Resurrection!

           
           Jesus is risen from the dead!  What a powerful message!  This incredible event sets the gospel apart from other religions.  The resurrection of Jesus is a historical event.  Yet it is a relevant truth for us today.

           This Sunday we will celebrate this earthshaking event as we gather together.  We will worship a living Savior who is at work in our world today.  We will be reminded of his power to change lives and our call to share His message with those who do not know it yet.

           As you gather with your group this Sunday take time to thank God for this.  Remember that you and your group will be exploring Mark 9:1-13 which is the account of the Transfiguration.  The following Sunday (April 8) you and your group will explore Mark 9:14-29 where Jesus delivers a boy who is possessed with an evil spirit.  I hope that you are getting the benefit of using the three thirds method with your group and that it is now second nature to you.

          Should you have any questions about the three thirds method and how to continue to use it, please do not hesitate to contact me, or Pastor Paulo or Pastor Chad.  We are here to encourage you and support you as you make disciplemakers.

2020 Vision

          After seven years of prayer, study, discussion, reflection and training, we feel it is time to have a clearer vision for our church's future.  Last year we celebrated 60 years of legacy.  This year we build on that legacy and we prayerfully join God's future for Calvary.

      This Sunday at our Church in Conference we will briefly share what we understand that vision to be initially.  We hope you will join us in praying for greater clarity and in figuring out the vision path.  We want to make disciple-makers for the glory of God among the nations.  We feel the best way to do this is through multiplying disciple-making groups.  You're already a part of this initial process!  We count on you to join us for the rest of the journey.

     This Sunday your group will have the opportunity to discover what God is saying in Mark 8:27-30 (Peter's Confession).  I hope your group participants will set some meaningful application goals that will result in disciple-making.

         As we continue in our 40 Days of Prayer remember to pray this week for Reconciliation among the peoples and for the Middle East.

        Click here to see the document we will share with the Church in Conference on Sunday.  Click here to see the bibliography of what has fueled our conversations on the pastoral staff level.

Preview of the following week:

     Please notice what we will be studying and praying for the weekend of March 25 (Palm Sunday):

1. Text: Mark 8:31-38 (Life and Death)
2. 40 Days of Prayer emphasis beyond Luke 10:2: The Hope of Christ's Visitation and The Peace of Jerusalem

Halfway through 40 Days of Prayer

          We are halfway through our 40 days of prayer.  I hope you are beginning to sense a greater concern for those who are far away from God and that you are growing in expectation for what God is going to do in the days ahead.

          Remember that this week (March 4-10) we are praying for the Transformation of entire communities.  (Remember that God works in unexpected places!).  We are also praying for the continent of Africa.  Of course, the primary focus of our prayer is Luke 10:2.  May God raise up a multitude of workers for His harvest!

          Also remember that this weekend you are exploring Mark 8:1-21 with your group.  (We are thankful to be back in our usual spaces on Sunday morning).

         I hope last weekend's visit by Ying and Grace Kai was an encouragement to you and your group as we continue to make disciple-makers.

          For those who are able to take off a couple of days from work, please note that we are holding a 4-Fields Intensive training at the end of this month.  Click here to see the Facebook event.

Preview of the following week:

     Please notice what we will be studying and praying for the weekend of March 11:

1. Text: Mark 8:22-25 (The Blind Man at Bethsaida)
2. 40 Days of Prayer emphasis beyond Luke 10:2: Evangelization of Every People (every people group) and Europe and Central Asia

T4T

T4T: A Discipleship ReRevolution link to order from Amazon

          This will be an unusual weekend for our Calvary family for several reasons:

1. Our students are having "One Weekend" which is an intense time of worship, fellowship and discipleship.  We do this in conjunction with a handful of other local churches.  One hundred of our students will join several other hundred students.  Please pray for them to answer God's call to be disciple-makers.
2. Our ABFs and CBFs will not be meeting on campus this Sunday morning due to major repairs to our Children's Building chiller plant.  We will still have SBFs, Worship Services and Preschool care and teaching.  Click here for more information.  Help us communicate it to your respective group.
3. We will have Ying Kai, co-author of the book pictured above: T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution among us this Sunday.  Although he will share a brief word with the congregation on Sunday morning, you, as an ABF leader and disciple-maker have a personal invitation to attend a meet and greet session on Sunday night.  Read about it here.  I hope to see you there!

         As we continue in our 40 days of prayer, we continue to pray at 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM according to Luke 10:2.  This next week we will also be praying for the Lost and the Broken, those who are far away from God and those who are hurting.  We are praying for God's redemptive power to be at work.  We will also be praying for Asia and the Pacific.

        Although ABFs and CBFs are not meeting on campus Sunday morning, you may want to consider meeting with your ABF off-campus at a time other than Sunday morning.  If you do, you may explore together Mark 7:31-37 as look at a "Social Controversy."  Another idea to consider if your ABF does not meet this weekend, is to share the passage with your group members via email, or Facebook or text, and have them do the three-thirds method with their family or with a group of friends or a group in their relational network (oikos).  This is a good opportunity to test the training you have given them.

