The Buried Treasure: Still Buried?

           The last several weeks our church has been engaged in a series of studies and messages called "The Treasure Principle."  ABFs have used the book by the same title in their Sunday morning study.  Rolando and I have been preaching on Bible passages that correspond to the book study.  For me, it has been a fun series to preach and I have received positive feedback about the messages from several folks.  I'm convinced that God's Word has the power to work in our hearts to transform us.  I'm counting on that.  As we let the Spirit work in us, I hope we become more and more like the man who found the buried treasure, sold everything he had and bought the field.

          Ironically, during the same weeks we have had very low budget offerings at Calvary.  We have had a Sunday or so where the offering was extraordinary but we have had more low offering Sundays.  You will notice in this coming Sunday's bulletin the following year-to-date figures:

• Budget Required to Date:               $871,489.40
• Budget Given to Date:                    $750,473.00
• Giving UNDER Budget to Date:  ($121,016.40) 
• Giving UNDER Spending YTD:  ($  32,330.86)

Maybe the treasure is still buried? ;)  Since we haven't been meeting budget, we have been watching our expenses some.  Nevertheless, our expenses have still exceeded our income.  Clearly, we cannot continue to function at this rate for much longer.

         I am confident that God will provide for Calvary above and beyond what we need this year.  I am not sounding an alarm or losing hope.  Our hope is in the Lord!  I am praying that this coming Sunday, May 26, we have an extraordinary offering that will put us in the black and then some.  It just may be that God surprises us and does that this Sunday.  Or it may be that He has a different time line.  I fully trust Him.

         I will be working closely with the staff this next week to identify areas where we can make bigger spending reductions in operations, ministry, and even in personnel.  I am committed to make sure that our basic ministries continue to move forward: worship, Bible Fellowships, VBS, summer camps, missions, etc.  I am also committed to do our due diligence to ensure that we get back on the black as soon as possible.

         In the meantime, I would like to ask you to pray with me for God's provision.  In fact, ask your teams and the people to whom you minister to join in prayer.  I believe God is honored when, as his people, we depend on Him.  He is faithful and will provide.  We simply need to thank Him and pray to Him.

         Pray for me, the staff and other leaders as we make difficult decisions in the days ahead regarding spending.

Lead Pastor's Report on 04-21-13

          Last April 21, I had the opportunity to briefly share with the congregation a report of ministry highlights since the previous Church in Conference in November.  I am posting those observations here on my blog this week.

Staff Restructuring

          We have been in the process of staff changes and restructuring for several months.  Three of our pastoral staff members are no longer on staff at Calvary.  This has happened in less than a year's time.  Each of these have stepped away from his responsibilities for very different reasons.  During this time also, Calvary called Chad Mason to fill the Pastor for Mobilization and Global Impact vacancy.  We are very grateful for this addition to the team.  From the eight full-time pastoral positions that existed recently, five of them are filled now.  That means that Pastors Rolando, Susan, Marcus and Chad are carrying additional responsibilities and they are doing so with enthusiasm and joy.  I am very grateful for them.  Additionally, James McGinnis has been given additional responsibilities.  We also count on the full-time associate help of Jared Solis and the part-time interim help of Mario Samaniego and Andy Muskrat.  (As I shared with you in the previous blog post, Andy will only be helping us through the end of May).  We are functioning with a leaner staff structure and learning how to do more with less.

         More importantly, we have developed a stronger team concept as pastoral staff and, while we each have specific responsibilities, we want to be servants to the entire congregation.  We are now working in three primary teams.  Rolando Aguirre leads the Discipleship Team.  Chad Mason leads the Missions Team.  The Music & Worship Pastoral team leadership is vacant.  I lead the administration team now.  This new team dynamic is developing well.

Integration and Identity

         One of the issues that had been identified last year was how to grow in being one-church of two languages and various worship styles while maintaining the individual identities of the ministries. There has been significant steps taken in this direction.  Susan Sosebee and Marcus Rodriguez continue to find ways for the integration of children and students into one discipleship process.   Mark Richardson worked closely with Chuck Olson, Brandi Gatlin, Jared Solis and Benjamin Aguirre to produce Christmas and Easter musicals that involved the adult English-language choir, the adult Spanish-language choir and the children's choir.  These worship expressions brought the strengths of each of these groupings together and produced something beautiful in English for our English-language congregation and in Spanish for our Spanish-language congregation.  This exemplifies what the body of Christ at Calvary can be.

