Summer Newsletter

When Trouble Looms
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” –Psalm 27:1

To say that it has been a difficult year at the University of Pittsburgh would be an understatement. I was in the Dominican Republic when I first heard the news of the shooting. In fact, I got it through a text message: Shooting has occurred at Western Psych. One dead, several injured. Oakland is on lockdown. Please do not leave, until advised to do so. Share this message if safe to do so.

My first thoughts were immediately of one of my students: Andrew. Andrew was currently with me in the Dominican Republic, and worked at Western Psych (Western Pennsylvania’s largest psychiatric facility.) I knew that I had to break the news to him, and that it would not be easy. ..and it wasn’t. In fact, it wasn’t easy breaking the news to the entire group.

I have seen the recent string of college shootings on the news in the past few years, most notably the Virginia Tech massacre, but the thought that it could happen at Pitt was not even in my mind…and only a couple of blocks away! It was deeply troubling.

I wish I could say that the Western Psych shooting was the end of Pitt’s troubles, but it was not. In the week following (and lasting until graduation), there were over one-hundred (yes, one-hundred) bomb threats to almost every building on Pitt’s campus. The bomb threats started as graffitied threats scribbled on a bathroom wall, and then escalated to dozens of threatening e-mails.

The threats caused panic, and fear on Pitt’s campus. Students could not attend class, or couldn’t sleep because of evacuations at 2:00am. Many students left for home for the semester, and soon to be freshmen took their name out for enrollment. Many class finals became optional, online, or take home. Fear had struck, exactly as the terrorizing threatener had planned. But there is one thing that panic, and fear, always point to: a need for a savior. During the midst of uncertainty, we must rely on the on thing that is certain: Jesus Christ.

During those trying weeks, Cornerstone students really stepped up, being a light to the Pitt and Pittsburgh community. A few of our students started a network of unused beds and couches to sleep on, in case they were evacuated from their dorm. All the evacuated students would have to do was go to one of these safe havens to find shelter. A prayer visage was held. Our students handed out free cookies and hot dogs to students. It is these reasons that I thank God every day for where I am, and who he put me with.

Why We Do What We Do
Meet Danny “Haircuts” Churchill, a now sophomore Psychology major at the University of Pittsburgh. I really got to know Danny during this past year, and especially on the Dominican Republic spring break trip. Here is his testimony of the trip:

God gives us a great deal of talents and helps us to use them, even if we may be afraid or uncomfortable. That’s one of the most important things I learned from my trip to the Dominican Republic. I had some of the craziest, God-filled experiences there. Before going to the DR, I had been on mission trips before. On these trips, the things I was most used to doing was labor, such as building walls or hauling dirt or digging holes. Our mission trip did not have any of that. I was going to be doing something completely different. The main idea of our trip was to “be comfortable with being uncomfortable”. With that idea in mind, I was in for a whole new experience.

We arrived there and each day when we went to villages, I felt I was learning something new about the world God created. I learned just how much energy little kids can have. They will keep on going whether you can or not. Another thing I learned was that there is so much beauty in everything in God’s world. Everywhere we traveled, all of it was beautiful. It’s a beauty that I seemed to have taken for granted before. As I was having all these experiences, I was also learning a great deal about myself. In doing evangelism with everyone on the evangelism team, I was able to see my friends communicate the amazing word of God to many people who needed it. It was amazing to see the effect that their words had on the people that heard them. I was a bit anxious to step up and speak to some of the people, though. I figured I would stand off to the side and doing little things and not be the person that would share the words that they believed God put on their heart. However, I needed to learn to “be comfortable with being uncomfortable”. I worked up the courage and one day I was able to speak words that God gave me to a woman who wanted Christ in her life. As she came to Christ soon after she heard me speak, I really felt his presence. I felt I had the courage and the strength to continue doing what I had just done. It was a feeling that I had never had before. From that point on, I knew that God would give me the words that I needed to say whenever I felt I needed to communicate His word to someone there. Through eliminating the fear that I carried, I had learned to utilize a talent God had given me to do His work.

