Don't Miss "Guide Us to Thy Perfect Light"!

Our music and worship ministry has been preparing an outstanding Christmas musical.  This musical communicates the illuminating message of the birth of Christ in a clear and joyful manner.  Using drama and music, the program reflects why we exist as a church and who we are.

"Missions exists because worship doesn't" encapsulates the essence of our purpose.  As a missional church our ultimate desire is to see the all the nations worship Him who was born in a manger and who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  

The orchestra, band, choirs and actors will display all of the various segments at Calvary generationally and ethnically.  They will express the great joy we have in Christ and point to Him as the  Perfect Light for the world.

As a leader at Calvary your attendance will be a blessing to you and others.  Please pass the word to those to whom you minister.  Let's bring family, friends, neighbors and co-workers!

We are thankful for Jared Solis who wrote the script and has coordinated the team and directed the drama, for Chuck Olson who has directed the CBC Celebration singers and secured the orchestra, along with Diann Whisnand, for Benjamin Aguirre who has translated songs and directed the Calvary en Español choir and band, for Marcus Rodriguez and Kira Sienes who have led the Remedy Youth Band and Student choir, for Brandi Gatlin who has led the children's choir, for Martin Armas and Faby Haro for giving leadership to the media team, and for Natasha Freels and family who have decorated the worship center beautifully.  What a great team we have!

Let's pray that God gets all the glory this weekend at Calvary!

December: Month of Prayer

          I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving.  God has been so good and it is good to continually give thanks to Him.  We are now in December and looking forward to Christmas.  Some can't wait for Thanksgiving Day to be over before they rush to Black Friday specials or Cyber Monday deals in order to get more stuff.  (I'm not judging everyone who does this.  My family and I have done this on more than one occasion).  But I really believe that the attitude of thanksgiving should continue throughout the Christmas season.  After all, God has already given us the greatest gift: His Son Jesus Christ.

          In that spirit of gratitude and worship, at Calvary we have designated December as a month of prayer.  Yesterday's sermon was titled "Keep the Light on through Prayer" and was based on John 8:12; Matthew 5:16; 6:5-13.  Here are a couple of excerpts from the message.  If you missed the sermon, here's a link to the video also (if you've already heard it, you may skip to the last paragraph):

Sermon: "Keep the Light on through Prayer" (12-01-13)

          "Like the title of the second "Hunger Games" movie, we, as the children of God, can catch fire too.  We can shine bright the hope in Christ for others to see.  This hope that we possess, this fire that burns bright, cannot be fabricated in some superficial way.  What shines on the exterior is an effect of what burns in the interior.  We can burn bright externally when we have the fire of God internally.  So if we want to shine bright the light of Jesus, we need to start with the inner self.  We need to start with deep and intimate communion with the Father.  It is not coincidence that in the same sermon where Jesus says we are the light, He also instructs us about true prayer (Matthew 6:5-6)…

...If we are going to catch fire, we must be fueled by the prayer closet.  If we are going to shine bright in a world of darkness, we must begin by seeking the Heavenly Father in prayer.  The brightness of our light depends on the depth of our prayer life…

…(Matthew 6:7-13).Jesus assures His followers that our Heavenly Father does not need to be informed.  He already knows what we need.  He is lovingly and compassionately paying attention to every detail of our lives.  In fact He knows what we need before we even know what we need.  He knows what we need better than we do…

...The first two words of this beautiful and magnificent prayer are  “Our Father.”  … We pray to the Heavenly Father who delights in His children.  We pray to a Heavenly Father who loves His children and wants to give us what we need.  We pray to a Heavenly Father who desires to have a conversation with His children…

...“Give us today our daily bread” teaches us that God wants us to depend on Him daily.  ... He wants us to focus on the Giver not the gift…

...Sometimes I think that God allows our economy to be shaken so that we would remember to depend on Him.  Sometimes I think God wants to remind us that is not about our projecting and our planning but about our praying....When we take provision for granted we cheat ourselves from the relationship with the Provider.  Thank God for times of need because they bring us to the throne of grace!"

As we move into 2014, we want to seek God in prayer.  This month of December we will prepare our hearts to depend on God for his provision as individuals, as families, and as a church body.  We have provided prayer guides in English and Spanish that have petitions each day of the month as we pray for Calvary.  (On the days that the English language guide requests prayer for the Spanish Language ministry, the Spanish language guide requests prayer for the English Language ministry and vise-versa!).  If you did not get one yesterday, additional copies will be available.  In the meantime, below is a link to a PDF version of the prayer guide and to the missions inserts.  I encourage you to use it to pray each day of this month.  Please also encourage your team/group to join in this prayer emphasis. May we be drawn to the Father's heart this season when we celebrate the gift of His Son!

