2008: A Year of Transition

  • John Kinyon
  • Jan 26, 2008

 

A Year of Transition

In a few months Cornerstone will be celebrating its 7th anniversary as a church.  Much has changed since that first Public Easter Service in 2001 held in the Dooling Hall auditorium.  And this year is no exception.  In fact, this year promises to be the biggest year of transition yet as we prepare and [then] plant our first daughter church.  

 

A Little History

Planting churches was not on the mind of the original core group 10 years ago.  In the spring of 1998, four brave couples began meeting together each Sunday evening at 7:00pm to pray for the Lehigh Valley and its churches.  Initially, as I understand it, they were simply seeking a bible-believing, evangelical church to belong to, and invite their friends to.  This goal (of finding a church) evolved into a vision to plant an evangelical church that was both biblical and theologically sound.  This qualification led them to the PCA and in November of 1998, to being recognized as a mission church in the PCA under the name of "Cornerstone Presbyterian Church" by the Philadelphia Presbytery.  With no pastor, no congregation, no site and no idea what they were doing, they embarked on the journey of locating a church planter. 

 

In late 1999, Claire and I first contacted the core group ... after discovering one of their promotional pieces on a table in the student lounge at RTS in Orlando.  After much prayerful consideration, we accepted their call to plant Cornerstone and we moved to the valley on June 1, 2000.  During a weekend getaway to pray and hammer out a draft vision statement, our vision once again evolved.  We all sensed that God was doing something bigger than just planting another church ... He was calling us to be a church whose vision was to be a catalyst for planting many churches across the Valley.  And that became the catalyst for our current vision:  to proclaim the gospel and to plant gospel-centered churches across the Lehigh Valley. 

 

Gospel-Driven

Besides our current vision statement, the strategy to plant gospel-centered churches is reflected in certain core values that have taken root here at Cornerstone over the last 7 years.  (Based in part on notes from Dr. Dick Kauffman.) What makes Cornerstone so unique in the Lehigh Valley is the way in which we relate to God's Word (the Bible), to the world we live in, and to ourselves. 

  
Gospel-Centered

In relation to God's Word, Cornerstone is a gospel-centered church.  We believe that the gospel changes everything, and that the Gospel is not just good news for unbelievers, but it is the power by which believers grow in their relationship with God. In fact, we read the entire bible as the Gospel, and we preach and teach the gospel in every sermon and every lesson.  We see the gospel as the "milk" and "meat" of God's word.  Not just the ABC's of our faith, but the A-to-Z of Christianity.  IOW, we don't move beyond the gospel to something deeper; there is nothing deeper than the gospel.   In short, we view the world and the church through the lens of the gospel.  This means our understanding of the world and the church and how to address its needs and problems will be based on the gospel.

 

Missional 

Secondly, in relation to the world, Cornerstone is a Missional church.  We see the Lehigh Valley as our primary mission field. By missional, I mean that we are a church "for" the Valley (its culture and people) where God has placed us - and throughout the world.  Some churches are so "of" the culture that they lose their distinctiveness.  Other churches are so "against" the culture they lose their relevance. And still other churches are so "above" the culture that they "super-spiritualize" life and, therefore, lose their point of contact.  On the other hand, by being "for" the culture, Cornerstone engages the culture in order to transform it.  

 

Grace Renewal

Lastly, in relation to ourselves personally, to us we are a Grace Renewal church.  We live and grow by grace through faith in the Gospel of JC, personally and individually.  We regularly preach the Gospel to ourselves, love our neighbors, and pray it forward through kingdom-centered prayer ... all done in a community of grace.  We are a "new" people, not "nice" people, who believe that the gospel can change anyone.  We motivate with grace, not guilt, and participate in grace renewal in all spheres (personal, church, and social).

 

We are a gospel centered, missional, and a grace renewal church.  And these traits are not only a biblical mandate for our church, but I believe these are gospel qualities that everyone needs today. You and I need it.  Our neighbors need it.  Churches across the Valley need to proclaim it.  Sadly, many are not.

 

And so, from its inception, the vision of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church has been to ignite a church-planting movement that so fills the Lehigh Valley with the Gospel of Jesus Christ that the people of the region are changed in every dimension - spiritually, personally, socially and culturally.

 

Now some of you are not so enthusiastic about church planting.  You are saddened about the prospect of saying good bye to good friends.  You are concerned about the financial health of two churches vs. one.  And the leadership gaps that multiplying our church will produce.  For some of you, the idea of one large church is more attractive than multiple churches.  After all, large churches have the resources and programs to be full-service congregations, right?

