I’ve often joked that with the Green family, there’s never a dull moment. I suppose with a family the size of ours, there is always going to be an adventure with someone. Your family is probably that way also. It should come as no surprise that there is never a dull moment it seems in our Calvary church family either. In the days and weeks leading up to Easter weekend, the church was the proverbial “beehive of activity.” We had large preparations that were needed for the annual pancake breakfast and Easter Egg hunt and an army of volunteers labored to make it all possible. Our choir, orchestra, musicians, praise team vocalists have worked for months to make our musical and Easter Sunday music so special. Volunteers laboring to make our Good Friday service here a tremendous success and on top of it all, the normal ministry activities that happen because of dedicated servants. There’s no way I could recognize everyone involved in some way but I do want to say I appreciate all of you who served the Lord in getting ready for Resurrection Sunday and all the surrounding activities. I’ll resist the temptation to call specific names but I’m grateful to the Lord for your ministries. We’re working on the prospects and decisions from all this but we know we had a number of un-churched people with us for the Pancake Breakfast & Easter Egg Hunt. We had a large Sunday morning crowd as well with a number of guests. Thank you for parking in the parking garage to make room for our guests and inconveniencing yourself so that others could have easier access to the church. It was evident the Holy Spirit was speaking to hearts on Resurrection Sunday and we need to pray to the Lord to bring us a harvest. As we’re faithful to make our REACH contacts through our Sunday School, we’ll be laborers in the harvest of souls.
More exciting news is that we’re also going to have a new pictorial directory for our church membership which will be of great benefit to us to put names and faces together, especially with two different worship services. We’re taking advantage of available technology to utilize on online directory which is easily updated. We’re producing this in house with volunteers who have invested in camera equipment and backgrounds as well as oversight of the appointment scheduling and making this available to the church. Our hope is to wrap this up before the end of May before everyone disappears on vacation. We’ll be able to print out a hard copy if desired for a small fee to cover the cost of printing. I believe there are plans in place to accommodate members who are shut in or have health issues so please call the office so we can make provision for you to be included in the directory.
Another bit of exciting news is that the trustees have approved and secured a contractor to install a much needed restroom in the Narthex. The funds for this restroom are already in place from our capital expenditures fund because of the faithfulness of God’s people with their tithes and offerings. The contractor tells us he expects two weeks from the time they start working here on site until it is complete and ready to use. Because of space needs and code related issues, it will be a small restroom that is handicapped accessible and we’ll have to use it “family style.” With that in mind, we’ll need to be diligent to keep it clean and ready for others. Steve Green had a song years ago that said “Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.” While I believe brother Steve had something else in mind, that should be the slogan stenciled above the mirror… I’m kidding of course – but this will be a practical need. Because of the location of this restroom, I have no doubt it will quickly be the most used water closet on campus. In light the heavy traffic we expect using this bathroom, I’m going to boldly go where few pastors dare tread, but I’m going to ask for a volunteer team of people with servant hearts to make that restroom their ministry on Sunday mornings. I envision a team of volunteers with a coordinator who sign up for a particular week to maintain the restroom appropriately throughout the Sunday morning activity; especially between services. It is not a glamorous ministry, but it is a chance to “wash one another’s feet” in a modern context, as Jesus set the example for His disciples. I’m confident the souls who volunteer for such a ministry will have the warm smile of Jesus upon their labor of love for His sake. I’m not asking you to do something I’m not willing to do so I’ll take the lead and say to the coordinator God is calling now to oversee this ministry; sign me up for the first Sunday this restroom is in service, I’ll clean after the invitation at the end of the 8:30 service.
There’s exciting stuff happening all around us here at Calvary. I believe the Lord is going to show us some other exciting opportunities around here real soon. What a blessing to see the Lord at work in the lives of His saints as we gather each week to expand His kingdom and do His will. I love you and I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to serve as your pastor. I look forward to more excitement, from my little corner of the world to yours…
Ralph Green
Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church
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