Last year’s highly anticipated Cornerstone Global Network (CGN) Summit brought 90 CGN pastors and leaders from 19 countries, who sought the Lord, fellowshipped together, were recharged and heard the Lord’s direction for our global network.
The four-day retreat featured Pastor Yang, Pastor Daphne, Pastor Lip as well as guest speaker Pastor Mark Varughese from Kingdomcity. Through every session and ministry time, God’s glory was weighty, and we saw our CGN pastors and leaders transformed and recharged as they encountered His glorious presence and responded to the Word.
There was great authenticity in their relationships, and the time of sharing allowed for greater clarity to forge our unique identity as Cornerstone. Aside from worship, the impartation, and ministry times, our CGN participants bonded over meals and recreation. There was a deep sense of camaraderie and you could hear bursts of hearty laughter during the Archery Tag and Telematches.
Throughout the sessions, many timely truths were shared, and these were some of the key takeaways:
Uniquely Cornerstone
Pastor Yang laid a strong challenge to our CGN pastors and leaders when he shared the core values that makes us uniquely Cornerstone. Some of these are: a church that has a global call, one that makes room for the Holy Spirit with the operation of supernatural gifts, and for the CGN to embrace her call to spiritual Mount Zion – a constant progression to greater maturity in the Lord. As the Lord increases and expands CGN, he shared that it is imperative that our global churches understand and ground themselves in these tenets that God has laid for the Network.
Our Faith – The Victory That Overcomes The World
Pastor Daphne shared a message on the faith that overcomes the world and the root system which must break up the fallow ground. Seeing the world today in various trying and tumultuous situations, it isn’t going to get any better until Christ returns. How will we go through trials and triumph over tribulations (1 John 5:4) to become a beacon of hope in these dark times?
She explained that having been born again of the incorruptible seed of God (1 Peter 1:23), it is fundamental to continually water our seed faith to allow for growth, and to expect that seed to mature – it is needful for the fire of the Holy Spirit in us to break open that seed faith, and to be put through the fire as well to be refined until the genuineness of our faith is proven. This is not merely for our benefit but for the sake of the world, that pre-believers should be drawn to us in Christ, so to come to Him. We are His beacons of light; and the maturing of our seed faith will bring forth mature trees, with a growing root system to break up the fallow ground on this earth, bearing in mind that the imagery of trees are often used to reference men in the Bible.
A Liminal Space
Using the concept of liminal space, which is an architectural term defined as the physical space between one destination and the next, Pastor Lip spoke about how God moves us from one place to the next when He does a new thing in our lives (Isaiah 43:19). This transition is not merely a change in physical circumstances but a change of heart towards God. In contrast, the Israelites who encountered God on Mount Sinai still turned to idolatry and forsook God even when they entered the Promised Land. The leaders in the room were stirred to allow the Lord to examine their hearts and to remove old mindsets so that He can bring forth internal transformation that would then impact ministry and bring forth blessing.
Treasures in Jars of Clay
Coming from an Asian family background, our guest speaker, Pastor Mark Varughese understood the cultural pressure to be perfect before believing one can be used by God. But throughout the Bible, God had always used people while changing them.
Using the analogy of a broken and marred shampoo bottle which is still effective, he encouraged our pastors and leaders to trust that God can use them and their church members despite their failings and weaknesses because He is the One who continually works in and through them.
We give thanks for all that the Lord has done in the lives of our CGN pastors and leaders!
Sign up to be a homestay host!
Every year, our pastors and guests from the Cornerstone Global Network visit Singapore for various meetings and conferences. If you have an available room to host them, we would like to invite you to volunteer as a Homestay host. Come be a part of the team that extends hospitality and love to our family in the nations.
To indicate your interest, sign up with our missions team at bit.ly/cscchost or email missions@cscc.org.sg.
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