Pastoral Notes for Sunday, September 7, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family, 

On the behalf of the elders, I am pleased to announce the beginning of a nomination, training, and election cycle for new officers at Cornerstone. In our denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, it is the sober and joyous responsibility of communing members to nominate qualified men for the office of elder and deacon.

To help you prepare for nomination season, please pick up the Officer Nomination Booklet at both entrances to Cornerstone this morning. The Officer Nomination Booklet includes important information like elder and deacon job descriptions and Cornerstone’s vision for leadership. It also includes timely details about the officer nomination process, qualifications, training, examination, and election.

Below are a few important matters to keep in mind as you prepare to submit nominations:

·      Nomination season will open two weeks from today on Sunday, September 21 and close Sunday, October 5.
·      All nominations must be submitted in writing or electronically by using the Officer Nomination Form (to be published on Sunday, September 21).
·      Only Cornerstone members are eligible to nominate for office. The person making the nomination must identify himself or herself in the nomination.
·      Only male Cornerstone members who have been members for a minimum of one year are eligible for nomination.
·      Each nomination should be put forward for either the office of elder or deacon. Ultimately, discernment for a particular office will be evaluated and determined by the Session after a season of training.
·      After successfully completing training and examination, the Session will recommend qualified candidates to be elected as officers. An officer election will be held in a called congregational meeting.

The responsibility to nominate officers should be approached with biblical wisdom and prayerful deliberation. For the next two weeks, please take time to read the elder and deacon job descriptions in the Officer Nomination Booklet. Pay special attention to biblical qualifications for office outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. With the job descriptions and qualifications in mind, begin identifying qualified men you know in the congregation and nominate them.  

Finally, and most importantly, pray for this process. Pray the Lord would use your preparation and active participation in this vital work to raise up more officers in our midst.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, August 31, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family, 

For the Pastoral Notes today, I’ve asked our dear sister, Lindsey Elliott, to report on the ministry of Oaks of Righteousness and their upcoming fundraiser. —Nate

I want to take a moment to share from my heart and to say thank you. As many of you know, our family leads a nonprofit called Oaks of Righteousness. We serve in Belize by helping children go to school. Because school is not free in Belize, families often cannot afford tuition, uniforms, books, and supplies. Without help, many kids are left out of the classroom altogether. Through sponsorships, we are able to cover these costs, provide access to feeding programs, and open the door to education. 

Even more important than education, our heart is to see children and their families know Christ. That is why we partner with local churches in Belize. We want to meet practical needs while pointing people to the hope of the gospel.

From the very beginning of this journey, you as a church have been by our side. You have prayed, you have sponsored children, you have donated resources, and you have given financially. The books you collected this month were such a gift. Your encouragement has sustained us more than you know, and we are truly grateful. The work in Belize would not be possible without you.

Every year we host one big fundraiser that makes it possible to continue our mission. This year’s event, The UnBelizeable Race, is happening on Saturday, October 18 at Harlinsdale Farm. It will be a day for the whole family with a 5K, a one-mile fun run, and field events for all ages. Whether you love to run, enjoy being outside, or just want to cheer others on, there is a place for you. We also need volunteers, and we have an Amazon wish list with specific needs for the event.

You can scan the QR code. below for all the details—including registration, volunteer sign-ups, and our wish list. We also have a table set up out front today! I would love for you to stop by, say hello, and learn more about how you can be involved.

Thank you for walking alongside us in this work. Together, we are making it possible for children to be educated, families to be supported, and most importantly, lives to be changed by the gospel.

With gratitude,
Lindsey Elliott

 

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, August 24, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family,  

It was a great joy to look out last week from the pulpit and see so many of our New College Franklin students back with us. I even got the chance to meet a few brand-new college freshmen. Welcome, students!

For those of you who may be unaware, New College Franklin (NCF) is a four-year classical Christian liberal arts college dedicated to excellent academics and discipling relationships among students and faculty. Cornerstone has long had the privilege of hosting NCF in our building during the week. Moreover, several NCF professors are members at Cornerstone, and over the years we’ve been blessed to be the church home for scores of NCF students. 

