9:00, 10:45 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.
(In-Person and Livestream)
How To Discern Fact from Fiction, part 2
John 14:16-31
Pastor Bret Laird
News
There will be no regular high precaution service next Sunday, December 13.
Schedule over the Christmas Holiday:
Every year, LifeGroups, AWANA, and other ministries take seasonal breaks to enable volunteers and participants to enjoy fellowship with family and friends during the holidays. This year, in an effort to limit possible virus exposure from the church to families and from families to the church, we are expanding our traditional holidays breaks.
Christmas Break: There will be no LifeGroups, Children’s programs, Nursery or youth activities on:
Sunday, December 20
Sunday, December 27
Sunday, January 3
These ministries will resume on Sunday, January 10.
There will also be no Wednesday night AWANA, Prayer Meeting or GrowthGroups on:
Wednesday, December 23
Wednesday, December 30
Wednesday ministries will resume on January 6.
During these weeks around the holidays, men’s and women’s bible studies and other church related activities will also be cancelled. If anyone has questions related to their activity, please contact the church office.
**Normal schedule for all 3 main Sunday worship services remain unchanged
It will not be long until Christmas is here and we celebrate our Lord and Savior’s birth. In order to facilitate socially distanced seating, this year we will have three Christmas Eve Candelight Services at:
3:00 p.m. High Precaution (masks worn throughout)
4:30 p.m. (please wear masks unless seated, Nursery will be provided)
6:00 p.m. (please wear masks unless seated)
Please invite family and neighbors, especially those who do not attend church on a regular basis.
We have the opportunity to Encourage the Saints with a church wide Christmas Caroling ministry on the evenings of December 18-23. We need teams of people to come together with a willingness to share their Christmas joy in a time when some have experienced the inability to join the body in-person. The church will provide a song list and books along with a few individual residences to visit on the evening(s) of the teams choosing. We will be taking appropriate precautions for travel, spacing and face coverings as we serve. To become part of a Caroling Team click here or to request a visit to your home, click here.
In preparation for the upcoming tax season, we wanted to inform you that tax statements for 2019 will be sent via e-mail . If you believe we do not have your most current e-mail address or you would prefer a hard copy of your tax statement, please contact Angela Haner in the Church Office at 372-1130.
Offering Envelopes will be available in the Fellowship Center today, December 13 and December 20. Please arrange to pick them up.
Tim Johnson, one of our most tenured, senior staff informed the Pastors that he plans to retire in the next few months. We will be honoring Tim in the months ahead, but we are initiating a search for his replacement, both internally and externally. Please feel free to contact the church office for more information. Resumes may be submitted here.
In spite of all of the pandemic precautions, God has used the church body at Calvary Bible to send 1,015 shoebox gifts out through Operation Christmas Child. Your efforts and generosity with these gifts ensures the good news of Jesus Christ will reach many children. We rejoice that God has provided 27,440 shoeboxes from Southwest Michigan.
“Glory in the Highest,” a Calvary Christmas Concert
Calvary’s Worship Ministries will be presenting “Glory in the Highest,” a Calvary Christmas Concert on:
Friday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 12 at 4:00 p.m. (High Precaution: Masks required throughout)
Saturday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m.
In order to maintain socially distanced seating at the concerts, all attendees will be asked to reserve a seat by obtaining a ticket (at no cost). The ticketing system will also allow for seating family groups together. Tickets are available by clicking here or by calling the church office during regular business hours. Posters and invitations are also available for distribution. Digital PDF invitations can be found here. All concerts will be live-streamed. Please be praying about whom you can invite!
To serve parents with children too small to appreciate the concerts we need at least, 6 adult workers to serve in the Nursery during each Christmas Concert. If you are able to serve please contact Hannah Haney.
We are need of volunteers to serve as ushers at each of the upcoming Christmas Concerts. Since the concerts are ticketed events this year, ushers are needed to help people located their reserved seats. If you are interested, please email Mark Duncan or call the church office.
Year End Giving Projects
The Elders have approved 3 year-end giving projects applicable to our local body as we transition into 2021:
In response to Christ’s command to disciple the nations, Calvary partners with 37 partners and singles ministering around the world and 6 local and foreign organizations. One year-end giving project is to fund the budget shortfall of approximately $40,000 for Global Ministry.
With restrictions caused by the pandemic, no coin offering has been taken since April. These funds are used for Next Generation Projects, including Bibles, Books, Scholarship, etc. The target is $10,000; any funds received in excess of this target will be allocated to Global Ministries.
In anticipation of resuming our search for a Pastor of Outreach Teams, the Elders created a “Local Outreach Start-up Fund” to jump-start the ministry, with a target of $50,000.
To give to these projects, simply write, “Year-End Giving Project-Global Ministries,” “Year-End Giving Project-Coin Offering,” or Year-End Giving Project-Local Outreach” on your giving envelope or on the memo line under the “Other” category for online giving.
Prayer Requests
For the family of Howell Newton, grandfather of Trevor Newton, who departed from this life on November 26
For the family of Jack Poll, father of Randy Poll and grandfather of Mitch Poll, who departed from this life on November 22
Congratulations!
Cody and Hannah Wainer welcomed a healthy baby boy, Atlas Isiah, on November 17.
Thank You!
The families of Tony and Mike Noora would like to thank everyone for their prayers, cards, meals and love throughout our father’s hospitalization and ultimately, his passing. We also want to thank Calvary for the donation in Barry’s name to the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission.
- The Noora Family
Thanking the body of Christ for all of the love and prayers that you have shown me. Please continue the prayers as I begin cancer treatment soon.
- Lisa Annable
Faith at Home Ministries
Date Change! The Faith at Home Wednesday evening Growth Group will resume on January 10 with the topic being Grandparenting. Whether we are desiring to be impactful grandparents or want to know how we can utilize the impact of grandparents in our children, we would love for you to join us for this discussion.
Global Partners
Our Global Ministries Team are regularly communicating with our Partners as often as possible. Currently they are all in good health and either at home or in a safe location. If you would like an electronic copy of the weekly Global Partner Prayer Sheet, please contact the church office.