he June 2016 Calvary Baptist Church, Mount Airy, NC Vol. XXXII No. 6 The Pastor Ponders: With Jesus in the Auto Showroom I ve been thinking recently about buying a new car. Now, let me rush to add, however, that I haven t decided to buy a new car. It s just something I ve been thinking about. And to be completely honest, Jesus is making the process much too complicated. From a certain practical perspective, you see, the decision seems fairly straightforward. My car is more than 12 years old and has almost 170,000 miles on it. I m reaching a point that I ll probably have to put some money into it to keep it running smoothly and safely. And especially with some of the lowinterest financing that s available right now, the expense would fit within my budget. Under the circumstances, I don t think anyone would blame me for going ahead and taking the plunge! (Of course, if you would blame me maybe you d better tell me quick so that I can factor that into my thinking.) But then there is this quiet voice that keeps trying to remind me: the practical perspective isn t the only one that matters. Why do I feel the need for a new car in the first place? Is this really a need in the life of my family? Or does this have more to do with what I think I ve earned or with the image I d like to maintain? And even if there is a legitimate need for a new car, what kind do I get and why? Do I go for the largest and snazziest vehicle I can afford because I might need that space and/or those features at some point? Or do I aim for something smaller and simpler and less expensive because it reduces my impact on God s creation and because it frees up more of my resources to give to others? Now, I share this with you not to call into question any decisions that you ve made (or are making) about the car you drive. And it s certainly not my goal to give anybody the impression that I m a good Christian because I try to include God s will in this kind of decision. No, I m sharing this in order to point out that sometimes following Jesus is tough. It s tough because it requires us to remember that God doesn t care only about what we think of as our spiritual life (how much we go to church, or pray, or read the Bible) because all of life is spiritual (how we spend our time, what we watch on TV, and yes what kind of car we drive). It s tough because it invites us to experience a certain kind of vulnerability: Vulnerability to God s Word (as we submit to its teaching about what really matters in life); vulnerability to God s Spirit, (as we listen for His voice to give us wisdom); and vulnerability to God s People (as we confess our confusion, and invite them to pray for us, and heed their insights about what the Spirit is saying). And perhaps most of all it s tough because it forces us to acknowledge that we re going to make the wrong decision some of the time or maybe even most of the time. And therefore, it forces us to trust that what matters in the end isn t what we do. What matters is what God does. And so, we keep clinging to grace and we keep inviting Jesus to walk with us in all the nitty-gritty of life and we keep believing that He is at work to make us the kind of people who don t have to wrestle with all these decisions because our hearts are becoming ever more conformed to His. (Continued on page 2)
As I say, for the moment I haven t made any decisions. I guess that if you come by the church one day and see that my slightly beat-up blue Honda isn t parked outside the office, you ll know that I have. But in the meantime, I invite your prayers and your wisdom. And even more, I thank you for being the kind of church family in which all of us can feel safe discerning God s guidance together. May the life we share help us take those small, daily steps that impress the image of Christ deeper within us. Yours in Him, Pastor Alex C h u r c h L i f e U p d a t e s JOY Luncheon at Cracker Barrel: On Wednesday, June 1 at 12 noon, the JOY Group (Just Older Youth) will meet at Cracker Barrel for food and fellowship. Gift for Dads: If you were paying attention around Mother s Day, you ll remember that we chose not to present moms with a flower or bookmark or some other trinket. Instead, we made a donation in their honor to the ministry of the Children s Center of Surry County. Well, guess what?! Father s Day is fast approaching, and we want to celebrate dads in a similar way. In honor and in memory of our fathers, Calvary will be making a donation to the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. If you d like to celebrate your dad by joining in that effort, you can mark your check or envelope Father s Day, and we ll handle the rest. Our dads are a blessing to us; thanks for helping us bless others in their name! Fire Alarm System: At the May 15th Business Meeting, the church voted to fund the fire alarm system from the following contributions: $4,052 (Anniversary Offering) 1,325 (Unspent Renovation Fund from March-May) 223 (From Building & Grounds Committee) $5,600 TOTAL If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to a member of the Finance Committee. The vendor for this system is Alpha Electric Systems. Calvary Farmers Market: Do you have so many tomatoes you don't know what to do? Is your kale growing in abundance? We invite all gardeners to share the bounty of your crops again this year! If you would like to participate in the Calvary Farmers' Market, please bring your extra vegetables to share, and take what you would like from the table! Please bring food to the Fellowship Hall in lined boxes. Each Monday excess food will be taken to Yokefellow. The Farmers' Market has begun and will continue through the Summer. If you have questions, please contact Teresa Martin. Y o u t h M i n i s t r y RA s & GA s Party: On Saturday, June 4, from 1-3pm we will be having a pool party for the RA's and GA's at the home of Cathy Stevens (102 Miller Rd.). All kids in Grades 1-5 are invited, there will be pizza and popsicles so make sure your child comes hungry and brings a towel! GRADUATION SUNDAY: On June 5, come support our high school and college graduates in the Uplift OR the Traditional service! Encounter Party: On Sunday, June 5, we will have our last Encounter meeting until the Fall which will be a pool party from 5-7 at the home of Vicki and Bodey Fields (357 Cedar Knoll Drive). Food and fun will be provided as usual!
