2022 Annual Report
—January 2023—
This past year was a year of growth and change for Cornerstone. God has blessed us. We welcomed more new members than any year since we began in 2006. We continued to build on Sunday School after worship with most of our Sunday worshippers participating. We started a new Christian Education team. We increased the number of small group opportunities significantly this Fall. We organized our first church wide retreat day. For the first time in many years, we participated in Operation Christmas Child. We saw growth in attendance, giving, opportunities to serve, and the list goes on.
However, the health of the church is not measured in how many activities or people it engages, but in its growth in unity and love. While these marks can be difficult to measure, we are encouraged to see strong relationships developed and the desire of so many in our congregation to grow closer to Christ and walk by faith. We want to continue to “make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ” as our new vision statement says.
While we face challenges in the new year, including improving our administrative structure and exploring a different facility, the greater challenge is for us to be drawn deeper in our love for God and one another; “until we attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). We look forward to this growth in the new year!
May God continue to bless us, for His glory.
Pastor Todd Hare
Year in Review by Session Clerk
Ruling Elder Bremen Trail, Clerk of Session, reported that the average attendance was 71 for 2022 but
averaged 78 over the last four months of the year. RE Trail also reported that Cornerstone membership increased from 47 persons to 63 persons as of December 31, 2022. There were 22 new members received and 6 members removed, 2 via transfer and 4 for non-attendance. Cornerstone has 27 non-communicant members, up from 22 last year. RE Trail also reported that there was 1 baptism, an adult, during 2022. The Lord’s Supper was celebrated 13 times.
2022 Church Events & Highlights
The Garden
Summer of 2022 was the second summer of our church’s partnership with Manchester Baptist Church and their charity garden. In late Spring, we had two volunteers come out to help plant and mulch. Throughout the growing season, more folks were able to come and help weed and harvest. The garden yielded hundreds of pounds of zucchini, squash, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, potatoes, corn, cucumbers, and pumpkins. All of this was donated to the local food pantry, Tree of Friends Foundation in Manchester.
Sunday School
Cornerstone’s vision of making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ was furthered through the number of Sunday school opportunities offered each week. 2022 maintained a total of six classes for children ages Pre-K to High School and one adult class with an average of over 60 attendees each week for both children and adults. In the classes for children, God’s word is a focus for all ages, from studying the Gospel of John for the high schoolers or a survey of the old testament for students in middle school and a deep dive into the book of Romans in the adult class. In addition to a study of God’s word, the younger students learn through both songs of faith and stories from home. Bible truths are discussed among our youngest students, building friendship and community between the church body from an early age.
Small Groups
2022 saw a growth in Cornerstone’s number of small groups to a total of seven, with three men’s and three women’s groups with one group for all ages beginning at the tail end of the year. Cornerstone’s groups saw growing Men shepherding their families, Women defending and better explaining their faith to their children and children seeing and participating in discussions glorifying our heavenly father during the year. With over 60 participants across each of the small groups in 2022, many have both grown in their maturity toward Christ as well as closer to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Daughter of the King” Tea
In April of 2022, we hosted a tea party for the women of the church. There were 30 who attended, and It was a beautiful opportunity for ladies of all ages to come together in fellowship. It also offered everyone the chance to get to know some new ladies who recently started visiting Cornerstone as well as friends and family of church members.
Teacher Appreciation Breakfast
Cornerstone Church blessed two area schools with a “Teacher Appreciation Breakfast.” March 23, 2022 breakfast was delivered and set up at Manchester Elementary school for 50 teachers. May 4, 2022 breakfast was provided for 75 teachers and staff at Ebb Valley Elementary. The teachers expressed surprise and appreciation that we would do this for them. The church mission of loving God and loving our community was very evident and well received.
RUF International at River Valley Ranch
On Saturday, April 27th, we hosted our second event for RUF International at River Valley Ranch. Jacob Jasin brought a group of more than 50 students and volunteers from Johns Hopkins for an afternoon of food, fellowship, games, and ziplining. Cornerstone Church took part as a full community in this event. The core organizing team included the Czajas, Hjembos, and Novalis’; 17 Cornerstone members joined onsite to host the students; and a total of 24 Cornerstone households contributed to the effort. For many of the students, this was a rare opportunity to experience American hospitality while studying in the U.S. For Cornerstone, this gathering enabled us to help introduce unreached international students to Jacob Jasin’s ministry on the Hopkins campus and to share Christ’s love with people who’ve had little or no interaction with believers.
“My Time with God”
On Sunday Oct. 2, 2022, approximately 19 people came to spend with their God. The purpose of the event was to allow busy women time to clear their minds and spend time, privately, talk-ing to God. The environment provided the atmosphere that each women would need. Prayer cards intro-duced each women to issues they may not have had time to focus on. Bible verses reminded them of God’s promises. A social time provided fellowship and hopefully renewed their energy. Each women left with a notepad of her thoughts and a pen with bible verses reminding her of God’s promises. Outreach: Everyone was asked to reach out to a family members and friends who needed time with God and Christian fellowship.
Roadside Cleanup
Cornerstone Church cleaned the roadside of debris for 1 mile of Gorsuch Rd. In Carroll Co. , MD on April 30, 2022 with 5 volunteers and again on October 15, 2022 with 4 volunteers.
Day Camp
In July of 2022, our church hosted 29 students (give or take) for our second annual day camp. We were blessed to be able to work with Kirkridge church to provide an outdoor setting for children to deepen their faith, meet new friends, learn about the beauty of God’s creation, and introduce new families to Cornerstone Church.
Summer of Prayer
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Sunday school took a break for the summer and we instead met in various homes to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord’s will for our church and for our community. So often we desire to get things done, to be movers and shakers in this world. How nice it was to humble ourselves before our mighty God, and, as a com-munity, to seek his help at every point in our lives.
Cornerstone Day Away
Cornerstone Day Away Event: Cornerstone Church held a day retreat at River Valley Ranch on Saturday Sep-tember 17th, 2022. The event encouraged church fellowship and spiritual growth through sharing a meal, a puppet team, a guest speaker, a hymn sing, a cornhole tournament, and a low ropes course. There were about 70 people in attendance from Cornerstone.
Operation Christmas Child
We had an incredible opportunity to work as a congregation to support the worldwide outreach of Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. This ministry shows Christ’s love in powerful and tangible ways by giving gifts to millions of needy children and by following up with each recipient in sharing the plan of sal-vation via a simple curriculum. This was our first time doing this project as an entire congregation, but we set an aggressive goal of filling 80 shoeboxes. Many Cornerstone congregants provided donations of supplies and money. A group of 11 children gathered to make some games and toys for the boxes. On November 12th more than 50 church participants gathered for a Packing Party to pack our shoebox gifts, write notes, and pray for the recipients and families who would be touched by the ministry. We exceeded our goal, packing 105 shoeboxes at the party and sending a total of 178 shoeboxes!