OUR VISION: To see the Methodist Movement alive, vibrant, growing and yearning to spread the good news of Christ Jesus throughout the whole world through word, deed and sign!
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The Cornerstone Celebration is an exciting ministry for the local church. Its primary aim is to enable persons to experience the dynamic presence of the living Christ and share the good news of Christ Jesus with others by word, deed, and sign in the world. In the Cornerstone Celebration, the congregation celebrates the mighty act of God’s intervention in human history through a focus on the Incarnation at Christmas, the Atonement at Good Friday, the Resurrection at Easter and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Even though the four great Christian holy days of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost celebrate the powerful action of God’s intervention in human history, they are rarely celebrated as one sweeping event. The meaning of Christmas is too lost in the consumerism and tinsel. Good Friday is not of high importance to many Christians. Easter is overwhelmed by rabbits, baby chicks, eggs and candy. And, the concluding event at Pentecost is often completely overlooked in many churches. However, through the Cornerstone Celebration, every participating congregation can celebrate, gain better understanding, be inspired and commit to new outreach through a focus on the mighty act of God.
Christ Jesus is the Cornerstone at the heart of God’s mighty act. In the course of the Cornerstone Celebration, people have opportunities to be pointed to the Cornerstone, to be transformed by the Cornerstone, to build their lives on the Cornerstone, and to learn to share their faith in Christ Jesus the Cornerstone.
THE THREE COMPONENTS OF
A CORNERSTONE CELEBRATION
Cultivation Component
The Cornerstone Celebration CULTIVATION Phase is a time of planning, organization, promotion and prayer in preparation for the Celebration. In addition to specific preparation carried out by Task Groups, the entire congregation participates in five weeks of intensive involvement in prayer ministries and a small group study of Christ Jesus The Cornerstone by J. Ellsworth Kalas.
Celebration Component
The Cornerstone Celebration CELEBRATION Phase is a three-day period in which a guest Herald preaches in four worship and praise services on the mighty act of God’s intervention in human history. The first service is a celebration of the Incarnation at Christmas, the second focuses on the Atonement at Good Friday, the third celebrates the Resurrection at Easter, and the climax of the three-day event is a powerful celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In addition to the preaching by the Herald, the four services feature music, decorations, and liturgical elements designed to lift up both the specific theme of the individual service and the overal theme of the three-day celebration. In addition, at some time during the three-day event, the guest Herald provides leadership of a proven workshop to equip members of the congregation in the “Graceful Pattern of Faith-Sharing.”
The Communication Component
The Cornerstone Celebration COMMUNICATION Phase never ends! It is an ongoing process in which people continue to be equipped and training to share faith, to grow in Christ through the use of the means of grace, to live out their lives of discipleship in reaching out to God’s creation and God's world as they feel called.
In addition to the various activities for adult and family participation in all phases of the Cornerstone Celebration, there are specific opportunities for youth participation.
PROCESS FOR HOLDING
A
CORNERSTONE CELEBRATION
A church or a group of Wesleyan/Methodist churches can hold a Cornerstone Celebration by enlisting a Herald that has been trained by World Methodist Evangelism or they can order a basic set of resources and engage their own Herald locally.
To enlist a Herald through World Methodist Evangelism, the participating church completes and sends a Church Profile and a Preparation and Financial Agreement Form along with a Registration Fee to the National Cornerstone Celebration Coordinator at World Methodist Evangelism. These forms are available in pdf format and can be downloaded from here, completed and mailed or faxed to the National Cornerstone Celebrations Coordinator.
Then the participating church will be paired with a trained Herald and will receive a Cornerstone Celebration Congregational Packet with everything necessary to plan and implement a Cornerstone Celebration (ten Cornerstone Celebration Congregational Handbooks, one Cornerstone Celebration Promotional CD Rom, five Christ Jesus The Cornerstone Student Books, one Faith-Sharing Textbook, one Faith-Sharing Workbook, one Faith-Sharing New Testament, one Faith Sharing Powerpoint CD Rom).
As the church moves toward the Cornerstone Celebration weekend, the necessary additional resources (especially the Bible study books and the Faith-Sharing Workbooks and New Testaments) can be ordered through WME Press (toll-free 1-866-400-8573 or on-line at www.WMEPress.org).
Churches wishing to hold a Cornerstone Celebration using a local Herald may also order the necessary resources from WME Press.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...
It is our hope at World Methodist Evangelism that, through the Cornerstone Celebration, the body of Christ will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to grow in faith and discipleship and be equipped to share faith that others may know and experience Jesus as the cornerstone of their life and faith.
For more detailed information about the Cornerstone Celebration, financial commitments, expectations, and engaging a trained Herald:
A local church ministry focused on the might act of God's intervention in human history!
The Cornerstone Celebration is a ministry of the World Methodist Evangelism Emphasis: "That TheWorld May Know Jesus Christ!"
For printable pdf Registration and Finance Forms to schedule a Cornerstone Celebration Weekend and to enlist a nationally-trained Herald CLICK HERE.
To E-mail the Cornerstone Celebration National Coordinator CLICK HERE.