January newsletter

What makes any specific area of planet earth hard to minister or hard to reach with the gospel? I’ve heard this phrase over and over again. Many times I've heard it in reference to the little community of Mill Run and even the city of Altoona as a whole. Trying to develop a fruitful ministry in areas like this can often seem like trying to pick fruit from a patch of briars. It seems you’re more likely to get stuck with thorns than pick much fruit.

Why is this? Well some may point to the abandoned buildings, the many people out of work & say this area is run down. Others may say that not many people want to live there. People are moving out of the area, not into it. If you include the high drug

abuse & alcoholism rate you have quite a depressing area. Any new pastor looking for a full time job better think twice before taking a job in this kind of area right? So why would a guy who made really good money working in a hospital quit that job. Then take a drastic pay cut & choose to be the pastor of a little church in the heart of one of these run down areas? This guy must be certifiable right? Well few who know me would disagree that I'm at least a little bit crazy. Seriously though why would I make such a seemingly irrational & unreasonable career choice?

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “...for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell on me.” You see it is

exactly in these areas God likes to pour His Spirit into and transform the most. Think I'm full of wishful thinking & won't face reality? You still think this area is too far gone, too run down to help? If you think I'm wasting my time here let me give you two examples of why I believe you may be the one who has things completely backwards.

First, in the Old Testament is the story of Nehemiah. He was the cup bearer to King Xerses, the King of Persia. Yes this is the same King of Persia that the Spartans fought in the movie 300. Nehemiah had a life of luxury in the Persian royal court. That is as long as no one tried to poison the King. Even though he had it made his heart was broken. When he received news his fellow

Lessons from Nehemiah andLessons from Nehemiah and the Hatfield’s & McCoy’sthe Hatfield’s & McCoy’s

Your Monthly Pastoral Rant: By Pastor Steve OlivieriYour Monthly Pastoral Rant: By Pastor Steve Olivieri

Newsletter ofNewsletter of Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill RunCornerstone Fellowship of Mill RunJanuary 2013January 2013

FlockNotes Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run

415 Mennonite Road

Altoona, Pa 16601 www.cornerstonemillrun.comwww.cornerstonemillrun.com

Lessons from Nehemiah, the Hatfield’sLessons from Nehemiah, the Hatfield’s & McCoy’s& McCoy’s And the rant continues… And the rant continues…

Israelites were suffering and the once glorious city of Jerusalem was now in shambles he was devastated. He couldn’t bear see things continue as they were. He cried out to God for his forgiveness & for the forgiveness of his people. God then developed in him a plan for rebuilding Jerusalem. You see Jerusalem wasn’t even “down & out”, it was dead & lifeless. To Nehemiah though it didn’t matter how impossible the task seemed at first. It didn’t matter he was leaving a life of ease for a life of difficulty. Jerusalem was his home & the people that dwelt their were his family. Nehemiah, funded by the King of the Persian Empire, then set out for Jerusalem. Revival was on its way.

Now am I saying I’m Nehemiah & I’m going to transform Mill Run & Altoona? Not a chance. On my own I couldn’t convince a single person from Mill Run or from anywhere else to attend Cornerstone Fellowship. I’m too disorganized, constantly second-guessing myself, too much of a people pleaser and would likely wreck this church in a matter of weeks. Without God’s strength, guidance & direction I wouldn’t stand a chance. So what am I getting at with all of this? I’m glad you asked.

While I’m no Nehemiah, the principles he used apply very much to us today. When my family and I moved here almost 5 years ago we actually fell in love with this little church & this community. Why? We attended the big churches with fancy services & people were generally nice. There were always lots of ways to get connected & involved, but something fundamental was missing. That which was missing to us in the big churches we found in this little church. Cornerstone Fellowship became like family to us. We were accepted right away. We got to know personally each one who attends this church. As pastor I can share in the joys & grieve in the hard times in ways not possible in a larger church. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Yet things are not always fine and dandy. At times it is hard to minister here. I will be the first to admit it. Yet fruit is evident as I've personally witnessed almost every child accept Christ as their Lord and Savior that has attended our Awana Club. Think a little Awana club won't turn around a run down community? I had a conversation with a sergeant from the Myrtle Beach Police dept. who said the single best way to help rid the area of crime & drugs is to get as many kids as possible into clubs that teach the Bible like Awana's. Think that didn't fire me up a little bit? O yeah!

