It is common to hear of church splits, not church mergers, but the latter

Transcription

1 Calvary Baptist Church North 18th at Bosque Waco, Texas th Anniversary Edition Vol. 50 January 30, 2014 No. 5 It is common to hear of church splits, not church mergers, but the latter happend with the establishment of Calvary Baptist Church. On February 5, 1928 Brook Avenue Baptist and Provident Heights Baptist merged to form Calvary Baptist Church. a photo of the Sanctuary taken in 1975

2 Calvary Baptist Church A Brief Historical Overview T he total membership of the newly formed church in 1928 was approximately one thousand. Both pastors stepped down and a new pastor, Dr. A.J. Holt began his career at Calvary on April 1. Dr. A.J. Holt served Calvary for 30 years and ten pastors have served since. In 1929 the total church budget was $19,985 and there were only three paid staff positions: pastor, care taker, and the financial secretary. Not surprisingly, expenses for Sunday school consumed a large portion of the budget. Calvary first met in what is now the chapel. It was the first sanctuary in Waco to have air-conditioning and has been remodeled four times since it was built in The education building that faces Bosque was also part of the original formation of Calvary Baptist. The balcony of the first sanctuary is now where the 30's and 50's meet for Sunday school. Take a look at the ceiling and you'll see that it resembles the same one in the chapel. early photo of the first sanctuary - now the chapel Ground-breaking for our present sanctuary was in December 1952, and the first services were held on January 24, It has been remodeled twice. The welcome center was constructed in 2007 as part of the Beyond Belief Campaign. Pledges totaled about 2.1 million. Making All Things New Building Committee. Pictured here, among many, are Julie Corley, David Lintz, and Pat Melton. Mary Alice Warren passed away last year and was the last living member when Calvary Baptist formed in Her husband, E.K. Warren, was organist for 52 years. His final day playing was on September 27, If you had been looking for the organ's metal pipes, you won't find many. The current organ in the sanctuary was built mostly from Canadian wood by a Canadian firm for $35,000 in From its inception, Calvary has viewed SangerHeights as its neighborhood. This continued through occasional demographic shifts in both north Waco and the congregation. The call from Christ to be good neighbors in our community has manifest itself in myriad ways including Calvary's Community Garden, Children's Bible Clubs, Meals and Wheels, Zumba and Calvary English Classes. Calvary's mission to proclaim the Gospel is intertwined with Calvary's community in the SangerHeights neighborhood of Waco. Sharing the Good News involves our words and deeds. Decades ago, God led two congregations to come together and form Calvary Baptist Church at 18th & Bosque in Waco, Texas. God's presence has remained constant from that merging through the present. May it always be so that those within the church edifice and those without its walls hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed in word and deed.

3 Shortlines Second Sunday Birthday Lunch! Calvary has a birthday coming up on February 5! Join us for Second Sunday lunch on February 9. We ask that the College, Young Adult, and 60 s classes bring salads and bread. We ask that the 30 s, 40 s, 50 s and Intergenerational classes bring spaghetti. We will celebrate with cake right after lunch and before our Winter Ministry Conference. Calvary in China and Lebanon This summer, Calvary will take two mission teams to Lebanon and China. If you are interested in joining one of the teams or learning more about these summer partnerships, contact Tim and Sheila Smith (ibnbulus@aol.com or sagsmith@aol.com) about the Lebanon trip, and Dennis and Agnes Tang (dwmtang@yahoo.com or agnesctang@yahoo.com) about the China trip. Family to Family Collection Calvary will collect the following items through February for the Family to Family baby shower to support Midway High School, University High School and Waco High School: diapers (newborn to size 4), toys (ages infant - 18 months), diaper bags, baby carriers (slings, backpacks), baby blankets, bibs, burp cloths, formula (Similac), and wipes (unscented/sensitive). You may place these offerings in the donations box located in the Welcome Center. Enneagram: Sunday School Elective Starting this Sunday, February 2, Jon Singletary and Meghan Becker will be teaching an elective course during Sunday School on the Enneagram as a tool for spiritual formation. If you are interested in learning more about the personality you have become and how the Enneagram can help you live out of the essence of who God has made you to be, we would love for you to participate in this six-week series. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall. "Stitches" Book Conversation Join us for a conversation on Anne Lamott's newest book, "Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, and Repair." We will meet on Wednesday night, February 5, from 6:00-7:00 PM in Calvary's library. Discussion led by Summer Oeth. Wednesday Night Book Study The Pastor will lead a book study of Walter Bruggemann's Using God's Resources Wisely: Isaiah and Urban Possibility on Wednesday nights. This will begin on February 5 at 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome; you may purchase the book through amazon or other retailers. Women's Life Group Beginning this Spring Are you interested in joining with other women at Calvary for fellowship and spiritual formation? An intergenerational women's life group is starting this spring. Women will meet bi-monthly in homes, and other opportunities for fellowship and fun will be available throughout the month, too. For more information, contact group leaders Laurieanne Tuttle, Amber Stark, or Sarah Miller. The group's first meeting will be Thursday, February 6 at 7 PM. Meet Mike and Brooke: CBF Field Personnel Mike and Brooke are preparing for ministry in Southeast Asia to be a presence of Christ in a community where Christians make up less than 10% of society. They go in CBF s partnership model of service working alongside local leaders to wage peace. Mike is a graduate of Truett Seminary, and many of you know Brooke as a former member of Calvary. Join us on Sunday evening, February 16, at 6:30 PM in the chapel as we learn more about Mike and Brooke s ministry and ways that we as Calvary can partner with them. Calvary s Community Yard Sale As you are doing spring cleaning, you are welcome to begin bringing yard sale items to the closet in the Fellowship Hall for Calvary s community yard sale later this spring. Please try to keep your items within the blue lines designated in the closet so that they are easily accessible later this spring. Questions? Contact Mary Alice. Up Ahead Sunday, February 2 nd 9:30a Sunday School 10:30a Worship 5:00p Youth Choir 6:00p Youth Gathering 7:00p Zumba 9-2p 9-2p Monday, Febrary 3 rd ESL & GED Classes Tuesday, February 4 th ESL & GED Classes Wednesday, February 5 th 9-2p ESL & GED Classes 5:00p Fellowship Meal Children's Tutoring 6:00p Children's Missions & Music Calvary English Classes Youth Gathering 7:00p Intergenerational Choir Rehearsal Financials Designated Gifts Total for 2013 Building Fund $30,424 Samaritan Fund $10,524 Chapel Renovation $5,969 China Mission Trip $15,273 Lebanon Mission Trip $19,773 CBF Global Mission Offering $1,773 Total: $83,736 Online Giving cloverdonations.com/regular-offering