Though I had had this amazing experience and had overcome a fear that I had, I continued to struggle with something. How am I, being a young college student, qualified to even begin to tell anyone what it takes to be a Christian, to help them come to Christ? What makes me special enough to do that? As I thought more about it on our way back home, I realized the answer was simple. God gave us all talents. It does not matter who you are, if you let him into your heart, he will use the talents he gave you. He can have you evangelize people even if you feel inadequate for the job or he can have you reach out to children even if you think you cannot. While this is just one of the many things I learned about myself on this trip, I felt it was the most important lesson I could take from it. I do not think it is possible to adequately describe my experience in words. Rather than describe it, I attempt to live it every day. The Dominican Republic trip was the most rewarding experience I ever had. It showed me talents I did not know I had and really taught me how to use them to glorify God. I was successful because I became comfortable with being uncomfortable.

You may have seen from the chart that our monthly giving remained at $3200, 91% of where we need to be. It is because of all of you that I am here and will get to where I need to be., I have been raising this support so I can minister to students like Danny, and see how God has worked in his life during his freshman year at Pitt. Working with College students, and seeing God transform them, is a true blessing and I thank God every day for this opportunity. If you would like to help this ministry, we 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. This will help to make up the difference from what I currently make and from my goal. We trust for you and for us that God will provide. He always has, and He always will. Remember that any gift is a good gift. We thank you, and may God bless you richly because you have given to advance His kingdom! 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
A lot has happened since I last wrote a newsletter. In fact, it has been a long time since I wrote a newsletter. I started to write this newsletter a few weeks ago knowing I needed to put a new one out, and planning on finishing it quickly. Then a funny thing happened: my hard drive crashed on my computer at church. This means that I was forced to put this newsletter on “pause” for a while.

Between the time of Part 1 of my newsletter and part 2, I was able to go on a much needed vacation to Colorado to see Emily’s family. It is exactly what I needed to relieve stress, refocus, and energize myself. Sure you may think that driving approximately sixty hours in a van (three days up, and three days back) with three young, energetic boys wouldn’t be relaxing, but it surprisingly was.

We did so much in Colorado, it is a little bit of a task to sort out and communicate just what we did. We hiked the Red Rocks outside of Denver, journeyed through Estes Park, went to a rescued wildlife sanctuary, and ate at the quirky restraint Casa Bonita (which I like to call the Mexican Chuck-E-Cheese). The boys had a blast playing football, basketball, golf, and baseball with Granny and Grandpa, and we had a great time with the rest of Emily’s family as well.

My real time of relaxation did not simply come from all our adventures, but came through going to Emily’s church (The Evangelical Free Church of Eaton) and meeting with her pastors which kind of became an impromptu counseling session for the past year. This helped me vocalize a lot of what I was feeling. It is interesting that this entire semester seemed to consist of counseling sessions for students, when I needed one myself.

Now I feel refreshed and ready to take on the new school year with a fresh set of lenses and ready to take on new challenges as well as try new things. God has indeed richly blessed us.

In Christ,
Andy Moore

January & February Newsletter

Embracing Change
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9

Change can be a hard pill to swallow. Giving up what you know, and what is comfortable in exchange for uncertainty is never easy. In a few months, senior students will experience the change of graduation to joining the working force. A few months ago, high school students became freshman, therefore experiencing change. It is the fear of facing an uncertain, cloudy future that makes change so hard to deal with. Change is inevitable. There is no dodging or avoiding it: Change happens. It’s just how we deal with change that matters.

I have found that it is easier to face change when someone is with you to experience the change as well. When I moved from Morgantown, WV to Pittsburgh, it was easier because I had Emily with me. How much easier is it then to have the God of the Universe, which dwells within us, when we face change? What an amazing thought that is.

So remember that when uncertainty arrives, you have the ultimate comforter, the very one who made comfort, with you. Though I still have my anxieties, knowing God is there helps put my mind at ease.

My Third Trip to the Dominican Republic
If you remember from one of last year’s newsletters, I defined my first trip to the Dominican Republic as “The largest spiritual renewal in my life, other than my conversion to Christianity.” This year I have the pleasure of taking 10 students back to the place were I found a love for those who are less fortunate and learned how deep Christ’s love and joy goes. This will be another great opportunity to see how God is working in the Dominican Republic. I can’t wait to go back! Please pray for the following students going on the trip: Nicole Arthur, Danny Churchill, Andrew Dekkinga, Danielle Englert, Dillon Hoffman, Cody Latimer, Jessica Martin, Jason Retucci, Megan Schug, and Connor Smith.

