April & May 2016 Newsletter

University Sunday
Every Year, Bellefield gives Cornerstone the privilege of being in charge of its services. This includes the worship, ushers, prayers, readings, and the sermon. We call it, “University Sunday.” This year, we had two speakers: Zach Herbster, who spoke on “suffering” at the first and second service, and Kevin Tracey, who spoke on “love” at our third service. If you would like to hear their full sermons, please go to www.bellefield.org. In the meantime, here are some snippets from their manuscripts.

Zach Herbster, Saved to Suffer: “While all this talk of suffering might be easy to grasp theologically and intellectually, the affluent west still likes to avoid this reality at all costs. We have tremendous wealth, resources, and time that allows us to forget suffering by comforting ourselves with whatever we please. A recent New York post article announced that in America, and especially college campuses, “comfort is a preeminent value” that undergirds the American lifestyle. I hope we can grasp that this is incompatible with the Christian life, as it numbs us to the reality that Christians will often be uncomfortable in this world.

Let me be clear: affluence is not inherently sinful; it is a privilege and a great responsibility to have so much in order to be a steward of God’s kingdom. However, as Paul makes clear to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 4:8, affluence is a severe spiritual liability that can lead to complacency.

A final illustration: in 1978 Soviet author Alexander Solzhenitsyn gave a commencement speech at Harvard. He boldly claimed that the west had grown so comfortable that they focused more on “rights and freedoms more than responsibilities and purpose.” When comfort is preeminent, we inevitably are quick to proclaim what we are entitled to. But this is theologically bankrupt, for we know that God owes us nothing, and we have been made sons and daughters of God only by grace! Instead, we must focus on our responsibility as sons and daughters to gospel and our purpose: which is to be made into the image of Christ by following him in suffering. Solzhenitsyn puts it this way when addressing the contentious ideal of becoming “western-like”:

‘No, I could not recommend your society as an ideal for the transformation of ours. Through deep suffering, people in our own country have now achieved a spiritual development of such intensity that the Western system in its present state of spiritual exhaustion does not look attractive.’

This is humbling stuff. Let us not forget our true purpose as Christians while living affluently in an affluent culture.”

Kevin Tracey, Lord, You Know I Love You: Our time in Easter is amazing and beautiful and thrilling because we have all these moments of the risen Lord. These moments when God, in risen form, reminds us that even death wasn’t strong enough to overcome his love for us. That even in our darkest moments, when we nailed Love itself—Christ our Lord—to a cross, there will never a single thing that can overcome what Christ did for us. No matter where we are or where we turn, God is always waiting for us—always coming to us and loving us without restraint.

But sometimes that’s a really uncomfortable truth to hear. Sometimes, we don’t want to hear that God loves us unconditionally. We want a reason to scream and curse and cry, and not have to be confronted with the cross. Sometimes we want to deny what has been done for us, because honestly, that would be easier.

And so, probably because I’ve written too many papers over the years, I want to give you my main idea before we jump into some scripture: Jesus loves us in spite (and through) all we do to run the opposite way. And then, He charges us to go out into the world and love in exactly the same way.

Meet the Students

Meet Megan Graybill, a (now) sophomore Rehabilitation Science major at the University of Pittsburgh who is from McAlisterville, PA. Read more about her and her experience at Cornerstone:

1. What is your favorite childhood memory? It’s really difficult for me to pick a single, favorite childhood memory, but one that is definitely close to the top is the day I got my dog, Indy. My parent’s played it off like we were just going to visit an old friend of my mother’s. As it turned out this friend was fostering a dog who had just had puppies because their owner could no longer care for them. I picked one of the puppies up to play with it (because who doesn’t love playing with puppies), and you can only imagine my surprise when my parent’s told me I got to keep her.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? Honestly, my involvement with Cornerstone is so much more than I ever thought it would be in one year. I thought because I was a freshman that I would just stand by and watch everyone else run the show. However, I’m so glad I changed my attitude because being a part of Cornerstone, Freshman Ministry Team, Worship Team, and a Discipleship Group has had such a positive impact on my life. I love being involved in various aspects of Cornerstone because it means that I get to see God working in so many different areas of my life.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Cornerstone has been such an influential part of my life since coming to Pitt. It has shown me how beautiful it is to have the love and support of a Christian community and what a difference that can make in how I see the world and how the world sees me. I have grown so much in my faith in such a short time which has given me the confidence to step outside of my comfort zone and push past the limits I thought I had. I’m so thankful that God led me to Cornerstone because not only have I grown so much in Him but I have also made some of the best friends I’ve ever had. Here’s to the next three years.