December Prayer Guide

Missions Map

Mission Trends and Facts

Guía de Oración (Español)

         

"Keep the Light On" 2014 Budget Campaign

Jesus said, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NIV2011).  Our church seeks to do that!  We want the light of Christ to shine in our church, in our community and around the world.  We want our worship, our discipleship, our ministry and our missions to result in good deeds that glorify the Father in heaven.

One of the primary means for our church to demonstrate this is through our Church Budget.  The Calvary stewardship committee prepared a budget for 2014 that the Church in Conference approved last Sunday.    This budget represents a 5.5% reduction from the 2013 budget and consists of an annual total of $2,141,159.  Although the stewardship committee considered this reduction necessary, the budget is still challenging for our congregation.  It is a faith budget and it will require the best of our prayers and our generosity.  Additionally, there are some maintenance and repair projects that were removed from the budget and will need to be funded by special offerings.  The most urgent of these projects has to do with the lighting in our worship center.

The stewardship committee was faced with two challenges in the preparation of the 2014 budget.  On the one hand, the realization that we are not meeting budget this year.  On the other hand, because we are not meeting budget, certain important maintenance and repair projects are not getting done.  After prayer, much discussion, and consultation with other leaders, the committee decided that the best way to move forward was to reduce the 2014 budget.  One of the measures that made this possible was to remove the major maintenance and repair projects from the budget and to find alternate funding for them.

As the committee was exploring the options for funding the additional maintenance and repair projects, it felt it would be wise to gather the members of all administrative committees and officers to inform them and seek their counsel.  On October 16, over 35 key leaders attended this discussion.  After the information was shared, varying points of views were heard.  Some of the leaders expressed that what needed to be done was to inform the entire congregation of the need and to give them an opportunity to respond to both the budget and the specific projects and before taking any other measures.  The stewardship committee listened to this counsel.

For these reasons the stewardship committee decided to do a budget campaign.  “Keep the Light On” is the theme of this campaign.  This theme keeps the spiritual meaning of Matthew 5:16 as a priority and includes the physical needs of our church.  We are confident that God will meet all the needs of our church when we trust Him.  Ultimately, the budget campaign is not really about wanting the congregation’s money for the church but about giving an opportunity for each person in the congregation to participate in what God is doing.  It is an invitation to joyful obedience by grace.  We believe that giving is a blessing for the giver!

          The campaign will address our base for ministry: the church budget, and our special projects, as needs that will require generosity beyond the tithe.

The campaign will have three phases.  During the month of December we will have a spiritual preparation phase that will consist of prayer as a church body and as individuals/families.  In the month of January we will give opportunities to individuals/families in our congregation to make a faith giving commitment.  All of 2014 will be the “giving” phase of this campaign.  We hope and pray this will make our church stronger and more unified, help our members grow spiritually, and ultimately bring glory to God.

 In the days ahead we will be sharing newsletters, a prayer guide and other information, please help us get this information to your respective teams.  Ask those whom you lead to join in prayer and to help communicate this information to all in our congregation.

Church in Conference Brief Follow-Up

          Calvary met in Church Conference on Sunday night with approximately 100 members present.  After a time of worship in singing, Scripture reading and prayer, the congregation dealt with the business at hand.

           Nine candidates were presented by the Deacon Screening and Nominating Committee.  Ninety seven ballots were cast and all nine candidates were elected by an overwhelming majority.  We welcome the following men to the active deacon body at Calvary 2014-2016:

          The church adopted the 2014 Budget proposed by the stewardship committee and announced the launching of a budget campaign.  To see a copy of the budget click here: Calvary 2014 Approved Budget.

          The nominations for those serving in the various officer and committee positions of the church were also approved.  Before concluding the meeting, the church received the recommendation from the ordaining council to ordain Marco Murillo to the ministry.  The congregation voted in favor of the recommendation and the "laying on of hands" service will be held this coming Sunday, November 24 during each of the regular worship services. To see Marco's testimony click here: Ordaining Council for Marco Murillo.

          I am grateful for each committee that worked hard to prepare for this important Church in Conference and to each member who demonstrated his/her love for the church by participating.  I thank God for the harmony and peaceful spirit with which our church carries its business.  I pray that He accomplish His will in us and that He brings glory to Himself through us.

Done with the Ph D!

           By the grace of God and because of the support of my family, friends and church, I have concluded my journey in the Ph. D. program.  I now humbly have been entrusted with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies from the Gary Cook Graduate School of Leadership at Dallas Baptist University.  I hold that as an immense privilege and responsibility.  Ultimately my education has been granted to me that I may be a servant, of Jesus Christ first, and of people also.

