August 24, 2020
Dear Cornerstone Family,
When you elected me to the Chair position fresh on the heels of the two years I spent neck-deep in the Congregational Vitality program—a program which primes you for change and improvement—I had some plans for our council. By the time our first meeting came around in March, I had to delete the agenda I had meticulously planned and instead, we talked and planned about how we could be a church community when we can’t meet together. We thought we needed a plan to get us by a few short weeks, but here we are in August starting school online and continuing to distance to help protect our families and our wider community.
As (volunteer) staff, I work closely with Pastors Greg and Amanda, Rachel, Paige, and Kc, so I’ve seen, firsthand, their entire process turned upside down. Despite the challenges, I’m very proud and humbled by their tenacity to carry out the mission of the church. I can’t say our efforts have always been perfect (especially mine) and that we can’t improve (we discuss this weekly), but Cornerstone couldn’t ask for a more determined group. Similarly, many members of our congregation have stepped up to serve the church in new ways from leading small groups online to becoming online speakers, sharing the message of Christ in front of a camera.
Around the time we had our last physical congregational gathering on Sunday morning, Pastor Amanda was afflicted by a sudden high fever and severe infection which we later learned were warning signs of a deeper issue. After months of appointments and tests, Amanda was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer, and has started chemotherapy treatment at Stanford. Just a couple weeks before Amanda’s diagnosis, Ruby Oppenhuizen was diagnosed with Type I diabetes.
Between the stress of figuring out how to pastor an online church, and the sudden double life-changing health diagnoses, our pastors needed to step away from Cornerstone to focus on family and health. At the end of July, Pastor Amanda was placed on disability leave and Pastor Greg is on modified duty with most of his day-to-day responsibilities handled by others in the congregation. Sherman Glenn, an ordained Baptist minister and licensed family therapist, is continuing Greg’s responsibilities of pastoral care, hospital visitation, lining up guest speakers for the weekly service, and other pastoral duties that arise from time-to-time such as funerals. Our very talented and gifted Sue Bonander coordinates weekly praise and worship sets. I and our council are assuming more responsibility for the “business” of the church and management of staff. Of course, our staff is diligently continuing their roles which may be slightly expanded as they fill in some activity and duties previously handled or coordinated by our pastors.
As mentioned previously, Pastor Amanda was placed on disability leave which means she receives no compensation from Cornerstone but will receive state disability insurance payments equal to roughly sixty percent of her previous salary. Your council unanimously approved to support our pastors by continuing Pastor Greg’s current compensation and to temporarily increase his salary by forty percent to compensate for Amanda’s reduced income. This means that the Oppenhuizen family’s current income level will remain roughly the same as they take the time to heal and adapt. The adjustment has no definitive end date but will be re-visited by the council regularly as situations change. Pastor Greg intends to return to full duty as things stabilize at home but, under the council’s supervision, Greg has leeway to modify duties as necessary to care for Amanda, his family, and not least of all, his own health.
Many have asked how they can help the Oppenhuizen family and, right now, there are three helpful ways you can do something that will lift a burden from their shoulders:
Donate to the Oppenhuizen benevolence fund
Many of you know Cornerstone’s benevolence fund is used to help those seeking assistance from our church by providing emergency financial assistance in very specific ways such as paying a utility bill, assisting with housing rental deposits, buying groceries, or covering unexpected medical expenses. We’ve created a separate designated fund for the Oppenhuizen family which you can donate to online at CornerstoneCov.org (select the Give Online button, then select “Benevolence - Oppenhuizen” as the fund) or by check, writing “Oppenhuizen” on the memo line and sending it into the church office. Side note: if you are reading this and find yourself in a stressful financial situation, please contact me or the church office; benevolence funds are available for you, too.Prepare or purchase a meal
At first, the family had to turn down this option due to Ruby’s precarious diet situation, but now armed with more experience, they’ve created a curated list of pre-approved diabetic-friendly meals that can be made at home or purchased from local restaurants. To sign up, text/call Becki McFarlane, 209-345-1400.Pray
Of course. It may seem small or less helpful and when we pray, we don’t always know how or if it helps, but as Pastor Amanda said during the service on Sunday, August 23, during an update on her situation, “...pray me up, it really does matter, I really do feel it. I’m just so grateful for our church family.”
As I write this, our Central Valley is surrounded by fire, covered in a thick blanket of smoke, our County is experiencing some of the highest Coronavirus infection rates in the state, unemployment is high, and on top of that, it’s an election year. There’s fear, anxiety, loss, and suffering. As followers of Christ, we are not immune to these things, but we have the perspective and hope of a life eternal. I encourage you to pray, abide in Jesus and exemplify love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control for the world around us.
As I wrap up this lengthy letter, I want to share just a couple of quick notes while I have your attention. Some have inquired about gathering for outdoor services and if we plan to have a semi-annual congregation meeting. Regarding the former, we are currently planning to hold two outdoor services on the morning of Sunday, September 13 and Sunday, September 20. We’re planning just two at this time because those are two weeks when we’ll have local speakers. We also want two opportunities to measure interest in that type of service and to get a good sense of the effort it takes to provide a service that benefits both those who can meet in person and those who will continue to join us for service online. This “test run” will also provide an opportunity to explore this format in case we need to meet in that manner for our semi-annual meeting in November. Of course, these plans may change as things change around us, so please sign up for text messages (text cornerstonecov to 84576) or our email list (go to ccov.link/cqn) to receive the most up-to-date information.
As a Covenant church, we believe in the spiritual discernment of the church body and in the polity where the congregation holds the ultimate decision-making authority. As such, anyone is welcome to attend council meetings, review meeting minutes, and review our financial statements at any time. If you want more information about our council’s decisions or Cornerstone’s financial picture, you are encouraged to contact any member of the council who is listed at the end of this letter.
Even though we cannot gather together as we’d like, please continue to connect with your Cornerstone family through small groups or by calls or messages. Stay in the Word, pray, and continue to give back through your time, talent, and treasures. You can continue the spiritual discipline of tithing online through CornerstoneCov.org or by mailing a check to the church office. Thank you for your continued support for the mission and ministry of Cornerstone.
In Christ,
Justin Marty, Chair
justin@cornerstonecov.org
Marlene Stante, Vice Chair
Sara Carter, Treasurer
David Lindsey, Secretary
Joann Lundell, Financial Secretary
Phil Dwight, Member at Large
Rotimi Odeh, Member at Large
Lily Switzer, Member at Large