July 2015 Newsletter

Love Fulfills
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” –Galatians 5:22-23

We fulfill the Law through love; this is the sum and substance of the whole Law. And love is the very thing the Spirit creates in the life of the believer and in the believing community. Love is the chief of the Spirit’s fruits. We see love mentioned first in the list of the fruit of the Spirit. That’s not only to give love pride of place as the most important fruit but also to suggest that love itself is the summation of all the other fruit. Love contains the whole of all that God desires and require of us.

This is why Paul can say so confidently about the fruit of the Spirit, “Against such things there is no law.” The Law is not against the fruit of the Spirit; indeed, the fruit of the Spirit - love - is the very thing for which the Law itself calls. Thus the leading of the Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit, which is the fulfillment of the Law and thus avoids its curses.

Love, then, ought to mark our lives as Christians. Indeed, love ought to be the hallmark of the Christian. We ought to be known by how we love one another – and the world. In fact, our love for one another is an indication of whether we are walking by the Spirit.

Love ought to mark the church as well. The church ought to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit. We ought to be like a garden, the garden of God, embodying the presence of the Spirit, recapturing the love that was present originally in the garden of Eden. And this garden-church ought to be filled with fruit, new creation fruit born of the Spirit of God within the lives of his people. Thus the church ought to be an oasis in the midst of a barren wasteland, a place of nourishment and rest and healing and life smack dab in the middle of this present evil age.

-Todd Wilson, Galatians: Gospel-Rooted Living

Meet the Students

Meet Zak Wool, a senior bioengineering major from Newark, Delaware. Zak had been in the ministry from his very first weeks at Pitt, and has been quite an asset ever since. One thing you need to know about Zak is that he is a great cook. Read more about him…

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? This question is hard to answer. Top movies would have to include the Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight, and Sunshine. Books would also include the Lord of the Rings along with The Things They Carried, and the Hyperion Cantos. Most folk and classic rock appeals to my tastes.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I got involved in Cornerstone the first month of my freshmen year when an awkward conversation with Andy at Bellefield brought me to the orientation week cookout. After attending freshmen bible study, I continued on to help lead it the following year. The past year and a half I've been co-leading Cornerstone's planning team which oversees the administrative aspects of Cornerstone's meetings and events.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Cornerstone was originally, like most freshmen, a place for me to meet others who shared my beliefs. Those initial relationships have been allowed to flourish and become some of the best friendships I’ve made. Such a community has allowed to me to grow into who I am compared to who I was out of high school. Learning to love myself and identify who I was in Christ has helped me mature not so much into a different person but into who I really was beneath the high walls I had put up.

Financial Update

Raising support for a pay raise has been slow but steady. We have taken a slight dip from the previous months support, however. You may have seen from the chart that our monthly is at $3096, 79% of where we need to be. Though there has been a dip, I am not discouraged, because I know that God provides. I am very thankful for that provision. I am also very thankful for all of you! It is because of all of you, I have been raising this support so I can minister to students like Zak, and see how God has worked in his life during his years at Pitt. It has been amazing watching Zak grow since our first “awkward conversation.” A large part of being able to do what I do has been through gracious supporters. 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. 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

Summer is quickly winding down. What was once a relaxing filled few months is becoming increasingly busy. This past month Benjamin and Joshua (Asher still isn’t old enough) got their first taste of camp when they visited Beulah Beach, a Christian and Missionary Alliance Camp in Vermilion, Ohio. Ben and Josh did the Explore Camp part of Beulah Beach, designed specifically for younger kids to have their first overnight camp experience. The camp provides activities, games, music and also provided an opportunity for Ben and Josh to explore the active, relational, and spiritual value of being at a Christian camp away from parents. They had an absolute blast. In fact, the first thing Benjamin said to me when we went to pick him up was, “Can we stay?”

Those three days of camp where not their only days of camp, however. A week later, the whole family (including my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and four nephews) went back to Beulah Beach for family camp. We had time, both as a family and in specific age groups, to learn more about God and enjoy the area around Lake Erie. It was a wonderful (and tiring) five days that our whole family not only enjoyed, but bonded over. It looks like this might become our new family vacation.

A week after family camp, we celebrated my mom’s 60th birthday in Pittsburgh. We had an absolute blast celebrating with our entire family. She’s a very special lady whom I am extremely proud of and thankful for.

I pray that this letter find you well, and that God is doing amazing things through you!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

June 2015 Newsletter

Creative Service
“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” –Matthew 6:28-29

Jesus commands us not to be anxious about our needs, so then why do we toil? Merely to tend our bodies, or also to shape our souls? In giving us work, God invites us to blend the creativity of our minds with the labor of our bodies, and then to share the products of this work with one another in free exchange —to make real our communal nature, our gift nature, through our personal callings. We must never see our work as simply a way to gain. We must never see our labor as an impersonal force of efficiency. We must never see our work merely as a mechanism we might control with levers and switches of power.

