Dear friends,

First, I wanted to thank those who joined us for our Olive Garden meal last Sunday. It was a joy for me, as your pastor, to see believers in Christ fellowship with and delight in one another (the good food was another perk). A big thank you to Mike and Annette Goater for planning the special night! And now…

A few thoughts on Ash Wednesday and Lent: Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. For those of you who did not grow up in a Catholic or Mainline Church, you may be unfamiliar with these church Holy Days. For centuries, Christians have set apart the 40 days leading up to Easter/Resurrection Sunday for a time of reflection and prayer. As Christians, we believe Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday are the two most profound and important days in human history. Thus, it is wise to take a season each year to prepare for these profound times of remembrance.

So today, on Ash Wednesday, believers all around the world will attend worship services that mark the beginning of the 40 days of Lent (in fact if time allows, you might be blessed by finding an Ash Wednesday service). Today is a day to confess and repent from sin (hence the ashes). Today is a day to covenant with the Lord to make these next several weeks a time of prayer and meditation. Many people choose to take something out of their life (a fast) or put something into their life (a vow) to grow closer to the LORD. I commend both these ideas to you. Maybe you commit to read through one of the Gospels? Maybe you quit watching a certain TV show each week for prayer instead? Maybe you join a group of believers for a daily or weekly season of prayer? Regardless of whether you add or subtract something these next 40 days, I pray that God would bless these sacred 40 days of remembering our Lord Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

A few items to note:

Ladies Craft Night (March 1): If you are looking for a safe place to introduce a friend to the Cornerstone Church family, please consider coming out to Sue Frederick’s home next Thursday. Whether you are a crafty conversationalist or a knitting-guru, the time is meant to facilitate fellowship and encouragement.

Mini-Elder Retreat (March 2-3): Please pray for the elders of Cornerstone Church (Dave Erlacher, Darrel Herschberger, Matt Proctor, and Tony Weber) as we take a two-day retreat next week. We plan to do some self-evaluation and church-assessment, dive into some difficult Biblical territory, and seek the face of God for the advance of the Gospel and the edification of the saints.

“Operation Mobilization” – A Special Offering for Church Planting (March 4): The elders would like you to prayerfully consider giving a financial contribution to the Church Planting arm of the Central District Office of the Evangelical Free Church. Right now, the district is trying to raise funds in order to help small church plants and new church planters. Basically, the goal is to provide a large starting capital for new churches to pay a church planter’s salary in order that they can hit the ground running in their efforts to lead people to Jesus and plant a new church. Since the District Conference is March 5-6, we would like to take a special offering on March 4 that our delegates can then take to the conference as a way of showing our support and commitment to church planting. You can see a video about the ministry concept here: http://vimeo.com/29840628

Good Friday Service (April 6): On Friday night of Holy Week, we will be doing a combined worship service with the congregation of Northbrook Baptist Church. We will be meeting at their church (just west of the intersection of Council/Boyson). More details to come.

I’m so glad to be a part of God’s family at Cornerstone Church.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Matt