     See you Sunday!  God is doing great things among us!  Don't miss it!  (See next week's preview below).

Preview of the following week:

     Please notice what we will be studying and praying for the weekend of March 4:

1. Text: Mark 8:1-21 (Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand)
2. 40 Days of Prayer emphasis beyond Luke 10:2: Transformation of our Communities and the continent of Africa

Controversy

     We have started our 40 days of prayer as we ask according to Luke 10:2 "He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (NIV).

     We are praying at 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM for God to raise an army of workers for his harvest field.  We are expecting God to answer, mobilize his people, and see hundreds of people come to Christ.

     In addition to praying for workers, this week we are also praying for revival among God's people and for the Americas this week.

     As we continue in our Mark series, our current mini-series is called "Controversy."  This week your group can explore and discuss together the "Racial Controversy" in Mark 7:24-30.  Use the Three Thirds method to lead your group in this discussion this weekend.

Preview of the Following Week

     Please notice the following three items as we preview what is coming up on Sunday, February 25th:

1. A special visit with Ying Kai.  Click here for invitation.
2. The study in your group of Mark 7:31-37
3. Praying for the lost and the broken and for the Asia and the Pacific

Back to Kairos!

Food for the Hungry - Overview-HD from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

      This week we hold our "Making Disciple Makers to the Fourth Generation" Conference.  I encourage you to come to the workshop on Saturday at 9:00 AM.  Come and bring group members to learn more about making disciple-makers.  Sunday will be very special also both morning and evening.  See more info on our website on our Facebook Page or at the bottom of this blog post.

     As we have explored giving for the last several weeks, we have an opportunity to apply it at CBC in a couple of ways (investing in the next generation).

     First, we encourage every member to financially support the CBC budget on an on-going and regular basis in order to support the missions and ministries that God has entrusted us with.

     Secondly, we invite everyone to pray about giving above and beyond the tithe to at least one special cause:

     1.  Student Building Remodeling.  Last week we talked about our upcoming student building remodeling project.  See last week's post about this here.  The opportunity to pledge for this will be given in the next couple of months.

     2.  Sponsor a Child.  This week we offer the opportunity to consider sponsoring a child through Food for the Hungry.  Watch the video above and consider what God may be leading you to do.  There will be 25 cards of children after the Sunday services this month beginning this Sunday.

     Consider in prayer participating financially in at least one of the two opportunities above. 

     Beginning February 18 we will resume the Kairos mega-series on the Gospel of Mark in our worship services.  In preparation for that, your group can explore Mark 7:1-23 this weekend.

     Lastly, we are launching 40 days of Prayer next (Ash) Wednesday, February 14.  As we count down the days to Palm Sunday, we will pray for God to send "workers for the harvest."  We will ask everyone to set the phone alarms for 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM in order to pause and pray based on Luke 10:2.  Encourage your group members to do so.  Our hashtag is #1002.

What if God Showed Up?

Calvary Student Remodel Project from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

     This week's video features our student ministry and the remodeling project that is under development.

     Fifteen years ago a process was put in place to build a Children's Building.  The construction project was completed in 2006.  With God's help we paid off the note by 2012, only six years later, allowing us to burn the note in less than half of its maturity (15 years)!  To God be the glory!

     When plans for the Children's Building were developed the intention was to build a Student Ministry Building later.  Five years ago our student ministry moved into our Family Life Center as a temporary measure.  It is due time that we provide them a space that facilitates their learning, worship and fellowship as disciple-makers.

     However, we calculate that to follow through with the construction "master plan" which makes the Student Building adjacent to the Children's Building in a horseshoe shape would cost us approximately $5 million.  We feel like, given our current focus on missions, disciple-multiplication and future church planting, that it would be better stewardship to remodel and update their current space at a possible cost of $500,000.  (Perhaps in the future we construct a new building but for now we feel this is the right thing for the students and for the mission of the church).

     At this time we are asking you, group members and the congregation for prayer support in the process and for your possible future financial contribution toward the project investing in the future of our church and the Kingdom.

     This week we are inviting you to explore Matthew 9:35-38 and Luke 10:2 with your group.  What if God showed up?  What if God answered our prayer according to these two texts?  What if we prayed believing that God would show up?

    We are launching 40 days of prayer on (Ash) Wednesday, February 14 through Palm Sunday, March 25.  We want to pray for the harvest (new disciples), for workers (those of us going to share with them, baptize them and disciple them), and for God's provision for our church in all senses.

     We are calling it 10:02 and using the hashtag #1002 to referring to Luke 10:2 and encouraging everyone to set their phone alarms to 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM to pause and pray.  Pray 10:02!

     As you talk about application with your group, keep this in front of them please.  Ask group members:

• Will you commit to praying for 40 days at 10:02 AM and 10:02 PM according to Luke 10:2?
• Will you commit to praying for the Student Ministry Remodeling project and your personal financial contribution?