Why are we charging for the training?

     As you go to the online registration page, you will notice that there is a registration cost.  We usually don't charge our leaders when we offer a training.  In this case, we are subsidizing the cost for Calvary leaders, which means Calvary leaders only pay $10 per person.  This is essential the cost of the meals and snacks for the day.  You can get this discounted rate when you use the code cbcalpha.

     As you know trainings like these incur costs.  We are bringing a team from out of state which implies travel costs.  There are materials, publicity, and foods costs.  Based on our projected attendance for the training, we are estimating the cost per person to be around $40.  We will charge this full cost to people coming from other churches.  However, Calvary will subsidize the cost for Calvary leaders and for Calvary members who are interested in staring Alpha.

     We calculated all these costs trying to make it accessible to everyone while also being good stewards of our limited church budget resources.  We know this is a good investment of money and we hope it is accessible to you.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.  Please don't let money be what keeps you from participating.

     For the answer to the sixth question click here please.

Who is the Alpha Training for? Should I Go?

     The Alpha training which I have described in the previous posts is meant for Calvary members and leaders who want to know how to start an Alpha course.  Some of you might feel led to start one or be part of a team.  Others of you may not feel led to do so but understanding the strategy will help you be supportive, especially in prayer.

     Ideally ABFs can utilize Alpha as a way to reach their friends, neighbors and relatives for Christ.  So ABF leaders and members are invited.  Deacons, pastors and other leaders are also encouraged to attend.  Any CBC member that wishes to start Alpha or be part of a team may also attend.  Any of the people mentioned in this paragraph can use the Calvary leaders' discount code (cbcalpha).

     On Saturday, May 23 there will be two simultaneous trainings: one in English and the other in Spanish.  Saturday is our main training.  In addition, for those who might be interested we will also have an Alpha Youth training in English and a Family course in Spanish both on Friday night.  See the registration page for more information. 

     We are also inviting leaders from other churches in the area.  However, this is primarily a Calvary event.  Our hope is that at least 75% of the available spots are filled with Calvary people.  We have child care available but there are limited spots.  So if you need child care, we encourage you to register soon and reserve a spot for your child (children).

     I hope you will invest of your precious time in this important training which can yield eternal dividends!

     For the answer to the fifth question click here.

Why bring Alpha to CBC now?

     Calvary has always been an evangelistic church.  For many years we successfully used the FAITH strategy.  FAITH was an adaptation of Evangelism Explosion, which was started by James Kennedy when he was pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.  Currently our Spanish ministry is using the Spanish version of Evangelism Explosion: Evangelismo Explosivo.

     It has been a few years since we have had a focused evangelism strategy in our English Language Ministry at Calvary.  Of course, evangelism has been happening through the personal witness of individuals, the fellowship of ABFs, various events and our worship services.  But I have been praying that God would direct us to a focused strategy for reaching the lost.  My heart is that we would be a church of disciple-makers.  So whatever evangelism strategy we use has to be integrated with discipleship and missions.

     Over 20 years ago, I had the privilege of being pastor & friend to Jose & Lidia Garrigó in Fort Worth.  After seminary graduation the Garrigo's followed God's call to church planting in the Barcelona area of Spain.  Our church had the privilege of supporting them in prayers and with finances.  I had the opportunity of visiting them in Barcelona when they were having little to no success in their church planting effort.  (Spain is very much a post-Christendom place where sharing the gospel is difficult).  Sometime later José & Lidia went to London and took the Alpha training.  God used that tool and other variables to bring several Spaniards to a relationship with Jesus.  On a subsequent visit to Spain I saw with my own eyes how God had transformed the lives of these individuals.  Since then José & Lidia became Alpha leaders across Spain, parts of Europe, and are now in the U.S. as AlphaUSA leaders and also training people in Alpha Latinos throughout Latin America.  After a recent visit from José to McAllen, the Lord laid on my heart that this might be the time and the strategy for Calvary.  (Our context today shares much in common to where Europe was 20 years ago!).  When I shared with the pastoral staff the idea of learning this strategy, they enthusiastically agreed.  So I'm pleased to say that José, Lidia and their team will be coming to Calvary on May 23 to train us on how to start Alpha!

               

                         José Garrigó                    Lidia Garrigó

                  Alpha USA Director            Alpha Trainer for

                       Alpha Latinos                Relationship Central  

                           

                     Mariel Rocha                     Sam Stevens

                 National Trainer for           Director for Alpha

                     Alpha Youth                  California & Hawaii

     Of course the reason we share the gospel is because Christ commissioned us to do it.  We as the church get to join God's mission of redeeming the world to Himself.  There are many in the McAllen area who need to have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  As I shared with you in the first post, the McAllen area is one of the top churchless cities in the U.S.