In all our work together, what we call the economy, that’s not a machine either. Work is always personal, because work is always relational. Whether you’re a janitor, a CEO, or a programmer, work is a creative service. So let us cherish our work as the glorious gift it is: the opportunity to join with others - literally millions of others - in a divine project of vast creativity, vast abundance, for the meeting of needs, for the flourishing of cities, for the life of the world.

Let us see every product, every purchase for what it is: a touch point, a nexus of millions of relationships. At every moment you are surrounded with the fruit of a great and gracious collaboration. At every moment you are being reminded that you are not alone…and you were never meant to be.

-Evan Koons, For the Life of the World

Cornerstone Update
It is the end of another school year. This means that things slow down quite a bit for me. There are less students hanging out at the church, which makes things much more quiet, and my workload becomes much easier. The church, during the weekdays, becomes a bit of a Ghost Town.

It is not all relaxation time, however. During the summer, as you may remember, we have our weekly meeting called Common Ground. Common Ground is a large group fellowship where students from various Pittsburgh campuses and Christian student groups merge for a summer ministry sponsored by the CCO. This year we are meeting at Bellefield, and doing a video series called For the Life of the World. For the Life of the World (see “Creative Service” above) is an entertaining film series that explores the deeper meaning of Salvation. It should be a great time.

Elsewhere, in Erie, PA, we have four students involved in the Ocean City Beach Project (OCBP). I know what you are thinking, “Shouldn’t they be in Ocean City?” They should, but due to unforeseen, and quick, circumstances, they had to relocate to Erie. So now I guess you could call it the, LELP (Lake Erie Lake Project). Anyways, OCBP is a summer-long community living opportunity for Christian college students to develop further as campus leaders. The Project provides the opportunity for students to grow personally in faith and to develop a deeper vision for life. The students going are Jeff Schallick, Katie McNeily, Nicole Russo, and Heather Day. Please be in prayer for them.

Meet the Students

Meet Sarah Lewkowicz, a student of the Cornerstone ministry and native of Pittsburgh. Sarah has been a staple within Cornerstone for a few years, and has a wonderful, warming personality. Read more about her:

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? My favorite movie is The Secret Garden, and has been since childhood. My favorite book would have to be either Wicked or The Scarlet Letter. And my favorite band currently is Florence and the Machine, though depending on the day I could switch to any of the 70 different CDs in my car.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I have been involved in Cornerstone since my "freshman" year, or my one semester of college in the fall of 2011. After getting talked into going to FMT (Freshman Ministry Team) towards the end of the semester, I finally felt loved and appreciated, and wanted to give back to the community. I was on FMT the next year, and then one of the worship leaders two years later. I am currently one of the Planning Team leaders for Cornerstone.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your college years? In the past four years, Cornerstone has given me so much. The community helped pull me out of a deep depression my freshman year, teaching me about God's love and grace, which allowed me to believe that I could be a better self. The biggest, and most recent, moment that Cornerstone has allowed me to experience was my decision to move to Arizona. Every year, Cornerstone sends a mission team to an emergency Foster Care home on the Navajo reservation out west. After four years of spending a week there, God spoke to me while at Jubilee Conference with Cornerstone, kicking me in the pants and encouraging me to follow my call to work at NAOMI house full time. I can only hope to share the love that has been shown to me from the students and the staff of Cornerstone.

Financial Update

You may have seen from the chart that our monthly is at $3346, 85% 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 Sarah, 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.

Moore News

Well, our Little League season if officially over, and we had quite a run in the playoffs. After having a pretty rough year, we went into the playoffs as the 4 seed in our division. That sounds good off the bat (pun intended), but there are only five teams in our division. The first game we played was against the fifth seed Angels, whom we had beat twice this year already. After a hard fought game, we eventually prevailed. Next we had to play the one seed Indians who destroyed us this year. Everything that could have gone right went right in that game, and we mercy ruled them 11-1 advancing to the semifinals. Benjamin and Joshua both had phenomenal years and were some of the best players on the team…which made it really hard when we (our family) couldn’t make it to the semifinals due to vacation. The Mariners went on to lose 9-7 in the semifinals in a hard fought game. Benjamin finished the year with a team high .895 batting average and totaled 51 hits in 57 at bats, and got an All-Star nod. Josh did really well for the year batting .684 and leading the team in doubles. I couldn’t be more proud of them, or this team.

