Cornerstone Christian Church
Joplin, Missouri
Welcome to Cornerstone Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri
Hi! My name is Tyler Edwards, minister here at Cornerstone Christian Church. I am really glad you have stopped by to check out our website. This is an opportunity for you to get to know who we are and what we are about as a church. It is also our opportunity to connect with you!
On our site, you will find a lot of information about our beliefs and core values. You are free to explore those in a moment, but first I want to tell you who we are and what we are really about. Our vision at Cornerstone is to see the church and the community joining together to become passionate followers of Jesus. This is not just something for Sunday morning services, but something we hope to see every day in the lives of every person.
At Cornerstone, we believe that in order to pursue Jesus in our lives we must invest ourselves in three areas: truth - the word of God and His message for us; action - when we apply that truth to our lives and live out our faith by serving and investing in God's kingdom; and family - not only our own families, but the family of believers that exists within the church. We believe these three areas to be key in the pursuit of a Jesus.
We are not interested in denominations or little differences that may exist between us. We are interested in working together in unity. One of my greatest passions is to see the church become unified in its pursuit of a dynamic relationship with Jesus.
I hope that as you look around this site and see a little more about who we are that you will see even in the details the passion and love we have for God. We hope that what you will find here is that in becoming like Jesus, we are pursuing a different kind of life.
I hope that you enjoy your visit and if you have any questions please feel free to contact us. I hope that God blesses you today.
About the Church, the Community, and the Family of God
The goal of Cornerstone Christian Church is to join together to become passionate followers of Jesus by providing a place where believers can grow and develop a balanced Spiritual life that consists of family, action, and truth. This balanced life will naturally provide a deeper more meaningful relationship with Christ and other believers.
We believe that there are three basic elements to a balanced Spiritual life. This balance is vital to the growth, development, satisfaction and achievement of purpose for every Christian. So, it is our goal as a church to help develop a proper balance in the lives of everyone who is a part of Cornerstone Christian Church. These are the three elements we believe are important to Spiritual development:
The church is not a building, but a community of believers. This community, by its nature, should be a relational community. Inside each and every person there exists a certain need for relationships, connections, and community. We were created to need each other.
God is a communal God who exists in three parts and in one. We, being created in His image, also have a need for relationships. So the first element of a balanced Christian lifestyle is that of family.
The church body here at Cornerstone is a family. We are all the children of God. The community that we have and the unity that exists in the body of Christ should be very much like the bond that exists in healthy families. We want Cornerstone Christian Church to be a place that is both family friendly, and that actually is a family that the body becomes a part of. It is our hope that everyone involved at Cornerstone will come to see the church as their family and that they will develop close meaningful relationships with these people. This is the first step to a balanced Christian life.
The second component of a balanced Christian life is that of action. Christianity is not just about believing the right things, but also about doing the right things. Our actions do not save us because salvation comes through grace, not through works. However, without action, our faith is useless and without faith we cannot accept grace. So action is not just an important part of the Spiritual life ... it is a vital part of it. Action is living out and developing a proper Christian lifestyle. While service is a big way in which action can occur, it is not the only way. Action includes development, the application of truth to your life, movement, progression, character improvement, and the building of Spiritual disciplines. It is our goal as a church to help teach, train, and develop the action aspect of the lives of everyone in the church.
There are few things more important than truth. Without truth, life is meaningless. We believe that the Scriptures are the ultimate authority on truth and that they give us instructions on how to live. The truth aspect of the Christian life comes not just from reading the Bible, but it is found in Christian teaching and preaching. We offer Wednesday night services and Sunday morning services as a way to help get truth into the life of every Christian here at Cornerstone Christian Church. Proper actions require proper understanding and belief. In order to have a proper belief, we must know the truth. So we work hard to provide services that teach the truth of God's word and how we are to live. As truth is developed in the life of every believer and they begin to apply that truth to their life, they will inevitably grow deeper in their relationship with Christ.