     Take time to register today.  Click here to do so.  The Calvary leaders' discount code is cbcalpha.

     For the answer to my fourth question, click here.

Alpha: Evangelism Strategy? How?

     If you do any research on line about the Alpha course you will likely not find the label "evangelism strategy" related to it.  However, in our promotion of this training I have chosen to use that descriptor in order to give you an idea of what Alpha is about.  In this post I'm answering the question of how Alpha is not like and how it is different from other evangelism strategies.  (Question #2 from the previous blog post).  In a large part, the training will help to clarify that.  But I understand you may not come to the training if you don't have some understanding of what this is.

     When people hear the word evangelism there are some preconceived notions that might come to mind.  For example:

1. Evangelism consists of presenting a memorized outline and list of Bible verses often referred to as "the plan of salvation."
2. Evangelism consists of door-to-door (cold turkey) visits to people we don't know in order to get a chance to present "the plan of salvation."
3. Effective evangelism consists of convincing an individual to pray "the sinner's prayer" at the end of our presentation, hopefully on the first visit.
4. Evangelism is about "saving souls" or getting people into heaven even if we don't get to build a relationship with the person or disciple them.
5. You have to have the gift of evangelism or a lot of courage in order to present the plan of salvation to people.

Alpha does not share any of the above five notions!  So in that sense, it is not like a other evangelism strategies.  Many of these type of evangelism strategies were developed in a modern world where most folks had a Judeo-Christian worldview or notion.  (I'm not saying that other evangelism strategies are not legitimate. I'm simply pointing out how Alpha is different from them).

     So in what sense is Alpha an evangelism strategy?  In that,

1. It seeks to engage those without faith in Christ
2. It explores the biblical truths of God's redemptive plan through Jesus Christ
3. Its objective is that at some point those involved will establish a relationship with Jesus that will lead to life-long discipleship

But the Alpha course accomplishes this by building relationships with people in a caring way, facilitating dialogue that is non-judgmental and allows the Holy Spirit to do the convicting, allowing people to voluntarily respond to the gospel after they have understood its context.  This strategy recognized that many folks do not have a Christian or biblical worldview.  So in many ways, it is similar to how the New Testament church might have shared the gospel in the pagan world of the first century.

     So you don't have to have the "gift" of evangelism to use this tool.  You simply have to care for people, treat them as guests, engage in conversation, pray, and let God's Holy Spirit do the rest.

     If this interests you and if you want to know more about how to do this, please register for the training by clicking here.  (The discount code for Calvary leaders is cbcalpha).  Looking forward to seeing you here at Calvary on May 23! 

     To see the answer to my third question click here.

Alpha Course: An Evangelism Strategy?

     By now you have seen our announcements regarding the Alpha course training that we will offer here at Calvary on May 23rd.  Perhaps you don't have questions about life but you do have questions about the training! You might be asking:

1. What is Alpha? (read below)
2. If it has to do with evangelism, how is it like or different from other evangelism strategies?
3. Why bring Alpha to CBC now?
4. Who is this training for?  Should I go?
5. Why is there a cost for the training?
6. If this is an all-day training, can I just go part of the day?
7. How does this fit into the overall strategy of CBC ministry?
8. What is the difference between this training and the "Groups Matter" training on May 30?

     I will address these eight questions in a series of brief blog posts with the hope that you will register for the training and use this new tool we are offering.  So let's get you some answers:

What is Alpha?

     Alpha is a "course" that explores Christianity in a non-threatening, relational environment.  It consists of a series of about 10 weekly meetings over a meal and a weekend getaway at some point.  The topics that are discussed are the person and work of Jesus, personal faith, the Bible, the Holy Spirit and the church.

     This course began at the Holy Trinity Brampton (Anglican) Church in London over 20 years ago to introduce people to Christianity.  (Those of you familiar with Evangelism Explosion might know that EE was started by Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale).  Today 27 million people in 169 countries have gone through Alpha in one of 112 languages.  Alpha courses are hosted/sponsored by 127 denominations in all 50 states of the U.S.  

    As the amount of people in the world who are unchurched and unfamiliar with the Christian faith is growing at a fast pace, it is encouraging to know that 28% of Alpha participants are under 35 years old; 40% of Alpha participants are from outside the church (unchurched); 50% of Alpha participants establish a personal relationship with Jesus.  In other words, this course is really reaching the "lost" with the gospel in a very effective way.

     Although I will address this in another post, I will simply mention here that the Alpha course is relevant today because it is a strategy that works for populations that are unfamiliar with Christianity and/or the church.  It is a strategy that is cross-cultural and relevant in a post-modern world.

