January Newsletter
The Emphasis
TREASURED MEMORIES
As this year comes to an end, there are a lot of precious memories that come to
mind, and many of them involve our wonderful church family right here
at Calvary. Let me share some of these memories with you: AWANA leaders
escorting our children to their classrooms on Wednesday nights, the
kitchen crew preparing our Wednesday Night Dinners, the Thursday Crew helping to
maintain our facilities, the feeding and sheltering of the homeless
under the auspices of our Missions Council on a cold winter’s night, teachers
proclaiming God’s Word in their Sunday School classes, a sanctuary
beautifully decorated for Christmas, inspiring music presented by our choirs,
handbells, and orchestra, and finally the marvelous presentation of Christ’s
nativity, portrayed by a whole host of individuals who wanted to tell the story
of His birth. These and so many other experiences at Calvary are wonderful
memories that I will treasure for years to come. I am thankful for each and
every one of them, but I am even more thankful for all of the people who
enabled them to become a reality. Without you, our service unto the Lord and His
people would have been greatly diminished. With that in mind, let us
strive to create the kinds of memories in the coming year that will not only be
memorable for ourselves but will also be pleasing unto God, a genuine
reflection of Paul’s admonition to God’s people in Romans 12:1.
Philip
Invite a friend and come to
Calvary Baptist Church expecting a good time of fun, food, fellowship, and even
a little frivolity before seeing
in the New Year with a chalk drawing, worship, and prayer. Bring your New Year’s
hats or whatever, noise makers, and a favorite table game
(a card table if you have one—good for 4,5, or 6 people in a game). Come learn
Fast Uno, Chicken Foot Dominoes, Chess, “Garbage”, and
other fun games. Plan for lights, music, singing, mistletoe, and the midnight
ball to be dropped, just like Time Square in New York. In the New
Year we’ll have black-eyed peas and corn bread (yum, yum!). Everyone in Hampton
Roads is welcome. Give your ideas to Hal at 399-1050.
Hal
FROM OUR YOUTH DIRECTOR - Bob Cumings
This past weekend we just
finished up The Christmas Story. It was a resounding success! All of the hard
work and long hours of rehearsals were well worth it. The really neat thing
about doing these types of projects is the blessing that the participants
receive. We had several youth participate in the play and they all did a great
job! Brittany Full and Josh Fetters were actors and Jackson Lifsey and Carlie
Bagley were our spotlight crew. It was truly fun working with my kids on this
play!
Please have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year! Once again, the youth thank
you for all of your support. We look forward to a great ‘08.
God bless,
Bob
FROM OUR CHOIR DIRECTOR - Don Carter
Happy New Year!! “Hearty
Thanks” goes out to all who participated in the Christmas play — music,
lighting, sound, costuming, staging, video, directing, and those assisting the
director in many ways. Now we can take a brief rest as we begin to think about
2008 at Calvary. A new year of opportunities to serve our Lord is upon us.
Please consider becoming a part of the Music Ministry at Calvary. We have many
areas in the Music Ministry that would be stronger with more people involved.
Last year we had a Sunday evening “Gospel Sing”. Please let me know if you would
like to have another one (especially if you would participate) in the next
couple months. We have so much talent “in house” there just doesn’t seem to be
enough time to enjoy it all on Sunday mornings.
God bless,
Don
Church News & Events
All of our regularly scheduled activities, including our Wednesday Night Dinners, our AWANA Clubs for children, our Youth Group, and our Adult Choir and Prayer and Bible Study, will meet at their regular times beginning on January 9th. Wednesday Night activities have been canceled on December 26th and January 2nd, with the exception of the Adult Choir which will meet on January 2nd at 6:30 p.m.
DEACON ORDINATION
On Sunday, January 13th, we will have a service of Deacon installation and
ordination for those who have agreed to serve during the next four years.
They are Jack Austin, Tom Heflin,
David House, and Conrad Strickland.
COMMITTEE NIGHT
This year Committee
Night will be held on Sunday evening, January 13th, at 6:00 p.m. After brief
introductory comments by the pastor, each of our church’s committees will meet
together to review job descriptions and elect officers for the coming year.
Refreshments will be served. Every member of every committee is encouraged to
attend.
WALK FOR LIFE
The Crisis Pregnancy Center is hosting a “Walk for Life” fund raiser at
Chesapeake Square Mall on Saturday, January 19th, beginning at 8:30 a.m. This
event, sponsored by the Portsmouth Baptist Association Woman’s Missionary
Union’s Mary and Martha Ministry, helps to provide financial support for four
crisis pregnancy centers located in Portsmouth/Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk, and
Virginia Beach. Sign-up sheets for those who will be walking and for those
making contributions to this ministry will be available beginning in January.
