CTBC VISION STATEMENT

A family community church that meets God together, receives and proclaims his love, loves and serves one another, teaches and moves one another toward obedience to Christ, and sends Christians out to bring others to meet God.

Our values:

The Family Community: The church is often referred to as a family, and we value the church as a place where various age groups can develop relationships and build up their faith with others who can relate to their spiritual, emotional, and intellectual peers. Because of this, we have age based ministries, sports, and combined total church

Intergenerational relationships: The Bible instructs, both in the Old and New Testaments, God’s people to pass on a legacy of faith. This does not occur without previous generations seeking out younger ones. (Dt. 6:4-6, 6:20-22, Eph. 5:22- 6:4, I Jn. 2:12-14, I Tim. 5:1-16)

Ministry: Every believer is gifted and sent out to serve others, both inside and outside of the church. Because of this, we serve both our congregation and our community through our various programs and events. (1 Cor. 12:12- 13:13, Acts 6:3-4, Eph. 4:11-16, Jas. 2:14-26)

Fellowship groups: Growth occurs both through teaching and Christ honoring We value the gathering of believers to study, share, and pray together and encourage one another. (Acts 2:42-47, Gal. 6:1, 1 Th. 5:17, Heb. 10:23-25, Jas. 5:13-20)

Bible Study: Our faith is vitally shaped by our understanding, interpretation, and application of the Holy Bible. Therefore, we gather weekly for Bible study or Sunday school class. (Ps. 19:7-10, Ez. 37:1-14, Jn. 17:17, Mt. 4:4, 2 3:14-16)

Worship: The New Testament describes and urges Christians to gather frequently to hear the Bible preached, to observe the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and to share needs. We gather in our worship services to that end. (Mt. 28:19-20, Acts 6:4, I Cor. 11:18-26, Col. 2:11-13, , 1 Tim. 4:13-16, 2 Tim. 4:1-5)

Membership: A Christian witnesses most symbolically to the kingdom of God by becoming a part Christ’s body, the church. To be a part of the universal body of Christ is best experienced when a part of his local body that is baptized, covenanted, discipled, and sent out to make disciples of Jesus. The church is led by pastors and elders. (Mt. 18:15-17, Jn. 20:23, I Cor. 5:1-13, 1 Th. 2:9-12, Heb. 10:23-25, 13:17, 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Tit. 1:5-10)
Evangelism: We want to be obedient to Christ’s great commission, his command to be fruitful and to bring his message to the nations. The heart of God is that all would know him, so bringing his message to those who need to know becomes our mission in ministry and personal relationships. (Mt. 28:19-20, Jn. 15:16, Acts 17:18, Rom. 10:6-14, 1 Cor. 3:5-7, 2 Cor. 5:11, 1 Pet. 3:15)

ABOUT CORNERSTONE TRINITY

Cornerstone Trinity welcomes all people to come and learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our church is focused on serving God and one another so that God’s love and the message of salvation will be made known to all people. We hope you will join us for worship services. All who attend Cornerstone Trinity are encouraged to join ministries and share in fellowship with one another. A dedicated staff is in place to guide, assist, organize, and lead.

HISTORY

Cornerstone Evangelical Baptist Church (CEBC) started in 1975. Led by Senior Pastor Chanson Lau, hope for the future sustained those who attended the first worship service in a high school auditorium and Sunday School classes in rented classrooms. Soon God provided the opportunity to acquire a building on Lawton Street in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Throughout the years and as the congregation and ministry grew, CEBC acquired additional adjacent and nearby buildings in the Sunset District. In 1989, God blessed CEBC with the present Silver Avenue site for a church and school. The location on Lawton Street in the Sunset District was maintained as an extension of the church and school.

Initially, CEBC reached out to the youth from the Sunset and Richmond Districts of San Francisco. As time passed, a strong college and adult ministry grew. Today, CEBC touches the lives of all ages.

For over 25 years, God has blessed CEBC with many facilities to minister to people in the San Francisco Bay Area through our school and church. In September 2001, with a renewed vision to reach San Francisco with God’s love, we were blessed with the opportunity to expand back into our original Lawton Street location in the Sunset District.

Cornerstone Trinity opened its arms to the congregation and community in September 2001. We offer regular worship services and Sunday School classes for the adult, college, high school, middle school, and infant/toddler age groups. In addition, we provide various ministries, programs, and fellowship groups.

MISSION STATEMENT

THE FOUR CORNERS OF CORNERSTONE
(A Foundation for Christian Growth)

At Cornerstone Trinity, we believe it is important for every person to accept Jesus Christ as his/her personal savior. However, acceptance of our Lord and Savior is only the beginning of our relationship with Jesus Christ. In order to develop a solid foundation for Christian growth, we have established and encourage each person to actively participate in the “Four Corners of Cornerstone,” consisting of worship, bible class, fellowship, and a ministry of God’s leading.

