Who We Are

Mission Statement  

A. Mission Statement 

The Cornerstone Church of Poway’s Mission (“Mission”) is “To help people find  and follow Jesus” through the five purposes that are outlined by Jesus in the Great  Commandment and the Great Commission. Matthew 22:37-39, 28:19-20  

B. The Five Purposes  

(1) Worshipping  It is our purpose to be a place of authentic WORSHIP, where we come to exalt our  great God and Savior through singing, praying, service, and obedience. We believe  genuine and honest worship will be attractive to those who are seeking a  relationship with God. Our vision is to be relevant to our culture through a  contemporary style of music with words that direct our hearts to celebration,  conviction, confession, and repentance.  

(2) Connecting  It is our purpose to be a place where people can CONNECT in safe, authentic, and  loving relationships. We make every effort to be a welcoming place where  individuals and families find acceptance, hope, and forgiveness. As we connect with  2  each other, it is our vision to go beyond the superficial and encourage each other to  take our next right step with God.  

(3) Growing  It is our purpose to help people GROW into maturity through the personal  application of God’s Word. It is our vision that maturity will result in strong families,  a healthy church, and a blessing to our community. We seek to provide relevant  teachings, children’s programs, small group studies, maturity classes, seminars, and  retreats to help people grow. Because we believe life application is so important, we  encourage everyone to belong to a small group where they can experience life  together and encourage each other to take their next right step.  

(4) Serving  It is our purpose to lead the way with selfless generosity and SERVE as a way of life.  Our vision is to be a positive influence in our community as we serve locally and  globally out of love. Our vision is to equip every believer for a significant ministry by  helping them discover the S.H.A.P.E. God has made them through Spiritual gifts,  Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. We truly believe it is more blessed to  give than receive.  

(5) Sharing  It is our purpose to SHARE God’s message of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Our  vision as a church is to have God’s passion for the lost and become God’s person to  help thousands of people find and follow Jesus. As a church, we accept the benefits  of our salvation and the call to further the good news of salvation. This is the single  focused motivation behind everything we do, every change we make, because  people matter to God.  Our church will never stop WORSHIPPING our Savior, CONNECTING with each  other, GROWING towards maturity, SERVING locally and globally, and SHARING  God’s message of salvation until His kingdom comes!  

Articles of Faith  

The following Articles of Faith do not exhaust the extent of the Church’s beliefs. The  Holy Bible, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with complete and  final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the  sole and final source of all that we believe. In matters of interpretation, the Church  shall prefer scholarly translations of the Holy Bible, including but not limited to the  New International Version, New Living Translation, English Standard Version, New  American Standard Bible, and New King James Version.  

A. Our God, His Person and His Word  

(1) We Worship the One God in Three Persons, the Holy Trinity  

We believe in the one, eternal, perfect, all-knowing and all-powerful God in three  equal, consistent persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We believe that our God is to be worshipped to the exclusion of all other alleged  deities or powers; there is no other God but our God. Exodus 20:3-4; Deuteronomy  6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30, 14:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 John 5:7-8  

(2) God Is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe  

The one true God created the universe and everything in it. He rules with sole  authority over all of creation and mankind. He existed before anything was; He is  the beginning and the end of everything. Genesis 1:31; 1 Chronicles 29:10-13; Psalm  115:3; Isaiah 40:21-25; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 1:8  

(3) Jesus Was Divinely Conceived and Born in Human Flesh  

We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit and  born in human flesh as a baby to the virgin Mary, without ceasing to be God, that He  might reveal God to us and redeem us from sin and death. Matthew 1:18-25; Luke  1:35; John 1:1-2, 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 John 1:7  

(4) Jesus Died and Was Resurrected in the Flesh, the Perfect Sacrifice  

We believe that Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His physical  death on the cross by shedding His blood as a representative, perfect, and  substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal,  physical resurrection from the dead. Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 8:31, 15:36-39, 16:5-7;  Luke 23:44-47, 24:6-7; John 19:29-30, 20:16-18, 20:24-29; Romans 3:24-25; 1  Corinthians 15:3-8; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 1:18-19  

