Cornerstone

United Methodist Church

Charge Conference

Report of the Pastor

Marching to Zion!

September 30, 2002

Cornerstone United Methodist Church has experienced incredible blessing and ministry since my last report to the Charge Conference.  Without a doubt, opening the doors of our first church building was the high point of our year.  On February 24, 2002 we held our first worship service in our new building with 177 people in attendance.  The presence of God’s Holy Spirit was palpable as we exalted in what God had done for and through us.

In March of this year we began offering an early worship service at 9:30 a.m. as well as our regular 11:00 a.m. worship on Sunday mornings.  The early service features a more contemporary form of music as compared to our later service.  Moreover, we continue to offer weekly Eucharist at the early service as well as at the 11:00 a.m. service. The option of an early worship hour has been very well received by the community we serve.  We often have as many, if not more, people in attendance at the early service as we do at the later service. 

On July 14, 2002 the Rev. David Malloy, our District Superintendent presided over the consecration of our new sanctuary as a place of Christian worship and ministry.  Having our own building has enabled us to offer more ministry to our community than ever before.  Especially worth noting is the addition of our Wednesday evening children’s ministry, “FW Friends.”   Also, we continue to experiment with offering a Saturday evening coffee house ministry to the unchurched individuals in our area. Every aspect of the ministry of our church has been enhanced by having our own place to meet. 

We continue to reach out to our community in significant ways.  In September our congregation worked together to have a     BBQ and Fried Chicken Dinner fundraiser for the purpose of funding more outreach.  After preparing and selling 597 plates we have sufficient funds to reach approximately 14,500 homes with an impact card designed to ultimately present these families with the Good News about Jesus Christ.  We recognized the incredible stress the families (most of whom are connected with the military) in our area face on a daily basis.  Economic difficulties, indebtedness, child abuse, infidelity, and substance abuse are just a few of the challenges faced by folks in our community.  We pray the contact we offer through our Autumn outreach will be the first step in leading our neighbors to Christ and helping them to become faithful disciples.

Our church is healthy spiritually, numerically, and financially.  Small group fellowships offering Bible Study, Christian discipleship training, and encouragement remain the backbone of our congregation.  However, in order to avoid losing this vital element of Cornerstone’s life, we must continually emphasize small group involvement. 

Cornerstone United Methodist Church has grown in average weekly worship attendance from 114 in January to 187 in September.  This is an increase in attendance of 64%, making our church one of the fastest growing congregations in the NC Annual Conference.  Those persons who actually commit to church membership have been faithful to tithe, thus ensuring that we continue to meet our financial obligations as a local church.

The spiritual life of Cornerstone United Methodist Church is characterized by a Christ-like willingness to embrace others regardless of their differences.  This is especially obvious in that God has entrusted us with many people who have special needs.  Many of our attendees and members are physically, emotionally, or mentally challenged.  At Cornerstone, we recognize that these individuals are the precious and beautiful objects of God’s love.  I feel truly honored to serve a congregation that demonstrates its devotion to Jesus by opening its heart to those who feel marginalized in other areas of society.

My personal calling as the pastor of this church is to shape Christian disciples who are equipped by the grace of God through Word and Sacrament to become saints and martyrs in the classical Christian sense.  May God find me faithful in honoring this vocation on the Day I am called to give an account for the ministry he has entrusted to me.

Respectfully submitted,

  Rev. Benjamin S. Sharpe, Jr.                                     September 30, 2002                

The Rev. Benjamin S. Sharpe, Jr.                                                               Date

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