Why We Do What We Do

Meet Jason Retucci. Jason is a sophomore history major at Pitt, who started becoming involved in Cornerstone this year due to his roommate Cody Latimer. Jason recently came to know Christ as his savior and has been involved in a Discipleship group with Cody and me. He has a uniquely weird (in a good way) and funny personality, as you can see from the following questions. Read and enjoy!

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? I like the movie The Blues Brothers because I am the Blues Brothers…Both of them. I like the book East of Eden by John Steinbeck and am also a big fan of Raymond Carver's short stories. My favorite band is probably Rush.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I attend Cornerstone and am involved in a D-Group with Andy Moore and Cody Latimer. We kick it in Market Central and discuss our readings (Wayne Grudem’s Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know) for the week. Over Spring Break, I plan to attend a trip to the Dominican Republic.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Cornerstone, as well as D-Group, has given me the opportunity to have some good old fashion Christian fellowship, which is important to me. Inserting these little breaks from a secular university into my life has helped me to grow stronger as a Christian.

You may have seen from the chart that our monthly giving remained at $3200, 91% of where we need to be. It is because of all of you that I am here and will get to where I need to be., I have been raising this support so I can minister to students like Jason, and see how God has worked in his life during his years at Pitt. Working with College students, and seeing God transform them, is a true blessing and I thank God every day for this opportunity. If you would like to help this ministry, we are always looking for new supporters. This is what makes ministry possible. 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. We trust for you and for us that God will provide. He always has, and He always will. Remember that any gift is a good gift. We thank you, and may God bless you richly because you have given to advance His kingdom! 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

Christmas was a wonderful time with the family. Like the past few years, we spent Christmas in Pittsburgh. My favorite part of the day was lighting the Advent Candle at church with the family. Benjamin shined as he got to read the passage in from of the congregation. It was an absolutely incredible experience.

Emily and I soon celebrated our birthdays after Christmas (mine on December 28th and hers on January 2nd). I turned the dreaded (duh duh duh) 30, but did not really stress about it. I started feeling older when I started having kids (age 24), so 30 was nothing to me. Hopefully we can say the same for Emily next year!

I hope all is going well with you all and that the Lord is blessing you richly in the new year!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

Christmas Newsletter

Please click on the picture below to read my Christmas Newsletter:

November Newsletter

Thankfulness in His Grace
“By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain . . .” —1 Corinthians 15:10

The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.

There is only one relationship that really matters and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life. –Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for his Highest, November 30th: By the Grace of God I Am What I Am

Thankfulness in Adversity
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:18

There is an old saying, “When it rains, it pours.” Sometimes, in ministry, I feel that way. Things had been going fairly well for Cornerstone: our attendance has been steadier than usual, more students have been involved, and there seems to be an overall excitement at what God can do on Pitt’s Campus. It should come as no surprise that when there is a gradual incline, there are going to be a few bumps in the road…or in our case, potholes.

Despite the building momentum in Cornerstone, we have hit more than a few snags. Not to go into too much detail, but we have had numerous students suffering from physical, mental, and/or emotional damage. This just serves as a reminder that when we are doing something right for God, there is an adversary who will stop at nothing to mess things up.

It is so easy to let circumstances around us dictate how we live, work and play. We can get down from all these things, or we can look to a savior that is above all these things. Nothing is too big for God. Not depression or physical ailment. When it pours, we have to let God take control.

Thankfulness for Supporters
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” –Philippians 1:3

Meet Adam Sloan, a junior Chemical Engineering major at the University of Pittsburgh. Though he has never officially been on leadership, Adam has been involved with Cornerstone for the past two years. Learn more about him:

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? My favorite movie is either Shaun of the Dead or Sweeney Todd. All about zombies. And Johnny Depp singing. I haven't read much lately, but the last book I totally loved was Water for Elephants. As far as music, I'm pretty open to everything, although I tend to listen to more indie folk stuff: Good Old War, The Avett Brothers, Ryan Adams, stuff like that.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I started coming to Cornerstone my sophomore year after I stopped performing with Pitt Men's Glee Club. Since then, I've been involved in the racquetball tournament, Thursday night Frisbee, Outreach, bible study, and worship team, which I'm hoping to help lead next semester.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Before I came to Pitt, I wouldn't have considered myself religious at all. Once I got here, I met some amazing people whose love for God was so prominent in their lives and just completely overwhelming. If it weren't for the people I've met and the things I've done with Cornerstone, I wouldn't even be close to where I am now spiritually.

