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ABOUT CORNERSTONE
BIBLE-BASED, GOSPEL-CENTRED, SPIRIT-LED
Cornerstone is a non-denominational Christian church named after a biblical term for Jesus Christ, the “cornerstone” of the Christian faith. Sometimes people ask us if we are part of another church or grouping of churches called Cornerstone - we aren't. Cornerstone in Abu Dhabi is an autonomous, eldership-led local church that, for accountability, relates to an international network of church planters and leaders - friends with whom we regularly partner in ministry ventures, at home and overseas.
The fellowship that became Cornerstone began life as a house church in Abu Dhabi on September 16, 2005 - an initiative of the leaders of Well Of Life Church in Dubai. Cornerstone was established as a separate local church, with its own identity and eldership structure, on January 4, 2008. In the years since then, as we have grown from church plant to established city church, our name has served as a constant reminder that Jesus is the head of the church and the person around whom all our activities should be structured - we build upwards and outwards in alignment with our cornerstone, with his Word as our plumbline and his Spirit as our guide.
Church life at Cornerstone is best understood through terms such as "community" and "family" rather than "institution" or "organisation". In our desire for authentic Christian community, we value genuine friendships over functional relationships. Above all, through our core activities of worship and mission, we want people to encounter the living God. Our primary motivation in all things is love, summed up by our motto, "To the city, the nation and the world, with love."
LEADERSHIP
PLURALITY OF ELDERS, SUPPORTED BY DEACONS, EMPOWERING BELIEVERS
We believe the purpose of biblical leadership is to facilitate a genuine relationship between God and people so that out of life-transforming encounters with the living God people will engage with him in lifestyles of worship and witness. Biblical leadership should help people know God, understand their identity and destiny in him, and respond to God's calling of them to serve him in a new kind of priesthood - one that consists not only of leaders but of all believers.
So the role of Cornerstone's leadership team is, through the preaching of the gospel of Christ, to introduce people to Jesus and to teach, equip and empower all believers in the practical application of God's Word, so that the good news of Christ is proclaimed through their lives, not only in what they say, but also in what they do. This preparing of God's people for works of service is the essence of biblical discipleship. The resulting dynamic in church life is that over time the barrier between "the pulpit" and "the pew" is broken down, spectators become participants and people who were once audience members are transformed into active players in the advance of God's kingdom through his church.
STATEMENT
OF FAITH
FOUNDATIONAL DOCTRINES FOR FELLOWSHIP
WE BELIEVE:
...in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in their original writing as fully inspired of God, and accept them as the final authority for faith and life;
...in one God eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
...that the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man;
...that God created man in his image, that man sinned and thereby incurred the penalty of death, physical and spiritual; and that all human beings inherit a sinful nature, which issues in actual transgression involving personal guilt;
...that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, a substitutionary sacrifice according to the scriptures, and that all who believe and trust in him are justified on the grounds of his shed blood;
...in the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, his ascension into heaven, and his present life as our High Priest and Advocate;
...in the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ;
...in the personality of the Holy Spirit, his regenerating work and abiding presence in the true believer - that the Holy Spirit indwells all true believers and that he has been sent to be the Comforter and Empowerer of the Christian Church, to produce the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to scripture;
...that all who repent of their sin and receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God;
...that all Christians are called to a life of holiness, devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and service to him;
...in the resurrection of both the just and the unjust, the eternal blessedness of the redeemed and the eternal banishment from God of those who have rejected the offer of salvation;
... that the whole company of those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, been redeemed by him and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, form one true Church, and that the local church on earth should take its character from this concept. Therefore the new birth and personal confession of faith in Christ are essentials of Church membership;
... in the priesthood of all believers;
... that the ascended Christ has given various ministries or ministers to the Church in order to bring all believers to the place of Christian maturity;
... that the Lord Jesus Christ appointed two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's table (Lord's supper, communion), to be observed as acts of obedience and as a perpetual witness to the cardinal facts of the Christian faith; that baptism is the immersion of the believer in water as a confession of identification with Christ in burial and resurrection; and that the Lord's table is partaking of the bread and the cup as symbols of the Saviour's broken body and shed blood, in remembrance of his sacrificial death until his return.
VISION
INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
We believe God's plans and purposes for Cornerstone go far beyond our Friday morning meetings and venue. We are a community and a family that is called to be:
An “epistle of Christ” – a letter from Jesus Christ and an expression of his personality (his love, grace, wisdom, power and authority) to the city of Abu Dhabi, the nation of the UAE and the wider world into which our members are called (2 Cor 3:3; Acts 1:8);
A city on a hill and light in the darkness (Matt 5:14-16; Isaiah 62:1);
A house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17);
Read the biblical values that have helped shape the culture of our church below.