(5) Jesus Ascended into Heaven and Is Our Intercessor  

We believe that having accomplished our redemption Jesus Christ ascended into  Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest He  serves as our representative, intercessor, and advocate. Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 7:25; 1  John 2:1-2  

(6) God Sent the Holy Spirit to Dwell in All Believers  

We believe that, following Christ’s ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent to  be our divine, supernatural teacher who convicts us of sin, righteousness, and  judgment. The Spirit dwells within us, leading us to God’s Truth, baptizing us into  the Body of Christ, and sealing us unto the Day of Redemption. John 14:16-17, 14:26,  16:7-15; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 1 John 2:20, 2:27  

(7) The Holy Bible Is the Definitive Word of God  

We believe that the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New  Testament, collectively the Holy Bible, are the complete, accurate, authoritative,  infallible, and inspired Word of God. The Holy Bible is the only written authority over our faith and lives; no other book is necessary to our faith or can claim to be  God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21  

B. God’s Saving Grace and His Church  

(1) Because of Original Sin, All Humans Have a Sinful Nature  

We believe that because of the sin of Adam and Eve we were separated from God  and inherited a depraved, sinful nature that we are incapable of correcting,  controlling, or curing. We cannot overcome our sinful nature on our own (only with  God’s power). We can never be rid of our sinful nature during our natural lives.  Genesis 1:26-27, 2:8-25, 3:1-21; Romans 1:21-32, 3:23, 5:12, 7:15-23; Ephesians 2:1-3  

(2) Our Salvation Is a Gift from God

We believe that salvation is a gift that God gives to us by grace. We must choose to  accept His gift, which we can only receive by admitting that we are sinners who  deserve death and accepting and believing in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior,  who shed His blood and died in our place for the forgiveness of our sins. We do not  deserve salvation and cannot earn it through good works or any other means. ; John  1:12, 3:16, 14:6; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter  1:18-19  

(3) Once Saved, We Are Saved Forever and Set Apart by God  

We believe that once we repent of our sins and accept salvation through Jesus Christ  we are saved forever, our salvation being secured by God’s power and grace, not our  own. Just as we cannot be saved through our own efforts, our salvation cannot be  maintained by our own efforts, only by His. We can rejoice in the assurance of our  salvation through professing Christ, who forbids us through His Word and the  conviction of the Holy Spirit from using our freedom to follow after the flesh. We  believe we are called to live in, but apart from the world in such a way as not to  bring reproach upon our faith, the faith of others, and upon our Savior and Lord  Jesus Christ. John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 8:9-16, 8:38-39, 13:11-14;  1 Corinthians 1:4-8; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:1-3, 4:22-24;  Colossians 3:9-11; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9  

(4) The Church Is the Body of Christ  

We believe all of us who are saved make up a single spiritual body that is the church  and the chosen bride of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:32, 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-  23, 4:11-16, 5:25-27  

(5) God Commands Us to Share the Good News of Salvation  

We believe that we, the saved, are obligated and privileged to profess by life and by  word the saving ability of Jesus Christ to others as set forth in the Holy Bible. We  must proclaim the Good News to everyone without reservation or discrimination.  Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

(6) God Gives Each of Us Spiritual Gifts for Ministry  

We believe that when we are saved God gives each of us at least one spiritual gift  through the Holy Spirit and that no believer receives all of God's spiritual gifts. All  spiritual gifts from God exist to bring glory to God, not to the believer, and should  never be used in a manner that would prove disruptive or divisive to the Church or  congregation. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 12:30, 14:6-12; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians  4:7-13  

(7) God Hears Our Prayers and Has the Power to Heal  

We believe that God hears and answers the prayers of all believers, in accordance  with His sovereign will and in His own time. We believe He can and does heal the  sick and afflicted. He encourages us to come to Him as a congregation in prayer and  ask for the mental and physical healing of others. We believe that God may still at  times direct us to call together the Elders in prayer and to anoint the head of the sick  and afflicted with oil for healing. John 15:7; James 5:14-16; 1 John 5:14-15  

C. Our Bodies Are Created by God and Are for His Glory  

(1) All Human Life Is Created by God and Sacred to Him  

We believe that God created all human life in His own image and it is sacred to Him.  Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies,  the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition  from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect,  and value all human life. Exodus 20:13; Job 31:15; Psalms 22:10, 139: 13-16; Isaiah  64:8; Jeremiah 1:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17  

