CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH NEWARK, DELAWARE

Transcription

1 CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH NEWARK, DELAWARE 1

2 2 CONTACTS CHURCH NAME: Calvary Baptist Church ADDRESS: 215 East Delaware Ave, Newark, DE TELEPHONE: (302) SENIOR PASTOR: Rev. Dr. Corey Fields WEBSITE: SERVICE STREAMING: FACEBOOK: SEARCH COMMITTEE CHAIR: William McMurray ADDRESS: 17 Stevenson way, Newark, DE TELEPHONE (302) REGIONAL EXECUTIVE MINISTER NAME: Frank Frischkorn TELEPHONE: (717)

3 3 Table of Contents Summary How Our Congregation Is Unique Associate Pastor of Leadership Development Job Description Vision and Purpose Qualifications and Requirements Responsibilities and Duties Accountability Our Goals What We Believe What We Do Ongoing Fellowship and Growth Ongoing Service in our Community Our History Our Senior Pastor Our Community Search Committee Biographies

4 4 Calvary is a caring, accepting, open-minded church with a heart for meeting the needs of the less fortunate, both in our community and around the world. We are traditionally a doing church: our early members constructed the first building with bricks hauled from the railhead. Today, we minister with many partners in our local community, participate in mission trips, and have other outreach programs. Calvary is a mid-sized American Baptist Church in a small city with both industry and University of Delaware presence. We have an opportunity to engage this community in new and exciting ways. Some say Calvary is the best kept secret in Newark. Many feel we could have a much more significant interaction with the University population. And recent announcements of new projects could add a thousand or more young professionals to this area in the next five years. While Calvary has been driven by a dedicated core group of members, we are seeking an associate pastor of leadership development who can broaden our pool of leaders, both inside and outside of our congregation.

5 5 How Our Congregation Is Unique Calvary seeks to glorify God and make disciples by working together to serve people compassionately. We pride ourselves on a few key qualities that make us a unique congregation: We welcome and encourage diversity within our congregation. We encourage and support those entering into formal ministry. We are consistently within the top 10 churches giving to missions in our area despite our small size. We gladly collaborate with the interfaith and interdenominational community. We have a reputation for always supporting needs in the community, when others cannot. We have historically been ahead of other churches in the area with respect to opening leadership to people who were often excluded in other churches, like women, and those who have been divorced and/or remarried. In addition to those values listed in our church Constitution (Christ in my Heart; Love in my Behavior; Quality in my Worship; Integrity in our Ministry; Diligence in our Outreach; and Accountability in our Relationships), Calvary has identified the following unique and defining values: Embracing Diversity, as we engage people from all walks of life and accept others as Christ has accepted us. (Acts 10:34-35 and 11:17) Compassion, as we recognize the needs of those both inside and outside our church, and support them spiritually, emotionally, and physically. (Luke 10:25-37) Nurturing Faith, as we train and empower people to be the disciples God has called us to be. (2 Timothy 1:6-7) Generosity, as we share our time, talents, and treasure liberally to serve God. (1 Timothy 6:18) We are a group of believers who are diverse in culture, united in Christ, and serving in love in our mission to Come, Grow, Go, and Serve. We encourage all people to join us in worship and experience the Holy Spirit, to learn and grow in their faith, and to work together to serve the people of our community and beyond with love and compassion.

