Trip of a Life-Time. Shalom, CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH 42 Washington Blvd. Williamsport, PA (570)

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1 CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH 42 Washington Blvd. Williamsport, PA (570) Rev. Peter C. Wilson, Pastor Sandra L. Snyder, Secretary Trip of a Life-Time This last week I have very much enjoyed a long-looked-forward-to project: planning and beginning arrangements for a Calvary tour of the Holy Land. Elsewhere in this edition of the Courier you can look at the itinerary of our region s most recent tour. The one I have submitted to the tour company is adapted from that with some significant changes, the biggest of which are the addition of some time in Jordan and the opportunity to visit the recently reopened site of ancient Samaria (the Old Testament capital of the northern kingdom of Israel). The dates of the trip will be December 28, 2014-January 9, The cost should be around $3,000 per person (includes airfare and most meals). Obviously, that is a significant commitment of time and funds, but I have yet to hear from anyone who has done this who has not felt that it was more than worth it. It is like going on a 12-day spiritual retreat. In fact, that is what it will be. In addition to the pre-trip preparation and the teaching and devotions day by day, there is a mysterious way that the land itself communicates to its visitors and enlightens our faith and God s-generation-by-generation and place-by-place salvation history. A common phrase used to describe the Holy Land is that it is a fifth gospel and there is a lot to be said for that claim. Let me urge you to start praying and saving for this rare opportunity for our church. Even if you don t think that you will go, I ve seen God change people s minds before and then, if you have been saving, there you have the funds. And, if you don t go, then you can take part indirectly by donating those funds to help someone else in the church go! The trip is open to folks who are not part of our Calvary family; several have already told me that they are planning on going with us; so think of who you might want to join you or who you could sponsor on this life-changing trip of a life-time. This year in Jerusalem! Shalom,

2 COUNCIL NOTES By Jim Lewis The Calvary Baptist Church council met on February 18, This is a synopsis of the minutes of that meeting. As of January 31, 2014, our expenditures for the month were $4, more than we took in. The boiler system repairs that were required accounts for much of this deficit. Pastor Pete noted that, since this committee last met in December, we held a Christmas Eve candlelight service that went well. We also enjoyed the annual pictorial retrospective of the last year in the church. He expressed his thanks for those individuals who filled in in the pulpit while he was in Haiti. Scott and Margie Hecker and Tammy Eiswerth were baptized on December 29, Scott and Margie requested membership after their baptism and have become members of the church as of that date. Pastor Pete noted that Arthur, the organist/choir director, has a number of scheduled absences ahead and that anyone who would like to sing or plan an instrument during services is encouraged to do so. See Pastor Pete if you are interested in doing this. Attendance figures at Sunday School and Wednesday night Bible study are up. The word is getting out. We still have plenty of seats for anyone else who would like to enjoy this experience. The church is coming into the 21st century, with Internet access currently in the International/ESL group work area and soon to be in the secretary s office. There is a new ping pong table in the church basement courtesy of Dean and Doris Paulhamus. Our thanks to them for this generous donation. The ABW is working currently on a project for the White Cross. The purchase of the house at 30 Washington Boulevard is currently on track. The owners have indicated that they will wait until we are able to purchase it. We have some donations toward the down payment, but can always use more. Please be generous. Pastor Pete is still working on the trip (next January) to the Holy Lands. It is not too late to get your name on the list. Duane Yeagle and Tammy Eiswerth will be getting married on March 15 and the church family is invited. There will be a reception in the Fellowship Hall following the services. Margie Hecker is planning an art/music program for the children during the summer when AWANA is in hiatus. The church inherited a bunch of pew cushions from the First Baptist Church of Muncy. There is a variety of sizes and they will be placed in the pews in the near future. The greeter for March will be Shirley Beyer. The counters will be Sandy Snyder and Dan Yoas. The fellowship meal coordinator will be Sally Cramm. The next council meeting will be March 18, Hello There; My name is Mary P -: I live in Atascadero CA. About Our Web Page I have really enjoyed the coloring pages for children that you offer on your website. Thank you so much for everything you offer. The coloring pages you offer are absolutely wonderful, & the children in my Primary class have said they really enjoy these wonderful coloring pages. Your Mazes are WONDERFUL, the children have enjoyed them also. Thank you, for all you have to offer on your site. The LORD be with you, & keep you. Mary

