What Is Cornerstone Festival?

It’s crazy that Cornerstone Festival has been going on since 1984 & that question is still asked! I’m not going to go into the history of Cornerstone, you can get that @http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/firsthand/ but what I will share with you is what Cornerstone is to me & why this is going to be my 15th year going! I had heard about CStone (What most fans of the festival affectionately call it) in 1989, after my son had gotten asked to go by a friend of ours. He came back excited & tried to explain to me what CStone was. I love all kinds of music, so I had gotten excited about all the bands that he had told me were there. He tried to explain to me that it was more than the Music, but I just got caught up in who had been playing there. At that point, I had decided that nothing would stop me from going! 1991 would be my first year, & that was the same year they had moved CStone to Bushnell IL.. I had no idea what I was in for! With groups like Rez, The Choir, The Cruified , Lost Dogs, just naming a few (Very few) There were over 200 bands playing either on the announced stages or they were playing on the side of the road, at their tent, even late night in front of the Main stage! I noticed real quick that this was not just about the music. I started to get an understanding of what my son was trying to tell me. The music was great, but then there were The Seminars, the Sports (Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Relay Races), The Art Tent, The Skate Ramp, The Lake (With Swimming Area), The Fireworks, The People  &  just The Entire Atmostphere! You would see a Biker next to a Punk, next to a Headbanger & all of them were Worshipping God! Hands raised in the air, tears streaming down their faces. This was the Body of Christ coming together with one common goal, to Worship the Son of God!!

Just when you think it couldn’t get better, they add in the anniversary years with special guest & celebrations! It becomes a place you never want to leave! I had to tell people about this great new treasure I had found! I started bringing the teens from my Youth Group, & others that got caught up in my excitement.

I have personally brought over 100 people to CStone in the last 15 years! Over these years I have seen Steve Taylor, POD, Jesus Freaks, Over the Rhine, Prayer Chain, Charlie Peacock, The Crossing, The Insyderz, The Supertones, Five Iron Frenzy, Waterdeep, Adam Again, The 77’s, Project 86, Ashley Cleveland, Skillet, Third Day, The Blues, ooh The Blues, with Darrell Mansfiled, Glenn Kaiser, Larry Howard, Margaret Becker, & so many other big name bands that got their start at CStone! The list continues to go on & on with newer bands like mewithoutYou, Deas Vail, As Cities Burn, Haste the Day, August Burns Red, Underoath, Demon Hunter, For Today, Sleeping Giant, Don’t Wake Aislin, Close Your Eyes, War of Ages, you get the picture!

You get completely lost in whats going on & then that day, the one that we all wish didn’t come, the day when it is all over for that year. It’s an eirie feeling when you get up on Sunday morning & you find that most have left the night before. Theres a few stragglings (Me being one of them) that try & squeese out every minute there that they can, but you know it’s over. It’s over for now that is! There is always next year & it’s only a year away! My Wife says the first 6 months after CStone, I talk about how it was, then the next 6 months I spend talking about how it’s going to be! I’m hooked! I admit it! It’s an addiction! But if I had to have an addiction, what better one to have then to desire to be with God’s people, with like minds, Worshiping my Creator, in a place that is as close to Heaven as I can be here on Earth!

There is so much more that I could say, but you are just going to have to wait! I leave out from here on the 18th to spend 2 1/2 weeks on the road just enjoying Music, Friendship (My buddy Stew from Australia is coming with me), Teaching, & once again that wonderful atmosphere of hanging out God’s kids! I will update you on all that goes on this year! Believe me you don’t want to miss it!

If you are interested in Cornerstone & would like to know more, just send me an email @ thegatheringtx@gmail.com