Cornerstone Baptist Church on Georgia Highway 315 in Ellerslie is known for a church family that reaches from Sunday School and worship into music, practical service, and mission work. Its vision is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, expressed through evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and prayer. Those same purposes shape the lives of children and youth, women and men, and adults who meet for classes, choirs, ministry teams, and mission projects. Cornerstone also takes a hands-on view of faith, pairing teaching with hospital quilts, wheelchair ramps, foster-care support, delivered meals, jail ministry, and work with children in Honduras.
The church is at 16117 GA Highway 315 in Ellerslie, Georgia 31807. Its office telephone is (706) 561-6900, and its general email is believers@cornerstonega.org. The weekly rhythm places family education, worship, fellowship, and service side by side.
Sunday School at 9:30 and Two Sunday Gatherings
Sunday begins with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., with classes ranging from preschool through adults. Two worship services follow at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. A third worship gathering takes place Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The Wednesday rhythm includes a family dinner, and both adult and children's choirs practice after the service.
Young families have a defined arrival process. Children from preschool through fifth grade enter at the main sanctuary with their parents. Check-in and check-out take place through the church office in the hallway off the sanctuary, where children and parents receive matching printed stickers. Students in sixth grade and older are dropped off at Bridges Hall, behind Bannister Hall, for 9:30 Sunday School. A rotating nursery team cares for children during services so parents can worship and serve.
The welcome and security teams are part of that arrival rhythm. Security team members often serve as the first people to meet guests, while the welcome ministry focuses on greeting people with warmth and a friendly smile. The Church Center supports giving, community groups, event sign-ups, and other church connection needs. Church Center giving is available online, and Cornerstone uses its YouTube channel for livestreamed worship and sermons.
Kingdom Kid's, Youth, and AWANA
Kingdom Kid's is Cornerstone's children's church ministry for preschool through fifth grade. It meets during the Sunday morning service and seeks to provide a basic understanding of Jesus through weekly gatherings, holiday parties, and other activities for children.
The youth ministry serves sixth- through twelfth-grade students with weekly praise and worship on Wednesday evenings. Its broader year-round rhythm includes camps, mission trips, retreats, and service throughout Cornerstone. Youth take active roles in AWANA, Kingdom Kid's, and Vacation Bible School rather than remaining only receivers of ministry.
AWANA provides Bible-based discipleship for ages 3-14 through Pre-K and eighth-grade groups. During the school year, it meets Sundays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Legacy Hall. An evening includes Handbook Time, Game Time, and Council Time. The groups are Cubbies for ages 3-5, Sparks for kindergarten through second grade, Truth and Training for third through fifth grades, and TREK for sixth through eighth graders. Cornerstone's youth also participate in AWANA, connecting the Sunday-evening program with the church's broader youth ministry.
Vacation Bible School is another recurring part of Cornerstone's family calendar. It welcomes children from Pre-K through twelfth grade and includes a nightly dinner, connecting Bible teaching with an extended evening gathering.
IMPACT, Men's Legacy, and the Choir
IMPACT Women’s Ministry works to encourage women’s personal relationship with Christ through monthly Bible studies and an annual winter retreat. Studies meet on the second Thursday of most months, with breaks around holidays and retreats. The monthly gatherings include dinner, worship, fellowship, Bible teaching, and prayer. Sharon Borger leads IMPACT, whose wider umbrella also includes Feed the Flock, the Jail Ministry, and Sew Blessed.
Men's Legacy meets monthly for dinner, fellowship, Scripture, and times of equipping. Its focus is helping men pursue deeper understanding of God and greater heights of ministry as they lead their families and Cornerstone.
Choir and Drama gives another way to participate. The ministry includes people who sing, act, or play instruments, using those gifts in worship and service. Adult and children's choirs practice on Wednesday evenings after the service. Community groups also connect through Church Center, extending Cornerstone's small-group life beyond the regular Sunday and Wednesday gatherings.
A Preschool for the Whole Child
Cornerstone Christian Preschool is a Christian school for children ages 2 1/2 to 4. Its purpose is to provide a quality, Christ-centered education that encourages development of the whole child. Because the preschool is a ministry of Cornerstone, it treats each enrolled child as part of the church family.
The preschool's educational philosophy is strongly hands-on. Teachers use playful interaction with objects and people to help children learn about the physical and social worlds around them. The program is designed to encourage social and emotional, physical, cognitive, language, and spiritual development. Developmentally appropriate teaching strategies support each child's individual growth.
The two-year-old and three-year-old classes meet Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The Pre-K four-year-old class meets Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to noon. These schedules give young children substantial weekday time within the preschool program.
