Ministries

There are four ministries within CBS that help us accomplish our mission and purpose: Bible Study, Discipleship, Praise, and Reach. Each ministry team gathers to pray, plan, and serve the fellowship in these capacities. If you would like to get involved with any of them, please contact the respective leaders of that ministry.

Bible Study

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-20

All of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) tell the event in which a rich man asks Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” In other words, the man asks the existential question: “how should we live our life well?” A question that not only non-Christians have struggled with throughout history, but many Christians have toiled with as well: what does it mean to live in a sinful world? How should we act in the face of despair? What can we do to guarantee our salvation?

In Ephesians 5:15-20, we are told how we ought to live and why we should live it thusly:

Live wisely, prudently, and productively, for we live in a sinful world that misdirects our heart and God’s plan. (v. 15-17)
We live to understand and follow the Lord’s will. (v. 17)
Avoid overindulging in carnality that leads to impairment or moral looseness but openly and willfully accept the sober powers of the Holy Spirit to engage in Christian community and to dedicate praise of all kinds to Him. (v. 18-19)
Give constant thanks to God that we can rely on Him and live in the light because of Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. (v. 20)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer calls the Scriptures “our life, our need, our guilt, and salvation.” Therefore, the intent of Bible Study is to expose people (both non-Christians and Christians) to the inherent wisdom of the Word of God: that they may study the Bible ardently within the CBS community filled with fear, joy, and love for God’s goodness and His desire to unite us earthly, sinful beings with heavenly perfection. The desire for Bible Study this year is to produce spiritual growth within the hearts and minds of all people; and it is only growth when we leave fellowship stronger and smarter Christians together, emboldened by the divine knowledge sent from above on how to glorify and live for Him in our lowly lives here down below.

In Christ,

Leland Xu (lhx2@cornell.edu)

Discipleship

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:16-17

Here Jesus is telling His disciples that they were chosen to do the works of the will of God. This is not only to pull us towards seeing how sovereign our Lord is and how much control He has, but also how deeply loved and cherished we are by Him that He would want us to fulfill His works, works that will not perish or be in vain. Also, when we recognize the authority of Christ and submit to Him, He gives us permission to use His great name. In the name of Jesus Christ, God will provide for us; we just need to pray and ask.

Jesus also calls us to engage with Him alongside other brothers and sisters, to do so lovingly, and to embrace one another. As His disciples, we can express this love from God by loving Him back, which will lead us to desire to obey Him so that we can show others His love through our words and actions.

Just as Jesus’ disciples were called, we are also called to do His work. Therefore, let us align our will with His and grow in our knowledge and maturity in Christ together.

Warmest of blessings,

Jade Lo (jcl348@cornell.edu)

Praise

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.
Psalm 34:1-3

By worshiping, we are giving praise to the One most holy and worthy. It is a joyful form of adoration, in which we sing and dance in awe of our Lord. Worship is not limited to a certain time or place, and these verses show us the attitude of one who consistently gives praise to God no matter the circumstance. In doing so we not only draw strength ourselves from Him and His word, but also lead others to “hear and rejoice”. Although praise is deeply personal, the Lord is truly glorified when we worship him together as the body of Christ. By praising God in all that we do, we are acknowledging His worthiness and humbling ourselves. How do we boast in the Lord? We glorify His name, make Him known, and rejoice together of His great majesty!

In Christ,

Sky Kim (shk82@cornell.edu) and Priscilla Liu (pyl25@cornell.edu)

Reach

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14

As college students we find ourselves with a newfound freedom, away from our parents and other figures that have held our hands through our childhoods. However, we should utilize this freedom wisely and take it as an opportunity to serve others. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is an important commandment where our neighbor could be anyone from our brother/sister in Christ or a classmate that has yet to know who God is. By encouraging the members of CBS to love one another, we strive to foster a community where we serve our neighbors with a willing heart.

In Christ,

Elisabeth Kam (etk45@cornell.edu) and Nathaniel Chin (nlc62@cornell.edu)