Bulletin Note 12-22-2024
Dear Church, Today’s note will be a sort of “State of the Church” address as we close out the year, reflect on the Christmas play, and look forward to next…
DOWNLOAD THE NEW CHURCH APP
Stay connected to Calvary Baptist Church throughout the week! With our new and improved church app, you’ll be able to find out information about upcoming events & activities, watch past sermons, listen to additional content, and more. Click the link below to download and don’t miss out on this great opportunity to grow!
I think some places slap a “Mission Statement” up on the wall and say, “This is what we are.” Except no one believes it!
Our staff and deacons had a few meetings where we asked, “What do we do?” and arrived at some values that define a lot of what we do.
These statements don’t define everything we do, but these are the three things that we emphasize regularly. This year, we will work on rolling out these values through our website, on banners, and in printed materials like our guest booklets and tracts.
Worship is the natural language of a heart captivated by its Savior. When we combine mind, soul, and body in bowing, we are face to face with the only Being worthy of our adoration. We worship God.
Imagine a royal hall. The marble floors shine, and the tap of heels echo as people wait and watch. Everyone bows, except for one—it’s the king!
This is worship. The worth of one is acknowledged by all. In heaven and earth there is only One who is worthy—God. He is glorious, and He yearns for our adoration.
At Calvary Baptist Church, we crave true worship. Worship is the natural language of a heart captivated by its Savior. We aren’t spectators; we’re participants. Worship is not a mere weekend ritual, it’s the core of who we were designed to be. (Psalms 96:8-10)
We can offer God our praise, prayer, and offerings every day, but the gathering of God’s people is different. In the sanctuary, God’s people give Him what He wants: worship. (John 4:23) Here, we combine mind and soul with body as we bow—a physical response to His worth. In that moment of reverence, the chasm between heaven and earth crumbles. We stand face-to-face with the One who holds the universe in His hand, and our hearts overflow with an awe that words cannot contain.
We worship God, not because we have to, but because we can’t help but fall at His feet, enraptured with His glory.
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name,” the Psalmist cries, and we echo his call, hearts ablaze. “Oh worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!”
We worship God.
Once we understand that God’s love letter is sufficient for everything we might need, it creates a hunger to know God better by knowing His Word better. So, in every way we can, we bring the Bible home.
The Creator, not content with leaving His creation adrift, penned a love letter on the pages of time. We call it the Bible, a lamp to light our feet, a compass to guide us home, the wellspring of truth that quenches every thirst of the soul.
SUFFICIENT. We cherish God’s Word as absolute Truth, not just ink and paper, but God’s very breath. It may not hold every earthly fact, but it holds everything we need to navigate this world, to build Godly lives, and find our purpose on this earth. (2 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1:8-9) The Bible is sufficient.
RELEVANT. So we hold it close. As newborn babes, we desire the sincere milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2), its words echoing in our hearts long after the pages close.
Sunday sermons aren’t mere academic drills, but bridges spanning ancient text to modern life. Walk through our Sunday school halls and you will hear not just a list of rules, but the Good Book brought home through passionate teaching. The Bible is relevant.
LIFE-CHANGING. We delve into its depths, not just for knowledge, but for transformation, allowing its wisdom to wash over us, making us more like Him. We must be doers of the Word. For Christians, studying God’s revelation is not an option, but a necessity, the key to knowing Him fully and growing in grace. (2 Peter 3:18) The Bible is life-changing.
CRITICAL. The Bible isn’t an add-on; it’s the very DNA of our community, our bedrock from nursery to rocking chair.
We bring the Bible home.
Church is more than a gathering, it’s a body, a building, a temple. We connect our lives to God through others as we share the blessings that our collective Father has given us. We’re a family, and we love you.
Church is not just a gathering of pew-warmers. It’s a family of faith—brothers and sisters adopted by the King himself. We laugh together, learn together, grow together; we are one tapestry woven with the thread of our Father’s love.
