Budget Giving

‘Tis the season for giving!


Actually, for those of us who have experienced the love of Christmas in the person of Jesus Christ, it’s always a season for giving back.  As we approach the end of the 2011 calendar year, we are grateful for the generous contributions of people in our congregation.  God has provided for the ministry needs of our church.  We have supported local and global mission causes and it looks like we could close the year in the black (income over expenses).  We praise God for that and thank you for your part in it.


As of the bulletin on 12-18-11, we reported to our congregation that of the $1,918,060 year-to-date budget, we have received $1,810,424.57.  That means at this point we are $107,635.43 giving under budget and $166,195.07 giving over spending.  Although we wish we could have met budget, (It would not be impossible to do so still if year-end contributions reach that level!), we are grateful that we were able to keep our expenses well within our income.   (If you would like to make sure your 2011 contributions are credited and posted for 2011, please read the related paragraph below).


As we approach the year 2012, we are trusting God with a new faith budget.  We encourage you to consider in prayer how God is leading you to support the 2012 budget.  We are convinced that our congregation has the potential to reach our new 2012 budget of $2,059,615 and even surpass it.  We know God is able to provide all the ministry and missions needs.  We simply pray that his people would be obedient and respond with generosity toward the Lord's work.

Contributions for 2011

In order for your financial contributions to be eligible for tax-deduction for the year 2011, they need to be given or postmarked by December 31 of this year.  If you wish to make a contribution after Sunday, December 25 you may bring it to the church office from Tuesday, December 27 through Friday, December 30 between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.  The office will be closed on Monday, December 26 and on Saturday, December 31.  If you have a last minute contribution on Saturday, December 31 you may contact James McGinnis at 618-4566 or james@calvarymcallen.org.


Once again, thank you for supporting the ministries and missions at Calvary Baptist Church.  May God supply all your needs according to his grace.


I encourage you to share this information with the groups that you lead.  Thank them for their generosity and encourage them to follow the Lord's leadership in budget giving for 2012.

Pastor Susan Sosebee on Sabbatical

During the month of December, Susan Sosebee, Pastor for Families with Children, will be on Sabbatical Leave.  This means that she will not be present in her pastoral role on Sundays and Wednesdays during the month of December.  Neither will she be at the office performing her usual duties.  Instead, she will be away from the everyday demands of church ministry for a time of spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical and ministerial renewal.


Our Calvary Personnel Handbook provides a Sabbatical leave for our full time pastoral staff every seven years of ministry at Calvary.  Pastor Susan has been on staff at Calvary for fourteen years and, thus, became eligible this year for her second Sabbatical.  Several in our pastoral staff have benefited from this personnel policy in the last 15 years or so.


Susan's original plans for her Sabbatical included (1) a time of spiritual rest and renewal and (2) development of pastoral care training under the chaplaincy ministry at Valley Baptist Medical Center, among other things.  Unfortunately, a few days ago Susan hurt her knee.  It seems like she will need surgery in the next few days.  This means that the pastoral care training plans may change.  She does plan to work on some ministry certifications during her surgery recovery time.  Of course, her rehabilitation time may extend beyond the Sabbatical.  (Please pray for her surgery, recovery and the adjustments that this will require).


Even with this added challenge of surgery, it is our hope that during this month Pastor Susan will have a time of rest from the high demands of everyday ministry, experience spiritual renewal, explore personal development areas and return to her assignment in January with renewed vitality.  We will be communicating who are the people that will be in charge of various areas in the children's ministry and how to communicate with them.  Of course, any concern during this time may be directed to me via phone or e-mail.  (It just so happens that Susan and I share a ministry assistant.  So contacting Katrina Williamson is also a good option: katrina@calvarymcallen.org).


There are several documents and resources that explain the background, rationale and practice of ministry sabbaticals, (which are different from the academic sabbaticals that university professors take).  Here are some excerpts from two different web documents:

WHAT IS A MINISTRY SABBATICAL?

Wheat Ridge Ministries defines a ministry sabbatical as a period of time, usually three months, when ministry leaders and congregations set aside the leader’s normal responsibilities for the purpose of rest and renewal toward sustained excellence in ministry.

A ministry sabbatical is not an extended vacation nor is it an academic sabbatical that normally involves extensive study. A ministry sabbatical is a release from the routine of the call for the physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being of the ministry leader.

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON SABBATICALS

The word sabbatical is drawn from Sabbath. The Hebrew word for Sabbath means to “close or rest” and is connected with the last day of Creation when God rested. (Genesis 2:3) God both models and commands Sabbath rest for his people. “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

Jesus affirmed the importance of rest saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28) The Biblical example of Jesus’ own frequent withdrawal to a quiet place to meditate, pray and be renewed is a model. In His ministry, the constant demands of people led Jesus to step away on a regular basis.

See also: Genesis 1 and 2; Exodus 20:8-11, 23:10-12; Leviticus 25:1-7 (Sabbatical Year), 24:8-25 (Year of Jubilee); Psalm 23; and Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

WHY IS A SABBATICAL IMPORTANT?