 

Despite this "bigger is better" mentality, statistics do not support the assumption that size is necessarily the best way to reach people with the gospel.  Although large churches are often more cost effective than small churches, new churches are more effective than large churches, particularly in evangelism.  On a per-capita basis, new churches win more people to Christ than established churches.  Illustration:  Bruce McNichol explained the findings of his research in Interest Magazine:

 

  • a. Churches under 3 years of age win an average of 10 people to Christ per year for every 100 church members;
  • b. Churches 3-15 years of age win an average of 5 people per year for every 100 church members; and
  • c. Churches over 15 years of age win an average of 3 people per year for every 100 church members.

 

Clearly, the newer a congregation is, the more effective that church is in reaching those who do not know Christ.  Quote:  So if we know that new churches reach more people per capita, and if we value reaching the unchurched, we must agree with C. Peter Wagner; "The single most effective evangelistic metholodology under heaven is planting new churches." 

 

But while large church advocates focus on developing larger congregations for a region, others advocate the presence of only one evangelical church per region or neighborhood.  But this thinking is a primary reason the church-to-population ratio is declining in our country.  Churches often die because the demographics change and/or its people move away.  Yet new churches are not often started to replace them.  As a result, there has been a significant nationwide decline in the church-to-population ration. 

 

Illustration:  According to Thomas Clegg and Warren Bird:

 

  • a. In 1900, 27 churches existed for every 10,000 Americans.
  • b. In 1950, 17 churches existed for every 10, 000 Americans.
  • c. In 1996, 11 churches existed for every 10,000 Americans.

 

In 1900, the Census Bureau counted 212,000 churches.  In 1995, the number of churches that existed in the US was 345,406.  Although the number of churches has increased by just over 50% during the past century, the US population has increased 300 %!  Today, it is even worse!

 

If those facts don't persuade you of the critical need for more gospel-proclaiming churches, consider these local facts.  Illustration:  A recent Penn State study of Religious Practices in our state revealed that only 20% of the residents in Lehigh and Northampton Counties attend any church on a regular basis.  And the number of churches seeing fewer than 100 attenders each week continues to rise.  Many of these churches are on the verge of closing.  And at last count, there are 4-6 churches in the Valley that have closed down and are up for sale.  (Unfortunately, none of them are in Center Valley!)

 

Folks, facts and experience have convinced me that the need for the gospel is greater than ever!  And not just among the unchurched (the 80% who don't attend church) but among the many church attenders too who make up the remaining 20%.   Few churches are proclaiming the gospel, and that is why we need more and more gospel-centered churches. 

 

This year, Lord willing, we will be sending Jim and Kori Powell (and others) off to plant this kind of a church in the Emmaus/Lower Macungie area.  Now I know that many of you are remain uncertain about the timing or wisdom of planting another church at this time.  And so, for the rest of our time tonight, I'd like to address some of your concerns.  One of the most common questions I get asked is:

 

1.      Who Should Leave Cornerstone to Plant the new Church with the Powells? 

My short answer is ... anybody who lives in the Emmaus/Lower Macungie area.  Similarly, I would encourage everyone else to continue at Cornerstone, with the hope that someday, God willing, we'll plant more churches across the Valley.   We would like to see Gospel-centered churches in Bethlehem and Bethlehem township, Nazareth, downtown Easton, Hellertown, Allentown, Whitehall, Catasaqua and so on.  That said, there may be exceptions to my geographic rule, but rest assured that neither I nor anyone else can "make" you attend one or the other church.  The final choice is between you and God. 

 

2.      How will planting a church effect Cornerstone? 

The most obvious impact will be in reduced numbers and financial resources.  We currently see anywhere from 225 and 250 people each week.  It is certainly possible that 50 to 75 people will join Jim and Kori in their church plant.  But it is not uncommon for churches that reproduce themselves and lose people in the process, to see their numbers replenished in a years time.  No guarantees, of course, but then our security was never in numbers or dollars anyway, but in Jesus Christ who issued us the following marching orders: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20)

 

But there are some benefits to these changes too.  Smaller and leaner allows us to retain intimacy.  It gives us room to grow (we're crowded here).  It also provides additional opportunities for others to take on leadership roles, and rejuvenates our missional role in the community.

 

As for the impact a church plant will have on our youth ministries, C3 and Women by Design ministries, I'm not sure.  It is probable that youth ministries will be handled separately by each church, but it is also possible that C3 and the women's ministry could become either a Valley-wide ministry that serves both (and maybe more) churches, or they might become local outreaches of the two churches.  These are matters that will be discussed and decided over the Spring with the respective ministry leaders.  Much depends on the availability and vision of these leaders, as well as available resources. 

