesus died for us, and rose again from the grave, we are the most blessed! For Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities (Colossians 2:15) and put to death the last enemy, death (1 Corinthians 15:54). He became the first fruits from the dead (I Corinthians 15:20), and by that same power—Christ’s resurrection power—the grave will not hold us either. Listen and believe.

• “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

• “We will not all die, but we will all be changed...in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians15:51-52

Herein is hope, friends. Hope for the world. Hope for eternity. Hope for us...Hope for you.

The quality of our celebration today should match the importance of what we are celebrating—the most important reality of life and eternity, the death and resurrection of Christ. There is simply no risk of overdoing the celebration. If there was ever a time for worshipful abandon, for giving yourself to wonder, love, and praise, that time is now. Join with the angels in heaven, and the saints from all the ages, and worship the risen Christ in Spirit and in truth. The tomb is empty, and the gospel is true. Let the celebration begin!

“Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion.”—John Stott

“The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, in human nature descended into His own universe and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle.”—C. S. Lewis

“The whole gospel is encapsulated in the proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”—George Eldon Ladd

“The resurrection of Christ is the seal of the great work that He came on earth to do. It was the crowning proof that the ransom He paid for sinners was accepted, the atonement for sin accomplished, the head of him who had the power of death bruised, and the victory won.”—J. C. Ryle

“Grant me more and more of the resurrection life: may it rule me,
may I walk in its power,
and be strengthened through its influence.”

—The Valley of Vision

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, March 17, 2024

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Grace, mercy, and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you’re a visitor with us today, we want to thank you for taking time to worship with us. We sincerely hope you are warmly welcomed by those around you, and that your time in worship today will be a great blessing.

If this is your first time with us, you might notice it’s pretty tight in here. We want you to know we see that. As a partial answer to the good problem of growth at Cornerstone, we’re in the process of finishing a complete renovation of the bottom floor of our educational space. Once that space is finished, we’ll have a brand-new fellowship space and a greatly expanded overflow. We trust this expansion will give us a bit more elbow room in the Chapel.

By the way, renovation is moving along. Sheetrock is hung and painted. Sinks and toilets are in the bathrooms. It’s getting close! I’m not a prophet or a son of a prophet, but IF the renovation stays on schedule, we’ll be in the new space by April. Exciting!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The latter half of March will be chock full of opportunities to worship, reflect, and celebrate together. As hard as it is to believe, we’re one week away from Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week. In order to help you be fully engaged with Cornerstone during Holy Week, I want to take a few moments to talk about upcoming services.

The Maundy Thursday communion service will be at 6:30 p.m. this year. The word “maundy” is an abbreviated form of the word mandate. It refers to the powerful display of Christ’s love as he washes his disciples feet and charges them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:35). This beautiful communion service lays important historical and theological foundations for all that will follow on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Speaking of Good Friday, we will gather for two services this year—at 5:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. This service is a powerful reflection on the Passion of Jesus Christ. Complete with choir and chamber orchestra, this service leads the worshiper into Christ’s darkest hour as together we survey the wondrous cross. Given the significant turnout for this service the last few years, we are asking you to register for either the 5:00 or the 7:00 service. Once we reach critical mass in a service, registration for that service will close. Please don’t delay!

Then, on Easter morn, we’ll gather three times—7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:45 a.m.—and rejoice in Christ’s victory over the grave. With three services, we will have plenty of space for family, friends, and neighbors to join us. If you haven’t done so yet, please take time this week to consider who you might invite to join us for Easter. I am already looking forward to preaching about our victorious Christ!

Your servant,