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As a new visitor to Cornerstone, I simply wanted to take the time and comment on my experiences at Cornerstone. I am a Christian and have been raised, baptized, and confirmed in the Catholic church. For me, religion is very personal, and I consider my heart and soul to be my temple in my relationship with the Lord. I have come to know Sunday service and mass as a more formal ceremony that was very routine. In my several visits, I have come to appreciate the more casual manner and intimate atmosphere Cornerstone has to offer. I have attended several services, and found them to be very insightful and relevant to my personal life. The sermons are spoken and delivered in such a manner that they educate, and do not speak down to the congregation. The pastor speaks the language of the common man and relates the gospel in terms and scenarios in which we can all relate. The pastor and church members seem to be very approachable and give a much needed relaxed feeling to the church. You have something very special and your style of worship is very appealing and informative.  From an anonymous visitor to Cornerstone

 

I am a Registered Nurse at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.  When my new boyfriend first invited me to church at Cornerstone, I was a little apprehensive. As a young woman, I had fallen away from attending church and my life reflected little of God, yet I still considered myself a Christian. It was within the humble surroundings of a movie theater, where Cornerstone first began as a church, that God began to change my heart. My faith at that time was full of insecurities. In my understanding, being "right with God" meant keeping his many rules that I didn't do very well. I felt that failure to do so would result in God turning his back on me so I never knew for sure if I would spend eternity in Heaven. At Cornerstone, I heard the Word of God for the first time and understood the meaning of “grace". It was Christ's works, Christ's perfect keeping of the rules, and Christ's sacrifice on the cross that made me right with God, not my own (imperfect) efforts. After I gave my life to Christ, I found such incredible freedom that came from not relying on myself anymore! Good things that I once did with the motive to get into heaven were now done with a grateful heart, appreciative of the free gift given to me. God gave me new friends, a new attitude and a deep desire to know Christ. My whole life changed and I'm now living a life I never knew even existed. The boyfriend who invited me to church also became a Christian at Cornerstone and is now my wonderful husband ...and we now have twins! Who would have guessed that a visit to a church that was once meeting in a movie theater could so greatly change and affect my life?

 

 

When my husband and I first came to Cornerstone, we were both immature Christians. We probably would not have been considered baby Christians, as we had been Christians most of our lives, but we certainly were lacking in important fundamental Christian principles. Cornerstone is such a scripturally-based church, and we have learned so much from Dave's sermons, as well as from the elders and the more mature Christian members. Here at Cornerstone, one of the most important principles we have seen practiced is the emphasis on the Covenant Family. We have learned so much about our responsibilities as members of a covenant family with regard to helping our brothers and sisters in Christ and raising our children. We love the fact that Cornerstone further extends this principle to encourage members to attend a Home Fellowship. It would be impossible to put into words the amount of love, friendship, and support that abides within a Home Fellowship. My husband and I have been truly fed over and over in our Home Fellowship. Another Christian principle we have learned here at Cornerstone that has really impacted us is the sanctity of marriage. We know that God's design is a marriage that lasts forever! That helps us to work hard at making this marriage a happy one and a Christ-centered one, because we are in this for the long haul.

 

We are a Christian family from a large, established church, so when we moved into our home in Lakewood Ranch, we immediately set out to find a church home.  We visited one church, then another.  When we visited the third church, we knew immediately that it is for us.   That church is Cornerstone Church of Lakewood Ranch, PCA.

This is rather odd because we are members of a church in Atlanta with a congregation of over 17,000 members.  There is a full orchestra and a large choir every Sunday.  The minister is world renown.  Quite honestly, we were very skeptical that we could ever find a church that could take its place.  

At Cornerstone, we are so impressed with the deep devotion and Christian spirit of the minister, Dave Sturkey.  He believes, as do we, that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, and his sermons are teaching sermons, verse by verse.  It is apparent that he truly cares about the church family, offering support, encouragement and guidance.

There are several services offered at Cornerstone.  We have chosen the early Sunday morning service. It is more traditional, yet with a bit of contemporary influence.  The Director of Worship and Education, Bill Martin, is so talented and is a vital part of each service, guiding us from our stressful lives into a true spirit of worship.  The congregation at Cornerstone offers a warm welcome to us.  We have been impressed with the many opportunities to serve, to learn and to be with  fellow Christians in small groups, yet with no pressure to do so.

We look forward to becoming more involved in this special congregation.