Roy Oswald, Alban Institute, suggests that the rapid change and complexity of congregational life and ministry raises the need for three months of sabbatical rest and renewal every four to seven years. He believes that 20% to 30% of ministry leaders he speaks to are in a state of severe burnout. Another 20% of the same audience is on the way to severe burnout.

Richard Bullock and Richard Bruesehoff in Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide to Sabbatical Planning suggest the following motivations for considering a ministry sabbatical.

•                Continual spiritual growth facilitated by periods of rest and renewal is vital toward being an effective minister.

•                Pastoral responsibilities are not contained within normal office hours and regularly involve weekends.

•                Rapid changes in parish ministry can increase the likelihood of burnout without periods of rest and renewal.

•                Burnout makes ministry and the minister, dull, hollow, and uninteresting.

•                Provides the opportunity for congregations to examine their dependency on the ministry leader and consider expanding the roles of lay leaders.

http://www.wheatridge.org/resources/ministry-sabbatical-center/what-is-a-ministry-sabbatical/




Here's an excerpt from a different source:

MINISTERIAL SABBATICALS

When a minister serves a congregation for six years or longer, it is time for a sabbatical. An extended time away for the purpose of study, enrichment, vision casting, travel, rest, prayer and/or visiting different cultures provides the needed respite that is pivotal in helping assure continued healthy leadership. Congregations may be strengthened by offering a pastor or an associate a sabbatical—time to briefly step away from the cyclical, unending demands of daily parish life.

A sabbatical is not a vacation. Rather it is a time for intentional exploration and reflection, for drinking anew from God’s life-giving waters, and for regaining the enthusiasm and creativity for ministry.

Genesis and Leviticus speak of “Sabbath time” in terms of days, years, and land usage. Since the Sabbath is recognized as a distinctive time in creation—as a gift of rest for both renewal and hope—Scripture infers that regular, periodic rejuvenation is vital in all areas of life. The Old Testament writers directed a time period for the soil to remain untilled so that it could replenish itself. Just like the soil, humans need a season to lie fallow for revitalization of the body, mind, and soul. Dave Ellingson declared, “We require a time to receive rather than give, to get input rather than give output, to carefully nurture and cultivate our lives so that the soul of our spirits might be rid of weeds and have an opportunity to receive nourishment (Ellingson, page 2).”

Pastors, associates, and ministry leaders are called to the work of ministry as servants of the church. Because of the spiritual dimension of leadership and the emotional energy required by the task, ministers often get into a “give and give and give, but never receive” treadmill. When there is little relief from the constant pressure of Sunday morning deadlines, committee meetings, counseling sessions, visitation schedules, community commitments, and a host of other day-to-day encounters, a leader might scream, “Stop the world. I want to get off.” Greg Asimakoupoulos discovered in his weariness, “Much of my depression was actually my body’s muffled cry for rest (Asimakoupoulos, page 102).”

A sabbatical allows the minister to get off the treadmill in exchange for a battery recharge of vision and hope. It creates an opportunity for the minister to:

 recapture a sense of vision,
 be nurtured in faith and skills,

 become introspective,
 rekindle spiritual passion,
 refocus priorities,
 review the ministerial journey, and
 reflect on the call of God for life and ministry.

A sabbatical feeds the body, mind, and soul resulting in renewed, refreshed, and revitalized energy to function as a shepherd and servant leader. Several clergy persons have expressed “ah-ha” moments as a result of the sabbatical journey. Often, the sabbatical extends the pastor’s tenure with a congregation. When the minister returns with a renewed vision, the congregation often opens a new, exciting chapter in congregational ministry.

Vibrant, healthy congregations are led by vigorous, effective ministers. To retain the spark of dynamic leadership,aministerneedstostepawayfromtheintensityofdailyministryforbreathingspace. Duringa respite from leadership, pastoring, administrating, counseling, comforting, and fundraising, the minister may learn, grow, and renew his/her personal wellsprings of faith and commitment. Following a sabbatical, a minister often resumes congregational leadership with a fresh spirit and a renewed passion.

https://chogministryconnector.com/downloads/pdfs/Ministerial%20Sabbaticals.pdf

We are grateful that Calvary Baptist Church has provided up to 30 days of Sabbatical to full time pastoral staff for every seven years of ministry since the 1990s.  We pray that God continue to bless Calvary and her pastors with renewal and health.

Personnel Budget 2012

Our congregation approved the 2012 proposed budget a week ago in "Church Conference."  One of the large portions of the budget has to do with personnel.  Our church has seven pastors on staff, two part-time associates, a Church Administrator, and five ministry assistants.  This staff has the privilege and responsibility of providing leadership, ministry and resources to church members so that together we may all do the work of the ministry.

The personnel committee is elected by the church in order to ensure that the staff receives adequate compensation for their work, that they are provided with benefits and terms of employment that recognize the value of their work and that is equitable for our particular church setting.  The responsibility of this committee is great and they should be commended for their hard work.

