A Growing Congregation on East La Palma Avenue
Cornerstone Church sits on a quiet stretch of East La Palma Avenue in Anaheim, just north of the 91 Freeway at Manassero, and from those doors flow a busy calendar of worship services, Bible studies and outreach projects that reach across Orange County. The church describes itself as an interdenominational fellowship in association with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, and its stated aim - "Helping People Become Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ" - shapes everything from Sunday morning songs to foster care advocacy.
The congregation began in 1982 when Pastor Rick and Carol Danna joined a small group of about 25 people. As the church grew beyond what its early Fullerton location could hold, it moved through several buildings before settling into the Anaheim campus in February 2005. Three decades later the Danna family still leads the church, and Cornerstone now runs two on-site Christian schools, a Latino congregation called Cornerstone En Espanol, and a sprawling Team Hope foster and adoption ministry across the region.
Sunday Mornings, Wednesday Nights and a Spanish Service on the Same Block
English-language worship services meet on Sundays at 9:00am and 10:45am, both on campus and online. The 9:00am service opens the day with lively contemporary music and a Bible-based message, while the 10:45am service follows the same pattern and adds the largest children's programming block of the week. Midweek gatherings take place on Wednesdays at 7:00pm and are framed as Bible study, worship and fellowship - a place to be fed in the middle of the week.
Cornerstone En Espanol shares the same Anaheim address. Pastor Jesse and Rosanna Gonzalez lead a Spanish-language service at 10:45am on Sundays and at 7:00pm on Wednesdays, both available on campus and online. During those Spanish services, the children's and youth ministries continue in English, allowing whole families to worship together while their kids follow their own age-appropriate programs.
What a First-Time Visitor Finds
The church makes first visits easy. There is no dress code - come as you are - and no one is singled out as a visitor. The atmosphere is described as a safe, friendly setting with great music and a relevant message. Greeters, hosts and a Connection Card are ready to help newcomers find their way around, and a discovery class called Discover Your Church meets regularly for anyone who wants a deeper look at the church's mission, vision and beliefs. Lunch is served and childcare is provided.
Children have their own full program from infants through 8th grade, designed as a secure and engaging environment for every age. The nursery, called Noah's Neighborhood, cares for babies from newborn to 36 months; Downtown Kids serves ages 3 through kindergarten; and Uptown Kids takes 1st through 5th graders into a high-energy space called Central Park, complete with a rock climbing wall, foosball table, basketball hoops, live worship, skits and small group time. Middle schoolers meet in a dedicated Middle School Room during the 10:45am service.
For high school students, Cornerstone encourages sitting together in the main 9:00am service with the rest of the church, often serving in the 10:45am hour as part of the "priesthood of every believer" philosophy. On Wednesdays, both middle and high school students meet in the Game Room at 7:00pm for teaching, games, small groups, and time to grow closer to God and one another.
The Pastoral Team Behind the Pulpit
Pastor Rick and Carol Danna serve as senior pastors and have led Cornerstone for over 30 years. Rick's Bible teaching, sense of humor and practical approach draw people from across the region, while Carol - a gifted musician and the author of several worship songs sung by congregations across the country - serves as the Worship Arts pastor and on the Women's Ministry leadership team.
Pastor Joe and Carolyn Hogan serve as associate pastors overseeing Children, Outreach and Young Adults ministries. Together they focus on teaching children the Word of God in practical ways kids can understand, and on discipling young adults into active service. Pastor Scott and Cyndi Lindner serve as associate pastors overseeing Youth Ministry, Care Ministry, and Communications and Media; they have worked with students for more than ten years and bring a passion for seeing young people reach out to the world around them. Pastor Jesse and Rosanna Gonzalez lead the Spanish-language Cornerstone En Espanol congregation. Pastor Paul and Theresa Sahyoun round out the team as assistant pastors of Worship Ministry; Paul has been leading worship at Cornerstone since he was a junior higher, and Theresa trains young worshippers through the church's CAPA dance ministry.
What Cornerstone Believes
The church's statement of faith rests on a classical evangelical and Pentecostal foundation. There is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - equal in power and glory. The Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible Word of God and the rule of faith and practice. Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived without sin, died as a substitute for sinners, rose bodily, ascended to heaven, and will return personally and visibly.
Cornerstone teaches that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, empowers ministry and that the biblical gifts of the Spirit remain active today. The church practices laying on of hands for the baptism with the Holy Spirit and for healing the sick, and believes that God still performs miracles. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ; every Christian is called to be a minister regardless of paid vocation. Marriage is honored as a covenant union between a man and a woman, and the church teaches that life is sacred from conception to old age. There is a personal return of Christ, a bodily resurrection, a final judgment, and eternal blessing for the righteous.
Children, Youth and Young Adults
Children's ministry is one of the things Cornerstone is best known for, and the church calls it one of the most dynamic in the county. The kids team runs Cornerstone Kids during all three weekly services - Sundays at 9:00am and 10:45am, and Wednesdays at 7:00pm - and adds special summer programming including Kids Camp for grades 3 through 6 and Vacation Bible School for ages 5 through 6th grade. VBS runs Tuesday through Friday mornings in late July with swimming, archery, crafts, skits, worship and daily snacks.