6 6 Associate Pastor of Leadership Development JOB DESCRIPTION Vision & Purpose The Associate Pastor of Leadership Development will serve in a full-time position of ministerial leadership within Calvary Baptist Church focusing on development of the church s leaders who work with younger generations (children through young adults). This will be accomplished primarily through: Recruiting, encouraging, training, and equipping volunteer leadership for ministry efforts to these age groups Resourcing and empowering families for their primary role in faith formation Developing nurturing, pastoral relationships with young people and those who care for and teach them Finding and developing opportunities for partnerships and mission within the University of Delaware as well as other college/career-aged young adults Fostering edifying intergenerational relationships within and beyond the life of the church Qualifications & Requirements The associate pastor shall have the following qualifications and/or meet the following requirements: Must be a baptized and committed follower of Jesus Christ who feels called by God to full-time vocational ministry. Must have, be seeking, or be willing to seek ordination within American Baptist Churches USA. Candidates ordained within a different body must be willing to seek ABC recognition of their ordination. Formal seminary training for pastoral leadership from an accredited institution, in progress or complete, is required. Previous experience and/or training in the areas of focus described above is strongly preferred. Must demonstrate ability to think outside the box and work within both traditional and non-traditional models of ministry for effectively discipling younger generations. Must demonstrate ability and openness to work within a diverse congregation with members of many different cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and viewpoints. Must demonstrate integrity and moral conduct, and comply with the Covenant and Code of Ethics for Ministerial Leaders of ABC-USA. Must submit to and pass a nationwide background check.

7 7 Responsibilities & Duties Specific responsibilities and duties of this position include but are not limited to: Leadership development for discipling younger generations Ascertaining needs and opportunities in the area of discipling younger generations, and develop goals and strategies for ministry in keeping with the vision & purpose above. Provide direction and pastoral leadership within the teaching/educational ministries of the church for younger people, specifically Sunday and midweek classes and activities. Work closely and cooperatively with existing volunteer leadership; train and recruit new leadership as necessary. Assist in planning and/or leading events targeted for younger people or families as determined in consultation with volunteer leadership. In partnership with Calvary members, develop and implement new initiatives for connecting with and ministering to college/career young adults. Develop strong networks and partnerships within the community for furthering the vision and purpose above. Provide any other leadership that would further the vision and purpose stated above. Pastoral leadership Preach and design worship as needed to assist, or fill-in for, the senior pastor. Provide pastoral care and visitation to church members as needed to assist, or fill-in for, the senior pastor. Develop nurturing, pastoral relationships with all church members, particularly young people and their families. Officiate at weddings, funerals, or other services if needed. Perform all other duties as assigned by the senior pastor. General In consultation with the senior pastor, maintain office hours and availability commensurate with the work of the clergy and the specifics of this job description. Attend and come prepared to weekly staff meetings Attend and come prepared to meetings of the Diaconate, the Board of Christian Education, and any others deemed appropriate or necessary. Accountability The associate pastor shall Serve directly under and be accountable to the senior pastor (or interim pastor if applicable) in a staff relationship. The senior pastor is head of staff, providing overall direction and will serve as the associate pastor s primary mentor.

8 Be accountable to the congregation in general, and specifically to the Diaconate board which is responsible for providing regular assessment of development and performance. Work closely and cooperatively with the Board of Christian Education to achieve the goals of leadership development and discipling younger generations. Our Goals Our decision to hire an associate pastor of leadership development was driven by a discernment process involving the church boards and vision team that identified the following priorities, opportunities, and challenges. 8 Our younger generation. Our highest levels of stress and need are concentrated in child, youth, and young adult ministry. We hope and expect our population of young families to increase, magnifying this need. Family-based discipleship. Today, the church is struggling to compete with the demands of time and attention on today s families. What if the church played a greater role in empowering families in their role in faith development? We hope for pastoral leadership that explores alternative models for family discipleship outside the traditional church programming model. University of Delaware. Over the years, our ministry at the University of Delaware has met with mixed success, but the church s strategic location is one of its strengths. The University recently announced a five-year plan to boost the international student population by 1,000, to increase graduate student numbers by 3,000, and to hire 250 additional faculty. They are also redeveloping a former industrial site into a health sciences and technology research and development center that will attract even more young professionals to our region. We want to attract students and young professionals to come, grow, go, and serve. Calvary s culture of doing. Calvary is not a sedentary church. We ve always demonstrated a strong commitment to the church and serving the community. We wish to embrace that history and identity, and find ways to grow our church. Recent generations, starting with the Millennials, are increasingly focused on real, positive, and practical change in the world around them and we hope that an associate pastor dedicated to leadership development can harness that energy to create positive growth in both our church and our community. Diverse in Culture, United in Christ, Serving in Love. Calvary is a congregation with diverse ethnicities, faith traditions, and backgrounds. Learning to build on this is a critical bridge toward creating more disciples. We hope to value and integrate our differences as we move forward.