        I am taking this point of privilege to thank you as a Calvary leader for your invaluable support during this journey.  The search committee that called me and the personnel committee have been a constant support.  I will not mention all the names of these but I will pause to thank George Kydd, who has gone to be with the Lord already but whose encouragement and support still affect me today.  The deacon body has also been a blessing to my life as they have prayed and encouraged me.  The staff has been outstanding in their willingness to stand in the gap and to protect me.  The congregation has been patient and gracious during this time.  I could not have done this without the wonderful family of Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen.  So thank you!

          This past Monday I stood before my dissertation committee, other faculty and Ph. D. students to defend my dissertation.  Since the early hours of the morning as I headed to the airport I felt God's strength and grace, sensing the prayers of family and church.  I defended successfully, answered the questions, and received the decision of the committee to confer to me the Ph. D. title joyfully.

           There will be a "hooding" ceremony (graduation) in May of 2014.  For now, I'm done and extremely grateful.

Church in Conference This Sunday

           Our Fall Church in Conference will meet this Sunday, November 17 at 6:30 in our worship center.  In addition to the usual reports, the congregation will have an opportunity to:

1. Vote on nominations for the 2014 church committees;
2. Vote on the 2014 proposed budget;
3. Vote on nine deacon nominees for 2014-2016;
4. Consider a recommendation to ordain Marco Murillo to the ministry

You may access the Church in Conference packet which includes the agenda, the minutes, the financial reports, membership changes, personnel committee report, nominations report, proposed budget and committee minutes by clicking here:

Church in Conference Packet (English)

Paquete para Iglesia en Conferencia (Español)

You can see the names of the deacon nominees below:

In addition, our stewardship committee will introduce a budget campaign called "Keep the Light On."  (More information will be coming your way later).

Pray for our church, for the decisions that will be made Sunday night and come be a part of it.  I am counting on you to get the word out to your Bible Fellowships and other teams please.

Ordaining Council for Marco Murillo

           You may know Marco because of his service in our deacon body or because of his leadership of the "Instituto de Capacitación Calvary" (Calvary en Español's Institute on Wednesday Nights).  You may also have seen Aubrey teaching children, interacting in ABF and WIT ministries.  Or you may have seen their daughter Elisabet signing in our children's choir.  The Murillo's have been a blessing to the Calvary Family. 

           Currently, Marco has been serving on the faculty and staff at the Rio Grande Bible College in Edinburg.  Partially as a result of the Perspectives Course, and in connection with NAMB's (North American Mission Board) "Send North America" national strategy conference in Dallas, the Murillo's have answered a call to plant a church in the Atlanta area.  This church plant will be cosponsored by First Baptist Church Woodstock, NAMB and other entities.  Of course, Calvary is their home church and we have the opportunity to "send them" and to continue to prayerfully support them during their assignment.  Their vision is to plant a church that will mobilize people for global missions as part of their DNA.  That's exciting!

          Before the Murillo's leave in January, we are seeking the opportunity to ordain Marco to vocational ministry.  This Sunday, November 17 at 4:45 PM an ordaining council will examine Marco as to his call, his character and testimony, and his doctrinal soundness.  The ordaining council will make a recommendation to the Church in Conference which also meets this Sunday night at 6:30 PM.  If all goes well, an laying on off hands and commissioning service will be held on Sunday, November 24.  This will be great opportunities to affirm this family and to send them off to be on mission with God to reach those who are lost without Christ and to mobilize them for God's mission.  Please be in prayer for them.

          Below is a brief testimony in Marco's and Aubrey's own words:

Marco

          I was born in Mexico City, where I spent the majority of my life.  I accepted Christ when I was 18, which caused a 180 degree change in my life.  Shortly after receiving Christ, I had the desire to prepare myself to share Christ and the Bible effectively.  I had the opportunity to go to Word of Life Bible Institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to study.  Those three years of study were very special in my life.  I not only needed to study theology, but also see first-hand what a life transformed by Christ looked like.

En 2002, I returned to Mexico to serve as the youth pastor in my local Church.  There, I met a beautiful missionary that had recently arrived in Mexico to serve the Lord.

Aubrey

          I am from Michigan.  My family accepted Christ when I was 8.  Much of our family life changed.  We were at Church almost every day that the door was open.  At age 9, I experimented my first missions conference.  The missionary was very interesting and I felt a deep desire to go to Mexico, where he was serving.  Although I was only 9, I decided to dedicate my life to serve God.