3 A TRIP TO JERUSALEM DAY 1 & 2 DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL Depart USA, arrive Israel and transfer to Netanya for overnight. Orientation meeting at the hotel. DAY 3 THE COASTAL PLAIN AND THE VIA MARIS FIELD TRIP: CAESAREA (ACTS 10, 12, 25), MEGIDDO (1 KINGS 9:15; REVELATION 15:12), NAZARETH (MATTHEW 2:23; LUKE 1:26, 4:16, 28:3; JOHN 1:46), SEPPHORIS Visit the Roman Aqueduct and Theatre at Caesarea, a center of the early Christians. Here, Cornelius became the first Gentile convert to the new covenant (Acts 10) and Paul was imprisoned before taken to Rome for trial (Acts 23). Travel the ancient caravan route to Tel Megiddo where 20 different cities lie superimposed upon each other. Visit Nazareth, Jesus boyhood home (Matthew 2:23). See Mary s Well and the Church of the Annunciation. Visit Sepphoris, the cosmopolitan Roman capital of Galilee until Herod Antipas build Tiberias. It is heralded as the traditional birthplace of Mary. Overnight in Tiberias. DAY 4 JESUS MINISTRY AROUND THE SEA OF GALILEE FIELD TRIP: JESUS BOAT MUSEUM, BOAT RIDE ON THE SEA OF GALILEE, MT. OF BEATITUDES (MATTHEW 5-7), CA- PERNAUM (MATTHEW 4:13, 11:23-34), TABGHA (MARK 6; JOHN 21), KORAZIN, KURSI, MT. ARBEL Visit kibbutz Nof Ginnosar to see the Ancient Boat, a rare example of the kind of boat in which Jesus would have sailed. Cross the waters of the Sea of Galilee aboard a Kinnereth Sailing Company boat. Visit the peaceful Mount of Beatitudes that overlooks the Sea of Galilee. On this hill, Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Walk the streets of Korazim, listed as a city of woe by Jesus (Matthew 11). Travel to Capernaum, the center of Jesus ministry in the Galilee. Visit the synagogue that stands on the site where Jesus taught. Recall His teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:13, 23). Stop at Tabgha, where the feeding of the 5,000 is remembered at the Church of the Fish and Loaves (Luke 9). Continue to Kursi, which was in the region of the Gadarenes in Christ s time, and remember where Christ cast the demons into the swine (Mark 5). Travel to Mount Arbel and walk along its peak for a stunning view of the Sea of Galilee and the area in which Jesus ministered, with extended views of Mt. Hermon in the north and Mt. Tabor in the south. Overnight in Tiberias. DAY 5 JEWISH PRESENCE IN THE GOLAN AND UPPER GALILEE BETHSAIDA, HATZOR, CAESAREA PHILIPPI, TEL DAN Walk the streets of Bethsaida, one of the cities of woe mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 121 and where Jesus chose five of his disciples (Matt. 4:18-21; John 1:39-51). Explore Hatzor, one of the oldest archaeological sites in Israel. Here, Joshua fought against Jabin (Josh. 11:1-11). Journey to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter proclaimed, You are the Christ (Matthew 16). You will also visit the ancient remains of Tel Dan and the altar built by King Jeroboam I (I King 12:25-30). Overnight in Tiberias. DAY 6 WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE JORDAN RIVER VALLEY, BEIT SHEAN, JERICHO, BAPTISMAL SITE Travel and see the magnificent ruins of Beit Shean where you will tour the impressive excavations of Scythopolis, one of the ten cities of the Decapolis. Continue to the Jordan River and remember Jesus baptism at the Kasr el Yehud Baptismal Site. Journey to Tel Jericho (Joshua 5-7; Luke 19), which marks the site of ancient Jericho. From Jericho, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4:1-11). Even today, the road from Jericho to Jerusalem twists for miles as it climbs from below sea level into the Judean Mountains. Jesus traveled the nearby Roman road, the setting of His parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-36). Transfer to Bethlehem for overnight.