9 Leadership Development. It would be impractical to hire separate staff for each of the priorities and challenges we have identified. Instead, we want to embrace a model where pastoral leadership supports and guides volunteer leaders, and recruits and trains new volunteers. What We Believe Calvary shares and proclaims the core commitments of the Christian faith and Baptist tradition, valuing and affirming its identity as a part of American Baptist Churches USA (ABC-USA) and the American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware (ABCOPAD). In a time where denominational affiliation is deemphasized and a majority of new church starts are independent, we believe we are stronger together and that God uses our imperfect structures to work His will in more powerful ways. 9 The 1.3-million members and over about 5,000 congregations of American Baptist Churches USA share with more than 42 million Baptists around the world a common tradition begun in the early 17th century. That tradition has emphasized the Lordship and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, believers baptism, the competency of all believers to be in direct relationship with God and to interpret Scripture, the importance of the local church, the assurance of freedom in worship and opinion, and the need to be Christ s witnesses within society. (ABC-USA) Given that we share so many of the basic beliefs, commitments, and identity markers of our wider denominational family, one of the best ways to communicate what we believe is by referring to a document called 10 Facts You Should Know About American Baptists. In summary, those points are: 1. American Baptists believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and that the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God that serves as the final written authority for living out the Christian faith 2. For American Baptists the local church is the fundamental unit of mission in denominational life. 3. American Baptists partake of two ordinances: believers baptism and The Lord s Supper. 4. American Baptists believe that the committed individual Christian can and should approach God directly, and that individual gifts of ministry should be shared. 5. American Baptists take seriously the call to evangelism and missionary work. 6. American Baptists support religious freedom and respect the expressions of faith of others. 7. American Baptists acknowledge that God s family extends beyond our local churches, and that God calls us to cooperative ministries. 8. American Baptists have been called to be Christ s witnesses for justice and wholeness within a broken society. 9. American Baptist Churches USA celebrates the racial, cultural and theological diversity witnessed within its membership.

10 American Baptists heed the biblical call to renewal and the need for a vital witness in a new millennium. What We Do Our Fellowship and Growth Calvary currently offers many opportunities for individuals to grow in their faith and share the love of Christ with others. In the future, we hope to expand and add activities tailored to the unique needs of our congregation and community. Sunday School meets from 9:15 to 10:15 on Sundays, with childcare and classes for children through adults. There are four different adult Sunday School classes, with attendance similar to that of the children s classes. During the school year, we meet on Wednesday Night for a simple meal and Bible Studies for adults, mothers, youth, and Kids for Jesus (K-5 th ), with available childcare. Sometimes Wednesday nights feature special seasonal projects, such as the packing of Christmas At Sea boxes for seafarers passing through the Port of Wilmington. Our Services are musically blended, typically with both an adult choir and a praise band. Each Sunday, a volunteer Worship Leader leads and directs the service. There is a morning prayer and sermon delivered, usually by the senior pastor. However, some Sundays are special Sundays, such as Women s Sunday, Men s Sunday, Youth Sunday, the annual Christmas Cantata, and Sundays reflecting on

11 11 recent mission trips and other outreach events. On these days, members of the congregation lead the service with special speakers and presentations. Young people in grades 6-12 participate in a variety of Youth Group activities lead by adult volunteers. In addition to our Wednesday Night programs, the youth group meets on an occasional Friday night or Saturday for a fun activity. The youth often participate in service projects like 30 Hour Famine, packing Go Bags, and serving at Hope Dining Room. There is also a long-standing tradition of participating in youth mission trips, youth camps such as High Point Camp,and a concert/camping experience annually at Creation Fest. Calvary hosts an evening Vacation Bible School every summer in late July or early August. Groups of children are led through activity stations by teen and adult volunteers. The program serves approximately 40 children each summer, including children from outside the congregation.

