1. Newsletter of
Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run
January 2013
Flock
Notes
Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run
415 Mennonite Road
Altoona, Pa 16601
www.cornerstonemillrun.com
Lessons from Nehemiah and
the Hatfield’s & McCoy’s
Your Monthly Pastoral Rant: By Pastor Steve Olivieri
What makes any specific area of planet abuse & alcoholism rate you have quite a exactly in these areas God likes to pour
earth hard to minister or hard to reach depressing area. Any new pastor looking His Spirit into and transform the most.
with the gospel? I’ve heard this phrase for a full time job better think twice before Think I'm full of wishful thinking & won't
over and over again. Many times I've taking a job in this kind of area right? So face reality? You still think this area is too
heard it in reference to the little why would a guy who made really good far gone, too run down to help? If you
community of Mill Run and even the money working in a hospital quit that job. think I'm wasting my time here let me
city of Altoona as a whole. Trying to Then take a drastic pay cut & choose to be give you two examples of why I believe
develop a fruitful ministry in areas like the pastor of a little church in the heart of you may be the one who has things
this can often seem like trying to pick one of these run down areas? This guy completely backwards.
fruit from a patch of briars. It seems must be certifiable right? Well few who First, in the Old Testament is the
you’re more likely to get stuck with know me would disagree that I'm at least a story of Nehemiah. He was the cup bearer
thorns than pick much fruit. little bit crazy. Seriously though why to King Xerses, the King of Persia. Yes
Why is this? Well some may would I make such a seemingly irrational this is the same King of Persia that the
point to the abandoned buildings, the & unreasonable career choice? Spartans fought in the movie 300.
many people out of work & say this 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “...for My Nehemiah had a life of luxury in the
area is run down. Others may say that power is made perfect in weakness. Persian royal court. That is as long as no
not many people want to live there. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly one tried to poison the King. Even though
People are moving out of the area, not about my weaknesses, so that the power of he had it made his heart was broken.
into it. If you include the high drug Christ may dwell on me.” You see it is When he received news his fellow

2. Lessons from Nehemiah, the Hatfield’s
& McCoy’s And the rant continues…
Top 3 New
‘ Israelites were suffering and the once glorious city of Jerusalem was now in shambles
he was devastated. He couldn’t bear see things continue as they were. He cried out to
Ministries of 2013 God for his forgiveness & for the forgiveness of his people. God then developed in him
a plan for rebuilding Jerusalem. You see Jerusalem wasn’t even “down & out”, it was
1. Pastor Steve gets dead & lifeless. To Nehemiah though it didn’t matter how impossible the task seemed
secretary...Amen to that! at first. It didn’t matter he was leaving a life of ease for a life of difficulty. Jerusalem
was his home & the people that dwelt their were his family. Nehemiah, funded by the
2. Development of an King of the Persian Empire, then set out for Jerusalem. Revival was on its way.
Outreach/Discipleship Now am I saying I’m Nehemiah & I’m going to transform Mill Run &
Altoona? Not a chance. On my own I couldn’t convince a single person from Mill Run
committee.
or from anywhere else to attend Cornerstone Fellowship. I’m too disorganized,
constantly second-guessing myself, too much of a people pleaser and would likely
3. Development of the wreck this church in a matter of weeks. Without God’s strength, guidance & direction I
“Reach the City” Campaign wouldn’t stand a chance. So what am I getting at with all of this? I’m glad you asked.
While I’m no Nehemiah, the principles he used apply very much to us today.
Top 4 Possible When my family and I moved here almost 5 years ago we actually fell in love with this
little church & this community. Why? We attended the big churches with fancy
Work Projects for services & people were generally nice. There were always lots of ways to get
connected & involved, but something fundamental was missing. That which was
2013 missing to us in the big churches we found in this little church. Cornerstone Fellowship
became like family to us. We were accepted right away. We got to know personally
each one who attends this church. As pastor I can share in the joys & grieve in the hard
1. Two New Church Signs times in ways not possible in a larger church. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Yet things are not always fine and dandy. At times it is hard to minister here. I
2. Build a Church Storage Shed will be the first to admit it. Yet fruit is evident as I've personally witnessed almost
every child accept Christ as their Lord and Savior that has attended our Awana Club.
3. Replace Tables, Chairs, Think a little Awana club won't turn around a run down community? I had a
Front Door & Sanctuary conversation with a sergeant from the Myrtle Beach Police dept. who said the single
Windows best way to help rid the area of crime & drugs is to get as many kids as possible into
clubs that teach the Bible like Awana's. Think that didn't fire me up a little bit? O yeah!
Getting back to my original question though, why is this area hard to reach at
4. Re-do concrete at the front times with the gospel? I found out the real answer goes beyond this is just a “run
entrance down” area. If you talk to anyone from Mill Run they’ll tell you with a gleam in their
eye how busy this church was when they were kids. It was packed to capacity every
Sunday, with kids running everywhere. The big question that came to my mind early
on was, “what happened between then and now?” I found out that most of the people
who used to come still live in the area. Why did they stop attending & move on to other
churches, or no church at all?
The answer in large part I believe comes from lessons from the famous feud
between the Hatfield’s & McCoy’s. Shortly after the civil war ended along the border
between West Va & Kentucky, Randolf McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing
some of his Hogs. A jury found Floyd Hatfield not guilty. Afterwards a McCoy shot &
killed a juror that sided with the Hatfields. Then in 1882, 3 McCoy boys got into a
heated argument with Ellis Hatfield, who was then stabbed 20 times & shot. After
dying two days later, the patriarch of the Hatfield family, William Anderson known as
“Devil Ance” formed a posse of his boys. They found & killed execution style, the