(2) God Created Us in His Image, Man and Woman  

We believe God created each of us with one of two biological sexes, each with a  corresponding gender: man/male and woman/female. We are not to defy God by  seeking to alter the sex He has given us or to adopt a gender identity at odds with  our sex. God commands us not to have sexual relations with others of the same sex.  Leviticus 18:22; Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11  

(3) God Has Defined Boundaries for Marriage and Sex  

We believe God made man and woman to complement each other and charged  them, in partnership, to help and comfort each other and to be fruitful and multiply.  We believe God intends us to either remain single, or to devote ourselves to a  person of the opposite sex in marriage, becoming as one for the rest of our natural  lives. We believe that physically joining with another person in sexual activity is  reserved by God as an act that should only take place between one biological man  and one biological woman who are committed in marriage to each other, and that,  regardless of mankind's definitions or laws, God does not condone or bless any  other form of marriage or sexual union. Genesis 1:27, 2:18-24; Matthew 19:3-12;  Mark 10:1-12  6  

D. God Gives Us the Hope of Eternal Life and Will Judge Sinners  

(1) Satan Is Real, Subject to God’s Will, and Actively Seeks to Destroy Us  

We believe that Satan is real, an angel created by God who rebelled, willfully chose  separation from God, and caused the fall of mankind. We believe that Satan is the  open and declared enemy of God and man, but is subject to God’s authority and  judgment and will be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-  17; Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41; Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:7-9, 20:10  

(2) Our Souls Go to Be with God When We Die  

We believe God has given us a soul and that at the time of our natural death, if we  are saved in Christ, our soul will be absent from our body and present with God in a  conscious state of bliss awaiting the first resurrection when the physical and  spiritual bodies of the saved will be reunited. Luke 23:43; 1 Corinthians 15:35-36; 2  Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21-24, 3:20-21  

(3) Christ Will Return, Mankind Will be Judged, and We Will Live Eternally  

We believe in the physical resurrection of all mankind, who will be judged. Christ  will return to Earth and gather everyone who has been saved to Himself, both those  who have died and those who are still living, prior to establishing His millennial  kingdom on Earth. Heaven and Hell are real places and we will spend eternity in one  or the other. The faithful who have accepted Christ will live eternally in Heaven, in  the presence of God and in a perfected form. Unbelievers will be judged and cast  into Hell where they will be eternally punished. Zechariah 14:4-11; Matthew 25:41-  46; Luke 16:19-31; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians  1:10, 4:13-18, 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 3:10, 20:1-15, 21:6-8  

Ordinances  

A. Baptism  

We believe that Christ has commanded us to baptize in the name of the Father, Son,  and Holy Spirit. We practice baptism by the immersion of believers in water.  Baptism is a personal act and profession of faith, not set forth in the Holy Bible as a  condition for salvation, fellowship, or church partnership. When we are baptized,  we symbolically identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and  Savior Jesus Christ. The Baptism service is to be conducted as often as the Pastorate  and Elders deem necessary, but should be offered to the congregation no less than  twice annually. Matthew 28:19; Acts 9:11, 10:47; Romans 6:2-5  

B. Communion  

We believe that Christ has commanded us to take communion in remembrance of  His death until His return. The elements of communion are the bread, which is  symbolic of Christ’s body, and the cup, which is symbolic of His blood. Neither the  bread nor the cup contains a supernatural presence or ability. We believe  7  communion is intended for those who are saved. We should prepare ourselves with  prayer and take communion with awareness and reverence for Christ’s sacrifice.  The communion service should be conducted regularly, as often as the Pastorate  and Elders deem necessary. Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-24  

C. Marriage  

We believe that God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant  relationship between one biological man, one biological woman, and Himself. We do  not believe He recognizes or blesses any other form of marriage. For this reason, no  weddings involving same sex couples or individuals representing genders other  than the one with which they were born shall be performed or solemnized by the  Church's Pastors and no such wedding shall be performed utilizing the Church  facilities. Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:1-2; Ephesians 5:25-27