Through Church, I was given many opportunities to serve and participate in missionary trips.  God used those special times to grow my desire to become a missionary.  The same missionary that I heard as a little girl, later became a professor at the Moody Bible Institute.  Thanks to him, I decided to attend Moody and study International Ministries and the Bible.  Four years at Moody taught me much about service and the world around me.  God was putting a heavy burden in my heart to serve Him.  He gave me the ability to understand Spanish and a desire to serve people that speak Spanish. 

           In 2002, I arrived in Mexico to study Spanish, and later I was assigned to Marco´s Church for service.  God put Marco and I together as youth leaders.  We were able to get to know each other better through the youth ministry.  After a time of courtship and engagement, we were married in June of 2004.

           After 9 years of serving in Mexico together, we arrived at the Rio Grande Bible Institute to finish Marco´s studies to receive a BA, and later pursue a Masters degree.  As Marco was finishing his studies, we were invited to join the RGBI staff, where we have served for a year and a half. 

          When we arrived to the Valley of Texas, we asked God for a Church where we could serve, but even more where we could be ministered to.  We had spent 9 years in the ministry, and we needed a place where we could be ministered to.  God led us to Calvary.  Calvary has been an important part of our time in Texas.  We have been able to serve teaching children and leading adults in a Spanish ABF, starting, coordinating, and teaching in the Institute of Capacitation on Wednesday nights.  Marco has served for almost 2 years as a Deacon at Calvary.

           But more than serve, we have been ministered to and inspired by Calvary.  Our children have been instructed in the Word of God, encouraged to serve through singing before the congregation. 

           We have received a call to join a Church-planting movement with Hispanics in Atlanta, Georgia, in the capacity of teacher-pastor.  We are amazed at how the Rio Grande Valley has become a spiritual oasis for us, where we have been able to rest and renew our strength as we look to minister to Hispanics, especially in the area of Atlanta, Georgia.

Here's the same testimonies in Spanish:

Aquí están los testimonios en Español:

Marco

           Nací en la Ciudad de México, donde he pasado la mayor parte de mi vida. Recibí a Cristo cuando tenía 18 años, lo cual provoco un cambio de 180 grados en mi vida. Pronto comenzó el deseo de prepararme de manera que pudiera compartir eficazmente a Cristo y Su palabra. Tuve la oportunidad de ir a Buenos Aires Argentina por tres años a estudiar en el Instituto Bíblico de Palabra de Vida. Fueron tres años muy especiales en mi vida. Necesitaba no solamente teología, sino la demostración en la vida real de una vida transformada por Cristo.

            En el año 2002 regrese a México para ser el pastor juvenil en mi iglesia local.  Ahí conocí a una linda misionera que recién llegaba a México para servir al Señor.

Aubrey

           Soy de Michigan.  Mi familia conoció a Cristo cuando tenía 8 años.  Mucho de nuestra vida familiar cambió.  Ibamos a la Iglesia casi cada día que la puerta estaba abierta.  Experimenté mi primera conferencia de misiones cuando tenía 9 años.  El misionero era muy interesante y sentí un deseo fuerte para irme al país de México, donde él estaba sirviendo.  A los 9 años, tomé la decisión de dedicar mi vida para servir a Dios.

           Mi Iglesia me ofreció muchas oportunidades para servir e experimentar viajes misioneros.  Dios usó estos tiempos especiales para moverme a buscar servirle como misionera.  El mismo misionero de mi niñez era un profesor en el Instituto Bíblico de Moody.  Gracias a él, decidí asistir a Moody y estudiar misiones y la Biblia.  Los 4 años en Moody me enseñaron mucho acerca de servir y el mundo.  Dios me estaba poniendo un peso fuerte para servirle.  Me dio la facilidad de poder entender el español y un deseo de servir a la gente que habla español.

            En el año 2002, me fui a México para estudiar español, y luego llegue a la Iglesia de Marco para servirles.  Dios nos junto, a Marco y a mi, como líderes de los jóvenes.  Pudimos conocernos mejor gracias al ministerio.  Después de un tiempo bonito de cortejo y luego ser novios, nos casamos en Junio del año 2004. 

Después de servir en México por 9 años juntos, llegamos a RGBI para completar los estudios de  Marco a nivel Licenciatura ya que la meta inicial es estudiar a nivel de Maestría. Al finalizar mis estudios fuimos invitados a forma parte del personal de RGBI, donde hemos servido por 1 año y medio.

            Cuando llegamos al Valle de Texas, pedíamos a Dios una iglesia a donde poder servir, pero sobre todo, el poder ser ministrados. Veníamos de 9 años de ministerio, necesitábamos ser ministrados en lugar de solamente ministrar. Dios nos dio a Calvary como iglesia. Calvary ha sido una parte bien importante de nuestro tiempo en Texas. Hemos podido servir enseñando los niños, enseñado en un grupo de conexión en español, iniciando, coordinando y enseñando en el ICC. También durante casi 2 años Marco ha servido como Diacono ordenado por Calvary.