You may have seen from the chart that our monthly giving remained at $3200, 91% of where we need to be. There has been so much to be thankful for. I thank God for his love and provision. I thank every single one of you for reflecting those Christ-like qualities. It is because of all of you, I have been raising this support so I can minister to students like Adam, and see how God has worked in her life during his years at Pitt. Working with College students, and seeing God transform them, is a true blessing and I thank God every day for this opportunity. If you would like to help this ministry, we are always looking for new supporters. This is what 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. We trust for you and for us that God will provide. He always has, and He always will. Remember that any gift is a good gift. We thank you, and may God bless you richly because you have given to advance His kingdom! Please be in prayer that God will continue to build our support team and that we would be faithful in doing our part.

Thankfulness For Family
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” -3 John 4

Watching children grow up is both joyous and sad. It’s is joyous in the sense that you get to see them mature and discover new things that just adds to their personalities. It is sad in the sense that sometimes you look at your children, and wonder where the time has gone. You wonder how they got so big, or smart, or energetic, and it makes you appreciate the time that you do have with them. I love my wife and children more than everything except the Lord. They bring me such joy and contentment that I cherish every single millisecond that I have with them. It is often that I need to remind myself at how precious a family is.

We thank you all for your faith in Jesus, your love, and support. My God bless you in everything that you do! “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

September Newsletter

How I Am Wired
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” -1Timothy 2:3-4

My entire existence is built on relationships…it’s true. Whether it be my relationship with God or my relationships with others. Part of this is due to my extraversion. I get my kicks from talking to people, and mostly feel the need to always have someone around. Unfortunately what is an extreme strength can also be a weakness, because I cannot stand when people do not like me and dislike being alone. God has gifted me as one who relates to someone easily, and does not have a hard time of including them. In fact, when I took the Strenghtfinder test I found these to be my two highest strengths: Inclusion and winning others over.

Because I am good at talking to people and making them feel welcomed, I have (by the grace of God) become pretty good at delivering a gospel presentation. Now, I could take pride in this statement, but cannot for I know that this is not of my doing, but God’s alone. Sometimes we have a tendency to present the Gospel without a sense of urgency. We present it as if it is something a person should want and not what a person should need. In all reality, a relationship with God was woven into the very fabric of our existence. It is something that we need just as much as food, water, air and shelter. It is essential to our survival. This has helped to shape my entire view of the Gospel and how it deals with relationships. If we avoid sharing the Gospel, we are spiritually suffocating those who so desperately need it.

So as you deal with others, whether you are introverted or extraverted, do so with the urgency that God desires for all to be saved.

Cornerstone Update
This year has been good so far. Cornerstone has had all of its usual week one events, but there has been one difference: we have had an overwhelming amount of people. From giving out water or cupcakes, to our pick-up game of ultimate Frisbee, to our welcome back cookout, we have met a lot of new people. It has definitely been an answer to prayer. The wheel has started to turn, and we just pray that the momentum continues to build. The first large group meeting for Cornerstone also saw it’s share of people, but (like always) the numbers have slowly dwindled. We also have a record setting 85 people signed up for our Fall Retreat, and we aren’t even finished with sign ups!

I have a feeling that this year will have its set of challenges, but also it’s set of rewards. Please pray that our students and staff remain faithful to the calling the God has given us.

Why We Do What We Do

Meet Leigh Wiker. Leigh is a Spanish major at Pitt who helps to lead one of our small groups. She says, “I am not a morning person and have a pretty intense sweet tooth.” Read more about her:

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? Favorite movie -- Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Favorite book -- probably the Harry Potter series, but I also really like all Jodi Piccoult books, Musicians -- Hanson or Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I have been involved in Cornerstone since my freshman year. I started off by coming to the large group meetings on Wednesday and then second semester I joined a Bible study. I continued in Bible studies until my junior year, when I started to lead one. I continue to lead a Bible study this year as well.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Cornerstone has given me the encouragement and direction to really own my faith and dive deeper into Scripture. I grew up in the church, but it wasn't until I came to college and was faced with all new experiences that I was challenged to develop my faith. Cornerstone provided me with a community of people who were willing to help guide me in my spiritual growth.


