In mid-October 2003, Barry & Vicki Arnold invited about 15 couples -- friends who had previously said if Barry ever started another church they wanted to know about it -- to a meeting at Arnold’s home to discuss the possibility of starting a new church.
More than 90 people packed the living room, entry way, kitchen and dining room and up the stairs. Some people had to park blocks away. That first meeting led to four more Saturday evenings at Jim and Mary Beth Irvine’s. We wanted to be a church but we had no meeting place, no leadership structure, not even a name, no supplies, no sound system, and no money.
A decision we made the second Saturday evening continues to be a guiding philosophy for Cornerstone today. The group (which numbered about 60) decided to receive an offering for two weeks and then give it away. All of it. The first week’s offering was just under $5,000 – a lot of money for this little bunch. We were astounded, though, when, after the second offering, we learned the total: $16,242. The next week we prayed over two checks, one made out to Shepherd’s Door, a Portland Women’s Shelter, the other to a new orphanage Rick & Jan Norquist were establishing near Mazatlan, Mexico.
We set November 30 as a target date for our first Sunday service. Our plan to locate in the Damascus/Sunnyside area had to be changed because we simply couldn’t find a school or meeting place in that area that we could rent. Powell Valley Grade School, in Gresham, agreed to rent us their facilities, and so we began.
Cornerstone will never be a huge church. As our culture becomes more and more impersonal, we believe churches must become more personal. Mid-sized churches, large enough to have synergy and momentum, but small enough so people can know each other, are, perhaps, the best way to impact our communities for Christ. Instead of growing large, we will start other churches in surrounding communities.Resurrection Sunday 2007 our first church plant, Gresham Bible Church, was born. We still haven’t lost the buzz, the anticipation of starting fresh. Our prayer is we never will! We are currently praying and looking for more church planters. Church plants take leadership, a core group willing to go, and money. We keep $50,000 set aside to assist new church plants.