Financial Update
God has blessed us recently 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.

Moore News

In my last Newsletter I mentioned that all three boys are currently playing baseball; Benjamin now plays for The Diamondbacks, Joshua is continuing with The Mariners, and Asher is now playing for The Scrappers. Just to give you a little picture of what our Saturday looks like: Three kids on three different baseball teams, playing (usually) at three different times, in (usually) three different locations. And that’s just a Saturday. Five other nights of the week are usually spent trying to coordinate practices and/or games. Is it busy? Yes. Is it tiring? Absolutely. Do I love it? You better believe it. Emily also seems to be handling it like a champ, but time will test our sanity.

We were recently able to take a weekend trip to the lovely Hidden Valley area of Pennsylvania, about 1 ½ hours outside of Pittsburgh. It was great to unplug for a couple of days, sleep in, and not be on any time restraints (except for three little stomachs)! Between the rain and the snow, we were able to play many board games, read books, and spend an afternoon at Seven Springs Resort to bowl, play miniature golf, and try our hand at some arcade games. But the best thing was hearing that the boys’ favorite part of the weekend was just spending time together.

I pray that this Newsletter finds you well!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

March 2016 Newsletter

Jubilee Testimony

The Jubilee Conference is an annual conference put on by the CCO that talks about faithful living in every area of life, and is designed to help you wrestle deeply with the challenges of being students of Jesus, citizens of His Kingdom, and of this world. Jess Mattox, a freshman Pitt student, shares her experience:

Having been a member of Cornerstone from the beginning of my freshman year, I had heard a lot about Jubilee. The more involved with Cornerstone I became, the more I was intrigued by the concept of Jubilee. What was this conference that “transformed everything”? This past February, I had the opportunity to see for myself what Jubilee was all about.

Coming into Jubilee, the concept of academic faithfulness was a something I had heard before, but not something that I had really internalized. On Saturday morning, I went to a session called Learning for the Love of God. The speaker, Derek Melleby said something that blew my mind, “Academics are not a competition.” I had always viewed academics as a competition—I was competing against those around me, I was competing against myself, I even considered myself to be competing against the material itself. I had always resented on some degree when people would ask me for help. I wanted to have all of the right answers and keep the right answers to myself. For me, school work was a competition that I wanted to win. After Melleby’s talk, a few Cornerstone students shared their testimonies as relates to academics, which really cemented the idea that we should view academics not as a competition, not as a burden, but as an opportunity to glorify God.

On Sunday morning, David Kinnaman said some things in his talk about Restoration that really made me think as well. I’m the kind of person that holds grudges and is not usually the most loving person around. I had always seen this as more of a personality quirk than anything I really needed to work on. I just assumed that some people were more caring than others and that was all. However, Kinnaman said, “You love God as much as the person you love the least,” and “God loves the person you hate more than the people you love the very most.” These quotes struck me in two ways. First, God loves all of us more than we could ever possibly imagine. Second, feelings of hate and anger towards others hinders our relationship with God. I was challenged to look at the interactions I have with the people around me and look for ways to glorify God through my relationships with others.

Overall, Jubilee taught me that I should strive to see the world through God’s eyes. The conference opened my eyes to things that I need to work through while giving me practical examples of what it looks like to live a life that has been transformed by Christ. I now have an understanding of the Jubilee vision and I see that the gospel really does transform everything.

Spring Break Testimonies

I had the opportunity to spend my spring break with 34 students building a house with Habitat for Humanity in Jackson County, Florida. Here are two testimonies from first time goers Alexa Packard (pictured right) and Devon Kroesche (pictured left):

Alexa Packard: When signing up for the Habitat for Humanity Spring Break trip, I was mainly looking for a different way to spend my spring break. I knew that I wanted to do some sort of service, but I didn’t expect to get so much out of the experience. I learned so much about myself, the people I was working alongside for five days, and just how good God is. I had hoped that I would be able to see the light of Christ through this experience, but I didn’t realize just how many ways He would impact this trip.