As you may have read in paragraph above, we did go on a very short vacation to Colorado. We usually spend a few weeks out there, but this time we only spent five days. Nine if you include driving days. The boys got to spend time with Grandpa on the farm, and Emily got to spend a lot of time with her sisters. We even got to go to the Wild Animal Sanctuary and the Denver Museum as well. My only complaint is that it wasn’t long enough.

We pray that God is using you for the expansion of his kingdom, and that you are growing in him daily! God Bless!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

May 2015 Newsletter

The Heart
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” –Exodus 20:4

Children often have a tendency to emulate traits or mannerisms of their parents. My sons have picked up one of my traits that I can’t stand, and that I wish they hadn’t: obsession. I, like so many people, suffer from obsession. I easily fixate on things, and it often takes over part (or a good majority of) my life. My kids obsess as well.

The other day I was talking to my boys about obsession, and the problems it holds. I quoted Blaise Pascal’s famous quote to them, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” I explained that trying to fill this God shaped hole with things other than God was like trying to fit a square block into a round hole; you might be able to cram it into there, but it does not belong.

John Calvin once said that our heart was a “perpetual factory of idols.” The more I have examined my own heart, and seen my personality reflected in my kids, the more I realize just how right Calvin is. We were all made to worship God weather we realize it or not. I believe it is engrained in us since birth. The problem is that we have been filling that God shaped vacuum with things that do not belong there. We cram idols into that hole again and again and again. We all worship something.

You can probably guess that when I was talking to my kids, I was actually talking to myself. That is why the Gospel is so important to hear, even if you have heard it a million times. Hearing the words of Christ’s death and resurrection refocuses our heart and helps us do some “spring cleaning,” preparing our hearts for the only one is truly worthy of worship.

Meet the Students

Meet Julianna “Jules” Saviola, a Junior Industrial Engineering student from Olney, MD. Jules is one of the prayer team leaders whom I oversee. Her energy and organizational skills bring a lot to the team. Read more about her:

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? Some of my favorite movies are You've Got Mail, Pride and Prejudice, The Bourne Trilogy, and the Underworld series; which seems like a weird list but they're my favorite in their different genres. One of my favorite books is The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli. My favorite band is The Fray, but I also like most types of music.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? So my freshman year I didn't go too often to Cornerstone in the fall because of a night class recitation I had, but I went to Freshman Bible study. In the spring I started going more and participated in a Bible study. I wasn't on leadership for the first half of my sophomore year, but now I'm on Prayer Team, co-leading with Nick Lotz.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Being a part of the Cornerstone community has really been helpful with my mindset throughout the school year and how I have prioritized my life. Consistently being with other Christians at least three times a week: Sunday Church, Cornerstone, and Bible studies help me to constantly refocus towards God more and pull me out of the 'school is only thing that I can give time to' idea. It also has shown, with the help of older friends of mine, that in my college experience yes, sometimes you will hate almost everything and will feel burnt out but you're allowed to feel that way if are also willing to acknowledge that these waves of loathing school and doubting everything are temporary. That God has lead you, or in some cases dragged you like a child throwing a tantrum, to this point and will keep making sure you will end up where you're supposed to be.

Financial Update

For the past four months, we have included a financial ask letter to go along with our newsletter where we asked you to “tithe your tax return.” We thank everyone who responded, going above and beyond anything what you may have felt comfortable doing. We are so overwhelmed at your kindness, selflessness and generosity that we are at a loss for words. It seems that all too often that we step out in faith financially, and (admittedly) expect little in return. I am glad that I am wrong! Thank you all for making everything possible!

Our financial journey is not over, however. For the first time in approximately four years, we are receiving a raise of an extra $300 a month. It is hard receiving a raise, mainly because the burden of raising the extra money falls on us asking you all for more help. We are stepping out in faith again, and knowing the God will provide financially. We could always use financial help, and if you are interested in supporting this ministry (or giving extra), I would love to meet with you. Please contact me using the information on the front of this newsletter or email me at amoore@ccojubilee.org.

Moore News

Baseball season is in full swing (pun intended), as I continue to be the assistant coach for Ben and Josh’s team. After some early struggles, mainly with fielding, our team is finally coming around. Benjamin has been our team MVP. His fielding is outstanding, but his batting is even better as he is hitting close to .900. That’s right, .900! What Benjamin lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with intelligence. He knows how to choose pitches, and where to place himself in the field. Joshua is just a pure athlete. He struggled getting used to a different pace of baseball, but now has adapted very nicely. He is batting .750 (remember that this is coach pitch), and has become quite the fielder. His arm is a force to be reckoned with, and when he gets hold of a ball it soars. Of course I say all of these things as a doting and biased father. I can’t wait to teach Asher all of these things!

