Dear Ministry Partners and Friends:

Before we update you all on the latest here in Jackson Hole, we want to extend both an apology and a special thank-you to you all. As you may have noticed, it’s been two months since writing our last support letter. We apologize for not being considerate to extend to you, our supporters, gratitude for your unceasing generosity. You have supported us with necessary prayer and finances, so thank you very much for your sacrificial partnering with the ministry here! We could not have proceeded without your constant care. Please be assured that Christ continues to use your offerings to transform many with his love.

Speaking of transformation, during the time we neglected to write, three more people were baptized, and the congregation has continued to grow numerically. Please be encouraged that though we have been silent for two months, the Lord has not been. On the contrary, he graciously is keeping us all occupied in his harvest. We have been the blessed recipients of his mercy to partake in Jesus’ promise to build his church.

One such “building” endeavor occurred after a recent Sunday gathering. Immediately after the sermon, a young woman, who had been attending off and on for several months, approached a few of us, in tears. “I have never been overwhelmed by belief,” she confessed. “I felt like God hit me upside the head tonight.” We continued to listen to her humbly pour out her heart, and we discussed the great love God showed to her by taking all her punishment for her sin when he died on the cross. “I am so thankful he did that,” she celebrated. The message that evening was from the book of Zephaniah. We learned a powerful lesson that night: Jesus is building his church and his word is the power with which he does so—all of it, even the minor prophets. We are merely a sort of waiters and waitresses called to faithfully serve the transforming nourishment of God’s word to those around us. The rest can be completely left up to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Here’s a quick fly-by of other happenings among us:

Camp Cornerstone (our annual local kid’s outreach) kept us on our toes as we had the privilege of serving a handful of 4- to 11-year-olds. Bryan Chassard, our children’s director, and his crew faithfully poured their lives into blessing these young souls for three days.

We are beginning a second year of our Cornerstone Nouthetic Institute, an 8-month, 3-trimester biblical counseling training program. If all goes well, the program will be accredited by the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC). That means that by next year, Cornerstone Church will be a NANC-certified training center. Due to several requests, we have opened up this discipleship training to others in the community from outside Cornerstone, including counselors from the local Good Samaritan Mission.

In order to administer more effective care and promote biblical relationships in the congregation, our church breaks up into smaller “gospel communities.” Since being launched in February, these groups of 10-20 people continue to be a strategic means of growing in Christ together. In order to maintain a deep level of care for one another in the midst of growth, we are thinking about how to multiply groups when they reach more than 12 or so.

If you were to attend our recent gatherings, you would notice that baby dedications are a relatively frequent celebration. Of course, the reason for that is that many of our families have been blessed with new babies; to be exact, there were three in only a three-week time period. Consequently, the nursery, as well as other rooms in our rented facility continue to approach capacity.

As usual, and fitting for the Lord’s great work, we find ourselves humorously inadequate for the ministry privileges that He has put before us. Please join us in accessing his resources through prayer:

1. Thank God for continuing to transform many of us in Christ-likeness (Romans 8:29)! He deserves all the credit for growing his people in Christ. Praise him!
2. Thank him for the unity many of us have been enjoying with one another in Christ. Satan would love to destroy this. Beg God to grow us all in humble unity with one another for Christ’s honor (Ephesians 4:3).
3. Pray that we all will daily grow in comprehending the vast love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19).
4. Plead with God that, for his honor and because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we would intentionally look to outdo one another in showing each other honor (Romans 12:10).
5. Please ask God to grow the leadership in our knowledge of Christ, love for Christ, humility, and a great diligence in all we do. Plead for wisdom and joy for the leaders in everything (1 Peter 5:2-3).
6. Implore God to cause great transformation in us all, salvation of the lost and sanctification of the saved, as we begin a new series preaching through Galatians (John 17:17).
7. Pray that we all grow in humble wisdom and discernment that is beyond our years, rooted in a constantly deepening reverence and respect of Jesus Christ (Proverbs 1:7).
8. Ask God to grow and protect the marriages and for greater humility and conflict resolution skill among couples and families (Philippians 2:3-4). Pray for the salvation of the unsaved children among us and for wisdom for the parents in raising their kids.
9. Pray for God to continue to provide financially for all of us in these times (Philippians 4:19), and thank him for sustaining us in these times as well.

Thank you all! If you would like to team up with us financially, please make checks out to “Cornerstone Church.” All of your offerings are tax-deductible and may be mailed to: Cornerstone Church, P.O. Box 980, Wilson, Wyoming, 83014.

For the displaying of Christ to all,
Eric, on behalf of Cornerstone Church plant: Leslie, Matt, Sera, Bryan, Ashley, Chris, Rebecca, Melissa, Neill, Natalie