Upon arrival, the only structure at the worksite was the concrete foundation. The Habitat crew, including myself, built an entire house in just a week, which is amazing in itself. On top of that, I was pleasantly surprised to have had the opportunity to meet the owners of this new house. They were extraordinary people, with kind hearts, and I felt honored to be providing them with a home that they could build their family in. Working alongside me were some of the most compassionate, caring, and self-less people I could have ever hoped to work with. Going into this trip, I never expected to make so many new and wonderful friendships. The presence of Christ was evident in each and every one of my crew-mates and I am so grateful to have met them.

Aside from these new friendships, I got to experience the exceptional hospitality that the South is known for. Not only were we welcomed with open arms, the entire community of Marianna, FL showed us just how thankful they were to have us there. We were provided with host families and every meal (in abundance), and we were blessed or prayed over multiple times a day. This is something that will stick with me forever and I hope to provide such kindness in my own life. This experience was definitely one of the most eye-opening and humbling experiences, and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my spring break any other way.

Devon Kroesche: When I first signed up for the Habitat trip, I thought of it just as something fun to do over spring break. I had no idea how much it would change my life. I met so many new friends and became really emotionally invested in a cause I had never really thought about before. I thought of the trip as a "one and done" kind of deal, but after this trip, I don't think I'll ever be able to stop volunteering for Habitat. Who would have thought that I would fall in love with using a hammer?!

My favorite part of the trip was getting to know the family we were building for as well as the community they were surrounded by. We were all divided up into host families, which was a new experience for all of us, but I think by the end we could all agree that it was an awesome idea. Not only did we get to know each other, but we also got to experience true southern hospitality. I loved this setup because we learned what it is like to receive this incredible generosity, which is not something you expect to learn while doing a service trip.

At the beginning of the trip, I didn't really know anyone that was going, aside from Andy of course. But the bonding experiences you have on the spring break Habitat trip cannot be replicated anywhere. It's like we are all working toward a common goal, learning new things and getting to know new people, and having a ton of fun in the process. By the end of the week, I felt like I had a second family. It sounds a little cliché, but I know that thanks to this trip, I have built (no pun intended) lifelong friendships that are unlike any other.

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.

Moore News

Now that Jubilee and Spring Break is over, summer break will be here in the blink of an eye. That can only mean one thing: baseball. This year, all three boys will be playing...in three different leagues. This should be quite challenging, but fun. Benjamin moved up a league and will be playing for the Diamondbacks, Josh will still be on the Mariners, and Asher still has yet to get assigned a team. I will be helping coach both Ben and Josh's team, and giving Asher some personal tutelage. Asher has shown a little bit of interest in baseball, but has yet to show the enthusiasm of his older brothers. He seems like much more of a home-body than the other two. We have been working on his mechanics, and he seems to be enjoying himself. Time will tell if he enjoys sports or not.

In other news, I will be mentoring a CCO Fellow (intern) next year by the name of John Abarca. He will be one of two Fellows joining Cornerstone next year (along with Meagan Nazario whom my colleague, Bobbi, will oversee). This will be a new, unique opportunity to help prepare someone for ministry, and I look forward to it.

In Christ
Andy Moore

January 2016 Newsletter

Coming Home: An Invitation to Prayer
"True, whole prayer is nothing but love." -St. Augustine
God has graciously allowed me to catch a glimpse into his heart, and I want to share with you what I have seen. Today the heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance and preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to him. He grieves that we have forgotten him. He weeps over our obsession with much-ness and many-ness. He longs for our presence.

And he is inviting you—and me—to come home, to come home to where we belong, to come home to that for which we were created. His arms are stretched out wide to receive us. His heart is enlarged to take us in.

For too long we have been in a far country: a country of noise and hurry and crowds, a country of climb and push and shove, a country of frustration and fear and intimidation. And he welcomes us home: home to serenity and peace and joy, home to friendship and fellowship and openness, home to intimacy and acceptance and affirmation.

