Our Story

Living Stones Church has been birthed out of much patience and prayer! Michael & Stephanie McNerlin felt called to church planting since they were married back in 2013, but that calling would not come to fruition for another 10 years. The Lord led the McNerlins into a long season of preparation at their sending church, Cornerstone Church.

Through patience and serving, Michael was discipled and trained up as a ministry leader. Michael led and oversaw the college and career ministry at Cornerstone for seven years. During that time in 2020 Michael was made an elder, and then ordained as a Pastor in 2022.

In September of 2021, Pastor Mike McCarrick, senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church, approached Michael & Stephanie and asked if they would pray about planting a church.

As they sought the Lord in prayer, God confirmed the call through His Word, and godly counsel. As they continued to pray and discuss where to plant with the elders at Cornerstone, it seemed as if the Lord was leading toward the Ocean/Neptune/Asbury area.

The reasons for this were multiple. Much of the area remains unreached with the gospel. There was a need in the area for a church that had strong expository biblical teaching. The diversity in the area would allow the church to be a testimony to the world of the loving unity that is brought through Christ. Also, Michael had been working vocationally in the area for the past 12 years.

Cornerstone Church then made an announcement to the church that they would be sending out a team to plant a new church in the Neptune area and encouraged the congregation to pray how they could be a part of it, either through prayer, financial giving, or going to serve as a part of the new church.

At an interest meeting for the church plant in September of 2023, Michael explained the vision of the church plant. There was only one problem, they had no place to meet in the area, and would be beginning the Neptune church plant…as a Bible study in Birck township. Michael urged those who were interested in being a part of the church plant to pray that the Lord would open a door for a location in the Neptune area.

Within a week God answered our prayers and provided a place for the new church plant to meet! Faith Baptist church in Ocean township opened their doors for us to use their building in October 2023. The facility is located right at the intersection of Ocean, Neptune, and Asbury Park, a perfect location and an amazing answer to prayer!

The church plant which would become Living Stones Church, began a Wednesday night Bible October 2023. Through word of mouth, and local outreaches, the little community began to grow.

As the study grew, so did the community’s desire to be officially a church, and Living Stones Church officially began as it was commissioned by Cornerstone Church at the end of June 2024, and then had our first service July 7th 2024. Pastor Dan Kazanjian from Cornerstone church came to bless the new congregation, as we worshipped, prayed, and studied the Word of God together. Then we celebrated communion together as a church, and baptized three people into the faith!

Living Stones church continues to be thankful to the Lord for the work that He is doing as we seek to worship, pray, study, serve the community, and call others to join us in being loved by and loving our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!