Calvary Baptist Church 1140 Rush Ave. The Calvary Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311 Phone (937) 599-4775 Fax: (937) 599-4879 e-mail: calvary@calvarybellefontaine.org Volume 17 - Issue 11 November 2016 Call We are continuing a series of articles written by friends who have certain occupations. This is a way to learn about friends. We have named this series Why I am. Why I am a Minister of Music BY MARK WARREN eading music is a L privilege and always has been from the very first strum on my guitar when I was in high school to just this past Sunday! It s the space where I can use my talent to encourage believers in their faith journey and call unbelievers into the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. And I believe God has called me to this work, not only because of certain abilities that I have but primarily for the edification of the body of Christ. When I finished seminary, I had a vocational choice to make: pursue a career as a professor at a Bible college or become a pastor at a church. Both options were intriguing to me and both options could have been the Lord s will for my life. So, like any graduate, I began sending out resumes and filling out Inside this issue: From the pastor s desk....2 A House divided New members..3 Calvary news.. 3 Calendar...INSERT CCS news.........insert applications for both career choices. I confess this was not a deeply spiritual decision; it was rather practical.i had a family and needed a job! And yet, God was not absent from my search process. Indeed, He was very present as certain doors for ministry began to close. One position in a church near the seminary stayed open, but I kind of ignored it for a while...a little explanation if you please! Little-known fact, I entered seminary with the desire of becoming a youth pastor. Darcie and I were married after my first year in graduate school, got plugged into a church and eventually joined their youth program as leaders, and after one summer we realized that neither of us wanted to be in youth ministry anymore! Perhaps it was a bad pizza, but we both just felt like that was not where God was leading us as a couple. So, I continued my seminary training while somewhat wondering, What now, Lord? At the other end of the ministry spectrum loomed the idea of becoming a Mark writing his name on a snowdrift in Colorado senior pastor which we definitely weren t mature enough for.and probably still aren t! Yet at the same time, my heart was becoming more inclined for a ministry to adults, but what could it look like, I wondered. So when this church position came to my attention, I paused because it was primarily a music pastor position with an emphasis on adult ministries. It seemed like a good fit, but I had to overcome my own suspicions that music ministry could be a respectable full-time vocation. Then the Lord brought to mind that I had already been doing music ministry for nearly 10 years ever since my freshman year in (continued on page 3)
page 2 The Calvary Call A house divided If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. he divide is keeping me up and praying! T It is 3:30 a.m., and I can t stop thinking about the many chasms that have caused divisions. I pray for resolution and sleep, but neither came. It is now 4:15 a.m., and I surrender to a mind that won t stop. Is it from God calling me to prayer? I will pray. Is it from fear causing me to toss and turn? I will pray. Is it from our enemy creating doubt and distrust? I will pray. When I don t know the answer, I will pray. Early on in Jesus ministry, he faced opposition that caused some to accuse him of casting out demons in the power of the prince of demons. He replied in Mark 3:24-25, If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. On June 16, 1858, while running for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln delivered his House Divided speech from this very passage of scripture. He saw a weakness in the nation, and it was a divide. He lost the election. The house was very divided. The issue was slavery. After a defeat in the Senate election and four years of civil war and countless hours of prayer, the issue of slavery was settled. I don t know what it will take to settle the divide in our country, but I know prayer will play the biggest part. Let s pray together. In just a few days, we will be casting a vote from what looks like a ballot of deplorables to quote Joel Belz. For those who want to honor God with their vote, the choices seem slim. Evangelicals are divided over even casting a vote, given the options. Many want to look past the candidates to the open Supreme Court seat and cast a ballot in light of the power of the presidency. The problem is looking past the candidates character and positions. Hillary Clinton s positions stand against scripture, and Donald Trump s practices stand against scripture. The country is divided, and the church is divided over the election. We need to pray. Closer to home is a divide among conservative evangelicals over the Bible. Popular speaker, Andy Stanley, caused a stir with his message, The Bible Tells Me So. He seems to undermine the authority of the Bible which has caused several who once locked arms with him to lock fists with him. Andy Stanley s reply to their criticism was weak. Their criticism was justified. His response should have been a humble confession of error, not a fingerpointing retort of old-fashioned methods. Biblical authority is not old-fashioned. Pray with me! The divided house in our country and among evangelical Christians is felt in Calvary Baptist Church. Some have pointed fingers and thrown out accusations that have caused a chasm among God s people. Some fear where there is smoke, there must be fire and have stepped away fearing they might get burned. A house divided against itself will not be able to stand. We must stand together for the gospel. Our message gets lost in the divide. Our message must be Jesus Christ crucified and risen for us. Don t let the message fall into the divide. We must pray! - Jeff Willetts, senior pastor
