Moore News (October 2024)

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Hey everyone! I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share a quick update on what’s been happening with both Cornerstone and the Moore family.

First, Cornerstone. This past weekend, we took part in the CCO Western Pennsylvania Fall Retreat. This was actually our first time attending this particular retreat, held in Ligonier, PA. It was a fantastic experience, full of connection and fellowship. We enjoyed a mix of play, rest, and worship—everything you could hope for in a retreat. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect deeply with each other and with God, and we definitely plan to attend again in the future!

On the home front, things have been steady. Joshua recently had his first start as a wide receiver in a game against Pittsburgh powerhouse, Westinghouse. Unfortunately, on the first play, he took a hit to the head and ended up with a minor concussion. Thankfully, he’s recovering well, and his team is moving forward to States, where they’ll be playing Punxsutawney this Saturday. Please keep him in your prayers for a continued smooth recovery and a strong game.

Asher has been diving into Esports and is absolutely loving it! It’s a new adventure for him, and he’s enjoying every moment. Ben has officially submitted all his college applications, and now we’re eagerly awaiting responses. We’re hopeful and excited about what’s next for him!

I also want to express my deep gratitude for each of you. Thank you for your ongoing support—whether through financial contributions or prayer. Your encouragement, especially during challenging and joyful times, means so much to us, and I pray that God blesses each of you abundantly.

If you’d like to support us further, we’re aiming to raise $3,000 by Christmas. You can donate either through our usual giving platform or via the campaign link, both of which are included below (or in my bio).

Thank you all again, and may God richly bless each of you!

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2019 Fall Retreat Testimony

A Quick Cornerstone Update:

In lieu of my usual Newsletter, I have decided to share a testimony from Jorge & Breaunna Villapier on our Fall Retreat, which happened October 4-6 at Ligonier Camp and Conference Center. Approximately 40 students heard Caleb Musselman & Juliet Casinelli give three meaningful, memorable, and challenging talks on "Meekness." Listen to what Jorge & Breaunna had to say about the retreat:

If interested in donating to our ministry, click here: 

https://ccojubilee.org/about/our-team/andy-moore/261/

October 2018 Newsletter

Fall Retreat Testimony

Meet Grant Larson, a junior microbiology major that is part of our Ministry Team, and read more about his experience on our Fall Retreat:

The fall retreat provided me with an awesome opportunity to get out of the city, slowdown from the fast-paced campus lifestyle, build community with other college students, and grow with Christ. I had two exams during the week leading up to the trip, so I was excited to go out in nature and spend time with God. I learned strategies for carrying out my faith from the daily devotions led by Dan Dupee; he spoke about power, peace, and hope from a biblical perspective. I was given the opportunity to spend time alone and reflect with God during solitary time, which made me realize how easy it is to take this time for granted back on campus. The importance of reflection stood out to me and I returned to campus with a desire to implement quiet prayer and reflection into my daily routine.

The fall retreat also provided a great opportunity to grow in a community together as a Christian body. I built relationships with students I had not met before and grew deeper with the ones I had already gotten to know. Whether through worship, games, or dancing/singing around a campfire together, I felt at home with the students and leaders who came on the retreat. I continued to feel this way after returning to campus and the sense of community remained strong after we returned. The retreat was a wonderful experience for me to grow in my faith and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Meet the Students

Meet George Muirhead, a sophomore Bible Study Leader and Political Science Major. Read more about him: I was raised in a Christian household, so the idea of Christ being my Lord and Savior has always been close to my heart. But, I would say that understanding was quite limited to the verse of John 3:16 and did not extend past the understanding of that verse. So, leaving my hometown of Madison, Alabama and joining Cornerstone Ministries in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has completely changed my life and how I understand the depths of my love for my God and his love for me.