We do not need to be shy. He invites us into the living room of his heart, where we can put on old slippers and share freely. He invites us into the kitchen of his friendship, where chatter and batter mix in good fun. He invites us into the dining room of his strength, where we can feast to our heart's delight. He invites us into the study of his wisdom, where we can learn and grow and stretch . . . and ask all the questions we want. He invites us into the workshop of his creativity, where we can be co-laborers with him, working together to determine the outcomes of events. He invites us into the bedroom of his rest, where new peace is found and where we can be naked and vulnerable and free. It is also the place of deepest intimacy, where we know and are known to the fullest.

-Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home

Meet the Students

Meet Drew “Slick” Colebank, a sophomore Neuroscience major from Masontown, PA. Drew is, honestly, one of the nicest people I know. He has a cheerful, humble spirit which is absolutely infectious. Drew joined the Prayer team this year, and I can’t wait to work with him. Read more about him…

1. What is your favorite childhood memory? I once went to a camp called Peniel, meaning "face to face with God" from Genesis when Jacob wrestled with God. There, they have a small, modest outside chapel, where a short vespers service was held. In this particular moment, we sang "Abide With Me" while the wind blew softly through the trees of these woods and the sun was just setting. Though simple, it was majestic. Then I remember clearly the Holy Spirit touching my heart when I asked of Him to "Abide with me fast falls the eventide." It is a peace that I can hardly describe.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? After much prayer of the summer, I decided that God wanted me to focus my energy in to this ministry. I have been involved in outreach events, such as Hot Dogs, greeting, and O-Week. I have attended a weekly small group Bible Study. I am now a Prayer Team Leader for 2016.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Cornerstone instills in me that God intended His people to be creative, to work, and to serve their fellow man in humility. Our diverse Christian community reminds me that God is always present, and by being present love and hope abounds.

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.

Moore News

If you saw our Christmas Newsletter’s picture, you may have noticed that I was holding a new addition to the family. That’s right, we got a dog. She is a Cheaglehund (Chihuahua, Beagle, Dachshund mix) named Olive. Our best friends, Clay and Jenny, teamed with Emily to surprise me and the boys with the early Christmas gift. I was completely surprised. She’s a very cuddly “lap” dog, that goes through random spurts of typical puppy hyperactivity. She especially, and painfully, loves to playfully bite toes or feet. We have to wean her of that one. Oh, and she is possibly the cutest dog you have ever seen. The boys (especially Joshua) love her, as do I. Emily has always said that I become a different person around dogs.

We had a great Christmas as well. We spent Christmas day at home in Pittsburgh and then traveled to Morgantown and Oak Hill, WV the following days. During that week, we didn’t do a whole lot except visit family, and it was fantastic and the relaxing break we all needed. Our house is filled with even more video games, remote controlled vehicles, and Star Wars toys. All of which I appreciate. For those of you wondering, yes I did see Star Wars...five times. If you want to hear my thoughts or review of the movie (I obviously liked it, or I wouldn’t have seen it five times), feel free to email me.

We hope this letter finds you well and that God continues to work through you.

In Christ,
Andy Moore

2015 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas everyone! Please click on the images below to read my Christmas Newsletter

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If you are looking for that last minute, unique Christmas gift, please check out the following link.  As many of you know, I am the adviser for the Pitt chapter of Habitat for Humanity.  One unique opportunity that the Habitat students have is taking a spring break trip in order to build houses for the less fortunate.  This year we will be going to Jackson County, FL.  Currently, we are trying to raise $4000 dollars in order to reduce each students overall trip cost by $100.  If you are interested in donating, please click on the following link:

https://engage.pitt.edu/project/1454/wall

Thank you, and have a Merry Christmas!

November 2015 Newsletter

Who Can Be Saved?
“Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’ Those who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But he said, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’ –Luke 18:24-27

Mark Twain once wrote, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts of the Bible that I do understand.” I think Jesus’ words are understandable but bothersome. And because they are so bothersome it is tempting for us to make them incomprehensible. We convince ourselves that because these words were addressed to this particular rich man and his particular sin at this particular time in history, that there is nothing to be learned. To think this would be both wrong and unwise.

