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Many of you can relate to the eye exam experience. Reading the letters, saying which side the little lights are on, those annoying little puffs of air. If it's time to get new glasses we notice the letters are a little fuzzier than they used to be. Emma often reminds me that the TV picture quality changes based on whether or not we are wearing our glasses. For 'some reason' the resolution is not as sharp when she forgets her glasses. Clearly, life has a way of reminding us when we need a vision checkup.
As a church, we are going to do just that after Easter. We will look at our vision in a way that we have not done before. Beginning April 11, we are going to move through a series of seven Sundays focusing on our vision and how it is being worked out in each ministry area. Expect to see more people in the pulpit as they share how our church vision is advancing in their area of focus.
Why do a series like this at this time?
In a large church like ours, the vision can fragment somewhat as each ministry area makes it their own. There are many ways to talk about this phenomenon, but most important is to realize that it is difficult to move forward together when this problem is pronounced. The unfortunate irony is that this problem often hides the fact that there is much unity across ministries.
Each area may whole-heartedly agree with the vision and try to advance it, but the efforts can be disjointed and lack continuity. We pastors of Calvary feel that it is crucial for all of us to see our vision in terms of what we are doing. Our ministry areas are all moving in the same direction and working out the same vision, but in varying ways based on the unique needs and opportunities associated with the environment. This series is designed to demonstrate how we are working out our unified vision in each ministry area.
For example, rather than seeing Youth Ministry as Pastor Darin's ministry; we see youth ministry as our ministry to our youth. Likewise, Missions is not just another good program every church should have. It is a vital expression of who we are as Christians and a core value to which we mobilize our resources. Worship ministry is not just about having great music for Sunday services. Instead, Pastor Dan is teaching us all to be the kind of worshipers God the Father seeks: namely, those who worship in spirit and in truth. We could go on through each area to elaborate the point. These are not just divisions and departments in an organizational chart, but each ministry area is a tangible expression of who we are and how we are trying to live out the holistic Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Through this sermon series we plan to address the biblical why undergirding each of our ministries, illustrating in a variety of ways how they help us fulfill our Passion for Christ, Compassion for People vision. Here is what you can expect from this series:
April 11 The series will launch, looking at God's code for authentic community in Acts 2:42. This will be woven into a presentation of our efforts to bring all to maturity in adult ministries.
April 18 Pastor Darin and others will present how our vision for healthy community and maturity is growing in powerful ways.
April 25 Pastor Dan will lead us into greater levels of understanding Calvary's commitment to express our Passion for Christ in worship.
May 2 Our Hallelujah Kid's Choir will bring their Spring Musical, Let's Rock!, which focuses on outreach.
May 9 On Mother's Day, Pastor Dave will model our commitment to being a family of families through baby dedications and sharing how we are ministering to and through our children.
May 16 Pastor Larry will lead us in advancing our vision to express our passion for Christ in compassion for people. We will also celebrate the ministries God has birthed in our new Compassion Counseling Center and CareFest.
May 23 In celebration of Pentecost, Pastor Kevin will lay out how Calvary is answering Christ's call to mobilize our resources toward His Mission to reach the world.
I am excited about this series, and look forward to seeing the unified theme woven throughout our unique ministries. Please join us in elebrating our family of families.
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