page 3 ~ New members ~ ~ Calvary News ~ The Calvary Call Mike and Valeri Jacobs have been married for 34 years They have four children and five grandchildren. Mike has been working at Honda for 33 1/2 years; he likes to exercise and run, cars and marathons. Valeri is a stay at home mom and wife. She enjoys painting, woodworking, distance running, fitness and health, and her schnauzer, Ernie. Mike and Valeri both believe they should serve one another as Christ served his disciples when He walked this earth. Valeri s biggest passion in life is to educate Christians and others about the importance of being fit mentally, spiritually and physically. Her motto is Getting stronger to serve Him longer. ~ Woman to Woman ~ The seventeenth annual Woman to Woman gathering will be taking place Saturday, November 5, 2016. Ellen Garland is the main speaker on Beautiful Faith. Speakers for mini-sessions are: Kim Bycynski You Want me to do What?, Erin Maley - Accepting God s Plan, Angie Knapp - All the Different Sounds of Music, Ric Garland - Suicide - Let s Talk, Jordan Sok Learning to Embrace the Awkward, and Flo Yoder Tapping Your Gifts. Music will be provided by the Beikert family. ~ Operation Christmas Child ~ National Collection Week is November 14-21. Volunteers are need to brink cookies for Collection Week. Sign up on the bulletin board in the foyer. ~ Ladies Ministries ~ A number of Ladies Ministries are planned for the year, including Bible studies, Heart to Heart (encouraging one another), Step Sisters (a walking program) and various other events. Watch for details. Why I am a Minister of Music (continued from page 1) college leading songs in the junior Sunday School department at my home church. In fact, I had led music for junior high and senior high ministries, class chapels while at Cedarville College, was involved in church orchestras and bands and even had a music minor degree from Cedarville. Needless to say, the dots connected at at once in my brain, and so I contacted this church that needed a music pastor. God in His good providence had brought me to my first pastorate, leading God s people in worship through the ministry of music. My heart was full and my soul was satisfied! Leading music all those years for various groups had prepared me for this calling. Added to that, my seminary training laid the theological foundation necessary for building a biblical philosophy of pastoral ministry. I love to work with the young and learn from the wise. I rejoice when different generations share one platform, and there is no better music that a congregation singing for the glory of God! What a calling to be a catalyst in the church wherein the word of Christ richly dwells, wisely teaching and admonishing, and singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with thanksgiving to God, ever praising the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ for His awesome love, mercy, and grace! - Mark Warren
Calvary Baptist Church 1140 Rush Ave. Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311 Calvary Baptist Church, 1140 Rush Ave., Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311 - Ph. (937) 599-4775 FAX (937) 599-4879 - Web site: www.calvarybellefontaine.org - e-mail: calvary@calvarybellefontaine.org Schedule of services: Sunday: - Sunday school - Morning worship Wednesday: - Bible studies and for youth from ages 3 through high school - Adult Bible and prayer group Pastoral staff: Jeff Willetts, Senior Pastor Mark Warren, Music and Adult Ministries Pastor Donny Macaluso, and Family Pastor Home of Calvary Christian School K-4 through Grade 12 Phone (937) 599-6847 Paul Green, CCS Administrator The Calvary Call Published monthly for the members and friends of Calvary Baptist Church Lee Detrick, Editor If you wish to have your name removed from our mailing list, please let us know
~ November 2016 ~ INSERT Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 Bible Woman to Woman gathering. 6 Sunday school 7 8 9 Ladies Read and Share at Sweet Aromas 10:30 a.m. Bible Study 10 11 12 13 Sunday School NEXUS groups 14 15 16 Bible Study, CalStuMi Thanksgiving 17 Ladies Read and Share at Sweet Aromas 7:00 9:00 p.m. 18 19 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Collections week for Operation Christmas Child- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Sunday School No services THANKSGIVING Christmas Child Collection- - - - - - 27 Sunday School 28 Choir practice 29 30 Bible Study
CalStuMi (Calvary Student Ministries) - ~ for November ~ Regular student ministries: LIGHT Grades 9-12 Sunday morning Bible at 9:00 SALT - Grades 6-8 Sunday morning worship at 10:15 CalStuMi Kids Wednesday evening group time at 6:30 Age 3 through 5th grade Children s church for ages 4 through grade 4 is GOPHER BUDDIES -Ages 3 through kindergarten available during the Sunday morning worship time at OLYMPIANS - Grades 1-5 10:15. INSERT ~ Calvary Christian School news ~ Calvary students had the opportunity to hear from a Detroit Lions player, Jordan Thompson, during chapel on 9/22. It was a really special chapel and the students enjoyed hearing Jordan's story. Jordan shared about his experiences in the NFL, his difficult past of losing his dad, his Christian upbringing, and how God has been his constant through the "ups and downs" of life. He encouraged students to focus on and spend time with God, as he would also be their constant on the "roller coaster ride" of life that we'll all experience at some point in our lives. Students also enjoyed time after the chapel to ask Jordan questions and get his autograph. Environmental Science students in Mr. Glink's class went on a trip around Logan County to do water survey. Students in grades 10-12 visited Honda for an informative tour. Students were unable to observe "See You at the Pole" around the flag pole because of the rain. Some classes still used their Bible class to pray for our leaders and country. Mr. D and his 7th and 8th graders had another successful survival trip to Kiser Lake State Park. These outdoor experiences will be useful when the students survival skills later in the curriculum. - Bekah Smithers