“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Luke 20: 17)
“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone”(Ephesians 2:19-20)
What is Cornerstone?
Cornerstone is a youth ministry program for Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors that combines both youth group faith experiences and Christian Service in a supportive community. Once a week the group will meet and either go to a service location in the San Jose area to complete Christian service or they will stay on campus to participate in a youth group gathering. Youth group gatherings will be a mixture of prayer, fun community building activities, small group sharing, & discussion of important issues. Cornerstone is a semester long program, however, a student is welcome to continue to come for the full year if they desire.
Does Cornerstone fulfill my Christian Service requirement?
Yes! Every student who completes a semester of Cornerstone will fulfill their Christian Service requirement. Students who complete their requirement the first semester would be encouraged, but not required, to continue with service and the youth group the second semester. In order to meet the minimum requirement of the program, students can only miss one event in the semester. Events will take place on the first day of the week. So when the school has a Monday holiday, Cornerstone will take place on Tuesday and will be a Youth Group day rather than a service day.
Do I have to be Christian to be a member?
Cornerstone is “Christocentric,” meaning that it is rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We look to Jesus as a model of discipleship and a source of inspiration. As a Catholic school, we also seek to encounter God through prayer and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Although most of the Cornerstone members come from the Christian tradition, past members have come from diverse faith traditions. These Cornerstone members have contributed to our understanding and appreciation of other religions. The most important quality of a Cornerstone member is a desire to grow closer to God and be of service to the community.
What is the application process?
Every freshman, sophomore, and junior in the school has the opportunity to join the Cornerstone. Students would apply and be accepted into the program each semester. A selection process will be based on the strength of the application, past experience with Campus Ministry events, other extra-curricular involvements, and the desire to have a balanced group. Juniors can also apply to be leaders of service and youth group events.
What is the attendance policy?
A student is allowed one absence per semester. Once a student has missed a second event (a service day or youth group day), they will be removed from the roster and will not receive their Christian Service Hours. There may be an exception based on an emergency if communicated with the Director of Campus Ministry.
What would the Schedule look like?
What is the cost?
Cornerstone Fee $60
* Financial Aid is automatically applied to the cost of Cornerstone for those who receive fiancial aid for tuition.
Cornerstone service sites:
Cornerstone Youth Group Coordinator
Tim Wesmiller
Cornerstone Service Coordinator
John Marheineke