For the 2012 budget, the personnel committee reviewed a national study of church employee compensation that used criteria of church size, educational level, and years of service, among other things.  Based on this study and other information, the committee agreed to bring the compensation of two in our pastoral staff into alignment.  While it has not been the practice of the committee or the congregation to publish all the salaries of the staff for several years, it is important that leaders be aware of how thorough the work of the committee is.


Marcus Rodriguez', Pastor for Families with Students, compensation was brought into alignment in keeping with the size of ministry he is leading, in accordance with this level of education and his years of service here at Calvary.  We are grateful for a vibrant student ministry and for the leadership of Pastor Marcus.


Rolando Aguirre, Pastor for Spanish Language Ministries and Regional Missions, has had increased responsibilities as the Spanish-speaking portion of our congregation continues to grow and as he continues to give leadership to regional missions and serves as liaison for to the missions committee.  He also assists the lead pastor in pastoral counseling and in supplying the pulpit.  Taking this in consideration, the personnel committee also saw fit to bring his compensation up in keeping with his increased responsibilities, his level of education and his years of service at Calvary.  We are blessed to have Pastor Rolando on our staff.


Our personnel budget also provides for the position of Pastor for Global Impact and Administration.  We pray and hope that our budget may be met so that this vacancy can be filled.  This is a key position in regard to the missional direction of our church and we look forward to God's provision in this area.


We are grateful, once again, for a personnel committee that has worked hard to make sure our staff is taken care of, thus freeing them up to do what God has called them to do.


Please pray for our staff and for the continued generosity of the congregation in budget giving.

Church in Conference Participation and Decisions

Last night with approximately 160 Calvary members, representing all three Sunday morning services, attended "The Church in Conference" event.  Those attending were able to see exhibits about the missions and ministries supported through our church budget.  A brief fellowship time which included cheese nachos was followed by congregational worship in English and Spanish.


The By-Laws Standing committee presented two amendments to Calvary's bylaws.  One of them had to do with when and how individuals may join the church, allowing the congregation to receive members at any of its worship services.  The other had to do with the role of the deacons when the office of the lead pastor is vacant.  Both amendments were approved by an overwhelming majority.  You can see the amendments here: Constitutional Amendments.


The Deacon Screening and Nominating Committee presented 11 deacon nominees (representing men from all three of our worship services): George Kydd, Alfonso Cavazos, Jose Luis Cuellar, Dennis Chang, Joe Martell, Brent McBain, Marco Murrillo, Javier Gonzalez, Warren Reed, Ken Munn and David Heflin.  There were 140 ballots cast and all nominees received more than the required 2/3 affirmative vote.  All of these men will be rotating into the active deacon body in January.  You can see their biographies here: Deacon Biographies.


The Stewardship Committee presented the 2012 Budget consisting of a total $2,059,615 for the year or $38,861 weekly (53 Sundays in 2012).  The budget is divided as follows: 18% for missions; 53% for personnel; 7% for direct ministries and 22% for ministry support.  The budget was approved as presented by an overwhelming majority and will be effective on January 1, 2012.  You can see a copy of the budget here: Budget 2012.


We are grateful for the committees that prayed and worked hard in preparation for this meeting, for all the staff and volunteers who worked hard to make the experience meaningful for those attending and for each member who participated and contributed with his/her presence, questions and vote.


It is our desire that God would be glorified through every decision that was made last night.  As we move forward to 2012 we continue to pray for the Lord's blessing, direction, wisdom and provision.  We realize that without Him we cannot do anything.  We also rejoice in knowing that He is able to do great things through us as we trust Him.  May He be glorified.  May our church grow into the likeness of Christ.  May our community be blessed by our presence here.  And, may more people around the world become followers of Christ as we pray, give and go.

Documents for Business Session

Please remember that all of the documents for the business session are available electronically on our website (click on link below):


Church in Conference Documents


We want to encourage you to take a look at those, print them if you'd like and pass the word to others about their availability.  We are trying to save money on paper and copies so we will have a very limited number of packets on Sunday night.  We are counting on everyone to do their part in having the documents that we snail mailed or that are printed from the website.


Thanks for your help with this.


Let's keep praying for God's direction.

A New Thing?

“See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (Is. 43:19).  This word from God through Isaiah for his people Israel is a good word for us today also.  As we approach the end of 2011 and prepare for 2012, we are grateful for the great things God has done.  Yet, we anticipate “the new thing” he wants to do.  As we gather in Church Conference this Sunday night we will review the missions endeavors and ministries God has allowed us to support.  We will vote on a new budget that increases missions support.  This is a budget that will require us to acknowledge that it will not be met on human effort alone or on the giving trends of the recent past.  It is a budget that calls us to ask if God wants to do a new thing through us.  If so, then we will need to rely on Him to do what only He can do.  We will also vote on deacon candidates and constitutional amendments.  Come ready to discern God’s direction together as a church body.