The youth ministry, branded United4One, runs on Sundays at 10:45am for middle schoolers in the Middle School Room and on Wednesdays at 7:00pm for both middle and high school students in the Game Room. High schoolers are also folded into the main 9:00am service and given serving opportunities during the 10:45am hour. A summer youth camp at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point is the biggest annual youth event, with transportation, lodging and meals included.
Cornerstone Young Adults, also called Axiom, gathers every Tuesday night at 7:00pm for Bible study, worship and community. The group currently meets at the Hogan home near the church and adds monthly activities, regular service opportunities, and winter and summer retreats.
Women's and Men's Ministry
Women's ministry centers on the Women's Bible Study, which meets in two weekly slots: Mondays at 6:30pm and Tuesdays at 9:30am (with childcare available Tuesdays from nursery through 5 years). Recent studies have worked through themes like "Redeemed: Grace Changes Everything." A Woman 2 Woman mentoring ministry pairs women seeking godly friendship and accountability with mentors who share what God has done in their lives. Special events through the year bring the women together for fellowship and teaching.
Cornerstone Men's Ministries (CMM) focuses on integrity, humility, leadership, worship and passion for God. A monthly Men's Breakfast on the second Saturday of each month opens with "Early Bird" prayer at 7:00am followed by food, fellowship and a Spirit-filled message. The men's program also includes an annual Men's Camp at Camp Maranatha in Idyllwild and a podcast archive of past teachings.
Care and Recovery
The Care Ministry exists to extend the compassion of Jesus to those facing emotional, spiritual and physical needs. Celebrate Recovery meets every Wednesday night at 7:00pm upstairs in the multi-purpose room as a Christ-centered program for overcoming hurts, hang-ups and habits. GriefShare runs a 13-week support series for adults grieving the loss of a loved one, helping participants move from mourning toward joy. A Visitation Ministry sends trained volunteers to visit those who are hospitalized or homebound.
Team Hope: Foster Care and Community Outreach
Team Hope is Cornerstone's outreach arm and the heart of its work in Orange County. The ministry is organized around three directives: hope for the community, hope for orphans and families, and hope for the world. Practically, that translates into feeding and praying with the homeless, an annual Harvest Festival on October 31st, Easter egg hunts and outreach meals, monthly cooked meals for emancipated foster youth at the Orangewood Resource Center, partnerships with St. Jude Ranch for Children, and a bus ministry that transports neighborhood children to church and special events.
Team Hope also partners with local foster and adoption organizations including The Knot, the Orangewood Resource Center, Faith in Motion and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Volunteers can mentor a child, host a party for foster children, become a CASA advocate, join an athletic team, or serve as a bus driver or chaperone. The church frames this work with a single conviction: that the same Spirit who was upon Jesus in Luke 4:18 to bring good news to the poor is upon His people today.
Connect Groups and Discipleship
Cornerstone believes life change happens in the context of relationships, and Connect Groups are the primary way small groups are formed. Groups meet across Orange County - in homes, coffee shops, on the church campus, and online - and cover men's, women's, couples', young adults' and youth categories. Group leaders can be trained and supported, and the church maintains a directory of current openings. Anna's Group, a special gathering for widows and single women 60 and over, meets monthly for potluck lunch and a devotional led by Pastor Carol.
The Deeper Classes form a four-level discipleship track. Deeper 1, "Taking the Plunge," is a six-week introduction to salvation and the power of Scripture. Deeper 2 focuses on developing intimacy with God through understanding His emotions, kingdom rules and freedom from generational bondages. Deeper 3 helps students discover their God-given purpose, including the believer's authority, prophecy and Spirit-empowered life. Deeper 4, "Ministry Jesus Style," studies the leadership and ministry pattern of Jesus.
Schools, Performing Arts and House of Refuge
Two Christian schools operate in connection with the church. Independence Christian School is a traditional full-time program serving preschool (18 months) through 8th grade, with a mission to teach students from a Biblical worldview. Integrity Christian School is a hybrid homeschool program for kindergarten through 12th grade, with classes on campus two days each week. Both schools are open for enrollment.
CAPA, the Cornerstone Academy of Performing Arts, is a faith-based academy offering dance, music and voice programs that train young worshippers and performers. Heavens Armor, a Christian mixed-martial-arts ministry for children and adults, teaches physical and spiritual disciplines together.
Cornerstone also identifies itself as a House of Refuge. Women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies are welcomed without shame or gossip, supported with mentoring, baby showers and connections to local pregnancy care centers. The church explicitly does not encourage abortion and holds men accountable to provide and protect, while also offering post-abortion Bible studies for those seeking healing.
Getting Connected and Giving
The church offices are open Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 4:00pm, and the front office can be reached at 714-701-1818 or frontoffice@ccanaheim.com. Online giving is available through Pushpay, by texting ccanaheim to 77977, or by mailing a check to the church address. Prayer requests can be submitted online, water baptisms are held on the third Sunday of each month during both Sunday services, and baby dedications can be arranged through the church office. Sermons, an "End Times with Pastor Rick" series, women's and men's podcasts, and a daily devotional archive are all available on the Cornerstone YouTube channel.