Getting back to my original question though, why is this area hard to reach at times with the gospel? I found out the real answer goes beyond this is just a “run down” area. If you talk to anyone from Mill Run they’ll tell you with a gleam in their eye how busy this church was when they were kids. It was packed to capacity every Sunday, with kids running everywhere. The big question that came to my mind early on was, “what happened between then and now?” I found out that most of the people who used to come still live in the area. Why did they stop attending & move on to other churches, or no church at all?

The answer in large part I believe comes from lessons from the famous feud between the Hatfield’s & McCoy’s. Shortly after the civil war ended along the border between West Va & Kentucky, Randolf McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing some of his Hogs. A jury found Floyd Hatfield not guilty. Afterwards a McCoy shot & killed a juror that sided with the Hatfields. Then in 1882, 3 McCoy boys got into a heated argument with Ellis Hatfield, who was then stabbed 20 times & shot. After dying two days later, the patriarch of the Hatfield family, William Anderson known as “Devil Ance” formed a posse of his boys. They found & killed execution style, the

Top 3 NewTop 3 New Ministries of 2013Ministries of 2013

1. Pastor Steve gets secretary...Amen to that!

2. Development of an Outreach/Discipleship committee.

3. Development of the“Reach the City” Campaign

Top 4 PossibleTop 4 Possible Work Projects forWork Projects for

201320131. Two New Church Signs

2. Build a Church Storage Shed

3. Replace Tables, Chairs, Front Door & Sanctuary Windows

4. Re-do concrete at the front entrance

‘

I promise the rant is almost done…I promise the rant is almost done…

3 McCoy boys responsible for killing Devil Ance’s nephew Ellis. Devil Ance & his boys were on the run from then on. Many other battles occurred killing 15 Hatfield’s & McCoy’s in all. You could say they lived out, “an eye for an eye.”

Then something happened that would change the lives of Hatfield’s & McCoy’s for generations to come. At the urging of his friend, preacher Doug Garrett, Devil Ance at the age of 72 went forward at a revival meeting and became a Christian. Devil Ance died ten years later, but those last years friends and family say he had a sense of peace about him. This peace came from knowing he was forgiven & seeking the forgiveness of others he had wronged.

That single soul seeking forgiveness from God & his fellow man abruptly ended the feud. It also started a revival amongst Hatfield’s & McCoy’s that sees many of them today as committed born again Christians.

What’s my point with all of this? Well Nehemiah teaches us that any “run down” area can be transformed by God. Also I believe this area has a lot in common with the famous feud between the Hatfield’s & McCoy’s.

Much like the Hatfield's & McCoy's this area seems to live by, “an

eye for an eye.” One neighbor's feud with another neighbor can last for years. When someone feels like they've been wronged they will seemingly go to great lengths to get back at the other. Many times family lines are drawn & a spirit of distrust & distain has resulted.

Secondly, the church seems to have failed to make peace & has many times fueled these hard feelings. It did this by handling poorly various disagreements & starting many arguments too. A former member I believe summed up the image of this church best, “I just got to the point where I felt if I missed a Sunday, no one would notice if I was gone, no one seemed to care.”

Now those in the community who have faithfully attended this church for many years may take some offense at what I have just said. Please understand that it is directed at no one in particular. Like I said at the beginning the people of Mill Run have taken in my family as their own family especially my daughter Makayla was constantly in & out of the hospital for over 8 months.

My point is this. I believe “down & out” committees are that way for a reason. I believe that Satan uses grudges & feuds to put a stranglehold on a community. Through these feuds hard

feelings, bitterness, anger & apathy are allowed to festers for years. These ongoing battles suck the very life out of an area. Yet it is precisely in these areas that, just like Nehemiah & Devil Ance Hatfield, it just takes one person seeking forgiveness and forgiving others that could spark a revival. Just one person saying I’m sorry could give hope to an area in desperate need of it.

Finally, why should we ask for forgiveness & forgive others? Well because we’ve all sinned, no matter how good or bad we may think we are, we deserve death because of our sins. We are to forgive others because Jesus died for us before we ever said we’re sorry to God.