More for Missions in Budget 2012 Proposal

How can we spend less on ourselves so that we can spend more on missions?  This is one of the questions that several of our church members and committee members have asked during this season of budget development.  As a church we understand that we have a ministry to carry out within our church family and a mission to live out beyond ourselves.  During the development process for the 2012 Calvary budget we have asked our leaders and committees to take a hard look at our needs within the church and to try to free up the budget for increased missions giving.  Our stewardship committee worked hard to designate funds in 2011 for maintenance and repair of church properties to avoid increasing this line item in the budget.

The stewardship committee’s proposed 2012 budget has virtually no increase in the personnel section, a decrease in the direct ministries section, a 1.64% increase in ministry support and a 4.73% in missions giving compared to the 2011 budget.  This is the result of coordinated teamwork across the leadership of Calvary.  We believe that this is a faith budget that can be reached only through prayer, God’s help and generous giving.  If any of these three ingredients is lacking, we will fail.  Please pray for God’s wisdom and blessing on this process.

Budget 2012 Proposal This Sunday

Our stewardship committee will present a proposed budget to the church at our Church in Conference this coming Sunday (November 13) at 6:30 pm.  This is a challenging task that requires much prayer and the direction of God’s Spirit.  The process has involved prayer, listening to the needs of the church from the perspectives of its various leaders, looking at giving patterns and seeking to understand what God is calling our church to do in the year 2012. 

The proposed budget is a total of $2,059,615 for 2012, which is an increase of $64,832 over the current (2011) budget.  The bulk of this increase ($51,366) is in the area of missions.  The missions committee has requested that the missions portion of the budget be increased by 2% points which is in keeping with the missional nature of Calvary.  This is a realistic budget in terms of the giving potential of our church but it will require an increased commitment from across the congregation for us to meet it.  In fact, it is a faith budget that may only be reached by our depending on God for his provision.  Please pray for the Lord’s direction and for His provision during the days ahead.

I'm Back!

I apologize for neglecting this blog for the last couple of months.  As I had been getting behind on my PhD dissertation writing, I had to prioritize some of the ministry responsibilities.  Hopefully I have attended the important matters (preaching, staff direction and development, administrative committees, deacon process, budget development, occasional hospital visits and pastoral counseling) while other matters were put on hold.  I appreciate the support and patience with me in this process.


I am happy to report that last week I submitted my first chapter of the dissertation.  Lord willing, this week I will begin work on the next chapter.  My goal is to submit this next one before the end of the year, God willing.


For now, I will attempt to keep up with this blog so I can share with you what is going on.  I will begin by simply posting the most recent "Calvary Life" articles I have submitted for publication in our Sunday bulletin.  All three of them have to do with our budget.  As you may know we are voting on our budget this coming Sunday night.  I am hoping these brief posts will stimulate discussion to answer questions or address concerns you might have about the budget before voting on it.

Radical Mission Project Matching Fund

Shortly after we concluded our Radical sermon series, an individual in our congregation made an anonymous donation to facilitate "radical mission projects" by groups in our church. Last night the missions committee approved the criteria for the distribution of this fund. The criteria is as follows,


Objective: The purpose of this fund is to encourage and facilitate mission projects by Calvary Baptist Church groups which minister holistically to the under-reached and/or the underserved outside of our church family and beyond the Calvary campus. (A group may be a Bible Fellowship, an affinity group or a group formed solely for that purpose). The intent is to mobilize people to serve in a context beyond Calvary Life (as suggested in the radical challenge).


Nature of the fund: This fund consists of a $100,000 designated donation. Unless, there are additional donations made to this fund or budget monies directed to it, the fund will exist only as long as there is a balance in that designated account. Matching funds will be drawn from the principal balance. (This is not an endowment). The fund will match every dollar that the group contributes to the project.


Amount limits: At this point there is no minimum amount. However, it is suggested that any project requiring funds of $1500 or less can be approved by the matching fund subcommittee. Any project requiring funds over $1500 should be approved by either the pastoral staff team or the missions committee.


Geographical scope: The project can be anywhere beyond the Calvary campus; from Hidalgo County to the ends of the earth.


Definitions:


Mission project: An event or development that serves a population beyond the Calvary family, away from the Calvary campus, and has the intent to minister holistically. In other words, the ultimate purpose of the event or development is to share the message of the gospel while demonstrating the love of Christ as human needs are met. These events or developments can be a medical brigade, the provision of a water well, the construction of a home, the training of job skills, etc., etc.


Under-reached: This is any population that does not already have a strong local church for its culture and language. These may include indigenous people groups in other countries or particular cultural groups in our region.


Underserved: These are those that we sometimes refer to as “the least of these.” They include the poor, the widow, the orphan, the immigrant, the abused, etc.