Here Jesus states what many people have considered “bothersome” by saying, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When we talk about Jesus saying “a camel going through the eye of the needle,” and equate it to a pathway in Israel where camels had to walk on their knees, or that this passage refers to camel rope, we are doing a disservice to Jesus’ teaching. Jesus was using a hyperbole, an exaggeration to make a point. It was not meant to be taken literal, but as an amusing image to teach a lesson. The whole point of Jesus’ hyperbole about the camel and the eye of the needle reinforces the truth that those who are ruled by money cannot be ruled by God.

Who then can be saved? Who can enter the kingdom of heaven? Jesus says, “No one qualifies by themselves.” Here Jesus answers them in absolute terms in order to show them that salvation is not a human achievement, but a miracle from God. He says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” If you rely on yourself and self-salvation, you will not see the kingdom of God. If you rely and put faith in God, then the kingdom is yours. The great won’t be let in because they are great. The good won’t be let in because they are good. The rich won’t be let in because they are rich. Our dependence, our salvation, comes from God and God alone.

Meet the Students

Meet Andrew Thorpe a Mechanical Engineering major from Eighty Four, PA. Andrew is a transfer student from a branch campus, the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, and has made a home here in Pittsburgh. Read more about him…

1. What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory would probably have to be the first time I got to ride in a classic automobile. I was somewhere around 8 or 10 and one of my cousins (who was in is 20's) had just bought this 1963 Jeep Wagoneer. What made this interesting is that it had all the same safety features from when it rolled off the assembly line in 1963, so there were no seatbelts at all and I believe the rear shocks were bad (which led to a very bouncy ride). What I remember most about it is that I ended up laying across the backseat, hugging it as tightly as I possibly could just so that I wouldn't end up on the floor or hitting the roof with my head. It was terrifying but invigorating all at the same time and has led to my fondness of vintage automobiles since.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? My involvement in Cornerstone so far has been mostly of attending the Wednesday night service, a weeknight Bible study, a weekly discipleship group and participating in various weeknight events. I have also been an emcee for a Wednesday night service. In the future, I hope to become even more involved.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? So far, I am a recent transfer from the Pitt-Titusville branch campus so I just started going to Cornerstone this semester. But, while at Titusville I was active in a group called Alpha Omega in which the faculty advisors for the group (Mr. Jeff Ledebur and Nurse Kim Roser) made sure to get everyone involved with various CCO events such as Jubilee (a necessity for any college student who is a follower of Christ). Going to Alpha Omega definitely shaped me a lot by keeping me entrenched in my faith while in Titusville, and Cornerstone is continuing to do so this semester along with challenging me and causing substantial growth in my faith. So even though I haven't been involved for long, Cornerstone is an integral part of my week that I center myself around.

Financial Update

October was a wonderful month for us! As you can see from the chart, we made 100% of our monthly goal! Thank you to everyone who has supported us in our ministry. Cornerstone would simply not be possible without you. Just because we made our goal for a month does not give me an excuse to rest or be lazy, however. We are always in need of help financially, and are always looking for new supporters. 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

Futsal (indoor soccer) season is upon us. Both Benjamin and Joshua are participating in futsal this year. Ben has moved up a league, and Joshua remains in the same league. Taking two kids to two different games on two different schedule and two different practice times can be a bit tricky, but so far we’ve managed. Both seem to really enjoy soccer (which is funny, because neither Emily nor I played it), and both seem to be doing really well.

Asher is excelling in school, and (like Ben and Josh) seems to have a knack for making friends. Every time I pick him up from school, he always takes the time to say “goodbye” to all of his classmates and friends. It has been a joy to watch him learn to read and broaden his academic abilities. He has an infectiously positive and joyful spirit about everything he does.

Emily continues to spend her time involving herself in different church activities, and doing those things that are difficult to do with 3 boys under foot. She is enjoying this time to decide where she would like to use the gifts and abilities she has been blessed with.