Worship helps us focus on God. Bible class teaches us God’s inspired Word and how we can apply it in our daily lives. Fellowship gives us an opportunity to practice what we have learned in a supportive atmosphere. Ministry involvement allows us to use special gifts from God to bring honor and glory to His name by uplifting and helping others. Through the four corners of Cornerstone, we believe each person can be continually nourished and strengthened.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

WE BELIEVE that the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is the plenarily and verbally inspired Word of God, the complete revelation of God’s will for the redemption of men, trustworthy, sufficient, without error, and the divine and final authority and guide for all Christian doctrine, faith and conduct.

WE BELIEVE in the one, true and living God, the eternal Spirit and heavenly Father, infinite and perfect in holiness, power, wisdom, righteousness, goodness, love and mercy, eternally existing in three co-equal persons, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

WE BELIEVE in God the Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true man, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary: Who died on the cross and shed His blood to take away the sins of men, and was raised bodily from the dead; Who ascended into heaven where He rules over all creation and now intercedes for all who believe; Who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and to establish His eternal Kingdom.

WE BELIEVE in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, who is of one substance, equal in power, and co-existent with the Father and with the Son. He glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts sinners, regenerates men, guides, teaches, rebukes, indwells, empowers, comforts intercedes for believers, unites them into the Body of Christ for godly living. We believe that man was created in the image of God, sinless and in fellowship with God, but that in Adam all men have fallen into sin, and are therefore sinners by nature and in need of God’s salvation.

WE BELIEVE that penitent sinners who believe in the gospel are regenerated (born again) by God, justified through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and sanctified through the power of the Holy Spirit.

WE BELIEVE that there shall be a bodily resurrection of the just to eternal life and of the unjust to eternal punishment.

WE BELIEVE that there are only two ordinances given to the church by Jesus Christ: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It symbolizes death to sin and resurrection to a new life and eternal life with Christ. The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death for our sins and our continual fellowship with Him, the proclamation of His death until He returns, and an occasion for self-examination. Participation in the Lord’s Supper should be preceded by baptism.

WE BELIEVE that the church is the body of Christ of which Christ is the Head. The universal church, which is invisible, consists of all those who have become children of God by faith. The visible church is a local association of believers, voluntarily baptized and organized for worship, evangelism, fellowship, and service.

CHURCH COVENANT

As a bond of unity among us, we the members of Cornerstone Trinity Baptist Church having been led by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and on profession of our faith in Him having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, accept the following covenant and do most solemnly and joyfully enter into this covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We promise that we will watch over and counsel one another in the spirit of brotherly love, that we will remember one another in our prayers, and that we will aid each other in sickness and distress. Moreover, we pledge to serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this church and in our community in the true spirit of servanthood with our gifts and talents.

We further agree to walk together in Christian love by the aid of the Holy Spirit; to strive for the advancement of his church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its spirituality and prosperity; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to give Biblical truths a sacred pre-eminence over all instructions of human origin; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spreading of the gospel through all the nations on earth.

We also covenant to maintain family and private devotions; to educate our children in our faith; to seek the salvation of our relatives, friend and acquaintances; to live carefully in our worldly society; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our work, and exemplary in our behavior; to avoid all gossiping, backbiting, and excessive anger, to abstain from everything that will cause a brother to stumble or that will bring reproach upon the cause of Christ; and to strive to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

We humbly and earnestly seek to live to the honor and glory of Him who loves us and gave Himself for us. When we move from this area, we promise to unite as soon as possible with another evangelical church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

PRAYER REQUEST

As Cornerstone Trinity continues to grow and strive toward the vision that God has given us, we need your prayer support. The prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 has been an inspiration to us at Cornerstone Trinity.

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers,
and his mother called his name Jabez, saying,
“Because I bore him in pain.”
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

“O that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”

So God granted him what he requested.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NKJV)

This prayer consists of four simple points:

i. “Please bless me indeed!”
Pray that God will bless Cornerstone Trinity with what He wants for our church. We leave it entirely up to God to decide what our blessing will be and where, when, and how we will receive the blessing. With this perspective, we seek out and focus on only God’s desires for our church.

ii. “Please enlarge my territory!”
Pray that God will increase the opportunities for Cornerstone Trinity to touch more lives for His glory.

iii. “Please put Your hand on me!”
Pray that God will give Cornerstone Trinity continued strength, commitment, and boldness to share His message of love and show His love through our actions.

iv. “Please keep me from evil!”
Pray that God to help Cornerstone Trinity stay focused on His principles.

We ask that you pray the prayer of Jabez for Cornerstone Trinity. We believe that with our eyes directed on God’s principles, God will use Cornerstone Trinity to share His love with countless people.