Criteria:


Those receiving matching funds must meet all of the following criteria,

1. The ultimate objective of the project is to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those who are being served.
2. The project must be church-approved in one of the following ways: (1) the church identifies a project through its pastoral staff and/or missions committee or (2) the Radical mission project matching fund committee approves it as part of the application process.
3. It must meet a specific tangible need (i.e.: food, housing, water, education, medical, etc.).
4. The group must be led by a Calvary church member who is accountable for administering the funds.
5. The project must target populations beyond the Calvary family and be carried out away from the Calvary campus. This is not a benevolence fund for the Calvary family but a missions endeavor.
6. All members of the team participating in the project shall have done a group study of the book Radical by David Platt in preparation for the mission trip or project.
7. The matching funds are to be used only for actual ministry materials and supplies. It is not to be used for transportation or travel expense.

Application Process:


A Radical mission project matching fund sub-committee shall be appointed by the missions committee in consultation with the pastor liaison to the committee as follows:

1. The sub-committee will consist of three members who will serve a maximum of three years. If the fund lasts longer than two years, provision should be made for the rotation of sub-committee members.
2. Sub-committee members may be members of the missions committee but do not have to be. No more than one sub-committee member should be a member of the missions committee. All committee members must be Calvary Baptist Church members in good standing.
3. At their first meeting, the subcommittee shall elect a chair (if one has not been appointed yet) and approve the application form to be used).
4. Application forms will be provided through the missions office of Calvary Baptist Church. (Their availability should be announced via the church bulletin, website and other means). Applications will be submitted to the missions office or the chairperson of the subcommittee.
5. The subcommittee shall meet as needed to review applications and take action on them.
6. The subcommittee shall provide a monthly report to the missions committee and to the pastor liaison for the committee.

Revisions to this document may be recommended by the pastoral staff team, the matching fund sub-committee or the missions committee and be approved by the missions committee.


Additionally, the missions committee appointed Mario Samaniego as one of three that will process the applications.


I am grateful to the Lord for the donor of this fund, for the missions committee and for the stories that we will hear in the months ahead. Lives will be impacted with the love of Christ in tangible ways as we minister holistically to people beyond Calvary.


To God be the glory, great things he has done and great things He will do!

Summer Camps

I am writing this blog post from my cabin at Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose, Texas. This is the third camp this summer that I have the privilege of attending and serving as the speaker. It is the first time ever that I do that many camps in one summer. It probably won't happen again in the near future. Either way, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for these very special opportunities.




The first camp I was honored to serve this summer was our very own children's ministry's Camp Tejas. This camp is a collaboration of Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen, First Baptist Church, Brenham, & First Baptist Church, Longview. Over 300 boys and girls attended. Many of them made professions of faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord and a significant number surrendered to God's call on their lives for vocational ministry or career missions. What a wonderful blessing!


Our very own Pastor Susan Sosebee directed this camp making sure that the children received a program of recreation, devotion, Bible Study, worship, missions & much more. Calvary parents and adult volunteers invested much on that week's experience. It is our desire that Calvary continue to provide this quality camp experience for our children. The church budget, the support of the camp fundraiser & the generosity of individuals made it possible for any child desiring to go to be able to do so. Praise God for that!






As Calvary's lead pastor I am grateful that I was able to speak to our own children and the children of the other two churches.






While some pastors get the support of their church to preach a couple of revivals a year, I had the opportunity to serve as evangelist for two other camps. I am grateful for that also!

Last week I had the privilege of speaking at a Hispanic youth camp at Mt Lebanon Baptist Encampment in Cedar Hill, Texas. About 25 churches from around the state sent their students to this 'campamento.' This year about 400 campers attended. This was an occasion with sentimental value. Ten years ago this camp was launched as an idea born in the hearts of three friends, including me. As the camp celebrated it's 10th anniversary, we saw about a dozen teenagers give their life to Christ, another 30 make rededication commitments and 28 surrendered to ministry or missions. On Wednesday afternoon we sent out all 400 to the city of Arlington to minister to children in low income apartment complexes. Several children trusted Christ during this outreach. (The 110o weather did not hold back God's blessings!) God is good!






I am the camp pastor this week for a boys (RA's) group grades 1st through 6th. It is a camp sponsored by the Tarrant Baptist Association and about a dozen churches bring their boys to it. This year there are about 260 campers, which is significantly down from previous years. So far this week there have been several boys who have trusted Christ as Savior and Lord. I look forward to the last two full days of camp tomorrow and Friday. The camp concludes Saturday morning.




As I get ready to wrap up this round of summer camps there are several things that I am mindful of:

• How significant is the support of the local church for the success of these camps.
• What an eternal impact children and youth camps can have on the lives of young ones.
• What a privilege it is to harvest the seeds that Sunday school teachers, parents and others have planted in the hearts of young people. We are so indebted to the faithful work of church members.  
• How important intercessory prayer is in children and youth ministries. I can literally feel the difference when people have been praying!
• What a great blessing it is to have adult volunteers and parents who invest a week of their summer serving as camp sponsors or leaders.

May we continue to pray for and invest in the lives of youth and children this fall and spring. Discipleship is a year long process!


I look forward with anticipation at all the things that will take place in the life of out church during the 2011-2012 year.

Exciting Summer Events!