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

August 2015 Newsletter

Essay on Forgiveness
We say a great many things in church (and out of church too) without thinking of what we are saying. For instance, we say in the Creed “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” I had been saying it for several years before I asked myself why it was in the Creed. At first sight it seems hardly worth putting in. “If one is a Christian,” I thought, “of course one believes in the forgiveness of sins. It goes without saying.” But the people who compiled the Creed apparently thought that this was a part of our belief which we needed to be reminded of every time we went to church. And I have begun to see that, as far as I am concerned, they were right. To believe in the forgiveness of sins is not nearly so easy as I thought. Real belief in it is the sort of thing that very easily slips away if we don’t keep on polishing it up.

We believe that God forgives us our sins; but also that He will not do so unless we forgive other people their sins against us. There is no doubt about the second part of this statement. It is in the Lord’s Prayer; was emphatically stated by our Lord. If you don’t forgive you will not be forgiven. No part of His teaching is clearer, and there are no exceptions to it. He doesn’t say that we are to forgive other people’s sins provided they are not too frightful, or provided there are extenuating circumstances, or anything of that sort. We are to forgive them all, however spiteful, however mean, however often they are repeated. If we don’t, we shall be forgiven none of our own.

-C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Meet the Students

Meet Will Rabuse, a sophomore Biology major from Chesapeake, VA. Will, the son of a retired Navy Captain, and has made a home here in Pittsburgh. When you are around him, you can’t help but feel encouraged by his warm, caring personality. Read more about him…

1. What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory is relaxing on the beach and watching the jets fly over. I would also always love playing in the water with my brother, and sitting in the hot sand eating chips and cold PB&J’s.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? In Cornerstone, I was introduced to freshman bible study during the fall of my 1st year. After enjoying the bible study, and meeting many great people, I decided to start going to regular Cornerstone meetings on Wednesday nights. Here I got to know older students and started to become a part of the community. Following my familiarization with how Cornerstone worked, I volunteered to put my percussion skills to use and play drums in the worship band on Wednesday nights. I have now become part of the freshman ministry team and am preparing to work with fellow Cornerstone friends and welcome freshman to college and share/live the gospel with them.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Coming to PITT was different for me, because I was the only one here from my High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, and I also had no idea where to look to be involved in a community or place of worship together with others. It was an answered prayer from God that I looked across Fifth Avenue one day and saw a big “CORNERSTONE COLLEGE MINISTRY” sign at a Presbyterian church. This is the exact thing that I had prayed to find. It took me a while to adjust to the new environment of Pittsburgh, eight hours away from home, but I met some wonderful people who were just as interested in seeking the Lord and living like Jesus, just as much as I was. It also brought me to a realization that even in a secular place like college, there is still a way to be devoted to God and bring the joy of Jesus Christ to those that you meet and commune with.

Financial Update

It was a good month financially for us! Thank you all so much! AS you can see from the chart, we made $3,471 which is 89% of where we need to be. We thank you for upping your donations, new donors, and those who are praying for the ministry. This has all 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. 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

With the start of the school year very rapidly approaching, it means things will be busier than ever. We will get to meet hundreds of new freshmen and their families, as well as welcome the veteran Cornerstone students back. It also means that my work week hours will double…for a week at least. Sometimes it’s hard to let summer go, but I am honestly excited for what is to come.

With a new college school year also come a new school year for my kids. Benjamin will be going into the third grade, Joshua will be going into the 2nd grade, and Asher will be (gasp) going into Kindergarten. Both Ben and Josh are excited to get back to school (as I am sure Emily is as well), and Asher is thrilled to be joining his big brothers at Fulton Academy. I asked him if he was afraid at all, and he responded, “A little bit. I’m afraid of not being with Mommy and you.” Asher is such a social butterfly that I am sure he will forget about us within a matter of minutes. We just pray that he will be able to not talk through all his classes.

Emily is preparing to be an “empty nester.” I’m sure it will be a hard adjustment for her, but a welcome one. She has done a great job preparing the boys for school that they all seem to have adjusted and excelled. Now she will be looking for part time work, which could also be another big adjustment. So please be in prayer for her with all of this transition.

I pray that this letter finds you well. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:7

In Christ,
Andy Moore