   If you are wondering how "unchurched" the McAllen area is, see this article from Barna where the McAllen area ranks fourth in the List of churchless cities of the U.S.

  Click here or go to our church website to register for the training at Calvary.  (The discount code for Calvary leaders is cbcalpha).  I encourage you to register today!  (I've already registered!)

     To see the answer to my second question click here.

Chad Mason Considered for Ordination

       As Lead Pastor, I am thankful for the opportunity to work alongside Chad Mason.  It is time to consider him for ordination and I am happy to be a part of this process and time in his life.

     Pastor Chad Mason is being considered for ordination to the pastoral ministry.  This Sunday, April 19th, an ordination council will examine him in order to present a recommendation to the Church in Conference on April 26th.  Chad will be preaching in the English services this Sunday and will share his testimony in the Spanish service.

     Ordination is a local church's affirmation of one who has given sufficient evidence of a call to ministry, gifting for ministry, preparation for ministry (spiritually, morally, biblically, academically and in practice), and doctrinal soundness).  The ordination council, made up of ordained deacons, pastors and other mature leaders, examines the candidate as to these things and makes a recommendation to the church.  The church votes on said recommendation.  If the vote is affirmative, an ordination service is held for the laying-on of hands over the candidate.

     Calvary called Pastor Chad in January 2013 to join our pastoral staff.  For two years Chad has served as Pastor for Mobilization and Global Impact, in addition to serving as pastor for ABFs.  This year he was assigned the responsibility of pastor for worship and he no longer serves as pastor for ABFs.  

     Chad is married to Jordan Alise (Hargraves) and they have two precious daughters: Makaila and Aly.  Chad obtained his BA in education from Northwest University, Kirkland Washington and his Masters of Leadership from Bakke Graduate University.  Previous to his role here at CBC, Chad served as the Pastor for Rose City Baptist Church and Perspectives Regional Director for Texas.  He and Alise also served for two years as directors of Vida Nueva Children's Home in Parras de la Fuente, Coahuila, Mexico.

     In addition to his passion for the nations and for worship, Chad also enjoys hanging out with his family, playing guitar, fishing, playing basketball, mountain climbing, wake boarding and motorcycles.

     Please pray that this process is God-honoring and affirming of the life and ministry of a brother Chad Mason.

     Should you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Joshua Guarneri to Media Associate Role

     About a month ago I communicated with you the need to fill our Media Associate (Production Director) vacancy.  Click here to see my February 7 post or simply scroll down to the previous post.

     I am happy to notify you that we have hired Josh Guarneri as Media Associate (Production Director).  Josh will begin his employment here at Calvary on Sunday, March 15.  He will report to Chad Mason as Pastor for Mobilization and Worship.

     Josh has been Production Director for Fielder Church (Arlington, Texas) East Campus since 2012 until now.  He served as Production Coordinator for Dallas Baptist University from 2010 to 2012.  He also served as media director for High Pointe Baptist Church, Cedar Hill (2011-2012) and Cockrell Hill Baptist Church, Dallas (2007-2011).  He began his ministry in this area at Getsemani Baptist Church, Fort Worth as a sound engineer from a very young age.  Josh holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies with a Philosophy Minor from Dallas Baptist University.

     As you know, the Media Associate position has been vacant since November 15, when Jared Solis stepped down from this role.  I asked Lorena Lozano to help us carry this ministry in the interim and she has done a phenomenal job for these four months.  I am so grateful to Lorena for all she has done and for the spirit in which she has done it.  Lorena has agreed to stay in her interim role through March 29 in order to ensure a smooth transition in this important ministry.  The previous post has a link for the positions' job description.

     As we have shifted to multiple worship leaders in each service, according to style and language, and as the supervision for the worship ministry is the responsibility of a pastor that has a dual assignment, the role of the Media Associate will be vital to the implementation of our worship ministry.  This person will be a key central point of communication and execution of worship plans for Sundays and special events.  This position became vacant after we had made significant reductions in our personnel so it is very important that it is filled so that the new reduced team structure can function adequately.

     I am convinced that Josh is highly qualified for this position and is an excellent fit for our context and needs.  Although I have the authority to hire support staff and associates, which I have done on more than one occasion, in this case I felt it was important to involve others in the decision.  Recognizing that Josh is my son, I felt it was important to have input from key leaders in our church.  I have sought the support of the pastoral staff that relates to worship, the personnel committee, and the coordinating council (chairpeople of all the administrative committees and deacons).  They each have provided me with the support to make this hire and with wise counsel in this regard.  (The Coordinating Council discussed it in my absence and communicated a unanimous general consent to move forward).
     
     Please pray for Josh as he will be moving to the Valley the weekend of March 15 and as he begins this new ministry.  May he be a blessing to our church and may our church be a blessing to him.