Firstly, I would consider myself a non-denominational Christian, so for me I could receive a word from any pastor in any denomination as long as they clearly could back it up with the Scripture, and as long as they kept that Scripture in context of the Biblical story. When I came to Cornerstone the staff here helped me further my understanding of just how important this is. That the Bible is the finished Word of God, and that the Word does not come from a teaching at odds with what has been written, so a pastor that clearly did not support their claims with the Word would be quickly dismissed from my mind because of this new fortified understanding. So, from the bottom of my heart I cannot thank the Cornerstone staff enough for convincing me that my faith comes from the Word and it alone. Not from an outside source that is at odds with the Word.

Lastly, my relationship with Christ has grown exponentially, because of this simple realization that I might have been told things in the past that might not hold true to the Word of God. Because of this, I have been forced by my love for God and this realization, to go through the Scriptures to confirm just what I have faith in, and this simple act has made me a better believer as a result. So, I cannot thank Cornerstone and its staff enough for giving me the resources and opportunities to truly dive into the depths of my faith.

Financial Update

September was a wonderful month for us! As you can see from the chart, we made $3,893; 91% of our monthly goal! Thank you to everyone who has supported us in our ministry. My ministry to College students, like Grant and George, and Cornerstone would simply not be possible without you. Just because we are close to our goal does not give me an excuse to rest or be lazy, however. Now is the time for me to work harder than ever! If God leads you to do so, we would love for you to be a part of this ministry through your giving. I am asking that my current supporters give an extra 10% to 25% on top of their usual giving. This will help to make up the difference and reach 100% of my goal with my new raise. We are always in need of help financially, and are always looking for new supporters. Remember that any gift is a good gift.   Please be in prayer that God will continue to build our support team and that we would be faithful in doing our part.

Moore News

After celebrating Benjamin’s birthday last month (September 8th), we had the privilege of celebrating Asher’s ninth(!) birthday on the 6th of this month. Asher absolutely loves video games. As he told me the other day, “I’m different than most kids. I like newer video games, but I also like the classics.” So, because of his love of classic video games, he asked for a Nintendo classic...which we gladly bought him. Needless to say, he went gaga over it. Though, it does pain me to say that the video games I grew up with our now considered “classics.”

In other news, Emily got a new job! She will now be the administrative assistant of Haiti H2O. Haiti H2O is a non-profit founded by our landlords and friends, Jeff and Sarah VanderMolen, which works with rural Haitian communities, cultivating hope and opportunities, in response to the love of Jesus. Emily is very excited for this opportunity, and will be working closely with the director, and friend, Rhonda Smith.

I pray that you are well, and that you continue to grow in Christ. God Bless!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

October 2015 Newsletter

This Man and His Works
“And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” –Luke 15:2

Observe the condescension of this fact. This Man, who towers above all other men, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners--this Man receiveth sinners. This Man, who is no other than the eternal God, before whom angels veil their faces--this Man receiveth sinners. It needs an angel's tongue to describe such a mighty stoop of love. That any of us should be willing to seek after the lost is nothing wonderful--they are of our own race; but that he, the offended God, against whom the transgression has been committed, should take upon himself the form of a servant, and bear the sin of many, and should then be willing to receive the vilest of the vile, this is marvellous.

"This Man receiveth sinners"; not, however, that they may remain sinners, but he receives them that he may pardon their sins, justify their persons, cleanse their hearts by his purifying word, preserve their souls by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and enable them to serve him, to show forth his praise, and to have communion with him. Into his heart's love he receives sinners, takes them from the dunghill, and wears them as jewels in his crown; plucks them as brands from the burning, and preserves them as costly monuments of his mercy. None are so precious in Jesus' sight as the sinners for whom he died. When Jesus receives sinners, he has not some out-of-doors reception place, no casual ward where he charitably entertains them as men do passing beggars, but he opens the golden gates of his royal heart, and receives the sinner right into himself--yea, he admits the humble penitent into personal union and makes him a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. There was never such a reception as this! This fact is still most sure this evening, he is still receiving sinners: would to God sinners would receive him.