We are right in the middle of summer and so many exciting things are happening that it is difficult to mention only one.  All of these things are ways in which we are growing as a church family who loves God and loves people.  The mission of making disciples is being advanced.  At the risk of leaving some important things out, let me briefly mention seven of these as we celebrate and as we continue to pray for God's blessing.


1.  Camp Zephyr:


A record number from Calvary (70 students and adults) participated in the youth camp at Zephyr a couple of weeks ago.  A great number from our group made spiritual decisions (professions of faith, rededication, request for baptism and surrender to ministry).  Interestingly, the theme of the camp was "Love God, Love People"!  We are grateful to God for this and we pray for the continuing discipleship that is taking place on Tuesday nights (Middle School), Wednesday nights (High School) and Thursdays (serving the Sullivan City community).  Thanks Pastor Marcus Rodriguez.  Keep up the good work.




2.  Combined Praise Band (English and Spanish):


At the request of the Hispanic Convention of Texas (BGCT), Calvary formed a combined praise band from those who lead worship in our English and Spanish services.  Benjamin Aguirre, Spanish Ministry Associate, led this team with the support of Pastor Mark Richardson.  This team led worship for the convention's sessions and was received with overwhelming acceptance.  Beyond their blessing the convention attendees for those three days, this effort was significant because it demonstrated one of the ways in which our church can grow in unity across our English and Spanish services.  This past Sunday they led the worship in all three of our services.  While it is important that we maintain the unique aspects of classical (English), contemporary (English) and contemporary (Spanish) worship services, on occasion, it is also important to have a sense that we are ONE family.  We pray that we continue to find ways to celebrate who we are as a Calvary family while maintaining our rich diversity.




3.  Sullivan City Church Restart


Our missions committee recently approved the restart of the church that we sponsor in Sullivan City giving Raul and Alba San Martin a leadership role and a presence in the community.  (They are living in the church parsonage there).  Elizabeth Zamora and Pastor Rolando Aguirre have been charged with being the communication link between that church and Calvary.  Thankfully, many from Calvary have responded recently to clean-up and outreach efforts in that community.  Last week two groups from a church in Tolar, Texas and one in Hueytown, Alabama came to the Sullivan City church property to paint, do construction projects, and lead a Vacation Bible School.  The church building was filled with approximately 80 children from the community and several of them made decisions to trust Christ as Lord and Savior.  We are grateful for people who have travelled so far to help us with our church restart here in the Valley.  While the San Martin's will continue to minister daily in that community, our Calvary students will be doing follow-up work on Thursdays.  We thank God for his blessing on this restart!




4.  Amazon Mission Trip:


In addition to the various mission trips Calvary individuals have been taking this summer to South Asia, East Asia, Panama, Venezuela, Germany, Kenya, Austria and New York, a group of twelve has gone on a Calvary sponsored trip along the Amazon river.  As I post this blog they are working with indigenous groups in villages along the river providing dental check-ups, tooth extractions, construction project assistance, free Bibles, and evangelism.  Many have already trusted Christ as Savior and Lord during this trip.  They will cover places in Colombia, Peru and Brazil.  Their objective is to equip local leaders to disciple indigenous people.  This is very much in line with the strategy we are wanting to follow as a church in a global involvement.  We thank God for this group led by Pastor Rolando and David Love.




5.  Fourth of July Tailgate Party:


Last Saturday, Calvary proved once again that it knows how to throw a party!  Over 1,600 people attended as many of our volunteers served hotdogs, snow cones, drinks, pop corn, nachos and as children enjoyed several rides.  And as it is the tradition, we ended the evening with an outstanding fireworks display put on by the City of McAllen.  We have identified about 125 English-speaking households and 50 Spanish-speaking households who may not have a church home.  Pastor Gary Faris is working in doing a mail out to all those who are our guests, thanking them for coming to the party and asking them for input on how Calvary can continue to serve our community.  He will also be working on assigning follow-up home visits to them in the next week or so.  Look for an opportunity to show up at one of these homes to simply say, "thank you for coming to our tailgate party and please know that our church cares about you."  We are so grateful for Betty Flores, Elizabeth Zamora, the 4th of July team and all of the volunteers that made this mega event possible.




6.  "Radical missions project matching fund"


This week we received a designated donation of a little over $100,000 for a fund which may be called "Radical missions project matching fund."  The purpose of this fund is to encourage groups in our church to take on projects that minister to unreached (or under-reached people groups) or to the poor and the oppressed.  The fund is intended to match dollar-per-dollar of what the group invests on serving the particular target population.  There is a list of criteria that must be met for the group to qualify for matching funds.  The criteria and the process for administering this fund will be presented to the missions committee before any disbursements are to be made.  We will keep you posted as to the progress of this. We are so grateful to the individual (who has asked to remain anonymous) who has taken a "radical" and "sacrificial" step to facilitate our church's advancing mission.  Praise God for this!


(You will note on this next Sunday's bulletin that the "total giving for 7-3-11" is $126,627.28.  This is definitely extraordinary giving to our budget in one week.  It essentially puts us in a "caught up" position on budget giving right in the middle of the year.  Please note that this is only budget giving.  It does not include the designated gift for the "radical missions project matching fund."  The Lord has given us a double huge blessing in one week!)