While baseball has been all that Josh and Ben have been up to, Asher has been busy with soccer. Asher is way more of a homebody than the other two, so it’s good to see him get out of the house and do something athletically. It’s hard to gauge how good he is, because it just depends on his motivation for the day. He seems to have an interest in both soccer and baseball, so I can’t wait to see him really get into them.

Emily is preparing for the transition with all three boys back at home as the school year starts to come to a close. She is still continuing to work for AYPT (Auctions Your Possessions Today) as well as manage our household. Both of us participated in the Pittsburgh Marathon relay earlier in the month. She ran 6.4 miles, and I ran 6.2. It was a really fun activity that we got to participate in together. She has been a great equalizer for me, and I am very thankful for her.

We pray that this Newsletter finds you well! God Bless!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

April 2015 Newsletter

The Challenge of Narcissism
The New Age Movement calls us to look inside ourselves, to explore ourselves, for the solution to our problem is within. We do not need a savior to come to us from somewhere else; we can be our own savior. Unfortunately, some of this teaching has permeated the church, with some Christians urging that we must not only love God and our neighbor, but we must also love ourselves. But no, this is surely a mistake for three reasons. First, Jesus spoke of “the first and great commandment” and of “the second,” but did not mention a third. Second, self-love is one of the signs of the last days (2 Timothy 3:2). Third, the meaning of agape love is the sacrifice of oneself in the service of others. Sacrificing oneself in the service of oneself is clearly nonsense.

What then should our attitude be to ourselves? It is a combination of self-affirmation and self-denial – affirming everything in us that comes to us from our creation and redemption, and denying everything that can be traced to the Fall.

It is a great relief to turn away from an unhealthy preoccupation with oneself to the healthy commandments of God (united and reinforced by Jesus), to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. For God intends his church to be a community of love, a worshipping and serving community.

Everybody knows that love is the greatest thing in the world, and Christians know why. It is because God is love. The thirteenth-century Spanish courtier Raymond Lull wrote that “he who loves not, lives not.” For living is loving, and without love the human personality disintegrates. That is why everybody is looking for the authentic relationships of love.

-John Stott, The Radical Disciple

Cornerstone Update
It is here: the last month of the school year. That’s right; graduation is in a few weeks (April 26th). To be cliché, it has flown by. I shouldn’t be surprised at how fast the semester has gone, yet I always am. As soon as spring break ends…BOOM…it’s finals week. That means that the last Cornerstone will be “Senior Share,” a special Cornerstone in which the seniors share memories and give advice. That means that Pancake Study Break is coming up, an event in which we hand out all-you-can-eat, free pancakes for students who need a break from studying. That means that our annual kickball cookout is coming up, where we dine on the best hot dogs you will ever eat and play a rousing game of kickball. That means that the senior breakfast is coming up, where we get to dine with seniors and their families. That means graduation, which always brings large changes in our ministry. We prepare and mourn as Seniors graduate, and prepare and celebrate as we receive new freshmen into our ministry. It is the cyclical life of being a campus minister; a roller coaster of emotions. And I would not trade it for anything. I have been doing this job for eight(!) years, and I still fall in love with what God has called me to each and every year. For that, and for the students God has put me in contact with, I am truly blessed.

Meet the Students

Meet Steph Diewald, a sophomore, Communication Science and Disorders major from Downingtown, PA. Steph has been a part of Cornerstone since her first week at Pitt. Read more about her:

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? My favorite movies of all time are really The Little Rascals and High School Musical, but when I’m in mature company, I say When Harry Met Sally so as to not have the movie taste of a six year old. My favorite book is The Fault in Our Stars. (Fun fact: I got to be an extra in the movie, and made the cut for about 0.2 seconds as I walk across the screen holding a cup of coffee!!) My favorite music is 90’s rock, specifically Matchbox Twenty and The Goo Goo Dolls. Anything with an acoustic guitar is always good. Also Taylor Swift.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I started actively coming to Cornerstone events at the very beginning of my freshman year, and was given the opportunity to be on the Freshman Ministry Team starting in the spring of freshman year. Now I co-lead a small group bible study, which was slightly intimidating at first, but is now a really beautiful opportunity for me each week to be in smaller community with about 12 other girls, where we’ve been going through the book of Galatians and just talking about our lives (with the occasional trek to SkyZone or the Milkshake Factory).