Pero más que servir hemos sido ministrados e inspirados por Calvary, nuestros hijos han sido instruidos en la Palabra de Dios, animados a servir cantando y estando delante de una iglesia grande.

            Recibimos un llamado a participar en un Movimiento de Plantación de Iglesias con hispanos en la ciudad de Atlanta, como pastor-maestro. Con asombro vemos como el Valle de Texas se ha convertido en un Oasis espiritual, donde hemos podido descansar y renovar las fuerzas, para tomar ahora el desafío de Plantar Iglesias entre los hispanos, el grupo más grande de las minorías en los EU, comenzando en la ciudad de Atlanta.

Last Chance to take Perspectives course this semester

          I am personally taking the Perspectives course this semester.  I have been wanting to do so for a number of years.  I have read much of the Perspectives material and have even used some of it for teaching, preaching, leading conferences and working with leaders.  However, I had never formally taken the course.  I am glad to finally be doing so.  

          Taking the course consists of attending a three-hour class per week.  Each week a different guest presenter teaches the class.  These folks are mission practitioners or mobilizers from around the country who bring expertise and experience to the class content.  Additionally, there are reading material and assignments to be completed each week.  The course maybe taken at one of three levels: Key reading (lightest load); certificate level; or college/graduate credit (heaviest load).  Thus far I have attended two classes and I have enjoyed the presentations and the reading material.

          Contrary to some misconceptions, the course is not intended to enlist participants to be international missionaries.  It is not a course about "missions" in the common use of the term.  It is a class that presents God's redemptive purpose in the past and present.  As the participant's global vision is enlarged, he or she has the opportunity to discover or affirm his/her role in God's purpose.  For a small minority of participants this may mean answering God's call to international missions.  For an overwhelming majority of participants it means living more strategically where we are now.

          The cost for the course at the key reading or certificate level is $250.  This is the cost incurred by the Perspectives entity.  Calvary is not making money from this.  In fact, Calvary is not technically offering the course.  Calvary is simply partnering with Perspectives by hosting the class on our campus (the class has been held in Mission and at RGBI previously).  We feel hosting the class is a win-win situation.  It makes it convenient for our Calvary people to take the class on our campus.  We serve folks from other churches who are taking the class by providing an adequate and comfortable setting to hold the class.

          As the Calvary pastoral staff we strongly feel like this class will help us be on the same page as we lead in our particular areas of ministry in the church.  That is why we have decided to take the class as a pastoral staff team.  Additionally, we feel like all of our Calvary leaders would benefit from taking this class as we continue to cast and develop vision.  That is why we are offering partial scholarships to those Calvary leaders who wish to take the course.  In addition to this partial scholarship provided by Calvary, there may be other scholarship funds available.  If you or someone you know desires to take the course but cannot afford it at this time, please contact Pastor Chad Mason.  We do not want anyone who desires to take the course to keep from doing so because of finances.

          Lesson 3, this next week, will be the last opportunity to attend the class without registering or paying.  It will also be the last opportunity to sign-up for the course.  I want to encourage you as one of our Calvary leaders to come and listen, consider taking the class.  Of course, signing up on week 3 will mean that you will have some catching up to do with the reading and assignments.  I think it's worth your consideration.  I strongly recommend the class to all of our Calvary leaders.

          You may either choose a Monday night or Tuesday morning session for the class.  Monday nights the class meets from 6:30 to 9:30 and Tuesdays from 9 AM to 12 PM.  For more information visit Perspectives.org.

Benjamin Aguirre and Family in Concert

            Benjamin Aguirre and his family will be offering a concert on September 29 in our worship center.  We have been blessed to have Benjamin on our staff for approximately four years now.  Bro. Benjamin serves as the Spanish Language Ministry associate in our church.  Through this part-time role he leads the Spanish worship service utilizing the great musical talent and spiritual gift God has given him.  Additionally Benjamin exercises his pastoral call through teaching on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, and through pastoral care, assisting Rolando Aguirre in various ways.

            Previous to coming to Calvary and RGBI (Rio Grande Bible Institute) from Mexico City, Benjamin had been ministering as a Christian musician and production engineer along with other Christian music artists touring in Mexico and in other international venues.  He felt God call him to pastoral ministry.  So he came to RGBI to study for pastoral ministry. When we invited Benjamin to join our staff, he was a student at RGBI and held a student visa.

  
        Once Benjamin graduated we asked him to remain on our staff and we entered into an agreement with RGBI to request the processing of his religious worker visa and subsequently his residency.  We have been involved in this immigration process for sometime now and are close to finalizing it.