-Charles Spurgeon, This Man and His Works

Cornerstone Updates
In late September, we had the privilege of taking approximately 60 students to the fall retreat this year! We went away to our usual camp in Roechester, PA: Suncrest Camp, a Christian and Missionary Alliance Camp. Here, CCO staff worker Heather Strong Moore spoke to us on Idolatry. It was a great, and interactive, talk series that not only convicted students, but me as well. The weekend consisted of activities, games, and, of course, the ever famous Chicken Taco Rice (CTR) meal. If you don’t know what CTR is, you should probably email me right away. Even though I got little sleep (as usual), I did not feel as worn out as I usually do. It was a fantastic weekend.

Meet the Students

Meet Zack Miller, a sophomore chemical engineering major from Brecksville, OH. Zack has been part of Cornerstone since orientation week his freshmen year, and now is a sophomore Bible Study leader on Freshmen Ministry Team. Read more about him…

1. What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite thing from my childhood was every summer when I would go to camp at Ligonier Camp and Conference Center for one week or two weeks as I got older. Ligonier was an environment where people loved me and accepted me for who I was and loved me the way God called us to love one another. My time there was never boring and I have a thousand different stories I can tell from the weeks I’ve spent there.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I knew coming into college that I wanted to be involved in a campus ministry and Cornerstone was that home for me. Right away I got involved in Bellefield by helping out with greeting on Sundays and assisting with their High School Youth group. As time has gone on, I have joined the leadership program by serving on the freshmen ministry team and assisting with the planning team’s area of mission as much as possible. I have yet to miss a Wednesday Cornerstone since starting at Pitt.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? One thing I’ve learned growing up is that it is very important to find a good and God-centered community. The people at Cornerstone love me and I love them. Starting at college was hard at first because I was unaccustomed to the self-centered atmosphere that looms over almost any campus, but getting lunch with different members taught me how to overcome that and encouraged me to continue to focus on God despite all the distractions that college has to offer.

Financial Update

We took a little dip this month, but are still doing well! AS you can see from the chart, we made $3,176 which is 81% of where we need to be. All of your donations have been very helpful as we are working towards our raise. If you too would like to help this ministry, we are always looking for new supporters. This is what helps makes ministry possible by helping me get out on campus. Now that I have gotten a raise, this is more important than ever! If God leads you to do so, we would love for you to be a part of this ministry through gift and/or prayer. I am asking that my current supporters give an extra 10% on top of their usual giving. This will help to make up the difference from what I currently make and from my goal. Remember that any gift is a good gift. Please be in prayer that God will continue to build our support team and that we would be faithful in doing our part.

Moore News

It’s official: we now have three boys in school. Somewhat surprisingly, Asher did really well in his first week of school. There were a few tears from him…and me. When I asked if his teacher helped him quit crying, he replied, “No, I did. I had to stop myself.” That’s good, I guess. As I said in the previous newsletter that Asher is a social butterfly, and loves to talk. Luckily, he knows when to be quiet and we have received a good report from his teacher every single day! Ben and Josh seem to be doing really well also. It is fun for them to catch up with some friends they haven’t seen all summer.

Asher and Ben also celebrated birthdays in the past two months. Benjamin turned nine, and Asher turned six. I’ve always heard the cliché of how difficult it is to watch your kid’s grow older. It is only now that I am finding how true that is. It seems that in the blink of an eye, I was holding them as babies, and now they are nine and six! Don’t get me wrong, it has been an awesome experience, but just a tad too fast.

I hope all is well! Thanks and God bless!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

October 2014 Newsletter

Is God's Will My Will?
“This is the will of God, your sanctification . . .” —1 Thessalonians 4:3

Sanctification is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me— is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of the Cross of Christ? Am I willing to let Jesus become sanctification to me, and to let His life be exhibited in my human flesh? (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). Beware of saying, “Oh, I am longing to be sanctified.” No, you are not. Recognize your need, but stop longing and make it a matter of action. Receive Jesus Christ to become sanctification for you by absolute, unquestioning faith, and the great miracle of the atonement of Jesus will become real in you.

