Glory In the Highest

On Sunday, December 18th, Contemporary Worship leaders Dave Adams, Allie Hoistad, Matt Strand, Steve Carriere, Jarrod Schell, Danny Moffit, and John Nelson led approximately 150 people in song with an evening that included traditional Christmas carols (with a contemporary feel), contemporary Christian Christmas music, and some secular favorites as well.

A free will offering was taken to provide funding for “Cure International,” an organization that helps to train doctors in Africa to treat Hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain,” which causes swelling of the head and results in developmental delay, blindness and eventually death.  To learn more about this cause, Click Here.  $1,000 was given that night to support this program…what a blessing!

Sixty Feet to Grand Forks

Monday, October 17th, 6:30 p.m. in Calvary’s Fellowship Hall…

Calvary hosted a  very special event.  Sixty Feet, an action-based organization created to bring hope and restoration to the imprisoned children of Africa in Jesus’ name, was in Grand Forks!

At the turn of the 20th century, Winston Churchill described Uganda as “the Pearl of Africa”.   He was illustrating the beauty of the land. Indeed, in this lush African country, there is no shortage of water. Yet much of the water in Uganda is polluted. Experts tell us, often less than 60 feet down, they find crystal clear, clean water that changes these peoples’ lives forever.

Less than sixty feet below the dusty little feet of these orphans is the purest water they could ever drink…waiting for the children… just out of their reach.

For the people of Sixty Feet, this is not even close to being just about water. They have big dreams for these children that if you were told, you might think they are crazy. We know God loves these orphan children.  Everything does seem just out of their reach, but Sixty Feet is doing something about it.

Grand Forks was the winner of an online contest with Sixty Feet…so they came to our community to share their story with us, and showed a new film titled “Bereaved” that highlights the ministry of their organization, as well as what life is like for the children that are imprisoned unjustly in Uganda.

YES…IMPRISONED!  Sixty Feet provides hope to children who are living in unimaginable conditions…in prisons.  Most of them are there simply because they are orphans…but where they live is NOT an orphanage, it is in fact a prison.  Our hope with this event was to increase awareness, so that we may all follow the commission of Jesus, to “make disciples of all nations” and to help in this amazing ministry’s cause.  More than 70 people attended, and it was a powerful evening!

It doesn’t take much to go sixty feet…Sixty Feet is about changing lives forever.  To learn more about their ministry, visit their website, www.sixtyfeet.org.

Calvary: Do Something Now

On SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, Calvary’s young adults and college students hosted and event called “Calvary: Do Something Now.” This is a movement rooted in the belief that together we are a force for good…doing more than we can do on our own. Moving together, small sacrifices from each of us can make a huge difference in the lives of people around the globe.

We had interactive displays set up around the church throughout the morning to help the congregation relate to 7 global causes, and we invited people to come and support the one(s) of their choice…coming as they were, ready to give as they could.

The morning was a success…bringing in about $3,500.

There is still much need for awareness of these causes, and we will continue to take financial support for any of them.

Click on the following link to read about the causes.

Do Something Now Information

New Sunday Schedule Gives New Opportunities for Children and Worship

With slight change in our Sunday schedule, and with Sunday School remaining at 9:15 and 10:45, families will have some additional opportunities for involving their Sunday School-age children in worship.  There is much flexibility here, including these options:

1. Your child can attend the first part of worship (through the Kids’ Time and Noisy Offering) and then leave for Sunday School by attending either the 9:00 or 10:30 sanctuary services.
2. Your child can attend an entire worship service and Sunday School,  with a 15 minute break instead of the current 30 minutes,  by attending 9:15 Sunday School and the 10:30 Blended Service.
3. Your child can attend an entire worship service and Sunday School with the same 30 minute break we now offer by attending either the 9:15 or 10:45 contemporary services.
4. Your child can attend School School at the same time you are at worship if you attend the 9:15 or 10:45 contemporary service.

As you can see, families have a number of options.  Our hope is that many of our families will consider options a, b, and c as a way of increasing our children’s experience with the worship life of Calvary.