New Initiatives

         One of the new initiatives that has brought new vibrancy to our church is the revitalizing of the WIT ministry.  Jeanette Ahlenius has inclusively enlisted a power leadership team of ladies from our church who represent the rich diversity of our congregation.  They have held several events with remarkable participation by many of the ladies in our church.  They have developed various communication means to help ladies connect to the ministry and the church.  One of these is their newly-launched WIT of Calvary Baptist Church facebook page: WIT of Calvary Facebook Page.  WIT is working with the paradigm of doing English-only events where they invite women from all three services, occasionally doing events together with WIT en español, and also promoting some of the WIT Spanish-only events which are open to anyone interested.  This paradigm of work maintains individual ministry identity while creating synergy in a spirit of cooperation.  We are grateful for how WIT is modeling this for some of the other ministries.

         In the months ahead our new area of focus will be the Adult Bible Fellowships.  We believe that this mid-size group strategy is key to developing community, making disciples, and mobilizing them for the mission.  As Pastor Rolando leads the discipleship team and as Pastor Chad leads the ABF ministry, they will seek alignment of strategy across the English-language and Spanish-language ministries and integration between disciple-making and missions mobilization.  In the mean time the EQUIP and "Instituto de Capacitación Calvary" which are our Wednesday night components will be further aligned to provide leadership development for our ABF ministry.

         The Perspectives of the World Christian Movement course is one that we have promoted as part of our discipleship/mobilization strategy since last fall.  Although this class was offered off-campus several of our members took the course.  Every single person who has taken it from Calvary has brought back very positive reports.  In order to make this class more accessible to our people, this coming fall we are offering on our church campus.  It will still be open to people from other churches but we will highly encourage it for our leaders.  In fact, the pastoral staff is planning to go through the course together this fall.  Look for more information about this coming up.

Mission mobilization

          As Pastor Chad has engaged the Calvary ministry these last three months or so, several developments have taken place.  We continue to affirm the "relief" ministries that Calvary supports but we will intentionally move to have a higher "development" focus.  This terms may be better understood after reading the book When Helping Hurts but, in essence, it is the difference between "handouts" and "hand-up," between giving people emergency help and helping people become the best God wants them to become.

        Another area where we will be working to bring a healthier balance is between our focus on the "unreached" and "relief/development" ministries.  We believe that the gospel should be taken holistically to people around the world, caring for their human needs and helping them to become disciples of Jesus.  At this time we are doing very good things in meeting human needs and in evangelism but much of what we do is in "reached" areas of the world.  A "reached" area is where people have access to the gospel because there is a church in their own context.  "Unreached people groups" are groups where there is no church and no access to the gospel in their own language or culture.  We need to increase our involvement with the unreached.

        This year our church is planning to officially sponsor trips to Chiapas in August, to the Amazon Basin in December, and, God-willing, to China in the Spring of 2014.  In Chiapas and the Amazon Basin we are working with church planting and leadership development among indigenous people groups.  The nature of the China trip will be shared by other means that will not be easily accessible on the internet like this blog.

        There are, of course, multiple mission trips in which members of our church will be engaging this year as they pursue their passion and call.  Our college students are a great example of this. This Sunday we are commissioning Rossy Pequeño who will be going to Germany and then will serve in a student ministry in Dallas, Sergio Burnias who will be serving in Boston, Anahí Velasquez who will be serving in Spain, and Suheily Maldonado who will be doing a two-year term of service in India through the IMB (International Mission Board of the Souther Baptist Convention).  These are fruits of our collaboration with the Baptist Student Ministry at UTPA.

        I also shared with the congregation about a couple in our church who has recently felt led to visit Central Asia to develop connections for the future mobilization of Spanish-speakers into that area.  This is sensitive information but exciting.  God is doing great things in our midst, through us and around us.  Let's make sure we don't miss what He is up to these days!

        These are some of the highlights in ministry at Calvary over the last few months and the next few months.  Please keep praying, encourage those you lead to pray, support and engage in the ministry God has so graciously given us at Calvary.  We are blessed with a wonderful congregation.  This is a good day to be a part of Calvary.

Raúl San Martín Licensed to the Ministry by Calvary (Read his testimony at the bottom)

          Raúl San Martín, pictured above with his wife Albita and their daughter, was licensed to the ministry by Calvary Baptist Church on April 21, 2013.  Raúl and Albita serve as Calvary "missionaries" to Sullivan City as they lead the Primera Iglesia Bautista in the same city.  For the last couple of years, the San Martín's have been essentially involved in a re-starting of this church which almost closed its doors.  (Don't miss his inspiring testimony at the end of this blog post!)

         After a brief report of the work in Sullivan City, the congregation approved the recommendation of Pastor Rolando Aguirre to license Raúl to the ministry.  This will give Bro. San Martín freedom as he ministers in Sullivan City by preaching, teaching, baptizing, celebrating the Lord's Supper, officiating weddings, etc.