Whatever your experience with family, God’s family is different. It’s better. God’s family is a body, each member vital, functioning in glorious unison. (1 Corinthians 12)
God’s family is a building, stones fit together, each unique, yet forming a sanctuary for His presence. (Ephesians 2:21)
God’s family is a temple, not of stone, but of souls. It’s the house and household of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Outsiders aren’t strangers here; they’re family waiting to be welcomed. When we experience God’s love, we want everyone else to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 24:8, Galatians 6:10, 1 John 4:11)
Come, join in. We’ve saved a place at the table, a seat in the choir, a place to connect to God through others. No more isolation.
We’re a family, and we love you.
FAQ
Since our beginning in 1987, Calvary Baptist Church has been contending for truth, not traditions or trends. We believe that since God’s ways are timeless, we should anchor our lives to His timeless Word.
Are new and trendy things bad? No. But they’re new. They haven’t been tested by time. New paths don’t always mean better paths. We’ve chosen to stick to the same old path that has worked for generations before us. We choose to be timeless.
Still can’t find it?
Sundays at 9:30am, 10:30am and 5:30pm. Wednesdays at 7pm.
Sunday
- Adult Bible Classes 9:30 AM
- Children’s Sunday School 9:30 AM
- Morning Service 10:30 AM
- Children’s Church 10:30 AM
- Evening Service 5:30 PM
Wednesday
- Master Clubs Children’s Ministry 6:45 PM
- Evening Service 7:00 PM
Loving nursery care provided by trained workers for all services.
Our children’s classes meet at 9:30am on Sundays and are divided by age or grade for their teaching times. For more, please see our Ministries page.
Please see our What We Believe page.
Questions? Let us know...
Calvary Baptist Church
Should churches feel timeless or trendy? Malls are trendy. Churches should feel timeless.
With the forceful current of constant change sweeping over every part of our lives, people have the need to connect with something enduring and firm. We believe Christ designed the church to fulfill that need by representing an eternal kingdom and ageless truth with no need to imitate the culture.
Welcome to Calvary Baptist Church! We’re a place that still feels like church. It won’t feel like a rock concert, comedy club, or motivational seminar. It’s not old-fashioned, as in 50 years ago. It is timeless, as in 2000 years ago. It’s still church.
Still Preaching
Dynamic, passionate preaching straight from the Bible still brings more lasting change than comedy routines, drama, or motivational talks. Come discover the benefit of Bible preaching.
Preaching conjures up a lot of different images in people’s minds these days. Boring. Dry. Irrelevant. Maybe you haven’t heard real Bible preaching! Preaching is simply a passionate and dynamic communication of an important and vital truth from the Bible. The preaching you hear will first of all be Bible-centered. We still believe in the absolute truth of the time-tested Word of God. Be sure to bring your Bible because you will need it. Second, it will be relevant and clear. You won’t wonder what the point was and you will be able to use it immediately. Last, it will be passionate and unapologetic. In a culture of “believe-whatever-you-want-regardless-of-whether-it-is-actually- true,” preaching might seem offensive to sensitive ears. Rather than water it down and mix it with entertainment, we still believe in that timeless, biblical practice called preaching.
Still Hymns
Most church music amounts to dumbing down the lyrics and cranking up the volume to build interest. The hymns we sing still generate an attitude toward God that is anything but lifeless and boring.
Have you noticed that church just doesn’t sound like church anymore? The latest music trends rule the pew and no one really knows where that will stop. Isn’t it amazing how rock stations can make it promoting the oldies, but the modern church is now scared of the hymns? Even the oldies stations want the music pure, but if today’s church includes a hymn, it has to be reworked in modern rock to be accepted. We still believe the hymn is the most truthful and exciting form of music used in the church. Where it is appreciated, it is not boring. Even the hymnal is alive and well. Public schools know that if you want the most learning and participation, give the kids a book. Don’t get us wrong. We love new music and we like it to be loud. We just enjoy the volume coming from the congregation rather than from the guitar speaker. Come rediscover the excitement from the hymns.
