One of the most frequent things we hear from visitors is, “This church is kind of different.” And we would have to agree! Cornerstone does do things a little differently, but there’s a reason for everything!
1. We don’t own a building.
We choose to meet in rented space instead of owning a building so we can use our resources for ministry and to help people here locally as well as nationally and internationally. Renting space also frees us up to worship in unexpected places. We sometimes meet in a city park or at a home in the mountains in the summer. And we’re ready to find another ‘regular’ location to worship in if we have to. The church is not the building; it is people, and we get our identity from God not the place we gather.
2. We don’t have a traditional “youth program.”
That’s because we do family style, not programs. Instead, kids of all ages are involved in everything we do! Kid help with the coffee cart ministry, with setting up and tearing down, in LIFE Groups, on the worship team… in short, kids are integrated absolutely everywhere we can, including welcoming them into the worship experience. Interacting with multiple godly adults in a safe environment not only helps our kids and teens grow socially, but spiritually. And parents get help and tools they need from ‘experts.’ (And check out Lost & Found too!)
3. You don’t have to dress up.
Cornerstone maintains a more casual atmosphere on Sunday mornings than some people expect so everyone can feel comfortable. We believe that God cares more about what’s inside you than your clothes anyway, so that’s what we want to focus on too. We celebrate in a casual atmosphere and with a worshipful attitude. And yes, you can have your coffee or tea or Italian soda with you during the service and look up scripture on your handheld device without raising eyebrows!
4. This is a church on the move.
Cornerstone takes the ‘community’ part of our name very seriously. Once a month in summer we set up in a city park and invite other churches to join us to worship out in the middle of town! Cornerstone has also helped produce the annual 4th of July fireworks as well as drilling wells in Haiti. We’ve had basketball teams, shooting teams, car racing teams, and have been known to have epic sand volleyball tournaments! We’ve even co-sponsored a championship award saddle for Round-Up. Lost & Found Youth Outreach is a big part of ministry to youth in Pendleton. You never know where Cornerstone will turn up next, but we’re always looking for ways we can add value to our community. We don’t just talk… we do!
5. You won’t ever pass an offering plate here.
Cornerstone people believe cheerfully giving is an act of worship. So on the first Sunday of each month we do an offering march together, and on all the other Sundays we put gifts in an offering box on the greeter’s table. (Just so you don’t feel awkward, you should know that some of us have a hard time remembering to bring a check on the right day, so no one thinks anything of folks doing the offering march out of sheer joy and not dropping anything in the bowl!)
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