         Licensing to the ministry among Baptist churches is generally a preliminary step to the more formal process of ordination.  There is, however, no requirement that an ordination candidate be licensed first or that a licensed minister be ordained later.  It is simply, the way that it usually works out in practice.  Licensing is often conferred on a minister who is beginning.  It is meant as an affirmation from the church for the minister to continue to pursue his call, use his gifts for the ministry, and continue to obtain ministerial training.  

        Raúl was born in Los Angeles, California on May 24, 1968.  When his parents divorced, Raul moved with his mom to Guadalajara, Mexico where he grew up.  His family followed occultic practices and forms of witchcraft.  Additionally, the family was plagued with drug and alcohol addiction.

         One happy day, Raúl's uncle, Marcelo, gave his life to Christ through the witness of a North American Baptist missionary whose name was Richard Lee.  That was the day that the gospel began to make its way among this family.  One by one several of them surrounded their lives to Jesus Christ.

        Raúl saw the total transformation of his mother who recovered from alcohol and drug addiction and began to study the Bible.  The testimony of his mom and other other family members impacted Raúl's life immensely.

         At this time in his life, Raúl was a professional guitar composer and performer.  His goal was to become famous and to prosper economically.  Nevertheless he often found himself depressed and turned to drugs.

          On Christmas 1990, this same uncle, Marcelo, once again shared Christ with Raúl.  This time Raúl gave his life to Christ and started his process of study and discipleship.  Raul's uncle had founded a Bible Institute which was called Mexican Bible Institute.  Raúl studied at this institute for three years and graduated as church-planting pastor.  Later, in 2005, Raúl and his wife Albita completed the Southern Baptist Convention's church planting training through the North American Mission Board (NAMB).  Additionally, Raúl has received training in drug and alcohol rehabilitation support and ministry.

          Raúl has used his musical talent for evangelism as he recorded two albums and toured the USA and Mexico playing in evangelistic meetings.

          Raúl's call to missionary work was confirmed when he visited indigenous people communities in Mexico where he preached and helped in outreach.  He and Alba, who married in 2005, have worked together with various indigenous groups in Oaxaca, Mexico.  Much of their work has been focused on the Mixtec people group where they contributed to the planting of three churches under the supervision of Pastor Agustín Meneses of First Baptist Church, Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca.

          God brought Raúl and Albita to Sullivan City, by the request of Calvary in 2011.  During their ministry there, several families have surrendered their lives to Christ, been baptized and are being discipled now.  This re-start of PIB, Sullivan counts with a Sunday morning worship service, a Wednesday night service and two week day Bible studies.  Twenty individuals are being discipled each week learning the Bible, developing spiritually and learning how to lead others to Christ.  Additionally, Albita leads a Bible Study for youth twice a week.

          God has been working in this zone where drug trafficking and witchcraft have been very common.  Many of those who practice witchcraft have moved away from this area.  Raúl has approached the police, city officials and the fire department to share Christ with them.  The streets around the church have recently been paved, which is a great blessing.

          Raúl and Albita had been praying for a child for quite sometime.  The fact that Dana was born while they ministered in Sullivan City is for them a confirmation of God's grace over their ministry in this place.  They are convinced God has called them to minister in Sullivan City and are trusting God to provide them the grace to fulfill this task.

          We are blessed to have the San Martín family ministering in Sullivan City.  We are thankful for the opportunity to encourage him and let him know that we are behind him.  I hope that beyond licensing Raúl, we continue to support him and the family in prayer and sometimes in presence.

Music and Worship Study Committee

         The Church in Conference approved the recommendation from the Coordinating Council to elect a Music and Worship Study Committee.  The congregation elected the following nine individuals to constitute this committee:

1. Judy Prater (plays the piano in the 9:30 service)
2. Diann Whisnand (plays the piano in the 9:30 service)
3. Brandi Gatlin (sings in the 11 service & leads children's choir)
4. Krystal Hernandez (sings in the 12:30 service)
5. Pam Thompson (participates in vocal ensembles and attends 11 service)
6. Kira Sienes (plays the piano; assists with youth ministry; attends 9:30 service)
7. Joshua Reinha (sings with youth band for "Remedy")
8. Brent McBain (involved in college ministry; attends 9:30 & 11 services)
9. Sylvia Riddle (teaches ladies on Sundays & Wednesdays; attends 11 service)

This is a very diverse group of individuals whose history at Calvary, networks of relationships, appreciation for music & worship, and a love for God and his church will provide for rich dialogue as they study the music and worship ministry in our church.