A balanced Spiritual life consists of family, action, and truth. We believe that if you are actively involved in these three areas in some way that it will enrich your life. This will lead you to a deeper relationship with Christ, it will mature you as a Christian, and it will also improve the quality of your life. Being a Christian is about more than just the title, it is a way of life. As water, food, and air are important for your physical life, these elements of family, action, and truth are important for your Spiritual life.
What We Believe About God, Jesus, the Bible and Worship
We are committed to joining together to become passionate followers of Jesus.
To develop a community pursuing a different kind of life centered on action, truth, and family.
We believe the Bible is the divine word of God. It is God's love letter and guide to His children. The Bible was written by human writers through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and in its original language was without error. The Bible is the only completely reliable source of truth and authority on how man should live. We also believe it is important to study and equip ourselves with Scripture so we can be prepared to defend or share our faith when we are called to do so.
We believe God is the creator and sustainer of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons. God is our Father, who loved us so much that while we were still sinners, He sent His one and only Son to die for us so that we could enter life with Him.
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God. When He came to Earth, He was both fully man and fully God. He lived a perfect life without sin. Out of His great love for us He offered His own life as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Jesus died once for the sins of all men. He came and died on a cross and on the third day was resurrected from the dead. Thus, through His sacrifice, we have victory over sin and death. After His resurrection He ascended to glory and sat down at the right hand of God. He will one day rule the world as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one enters heaven by any other way. He is the exclusive path to God. Jesus is our bridge to God that overcomes the separation sin has caused in our lives. Jesus is the source of our salvation and our eternal life.
We believe the Holy Spirit is God's active agent in the world today. He convicts us, moves us, encourages us, helps us, and brings us to salvation. He gives power to our prayer, strength to our lives, and rejuvenation to our souls. Those who invite him will have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Holy Spirit provides discernment, wisdom, and guidance. The Holy Spirit is the agent that calls us to a relationship with God.
We believe that Salvation is a result of the work of God in our lives. We all have sinned and in our sins we have distanced ourselves from God. The penalty for this sin is death and eternal separation from God. But God sent His only Son to pay the penalty of sin for us. Christ died so that through him we all might come to salvation. Through belief in the Son, man may be saved. Man is saved by grace, through faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is a gift from God that men have the ability to reject. Those who accept God's grace and believe in Him and His Son will be saved and enter eternal life. To help us in this process, God sent the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins and lead us to repentance.
We believe baptism is a natural response of faith by those who believe the words of Jesus. Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a representation of our following Christ into death, burial, and resurrection. Just as Christ died, was buried, and rose again, at baptism a believer dies, is buried, and rises again to a new life with Christ. It is in baptism that we die to our sins, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and enter a new life as a servant of Christ. Baptism is a sign of our repentance and surrender to Jesus Christ. It washes our sins away, and identifies us with the body of Christ.
We believe that Salvation is a result of the work of God in our lives. We all have sinned and in our sins we have distanced ourselves from God. The penalty for this sin is death and eternal separation from God. But God sent His only Son to pay the penalty of sin for us. Christ died so that through him we all might come to salvation. Through belief in the Son, man may be saved. Man is saved by grace, through faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is a gift from God that men have the ability to reject. Those who accept God's grace, repent and believe in Him and His Son will be saved and enter eternal life.
We believe the church is the body of Christ. We are His children ... His bride. The church is the people who share a belief in Jesus Christ. Together, with their various gifts and talents, they are equipped to stand as a light in the darkness. It is the job of the church to reach people for Christ. Our mission is to make disciples of all nations. It is also the job of the church to be a community of believers who love and care for each other. The church is not the building, it is the people. It is not one congregation, but all of the children of God. The church is a community of people who hold each other up and stand together against the work of the devil in the world. The church is the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of the church.
Communion is a time when we come together as the body of Christ and remember our Lord's sacrifice for us. We partake of the Lord's Supper as a statement of faith, as well as a way to remember Christ Jesus. During this time believers examine themselves, confess their sins, examine their relationships with their fellow believers, recommit themselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, and focus their thoughts on the sacrifice of Christ. We observe communion weekly to make sure Jesus' death on the cross for our sins remains a central part of our faith, and worship until he returns.
