THIS WEEK AT CORNERSTONE
Special Service – This Sunday Peter Blitshteyn of Jews for Jesus will present “Christ in the Passover” at Cornerstone during our 1st hour and at 12:30 p.m. to present the message that Jesus is the Messiah to all people around the world. He and his wife, Olga, are from the former Soviet Union and are now U.S. citizens. Jesus’ Last Supper was actually a Jewish Seder to celebrate Passover. Peter Blitshteyn will recreate the traditional Passover service with a Seder and explain how it foreshadowed Jesus’ death and resurrection. Join us for “Christ in the Passover” which will take us from Egypt to Calvary to what it means for us today.
The “Christ in the Passover” presentation will also be presented to the Russian congregation at 12:30 p.m. and because they are using this as an outreach to the local Jewish community, they anticipate more children than usual. ♥ Adult and teen volunteers are urgently needed to help with child care. Please contact the office or Anne Parker if you can help.
A combined Good Friday Service with Old Orchard Presbyterian Church will be held on April 2nd at 7:00 p.m. This year the service will be at Cornerstone with Pastor Ron Lutjens giving the message. We will have a reception after the service featuring cookies, coffee and punch. Please consider bringing a plate of cookies to share ♥.
There will be no communion on Easter Sunday Morning, April 4th, as we anticipate more visitors than usual. Communion will be served the following Sunday, April 11th.
♥ Do you have time to touch a heart while you play? The Cornerstone MOPS ministry still needs an additional adult caregiver the first and third Thursday morning of each month from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. Homeschoolers who have a desire to work with children are more than welcome. The pay is $20, or you can volunteer your services to further benefit the ministry of MOPS. Contact Christine Mosley (314.324.3886) or Dana Stuemke (314.646.7597).
GENERAL COMMUNITY EVENTS
AGAIN! ♥ ThriVe St. Louis, formerly Pregnancy Resource Center, is looking for individuals who can help with numerous needs of the center. More and more people are troubled by the tragedy of abortion and want to do something positive and life-affirming, but aren’t sure what to do. Copies of the extensive list of needs are posted on the “Life” bulletin board in the church hallway. Please stop by, pick one up and give them a call. You will be welcomed with open arms!
The St. Louis BACKSTOPPERS will have a fundraiser on Friday, April 9th, 6:00 p.m. to Midnight at the Masonic Lodge, 12 W. Lockwood, (next to the Webster Groves City Hall) featuring music and comedy. The cost is $25.00 per person. Started in 1959, The BackStoppers provides needed support and financial assistance to the spouses and children of all local and county police officers, firefighters, publicly-funded paramedics and EMTs and volunteer fire protection units who have lost their lives performing their duty. Deaths from natural causes, illnesses or injuries are outside the organization’s scope. More information can be found on www.backstoppers.org.
BIBLE STUDIES
Rich Cartier leads a class on 1st Corinthians every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the church office. The plans are to continue this class into the fall. Please call, email, or tell Rich if you want to attend.
The Saturday morning Barnabas Project, open to men and women, is led by Pastor Terry and meets from 7:30 to 8:30 in the Fireplace Room using the Student Copy of the Men At The Cross One2Won cross training study guide. We encourage discipleship among ladies/young ladies as well as men/young men and this study helps each of us become familiar with and comfortable using a great tool for one-to-one or one-to-two discipleship. It is an extremely practical way of equipping men and women of Cornerstone to multiply disciple makers. Please come.
Two Russian Bible Studies continue every Wednesday, 6:15 p.m., at the Parkway Baptist facility. The adults are led by Ion Cheptene and the youth by Terry Reznikov. Child care is provided.
See “Men’s Ministry” below for information about current Men’s Bible Studies.
Our Women’s Ministry has two studies currently on the calendar. See details under “Women’s Ministry” below.
Many small groups meet at individual homes each week to fellowship and study the Bible. If you are not in a group and would like to be, contact Aaron Goldstein for more information or to be plugged in. aaron@cornerstonestaff.org
MISSIONS
♥ The Brockman family (Ernie, Denise, Trey and Eli) is going back to Mexico on another mission trip this summer (Saturday, June 19 through Saturday, June 26). They invite anyone interested to join them. Contact Ernie or Denise at 314.963.1295 or emb2x2@juno.com to learn more. So far, Mike Connelly and his son, Noah, will be joining the Brockman’s on this mission.
Be part of those who teach English to people overseas using the Bible and Skype right from their own home. This is a commitment of an hour per week. The number of students depends on your comfort level. ♥ If this interests you, please contact Ion or the church office. Ion has five groups who are waiting for someone – two intermediates of 2 people each and three beginners of 2 to 5 people each.
MEN’S MINISTRY
A Friday, 7:00 a.m., Men’s Bible Study moved to the First Watch in Kirkwood. The topic is One2Won discipleship, similar to the Saturday morning study. All men are welcome to attend.
A new men’s Bible study led by Ernie Brockman began yesterday, March 16th, 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Fireplace Room. Please contact Ernie at 314.963.1295 with questions and to RSVP.
WOMEN’S MINISTRY
Tuesday, 9:00-11:00 a.m. class. Karol Schoenfeld leads a study of the Book of Ruth. This class meets in the Junior Church Room. RSVP to karolschoenfeld@gmail.com.