          On September 29 at 6:30 Benjamin will offer a classical guitar solo concert in our worship center.  His family will also feature for a portion of the concert.  A love offering will be received toward helping with the immigration process expense.  We strongly feel that God has brought Benjamin to minister at Calvary and are committed to doing all we can for him to stay with us long term.  Come to be blessed by the Aguirre family's musical talent and to be a blessing to their ministry.  Invite friends for an evening of inspiration.

Dissertation Progress and other Updates

           It has been four weeks since I last posted on this blog!  These four weeks have been busy, blessed and exciting!  Allow me to share with you about my recent dissertation progress and about a couple of other updates.

          Last week I submitted my first draft of chapter 5!  This is the last chapter of my dissertation.  I have already received feedback from the chairman of my dissertation committee and he has asked that I make a few revisions.  Once I do that, the entire dissertation will go to the rest of the committee for either further revisions or final approval.  Once final approval is given, a dissertation defense date will be scheduled.  When I defend the dissertation successfully (by God's grace), I will be completely finished!  I don't care if anyone will call me "Doctor" after that.  I just want to be "done"! :)

          Please know that I am extremely grateful to God for this milestone and to you as a Calvary leader for your prayerful support and encouragement.  I know I couldn't have done it without God.  I am also aware that I couldn't have done it without the support of the Calvary staff, personnel committee, deacons, leaders and congregation.  Please continue to pray for me in these final stage of revisions and defense.  I will keep you posted.

          During these last couple of weeks, we have kicked off our fall semester here at Calvary.  That's always an exciting time in the life of our church.  Our EQUIP, Remedy, ICC, Grove, WIT and choir programs are up and running with adults, students and children involved at all levels.  Additionally, we are hosting the Perspectives course on our campus.  This course enriches what we are doing in our discipleship and leadership development strategy here at Calvary (although it is not a Calvary program and it is not limited to Calvary people).  I will write some separate posts regarding the EQUIP course that I'm leading and the Perspectives class (which I am also taking this semester) this week.  Additionally, I will share a post with you regarding a concert to be presented by Benjamin Aguirre and his family.

          Allow me to also share with you that the Music & Worship Study committee, chaired by Judy Prater has finalized their report and recommendation.  They have presented this recommendation to the personnel committee and the personnel committee is working to prepare the profile and job description that will allow a search committee to do its work.  We will keep you posted on this.

          As a final note, I report to you that we had extraordinary budget giving this summer.  At the same time we continued to monitor our expenses closely.  In spite of the fact that the summer is usually a low-giving high-expense period of the year, we functioned in the black (spent less than what came in) each month of the summer (June, July and August).  We may not meet our current budget by the end of this year but I feel very optimistic about finishing the year in the black.  In fact, we may be there by mid-fall.  We will live within our means.  We will learn to work with less but we will do what God has called us to do.  I am so grateful for a congregation that is giving generously and for a staff that is serving unselfishly.  We give God the glory for all that.  Below is a chart that shows a giving comparison by month between 2009 and 2013.  You will see that we defied the usual summer slump this past summer.  (We also defied the usual summer slump in terms of worship attendance.  Notice the chart that shows attendance 2007--2013 at the very bottom).

     

Summer Church in Conference

As we enter the fall semester, there will be much activity in the life of our church: EQUIP, WIT, Remedy, The Grove, Christmas Choir, Wednesday night suppers, Perspectives, etc., etc.  One of the many things taking place is our Summer Church in Conference.  This meeting which will take place on Sunday, August 25th at 6:30 PM is an opportunity for Calvary members to receive reports from committees and to elect three members to the Deacon Screening and Nominating Committee.  This short administrative meeting will be preceded by a time of fellowship and refreshments in the parlor and a time of worship in the worship center.

The reports will be available online from the church web site: www.calvarymcallen.org next week.  We encourage you to download them and print them.  This allows you to be informed before the meeting and it also helps us reduce the number of copies we make for the meeting.

Refreshments will be served in the parlor beginning at 6:00 PM.  A brief time of worship will begin in the worship center at 6:30 PM.

Plan to come, fellowship, worship, pray and be informed! Encourage your teams to do so also.

If you would like to submit a name to be considered at the Church in Conference, please contact Alma Escobar at the church office or e-mail her by Friday, August 23rd (alma@calvarymcallen.org).  Committee nominees need to be church members in good standing.

Continue to pray for our church and participate in this summer's Church in Conference.

Is "Missional" the same thing as "Missionary"?

           Recently several members and leaders in our church have asked questions about what we mean by "missional."  Are we a "missional" church?  What are the implications of that?  How is that different from being a "missionary" church or a "missions-minded" church?  How is that different from "purpose-driven" church or from "church-growth" model type churches?  These are valid questions.

