2012 July Newsletter
July 2012 Newsletter:
Youth Will Serve!
We ask God that you may bear fruit in active goodness of every kind.
Col. 1:12
While we at Cornerstone affirm that salvation is by faith alone, at the same time we surely appreciate good works as manifested in work-days that benefit our properties. We are particularly grateful for several groups of young people who have volunteered their time and effort.
Members of youth groups from both Memorial Presbyterian and the Grace and Peace Fellowship joined forces to tackle projects ranging from landscaping to painting. On a different Saturday we welcomed young people from the Church of St.Michael and St. George ; they too took trowel, rake, and spade in hand to the improvement of our grounds. We rejoice to see younger members of local fellowships pitching in to help us!
Slightly older, but just as helpful, was a select group of volunteers from the University of Missouri-Columbia chapter of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, aided and abetted in their efforts by one person from the IVCF chapter at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. These stalwarts got their hands dirty providing much-needed help in the rehabilitation of our newest property.
All these young folks worked with a will. We hereby recognize and thank them, in this space, for their energy and commitment; help like theirs is vital to our mission by keeping our expenses down. Rejoice with us for how they have born fruit of active goodness, and have become, quite literally, “restorers of houses in ruins.”
Adoption news: it’s a bouncing, baby building!
In our last issue, we invited local fellowships to consider “adopting” one of our buildings. We are now delighted to announce that the Grace and Peace Fellowship has taken the initiative in so adopting our ‘new’ building at 5936-38 Etzel. A number of folks from this congregation have joined up to raise funds for the Corporation; 
they also have committed themselves to building sweat-equity by contributing monthly work-days. From the photo here, taken on one of those work-days, you can see that these ‘early adopters’ are not afraid to get dirty on behalf of the working poor, who are at the heart of Cornerstone’s mission.
We have plenty of other buildings ready for adoption; please contact Josh Dodson at 314-726-2273 for more information.
Funding Report
Great news: an anonymous donor has loaned Cornerstone $10,000 interest-free toward our rehab project. We are so thrilled! So here are the current totals:
We need about $150,000. We have raised $95,000, or 63 percent. We’re needing more private gifts and loans for this work, which is intended to house two graduates of the Grace and Peace Winter Shelter, along with another family. In the meantime, work is progressing, with the help of workdays through the summer.
