Life Events
Baptism
How do I get baptized at Cornerstone?
Contact the church office (info@umc-cornerstone.org) and indicate your interest in baptism. Be sure to include the full name and birth date of the person to be baptized. If you have a date preference, please include that as well and we will do our best to accommodate.
Attend the mandatory Baptism class, held in the pastor's office a few days before the scheduled baptism.
Gather 20-30 pictures that you would like used in a video on the day of the baptism. These pictures must be turned in to the Worship Design Team at least two weeks before the baptism. This deadline MUST be met for video production purposes. The pictures will be returned to you when the video is finished.
What is baptism?
Baptism is an acknowledgement and celebration of God's unconditional love and grace. Baptism is not a "magic formula" that guarantees a place in heaven. It is a serious commitment—a devotion to the ongoing journey of growth in following Christ.
Baptism also includes a commitment from the Church, promising to train, teach, and nurture those being baptized in authentic Christian community. Baptism should not be taken lightly or entered into hastily.
The baptismal covenant is especially profound for children, because that commitment extends to the child’s parents and sponsors. They promise to engage and participate in the Christian community, so the child sees Christianity lived out within the community of the church as well as within family life.
Who can be baptized?
We believe Jesus Christ died for all people, even before they acknowledged His death for them. Salvation is not dependent on whether or not we acknowledge it. Therefore, people of all ages are invited to be baptized, to claim their place within the community of those responding to God's love for them and attempting to live that love life out to its fullest.
In cases of infant baptism, it is not mandatory that parents be members of the church or even baptized themselves. However, the commitment explained above is necessary.
Confirmation
What is confirmation?
Confirmation is the time when you either affirm and accept your own baptism, or re-affirm the promises made for you when you were baptized as a child and claim them as your own. As a confirmand, you are old enough to profess your own faith and what you believe. It doesn't mean that you have all the answers, but you can learn enough to begin the journey for yourself.
Confirmation Classes
Confirmation classes are available for youth in 8th grade. You will learn more about what it means to be a Christian, what we believe as a church, and how we are to live our lives in Christ.
Weddings
Weddings at Cornerstone
We believe that the heart of a successful ceremony is the couple’s love and readiness for a lifelong commitment. Therefore, couples interested in marrying at Cornerstone should complete pre-marital counseling with a pastor.
The Ceremony
A wedding handbook is available from the church office. It includes our wedding procedures at Cornerstone, and includes information to help make your wedding a meaningful and joyous event.
Please contact the church office to speak to the pastor, schedule your wedding, and obtain a handbook.
Funerals
We consider it an honor to celebrate a person’s life with dignity and respect, proclaiming God’s triumph over death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Beyond the funeral service, our congregation seeks to support and journey with grieving families.
We hope that you will let the pastor know as soon as possible when a family member is nearing the end of life or has passed so we can immediately be in ministry with you.