“The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children” by Stormie Omartian, a 14-week Women’s Bible Study, meets on Tuesday Nights and is led by Marilyn McDonald. This class will continue through April 6th. They start at 6:30 p.m. with a bowl of soup, then study and pray until 8:30 p.m. If you have children in their late teens or beyond, this class is for you! To register and obtain required study texts, please e-mail Karol Schoenfeld at karolschoenfeld@gmail.com.
An EFCA Central District Women’s Retreat for the southern part of our district is scheduled for Friday thru Sunday, April 23-25 in Branson, Missouri. The title is “Beauty for Ashes for the Display of His Splendor” featuring Michelle Rickett as speaker. If you would like to go, please email karolschoenfeld@gmail.com ASAP – OR sign up in the Welcome Center Sunday!!
STUDENTS’ MINISTRY
On Saturday, April 17th, Ed Bielik is leading us on a Wild Triathlon 2010, an adventure to kick off the spring season. We will hike and have a “hands on” tour of a zoo at the Riverside Reptile Ranch (573.927.6253) in Stanton, MO, and have close encounters with gators, snakes, snapping turtles, lions, tigers, etc. Some animals will be handled by us. We will also explore a muddy cave. We leave from Cornerstone at 8:00 a.m. and return around 5:00 p.m. The cost for the ranch is $10.00 and for lunch is $5-10.00. See Aaron for a list of what to bring. Sign up in the Youth Room by Thursday, April 8th.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
PARENTS: On Palm Sunday morning, March 28th, our 2 and 3-4 year old preschoolers AND Kids’ Choir will sing during the 9:00 a.m. service and MUST be at church by 8:30 a.m. to get dressed as they will wear a costume. The SAME goes for Easter Sunday morning for our Kids’ Choir.
Could you help us ♥ with the following pre-school classes on these dates??
April 25 Help in 3’s/4’s
May 15 TEACH in the 2’s
PRAYER REQUESTS
Please continue to pray for Maggie Almquist, Ric and Kathy Oppelt’s daughter-in-law, who remains in the ICU at St. Mary’s Hospital fighting an infection in her bloodstream. Pray for Maggie, her husband Todd, children Olivia and Gus, the doctors, and for Ric and Kathy as they care for their grandchildren. Update: Maggie had surgery yesterday to close up some of the incisions in her biceps and they removed a small part of a muscle in one arm. She is still sedated and visitors are restricted. If you would like to send a card, please use Ric and Kathy’s address.
Update: Continue to pray for Lee Burns as Vicki writes: “We thank our Cornerstone Family for all your prayers and support, comforting us through visits, notes, meals and calls. We are blessed beyond measure to be part of such a loving family! Lee’s bleeding ulcer seems to have healed but the lack of blood thinners used during the healing process caused him to clot up. This was the cause of the two hospitalizations. Now he is fighting swelling (edema) though his stamina increases daily. An Endocrinologist took Lee off his diabetic meds because they cause weight gain and edema and replaced them with two meds which may even help him lose weight. He goes back to the Gastroenterologist on the 26th to verify the ulcer is under control (without taking him off his blood thinners this time). He continues his 3 nights per week teaching and is easing back into his full-time day job while working from home. God has strengthened me to keep two part-time jobs and schedule “down time” for myself to keep my perspective and fight exhaustion.”
Update: Tracey Calhoun received a defibrillator last week and says she is doing well. She follows up with her doctor today. Her restrictions are not to raise her arm above her shoulder or lift anything for 4-6 weeks. Pray for success with this procedure and a good recovery.
Continue to pray for the Russian Jews who invited Jesus into their hearts last November, for their growth in Christ, and for the Jewish community who are invited to attend this Sunday’s “Christ in the Passover” outreach presentation at 12:30 p.m. Also continue to pray for Cornerstone missionaries, students and those going through personal trials and health issues; and, for Immanuel, Pastor Todd and their congregation. Stop by the Prayer Table on Sunday to pick up an updated letter from Al and Edie Lewis, who train pastors world-wide through the EFCA.
Our Monday evening prayer group meets from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Junior Church Room; and, the 50/50 prayer group continually meets every Thursday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. in the Fireplace Room. Everyone is welcome to join either or both groups.
| If and when you have prayer requests, be sure to call or send them to the church office by Wednesday Noon so they can be included in this communiqué and in Sunday’s bulletin. |
SERVING CORNERSTONE
We can always use help somewhere. Sign up through the Welcome sheet in your Sunday bulletin or call or email the church office. Look at all the ♥ in this newsletter. This is a sampling of the volunteer opportunities available at Cornerstone. Many other opportunities are available as well. You are what makes Cornerstone, so come, volunteer and help us grow.
REMINDER! ♥ We continually collect used laser and ink jet printer cartridges and old cell phones for our silent recycling fundraiser – place them in the basket located by the elevator in the foyer.
| Note: If you need to schedule an event or meeting at Cornerstone, please call the church office to avoid over/double bookings and to have them posted on our web calendar. You can also check room availability on our church “web calendar” at www.cornerstonefreechurch.org where scheduled activities, meetings and classes are posted. |