Local “Mission Blitz” reminds us of our call to “Be The Church”

Worship times for Sunday, October 2:  8:00 a.m. (30 min. service), 9:15 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. (15 min. service)

If you have a t-shirt from last year, please wear it. Otherwise, we will have t-shirts for all those who need them on Sunday morning.

We are also collecting for the following projects:

Humane Society: cat litter, cat/dog food, kitten/puppy food, toys & treats, dish detergent, hand sanitizer, glass cleaner, Kleenex, bleach, hand soap, towels/blankets & wash cloths, paper towels, pet combs/brushes, stamps, copier paper, 13-gallon trash bags and fold-top sandwich bags.

Lunch/food cupboard:  Bring items for our soup … canned items, fresh veggies, etc. Any leftovers will be given to the local Food Pantry.

Shifts are:

8:30 – 10:00 a.m., 9:45 – 11:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

The following is a list of the projects for this year:

• making bracelets for Filling the Gap
• clean up around Douglas Place
• cleaning wheelchairs and medical equipment at Options
• painting bowls for St. Vincent de Paul’s hunger fund raiser
• washing the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle
• conducting SafeKids Car Seat checks
• painting at the New Americans office
• cutting hair and working at the Northlands Rescue Mission
• cleaning out flower beds for the Greenway
• decorating and delivering cookies to shut-ins
• decorating lunch bags for area food programs
• assembling Operation Christmas Child boxes
• serving treats for residents at area apartments
• packing health kits for several agencies
• making tie-blankets for Hospice
• cutting old T-shirts into diapers for Honduras
• leading worship for area Nursing Homes
• helping people with home work projects
• helping Feed My Starving Children
• decorating bags for prayer shawls

All participants will be served lunch following their morning of being God’s hands and feet.

This year’s Mission Blitz will be held Sunday, October 2, 2011.

Lifting Up the Arts

On SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, Calvary was blessed to host the musicians from the group Dakota Road who led us in worship that morning, facilitated free workshops with musicians from our congregation in the afternoon, and headlined a concert for the whole community that evening.

In fact,  we turned the whole day into a celebration of the arts, gifts to us from God.

• We invited artists and craftspeople of all ages, skill, and variety to share the creations that brought them joy.  We created a gallery at the church to showcase visual arts that evening.

• We  invited musicians interested in learning more about blended worship to participate in hands-on workshops in the afternoon (free of charge).
• We invited culinary artists (as well as everyday cooks and bakers!) to share a gift from their kitchen for the evening reception.

Lastly, We invited the whole community to come and enjoy the party!  And what an event it was! Calvary is blessed to have such talented artists of all kinds among us! Thank you to all who participated.

Calvary Men’s Weekend & Park Rapids Worship 2011

A wonderful weekend has had by all the thirty-or-so fellows who were in the Park Rapids area for the 2011 Calvary men’s weekend. Not only did the golfers golf 36 (or more!) holes of golf, not only did many bikers bike up to 38 miles on the Heartland Trail, and not only did a handful of guys fish and swim in the lake just outisde the cabin, but we also had good conversation about what it means to be Lutheran, good lunch study conversations at good restaurants, thought-provoking questions with the pastors (a “stump-the-pastor time”), and quality fellowship throughout the in-between times. Gorgeous weather, a spectacular cabin for retreat, excellent food (much of it grilled!), and the serene atmosphere of Minnesota lake country were all also contributing factors. What a great weekend!       

 In addition, forty or so Calvary people worshipped together “off-site,” along the lakeshore outside Mark and Betty Larsen’s cabin. We remembered our baptisms, partook in the Lord’s Supper, heard a message to encourage us to live out our God-given vocations in our daily lives, and fellowshipped together afterward over grilled delicacies.

 Thanks to every one who contributed to this event, and all who participated.  A great time it was! And, if you missed out - we hope you plan now to be there next year! 

Bikers stop to see Paul Bunyan in Akeley, MN

 

Bikers stop in Nevis, MN