Calvary featured in ELCA Synod Assembly Video

Calvary is a vibrant congregation, and we are not the only ones who think so! In 2011, Calvary was honored to be one of three ELCA-wide ministry sites chosen to be spotlighted in the 2011 Synod Assembly video, produced by Bishop Mark Hanson’s office in Chicago, which aired at 65 synod assemblies across the nation. See the video here (for Calvary’s spotlight, go to minute mark 3:00): Calvary Video 

Calvary Easter Season Devotional (“A Growing Place”) – Now Available!

This April 1 – May 6 devotional is comprised of 36 entries by Calvary individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and worship traditions, in honor of our April focus on “A Growing Place.” The devotional is a wonderful compilation of thoughtful reflections by the people of Calvary! You may download the devotional in PDF form here, or obtain a printed copy from the church office.

Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT) Results

In January of 2013, Calvary members took part in an extensive survey called the Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT, for short).  It generated an incredible amount of insightful data to help us evaluate who we are, and also who we believe we are equipped and called by God to be as we seek faithfully to move forward.  Russell Crabtree, the founder of “Holy Cow! Consulting” and the designer of the CAT,  recorded a 50 minutes interpretation of the results which is very, very helpful in sorting through the wealth of data and helping us start answering the important question, “What does this mean for us?”  You can view his report by going to the following link:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxIwr83MIZ1qSzJueVprWnVLUkk/edit

If you would like a print copy of the CAT results, you can request one by contacting Pastor Roger

Sermon Library

Click on the links below to see print copies of recent sermons preached at Calvary

April 28, 2013 “A Thanking and Committing Place”

April 7, 2013 Belonging (Intern Pastor Sarah Raymond)

April 3, 2013 Apostles’ Creed 1: “God the Creator” (Pastor Roger)

March 31, 2013 “What Are You Looking For?” (Easter sermon by Pastor Roger)

March 28, 2013 “Words and Actions” (Maundy Thursday sermon by Pastor Roger)

March10, 2013 “And Now, The Rest Of The Story” (Pastor Roger)

March 3, 2013 “Fruit-Full Faith” (Pastor Roger)

February 24, 2013 “An Old Covenant, A New Covenant, And Grace” (Pastor Roger)

Feb 20, 2013 “Growing Pains” (Pastor Roger)

Feb 17, “The Tests we Face” (Pastor Troy)

Feb 10, 2013 “Does Prayer Change Anything?” (Pastor Roger)

Feb 10, 2013 “Does Prayer Change Anything?” (Pastor Troy)

Lord’s Prayer 7, Feb 6, 2013 (Pastor Roger)

Lord’s Prayer 6 – January 29, 2013 (Pastor Roger)

Feb 3, 2013 “Prayer as Battle” (Pastor Kristen)

Feb 3, 2013 “Prayer as Battle” (Pastor Troy)

The Lord’s Prayer 6 January 30, 2013 (Pastor Roger)

January 27, 2013 “Held In Prayer” (Pastor Roger)

“The Lord’s Prayer – 4 and 5″ Wednesday, January 23, 2013 (Pastor Roger)

January 20, 2013 “Let US Pray” (Pastor Kristen)

“Let US Pray” January 20, 2013 (Pastor Troy)

January 13, 2013, “Be Still, …or Not!” (Pastor Troy)

January 13, 2013 “Be Still…Or Not!” (Pastor Roger)

“The Lord’s Prayer” (1st-3rd petitions) January 9, 2013 (Pastor Roger)

January 6, 2013 “Drawn by the Mystery” (Epiphany), Pastor Troy Troftgruben

Click here to see a Library Of  Archived Sermons preached earlier at Calvary

Calvary Web Cam

Click on the link below to watch live worship, funerals, or weddings  in Calvary’s sanctuary.   When prompted for a user name and password, enter:  User Name:  webcast      Password: webcast 123

Webcam   (You will be promted for User Name and Password.  See information above)

Dail-E-Word

Sign up for Calvary’s “Dail-E-Word”  and receive a Bible verse and short prayer written by Calvary members and sent daily to your e-mail Inbox. Bible verses generally correspond with texts used at Sunday worship or other special events going on in the life of the congregation and community. You can sign up for Dail-E-Word by clicking on the Mailing List Sign Up link on the right hand side of this page.