3. I promise the rant is almost done…
3 McCoy boys responsible for killing eye for an eye.” One neighbor's feud with feelings, bitterness, anger & apathy are
Devil Ance’s nephew Ellis. Devil Ance & another neighbor can last for years. When allowed to festers for years. These ongoing
his boys were on the run from then on. someone feels like they've been wronged battles suck the very life out of an area. Yet
Many other battles occurred killing 15 they will seemingly go to great lengths to it is precisely in these areas that, just like
Hatfield’s & McCoy’s in all. You could get back at the other. Many times family Nehemiah & Devil Ance Hatfield, it just
say they lived out, “an eye for an eye.” lines are drawn & a spirit of distrust & takes one person seeking forgiveness and
Then something happened that distain has resulted. forgiving others that could spark a revival.
would change the lives of Hatfield’s & Secondly, the church seems to Just one person saying I’m sorry could give
McCoy’s for generations to come. At the have failed to make peace & has many hope to an area in desperate need of it.
urging of his friend, preacher Doug times fueled these hard feelings. It did Finally, why should we ask for
Garrett, Devil Ance at the age of 72 went this by handling poorly various forgiveness & forgive others? Well
forward at a revival meeting and became disagreements & starting many arguments because we’ve all sinned, no matter how
a Christian. Devil Ance died ten years too. A former member I believe summed good or bad we may think we are, we
later, but those last years friends and up the image of this church best, “I just deserve death because of our sins. We are
family say he had a sense of peace about got to the point where I felt if I missed a to forgive others because Jesus died for us
him. This peace came from knowing he Sunday, no one would notice if I was before we ever said we’re sorry to God.
was forgiven & seeking the forgiveness gone, no one seemed to care.” The vision for this little church is
of others he had wronged. Now those in the community who that it would be a place where through
That single soul seeking have faithfully attended this church for forgiveness grudges, feuds & hard feelings
forgiveness from God & his fellow man many years may take some offense at end. Through forgiveness this church
abruptly ended the feud. It also started a what I have just said. Please understand would be a place of reconciliation &
revival amongst Hatfield’s & McCoy’s that it is directed at no one in particular. restoration. Over the years this Church has
that sees many of them today as Like I said at the beginning the people of a lot of things to say it’s sorry for. Yet
committed born again Christians. Mill Run have taken in my family as their through the power of the Holy Spirit the
What’s my point with all of this? own family especially my daughter church can be the single greatest agent of
Well Nehemiah teaches us that any “run Makayla was constantly in & out of the community & personal transformation on
down” area can be transformed by God. hospital for over 8 months. planet earth. If we are serious about
Also I believe this area has a lot in My point is this. I believe “down transforming our “run down” little
common with the famous feud between & out” committees are that way for a community & city, we need to rally around
the Hatfield’s & McCoy’s. reason. I believe that Satan uses grudges this little church in a spirit of forgiveness.
Much like the Hatfield's & & feuds to put a stranglehold on a Let this be the prayer of Cornerstone
McCoy's this area seems to live by, “an community. Through these feuds hard Fellowship & your prayer as well in 2013.
& beyond.
Passage of the Month
Acts 26:18
'to open their eyes, in order to turn them
from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an
inheritance among those who are
sanctified by faith in Me’.

4. Prayers & Praises of the Flock
Kim Clapper: Kim recently experienced the passing of her husband of 42 years. Please keep her and
the entire Clapper family in your prayers. Lord give them peace & comfort.
Makayla Olivieri: Praise God that Sara (Mom) and Makayla are home from Children's Hospital in
Pittsburgh. Makayla most recently had a G-J feeding tube inserted which now bypasses her stomach
& goes directly into her intestines. She is not completely out of the woods yet unfortunately. She
continues to have intestinal problems & we may have to see a specialist in Philadelphia if things are
not completely cleared up soon. Lord we pray for her healing.
John McConnell: Praise God that John successfully underwent a procedure to shock him out of an
abnormal heart rhythm. He now has much more energy. Lord we pray for his continued healing.
Bobbie Jo Johnson: Praise God that she is fitting in well in her new part time job at Sara Olivieri
daycare & has picked up some more hours cleaning houses. Lord sustain her & provide for her needs.
Patty Brandt: Patty has been battling with spinal stenosis for years. She is hoping to avoid surgery,
but is faced with injections instead to deal with the pain. Lord give her wisdom, healing & comfort.
Arthur Burnham: During a missions trip to Peru, he fell through a roof and landed on the floor 10 ft.
below. He suffered a fractured pelvis & a torn left rotator cuff in his shoulder. Lord give him healing.
Cornerstone Idea Corner
New Ministries for 2013
1. Latisha Clapper is the new church secretary.
2. Outreach/Discipleship Committee: For members only. They will organize &
implement ministry items & outreach events the leadership approves.
3. Our Church website is up & running: www.cornerstonemillrun.com
4. Operation Reach the City: Cornerstone has partnered with Everance Financial to
provide matching grant money to help churchgoers and community members with physical needs,
funeral expenses, house/car payments due to loss of job, etc.
– To be considered for help call church office: 942-4003 or Patty Brandt: 943-3981
office:
5. Cross & Nail Worship Service: We are planning to re-start these contemporary praise
& worship services with local Christian bands starting up in the next few months.
6. Pastoral Salary Fundraising: I have received a lot of one time donations, but I'm still
drastically below my goal of $1,500/month in fund raising support to help the church pay for my
salary full time until it’s large enough to support me by itself. Please consider donating to
Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run & the pastoral salary fundraising campaign today!
Interested? Please make any check out to Cornerstone Fellowship of Mill Run or:
-- Email me for me details: runninman2005@yahoo.com
-- donate online with paypal at the church website or facebook page.