2021: The Next Generation

“There is nothing in the world or the Church, except the church’s disobedience, to render the evangelization of the world in this generation an impossibility.”

— Robert Speer, leader in Student Volunteer Movement

 

Cornerstone Christian Church has an active mission program with local, regional, and international ministry partners that provide holistic ministry that share the gospel of Jesus Christ, translate the Bible into new languages, disciple new believers, foster ecumenical partnerships, and meet practical needs including providing medical care, clean water, and literacy programs. Funds to support our mission program do not come from the general offering. Instead, church members contribute through our Faith Promise campaign and give to missions above what they give for tithe or offerings. John Piper said, “Mission exists because worship doesn’t.” Our theme for 2021 is “The Next Generation” and is appropriate as we fulfill the mandate to make disciples in every tongue, tribe, language and people and the global worship of Jesus Christ – even in the midst of the corona virus pandemic with communities and cultures isolated and travel restricted. Every generation has dealt with some calamity with the capability to bring missions to a halt. Yet, in every generation there have been believers willing to go and believers willing to send. Our responsibility is to support current missionaries, but also to rise to the challenge of supporting the next generation of young missionaries. The events we have witnessed in the last year have shown us how the world needs the gospel more than ever. Psalm 145:4 states, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Let us be that generation.

 

 

“The will of God — nothing less, nothing more, nothing else.”

— F. E. Marsh, English author

 

Current Missions Supported

Note, out of concern for the safety of our mission partners who work in some areas hostile to the gospel, we do not divulge specific names or specific locations on our website. Please feel free to attend church and learn more about them personally and their ministries. They are great people, with great faith, doing, great works, for a Great God.

“The Church must send or the church will end.” — Mendell Taylor

 

World Mission

• Central America & the Caribbean – Merendon Mountain Mission
• West Africa – Team Expansion
• North Africa – Pioneer Bible Translators
• East Africa – Christian Missionary Fellowship
• Asia – Central India Christian Mission

Regional and Local Missions

• United States – Chaplaincy Endorsement Commission
• Kansas – Tyler and Katie O’Donnell with AWANA
• Wichita State and Friends University – Fellowship of Christian Athletes

 

“A congregation that is not deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel does not understand the nature of salvation.”

— Ted Engstrom, leader of Youth for Christ and World Vision International

 

 

Bible Translation – What if you lived in a remote part of the world entangled in civil war for more than 30 years, were persecuted for your ethnic and cultural heritage, suffered from starvation, and lived in a refugee camp? What if you had heard about Jesus, wanted to follow him, but had no Bible in your language? Would you want someone to care enough to translate a Bible into your language? In partnership with a major Bible translation ministry, Cornerstone has partnered with several Wichita churches to fund a Bible translation project among several unreached people groups, just one hundreds of new Bible translation projects started worldwide in recent years. In 2016, the complete Bible was translated into 82 languages and the New Testament completed in 109 languages around the world! Of the estimated 6,809 total living languages in the world, more than 1,500 languages currently have translation work being done. But God’s Word has still not been translated for 3,000 languages. The Bible translation project in North Africa began in 2017 with the translation of the gospel of Luke. The team is composed of Bible translators, literacy evangelists and support personnel working to see transformed lives through God’s Word. As part of the effort Cornerstone has also funded the building of several community centers for literacy training. At the current time work is beginning among a couple more of the 99 unreached people groups in this particular area of North Africa.

 

“God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshipers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations.” — John Piper

 

Mission and Evangelism Opportunities

In the book Total Church, the authors state Christian practice must be 1) gospel-centered in the sense of being Word-centered, 2) mission-centered because the Word is to be proclaimed, and 3) community-centered. Here at Cornerstone Christian Church, our funding of missions through Faith Promise allows us to partner with ministries both locally and globally to share the gospel. While we are supporting our ministry partners and advancing the kingdom of God throughout the world, we also have the opportunity throughout the year to get involved to learn, to give, to pray, and participate in various activities here. If you would like to help or participate in local outreach activities to share the gospel, see anyone on the mission committee.

 

“Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” — Oswald J. Smith, Canadian pastor, author, and mission advocate

 

Each year we participate in Operation Christmas Child. We’ll provide the box, you provide the gifts. “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” — Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia

 

Secret Church – Secret Church is where we meet with others across the world for an intense time of Bible study—lasting 6+ hours—including a time of prayer for our brothers and sisters across the globe who are facing persecution and for those who still have not heard the gospel. But if you desire to know God more deeply through His Word and know His church more fully around the world, then please join us for Secret Church. The intent is to use this focused time of study and prayer to enrich our knowledge of His Word and gain understanding of the state of His church and our brothers and sisters around the world who face many difficulties as they follow Christ.

 

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

— Jim Elliot, missionary who lost his life in the 1950’s reaching the Auca Indians of Ecuador

 

Perspectives on the World Christian Movement – Perspectives is a fifteen week experience designed around four vantage points or “perspectives” — Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic. Perspectives is a catalyst for missional living and conducted to convey different aspects of God’s global purpose. If interested in attending or being part of a coordinating team contact Brian at 316-516-6193. More information is available at www.perspectives.org.

Short-Term Mission and Service Trips – Families and single adults from Cornerstone Church have regularly traveled to the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona to minister with Navajo pastors, work with missionary Tony Brown with Ministry Among Native Americans (MANA), and serve the Navajo church through Vacation Bible School, camp meeting activities, and youth ministry.

 

International Conference on Missions (ICOM) – ICOM exists to encourage, equip, and enlist new workers for the Harvest. The 5-day international conference serves as a connection point for global missions. What started as a conference for missionaries in 1948 has grown to include thousands of people of all ages who are interested and involved in world missions. In 2021 the conference will be in Richmond, VA in November.

 

“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.”

—John Stott, English leader and cleric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“To belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with Him.” — John Piper, evangelist and author