E-mailed News and Messages

Sign up and receive e-mail messages from Calvary Pastors and staff members. Sometimes it’s a reminder about special events or opportunities. Sometimes it’s a thought for the day. We try not to send out so many that we become “Spam,” but it is a great tool for communicating and staying in touch. You can sign up for E-mailed news and messages using the Mailing List Sign Up box on the right hand side of this page.

Calvary Calling Monthly Newsletter

Our monthly church newsletter – “Calvary Calling” – is available by e-mail in PDF format. You can receive this in addition to (but more quickly) than the mailed hard copy, or you can help us cut down our paper use and receive only the e-mail version. You can sign up to receive the Calvary Calling Monthly Newsletter using the Mailing List Sign Up box on the right hand side of this page.

Online Giving

We encourage online giving at Calvary. This is a great way to give towards memorials, pay for events, or provide a special offering you might feel called to.

Giving online to Calvary is easy. Click the donate button and you will be directed to the online giving form. You may choose to designate where you want your donation to go when you check out. Simply fill in the description box to indicate where you would like your donation to be directed.

 

Council Minutes

Copies of the minutes from council meetings, as well as copies of other items relevant to the work of the council, are available here.

Bible and  Study Links:

Online Lectionary  The “lectionary” provides a 3-year schedule of scripture readings for worship.  Although Calvary pastors do occasionally break from the lectionary to preach sermon series or address particular topics,  the lectionary’s schedule of readings is used at most worship services during the year.  Reading the assigned texts in the week before worship is a wonderful way to prepare for the hearing of the Word on Sunday.

NRSV Online Bible The NRSV is the translation of scripture used most often at worship services at Calvary. (a number of other translations of  the Bible are available at this site too)

The Message Bible is a contemporary translation by Eugene Peterson. It’s used often in our Youth Ministry, and many also enjoy the ways it presents traditional Bible words in nontraditional, oftentimes refreshing, ways.

Enter the Bible Website includes a number of tools for deepening your understanding of scripture.

Living Lutheran Check it out – a nice blend of stories and other resources for reflection.

Links to some Partners in Ministry supported by Calvary:

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - As a member of the ELCA, Calvary supports mission and ministry across the country and around the world. The ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response are widely recognized for the efficiency of their work in converting the benevolence dollars of ELCA members into much-needed aid for those in need.

ELCA News provides an updated stream of news and information about current ELCA ministries and responses to world events.

Eastern North Dakota Synod (ELCA) - As a member of the END Synod, Calvary is a ministry partner in supporting the missions such as Campus Ministries, Bible Camps, Luther Seminary, Lutheran Social Services, and Dakota Oyate Lutheran Church on the Spirit Lake reservation.

Christus Rex Campus Ministry (UND) – Calvary supports this Lutheran Campus Ministry at the University of North Dakota both directly and through partnership with the ELCA’s Campus Ministries and the END Synod.

Luther Seminary - Located in St. Paul, MN. Luther is the largest of the ELCA’s seminary’s, and the closest to Calvary.  We currently have several members in preparation for ministry at Luther.

Lutheran Disaster Response - A partnership ministry with our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod – this outstanding organization is a channel we use to help others around the world.

Lutheran Disaster Response North Dakota - Be it spring floods, summer storms, or other disasters, this partnership ministry coordinated by Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota allows us to respond to the  needs of others around the region.

Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota - A statewide social service agency and partner in ministry. 1 in 9 North Dakotans receive services from LSSND each year.

ELCA World Hunger  is a comprehensive and sustainable program that uses multiple strateties – relief, development, education, and advocacy – to address the root causes of hunger and poverty.

Feed My Starving Children - Calvary and other congregations in the Grand Forks area partnered with this outstanding organization from the Twin Cities for a Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack Event in April of 2011 and again in March of 2012.  Approximately 300,000 meals were packaged each year.  Plans are in place for another event this April, with a goal of 400,000 meals – to take us to 1 million!