Meeting Up

It is not unusual for individual member of groups to arrive at C-Stone seperately, nor is it unusual for friends from different parts of the country to try and "meet up" at the fest. Here are some suggestions for folks who are scrambling to meet their friends at C-Stone.

1. Try to avoid meeting up at night when it is dark and impossible to see what is going on. Also, remember that the bands playing at night can make it very hard to hear someone calling you. If you have to meet up at night, be very particular about your meeting plans.

2. If you are all arriving by car, and you are planning on camping together, it is probably best to arrange for ONE group or individual to go stake out the campsite. The person selected for this task should be the person who is likely to be the first to arrive at C-Stone, and they should bring stakes and string to rope off the space that you need.

3. When the person in charge of staking out the campsite arrives at Cornerstone, they should find the site, put up the stakes, tie the string around the site and put up those tents, grills, etc, that they have on hand. As a courtesy try and get some glo-cords to wrap around the stakes/strings so that people don't trip on them in the dark.

4. The "lead" person should then go to the C-Stone info board (near the main entrance), and put up a sign that lets the rest of your group know that s/he is there, and gives them a general idea of where the campsite is. However, unless the site is literally by the side of the road, you are going to likely have to make arrangements to meet somewhere.

5. If you all have cell phones (that work outside your local calling area) you can, of course, call each other and direct each other to your site. However, it is advisable to have a backup plan. One thing you can do is get a central, reliable voicemail box, and give everyone the password for it. You can call into the voicemail (either from a payphone or a cell phone), and keep each other posted as to where you are and/or where you will be.

6. Pick a reliable landmark at the fest for meeting up: some things (like the climbing rock) don't go up until later in the fest, so you need to decide on a more "stable" landmark. (The entry gate ticket booth is a good one, as is the fest office trailer, the first aid trailer, the main showers (as opposed to the small showers closer to the main stage.) and the picnic benches in the food court. If, however, you have never met the people you are meeting before, you need to be particularly explicit about where you will meet them (i.e. "the northwest side of the Encore II stage, and I will be wearing a blue mohawk).

7. Agree to meet at the meeting place at a particular time, and then (if you don't meet up the first time) at that same place every 1-2 hours. In other words, if you agree to meet at 7:15pm, agree that if you don't find each other at 7:15pm, you will be back at that spot at 8:15pm, 9:15pm, etc.

8. Given that sometimes travel plans can be interrupted, it is probably best to work out a place to meet *the day after* you are supposed to meet at C-Stone, if you don't meet up at the appointed time.

Coordinating Group Travel (not church youth groups)

Cornerstone with a group of friends can be an amazing time of growth, fellowship, and fun! In order to keep misunderstandings and mishaps down to a minimum, consider the following ideas for coordinating a group trip to Cornerstone:

1. Schedule one, preferably two "planning meetings" where Cornerstone logistics can be worked out. Things to discuss include:

a. Driving, including whose car is going to be driven plus who is going to be doing the driving.

b. Costs: are you going to purchase group tickets or is everyone "on their own" for ticket purchases?

c. Gear: how many tents are available? How many tents without holes are available? How many grills, coolers, etc, will you need? Will you want to take up a collection for the purchase of gear?

d. Food: Is everyone on their own for food, or will you pool your money for food? Who will buy the food, and where? Who has a special diet? Who will cook? Who will clean up? When will mealtimes be?

e. Structure: Do you want to meet regularly for "check-in" and devotions?

f. Leaving/Returning: Do you want to leave or return at a certain time? Do some people have to leave or return earlier/later than the rest of the group? Make your driving plans accordingly.

2. This may be a bit of a downer, but you may want to consider carefully the people you go to Cornerstone with. Why? Well, Cornerstone is, for many people, a week of real spiritual refreshment. It is a unique opportunity that most of us just don't get at any other time of the year. If the people your are considering going to Cornerstone with are not condusive to your spiritual growth (or are prone to getting into mischief), you may want to go alone or find another group to attend with.

3. Covenant with your group to keep an eye out for each other. Be sure to "keep check" on each other's activities, working to keep your sisters and brothers focused on their walk with God.

4. You should also covenant with your group to be good neighbors to those around you. Don't become "cliquish" within your group: invite other campers to dine with you, or to join you for devotions. Cornerstone is a time to get to know your "long-lost" brothers and sisters in Christ, take advantage of every opportunity to do so!