You may have seen from the chart that our monthly giving has increased from $3000 to $3200, 91% of where we need to be. God never ceases to amaze me with his provision and the people that he uses to provide. It is because of all of you, I have been raising this support so I can minister to students like Leigh, and see how God has worked in her life during her years at Pitt. Working with College students, and seeing God transform them, is a true blessing. If you would like to help this ministry, we are always looking for new supporters. This is what 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. We trust for you and for us that God will provide. He always has, and He always will. Remember that any gift is a good gift. We thank you, and may God bless you richly because you have given to advance His kingdom! 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

We now have a five year old in our house. That’s right, Benjamin turned five on the 8th of this month. It is odd, for there is part of me that loves watching him grow up and mature, while the other part of me is sad that time is going by so fast. Next I will blink, and he will be in college…or getting married…or starting a family of his own. Though half a decade has now passed with him, our love for him and our other boys and their quirky personalities will always be on a permanent incline. Five years ago, Emily and I became parents and our worlds were rocked and are still being so. I just pray that in the years to come, that we will make the most of every moment with Benjamin, Joshua, and Asher.

Again, no words can express how thankful we are for you all and your giving! God Bless!

In Christ,
-Andy Moore

August Newsletter

God on Campus
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” –Galatians 5:1

If there was ever a “pep-talk” book to get College ministers fired up, it would have to be God on Campus by Trent Sheppard. I have been reading the book, along with the college staff and student leaders, before school begins. The book recounts various spiritual “big wigs” and how their ministry all got started on a college campus. These “big wigs” include: Henry Dunster, John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Samuel Mills, Jeremiah Lanipher, Robert Wilder, D.L. Moody, John Mott, and many more.

The book reminds us that there was a time when Harvard was considered a holy place and Princeton trained prophets, when students and professors could not help but pray because there were certain questions that could only be answered by an Intellect greater than our own. It shows that there was a time when student leaders provoked campus movements, when young radicals defied the status quo of their generation and engaged and reshaped their society to transform culture.

As always, we are always looking to improve Cornerstone, but our goal remains the same: to show students that Christ has set them free so that they may go and do likewise. Or as the CCO motto puts it, “Transform Students to Transform the World.” I truly believe that if you want to change the world, a great place to start is the college campus. And like so many of our famous predecessors did before our time, Bobbi, Chris, and I (along with our interns Ben and Amanda) plan to do likewise.

Preparing for Students
Rarely do I say that a summer has flown by, but truly this one has. Maybe it has gone by fast because a large portion is missing from my memory due to the concussion…maybe not. Whatever the reason may be, it has been a short and interesting summer. In the blink of an eye, I now find myself taking an extra step in preparing for the new school year; often wondering what type of students I will come in contact with or will join the Cornerstone ministry.

This year, I want to focus on my strengths. I am an extravert, and love meeting people and making new friends. So this year, I will mainly focus on doing just that by spending a majority of my time on campus. In fact, all of the staff has decided to focus on their strengths this year. It will be another exciting school year.

Pretty soon, we will be having our leadership retreat and our welcome back activities. Please be in prayer for the incoming freshmen and the staff as we take on more work.

Why We Do What We Do

Meet our new Intern Amanda Adametz. Amanda graduated this past year with a degree in mathematics. During her years at Pitt, Amanda tutored student athletes and was involved on our leadership team. Read more about her:

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? Favorite Movie - The Little Rascals, Book - The Count of Monte Cristo, Music - I'll listen to almost anything, but I've been on a country kick lately.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? During my sophomore year, I was a Freshmen Ministry Team Leader; and then I transitioned into the Tech Team, maintaining the Cornerstone website and running slides on Wednesday nights. I took a short hiatus from the Leadership Team my senior year, but still attended Wednesday nights and participated in Bible Studies. Currently, I'm starting my year as a full-time Cornerstone Intern.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Cornerstone almost immediately provided a Christian community for me when I came to Pittsburgh as a freshman in the fall of 2007. My closest friends are men and women that I met through my involvement with the group, and they're individuals who have influenced my life immensely. Cornerstone pushed me to take ownership of my Christian faith while away from the comfort and protection of the family and home environment in which I grew up. Cornerstone and its philosophies helped me to realize that God can redeem every academic discipline because He created them, and that we can glorify God in studying anything from poetry to mathematics.