VBS 2016 M ONDAY J U N E T H RU U N E 27TH T H U R S DAY J UNE UNE 30TH 5:30 PM- 8:30 PM N o t e s o f G r a t i t u d e Calvary Baptist Church Family: Thank you for your kind expression of sympathy given to our family. We are deeply grateful and appreciate your thoughts and prayers during Joey s illness and passing. The meal was delicious and we are blessed to be a part of such a wonderful church family. May God bless each of you. ~ With Much Love, Robin Owens, Joshua, Emily, and Jeremy Dear Calvary Family, Thank you for all the food, cards, visits and phone calls during this time of loss. Ted loved this church and each and every one of you. The memories will always be in our hearts. ~ With Love, Hilda, Lori, Mark, Watson and Family Dear Church Family, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and concerns. The cards I have received have really brought joy to my heart. Just knowing you all care means more to me than words could ever say. The words of encouragement have lifted my spirits and brought me peace of mind. I also want to thank Pastor Martin for all the visits, caring thoughts and prayers. I ve really enjoyed listening to the church service CD s. Even though I am unable to attend, you have made me feel a part of the church. ~ My Love & Prayers, Lavon Thompson THANK YOU: On behalf of our student ministry I would like to thank everyone who came out and helped us with our latest Port-a-Pit Chicken Fundraiser. It is such a blessing to have a church family full of people that are willing to serve even when they have no reason to. Most of the folks who helped sell tickets and work the fundraiser didn't even have a kid going to Belize, much less in the youth group at all. That is a special thing because it proves that this church is a family that supports the ministry of our students and loves our kids. So, thank you so much once again, from the bottom of my heart, for coming together as a church family and helping to send our students to Belize where my hope is that they will encounter the living God in ways that will change their lives. ~ Alex Bracey Dear Calvary Family, There s no way that I can thank you adequately for the gift you gave me in celebration of my 5th year as your pastor and my 25th year in ministry. I can honestly say that while serving the Lord in a variety of settings has been my joy and privilege one of the greatest joys the Lord has given me has been the privilege of serving with you. Please know that I love you in Christ, and I look forward to many more years of faithful ministry together. ~ Pastor Alex
W o m e n s M i s s i o n a r y U n i o n Ladies Prayer Breakfast: Calvary Ladies please mark your calendars for the WMU Prayer Breakfast, on Saturday, June 11, from 9-11 AM at the SBA Resource Center. The meeting will begin with a delicious breakfast, followed by Jan Tompkins speaking on the theme, Your Pain is Changing You. You can register by calling the SBA office at 336-789-5701 or Mary Jane Shelton at 789-5821 no later than June 6. We hope all of you can attend this inspirational event. Women in Mission Meeting: Women in Mission will meet on June 28 at 10:30 AM. Our latest project was pillowcase dresses for children in Uganda. Please join us! For more information, contact Donna Keck. Calvary s Caring Crusaders: The BYW is sponsoring a Relay for Life team again this year representing Calvary. Our name is Calvary's Caring Crusaders. The Relay event will be October 8 at Veteran's Park and we hope that you will make plans to attend! We will be holding different events from now until then to raise money for the event and to honor all those who have been affected by cancer within the church. Updates will follow each month. For more information, contact Hope Lineberry. R e c e n t C o n t r i b u t i o n s In Honor of Mary Lynn Goins Ryan and Mara Pratt In Memory of Capanola McHone Dennis and Carolyn Hartgrove In Honor of Linda Hawks Jane Sawyers In Memory of Allen & Georgia Nichols Dennis and Carolyn Hartgrove In Honor of Cathy Stevens Anonymous In Honor of Helen Watson Robert and JoAnn McKinney In Memory of Eva Atkinson Lavon Thompson In Memory of Ray Haas Faye Haas In Memory of Lois Phillips Freta Deathrage Norris and Jo Hodge Roger and Carol Jarrell Tony and Deena Martin Robert and JoAnn McKinney Sharon Thornburg In Memory of Ted Watson Roger and Carol Jarrell Dennis and Carolyn Hartgrove Rev. and Mrs. Buford Hayes In Memory of Tom and Roxie Hodge Mr. Kevin Hayes Norris and Jo Hodge Norris and Jo Hodge Tony and Deena Martin Im Memory of Earlie and Lois Jarrell Mr. and Mrs. Alan McAteer Roger and Carol Jarrell In Memory of Roger Marion Dot Marion Doug and Anita Nichols Sharon Thornburg