VALUES
SHAPING CULTURE
44 BIBLICAL VALUES THAT HAVE HELPED SHAPE THE CULTURE OF OUR CHURCH AND INFORM OUR DAILY WALK WITH GOD:
1. Letting our theology determine our behaviour (starting with the fatherhood of God). Job 22:21-22; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Hosea 6:3; John 7:17; Daniel 11:32; Psalm 33:10-12
2. Embracing and surrendering our all to all of Christ. Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 1:15-20, 28-29; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
3. Preparing the bride. Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 19:7
4. Being passionately Word-based. Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Revelation 22:18-19; Mark 7:13; Acts 20:20
5. Building covenantal relationships. Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25
6. Placing friendship ahead of function. John 15:15; 3 John 2,5,11,14
7. Unwavering belief. Luke 9:23-27; Acts 9:1-31
8. Being ready to pay the price/sacrifice. Matthew 19:29-30; Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38
9. Recognising the priesthood of all believers – we are all the 'A- team'. 1 Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12,13 and 14
10. Plugging the gaps – being an "all"-embracing church, with no gender, culture, age or economic gaps. Matthew 19:14; 1 Timothy 4:12; Acts 2:43-44; Titus 2:1-10
11. Being wild but not weird. Luke 3:1-12; John 2:12-25 (especially verse 17)
12. A people of faith. Hebrews 11 (especially verse 6); Romans 10:6-17; Romans 4:16-5:1
13. Supernaturally natural and naturally supernatural. Acts 2:17-21; Acts 3:1-10
14. Understanding and releasing the anointing. Isaiah 61:1-3; 1 John 2:20,27; 2 Corinthians 1:21
15. A people of prayer (personal, group, meetings, with fasting, warfare). Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:24; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Colossians 4:12
16. A people of character (David – Psalm 78:72)
- Vulnerability: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 1 Corinthians 4:9-13
- Teachability: 1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:13
- Transparency: Psalm 51:1-12; 1 John 1:7-9
- Honesty: Matthew 5:37; Proverbs 24:26
- Integrity: 1 Kings 9:4; Matthew 22:16; Titus 2:7; Psalm 41:12
- Purity: Romans 6:1-2, 11-14 1 Timothy 4:7
- Humility: James 4:6; Acts 20:19; Isaiah 66:2
- Faithfulness: Luke 16:1; 1 Peter 5:12
- Creativity: Exodus 35:30-36:2
- Excellence: 2 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 14:12
- Flexibility: John3:8; Acts 16:6-10
- Passion/fervour: John 2:17; Romans 12:11
- Example/model:
- Personal: 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Peter 2:21; Philippians 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:20
- Corporate: 1 Thessalonians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 3:9
17. Not distracted by every new emphasis. 1 Timothy 1:3-7; Galatians 1:6-10 and 3:1; Hebrews 6:17; Philippians 3:12-14
18. The majority carrying the minority, and not vice versa - the "allness" of Acts. Acts 1:14; 2:42-47; 4:32-33
19. All believer evangelism (not just an occasion or event). Romans 15:16-20; Acts 2:47
20. Keeping believers free (no legalism or licentiousness). Galatians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 8:23-36; Leviticus 25:8-17
21. Total grace package. Titus 2:11; Acts 4:33; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:10
22. Bringing all to maturity. Hebrews 6:1; James 1:4; Philippians 3:15; Ephesians 4:13
23. Financial freedom. Romans 13:8; Malachi 3:8-12; 2 Corinthians 8 and 9; Deuteronomy 12:5-19
24. Training and equipping believers for leadership. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Ephesians 4:12-13; Exodus 18:21-23; Matthew 25:14-30
25. All part of a team (we don't "have" a team, we are the team)
- God’s team: Gen 1:26
- Moses‘ team: Ex 7:6; Numbers 11:16
- Jesus’ team: Mark 3:13-19
- Paul’s team: Acts 14:21-28
- Peter’s team: Acts 2:14
26. Marriage is the first team, serving, shaping, sharing and ministering together - we are pro-family and pro-life. Genesis 1:26-28; 1 Corinthians 9:5
27. Leadership always in plurality (at all levels)
- Elders: Acts 20:17-31
- Deacons: Acts 6:1-7
- Church (leaders and body): Acts 15:22
- Trans-local: Ephesians 4:11-16
28. Building away from ourselves. 1 Corinthians 4:17; Acts 8:4-40
29. The kind of leaders we choose determines our immediate and ongoing effectiveness. Example: Barnabas and John Mark in Acts 15:36-44 versus Paul, Timothy and Silas in Acts 16:1-5
30. Leaders should always be part of the solution and never part of the problem. Examples: Aaron in Exodus 32:17-34 versus Timothy in Philippians 2:19-24 and 1 Corinthians 4:17
31. Placing equal importance on "wine" and "wineskin"/power and pattern. Luke 5:37-39; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-7
32. Preaching the Kingdom: God’s total answer for man’s total needs. Matthew 4:17,23-25; Ephesians 3:1-13
33. Keeping the main thing the main thing. Jesus in Mark 1:35-39; Paul in Philippians 3:12-17
34. The restoration of all that was lost, stolen and most needed. Acts 3:21; Colossians 1:15-20; Acts 15:16
35. A "whole-Bible" theology on church – local and trans-local. Exodus 19:6; Lamentations 2:15; Matthew 16:18; the book of Ephesians
36. Commitment to city church. Acts 20:17; Acts 15:4; Philippians 1:1
37. Living in the reality of apostolic/prophetic team ministry. Ephesians 4:11-18; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 3:5-13
38. Welcoming trans-local gifts into the local church. Ephesians 4:9-16; Corinthians 12:18; Romans 16:1-2. Example: the church at Ephesus in Acts 18:24-19:1
39. Recognising the church as God’s healing community. Revelation 22:1-6
40. Fulfilling the Great Commission by planting New Testament churches. Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 14:21-28; Acts 19:1-22; Romans 16:25-26
41. Networking with the broader body. 1 Corinthians 3:1-6; Acts 15:2
42. Going beyond the third generation. 2 Timothy 2:2; Psalm 103:17
43. Continuity – passing on the baton. Example: Moses to Joshua; Jesus to disciples. Deuteronomy 11:18-25; Deuteronomy 34:4-9; John 20: 21-22.
44. Establishing a kingdom of God culture - apostolic and prophetic. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Philippians 4:2-23; Philippians 3:1-11; Philippians 1:12-2:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:4-12