 

3.      How will the church plant be funded?   

In short, Jim is working on a budget that will probably exceed $100k/year.  Funding sources will come from Jim's own support raising, local churches (including Cornerstone), Presbytery and - once the church starts holding public worship services - the tithes and offerings of the attenders.  Initially, much of the financial support will come from Cornerstone and continue in reduced fashion over a period of 3-4 years.  Since the new church will not be planted until the next budget cycle,  we ask that you continue your principal giving to Cornerstone until you hear otherwise.  [Let me show you a chart to explain this.]  Now, the total support from Cornerstone will be determined later, and be adjusted to reflect the financial support the church plant receives from its attenders, as well as the financial health of Cornerstone.  If his income from offerings is strong, there is less need of support from us; and if offerings are smaller than anticipated, than Cornerstone may need to increase its support.  Bottom line: the goal is not to weaken either church, but to insure that both are financially healthy.  This will require you to perhaps increase your giving - particularly if we are ever to hire another church planting apprentice to replace Jim. 

 

4.      We have lots of needs as a church; is this good timing?  

The fact of the matter is, in a broken world, Cornerstone will always be in need, and needy.  That is not a bad thing, but the best place to be in for God to usher in change.  Last Sunday I shared in my message that Jesus' request to feed 5000+ people with 5 loaves of bread and two fish was an impossible task.  That it would take a miracle to succeed.  And I said that if you go out knowing its impossible, knowing you are unqualified, knowing it will take a miracle, and you go out to do it anyway, then and only then will Jesus do his restoration work through you. Do you remember?  The same is true here.  Cornerstone will always have needs.  Always.  And I hope we always will, because it is only then that we can step out in faith. 

 

Quote:  One commentator said it perfectly: "It is not God's intention that we should be in ourselves adequate to our tasks.  Rather he wants that we should be inadequate.   If we only accept the tasks which we think are adapted to our powers, we are not responding to the call of God.  The church is always in a crisis, and always will be.  Difficulties, limitations, insoluble problems, lack of people and money, a menacing outlook, endless misunderstandings and misrepresentations, we are not only to do our work despite these things, they are precisely the conditions requisite for the doing of it." 

 

In other words, we are not only supposed to do the work that Jesus gives us despite those things, they are the pre-requisites for it.  Only the inadequate are adequate.  Only when you know it is going to take a miracle for the things that you are being called to do by Jesus to happen, and you go do it anyway, will he begin to work through you.  The same principle exists here!  Rather than inhibit us, our inadequacies drive us to our knees and to the resources that only God can provide. 

 

5.      So what is next for Cornerstone? 

As I mentioned earlier, I am working on a 1-year plan for Cornerstone.  We will, of course, continue our gospel focus in our preaching and teaching ministries.  We are exploring ways to build greater intimacy among our people, and to start our Christian Education ministries this year.  We just don't have the space right now!  We continue to look for a more permanent worship location, and our office lease terminates in 4 months.  If our finances permit it, I would like to hire another qualified church planting apprentice whose principal church ministry would be our growing middle and high school ministries. Planting a church opens the door to all kinds of additional gospel opportunities. 

 

6.      How will the churches be related? 

We explored becoming a multi-congregational church last year, but for a number of reasons decided not to.  Instead, Cornerstone will be "hiving" off people to plant a separate PCA church. And like Cornerstone in the early days, Jim's church will be governed by a temporary board of elders, made up of local clergy and lay elders to assist Jim in overseeing the church.  As Presbyterians, we are connected theologically and ecclesiastically.  And I imagine - with our ties and similar visions - we will probably do more together than most churches do.  So, in sum, we will be two separate and distinct churches, but connected through our church and denominational ties.

 

7.      So what should I do?   

3 things:  First, pray for Cornerstone and the church plant.  We covet your prayers and need the Lord's guidance, and blessing. 

 

Second, as a family you will need to decide which church you will become part of over the Spring.  If you live in the Lower Macungie/Emmaus area, I would encourage the rest to remain here at Cornerstone.    

 

Third and last, both churches are going to need your time, talents and tithes more than ever.  Ask the Lord what role you should play.  For some of you, it might be stepping up to fill a leadership role.  For others of you, it might mean increasing your giving so that both churches are financially sound, and able to hire needed staff.  And for all of us, planting a new church offers us a rare opportunity to reach out to our neighbors in new and fresh ways with the gospel. 

 

Are you willing to step out in faith?  To allow the Lord to multiply your loaves and fishes to satisfy the enormous needs of the world?  

 

"14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"   (Romans 10:14-15)

 

Amen.