4 Winter Ministry Conference: Church Giving, Family Giving, Church-Family Giving By: Jim Coston Let s have a party! Calvary has a lot to celebrate: we turn 86 on February 5--birthday cake for everyone! We made budget in we can afford birthday cake for everyone! We had a surplus in we can afford some fancy writing on the cake! These are things to celebrate. God provided through you and our membership. You are invited (expected, urged) to attend our Winter Ministry Conference Celebration on Sunday, February 9, during Second Sunday Lunch. While we eat birthday cake, Michelle Berry, our Chair of the Finance Team, will review our 2013 expenditures and thus close the books on last year. There is a lot of good news. Playing off of our 2014 Budget discussion last November, in which several members asked for more information on the giving side of our books, we will transition from a review of spending in 2013 to a review of giving in Calvary is extremely transparent in our expenditures salaries, programming, utilities, etc.; and we should have this accountability as a church. But, this level of openness is only part of the picture. As one member put it, [T]he money we spend is not just a magic pot of funds that comes from somewhere mysterious and to which our responsibility is only to spend it wisely. The money we have to spend - the very money we were asking the budget team (and the [Coordinating Council] and the church as a whole) to be accountable for - comes from us (or doesn't come from us, as the case may be). We will have giving broken down in multiple ways to cast more light as to where our offerings come from. The point of this is to provide more awareness and accountability. Tithing, giving, and contributing are elements of discipleship. It is part of the commitment that comes with membership at Calvary. It is part spiritual maturing that moves us from a place where we ask initially what does God want with my possessions/ money? to place of liberation where we can ask, how much of God s gifts do I keep for myself? This might make for some anxiety. That is not the point. The point is to celebrate last year and give thanks to God! Join us for this discussion, celebration and birthday cake on Sunday, February 9, in the Fellowship Hall right after Worship. There are several ways to reach us - pick your favorite! 1001 North 18A St. Waco, Texas vx fx cbcinfo@cbcwaco.com Birthdays this week Jeff Riemenschneider 01/30 Jean Sury 01/30 Stephen Bender 01/31 Joel Weaver 02/01 Roger Olson 02/02 Josh Borderud 02/03 Becca Cleaver 02/03 John Carlson 02/04 Lisa Cleaver 02/05 Prepare for Worship Sunday, February 2 nd Text: Matthew 6:25-34; Isaiah 49:8-16a Message: Don't Stare at the Trees Preaching: Jim Coston

5 An Important Word from Calvary s Personnel Team One of the most important roles of the Personnel Committee is to work closely with current ministers and staff to assure that policies, procedures and organizational structures are in place so they can use their gifts and talents to lead and serve the congregation well. Recently, Jim and Mary Alice asked that we take a fresh look at Mary Alice s job description. Was it possible to reprioritize the hiring of a Minister of Children and allow Mary Alice to move more fully into adult ministries (including life groups)? With three open staff positions (Minister to Youth, Minister of Children & Minister of Missions), we agreed it was a good time to reevaluate. Although we would like to immediately fill all three part-time positions, we recognize it will take continued growth and financial stability within our budget to support such action. After much discussion, the Personnel Team would like you to consider the following recommendations: Move funds currently allocated to Minister of Mission position to the Minister of Children position Organize a Minister of Children Search Committee with the hope that a new person can be in place in time to plan and lead summer activities Remove children s ministry responsibilities from the Associate Pastor position Temporarily divide the top priorities of the Minister of Missions position between the Pastor, Associate Pastor and Missions Team until a part-time Missions ministry position can be funded Continue to utilize Social Work interns to help maintain support and consistency for families with longterm relationships with Calvary We will bring this proposal before the congregation at the February 9 Winter Ministry Conference during Second Sunday Lunch in the Fellowship Hall. If you have questions or suggestions, never hesitate to contact anyone serving on the Personnel Team. Together, faithfully serving and tithing, we can continue God s work at 18th & Bosque! The Personnel Team Jodi Heston, Chair Clara Holleyman, Chair-Elect Les Palmer Meghan Becker Cindy Riemenschneider Julie Corley Jim Coston, Ex Officio