January & February 2017 Newsletter

Cornerstone Update
As with every new calendar year, there comes new leadership. This year, however, Cornerstone will be having its smallest leadership team...and I don’t say that as if it’s a bad thing. The thought of supervising a lot or people can seem daunting, so the lesser number will be much easier to manage. This year, I will be in charge of the planning team and the worship team, supervising the team and trying to figure out new ways to organize, facilitate, and worship in our large group fellowship on Wednesdays.

The Planning Team (led by Zack Miller, Nathalie, and Jules Saviola) is responsible for everything a student might encounter from the time they arrive at Cornerstone to the time they leave. This includes facilitating the overall flow and quality of Cornerstone, meeting weekly with staff, working with the worship team on planning center, supporting other AoM’s on Wednesday, coordinating tech, updating the Cornerstone Calendar, and designing creative ways to foster relationships either during or after Cornerstone. They are certainly a busy (and well organized) group.

The Worship team (led by Sophie Cosentino, Sean Justice, and Morgan Medvedz) is dedicated to praising God using the spiritual gifts he has bestowed upon each of us. They forge strong relationships with one another while sharing their love of music and their passion for God with our brothers and sisters in Christ, engaging the congregation in glorious praise. Through worship, they grow deeply not only as friends, musicians, and leaders, but as followers of Christ.

It is an honor getting to serve and help plan the Cornerstone service with the planning team, as well as use my musical gifts (which few know I have) to serve the worship team.

Meet the Students

Read more about one of our students, Nate Flick:

1. What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory was when my grandparents took my parents and I out west when I was 8 years old. We visited Las Vegas in Nevada, the Grand Canyon and Death Valley in Arizona, and ended the trip with LegoLand in California! Being a huge Lego fan, I felt like I died and went to heaven! I also remember staying in a hotel in Vegas with a roller coaster that went around it, and spending one afternoon with my grandmother while bawling my eyes out in fear of my parents going on it!

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? With Cornerstone, I have been involved with several service and outreach events, such as ALIVE with Living Ministry, small volunteer events, and several Bible studies and D-groups. Now that I have assumed a leadership position as part of the C.O.P.S. (Cornerstone Outreach, Prayer, and Service) team, I hope to play a strong role in organizing and helping with all sorts of events, especially those that reach out to other service groups on campus and to those in need. Also, being a prayer leader, I hope to be involved in ways that strengthen the church’s pursuit of meaningful prayer.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt?  Originally from the Pocono Mountains in eastern PA, I transferred to Pitt from Bloomsburg University and began my studies, and my involvement with Cornerstone, in the spring of 2016. Having already been a Christian before coming, I knew what to expect, but have still grown in ways that I wouldn’t have imagined. I wouldn’t have thought I would make the friends that I have, and uncover the wisdom that I did, while adjusting to a new lifestyle and handling increasingly difficult academics. Being in Cornerstone has shed more light on following Christ in all areas of life, not just in my career. So far, I have gained the most wisdom in actively pursuing the good of Christ’s Kingdom, and being the one to step out in love for those in need. I hope to be transformed in so many more ways!

Financial Update

God has blessed us recently in the past few months by helping us reach our monthly goal. Now, we are asking for help on a unique way of giving. If you are interested in learning more, please click on the picture below.

Habitat for Humanity Spring Break Trip
As many of you know, I am the adviser for the Pitt Habitat for Humanity. This role has given me the unique opportunity to meet and work with students. One such opportunity is taking part in an amazing Spring Break trip Birmingham to help work on houses. The trip costs $300 per student. The expenses include transportation, housing, and food for the week. If you are able and willing, I’m asking for your support or help to cover trip expenses. If you would like to help support students on this trip, please go to the following website: https://engage.pitt.edu/project/4661.

Moore News

We had a fantastic Christmas (and Emily and I also had great birthdays)! It started when we joined my parents and sister’s family at Beulah Beach. It is always a good time when we get together, especially at Christmas…and especially at Beulah Beach! We spent Christmas day at home in Pittsburgh. It was the fantastic and relaxing break we all needed. Joshua, however, did get a concussion on Christmas Eve, which is never fun.

In other exciting news, Joshua has had the privilege of being nominated by his teachers to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Pathways to STEM, which is to be held in Trenton, NJ on June 26 through June 30.

We whole-heartedly support Josh in this fantastic achievement! This opportunity, however, is a costly venture. Joshua is fundraising $2,500 to be able to attend. This price includes the program as well as traveling, food, and hotel costs.

We know that we cannot afford to send Joshua entirely by ourselves, so we are asking that you consider donating by May 31st, so that he may be able to attend the NYLF program. If interested in donating, please go the following website: goo.gl/eS08Rz.

We Pray that his letter finds you well! Thank you, and 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