12 12 Calvary has active American Baptist Men and American Baptist Women groups. While these groups are focused on missions, they are also opportunities for spiritual growth through fellowship. ABW typically meets monthly for breakfast and a guest speaker or project. While the men do not currently have regular meetings, they gather for prayer before services and help with events such as the 4 th of July picnic on the church s front lawn. Groups of men and women also attend their respective annual conferences, and Calvary s men have regularly served as officers in ABMoPAD, with one recently named Man of the Year. Calvary periodically hosts a Family Game Night where members and families can invite their friends to come and play board and video games. Once a year, the board of Christian Education sponsors a Church Picnic where members and invited guests enjoy food, games, and fellowship at a local park. And annually, members invite friends to attend a Wilmington Blue Rocks game, typically on a fireworks night.

13 13 Our Service in our Community and World For around fifteen years, Calvary has participated in a variety of Mission Trips. Groups have participated in ongoing disaster relief; gone to La Paz, Mexico three times to assist ABC missionaries Joyce and David Reed, including by running a VBS for local children; and gone to various Appalachian communities in Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio, where the focus has been on improving homes for the elderly, poor, and disabled. Currently, Calvary participates in many local Homeless Ministries. One of the biggest is Code Purple, in which community churches take turns hosting the local homeless population on nights when the temperature drops below 20 Fahrenheit, providing warm shelter, a meal, and fellowship throughout the night. Calvary also enjoys a close relationship with the local Empowerment Center in Newark, providing volunteers, financial support, Go Bags, and sponsors picnics and holiday meals for the homeless community on Black Friday and on Christmas Eve. Church members volunteer once a month at Hope Dining Room, serving good, full meals to the hungry in Newark. Guest birthdays are celebrated with candles on cupcakes and song. The youth also volunteer during the summer.

14 14 Calvary is located on one of downtown Newark s two main streets, putting us in a perfect location for some Sidewalk Ministries. We host a community garden, which encourages thecommunity to eat more fresh produce. The garden is available to everyone, and produce from it is also served at Hope Dining Room. With considerable foot and car traffic past the church, we have provided a Prayer Mailbox where passersby can leave prayer requests, and since the shootings in Las Vegas and Texas we have started a Prayer Flag Line to which people can add flags with their own prayers. On Tuesday afternoons we host a Duck In ministry, where people can duck in for some local Duck Donuts, coffee, a chat, shared prayer, and more. This was originally intended to connect with students, but has developed broader popularity. Calvary is also active with other congregations in service to the community. This includes a community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. Members also participate in community services for other purposes, such as community prayer vigils, and quarterly ecumenical worship services.

15 15 Calvary closely partners with New Expectations, a group home in Newark serving pregnant and nursing drug offenders. Often, these women are struggling to get back on their feet, and/or battling addiction. Calvary provides a weekly Bible study as well as Christmas gifts and supplies for the women and their children. Our History On April 22, 1950, Calvary Baptist Church was officially organized as the Newark Baptist Church, part of the Delaware State Baptist Association and American Baptist Churches USA. It was chartered in December of the same year, with Rev. Marshall P. Watson at its head. Watson resigned the next year, and Rev. Paul Cook was called as the church s next pastor. He served for fifteen years of challenge and enormous growth. In 1952, the church s 40 members set out to build a sanctuary, work that finally completed in This expounded on the church s growth, leading to a membership of 200 by In 1959, the Christian Education Building was constructed next to the sanctuary. Throughout the 1950s, the church established a tradition of open mindedness and community outreach lasting into the tumultuous 1960s. In 1963, Cavalry became the first racially integrated church in Newark, a change that made the church much stronger witnesses of Christian siblinghood and love. Today, around 25% of the church body is a racial minority, and the church prizes its diversity. We also were the first church in the area to have a female deacon, and welcomed female pastoral leadership in Also in 1963, Calvary began its mission of service to refugees and others in need by adopting a Cuban refugee family, providing them with a house and a new start in the U.S. This was the first of many, as the church would later sponsor a Lebanese family in the 1970s, a Vietnamese family in the 1980s, and a Croatian family in the early 2000s. Calvary also partnered with Westgate Baptist Church in Lancaster, PA to sponsor a Karen refugee family in In the 1980s, the church expanded its community outreach under Rev. William Thomas and Rev. Dan MacDonald, including the Community Clothes Closet (housed at Calvary until 2013) and participation in the Newark Housing Ministry. The church also opened its doors to use by other groups, including

