Appreciation
On Sunday, September 29th, Calvary celebrated all the hard working leaders, workers, and volunteers who make our church run. Although we can’t include everyone, we want to express how much they mean to us and the work of the Lord here at Calvary. Our October newsletter will contain more photos and words of appreciation for all they do. Along with their commitment, there are certain things we appreciate about our church as a whole. One, is the tender compassion and love we have for one another. I can see it in our communication with each other, the times we call to check on someone, and the ways we interact at church and our other activities. Another is, there are a lot of personal friends at Calvary. Some of our members have been here for many years. They are families who have seen births, baptisms, and marriages. Others have seen divorces, tragedies, and death. In each and every event, there has been compassion, forgiveness, understanding, and restoration. Church life is missing for so many in our society today. What once revolved around family and church now floats through the emptiness of self-centeredness and defiance for God’s ways.
As a result of centering our lives around the shifting sands of modern culture, there has been a marked increase in the self-inflicted wounds people live with. Unresolved issues among people span for generations. People gravitate towards bitterness and loneliness. What a breath of fresh air it is to come to a church where we value one another and appreciate those who serve us with the healing touch of God’s Spirit.
Board of Trustees of Calvary Assemblies of God
Howard Collins, Sadie Wimbley, Pastor Sonny Pettie,
and Pastor Brian Jenkins
As a Pastor, I think I have the greatest Board of Trustees in the world. They are seasoned veterans of church service. They love Susan and I, and they understand their role is to make it happen for the Pastor and his family. I feel protected in their care. Along with them, God has raised up a personal prayer team to cover my family and I in prayer. They provide a shield of prayer around me before each service and all through the week in their personal prayer times. They speak into my life words that could only be revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. They, and our board, are the strength of my ministry at Calvary. No one stands alone. We all need help.
Pastor Brian’s Personal Prayer Team
Cheré Sanders, Pat Taylor, Marsha Banter,
Sadie Wimbley, and Susan Jenkins
When I think of those I appreciate, there is no greater one than my wife. Susan has stood by me in ministry for almost 30 years. She has made herself available to the church in whatever way I have needed. Her prayer life for our sons and I are beyond compare. She bears up under turmoil, is quick to forgive, has never allowed the pain of ministry to fester into bitterness, and she continues to grow in the Lord each year. With her faithful companionship, I never have felt alone in the work.
During our Appreciation Day we made a special effort to recognize those who not only lead in the organizational efforts of the church, but also those who lead in spiritual things too.
Calvary Assemblies of God Office Staff
Marsha Banter (correspondence), Sharon Pettie (contributions),
Diana Cornell (expenses), and Susan Jenkins (record keeping)
On the organizational side, we recognized the work of our office staff, cleaning crew, technical department, building maintenance and lawn care. These are the behind the scenes people who work at Calvary through the week, keeping our church in order.
On the spiritual side, we have one of the greatest teams of people ever, serving in our Sunday School and Children’s Ministries. I am constantly inspired to see their efforts to build up one another in the Lord. They never tire and keep coming back stronger and stronger each time they serve.
This also reminds me of those who love our church and people by their contributions to our ongoing goals and projects. Numerous times friends and previous members of Calvary send generous contributions to the church to further its work in our community.
One of the greatest works our church can do is to be involved in training and sending new workers for the Lord. When God began to speak to my heart about being a church of regional influence, I did not understand, nor could I fathom the magnitude of the vision he has given us. I knew it was imperative to reach the next generation of our sons and our daughters. I knew God was calling us to a season of prayer for this very purpose. However, I never realized how close at hand the reality of this vision was, until this past weekend. We have now assigned one of our very own families to the Assembly of God in Portland. God spoke to me and said, “This is what you are all about.”
Influence
Banner Christian Assembly of God’s New Pastoral Family
Pastor Michael Burk, wife Angie, and kids: Caleb,
Collin, Cyler, and Cassidy
Pastor Mike and Angie Burk, and their family, will be conducting the Sunday morning services at Banner Christian Assembly of God in Portland, Indiana beginning October 6th. We can’t begin to conceive what a miracle this is as our church begins to have regional influence in this area. The investment we have made in this family will bring fruit for God’s glory in this church and in the community of Portland.
During our monthly Communion and Worship service on September 29th we officially assigned one of our own families to minister to the people of Banner Christian Assembly of God in Portland. What a miracle for us and for them. We are envisioning the awesome responsibility before God to train, equip, and send people into ministry for our District and for our God. We stand in partnership with Banner Christian and will continue to invest in the lives of Pastor Mike and Angie as they serve at Banner.
Through this past few year’s God has given us a framework to build upon. Several of our members are now involved in the Indiana District’s School of Ministry in Indianapolis. I know that more are on the way. Their commitment benefits our church and will be a major factor in us becoming a church of regional influence in the near future. What a joy to see what God has laid out before us to build upon. Although we are just in the beginning stages of realizing how this works and outlining the procedures and policies that govern it, we can see through this family what God truly intends for us to be investing in — the next generation!
Reward
Along with our appreciation of those who serve, we also want to add a special note about those who are now receiving their rewards. This past week has been heartrending for some of our church family. However, we must remember the joy of a life well lived. Millie Stumpff, the wife of Butch Stumpff, passed on to glory and her final reward. Millie served for many years here at Calvary. Her life, her prayers, and her music have blessed many over those years. In her final days, she was cared for at the Union City Care Center in Ohio. She passed from this life on Wednesday, September 25th in the presence of her family and friends. She will be greatly missed and greatly remembered as a woman of God.
Pauline Moore’s sister, Martha, also passed away. Remember Pauline in your prayers. She just got back from her sister’s memorial service.
Finally, our precious brother Jim Horne passed on to his reward this week. Sunday, September 29th, he fell sick and could not make it to church. An ambulance was called and he was transported to Reid Hospital in Richmond, where he passed on to glory the next day, with his family gathered around him. Jim is a favorite son of Calvary and has served the church faithfully for years. He served as an usher and loved to worship God with his hands upraised. His presence at our church will be greatly missed. Much prayer is needed for his widow, Marge Horne. They have been together forever.
Church is a constant mixture of joy and heartache. However, that is what church is for. It is a place to share all the joys and heartaches of life. It is a place where the love of our God is felt and shared. It is a family which honors those who are beginning their journey in the Lord and remembers those who have completed theirs. It is a place of appreciation for those who serve the mission of the church and it is a place of reward for those who have completed their mission in the Lord.
I wouldn’t have it any other way. This life is a battlefield with many enemies on many fronts. There must be a place of equipping. There must be a place of remembering. Each of us is just a part of the whole that makes up the body of Christ. Each of us must remember the part we play is essential to make up a complete representation of Christ in the earth today. May we appreciate those who serve among us and may God reward those who have completed their labors here at Calvary and in this life.