Budget Year 2016 As of 5/22/2016 C h u r c h S t a t i s t i c s Budget to Date Receipts to Date Expenditures to Date Receipts minus Expenditures General $206,050.79 $199,839.17 $173,505.55 $26,333.62 Debt Retirement $8,722.98 $21,069.80 $8,559.94 $12,509.86 Transportation $1,211.49 $1,129.00 $486.68 $642.32 Debt Reduction Funds Available as of 5/22: $15,150.68 Total Debt Balance as of 5/22: $172,979.32 Endowment Fund as of 5/22: $27,254.95 If you have any questions about the budget please see Bob Peake. 5/1/2016 5/8/2016 5/15/2016 5/22/2016 Sunday School 149 175 187 220 Uplift combined 87 85 99 Traditional 237 230 171 195 Total Worship 237 317 256 294 General $10,804.00 $10,710.00 $9,314.00 $9,591.18 Debt Retirement $950.00 $324.00 $304.00 $354.00 Transportation $75.00 $40.00 $0.00 $25.00 Date Time Church Activities 6/1 12:00 Noon J.O.Y. Luncheon Cracker Barrel 6/2 6:30 PM Deacons Meeting 6/4 1-3 PM GA s & RA s Pool Party Stevens Home 6/5 Graduate Recognition Sunday 6/5 5-7 PM Encounter Pool Party Fields Home 6/11 9-11 AM WMU Prayer Breakfast SBA Resource Cntr. 6/16 5:00 PM Friends Feeding Friends (FBC-MA) 6/19 Happy Father s Day 6/27 5:30-8:30 PM VBS: Submerged In God s Word 6/28 10:30 AM Women in Mission 6/28 5:30-8:30 PM VBS: Submerged In God s Word 6/29 5:30-8:30 PM VBS: Submerged In God s Word 6/30 5:30-8:30 PM VBS: Submerged In God s Word Date Deacon of the Week Good Shepherds 6/5 Doug Odell Mike Francis & Randy Gentry 6/12 Earl Varney Tony Martin & Gray Shelton 6/19 Gray Shelton Bob McPherson & Brent Hull 6/26 Kent Moser Benny Lisk & Bill Belton
Calvary Baptist Church 314 South Franklin Rd. Mount Airy, NC 27030 The Herald is published the first of each month. Non-Profit Org. U. S. Postage Toast, NC Permit #1 Return Service Requested Newsletter Deadline for next month is June 20, 2016. Please submit newsletter items to the church office by 12:00 Noon on that date. C h i l d r e n & Y o u t h V o l u n t e e r s f o r J u n e Uplift Service Traditional Service Nursery Workers Bed Babies Toddlers 6/5 Sandra Dunbar & Andrea Phillips 6/5 Sandra Byrd & Donna Keck 6/12 Katarina Jarrell & Family 6/12 Anne Forrest & Carolyn Underwood 6/19 Lilnette Phillips & Jan Varney 6/19 Janet McPherson & Thelma Shelton 6/26 Jamie Smith & Christy Robertson 6/26 Jane Sawyers Thank you for your willingness to serve in the child care ministry. If you cannot serve on your assigned Sunday, please contact another volunteer to switch dates. For more information, contact Alex Bracey. 2 and 3 Year Olds 6/5 Sherry Hiatt & Windham Martin 6/12 Gray & Mary Jane Shelton 6/19 Stan & Sheila Wilson 6/26 Joni Mitchell & Sara Norman Children s Church 6/5 Roger & Anita Greene 6/12 Denise & Leah Cain 6/19 Kelly Mabe & Evann Shelnutt 6/26 Jessica & Steve Simandle Calvary Baptist Church Ministers... Our Church Family 314 South Franklin Road Pastor... Rev. Alex Martin Mount Airy NC 27030 (pastoralex@calvarybcmtairy.org) Phone: 336-786-4778 Minister to Youth & Children... Rev. Alex Bracey Fax: 336-786-2808 (alexbracey@calvarybcmtairy.org) Minister of Music... Teresa Martin (teresabmartin125@gmail.com) Administrative Assistant... Billie Doyle E-mail: office@calvarybcmtairy.org (billie@calvarybcmtairy.org) Website: www.calvarybcmtairy.org Office Assistant...Jane Bowman (jane@calvarybcmtairy.org) Pianist... Mary MacCollum Striving to glorify God by being a Christcentered, caring church through worship, Organist... Carolyn Greene discipleship, missions and ministry. Sound Engineers... Phillip Hiatt, Danny Lineberry Custodian... Carlos Delfin