          This is not a new conversation at Calvary.  Ever since David Chan (former pastor of mobilization and global impact) joined the staff, the concept has been discussed.  Milfred Minatrea, who wrote the book "Shaped by God's Heart: the Passion and Practices of Missional Churches," preached frequently at Calvary during the interim period between Pastor Ellis and me.  I have preached and taught on the subject multiple times.  Pastor Chad, our current pastor for mobilization and global impact, may not use the word "missional" as much as the rest of us, but he addresses related concepts frequently.  We must ask at this point, Are we having "missional" overload?  Is something out of balance in our emphasis and conversations at Calvary?  Have we been talking a long time about something that we assume leaders and the congregation understand when in reality there has been little clarity?  These too are good questions.

           

          Allow me to begin by saying that one of the problems with the word "missional" is that it has been overused and misused in a lot of different contexts.  (I won't even attempt to list the various definitions here in order to avoid confusion).  This is similar to the word "discipleship" and even to the term "Christian."  These words mean different things to different people.  So we either find new words or we use these and clarify exactly what we mean by them.

           "Missional" is not exactly the same thing as "missionary" although the two words might be related.

Missionary:

             Calvary and Baptists in general have always been missionary.  By missionary we have understood that we care about those without Christ in other countries, that we support missionaries and missions financially through our budget and through special offerings, that we cooperate with other Baptists in the cause of missions, that we pray for missionaries and the people they minister to, that we teach our children and youth about missions and encourage those who are called to missions to respond, that we inform and teach our congregation about the needs in missions so that they can continue to give, pray, and on occasion go.  In very progressive cases, being missionary has meant participating in short-term trips where every day members can see first hand what happens in the mission field and thus be well-rounded disciples.  From this perspective, we have considered "missions" one of the ministries or departments of the church, we have focused on professional missionaries and short-term trips, and we have highlighted the international mission field.

Missional:

            At Calvary, when we talk about being "missional" we include all of the aspects under "missionary" above, but it goes beyond that.  Being "missional" is more than the "missions" we participate in.  It has to do with our perspective, our identity, and our heart.  It is not about a guilt-trip that we are not doing enough.  It is not an elitism that puts those who go internationally on a pedestal above everyone else.  It is about a life-style!

           There are two primary forces that shape the concept of being "missional."  One of them is the understanding of Missio Dei or "the mission of God."  This understanding moves from thinking of missions as a "department" of the church to mission as the purpose of the church.  "Missionary" has often assumed that sharing the gospel was the "mission of the church" or Missio Ecclesia.  But when we look at the Biblical record we discover that "redeeming the world" was not a by-product of the church but the very heart of God from Genesis to Revelation.  God has been on a mission to redeem lost humanity from the beginning of time.  The church is a by-product of the Missio Dei not the other way around.  Thus, the reason the church exists is to join God on His mission to redeem the world.  That should change the focus, outlook and direction of a church.  (The focus of the church is not to grow or to provide services for members but to join God on His mission).  It does not necessarily mean that it should only care about international missions or that every member needs to be a professional missionary.  It does mean that every ministry of the church should seek to either join God in redeeming the lost or equip believers for that very thing.  It does mean that all believers should discover how God is calling them to live that out at home, school, work and community.  It is not about doing more or becoming professional missionaries.  It is about capturing God's heart for our family members, our neighbors, our co-workers and our community.  It is about living redemptively or "apostolically" (there's another word that needs definition!).  It is about caring for the lost here and "over there."  For some it may mean going international but not for all.

          The other force that shapes the concept of missional beside Missio Dei is the post-modern, post-Christendom, pluralistic world in which we live.  When the modern missionary movement was launched by William Carey in the late 1700s the world was divided into "Christian" countries and "heathen" countries.  To be a missionary one needed to leave his homeland and go to a foreign country.  The mission field was across the sea.  To live in a "Christian" country meant that your school mates, your work mates and your neighbors grew up with a Judeo-Christian worldview.  They may not have all been church attendees or born-again believers but they were familiar with the Bible, the story of Jesus, and had general agreement about what was morally right and wrong.  Evangelism in that context could be done using a gospel tract like "The Four Spiritual Laws" or the "Roman Road."  You could walk people through the Plan of Salvation and the Sinner's Prayer in about 15 minutes resulting in a profession of faith because there was a general Judeo-Christian context.  Whether we like it or not, that is not the world we live in anymore.  There are plans to re-evangelize the U.S. and Europe.  The church in the Southern Hemisphere today is larger than the church in the Northern Hemisphere.  Missionaries are literally being sent from everywhere to everywhere.  Former Christian countries are now populated by large populations of Muslims, Hindus, Atheists, Secularists, Humanists, Buddhists, etc., etc.  Many of those who are average "Americans" or "British" or "German" are biblically illiterate, morally indifferent, and doctrinally confused.  That means that the mission field, more than ever, is across our street (not just across the sea).  Furthermore, most of us are globally connected.  Through the internet, social media, and email we can have contact with people in other parts of the world without leaving our bedroom.  Many of us are able to travel internationally on vacation or business.  Some even get transferred by their company to other countries.  This means we have the opportunity to become "virtual" missionaries without having to go through seminary or a mission board.  It also means we need more than 4-point gospel outlines to share Christ with others.  We need to be cross-culturally skilled.  We need to learn how to love and serve people, thus earning the right to be heard.  We need to care for the entire person not just the soul.  We need to seek not just to "save" individuals but to redeem our communities also.  We need to live like the first century believers in the book of Acts.  The church advanced the most in a context that was pagan and often anti-Christian.  We can thrive too in the power of the same Holy Spirit.