4 DAY 7 KING OF ISRAEL FIELD TRIP: BETHLEHEM (MATTHEW 2; LUKE 2), SHEP- HERD S FIELD, THE HERODION, CITY OF DAVID EXCAVATIONS In Bethlehem, visit the birthplace of Jesus (Luke 2). Enter the Church of the Nativity, the oldest continuously functioning church in the world. See the cave where tradition holds Jesus was born. Look out on the Shepherd s Fields, where angels spread the Good News. Visit the Herodion, the fortified palace and final resting place of Herod the Great. Wander the excavations of the City of David. Peer down Warren s Shaft, thought to have served as a fresh water drawing point for the city and could have been how Joab entered the city and opened it to David s forces (2 Samuel 5:6-8). Explore Hezekiah s Tunnel, an amazing engineering feat that was dug from either end and met in the middle! Walk the steps to the Pool of Siloam, recently uncovered at the foot of the City. Overnight in Bethlehem. DAY 8 WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE FIELD TRIP: MASADA, DEAD SEA, EIN GEDI, QUM- RAN, WADI KELT Enjoy a visit to Masada, the spectacular mountaintop fortress build by Herod and famous as the last stronghold of the Jewish Rebellion against the Romans. Ride the cable car to the top to explore the fortress. Peer down upon the remains of the Roman camps and siege ramp below. On the way back to Jerusalem, stop at the Shores of the Dead Sea, lowest spot on earth. Journey to the oasis of Ein Gedi, where David and his men sought refuge from Saul (1 Samuel 23). Continue to Qumran, site of the Dead Sea Scroll discovery, to discuss the mysterious community of the Essenes who once lived on the shores of the Dead Sea. View the Wadi Kelt, a deep gorge in the Judean Wilderness that may be the valley of the Shadow of death, referred to in Psalm 23. Overnight in Jerusalem. DAY 9 JESUS TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM FIELD TRIP: BETHPHAGE (MATTHEW 21), MT. OF OLIVES, GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE (MATTHEW 26), MT. ZION, UP- PER ROOM (JOHN 13), ST. PETER S CHURCH, ISRAEL MUSEUM Pass Bethphage, where the disciples were sent to find the donkey for the Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19). Stand atop the Mount of Olives as Jesus did and enjoy a remarkable view of the Golden City of Jerusalem. Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12). Pray in the Garden of Gethsemane among olive trees in the Kidron Valley across from the walls of Jerusalem. Visit Mt. Zion and stand in the Upper Room, near the traditional site of the Last Supper (Mark 14). Walk through some of the ancient rooms of Caiaphas the High Priest s house beneath the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. Here Jesus was held overnight before His crucifixion (Luke 22). Understand better the Jerusalem of Jesus day with a look at First Century Model of the City of Jerusalem, now housed at the Israel Museum. Also visit the Shrine of the Book, where you see the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. Overnight in Jerusalem. DAY 10 WAY OF THE CROSS FIELD TRIP: TEMPLE MOUNT (HAREM ESH-SHARIF) AND EXCAVATIONS (MATTHEW 23), OLD CITY, CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE (MATTHEW 27-28; JOHN 20), GARDEN TOMB See the Temple Mount, once the site of the Temple of Solomon. Visit the Southern Wall Excavations of the ancient Temple including the Teaching Steps and the Western Wall. Visit the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, Israel s most important antiquity site. See the Pool of Bethesda described as a healing pool in John 5. Walk the Via Dolorosa, the way of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Built over the traditional sites of the crucifixion and burial sites of Jesus, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre operates under both Catholic and Orthodox supervision. Visit and worship at the Garden Tomb, possible site of the garden of Joseph of Arimathea and experience the reality of the Resurrection. This evening transfer to the airport for your flight home. DAY 11 RETURN TO THE USA

5 SEEK JUSTICE: ISAIAH 1:17 Dear Pastor and Church Leaders, Our American Baptist family has a profound heritage as a compassionate, engaging and benevolent people. Since 1824, American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has been declaring and heralding the gospel of our Lord. Today, ABHMS remains rooted in that Word and committed to responding to the changing needs of our ever-changing world. The theme for the America for Christ Offering 2014 is an appeal to Seek Justice, based on Isaiah 1:17, which states: Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow (NRSV). We continue to be faithful to the call for justice as exemplified by women and men who bore witness to the God who had transformed their lives. These individuals include the following: JOHN MASON PECK The first home missionary appointed by ABHMS in 1832, he traveled thousands of miles on horseback to distribute Bibles and tracts to those living on America s expanding frontier. JOANNA P. MOORE Responding to the plight of freed slaves in 1863, she went to minister in the camps, teaching Bible lessons along with teaching reading and writing. Later she started fireside schools and produced Hope magazine, which reached 36,000 homes. SANTIAGO SOTO-FONTANEZ Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, in the 1960s, he served as director of Spanish Work for the Baptist City Society of New York, where he developed much-needed Spanish resources. WILLIAM J. SIMMONS Born a slave, he had a conversion experience at age 18 and joined a Baptist church. Following education at the University of Rochester and Howard University, he was selected in 1880 by ABHMS to lead a struggling school in Louisville, Ky. Later, he became the society s district secretary the first African American to hold that position. IOLETA HUNT MCELHANEY In 1948, she became the first Native American woman to receive full missionary appointment under the Woman s American Baptist Home Mission Society. JITSUO MORIKAWA Born into a Buddhist family, he learned of Jesus from a Christian neighbor. He made a decision for Christ at age 16 and felt called to be an evangelist. During World War II, he and his wife were shipped to the Poston Relocation Center in Arizona. Morikawa believed that institutions are capable of evil and must be evangelized. He served as National Ministries director of Evangelism, Dr. Martin Luther King, an American Baptist, captured the attention of the world with a dream of equality and justice for all. He preached, I have a dream that one day, every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. As American Baptists, let us respond to the America for Christ 2014 theme to Seek Justice. Let us take our place of service, as we seek justice for the most vulnerable in our communities. With Life Transforming Justice, Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III Executive Director, American Baptist Home Mission Societies American Baptist Churches USA AMERICA FOR CHRIST OFFERING