16 the growing New Ark Church of Christ and a Montessori preschool. It was during Rev. MacDonald s leadership from 1985 to 1990 that Calvary experienced great growth and change. 16 In 1990, construction finished on the narthex area that combined the Christian Education Building and the sanctuary into one structure. The church also called Rev. Supornchai Jim Jitima as the Minister of Discipleship in 1996, and the Rev. Gordon Whitney as the Minister of Evangelism in In 1999, on the eve of the church s 50th anniversary, Rev. Bruce Martin was called as its Senior Pastor. In 2001, Rev. Carol West was called as Associate Minister, serving until she resigned in 2007 when she was called to hospital chaplaincy. It was under their combined leadership that Calvary again expanded its mission focus, undertaking a series of mission trips beginning in These trips have taken the church to parts of Appalachia (in Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, and West Virginia), to Katrina relief in Mississippi, to Sandy relief in New Jersey, and even as far away as Mexico. After Rev. West resigned in 2009, Calvary called Rev. Charles (CG) Coats as a youth and young adult pastor. During his time at Calvary, Rev. Coats led the Sunday praise band during both Calvary s blended worship service and the once-a-month Selah program, and greatly expanded the host of youth activities available at Calvary. However, he resigned in 2016 to pursue senior pastorship at another church. Also in 2016, Rev. Corey Fields was called to the senior pastorship. In the past 15 years, Calvary has emphasized cooperation with other churches, especially to provide service to the town of Newark. Calvary was instrumental in building the Newark Empowerment Center, which provides social services to the community, joined a cohort of churches that serve lunches at Hope Dining Room, and forming and hosting Code Purple on cold nights as well as on Christmas Eve. Our Senior Pastor Our Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. Corey Fields, has successfully transitioned from an Associate Pastor position in Kansas and began his service here in July Corey is a progressive, forward thinking, and proactive pastor who does not back down from taking on difficult issues within our church, society, or world. He actively participates in our church boards and activities, while encouraging ways to expand Calvary's outreach. He is an active participant in regional and national conferences, and is a regular columnist for Baptist News Global and The Christian Citizen. Pastor Corey actively embodies Calvary's culture of being a "doing church.

17 17 Our Church and Community families, children, and youth. Calvary Baptist Church is located in Newark, DE, a small university city of approximately 30,000 people. This does not include the University of Delaware which, when in session, adds about 20,000 more students; nor does it include adjacent zip codes, which add about 80,000 more people. Calvary s vision and goal is to engage these 140,000 neighbors, focusing especially on students, young professionals, young Newark itself is a sprawling town between Philadelphia and Baltimore with an ever-changing population. The heart of the city is the University of Delaware, and a bustling, award-winning Main Street. Away from the hustle of downtown there are rural neighborhoods, many green spaces, and some farms. Additionally, Newark s rapid expansion has attracted biotech companies and commercial ventures. While the bulk of Newark s families is around the national average, a significant percentage of families fall below the poverty line. Many people are attracted to Newark for its proximity to other major cities, fun and historical amenities, and combined urban-rural feel. Calvary itself has a body roughly of 200 members, 150 of whom are active. We have an active Internet presence at our website, and on Facebook. While members of Calvary, like other mainline churches, definitely tend to be older, there is a strong cohort of people aged 20 to 55.

18 18 Calvary is proud of its diversity and wants to continue welcoming all people. Families (married and single parents) with children comprise approximately 37% of the congregation.