Still Reverent
Every American institution knows that being casual affects our attitude. While you won’t find a judgmental spirit here, you will find a place that still believes reverence is right for the presence of God.
American culture has become obsessed with casual. Having invaded every major institution including schools, businesses, and courtrooms, each of these have already lived to regret it. It is rare to find a serious classroom or courtroom that promotes “do as you want” and “drink as you please.” On the other hand, it is just as rare to find a church that doesn’t promote a casual or even careless approach in the services. We still believe that the presence of a Holy God deserves our attempt to express respect and reverence; not because it impresses Him, but because it affects our own hearts and attitudes. Reverence is a fading virtue in America, not because God no longer deserves it, but because churches no longer promote it. While we believe God deserves our best, we don’t try to police what that is. A heavy-handed judgmental spirit can often be worse than lack of reverence that is expressed in the casual approach to worship.
Still Men
The rumor that masculine men hate church is greatly exaggerated. Come discover an environment where plenty of real men still believe God expects them to step up and provide strong, loving leadership in the church and in their families.
Look inside most churches today and one of the most notable vacancies is men. In particular, masculine men. We want you to know that’s not true everywhere. Calvary Baptist Church can be called a “man’s church” because of the generous involvement of men in every facet. We still believe men are expected to provide strong leadership within the church and their homes. Generations of that kind of leadership is one secret to America’s greatness. Feminism would have you think that masculinity demeans the woman, yet biblical masculinity is humble and compassionate and values a lady more than life itself.
Still Family
Our culture’s experiments with the family have left the American home in a mess. We still teach the biblical roles for the family as the best answer and only hope for stable, fulfilled homes.
The family has been redefined in America until there seems to be no absolute standard. In fact, the traditional, biblical definition of the home has become the minority. Even the most casual observer would have to admit that the American home is in trouble. A marriage with a mom and a dad whose love for each other grows year by year, surrounded by children who are happy and respectful is little more than a fairytale. Yet, in truth it really is more than a fairytale. It can be a reality and we still believe the key is the biblical roles for the family. Call them old-fashioned or timeless; the biblical plan still works when people work the plan. Our church is full of homes of various kinds, whether starting out right or trying to restore broken relationships around the proven biblical standard. With an abundance of young families and children, come enjoy a church that is still family.
Still Exciting
God doesn’t need the Top 40 or latest fads to be exciting. We still enjoy several timeless practices that stir the soul in a way that strobe lights and dancing in the aisles can never manufacture.
There is a mistaken idea these days that God needs the help of the latest fads and technologies to be considered exciting. The truth about Him just isn’t enough; it takes the latest music styles and entertainment trends to bring life to His attributes. Entertainment and true worship don’t produce the same result, though. Once a church starts down the path of entertainment, the destination is unpredictable and likely undesirable. What is exciting to the older folks is not tolerated by the younger and a church becomes divided generationally. That doesn’t quite sound like the church Christ had in mind. We still believe that church can be exciting without borrowing the latest fads to kick-start the crowd. Several practices have been used for centuries and they haven’t gone out of style because entertainment is not the standard. It can still be exciting even when it still feels like church.
Bulletin Note – Wednesday, 12-18-2024
Fasting. WAIT! DON’T LEAVE! Tonight we’re talking about the spiritual discipline of fasting. This is a hard truth to swallow, in a manner of speaking. But fasting is throughout the…
CONTENTMENT Ch. 2 – Learning Contentment
. . The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment . . . The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Containing the Original Text With Modern Sermon Adaptations . . Sermon Two:…
CONTENTMENT Ch. 1 – Nine Truths To Unpack
. . The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment . The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Containing the Original Text With Modern Sermon Adaptations . Nine Truths to Unpack .…