October & November 2018 Texts

     We have come to the end of our Kairos series on the Gospel of Mark!  What an incredible time we have had studying this fast moving and fascinating book for the last year!

     During October and November we will be exploring various texts that deal with disciple-making from the perspective of our family and extended family.  Below are the texts that we invite ABFs and other disciple-making groups to explore during this season:

Week of: Text

10-07-18: Acts 1:1-14

10-14-18: Genesis 1:16-28; 2:18-25; 12:1-3

10-21-18: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

10-28-18: Psalm 127

11-04-18: Luke 5:1-11

11-11-18: Acts 2:41-47

11-18-18: John 15:1-12

11-25-18: John 1:1-14

     We will be preaching a series titled "Disciple Making Starts at Home" during our Sunday worship services that will correspond with most of these texts.

     We pray that each of us as leaders and as group participants grows in our disciple making within our biological families and grows as a family on mission within our ABFs and disciple making groups.

Family on Mission and Four Fields

     Beginning this week the blog posts regarding our CBC strategy and implementation of our vision 2020 will be coming from Pastor Chad's blog.

     This week's post introduces the concepts of Family on Mission and Four Fields.

     If you are a disciple-maker, or you want to learn more about what it means, or you simply want to continue to receive this information, I encourage you to subscribe to the blog.  Simply go to the home page, scroll to the bottom and enter your name, email and click "subscribe."  (The blog posts will be available in English and in Spanish).

Reproducible Disciple-Making

Chad, Chris, Maki, Philippines 2018 from Calvary Baptist Church on Vimeo.

          Chad, Chris and Maki share the vision of reproducible disciple-making based on John 15 and on 2 Timothy 2:2.  Their recent experience in the Philippines is an example of how this can be simply implemented in a short-period of time.

          Our ABFs and other disciple-making groups should own this vision of making disciples to the fourth generation and of reproducing themselves as groups to the fourth generation.  What needs to happen in your group for this to be a reality?

Sabbatical by Numbers

          Please click here to read this post on my Pastor Julio's Plug Blog.

Thanks!

Mark Texts for this Summer (2018)

          This summer we will continue with our Kairos series on the Gospel of Mark.  Below are the dates and the texts that ABFs and other disciple-making groups will be exploring this summer.  (Remember that we are preaching these texts the week after the groups explore them in order to give groups the opportunity of discovery).

          We trust that you are continuing to use the three-thirds method as we believe this is an optimal method for making disciples within your group and which helps to train group members to reproduce it as they make disciple-makers beyond your group.  As we move forward toward our 2020 vision it will be critical for all our groups and leaders to be proficient in the use of the three-thirds methodology.

          If you have questions, doubts, need assistance please do not hesitate to contact me or Pastor Paulo or Pastor Chad or Pastor Rolando in regard to adult groups, to Pastor Marcus in regard to students, Pastor Susan in regard to children groups and Pastor Benjamin in regard to Spanish groups.  We are here to encourage you, equip you, and serve you!

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