7.  Camp Tejas


In a couple of days a bus load of children and adults who love them will leave for Camp Tejas in Giddings.  Pastor Susan Sosebee is directing this camp which involves three churches in our state.  Many are praying for the lives of our children to be impacted with the love of God.  As lead pastor, I look forward to the opportunity of speaking each day to this group.  We are convinced that the faith formation of our children is extremely important.  Please pray this week for God's hand to move in this camp.




As all of these exciting things happen, we are undergoing some changes at the staff level.  I will communicate more about these changes on this blog at a later time.  For now, I would like to express gratitude to Pastor Joe Gerault and his ministry.  This month he has transitioned from his full time role as Pastor of Administration and Pastoral Ministries to a part time role as Pastor of Pastoral Ministries.  We have had a smooth transition.  We appreciate all that Pastor Joe has done in his full time role for practically eighteen years.  We trust that God will continue to use him and bless him in this new stage of his ministry.


I am grateful for each staff member, each deacon, each leader and each member in our church.  What a privilege to be here now!


Blessings

Free Lunches at Adventure Week?

            During the “Radical: Invitation to Extreme Living” sermon series, I preached a sermon titled, “How Much is Enough?”  I spoke about how the Scriptures challenge us in regard to financial prosperity and the poor.  In fact, I made a case for the idea that our treatment of the poor and the needy is evidence of our relationship with God.  The more we love God, the more we will care about and minister to the poor and the needy.

            On that same Sunday, at the conclusion of the service, I announced that during Calvary’s Adventure Week we would be offering free breakfast and lunch for the children that attended.  I also mentioned that the McAllen ISD was the provider of such a service.  There has been concern expressed about the appropriateness of our church offering food that has been provided by a government agency.  There was also a question raised about whether or not offering “school meals” to the children of our church contradicted my message to the congregation that we as Christians should help the poor.

            Given that concern, I think it would be important that I explain our decision to allow the McAllen ISD to serve meals at Calvary during Adventure Week.  It is my hope that this explanation would clarify matters for some of you.

As I discussed plans for Adventure Week with Pastor Susan this spring, we decided that we would schedule it during the day in order to reach more children from the community.  We thought that such a schedule would be helpful for children of single moms or other latchkey children who are not in day care or other day summer programs.  (Sound like the history of the beginning of Sunday School in 18^th century London?).  After we had made that determination, we were told about the opportunity of having McAllen ISD serve free breakfast and lunch to the children who attended.  We agreed to this because we thought it would be a ministry to the children in our community who would come.  The qualification of the program is not based on the individual children who come but on the area where the church is located.  In order, not to make the food distribution cumbersome, the meal program does not require that individual children “apply” or “qualify.”  Any child who shows up and desires a meal, can get one.

The food comes from the USDA Summer Food Service Program.  It is designed to “fill the nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need” (http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/).  This program usually involves the collaboration of schools, non-profits, businesses, volunteers and government to get the food to the children.  In our case, we felt it was a good way to facilitate the delivery of meals to children in our community/church and to show our care for them as we involved them in Adventure Week.  The Summer Food Service Program did not put any restrictions on what we do for Adventure Week or require anything from us.  In other words, there were no strings attached.

            As Baptists, we believe in the separation of church and state.  Calvary is not seeking or counting on government to support its ministries.  However, we understand that community transformation requires partnership and collaboration with non-profits, with business, with the education sector, the medical sector, and sometimes with government, as long as it does not compromise our convictions or limit our freedom.  When we agree on needs to be met with others, we can partner with them to meet those needs.

I know there are diverse views about this subject among our members.  I recognize that there are some who feel that it is not the job of government to feed people but rather the job of the church and non-profits.  I respect that position.

            The conviction that we should, in the name of Christ, minister to the needs of the poor is a biblical one.  We count on the church to provide resources for this purpose.  We also want to help people have access to other existing resources in the community.

            That is the reason behind our decision to serve the meals during Adventure Week.  I apologize if I offended anyone.  It was not my intention.  We are also willing to revisit this action for the future if it is deemed contrary to our church principles.

            May God bless us as we continue to find ways to make his glory and love known in our community, throughout the Valley and around the world.

Restarting Church in Sullivan City (Another way to Love God and Love People)

For several years now, Calvary McAllen has sponsored what came to be known as Primera Iglesia Bautista, Sullivan City.  During the fall of 2010 our pastors tasked with mission mobilization and our missions committee evaluated the work at Primera Sullivan.  At one point, consideration was given to closing down the church and selling the property.  However, as the committee prayed and as a transition plan was put in place, we felt God indicating to us that we should restart this church again.