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? It overwhelms me in the coolest way to think about the impact my experience in Cornerstone has had on my life and my relationship with God. To find such a close-knit, delightfully weird, and loving community at a critical time in my life has been the biggest blessing by providing me with an outlet for all of my faith questions, as well as peers and mentors who both encourage and challenge me as I discover more and more my need for a Savior. I find myself increasingly in awe of God’s gift of grace as my understanding of God’s greatness grows and I come to realize my own shortcomings. It has been especially neat for me to be able to seek out ways to glorify God through Speech Pathology and my passion for language in general. As I go to my classes, I am constantly finding all sorts of ways that God is working in my field to care for His people. The intricate system that allows humans to communicate is so complex that we can’t even fully understand it yet. Communication is such a precious blessing that God has given many of us to allow us to support, learn, and be united with one another, and I am so grateful to have my Cornerstone community to urge me to find the ways that I can serve God in all aspects of my life and not just a designated, separate sphere of it.

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

Financial Pledge Full (Link)

Moore News

It is my favorite time of year: baseball season. Yes, I love watching the Pirates, but now that I am a father of older boys, I get to participate again! Luckily I’m blessed with three boys that have taken an interest in baseball and two of them (Benjamin and Joshua) are playing…and I get to help coach them. Both Ben and Josh are playing on the same team Benjamin played for last year (The Mariners), and both are doing really well. Granted, Joshua took a little bit more to adapt to a league higher than his previous league, but it did not take long. Both Ben and Josh are natural baseball players, and take instruction very well. It has been awesome watching them grow in my favorite sport!

Asher, we felt, was still a bit young to join a team, so he has joined soccer again. I was playing both soccer and baseball with him in the backyard, and was stunned at how much he has improved in both. He had some great foot skills and soccer, and was hitting everything in baseball!

Emily is adjusting to sport’s life again, but seems to love watching the boys play. She manages to juggle the three boys, work around my crazy schedule, stay active in the church, and manage a household all at once! No idea how she does it, but she is surely appreciated.

In Christ,
Andy Moore

March 2015 Newsletter

Jubilee Testimony

Meet Kati Lynn Davis, a junior English writing major from Oxford, PA. Kati Lynn transferred this year from Deleware County Community College and has been a part of Cornerstone since her first day’s at Pitt. Read about her experience at the Jubilee conference…

I joined Cornerstone when I transferred to Pitt this fall, and I can honestly say not a week went by that I didn’t hear the word “Jubilee” at least once. Everyone I know has been talking about this thing since I got here and raving about how amazing it is, how it helped them reconnect with God, how it changed their lives, etc. I wanted to be as excited about it as they were, but to be honest, I had my doubts about going. I was afraid that I would get my expectations up for Jubilee just to be let down; that I would maybe experience the spiritual high during the conference, but then come back to campus and go through the spiritual crash and burn afterwards. I found myself thinking “What if I come back from this conference and my life is exactly the same? What if I don’t have that moment where God speaks to my heart and suddenly I transform into a whole new person? What if ‘this changes everything’ isn’t true for me?”

I’d like to say I did experience one of those big, mind-blowing God moments while I was there, but it wasn’t quite like that. It was more of a series of small moments that God used to chip away at my doubtful heart: moments that occurred during the worship and the large gatherings and the breakout sessions and even the time with friends in between. One moment in particular occurred during a session I attended Saturday morning called “Vocation and Creatives: A Call for Culture Shapers,” led by Bill Denzel. As an English Writing major who dreams of writing and publishing my own books, I’ve always struggled with the idea of glorifying God with my stories. I felt like being a Christian writer meant having to be the next Karen Kingsbury or Josh McDowell; in other words, I believed that I had to write specifically “Christian books” in order for God to be pleased with my work. I also felt that my dream of being a full-time writer was somewhat selfish because it’s not a service job (like a doctor or a teacher) where I would obviously be making a difference in people’s lives.

And then Bill said something that really hit me: our dreams come from the Holy Spirit. This small statement helped me to fully grasp the truth, and the truth is that God had a vision and a purpose in giving me my passion for telling stories. Bill used the examples of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, men with Christian worldviews who didn’t necessarily write “Christian” books, but did tell stories that point people towards truth, beauty, and goodness… stories that still have an impact on people’s lives today. Christian artists are important to God’s kingdom because we are helping to create the culture around us by imitating our Creator and making things that are true, beautiful, and good. During the session, Bill used a quote by St. Catherine of Vienna that struck me: “If you are what you are meant to be, you will set the world on fire.” God has given us His light, and He wants us to burn brightly no matter where we go and what we do in this life… and this really does change everything.