We believe that the great commission should be a way of life. We try to live out Christ's command for us to make disciples of all nations. This is more than just winning converts, but also a process of helping people build deep, personal relationships with the Almighty God. This great commission is a basis for our commitment to evangelism, discipleship, and missions. Evangelism is one of the central aspects of a church's responsibility in this world.
We believe that Christian is not a title, but a lifestyle. The word Christian means ‘little Christ,' so by its very definition, a Christian should be an image of Christ. Our goal is to imitate Christ and live and love in the way he did while he was on earth. We seek to fulfill his mission and to bring the world to a better relationship with God. The Christian life is about more than just believing in the right things. It is about making Christ the Lord of your life and submitting yourself to His plan and purpose for your life.
We believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Not only that, but when Jesus returns for His church, we will also have a resurrection and will be taken with Christ to Heaven forever. The believer will live forever in paradise, whereas the unbeliever will live forever in punishment. Heaven and Hell are both very real places.
Core Values
Prayer is our communication with God. This is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life. When we pray, we are setting apart time to spend with God to share our lives with Him and give Him the opportunity to speak to us. This time of communication is a fundamental aspect of developing a relationship with God which is essential for Salvation.
We believe that every Christian is a child of God. Through our faith we are all related. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. As such the church is not just a place where families come but when we gather we are all a family. The relationships that exist inside the church should be as strong or stronger than those that exist between relatives.
We believe that worship is about more than just singing songs of praise. Worship is not just a song, it is a lifestyle. Everything we do from our service to the investment of our time is a reflection of how we worship God. Authentic worship is not done by singing but by living a Godly lifestyle.
We believe that there are few things as important in a church as unity. As the body of Christ we must all work together for the glory of God. We are a part of His church and in service to God there is no place for division or disunity. We must learn to put our differences aside and be one so that Christ's bride may be unified and pure.
We believe that it is the responsibility of every Christian not only to believe, but to live out their faith. This action includes things like evangelism, outreach, service, personal study, spiritual growth, and application of God's word to our lives. Action is an essential principle of growth and cannot be neglected in the life of any true believer.
We believe that salvation is not a byproduct of church attendance or religious routine, but a result of a relationship with God. Grace is something that is obtained through knowing God and, more importantly, God knowing us. The relationships we have in this world are to serve as examples or models to help us develop our relationship with God.
We believe that lost and hurting people are important to God. Jesus spent more time on Earth ministering to lost and broken people than He did with religious leaders. God is passionate about the lost and desires that everyone be saved. Therefore, it is only right for the church to set the lost as a priority in the mission of carrying out the Great Commission.
We believe that the message of the Gospel can be summed up in a single word: love. The Bible is God's love letter to us and it tells the story of His love for us. The greatest commandment in the law is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. You cannot maintain a Christian life without love.
We believe that in order to love and to have a community, there must be hospitality. The church must be a welcoming place that treats others with the love and compassion of God. Hospitality is an essential discipline in the life of any Christian. We want to create a community where everyone feels welcome and people can come to God as they are without feeling judged or marginalized for their imperfections.
We believe that it is essential to know the truth. Without an intimate knowledge of the truth, one cannot hope to live a Godly life. We believe the truth comes from the Word of God and that in no other place can we find absolute truth. Truth is not discovered. Truth is not found from within or what we might think or feel it should be. Truth is revealed through a relationship with Christ. That truth is exclusive and absolute.
We believe that it is essential for every Christian to be involved in service. This is simply to use their gifts and abilities for the good of the community of the church and the kingdom of God. The greatest in the kingdom of God are the servants. We want to encourage an atmosphere of service so that through our work God may be glorified.
Contact the Church Minister at Cornerstone Joplin
For more information about Cornerstone Christian Church, please visit this website once you download Adobe Flash Player. Or, contact us via phone or email:
tedwards@cornerstonejoplin.org
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