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Calvary Update - April 2007 |
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 Dan's April 2007 Update
Easter
In our eastern Iowa culture we have few of the challenges of the big city. For example, unemployment is low; we have quality education; personal values are fairly strong. But, still, people are empty!
For this Easter weekend we are titling the services, “Empty.” This is a double reference to the condition of Jesus’ tomb (especially with regard to recent “discovery” of his tomb) and the human heart (which Jesus promises to fill).
 We are adding an extra service at 10:30 a and providing KidZone (a magician with a message!) for all three services.
It remains for you to invite folks to come and help fill up the seats. This is one of the times in the calendar when the openness to attend a church service is greater.
Guatemala
While most teens are looking for a week of partying on spring break we have a group headed for their own unique “party.” Pastor Scott is leading an energetic team on their way to Central America. They will be working with children and completing some building projects in the town of Quetzaltenango. Keep them in your prayers.
Sportsmen’s Dinner
Last month more than 650 showed up for an evening which focused on the outdoors, complete with camo and storytelling! And there was great food as well. Thanks, team, for pulling this off!
Frankly, my own hunting experience is very limited. I remember trying to hunt rabbits in the snow with a BB gun. And we also took turns chasing pigeons out of the barn while my cousins and I would try to shoot them out of the air on the fly. Those birds either had avoidance radar or we were very poor shots!
Financial Peace University
One of the most transferable resources we have is money. And we in the United States have a lot of it! Each Sunday evening more than 100 people are learning how to save, use, and give their wealth through the teaching of Dave Ramsey. Dave is a follower of Jesus who has popularized Biblical teaching and common sense about the use of money. The class is having serious impact on personal debt, family communication, and spending habits.
70 Plus
Last weekend we had the privilege of honoring a significant group of people. The average life expectancy of a church is seventy years. Calvary is 62 years old. Without a new vision and focus we would expect Calvary to be on its death bed. But we are not there! And in the services we took the time to applaud those who have had to go through more change in that transition than anyone else—change that has not always been so pleasant. Thanks, seniors!
Church Sign
We have been here for almost four years without a sign at the entrance to our property. One of the primary reasons for purchasing the mall was because of its visibility. And since 16,000 people pass that spot every day, we are constructing a sign and programmable message board. Funds from 20:24 are paying the bills. Hopefully the project will be complete in a month.
But we have an aesthetic challenge. City rules regarding signs require that we must bring it back onto our property (makes sense). It turns out that the line of trees closest to the road will have to be removed to allow people to see the sign (we decided it best NOT to hide the sign!). This is particularly difficult because we have all enjoyed the spring blossoms on those trees. Maybe we’ll get to enjoy them one last time (actually, the trees have been dying—on their “last root” ☺). We are developing new landscaping plans. (Please don’t plan to chain yourself to a tree in protest!)
We are praying that God will use this sign, yet another means of communication, to help people join His family.
Philippians
I am deeply impacted by my personal study of this book in preparation for weekends—especially the section on unity. In his prayer on our behalf, Jesus spoke at length on the unity of the church. He suggested that the world’s view of his own deity, the reason for his coming, and a grasp of God’s love for the world hinges on our unity. That makes this harmony an essential part of life at Calvary Church. Could it be that the level of impact in our community is an evidence of our unity as a body? Challenging thought! I am committed to continuing to work on that!
Keep your personal Bible handy as we work through that great letter. Our goal is to get people using their Bibles more!
Actually, in my own reading I am in the middle of Judges—R-rated! What terrible days those must have been! After reading that book I actually appreciate the world we live in.
How about a question on a Biblical detail? A friend was in his Bible-in-a-year process and began to wonder—Why did the Hebrews long for meat in their wilderness wanderings when they had all that livestock with them? I don’t have an answer.
www.calvaryonline.org
Did you know that a couple of days before the weekend we have a brief description of the topic for the services on our web page? That’s so you can decide if you want to come or not! Just kidding! Actually, it might help you prepare someone you’ve invited for the first time. Be sure to check out the page on a regular basis. It is one of our most used forms of communication.
Dan Schoepf is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Church.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 06 April 2007 )
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