You may have from the chart that our desired goal has changed from $3,200 to $3,500. The reason that this has increased is because of another raise that I have received. It is because of all of you, I have been raising this support so I can minister to students like Amanda, and see how God has worked in his life after graduation. Working with College students, and seeing God transform them, is a true blessing. If you would like to help this ministry, we are always looking for new supporters. This is what 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. We trust for you and for us that God will provide. He always has, and He always will. Remember that any gift is a good gift. We thank you, and may God bless you richly because you have given to advance His kingdom! 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 has been quite the hectic month for us! Emily and I decided to get a puppy for the boys. After finding an ad for Chocolate Labs (Emily’s dream dog) in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, we decided to “pull the trigger” and get one. We soon bought a little girl pup in Grove City, PA, brought her home, and the boys named her Zucchini. She was very docile, but like any lab, she became super active and liked to chew on pretty much anything; toys, furniture, our feet, power chords, etc. After less then a week, Emily and I decided that this puppy was extremely high maintenance and cutting in majorly to our time with our kids. That is something we never wanted. So, after some prayer we decided to give away the dog to my parents. My dad’s dream dog has also been a chocolate lab, so the fit felt right. We have no doubt that we did the right thing by giving her to my parents.

Other than the puppy news, I have been preparing pretty heavily for the upcoming school year and Emily has been preparing for my sudden absence due to my preparation and work. It always takes the boys by surprise when daddy has been home for much of the time during the summer, and then is gone most of the time when the students come back. Please pray our family through this time. Being away from home is never an easy thing.

In Christ,
Andy Moore

July Newsletter

Injury Update
It has been a little over two months since my accident. Some effects still linger, but I am almost at 100%...I would say 99%, actually. Hopefully, others see the same results and I am not just making up statistics.

I went to the doctor for my second “concussion test” a few weeks ago, not knowing what to expect. I had failed that first test miserably; so much so, that the doctor told me I was “sub-human.” Needless to say, I did not have high expectations.

The test did seem relatively easier to me, though still required a great deal of concentration which took a lot of my energy. Soon the doctor came back with the test results and, again, I wasn’t expecting much. Fortunately, the scores were good…really good. The 50th percentile is a where a “normal” person should at least be at for these test. For my first test, I was in the low 30’s for memory. The new test results were now showing that I was in the 87th percentile. In fact, the doctor called me intelligent which I welcomed much more than his “sub-human” comment. I don’t think I could have even scored in the 87th percentile before the concussion. Maybe the concussion knocked something loose in my brain, or gave me super powers…maybe not.

Needless to say, after a very trying time, I feel good again. I still can’t do everything, like contact sports or read for a long time, but I feel normal again, if not better than before.

Like I touched on in my previous newsletter, getting a concussion (though trying) was a blessing and has given me a different outlook on life. I definitely am thankful to God for everything that has happened in the past two months, and pray that he continues to strengthen me.

Sunday Nights
Time and time again we analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Cornerstone, and time and time again we find that one of our largest weaknesses is outreach. Now, don’t get me wrong, some of our students are great at this, but not all are.

Every summer, we have a large group gathering with different college campus Christian organizations called, “Common Ground.” When deciding what we wanted Common Ground to look like this year, we decided to make it a primary focus of outreach…and so far, it has worked.

First, we changed the name from Common Ground to the simple Sunday Nights. Second, instead of our usual method of play/talk/food/play again, we decided to make it primarily recreationally based with the occasional serving of food. Here our students can invite others (primarily non-Christians) to come out and play volleyball, ultimate-Frisbee, etc. and then watch the movie of the week for free at Schenley Park. The focus of this time is to get to know others relationally, and then invite them to our Wednesday night Bible studies.

