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Meet Mario & Sharon Cannavo

In 1993, Mario and Sharon Cannavo were in the throws of parenting their two toddler boys and searching out educational options. They were actively studying and pursuing biblical parenting, and wanting to give their children an excellent education, that would prioritize that biblical training of their children’s hearts. Not finding exactly what they hoped for, the Cannavos along with three other like-minded couples, founded a school that sought to keep the way of the Lord as the first priority. Cornerstone Community School (CCS) was founded and existed for 22 years (1994-2016), with that purpose of educating minds, but most importantly, training the hearts of children to grow and become morally mature adults, equipped to live life successfully in a fallen world, and projecting the light of Christ to a lost generation.  In order to promote a unity in purpose and spirit among the families at CCS, they prioritized the importance and value of first training parents and all teaching staff in the biblical principles of parenting and classroom management.

After years of studying and teaching biblical parenting to these families and others, Sharon combined the wisdom from Shepherding a Child's Heart by Pastor Tedd Tripp and Child Training Tips by Pastor Reb Bradley, along with her accumulated biblical knowledge, and created a platform for parents and educators to come together and learn these truths and principles.  This 14 week Training Hearts for Jesus biblical parenting class and curriculum was birthed and taught by Mario and Sharon, initially in a classroom setting, and now also to the joy and excitement of many parents outside of the OC, CA area, online!   

Since the first Training Hearts for Jesus class in 2006, multitudes of parents have successfully completed this course and gone on to experience victories in their parenting, resulting in families focused on living for Christ, training up their children to be morally strong individuals able to benefit their world, and God willing, walk in the image of Christ as a witness to the Gospel of salvation. 

Mario and Sharon additionally serve as leaders/mentors in different ministries within their church, and Sharon is a member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.

Mario's and Sharon's life verse is Matthew 6:33, and they press on to trust God and live out the truth of this verse on a daily basis:

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

About the Ministry

 Training Hearts for Jesus Mission Statement:

It is our mission to equip and disciple parents through biblical truth and practical application so current and future generations may glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
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Training Hearts for Jesus Vision

We are committed to obedience regarding the leading of the Holy Spirit as the author and owner of this ministry.  It is our vision to see this ministry grow both in content and availability, in order that every parent desiring the discipleship and wisdom of God’s Word for the purpose of their parenting may benefit from this biblically based parenting ministry.
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Declaration regarding Marriage as the Basis of Family

  • We believe marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God (Genesis 2:18-24)
  • We believe marriage is a spiritual and physical union of a man and woman of which God Himself is the author (Mark 10:9)
  • We believe marriage between a man and a woman is sacred (Matthew 19:4-6)
  • We believe marriage between a man and a woman is honorable (Hebrew 13:4)
  • We believe marriage between a man and a woman is a gift from God (1 Corinthians 7)

Declaration regarding parenthood

  • We believe parents are responsible for the ministry of reconciliation to their children (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
  • We believe parents are responsible to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4, Deuteronomy 6:7-9)
  • We believe it is the parent’s responsibility to train the hearts of their children to understand godly respect on four levels:
    • Respect for Elders
    • Respect for Authorities
    • Respect for Peers
    • Respect for Property
  • We believe the duty, hope and goal of Christian parents is to raise a morally responsible child who, by God's grace, comes to salvation in Jesus Christ, who's life is governed by the precepts of Christ, and one who reflects the love of Christ (Proverbs 1:1-7; 8:33; 9:9; Micah 6:8, John 13:34-35)

Statement of Faith:

We believe the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God (literally God-breathed), inerrant, verbally inspired, and infallible in its original state; divinely preserved in reliability throughout the ages in all essential doctrines, declarations, quotations, and intentions.
 
We believe there is one true God, manifested eternally in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity Who possesses all the divine attributes, and is co-equal, co-existent, co-eternal, and one in nature with the Father. We believe in Christ's virgin birth and that He was God incarnate (both God and man) for the purpose of revealing the Father, redeeming men, and ruling over God's kingdom. Jesus accomplished man's redemption by the vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood and sacrificial death on the cross. By His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and His ascension to the right hand of the Father, the sinner can be justified. We believe Jesus to be the mediator between God and man Who will return in Glory to judge all mankind.
 
We believe the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity possessing all the divine attributes with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ at the moment of conversion. The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, and empowers all believers for spiritual service.
 
We believe everything in the created universe is a revelation of God's infinity, diversity, and individuality. God created distinct individualities and at once, maintains the identity and purpose of each, while He relates all into one purposeful whole; God created man in the image of Himself.
 
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit who administers spiritual gift(s) to each believer for the purpose of equipping the saints and for the building up of the body of Christ.
 
We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved to eternal life, the lost to everlasting punishment.
 
We believe that all who put their faith in Jesus Christ are placed by the Holy Spirit into the spiritual body of believers known as "the church", with Christ established as the head. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by the teaching and instruction of Scripture, by providing fellowship, and by fulfilling the great commission to reach the world for Jesus Christ.
 
We believe that man, in his natural state, is a sinner and that the penalty for sin is eternal separation from the Father. We believe that eternal life is a free gift of grace bestowed upon each repentant sinner who responds in faith to the provision of salvation from Jesus Christ. Regeneration is instantaneous and is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. Genuine regeneration will manifest itself by righteous attitudes, edifying conduct, and good works to the extent that each believer submits himself to the control of the Holy Spirit.
The curriculum and the staff of Training Hearts for Jesus avoid highly debatable topics that tend to divide evangelical believers. Such topics would include mode of baptism, communion, manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the end times. We encourage the parents in our classroom settings to do the same.

Legal Notices and Disclaimers

Legal Notice to enrolled students of Training Hearts for Jesus. Materials used in our on-line and live classes are used with permission by the author’s Tedd Tripp and Reb Bradley.  The Shepherding A Child’s Heart video series is copyrighted by Shepherd Press and used with the permission of Tedd Tripp for the limited use of teaching in conjunction with the book Shepherding A Child’s Heart and the Training Hearts For Jesus curriculum.  

Use of any of the aforementioned materials is also in compliance with Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The materials and videos will be restricted and permission is granted to utilize the materials for class teaching and study as authorized by Training Hearts for Jesus to students enrolled in the course only.  Access to the video link will be deactivated at the conclusion of each session.  Any illegal reproduction of any of the video or written content will result in immediate legal action.

Training Hearts for Jesus, Inc. is a California Non-Profit 501(c)3  corporation dedicated to helping parents grow in their biblical knowledge and practice of parenting for the glory of God.