Arrival Day Welcomed and Dedicated New Students
The first day of college is an exciting, memorable day! Cornerstone University welcomed new students on campus and online for the 2023 Arrival Day festivities. This year’s excitement was elevated for new on-campus students and their families by power outages in the region due to weather. Despite this unique challenge, the campus was filled with enthusiastic students and families. The Cornerstone community worked through the night and early morning to make Arrival Day fun, inspiring, memorable and successful. God’s blessings were felt throughout the experience as students were safely moved into their new college home!
Students, their families, and the CU community gathered together outside for the Student Dedication Ceremony to commit students to the LORD for the year ahead. The LORD’s goodness was acknowledged as was the resilience and preparations by the Cornerstone staff, student leaders and Spiritual Formation and Christian Community (SFCC) teams who worked tirelessly to ensure the ceremony could go forward.
After a special time of student-led worship and a welcome by the SFCC leadership, President Gerson Moreno-Riaño thanked everyone for making the day possible despite the challenges. With gratitude to God for the mission and the Class of 2027, President Moreno-Riaño acknowledged the importance of this transition to college for the students and especially for the parents. “Parents and families, I want to thank you on behalf of our entire university and Board of Trustees. Thank you for entrusting your son, your daughter, your special one to us.” He told parents to “buckle your seatbelt,” expressing that the LORD has brought us all together at this moment in time, in the history of Cornerstone, and in the history of our country.
“Students, we are so glad you are here! Thank you for choosing Cornerstone. And I also believe the LORD and Cornerstone chose you,” the president continued.
He spoke about the significance of the year’s theme, Christ Our Greatest Friend, sharing that the community will delve deeply into what Christ-centered friendship means throughout the year. “I want to encourage you and challenge you as students to think about being a great friend to your other students who are arriving here with you,” he charged. Based on John 15:13-14, he explained that Christ’s laying down His life for His friends is the greatest example of friendship and the model the Cornerstone community seeks to emulate. And that success in life can be measured by our ability to care for each other as followers of Christ.
The Cornerstone leadership team prayed for each new student, commissioning them, and dedicating the year ahead to God’s purposes for their lives. A special prayer for the families experiencing the transition of their beloved student was given. And, faculty and staff were committed to the LORD in their sacred role to educate and serve our students with excellence and Christ-centered character.
Our heart, our wish, and our prayer is for the LORD’s favor to protect our students and give them a beautiful, wonderful first year for God’s glory! Enjoy this special video commemorating the Student Dedication Ceremony for the Class of 2027!