Spring Break Testimony

Meet Nick Lotz, a junior chemical engineering major from Nashville, TN. I have gotten to know Nick through our work together on the prayer team, but especially on the Habitat for Humanity spring break trip. See what he has to say about the trip…

In my faith I have struggled with choosing how to act on our call to service. I'd feel anxious about whether the avenues I chose for helping others were the right ones, and whether my own actions have really made a difference. When the options for the five Cornerstone spring break trips were first presented, I spent several days wrestling with indecision. Ultimately, the realization that so many families lack a safe and stable home even in a country as wealthy as ours called me to travel and work with Habitat for Humanity in Florida.

On Saturday, March 7, twenty members of Cornerstone and Panther Habitat set out for sunny Clay County, FL. Right off the bat, I noticed incredible dedication from everyone in the organization. A local church in Charlotte provided us with meals and accommodations during our travel. Clay County Habitat board members and other members of the community donated their time and resources to make us feel welcome as we spent the week renovating and repairing homes. I met and worked with several amazing, kindhearted people with whom Habitat has served and partnered. Some of these wonderful folks include Pam, who brought us lunch on our first workday; Wanda, a school cook and grandmother; and Austin, a fourth grader who loves math and his gold Velcro sneakers. I also connected with some of the most hardworking yet fun-loving Pitt students I have ever met, and our constant laughter could be heard whether we were sweating at a build site or relaxing our sore muscles at the beach.

Like other times I've volunteered, I first wondered if I chose the right trip and if God called me to the right place. I truly believe He had. Helping others through physically building them homes was fun, fulfilling, and also sobering. The tremendous need still present in communities across the nation is enough to make one cynical and discouraged. However, Habitat is an incredible organization that provides tremendous support for those in need of a home, and those Habitat helps often reciprocate by becoming volunteers themselves. Throughout our time in Florida, our hosts continuously expressed how grateful they were for our help. Having now returned home, I likewise feel immense gratitude toward the new friends I made, and to God for helping me grow and reframe my perspective toward service. Jesus stated in Matthew 25:40 that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me.” What was previously a source of self-accomplishment is now a means to better serve Him through serving others. It was a trip I’ll never forget, and is one I can’t wait to make again next spring.

As you now know I took over as the advisor for the Pitt Habitat for Humanity. This role has given me the unique opportunity to meet and work with students. One such opportunity was taking part in this amazing Spring Break trip to Orange Park, Florida to help work on houses with nineteen students, including Nick. The trip costs $300 and I have raised half of that with $150. I would like for you to prayerfully consider supporting me in this endeavor, so I can raise the other $150. The expenses included 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. I realize that some of you already support me and I am thankful. So, I am asking that you to pray about giving an extra $10-$50 on top of your usual contribution. If you would like to help support me on this trip, please make a separate check out to:

Bellefield Presbyterian Church
Attn: Habitat Trip
4001 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pa 15213

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

Financial Pledge Full (Link)

Moore News

It seems that the family managed well without me over Spring Break. In fact, they were rather busy. Joshua and Benjamin will both be playing baseball again this year. The difference is that they will be in the same league and on the same team, The Mariners. Joshua had is evaluation (try out), and nailed it making a spectacular catch in the process. I even heard one of the coaches whisper to another coach, “Best swing yet.” Yes, I am a doting, proud father…and a really good eavesdropper. Joshua and Benjamin together should be quite the dynamic duo.

Asher remains his sweet loving self, and is quite the comedian. He constantly has us laughing, and sometimes he isn’t even trying to be funny. His personality is truly contagious…and I think he knows that. He is the perfect mixture of extravert and introvert. Needless to say, he constantly keeps us entertained. I often wonder how Emily will be when he goes off to school in the fall.

Emily has been truly busy, and has started a part time job with our neighbor Doug Graham at an auction company called AYP Today (Auction Your Possessions Today). She seems to really enjoy it so far, and has seamlessly eased her way back into the working world. I honestly don’t know how she does all that she does.

We thank you so much for your time, support, and love! We pray that you constantly look to our Lord Jesus Christ for everything!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

February 2015 Newsletter

He Claims All
For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is our-selves. For each of us the Baptist’s words are true: “He must increase and I decrease.” He will be infinitely merciful to our repeated failures; I know no promise that He will accept a deliberate compromise. For He has, in the last resort, nothing to give us but Himself; and He can give that only insofar as our self-affirming will retires and makes room for Him in our souls. Let us make up our minds to it; there will be nothing “of our own” left over to live on, no “ordinary” life. I do not mean that each of us will necessarily be called to be a martyr or even an ascetic. That’s as may be. For some (nobody knows which) the Christian life will include much leisure, many occupations we naturally like. But these will be received from God’s hands. In a perfect Christian they would be as much part of his “religion,” his “service,” as his hardest duties, and his feasts would be as Christian as his fasts. What cannot be admitted—what must exist only as an undefeated but daily resisted enemy—is the idea of something that is “our own,” some area in which we are to be “out of school,” on which God has no claim.