The curriculum draws on a variety of educational resources and incorporates basic Christian themes into learning experiences. Its balanced focus includes readiness skills, socialization, and self-help skills. Bible stories, chapel time, music, learning centers, and weekly themes are key parts of each classroom's week. Angie Sutton serves as preschool director.
Quilts, Ramps, Foster Care, and Mission Trips
Cornerstone's mission ministries put its beliefs into visible forms of service. Some meet locally, while others extend to hospitals, foster families, jails, and communities outside the United States.
- Sew Blessed: This group of women meets every Friday to make quilts for people in hospitals and pillowcases for the children of Orphanage Emmanuel. Its work is summarized as sewing, serving, and bringing comfort to people who are hurting or in need.
- Orphanage Emmanuel: Cornerstone supports an annual mission trip to Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras. Teams spend the week working on projects, supporting staff, and caring for children.
- Carpenters for Christ: This construction ministry builds wheelchair ramps for neighbors, constructs sets for church dramas, and keeps church facilities in good repair. Each project turns a practical skill into visible care for people and support for ministry.
- Courtney's Promise: Launched in 2017 as Cornerstone's response to the foster-care crisis, this ministry supports foster families and children through care teams that provide meals, respite care, mentoring, prayer, and emotional support.
- Women's Jail Ministry: This ministry brings the good news of Jesus Christ to people in the community who need renewal, strength, and hope.
- Operation Christmas Child: Cornerstone collects shoeboxes containing toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and other gifts. The boxes are distributed with the Gospel to children in vulnerable situations as part of the Samaritan's Purse project.
- Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon: Each Easter and Christmas, Cornerstone supports offering projects that raise money for missionaries serving in the field.
Meals, Music, and the Work Behind the Welcome
Feed the Flock ensures that a warm meal is delivered to families in the church when illness, recovery from surgery, or other obstacles make it difficult to provide for themselves. The need may involve illness or recovery, but the ministry consistently responds with food and practical care.
Widows and Widowers is headed by Cornerstone's deacons. The group meets monthly for food, shopping, movies, and fellowship, creating an ongoing rhythm of companionship for people whose lives have been changed by loss.
The Kitchen Crew prepares Wednesday family dinners, funeral meals, and food for special occasions. Behind those meals are the Media, Welcome, and Security teams. Media members care for the audio, video, livestreams, and musical productions; the Welcome Team begins arriving guests' experience with a warm greeting; and the Security Team helps keep the facilities safe while often serving as an initial point of contact for visitors.
Historic Faith Centered on the Resurrected Christ
Cornerstone holds firmly to the historic orthodox Christian faith. Its central purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, and the church describes evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and prayer as the means by which that purpose is pursued.
The church affirms belief in the resurrected Christ as revealed in God's inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word. It seeks, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to turn from the old self and obediently follow the Lord and Savior in the new life he promises to those who repent of their sin and turn to him in faith.
Big T's Enduring Scholarship
Dr. Tommy A. Henschel, affectionately known as "Big T," led churches throughout Georgia for more than 55 years and concluded his ministry with 22 years at Cornerstone. His preaching taught the truth of Scripture, while his pastoral heart extended to mentoring young adults, caring for others, and encouraging pastors facing difficult seasons in ministry.
The Big T Memorial Scholarship carries that pastoral emphasis into vocational ministry. It supports qualified men and women who are committed to following God's call and serving him faithfully in ministry. Special consideration is given to people in ministry who may be walking through challenging seasons and need encouragement to continue faithfully in their calling. The scholarship is anchored to the call in 2 Timothy 2:15 to handle God's word accurately.
The People Behind the Ministry
James Friberg is Cornerstone's senior pastor, and Brian Cantrell serves as associate pastor. David Gagel leads music, Ray Sutton is youth pastor, and Aaron Wall serves as youth ministry assistant. Kylie Sutton directs children's ministry, Angie Sutton directs the preschool, Carol Henschel serves in education ministry, and Sharon Borger leads IMPACT Women’s Ministry.
One Purpose Across the Church Family
A week at Cornerstone can include Sunday School, worship, children's church, choir practice, youth praise and worship, AWANA, IMPACT, Men's Legacy, mission sewing, and preparation for service projects. Its ministries vary in purpose, but they remain connected by the church's recurring aim of glorifying God and enjoying him forever.
Cornerstone Baptist Church in Ellerslie is a multi-generation church family whose classrooms, sanctuary, Legacy Hall, family meals, music ministries, practical work, and mission partnerships all reflect its stated vision: evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and prayer.