6 Dear Brothers and Sisters of Calvary, As I perform an appraisal of our community, I perceive countless people in need of Jesus love and uplifting touch. You may contemplate, as I do, how you can reach out and make a difference in so many lives. It s a difficult challenge to take on as an individual, but I am persuaded that, as American Baptists partnering together, we can make a difference by supporting the America for Christ Offering This year s theme Seek Justice, based on Isaiah 1:17 is a biblical reminder that Jesus public ministry was all about advocacy, engagement and compassion for people in need. Through the work of American Baptist Home Mission Societies, which is supported by the America for Christ Offering, we can participate with our Lord in seeking justice for those in our churches and neighborhoods. Did you know the following? In 2011, the official poverty rate was 15 percent, with 46.2 million people in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau). Immigrants largely arrive through legal channels. Foreign-born people in the United States numbered 39.9 million in 2010: 44 percent were naturalized citizens; 24 percent were legal permanent residents; 29 percent were unauthorized migrants; and 3 percent were temporary legal residents, such as students or temporary workers (Center for American Progress). In 2009, 7.2 million people were in prison or under official supervision, such as probation. This population is larger than the state of Washington. Four in 10 prisoners return to state prisons within three years of release (businessinsider.com/11-facts-about-prisons-2011). Approximately 6 million students in grades seven through 12 are struggling to read at grade level. Among the highest, 70 percent of eighth graders read below the standard (Alliance for Excellent Education). Teacher quality is one of the most significant factors related to student achievement. In the United States, 14 percent of new teachers resign by the end of their first year, 33 percent leave within their first three years, and almost 50 percent leave by their fifth year (Alliance for Excellent Education). We realize that our mission and ministry are needed now more than ever. The America for Christ Offering 2014 supports our churches, neighborhood action programs, advocacy, training and community impact by facilitating leadership workshops and conferences, promoting excellent discipleship resources through Judson Press and providing opportunities for churches, individuals and youth groups to participate in home mission through Volunteer Ministries. Please join me in giving generously to the America for Christ Offering 2014, and help us to reach our goal. Together, we can change lives as we seek justice as followers of Jesus Christ. Together, we can make a difference. Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:17). Seeking Justice for the Vulnerable,

7 Calvary Baptist Church 42 Washington Blvd. Williamsport, PA God s house of worship on the hill since If you have any news, updates, articles of interest, or upcoming events that you would like others to know about, please submit this information to Helen Yoas for the April 2014 issue of the Calvary Baptist Courier. PLEASE NOTE: We hand out as many newsletters as possible to those attending the worship service in an effort to cut mailing costs. You may, if you wish, receive the newsletter by , by ing CalvaryCourier@gmail.com with subscribe in the subject line Church Council: Larry Green, Sue Green, Dave Lantz, Jim Lewis (ex officio member and church clerk), Doris Paulhamus, David Snyder Jr., Sandy Snyder, Robin Turney, Pastor Peter Wilson (ex officio member and interim moderator), Duane Yeagle, Helen Yoas (treasurer)

8 CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH MARCH Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat EACH SUNDAY: EACH MONDAY: EACH TUESDAY: EACH WEDNESDAY: EACH THURSDAY: 9:30 am Kids Club, Pastor s Day Off 7-8 pm - Adult 5-7 pm AWANA Youth 7:15 pm Choir College Class and Spanish Class Clubs (K-12 grade) Rehearsal Adult Class 7:15-8:15 pm - Middle 7 pm Bible Study and 10:40 am Worship Service School Spanish Class Prayer 7 pm Multi-language Bible 7:30-9 pm ESL Class 7:30-9 pm ESL Class Study 1 B Dwayne Koons 2 Communion Service Fellowship Luncheon (pot luck) following worship service 3 B Janice Alston st Day of Lent 6 7 World Day of Prayer 1:30 pm CWU meet at Shiloh Baptist 7:00 p.m. Family Games Night st Sun. of Lent Daylight Saving Time begins Duane Yeagle & Tammy Bower Eiswerth Wedding 16 2 nd Sun. of Lent :15 p.m. Church Council Meeting rd Sun. of Lent 24 B Grace Betts B Jolee Cimberland th Sun. of Lent 31 B Doris Paulhamus B Dan Yoas B Jace Traugh 2014 Note: B Birthday