Mission Committee’s Decision

Under the leadership of Pastor Rolando Aguirre (tasked with oversight of Calvary’s local and Northern Mexico missions) and Victor Valenzuela (missions committee chairman) the missions committee has approved the restarting of a church in Sullivan City with the following provisions:

•                     Raul San Martin will serve at that location as our missionary church planting pastor with the able help of his wife, Alba.  (The official title may be different but this will be the role);

•                     Raul San Martin will receive monthly financial support from our missions budget (funds have already been allocated for this purpose);

•                     The missionary church planting couple will live in the parsonage at Sullivan City.  This provides a housing benefit for them and protection to Calvary’s property, which might otherwise be vacant and subject to vandalism.

•                     Raul with the help of his wife will be taking care of the church and parsonage property, conducting Bible studies during the week in the summer, offering guitar and sewing lessons, visiting in the homes of the community, and participating in monthly outreach events such as Vacation Bible School, Back-to-school party, etc

•                     Raul San Martin will report to Pastor Rolando Aguirre, while Elizabeth Zamora, Community Ministries Associate will also provide support and volunteer mobilization.

•                     Sunday services will be restarted once school starts in August.

•                     We will seek the participation of Calvary people in Sullivan City at various levels, including Sunday attendance, event participation, project support, etc

•                     We will seek to work in collaboration with Buckner’s Community Transformation Center at Peñitas.

We are grateful for this opportunity that the Lord has re-opened for us.  As we have prayed for direction, God has answered.  We now pray that we will respond in obedience as we love God and love people.  As a church that believes in being a multiplying community and in ministering “to the least of these,” this is a great opportunity.

Background of Calvary’s Work in Sullivan City

As the pastors tasked with missions mobilization and the missions committee evaluated Calvary’s investment in Sullivan City, they discovered several things.  Although Calvary was providing the site property for the church building and parsonage, and monthly financial support for several years, the congregation had dwindled to a handful of people.  The missions committee decided to end the financial support by the summer of 2011.  In January of this year, Pastor David Garcia, who had been in charge of the church in Sullivan City, resigned.  It was recommended that the Sunday services cease until a decision was made about what to do next. 

Ron Corbett, member of the missions committee, immediately went out to Sullivan City to assess the condition of the property and to determine options for dealing with the property.  Making several trips and investing much of his time and personal resources, he became instrumental in informing our staff about what administrative matters needed to be taken care of and in mobilizing volunteers to go and clean up the property.

Although the idea of closing down the church and selling the property was considered seriously, Ron, Rolando and the rest of the committee came under the conviction that much more could be done to help a church start succeed in that location.  While Calvary had provided a site, monthly support and the participation of instrumentalists for worship services, we had failed to provide greater participation from our volunteers, prayer and moral support.

During that time Raul and Alba San Martin made themselves available to move into the property so that it would not be vacant and so that it would be cared for.  The missions committee approved this option, allowing them to probe the community for interest in ministry.  Furthermore, the committee asked that an assessment be conducted to determine what should be done at Sullivan City.  The assessment was to be conducted by Pastor Rolando with the assistance of Elizabeth Zamora.

A Transition Plan Bears Fruit

While we continued to pray for God’s direction, the San Martin couple moved in.  Soon the couple began to establish rapport with the children who came to play soccer on the church’s playground.  A Bible study was started that has grown to an average attendance of 22 adults and youth.  Raul has offered guitar lessons and Alba sewing lessons.  They also opened the church for prayer on Monday mornings.  ABF’s and other volunteers from Calvary made several trips to Sullivan City to clean the property, to conduct a medical outreach and to support the “Día del Niño” block party.

Soon, a ministry started to bloom in a community that some were convinced would never respond to a church in that location.   People from the community have come to Mother’s Day celebrations, Easter Sunday, and the other outreaches.  They continue to ask for Sunday services, some of them even showing up on Sundays and knocking on the door hoping there will be services.

The fruit borne by the presence of the San Martin’s, the participation of Calvary volunteers, and the prayers of many at Calvary over the last couple of months have led the committee to the conviction that a greater investment of financial, human and spiritual resources in Sullivan City should be made.  We are believing that God can raise a strong and vibrant church in the midst of that community.

Conclusion

There is much drug and human trafficking that takes place in Sullivan City.  There is much poverty also.  Some demographic statistics can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_City,_Texas.  The need for hope is great!  We are convinced that God loves this place and wants to redeem the lives of children, youth, men and women there.  Let us pray for this church restart to succeed with the power of God’s Spirit.  Let us personally invest in its success.  May we be found faithful in this and may the Lord give us other opportunities to multiply as a church.

We are grateful for the leadership of Rolando Aguirre, Victor Valenzuela and Ron Corbett.  We are blessed by the lives of Raul and Alba San Martin.  We thank all the volunteers who have responded to the needs.  And we are happy that Calvary’s financial investment has not been in vain.

This summer we look forward to commissioning the San Martin’s for this task and enlisting the commitment of volunteers and prayer partners.  Pray about your role in this and that of your Bible Fellowship.  Our student ministry is committing to make this their summer missions project, perhaps spilling over into the fall.  As a missional church, it takes all of us mobilizing to carry out God's mission.

We are loving God and loving people.