All that Jesus made possible becomes mine through the free and loving gift of God on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross. And my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound, humble holiness (there is no such thing as proud holiness). It is a holiness based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him (see Romans 5:8). He completed everything for my salvation and sanctification. No wonder Paul said that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Sanctification makes me one with Jesus Christ, and in Him one with God, and it is accomplished only through the magnificent atonement of Christ. Never confuse the effect with the cause. The effect in me is obedience, service, and prayer, and is the outcome of inexpressible thanks and adoration for the miraculous sanctification that has been brought about in me because of the atonement through the Cross of Christ.
-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Fall Retreat
On September 26-28, we had our signature fellowship event: The Fall Retreat. It was a great weekend away from the city for approximately seventy students, with food, games, and teaching by Cornerstone alum Rich Herbster. Rich, a pastor of Mt. Pleasant Church in Aliquippa, PA and an adjunct professor at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA, spoke on Elijah. I don’t ever recall hearing a lesson on the Prophet Elijah (other than what I’ve heard in Sunday school or through personal study), so I found this talk series quite refreshing and engaging as did the students. The Fall Retreat was wonderful opportunity to connect with students that I haven’t had the chance of getting to know and deepening continued relationships.

Meet the Students

Meet Samantha “Sam” Gremler, a sophomore Developmental Psychology major at the University of Pittsburgh. Sam has a very bubbly, infectious personality that has been a welcome addition to Cornerstone. She is one of our three prayer leaders, and is currently being discipled by Emily. Read more about her…

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? For my favorite movie, this one’s a tough one, I would have to say Bicentennial Man. But Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is up there, too! I don’t get to read many books in my free time, but one I could read over and over again is Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift. I love Christian music and movie soundtracks, particularly Disney. And I also love oldies (60s and 70s music) because I grew up listening to that in my dad’s car.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I joined Cornerstone almost immediately last year as a freshman, and have been involved ever since. I decided to apply to join the prayer team during the second semester to try and become more involved and to help the ministry of Cornerstone and to help future freshmen and Cornerstoners on their walks of faith. Because of band, I am never able to be a part of everything, but I try to attend and participate as much as I can!

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? The journey from high school senior to college freshman was particularly rough for me, but having a community at Cornerstone of people who genuinely and sincerely wanted to encourage me and hear about my life was so helpful last year and even going into this year. I have found some of my best friends through Cornerstone and the people I have met have truly influenced and helped me on my walk with Christ, and have helped me stay grounded and firm in my faith through the tough times college can bring.

Financial Update
Please read the following pledge letter.  Click on the link for the full picture, or on the picture itself.  If you would like to donate, please use the information on the navigation bar or email me at amoore@ccojubilee.org.

Financial Pledge Full (Link)

Moore News

There is not much to report from the Moore household. The boys are continuing to play soccer until the end of October, and then they will join a futsal league (a variation of soccer played indoors and with a heavier ball) in the winter which will help them work on the technical aspects of soccer. It has been interesting watching them play, since I don’t really know anything about the sport (other than when my sister, Bekie, used play in high school). All seem to be naturals. Benjamin is the better all-around player: great at defense and can shoot or get the assist when necessary. Joshua is better offensively, however, and is natural at scoring goals for his age group. Asher is learning to get in the action and get his foot on the ball. Other than that, their time is either consumed with homework, Pokémon (Pokémon cards have invaded our house), Star Wars, or playing with their friends. They are quite good at keeping themselves busy, and in turn keeps Emily and me busy.

Emily is doing well, and has been heavily involved with the women’s ministry at the church. She also was overseeing the new landscape project at Bellefield, which seems ideal since she is a landscape architecture major. She is going to be running the Hershey Half Marathon this October, and has been training hard and diligently for that. I even got to run eight miles with her one day, and know that she is going to do great.

We hope that this newsletter finds you well, and pray that God continues to bless you.

In Christ,
Andy Moore