Why We Do What We Do

The following is an excerpt from a blog (http://serwon.blogspot.com/) written by former student, Dan Serwon simply known as “Serwon.” Serwon graduated from Pitt in 2009 with a Civil and Environmental Engineering Degree. Since graduating, he has joined the Peace Corps, and now resides in Rwanda, Africa. I had the pleasure of knowing Dan during his stead at Pitt. He has a servant’s heart, which is one reason why he has decided to help others through the Peace Corp. He is truly a fantastic man of God. Read more about him:

Second semester of junior year I started a new co-op at Bunting Graphics Inc. I was working as a project manager of sorts. They never gave me any real responsibility. I hated this job although my boss was alright. Everyone I worked with appeared to hate their job and their boss. While working here I went on a mission’s trip to the Naomi house orphanage in Navajo Nation Arizona during spring break. I went with a lot of people that I knew but didn’t hang out with. I don’t think I would have done this the year before, but now that it no longer mattered to me who was going. It did still matter if these people liked me though so that was my main focus of the trip. I succeeded. It didn’t really matter to me how much I could help out there even though that was really the reason I went there. I have been told many times that an experience is going to change your life, but never actually experienced that. The Naomi trip did not change my life. All it really did was showed me more people that I desperately wanted to be like…A guy I became friends with is Andy aka dad. Andy and I have a very similar sense of humor so we hit it off rather quickly even though he is a huge West Virginia fan. He also was one of the Cornerstone leaders.

After I finished working at Bunting Graphics Inc. I went back to school for an entire calendar year. This wasn’t my plan. I wanted to find another co-op and continue trying to make civil engineering work out. Any civil engineering job is a good one right so if this is the case then in order to be successful I needed to continue down this path. I had hated both co-ops that I had had so far and neither of them wanted me back either. The co-op office decided that they weren’t going to help me find a new co-op. On the same night we had bible study. I was off during bible study and it must have been obvious because at the end of the night Andy started asking me what was wrong. We talked for a long time about how I felt like a failure. Andy praised me for my actions on the Naomi trip. This was the life changing experience that I was waiting for. God was speaking to me through Andy. I was like Jacob, wrestling with God for my whole life; serving myself instead of others. Any good that I did was a selfish desire to make myself feel a little happier. Happiness isn’t based on what happens to you it is how you face what happens to you. I thought that money and success would bring me happiness, but the only thing that could make me happy is doing as Jesus says. I needed to die to myself and live for others.

If you would like to read the rest of this story, Serwon’s testimonies, or more of his adventures, visit his blog at http://serwon.blogspot.com/. The rest of this story is in his article titled, “Thorns.


As you can see from the chart, our support has increased $3,000, which is 85% of our desired goal. You may have also noticed that our desired goal has changed from $3,200 to $3,500. The reason that this has increased is because of another raise that I have received. It is because of all of you, I have been raising this support so I can minister to students like Serwon, and see how God has worked in his life after graduation. Working with College students, and seeing God transform them, is a true blessing. If you would like to help this ministry, we are always looking for new supporters. This is what 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. We trust for you and for us that God will provide. He always has, and He always will. Remember that any gift is a good gift. We thank you, and may God bless you richly because you have given to advance His kingdom! 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

We have returned recently from our annual voyage to Colorado. As most of you know, Emily grew up on a farm in the little town of Eaton, CO, so it is always exciting to return there. We spent the majority of our time traveling to different Colorado locations including Greeley, Fort Collins, Denver, and Estes Park. It was a busy time, but fun none-the less. The kids always enjoy seeing Granny and Grandpa, as well as playing on the farm. This year, Granny went out of her way by replicating a football field in the front yard, complete with goal posts and spray painted yard lines and end zones. Joshua and Benjamin spent most of their time there returning kicks, showing off their jukes, spin moves, and stiff arm. After one morning of playing on the field, Benjamin decided that he wanted to be a professional football player we he grows up, exclaiming, “I just don’t know where I got these moves!”

Soon we leave for our second vacation with my family to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We have not been to the beach since Emily was pregnant with Benjamin, so it will be nice to return. It will also be great to get my whole family back together for vacation. It is always a good relaxing time.

We thank you all, and pray that God continues to bless you richly!

In Christ,
Andy Moore