Mission: Outpost

        When we planted Cornerstone on Detroit’s Westside in 2016, one of our core values was “serving of community.” The very first thing we did in 2016, before any worship gatherings, was to connect with the local charter school to see how we might serve them. We are now the official faith-based partner for 3 local schools, with unofficial relationships of service with a number of others. And, we have served our home community of Northwest Detroit in a myriad of additional ways. From boarding up dangerous abandon buildings, to block clean-ups, opening up our worship space for community usage, donating clothes and appliances, hosting our yearly Christmas store, performing weddings and funerals at no cost, and dispersing tens-of-thousands in benevolence funds. As an Outpost for the Kingdom of Christ, Cornerstone Church - Detroit has faithfully invested in the flourishing of countless image bearers.

        In 2020, as the world was unimaginably impacted by COVID-19, and unfortunately, our city, Detroit, was hit especially hard. Our church felt compelled to serve those  in our community who had been critically distressed. By God’s Grace and the compassion of many donors, we were able to raise over $40,000 to serve families and individuals in need. 48 families/individuals in Metro Detroit who lost jobs, experienced health challenges, death and more due to this devastating pandemic, were able to receive personal prayer, pastoral counsel, and financial support through our Cornerstone Cares initiative. Having seen the serious need for, and grace filled benefit of this work, we now feel called to establish a separate non-profit entity, named after this initiative, to maximize our ability to serve in these ways.

        Cornerstone Cares will be a non-profit organization devoted to investing in the comprehensive human flourishing of residents in Northwest Detroit. Our mission is to support individuals and families to lead fulfilling lives in a thriving community. We will accomplish our mission by focusing on 4 core values:

1. Emotional Health:
We believe that well-being includes the spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional wellness of an individual. Our goal is to provide emotional support and resources to empower individuals and families to heal from trauma and to take control of their mental health through low-cost emotional and mental health services (workshops and counseling).

2. Economic Empowerment:
We believe that building economic independence and self-sufficiency is essential to a flourishing community. Cornerstone Cares will provide resources for financial literacy, job training, and job placement to empower individuals and local families to achieve economic stability.

3. Educational Advancement:
We believe that education can open various doors and creates opportunities. Cornerstone Cares will focus on providing academic support, resources, and manpower for our local schools in Northwest Detroit.

4. Environmental Restoration:
We believe that environmental beautification fosters community pride and contributes to a greater sense of well-being. Our programs focus on revitalizing public spaces, promoting green initiatives, and creating opportunities for community gardening and neighborhood beautification projects.

With Cornerstone Cares we will work collaboratively with community organizations and other churches to identify needs and develop innovative approaches to helping people navigate life’s challenges. We are committed to promoting justice and equity, in order to create a community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish. Join us in our mission to invest in the comprehensive human flourishing of residents in Northwest Detroit through this new initiative.

         Our desire from day 1 was for church planting, multiplication, leadership development, and missions to be laced in Cornerstone's DNA. Just two years after our public launch, we had already hosted our first pastoral resident, Drew Ansley, who planted Refuge Detroit in Southwest Detroit. We had the privilege of having Pastor Drew, his amazing family, and their growing core team with Cornerstone for two years, as we provided them with counseling, coaching, and financial support. Refuge Detroit is now actively making disciples in Southwest Detroit and meeting publicly. Despite Refuge launching their church in 2018, we still have an extremely strong and connected relationship with them, we meet regularly, and our churches worship several times a year together.

        In January 2020, we officially welcomed 3 pastoral residents. By His Grace, God has blessed us with the privilege and joy of discipling, training, and preparing these men for pastoral ministry and preparing their families as well. By His Grace, two of these men will be ordained as elders at Cornerstone and the third is in the process of planting a church in Cleveland, OH. 

      Our desire is to further develop our capacity for ministry training. To do so, in addition to our pastoral residency, we have created an urban ministry internship, designed for men or women who feel called to serve in the inner city. With our residency and internship program, our mission is to provide gospel-centered, real-time, flexible, and contextual leadership development. But, to continue to see fruit and plant more seeds, we will need additional financial support. 

        Lastly, we are continuing to raise financial support to solidify our ministry here in Detroit, MI. Our desire is to potentially add a part-time administrator for our church, and staff for Cornerstone Cares. Also, we desire to give pay increases to other part-time staff members, who have served tirelessly the last few years at the same salary. The reality is, our church, like a great number of churches worldwide, has been negatively affected financially by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. Unfortunately, our expenses have increased drastically since moving into our most recent space in 2021. It is also our desire to eventually purchase our own facility in NW Detroit. With additional cash flow, we could secure staffing needs, continue to cover seminary costs for pastoral residents, and replenish our savings toward a long-term building purchase; all while continuing to do the impactful ministry work we have always done.