Newsletter February 28, 2025
Newsletter February 28, 2025
Dear Church Family and Friends,
Proverbs 16:9- The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Proverbs 19:21- Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Proverbs 27:1- Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
You may be wondering by reading the above verses, “Is Pastor Brian looking ahead in our Proverbs Sunday School study?” Actually, that is not the case, but these Proverbs came to mind this week in reflecting on the latest happenings in the Cornerstone parking lot!
The past few weeks we have had to modify, adapt, move off campus, and sometimes cancel Foundations and other church activities during the week due to the final phases of parking lot construction or even weather. In my younger years I wasn't much of a planner, but I have learned to embrace it over the years. There's a good bit of planning that goes into our regular weekly functions at the church from many of you and our staff. So when those plans get changed and it doesn't seem like they can be "concrete" due to the parking lot or weather, it can become a point of frustration. That's when it's helpful to reflect on these Proverbs....so here are a few reflections that I'd like to share with you that can be certainly applied broadly as you think about plans:
God is the ultimate planner. His plans are good, they never fail, and they are not thwarted by enemies or circumstances. The Bible is the grand, true story of His amazing plan of salvation for His people, planned before the ages began! (see Ephesians 1, Titus 1:1-3, 2 Timothy 1:9, etc.)
God is sovereign. He is not surprised by things that happen on a big scale or a small scale. We are to entrust our plans to His Plan. His purpose will stand.
God is always at work in us, through us, on our behalf, and in others. He sees us. He knows us. He cares for us. He loves us. We are to depend upon Him fully.
It is good for us to make plans. We are to seek God's wisdom and direction in our plans. He will establish our steps. Many of our plans will have disclaimers and be subject to change, which brings us to dependence on God.
We don't know what a day may bring, but God does. The rest of the world desperately wants to know what tomorrow brings so they can somehow "control" or predict things, yet we can walk by faith and in freedom entrusting ourselves and our plans to the One who holds tomorrow and is in control.
God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He sends snow, rain, wind, and days of abundant sunshine. We are thankful for the weather He sent this week which enabled the paving process to begin.
The people of Cornerstone have since the founding of this church demonstrated flexibility and adaptability to circumstances that are fueled by trusting the Lord. The past few weeks have been yet another example of this, and it is a blessing to trust the Lord together with you.
The parking lot is getting close to completion. As of this writing Thursday, the final preparations for paving are happening. Thank you all for your continued patience, flexibility, and encouragement as we enter these final stages of parking lot construction. A big thank you to our staff and deacons as well, they have handled the daily changes (and noises!) in an exemplary way.
Please continue to pray for the safety of the workers and our neighbors.
In the days and weeks to come, we will communicate additional instructions regarding the new church entrance at the rear of the building, new handicapped spaces, the playground, and other parking tips.
As far as plans go, let's look forward to worshipping together this Sunday and yes, let's plan next week to have Foundations as normal!
Pastor Brian
Preparation for Worship
March 2, 2025
This Sunday's Sermon:
“The Sermon on the Mount: Secret Service”
Matthew 6:1-4
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Prepare your heart for Praise and Adoration with our Spotify playlist.
Cornerstone Prayer Requests
Pray for church members caring for family - Diana Akridge, Susan Dupré, Kyle Mosier, Randy Petcher, Mike and Carol Wellfare.
Pray for healing - Bob and Kathy Cassis, Dawn Chenault, Marc Goldmon, Susan Hoyt, Earl Myers, Ruby Petcher, Ashley Poppe, Tim and Gayle Ricks, Kathy Slaten, Butch Taylor, and others.
Pray for our homebound friends - Betty Baldwin, Bill and Suzi Bolton, Ruby Petcher.
Pray for our expectant mothers - Ashley Colette (March), Abby Junen (April), Andrea Mace (May), Rebecca Nunley (June), Morgan High (August), and the Kawell family (adoption).
Pray for our Missional Partnerships - Seth and Jessica Lewis - Missionaries to Ireland and Grace Presbyterian Church (Ft. Payne, AL).
Announcements
Foundations - Continues this Wednesday, March 5. Dinner begins at 5:30 pm, and discipleship classes for children, students, and adults start at 6:15 pm. “What is a Presbyterian, Anyway?” This adult class, taught by John Summers, will introduce the topic of Presbyterian Government and History and why it is important for the local church. Officer training will take place in the FLC Classroom. RSVP here.
New Members Class - Continues this week during the Sunday School hour in the classroom by the stairs.
Quiet Waters Family Retreat - June 8-13. Come join our interest meeting this Sunday, March 2 after the second service in the FLC. Please email morgan@cornerstonehuntsville.org to RSVP or with any questions.
Communicant’s Class - Continues this Sunday, March 2 in the Children’s Assembly Room after the second service.
Ladies’ Prayer Group - Resumes on Thursday, March 6. We’ll gather for a time of prayer at 9:30 am at the home of Micki Smith.
Communion - Communion will be observed next Sunday, March 9.
Set clocks ahead! - Next Sunday, March 9 is Daylight Savings Time. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead an hour!
Missions Fundraiser and Cookout - Save the Date! April 6.
VBS Upward Bound - Save the Date! June 2-5. More details to come!
Lost and Found - Are you missing items? Check our Lost and Found on the west side of the building, across from the kitchen.
Hurricane Helene Donation Information - To donate to affected churches, you can give to our benevolence fund or directly to MNA Disaster Response here.
When paying online, please select “Men’s Ministry - Praying the Bible” under Giving Type.
Missions Moment
Each week we want to highlight one of our missional partnerships. Please take a moment to learn about these wonderful ministries that Cornerstone has the privilege of serving alongside.
This week's highlighted ministry:
The Mission of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church is to be a community of Christ's followers who worship, grow, and serve together to glorify God in Huntsville and throughout the world.
Please contact the church office by Thursday for changes or additions to prayer requests.
The Cornerstone Newsletter is a weekly publication emailed each Friday. To notify the church office of church members in the hospital or of births and deaths, or if you have a change of address or name, please contact office@cornerstonehuntsville.org or 256-489-4625.
1413 McClung Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35801
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