If you are a freshman at NCF, we are so grateful you’re here! Going to college is an exciting (and nerve-wracking) time. On the church side of things, please know Cornerstone is here to help ease the transition in any way we can. We sincerely hope you find Cornerstone to be a warm and welcoming place in which to worship, grow, and experience life-giving fellowship. If you have specific needs or questions about the church, please reach out to us. You’re in our prayers!  

In other news, the start of Midweek at Cornerstone is a little over three weeks away! On September 17, our fall programming on Wednesday nights will begin with a catered fellowship meal followed by a full slate of children’s, youth, and adult activities. It’s going to be a blast, and I know you’ll want to be a part of it.

For our Midweek Vespers series, we are going to explore the lives of ten influential missionaries. Spanning over four hundred years, these valiant men and women faced unspeakable trials and difficulties for the cause of the gospel. In this series, you will be inspired by the lives of these choice servants while learning mission-critical lessons for bearing witness for Christ in your everyday lives. Please join us!  

Attempt Great Things: Ten Missionaries Who Changed the World  

September 17 – John Eliot (1604-1690): Bearing Witness to the Culture Next Door 
September 24 – David Brainerd (1718-1747): The Importance of New Life  
October 1 – William Carey (1761-1834): The Duty to Evangelize the World  
October 8 – Henry Martyn (1781-1812): Engaging Other Religions with the Gospel
October 15 – Adoniram Judson (1788-1850): Enduring in Ministry Despite Little Fruit
October 22 – David Livingstone (1813-1873): The Whole Gospel for the Whole Man
October 29 – William Charles Burns (1815-1868): Bold Preaching for Conversion  
November 5 – John G. Paton (1824-1907): Courage in Reaching the Unreached  
November 12 – Mary Slessor (1848-1915): Compassion for the Least of These  
November 19 – Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015): Surrendering to God’s Will

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, August 17, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family,  

During the Sunday School hour today, we will gather for a Cornerstone Family Meeting. We have plenty of good news to rejoice in together and much to consider and pray about as we receive important updates on the life, health, and direction of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.

One item we will discuss is the financial report below. Helpfully, the Finance Team has pulled together a 2024-2025 year-end report as well as a summary of our 2025-2026 budget. Please join us as we rejoice over God’s kind provision this last fiscal year, and please pray with us for the Lord’s continued provision into this next fiscal year. We have so much to be thankful for.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, August 10, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family,  

After such a great start in Genesis and Exodus, many Bible readers lose steam in Leviticus. A few chapters in and they find themselves commiserating with J.L. Mays who said, “Leviticus is as barren and unknown as the dry, trackless wilderness of its setting.” Ouch!

For those who dare to keep reading, confusion and disgust usually follow. Graphic depictions of ritual sacrifices, arcane laws about skin rashes and bodily discharges, detailed instructions about feasts and fasts, frightening stories of God’s judgment. Let me guess, not exactly what you’re looking for?

And yet, the best biblical scholars throughout history agree—Leviticus is essential to our grasp of the Bible’s story. Through its many strange laws and statutes, Leviticus invites us into the center of the drama of redemption, providing the theological basis for understanding the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In our study of this rarely read, often misunderstood book, we will explore the rich complexity of the religious system of Israel and the enduring truths that inform it. Most surprisingly, we will witness the law of God given to Moses lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, our Sacrificial Lamb and Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 John 2:2).

Take time each week to click through the Preparation for Worship email that goes out Saturday evening. Listen to the hymns we’ll be singing, read the Worship Notes, and ponder the specific text on which the sermon will be based. Ask God to open your eyes and the eyes of your brothers and sisters to the marvelous mysteries of God’s grace in the book of Leviticus.

One final thing before I close. Several of you have told me you missed listening to the Life at the Corner podcast over the summer. Well, take heart, the wait is almost over! On Monday, August 18, the first episode of the new season will drop. I’m looking forward to addressing a host of biblical, theological, and cultural issues in this third season, often sharing the mic with esteemed guests. I’m having fun preparing for it, and I believe you’ll be blessed by listening to it.

If you did not know the church had a podcast, now you do! The goal of the podcast is simple: to address important matters at the intersection of life and faith with biblical wisdom. Season one and two are available now! Check it out wherever you get your podcasts and share it with friends, family, and neighbors.

Your servant,