For He claims all, because He is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There’s no bargaining with Him.

-C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Habitat for Humanity Spring Break Trip

This past year, I took over as the advisor 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 to Orange Park, Florida to help work on houses. I cannot, however, do this alone. The trip costs $300, so I would like for you to prayerfully consider supporting me in this endeavor. 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. I realize that some of you already support me and I am thankful. So, I am asking that you to pray about giving an extra $10-$50 on top of your usual contribution. If you would like to help support me on this trip, please make a separate check out to:

Bellefield Presbyterian Church
Attn: Habitat Trip
4001 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pa 15213

Meet the Students

Meet Nick Bersin, a freshman from Long Grove, Illinois with a dual major in German and International & Area Studies who is on the Russian & East European Studies track with minors in Polish and linguistics…quite the mouthful. Nick is quite the friendly person, speaks fluent German, and loves to give hugs. Read more about him…

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? Favorite movie: Monty Python & the Holy Grail. Favorite book: I really want to put something like Lederach's The Moral Imagination to seem thoughtful and worldly. Or C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain to show I know something beyond the main works of the greatest Christian thinker of the century. Or Goethe's Die Leiden des Jungen Werthers so you know how thoroughly versed I am in German literature. But, I only read 30 pages of the first and haven't even touched the last, so I'll just tell you I'm tied between The Bone People by Keri Hulmes and Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Richard Wright's Black Boy is a close second. Favorite music: Ellie Goulding, Macklemore, Matisyahu, German stuff (especially Casper), melo-death, folk metal, Rend Collective, Mumford & Sons, and black metal.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? I've been coming regularly on Wednesday nights and came to Freshman Bible Study first semester and am now being trained to lead that Bible study next semester as part of the Freshman Ministry Team. I am so, so excited to be able to get to know even more people and welcome them to Pitt and Cornerstone -- I love people and building new relationships. That's why I learn languages and study other cultures -- language is how you access a person on an intimate level, and the better you can speak their language the closer you can get to them. Particularly if it's one few people learn (like Polish or Serbo-Croatian). By studying how people view themselves through the examination of their literature, history, institutions, religion, personal stories, and social structures, you can gain a more holistic view and build a stronger relationship with them, along with getting a better perspective on yourself.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your year at Pitt? My first full day of orientation, I was leaving my advising appointment and still thinking about everything new that was happening. For some time I have had the thought of finding a ministry in the back of my mind, but after looking through the list of organizations on Pitt's website, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of them and had no way to distinguish on from the other. As I was walking in search of new adventures for the day, I saw a group of people in red shirts (or maybe pink -- I don't really know since I'm a bit colorblind) handing out water bottles. Having also once done campus outreach, albeit in high school, I immediately knew what kind of group this was. I approached them and asked when they met, and they gave me the info on all their activities that week. I went to each one, and from the very first, I knew that I had found home. I could tell that I was going to form some very special bonds with these people over the coming semester(s), and I was right. Never do I feel like I have to go through something alone, or that I don't have real friends here, because I have this massive, awesome family.


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

Financial Pledge Full (Link)

Moore News

This month I had the privilege to fly out to San Diego, California to be a groomsmen in Sean Keefe’s (my best friend from college) and Melissa Covert’s wedding. It was an awesome time, and I enjoyed every single minute. About eleven years ago, Sean flew out to Colorado for Emily and my wedding, so it was really nice to return the favor. It was honestly one of the more beautiful weddings I have ever seen, and I’m so incredibly happy for them. It was also my first time to California, which was amazing. I can honestly say that I now realize why people fall in love with California when they visit. It was such a good time! I only wish that Emily and the boys were there to experience it with me.

All the boys are doing great. Both Benjamin and Joshua are excelling in school, both receiving the award of High Honor Roll as well as many other awards. Asher is really eager to start school and join his other brothers. I think it will be a tough transition, however, because he is such a homebody. Let’s pray that it is not.

Emily will be starting a new job soon. Our neighbor, Doug Graham, owns an online auction company, and Emily will be helping out with it. She hasn’t had a job outside the home since Ben was born, so I know she’s excited to try something new.

I hope this newsletter finds you well, and that God is blessing you richly!

In Christ,
Andy Moore

January 2015 Newsletter

Guilt and Shame
“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” –Genesis 3:7

We often see guilt as a bad thing, and it can be. I believe, however, that true guilt is a grace: it brings the guilty to seek forgiveness and to repent. We must remember that if it wasn't for guilt, none of us would have come to Christ. Guilt is the realization that we are in need of forgiveness, and if it wasn't for the realization of our wrongdoings against God, we would never realize that we need forgiveness. Guilt is a good, and at times great, thing.

