THE RESPONSIBLITIES OF AN ELDER

I. The Elder As A Model Member The first and most important responsibility of an Elder is to model faithful membership. Elders should live out the commitments all members make in the Cornerstone Membership Covenant.

II. The Elder As A Model Disciple Our mission as a church is to "help genuine doubters become true disciples." One of the responsibilities of Elders is to model "true discipleship." A true disciple is marked by the "Five Gs": Grace, Group, Growth, Gifts and Guide.

III. The Elder As A Model Disciple-Maker When Jesus called men and women to be his disciples, he called them to be "fishers of men." When Jesus left this earth, his last command to his disciples was to go into the world and "make disciples." One of the highest priorities of an Elder should be the investment of our lives in the lives of other people -- both in seeking to introduce our friends to Jesus and in making disciples of those who are already believers.

IV. The Elder As Visionary and Innovator Anyone can spot problems. Anyone can say what isn't working, or what the church isn't doing. As elders, it is our responsibility to be visionaries and innovators. Beyond spotting problems and needs, it is an Elder's responsibility to take the initiative in a positive way to develop creative solutions to the problems and to generate creative ideas to better meet the needs of people. It is also an Elder's job to help the church to stay focused and on target, and to positively communicate the vision and values of our church.

V. The Elder As Administrator and Caretaker A church is a non-profit corporation. Elders are the equivalent of the Board of Directors of a corporation. Elders are legally responsible to "take care" of the business of the church, which includes taking care of the church's facilities, assets, and liabilities.

VI. The Elder As Teammate An Elder is a member of a team. Elders have a responsibility to the team and to each member of the team -- to affirm each other, to encourage each other, to care for each other, and to challenge each other, all in such a way as to help the Elders and the church to move ahead as a team.

ELDER SELECTION PROCESS

Those interested in becoming an Elder may submit themselves for consideration for eldership as indicated in 1 Timothy 3:1. The Board of Elders will invite an interested person to begin a period of examination, which may include study projects and/or meeting with a sub-group of Elders for personal examination. Subsequently, a unanimous recommendation from the Board of Elders is required to bring a prospective Elder to the church congregation for ratification. Approval of an Elder will be by two-thirds of the voting membership present. There is no minimum or maximum number of Elders.

OFFICE STAFF

Denise Schmidt is Cornerstone's Administrative Assistant. She and her husband, Brian have been at Cornerstone almost from the beginning. The first thing you will notice about Denise is how much she loves Jesus, and a close second is her heart that overflows with compassion for people. She is an incredible gift to Cornerstone. Denise's commitment to Christ and Cornerstone extends far beyond her staff responsibilities. She volunteers as a leader in our Prayer Ministry, serves in our Children's Ministry, and helps Brian lead the Jr. High Ministry. Denise has two grown daughters, Nicole and Noelle, and a son Roland in 7th Grade.