19 Thank you for your interest in our church. We are proud of the traditions behind us and are serious about continuing to accomplish God's work. To do this, we will need help to organize newer and younger leaders into the Church Body, a body comprised of many different parts, all united to serve one purpose. Our church is looking for an associate pastor candidate who will organize and develop new leadership, enabling Calvary Baptist of Newark to make a huge impact on our community through God s love. We trust that God will lead our church and new Associate Pastor of Leadership Development together for His purposes. 19

20 20 Search Committee Biographies Jim Dunson (at large) is the committee s secretary. He grew up Methodist in GA during WW2, and has been at Calvary since UD grad school in He met his wife in Calvary YAC group. He retired from DuPont in 2004 after a career in pollution prevention, and still approaches challenges as an engineer (what is the problem? - the cause? - how to fix it?). He enjoys teaching, having taught many subjects in many venues in many languages all over the world. Heidi Ewing (youth), the youngest member of the committee, began attending Calvary when she was 6 years old. She has a long history of activity in the church, but spent some time away to go to college and graduate school. Now back in the area, she is the leader of the gaming ministry and one of the two drummers in the praise band, and is currently working on becoming a published author. Corey Fields (ex officio) is the Senior Pastor of Calvary. He has served Calvary since July 2016, moving here after a 10 year pastorate in Topeka, KS. He is originally from Virginia. His undergraduate studies were at James Madison University in Communication. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, and his Doctor of Ministry from Central Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married since He and his wife Dayna, who is a speech pathologist, have 2 children: a son born in 2007 and a daughter born in His passions in ministry include preaching & teaching, local mission, justice, edifying worship, music, and diverse community. Tia Gordon (Christian Ed) has been a part of Calvary since 1995 when she moved to Newark as a freshman at Newark High School. She has been a Youth Group and High School Sunday School teacher as well as serving on the board of Christian Education. She is has gone through several life changes while attending Calvary, including getting married and becoming a mother. Tia currently spends her time as an adjunct professor of Chemistry at Delaware Technical and Community College and being a stay at home mom of Tessa (3 years old). She is extremely interested in missions, youth and diversity. Rosemarie McDonald (at large) is a Calvary member for over 20 years, She has served on the Christian Education board for an extended period. Jamaican born now a naturalized citizen for more than 25 years. Previously worked in financial services and currently in the Human Services. She enjoys travelling. Bill McMurray (Deacon) is the chair of the committee. He joined Calvary when his oldest entered their pre-school in 93. Now, as his last child beginning High School, he s taken on being the High School Sunday teacher. In the past he s served with the Christian Board of Education, and presently

21 serves on the Diaconate as a Watchcare Deacon. Once part of the praise band as it was getting off the ground, he will occasionally still contribute music on Sunday morning. 21 Everett Ramer (at large) is one of the newer members of Calvary, having arrived in Newark 2015 to work at UD. A cradle Mennonite raised on a Kansas farm, and with mission experience in Africa, he was glad to discover Calvary with its friendly folks and active community outreach. He presently serves on the Pastoral Relations committee. Beverly Rash (Missions) has been a member of Calvary for 13 years, having joined while a student at UD. She has served on Pastoral Relations and is currently on the Mission Board. She is active in youth programs with her 3 young daughters. She works in financial services; is married; and resides in Middletown DE. Pete Widdoes (Deacon) first came to Calvary in 1973 with his girlfriend s family (wife now) and was baptized and married there in 1977 & Their adult children are both current members of Calvary. He initially stayed at Calvary because of its friendly people and later appreciated its strong bible-based focus. He retired from his engineering and product management career with W L Gore & Associates in He enjoys watching and/or playing most sports, particularly golf and bowling now. Alan Williamson (Trustee) recently retired from a 40 year career in the oil/chemical industry and has lived in Newark DE for 30+ years. He has been attending Calvary for 12+ years with his family. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, detailing cars and working around the yard.

22 22 Back row, left to right: Middle row, left to right: Front row, left to right: Heidi, Bev, Rosemarie, Corey Tia, Everett, Alan Jim, Pete, Bill