          Their task will be to study the needs in the music and worship ministry so as to determine what is the best way to staff this important ministry.  Our position of Pastor for Music and Worship is vacant and before setting a search process in motion to fill it, it is important to develop the profile for this position that will best meet the needs of our congregation.

         This committee will have its first meeting this Sunday afternoon (May 5).  They will determine their work plan and timeline.  Once the committee has concluded its work, they will submit a report to the personnel committee.  The personnel committee after reviewing the report should bring a recommendation to the church about how to move forward.

          Timing will be important.  We do not want the study process to last too long.  In fact, it would be ideal if the church could elect a search committee by its early fall Church in Conference.  We do want to make sure we are following God's leadership and timing, of course.

          (In a related manner to timing, we are grateful that Andy Muskrat agreed to serve as interim Worship Pastor for the 9:30 service during the months of April and May.  Andy recently accepted a position at Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving as full-time Worship Associate.  He will assist the Worship Pastor in the English service and Andy will be responsible for the Spanish service.  We are happy for Andy and his family and grateful for his help during the next several weeks.  We will pray for him as he transitions to this new ministry and for Calvary as we seek God's direction during the interim time).

         Our church has changed much over the last five years and will probably continue to change in the years ahead.  We want to make sure that our staff structure is relevant to who we are today.  Nevertheless, in the midst of those changes, as Lead Pastor I am committed to leading our church to:

1. Provide quality ministry for all current Calvary constituents;
2. Have a vision for reaching those who are not in our church yet, including young people, young families with children, and all stages of adults;
3. Continue to provide vibrant English-language worship experiences for those whose music language is a moderation of traditional and contemporary styles and for those whose music language is a more modern contemporary style;
4. Continue to provide vibrant Spanish-language worship in a contemporary style;
5. Continue to foster one-church music & worship experiences on special occasions such as Christmas, Easter, etc., etc.;
6. While being sensitive to the congregation's needs and preferences, maintain a missional posture that reminds us that we are here not as consumers of services but as God's people on mission to redeem the world....until all peoples worship Him!

Some churches in our area have chosen to specialize in either a particular music style or a particular language.  That is one way to do ministry and reach a segment of the population.  Sometimes that means you end up with either a predominantly younger congregation where Senior Adults are not comfortable or the exact opposite: a Senior Adult congregation where younger adults do not attend.  The same thing can happen with a language group or an ethnic group.  Calvary has the unique opportunity to be a church that is inclusive of all age groups and entire families.  In one campus we can provide worship opportunities in more than one musical style and in more than one language.  Whoever our neighbors, workmates, or classmates maybe, they can find a place to connect at Calvary.  We can invite them confidently.

          I ask that you pray for this committee as they consider Calvary's needs and commitments.  So that we can follow God's direction in the staffing of our music and worship ministry.

Congregational Decisions and other Updates

          It has been almost two weeks since we had Church in Conference.  I'm sharing some follow up information about it with you with a couple of brief posts.

          I will take advantage of this opportunity to share with you that last night I submitted Chapter 4 of my dissertation.  It consisted of 67 pages of content and 13 of bibliographical entries.  It felt so good to press the "send" button!  I consider myself about 65% done now and I'm trusting God to help me complete the other 35% by this summer.  I thank you and the church for your prayers, support, encouragement and patience with me in this process.  I have really enjoyed being back in the pulpit during the month of April and I look forward to preaching this Sunday and Mother's Day.  I am counting on our pastoral staff to help supply the pulpit in late May and early June.  I know God uses them greatly to edify our congregation.

         Back to our Church in Conference.  As our church met on Sunday night, April 21 in the worship center, we sang together, prayed and then:

• heard various reports;
• filled committee vacancies;
• voted to ordain Benjamin Aguirre.  (We had the ordination ceremony in all of our three services on April 28.  See photos below);
• elected a music & worship study committee (click on the following link to read more about this: Music & Worship Study Committee);
• voted to license Raul San Martin to the ministry (click on the following link to read more about this: Raúl San Martín (License & Testimony));
• heard a brief Lead Pastor report (click on the following link to read this report: Lead Pastors April 21 Report).

We are grateful for what God is doing in the life of our church and we pray that He continue to guide us in the days ahead.  We have some exciting things happening this summer.

      A last matter of follow up has to do with the decision the church made to convert the ground where our former West Ed building was to a grass area.  Several of our men are leading the volunteer effort of placing sod (grass) sections in that portion of our property on Saturday, May 11 at 7:00 AM.  If we have an army of men, women, students and children show up for that, we can get it done in a short period of time.  I hope you will pass the word and come with your family to help.  It will not only save our church a lot of money but it will be a great time of sharing together.

        Here are some of the photos from Benjamin's ordination: