CORNER OFFICE- Pastor Frances Chan stands outside of Cornerstone Community Church on Winifred Street. Cornerstone Community Church

2080 Winifred St.

Simi Valley

(805) 581-9532

Pastor Francis Chan

Founded: 1994 Size of congregation: 4,000

Denomination:

nondenominational

Services: Sunday, 9 and 11 a.m., 5 p.m.

Foundation of beliefs:

"We believe the Bible is

the inspired word of God,"

Chan said. "Whatever is written in the Bible we teach

no matter how popular or

unpopular it may be."

Fun fact: The church has its own

softball team.

Questions of faith

(answered by Chan):

What is the purpose of life according to your faith?

We believe every person was created to draw attention to the glory of God, not to ourselves. Our life is to make much of Jesus, not how great I am or the church.

What must humankind do to get into heaven?

People have to recognize there is nothing they can do to get into heaven. God has provided a way and done everything for them. We need to believe in His love and His actions. We must recognize we have offended a Holy God and admit our own guilt. God gave his only son to pay for our crimes. Our God is a loving God; people must trust Him and follow His way.

What is your belief in heaven or hell?

We don't allegorize or explain things away. When the Bible speaks of heaven as a physical location, we believe that. The Bible speaks of a place of suffering and gives tangible examples (of hell), so we believe that as well.

How important is it that congregation members get involved in the community?

Christ blessed people and served people. If we take the name of Christians, the name of Christ, then we ought to bless, give and serve people wherever there's a need.

What is your view on ecology issues?

God created this world. There is a beauty and order to it. We don't have the right to destroy that. Whether we believe there's a code of morality God wants on the Earth or the natural flow of things He created in nature, we are very much in favor of restoring things and making sure we're not destroying the things God created.

What would you like people to know about your church?

Too often churches are known for their doctrinal position. I'd much rather our church was known by the actions of its members. I want people to know there are Cornerstone people throughout the community serving their neighbors, giving the shirts off their back where needed. Jesus said let your good deeds be seen by men. Let your light shine in such a way that your good deeds bring glory to your Father in heaven. It's important that we just don't talk about what we believe but display it by how we sacrifice for other people.