But what happens when guilt becomes a bad thing? What happens when guilt escalates and becomes shame? We see a story of shame and how God deals with it beautifully in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve realized they were naked and desperately sought to cover themselves when their innocence evaporated. Guilt, fear and shame gripped their hearts. Their nakedness represents their sinful vulnerability before God. So, they tried to cover their nakedness, their shame, with fig leaves.

Leaves wither away. They crumble. They do not last. Fig leaves were a temporary solution to a permanent problem. We too, like Adam and Eve, try to cover and mask our shame with fig leaves, only to have them wither away, leaving us naked, exposed, and vulnerable. So we replace fig leaf with fig leaf, temporary with temporary, and we mask our shame.

But then God did something beautiful: he performed an act of magnificent grace. “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them”. (Genesis 3:21) Adam and Eve’s self-made attempts to cover themselves in inadequate fig leaves were replaced with clothing made by God. God's provision recognized their sin and shame, their nakedness, and covered them with grace. Just as an animal was sacrificed to cover the shame of Adam and Eve, Christ sacrificed himself to cover our shame for good. Are you suffering from shame that you just cannot let go? Quit trying to cover yourself with fig leaves, and give it over to God. He will cover you.

Spring Break
As many of you know from reading past newsletters, I took over as the advisor for Habitat for Humanity in the Fall Semester. 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 to Orange Park, Florida to help work on houses. I cannot, however, do this alone. The trip costs $300, so I would like for you to prayerfully consider supporting me in this endeavor. 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. I realize that some of you already support me and I am thankful. So, I am asking that you to pray about giving an extra $10-$50 on top of your usual contribution. If you would like to help support me on this trip, please make a separate check out to:

Bellefield Presbyterian Church
Attn: Habitat Trip
4001 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pa 15213

Meet The Students

Meet Nicole Russo, a junior Marketing and Human Resources double major from Coopersburg, PA. I have really gotten to know Nicole through our work together on the outreach team. She has been awesome to work with. Read more about her:

1. What is your favorite movie, book, and band/music? My favorite book is probably To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus is one of my favorite characters of all time. My favorite movie, I seriously can't pick! I love all types except horror. I watch so many movies but I could list a few of my top favorites: The Bourne Series, The Dark Knight Series, The Lion King, Inception, and The Pink Panther Series (the old ones with Peter Sellers). (I still have more favorites but the list would be too long) My favorite band/artist that's another tough one I love most types of music, but if I HAD to choose one band to listen to for the rest of my life it'd probably be The Beatles.

2. What has been your involvement in Cornerstone? Starting fall semester of this year I became a leader on the Outreach team and it has been such an amazing experience! We plan events throughout the semester to spread and show God's love on campus. Some of those events include: A few Saturdays during the semester handing out hotdogs at night on campus, every Wednesday selling tea for a suggested donation of 25¢, and playing hide and seek in the cathedral. I love being involved in outreach because I want to show students on campus what Cornerstone has done for me. It's an absolutely amazing community that I can lean on, be my broken imperfect self in, and grow in Christ with, and I hope to show others the love that was poured into me through these events.

3. How has Cornerstone helped you during your years at Pitt? Cornerstone has helped me in so many ways. Freshman year I was leaning on myself and thought I was alone in my problems. Over the past year at cornerstone two of the main things I've learned are: one, giving my problems to God and letting Him lead my path is the best way to live life, and two, I'm not alone in my problems and having a community (in my case Cornerstone) to lean on and grow in Christ with is KEY. Otherwise, I probably would have fallen apart without God. So thank you to my amazing campus ministers and friends in Cornerstone for being a second family to me and helping me grow in Christ. Y'all rock!

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

Financial Pledge Full (Link)

Moore News

The Moore household had quite the wonderful Christmas! After our initial Christmas celebration, we were able to get away for a week to my hometown of Oak Hill, WV and visit my parents, and my sister, brother-in-law, and four nephews were able to come in as well. So you could say we had two Christmases. These two Christmases gave Benjamin, Joshua, and Asher seemingly hundreds upon hundreds of Pokémon cards and Star Wars paraphernalia which now litter our house. Admittedly, a good portion of the Star Wars paraphernalia is mine. It was a much needed time of relaxation, especially since I don’t get home as often as I would like. It is always cool to show the kids where I grew up…though Emily says that I tell the same stories over and over. Oh, both Emily and I added a number to our age…so, good birthdays as well.

We hope this newsletter finds you well, and that you were blessed richly over Christmastime!

In Christ,
Andy Moore