Where does the name "ClearNote Campus Fellowship" come from? Back to Top
ClearNote Campus Fellowship is a ministry of ClearNote Church, Bloomington, a local church with pastors, elders, and families.
The name comes from 1 Corinthians 14:8: "For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?"
We chose the name ClearNote to describe the clarity with which we desire to proclaim God's word. In battle, many lives are lost if the bugle doesn't play a clear note. God's word describes us as being in battle, but with higher stakes. The eternal souls of those under our care can be lost if we do not sound a clear note.
So how do we do that? Faithful leadership in God's church is measured by one's courageous and clear communication of His truth. All through history the true prophets of God have proclaimed His message in this way, and often they have paid dearly. We want to follow in their footsteps.
Is ClearNote a fellowship specifically for musicians? Back to Top
No. Despite the musical name and the scriptural reference to a bugle, CNCF is a ministry to all IU students, regardless of area of study. We do have many music students involved in the ministry, but we also have students majoring in education, the sciences, fine arts, et al.
If CNCF isn't a national organization, who does it answer to? Back to Top
Well, the Sunday School answers are: "God", "the Bible", etc. And they are good answers, to a certain extent. After all, we are under the authority of God. And God has established the authority of His Word, the Bible. So we're also under the authority of the Bible. But in His Word, God establishes the authority of the Church. And in each church, God has established the authority of the pastors and elders.
So we're under the authority of the pastors and elders of a local church (ClearNote Church, Bloomington), which is under the authority of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. Right now, we answer to our pastors and elders. Ultimately, we will answer to God. So instead of answering to someone in a national chain of command like some business model, we look to the authority that God established over 2,000 years ago in the Bible. That authority is the church.
Why does CNCF emphasize student involvement in the local church? Back to Top
Adequately answering this question (and any others that you may have about CNCF's relationship to the local church) really requires outlining an ecclesiology, or a theology of the church—and that means writing a book. Instead, we'll give you a few brief reasons and point you to some other resources if you're interested in pursuing this question further.
First, the Church is referred to in Scripture as the body of Christ. It is also referred to as the Bride of Christ, the household of faith, and the family of God. For this reason, Scripture often indicates that to be found outside of the church is to be found outside the family of God and cut off from Christ. In fact, one of the marks of a true church is its willingness to make distinctions between those who are united with Christ by faith and those who are separated from Him by unrepentant unbelief. The church does this in its administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord's supper) and in its use of discipline as outlined in Scripture.
The Church is the one institution that Christ established and the only one He promises to build, nourish, and defend. He also endows the Church with spiritual gifts for the explicit purpose of building Her up. To that end, He equips the church with officers who exercise authority over it in local capacities—pastors and elders—whom He charges with the care of His people as His undershepherds.
Unlike a campus ministry, a local church is a cross-section of the community in which it resides. Not only is it rich in spiritual gifts, its particular members are rich in wisdom and life experience. In the church there are elderly believers who are ending the race well, there are godly families that model good marriages and godly parenting, and there are young children whose simple faith strengthens weary and cynical souls. Not only do college students stand to benefit from this mix, they bring their own gifts to the church—for example, energy and time that those who are at later stages in life do not have and wisdom for younger Christians as elder siblings in the faith. Scripture makes it plain for us in places like Titus 2 that we need each other—young, old, single, married, rich, poor, black, white. This is true diversity, better than anything IU can offer.
Is CNCF only for students who attend ClearNote Church? Back to Top
Of course not. Anyone is welcome to be a part of CNCF. Not surprisingly, most of the students involved in CNCF also end up at ClearNote. But as long as you find a local church where you submit to authority, and you are discipled, shepherded, and given work to do in the church, then we are happy.
What if I have a real question? Back to Top
You can always contact us directly. Or better than that, come to one of our weekly meetings and ask someone in person.
ClearNote Campus Fellowship is a ministry of ClearNote Church on the campus of Indiana University.