SENIOR SAINTS
The Senior Saints’ December meeting was one of the best beginning with a
wonderful dinner by Jane and her helpers. We moved into the sanctuary for a
wonderful Christmas program given by Taraleigh and Noteworthy. We are very
grateful to the Lord for a wonderful evening.
The next meeting will be Thursday, January 17th. Reservations must be in no
later than January 14th. We are looking forward to the New Year. God bless you
all!
Boots Strange and the Senior Saints Committee
CHRISTMAS BASKETS & FOOD MINISTRY
We would like to thank Leland Benton and all of those who assisted in preparing
the Christmas Baskets this year. We are anticipating helping 38 families. We
would also like to thank Lois Brisbin and all of those who assist her in our
ongoing Food Ministry on Tuesdays as well as the food distribution ministry to
Effingham Plaza and Malvern Hills. Over the past year nearly twenty tons of food
have been given to those in need.
LOTTIE MOON OFFERING
Each Sunday we keep adding “bubble lights” on our Lottie Moon Christmas tree in
the front hallway. Each light represents $500. Thus far we have received $6,369.
We still have a ways to go, however. Our goal is $10,500. There are countless
million’s who have never heard the marvelous story of the birth of Christ, God’s
love gift to all the world. Your generous support through the Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering for International Missions will enable our Southern Baptist
missionaries to share with them the good news of God’s salvation in Christ
Jesus.
Grandparents, parents, and kids for a new improved mezzanine request your
prayers for the extreme makeover of the antiquated spaces currently used by the
Sunday School youth and for game time by the AWANA clubs. The
needs are to come up with a layout that will include suitable classrooms (3), a
game space
area complete with ceiling sound absorbing tile, a stage with
an appropriate backstage, upgraded bathrooms, and a mini kitchen area to
accommodate snacks.
Architect Michael Barnes will not be providing this service
as we had hoped; his vision entails a master plan for the church that we are not
ready to take on at the
present time. We are asking for a second designer to submit
his plans for the mezzanine and earnestly pray that once his design is in, we
can hire a structural engineer
to check the plans, then get busy with the extreme makeover.
Let’s not lose our resolve to make an up-to-date, safe, and inviting floor for
our kids to learn about
God’s love. Before any other major physical change is started
at Calvary, let’s tackle this worthy cause. Everyone who wore a costume in the
Christmas play now
knows where the mezzanine is. How many of you agree the space
needs an extreme makeover after over a half century of use? Work could get
started by this
summer. Our children and the new ones being born will thank
you for putting their needs first. The auction committee of December, 2006, has
put in seed money
to get us going. They need your support and prayers.
Calvary Silent Auction Committee
THANKS
I would like to thank all my Christian friends for the cards, visits, and
especially the prayers during my recovery from surgery. Looking forward to being
back in church.
Mary O. Hughes
I will always remember the many kind things that you did for me when I retired
last month. Thank you so much for the very generous love gift, the beautiful
flowers, the special dinner, and the cake. I met so many wonderful people
in my nine years as your church secretary, and I have made friends that I will
cherish for a lifetime. May God bless you all for the love that you have
shown to me and so many others.
Love in Christ,
Carolyn Watts
Sorry I’ve been out of touch...but with good reason. This fall my eyesight began
to give me problems. I found out through tests that I have retinopathy due to a
diabetic condition along with high blood pressure. Further tests revealed I had
ovarian cancer. In October, I had surgery to remove the cancer and had a stroke
affecting my left side the day after surgery. Since that time, I’ve had blood
clots in my lungs and have been bed ridden.
Some of you know me as a prayer warrior. I ask for your prayers for recovery as
much as God will allow, patience, endurance, peace, and mercy.
Let us remember Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ, who
strengthens me.”
He gives me strength for each day and may you know Him and His strength this
Holiday.
I welcome cards and visitors.
Attn: Sumiko Wiggins Room: 413B
Sentara Nursing Center—Norfolk
249 South Newtown Rd.
Norfolk, VA 23502
December Statistics
Monthly Budget Needs ( 3
weeks) 21,373.26
Monthly Budget Gifts ( 3 weeks) 21,000.06
Year to Date Needs 356,221.00
Year to Date Gifts 331,323.26
Designated Gifts
1,244.04
Christmas Baskets 2,530.00
Lottie Moon 6,369.00
Sunday School Attendance Average (3 weeks) 170