          There is much more that we could say about this.  But this is not supposed to be a dissertation on the topic. It is simply a blog post to clarify some things.  To be clear, we are not completely married to the word "missional" but we are committed to being a church that joins God on His mission.  Ultimately, a term like that is more about what others consider us than about what we call ourselves.  In Antioch, the disciples were called "Christians" for the first time (Acts 11:26).  The believers did not spend a lot of time coming up with a name to call themselves.  They simply lived Christ-like lives and it was the people around them that gave them the label "Christians."  Our commitment is more to who we are and how we live that out than to what we call ourselves.

          So in summary, this is what this means for us at Calvary:

1. To be "missional" is more than just going on international missions;
2. To be a "missional" disciple or church member does not mean that you have to be a professional missionary but that you find out how God wants you to live out his calling;
3. To be a "missional" church means that everything we do should have God's mission in mind: to redeem a lost world.  
4. To be a "missional" church does not mean that the only thing we care about is going internationally or supporting professional missionaries.
5. As a "missional" church we want to love, minister and equip every member to be all God has called him/her to be.  This concerns every area of life.  Being "missional" is about a life-style not about "missionary" activity.  It is simpler than it sounds.
6. To be missional is not a "new commandment."  It is simply the full implication of discipleship.  The terms and the context have changed but the biblical concept remains the same.
7. Ultimately, being a missional disciple and a missional church is the work of the Holy Spirit through us.  He is the one that gives us the desire to join Him on His mission.  He is the one that teaches us how to live like that.  He is the one that works it in us.  It is not a burden or a guilt-trip.  It is the work of grace as we trust Him and are willing to obey Him.

          Some churches have radicalized this concept.  Some members fear the implications of this.  At Calvary, we simply want to line up our heart with God's heart.  We trust Him to guide us, to empower us and to resource us in accordance to His call.  While we are ready to learn from other churches, please rest assured that we are not trying to copy another church (with the possible exception of the New Testament church).

          Jesus lived missionally.  Yet His life did not seem like a burden.  He enjoyed time with His friends, he was often outdoors, he occasionally joined the fishing expeditions, he shared many a meal with his disciples, he attended weddings and parties with tax-collectors.  He lived in many senses a "normal" life.  He was not locked up at the synagogue or at the Temple 24-7.  He didn't have a religious persona that was different from His everyday life.  He simply lived and taught as he walked and shared life with common ordinary people.  Our call is not much different than that.

         If this is still not completely clear, stick around.  We hope to continue this dialogue.  And, please do not hesitate to comment on this post, to ask questions.  Challenge, push the envelope.  This is a safe place to agree, disagree and grow.

          I have not treated this post as an academic write-up but I must give credit to some books.  Many of the concepts I discuss above are found in the following books.  I have not quoted directly from them but I have read the books and the concepts in them come through in my post:

• Misión Integral: Ensayos Sobre el Reino y la Iglesia [Integral (Holistic) Mission: Essays on the Kingdom and the Church], C. Rene Padilla (1986)
• Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, Darrell L. Guder, Ed. (1998);
• The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, Philip Jenkins (2002);
• The New Global Mission: The Gospel from Everywhere to Everyone, Samuel Escobar (2003);
• Shaped by God's Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches, Milfred Minatrea (2004);
• Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, David J. Bosch (1991);
• The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century, Thomas L. Friedman (2005)

Interestingly, after I wrote this post last night, I downloaded a new book on my Kindle this morning.  As I quickly read the introduction this morning, I felt like I could have just copied and pasted it to my post!!!!! :)  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book.  It is:

• Unfinished: Believing is only the Beginning, Richard Sterns (2013)