In 1999, Illini Life, a Collegiate Church at the University of Illinois, identified Bloomington-Normal and Illinois State University as the location for a church plant. At the time, ISU was a strong state school with several strong ministries at work, but little church presence on campus. 

In 2001, a team of three staff and 10 volunteers moved from Champaign, IL to Normal, IL to plant Cornerstone Church. That first year we stuck a sign on the lawn at Festival ISU that asked, “Do you want to be part of something new?” Within weeks we had 50 students meeting in staff member, Joe Testa’s basement. That first wave of students were fierce inviters to everything we did. Officially, all we had was one group; one “small” group, a heart to connect students to Christ in church community, and a lot of food. This shared life has always been a key part of the work we do.

That year we saw many come to faith in Christ and we began to disciple and mentor young men and women readying ourselves for a launch of a public Sunday service.  From the ground up we worked with talented young men and women training them in how to create a Sunday morning experience at ISU, which launched in 2002.

Our heart has always been to empower and send disciples of Jesus. The sending nature always has a bittersweetness to it. In the 2000s, much of the makeup of the founding team changed as people were called to new work. In 2017, we sent pastor, Rudy Rivera to Northern Colorado where he works to pastor pastors. In 2024, Matt and Lisa Wilcoski were sent to meld justice work and student ministry at the University of Chicago. And as you read this, we are in the midst of a clear leadership transition. Mike Klunke, one of the founding pastors, is in the work of transitioning to a role where he supports Staff across Collegiate in a soul care capacity. Many other staff and key student leaders have called Cornerstone home and have since been sent to new roles in the Kingdom of God.

While the fashion of 2001 has left and come back, the Gospel has never left our lips. As we step into a new era with new leadership, we continue to pray for more lives to be changed by the Gospel, which we truly believe changes everything.

Our vision for the future is that we would be known as a place that truly empowers and sends disciples. We desire that others would catch the vision to campus ministry so that we can invite more students at ISU and plant like minded churches.