The vision for this little church is that it would be a place where through forgiveness grudges, feuds & hard feelings end. Through forgiveness this church would be a place of reconciliation & restoration. Over the years this Church has a lot of things to say it’s sorry for. Yet through the power of the Holy Spirit the church can be the single greatest agent of community & personal transformation on planet earth. If we are serious about transforming our “run down” little community & city, we need to rally around this little church in a spirit of forgiveness. Let this be the prayer of Cornerstone Fellowship & your prayer as well in 2013. & beyond.

Passage of the MonthPassage of the Month

Acts 26:18Acts 26:18 'to open their eyes, 'to open their eyes, in order in order to turn to turn themthem

from darkness to light, and from darkness to light, and from from thethe power of Satan to God, that they maypower of Satan to God, that they may

receive forgiveness of sins and anreceive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who areinheritance among those who are

sanctified by faith in Me’.sanctified by faith in Me’.

New Ministries for 2013New Ministries for 2013 1.1. Latisha Clapper is the new church secretary. Latisha Clapper is the new church secretary. 2. Outreach/Discipleship Committee:2. Outreach/Discipleship Committee: For members only. They will organize &For members only. They will organize & implement ministry items & outreach events the leadership approves.implement ministry items & outreach events the leadership approves.

3. Our Church website is up & running: 3. Our Church website is up & running: www.cornerstonemillrun.comwww.cornerstonemillrun.com 4. Operation Reach the City:4. Operation Reach the City: Cornerstone has partnered with Everance Financial toCornerstone has partnered with Everance Financial to provide matching grant money to help churchgoers and community members with physical needs,provide matching grant money to help churchgoers and community members with physical needs, funeral funeral expenses, house/car payments due to loss of job, etc.expenses, house/car payments due to loss of job, etc.

– – To be considered for help call church officeTo be considered for help call church office: : 942-4003942-4003 or Patty Brandt: or Patty Brandt: 943-3981943-3981

5. Cross & Nail Worship Service: 5. Cross & Nail Worship Service: We are planning to re-start these contemporary praiseWe are planning to re-start these contemporary praise & worship services with local Christian bands starting up in the next few months. & worship services with local Christian bands starting up in the next few months.

6.6. Pastoral Salary Fundraising:Pastoral Salary Fundraising: I have received a lot of one time donations, but I'm stillI have received a lot of one time donations, but I'm still drastically below my goal of $1,500/month in fund raising support to help the church pay for mydrastically below my goal of $1,500/month in fund raising support to help the church pay for my salary full time until it’s large enough to support me by itself. Please consider donating tosalary full time until it’s large enough to support me by itself. Please consider donating to Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run & the pastoral salary fundraising campaign today! Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run & the pastoral salary fundraising campaign today!

Interested? Please make any check out to Interested? Please make any check out to Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill RunCornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run or: or:-- Email me for me details: -- Email me for me details: [email protected]@yahoo.com

-- donate online with -- donate online with paypalpaypal at the church website or facebook page. at the church website or facebook page.

Cornerstone Idea CornerCornerstone Idea Corner

Prayers & Praises of the FlockPrayers & Praises of the Flock Kim Clapper: Kim recently experienced the passing of her husband of 42 years. Please keep her and the entire Clapper family in your prayers. Lord give them peace & comfort.

Makayla Olivieri: Praise God that Sara (Mom) and Makayla are home from Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. Makayla most recently had a G-J feeding tube inserted which now bypasses her stomach & goes directly into her intestines. She is not completely out of the woods yet unfortunately. She continues to have intestinal problems & we may have to see a specialist in Philadelphia if things are not completely cleared up soon. Lord we pray for her healing.

John McConnell: Praise God that John successfully underwent a procedure to shock him out of an abnormal heart rhythm. He now has much more energy. Lord we pray for his continued healing.

Bobbie Jo Johnson: Praise God that she is fitting in well in her new part time job at Sara Olivieri daycare & has picked up some more hours cleaning houses. Lord sustain her & provide for her needs.

Patty Brandt: Patty has been battling with spinal stenosis for years. She is hoping to avoid surgery, but is faced with injections instead to deal with the pain. Lord give her wisdom, healing & comfort.

Arthur Burnham: During a missions trip to Peru, he fell through a roof and landed on the floor 10 ft. below. He suffered a fractured pelvis & a torn left rotator cuff in his shoulder. Lord give him healing.