OFFICE HOURS
Monday through Thursday: 9:00am–3:00pm
Friday: 9:00am–12:00pm
(Office Closed January 1 in celebration of the New Year)
WINTER MINISTRY TRAINING ELECTIVES
We encourage everyone to participate in Ministry Training Electives at 6:00pm on Sunday evenings, beginning February 2. This program is intended to equip believers with practical knowledge and skills to help them become all that God wants them to be. Sign up at the Welcome Center or on Breeze.
STREET SMARTS
The Street Smarts Video Study, taught by Gregory Koukl, helps Christians better engage in productive conversations with those who challenge their convictions on a variety of issues.
This video study focuses on revealing the fundamental flaws in common, current challenges
to Christian beliefs and values. Through a modeling of sample questions and dialogues, participants learn how to implement individual strategies to expose those shortcomings.
Session 1 — Getting Ready for the Street Session 2 — Questions Keep You Safe Session 3 — Intel for Navigating the Street Session 4 — Atheism: The Best Explanation for the Way Things Are? Session 5 — Evil: Atheism’s Fatal Flaw Session 6 — Jesus the Son, Christ the Savior
Session 7 — The Bible: Ancient Words, Ever True?
Session 8 — God: The Science Stopper?
TOGETHER
The first generation of believers embraced the idea of “church” in a way that impacted every aspect of their lives and empowered the gospel to spread far and wide. This six-session Bible study invites us to challenge our distinctions between “Sunday Church” and the rest of our lives,
to go all in with our faith and commitment to church community, and to live the truly dynamic, impactful life God has always intended for Christians to live. Together includes video teaching from author Ben Mandrell.
Session 1 — Seeing God’s Vision
Session 2 — Relating as Family
Session 3 — Being Known and Loved
Session 4 — Living Generously
Session 5 — Reaching Beyond
Session 6 — Maintaining Unity
LIES YOUNG WOMEN BELIEVE
This winter the teen girls will be continuing their study of Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Dannah Gresh. Nancy and Dannah expose 25 of the lies most commonly believed by today’s teen girls. They share real-life accounts from some of the young women they interviewed, along with honest stories about how they’ve overcome lies they themselves believed. They get down in the trenches of the battle with you. Best of all, they’ll show you how to be set free by the Truth.
FAMILY FORUM
CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY
We offer our condolences to Ann Eckert and family on the death of her husband, Jim Eckert, on Saturday, December 7. Please remember this family in your prayers.
LETTERS OF APPRECIATION
Thank you for your kindness that you showed us during this Thanksgiving season. We do appreciate the gift card for Thanksgiving dinner for our family. Peter and I are blessed to be able to attend Sunday School as part of your church family. We do so appreciate your generosity. May God bless you all.
Peter, Judy, and Joe Korch
We are so grateful for your support. We want to thank you. You are such an inspiration. We are praying for you right now as we write this note. You are a blessing to us, and to Restoration Ministries. Thank you!
Paulo and Ireni Mota
Thank you so much for your partnership in the gospel and the special Christmas gift—such a blessing! Lord willing, we look forward to meeting you all in April. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hannukah (John 10:22), and Merry Christmas!
Levi and Stephanie Hazen
Thank you for the Christmas greeting card along with the Amazon gift certificate. We are grateful for your thinking of us and acting on it in this way. You blessed us!
Dan & Esther Penney
Thank you for your investment into my new life. Merry Christmas!
Luke at Hope Community Development Association
We landed in Brussels safely on December 10, unpacked our stuff, met with friends, sowed some seeds, and rediscovered our home. WHEW! We look back on an amazing 6 months of Home Assignment. It’s good to be back. Our gratitude runs deep for Calvary’s support. We appreciate your kindness wherever and whenever it pops up. :-) When we sorted out our stack of mail, it warmed our hearts to find the Christmas card from the Missions Team with an Amazon Gift Card for $15. Your kindness preceded our arrival in Belgium by way of prayers and the gift card. Thanks again! :-)
Fred & Janet
Thank you for supporting us at Heartland Youth for Christ. Because of your support it is made possible for me to encourage youth in our community in their existing faith walks, introduce them to Jesus, and also provide meals and snacks for them as I share. I see between 200 & 300 youth each week and being able to meet them where they are is such a beautiful gift of God. Again, thank you for your support. I hope you and all yours have a very merry Christmas.
Justin Lancour — CR Area Ministry Director
BABY NEWS
Congratulations to new parents, Kouami and Malekpo, as well as big sisters, Doris and Hortence, as they’ve added a new baby boy to their family! Lucas Amen Ahonon came into the world on 11/14/2024, weighing in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces.
WEDDING INVITATION
The Calvary church family is invited to join the Slippy family in celebrating Taylor Slippy’s wedding on March 15, 2025! You can find her wedding website with information, RSVP, and registry at: theknot.com/taylorsandnickb.
REDIRECTION OF FUNDS FROM PACT PROJECT
The PACT project offerings collected in October ($6,016.75) are now being redirected to a new church plant in Vienna, Austria. Mulberry and Sissy have withdrawn from the Bangna Gospel Church plant in Bangkok, Thailand because of doctrinal, philosophical, and strategic differences with other team leaders, so we are no longer inclined to invest in that church plant. After consulting with our long-time partner Marty Shaw, who coordinates Global Initiatives with WorldVenture, we have chosen to redirect these funds to a new church plant, Crosslight Evangelical Church of Leopoldau, located on the north side of Vienna, Austria, in a strategic area that is densely populated and where there is no other evangelical church. Two key growth areas for this recent church plant, led by WorldVenture missionaries Nathan and Bethany Johnson, are leadership development and youth and children’s ministry. Calvary’s contribution will help them fund a pastoral and youth intern, giving the church an opportunity to invest in a future leader in the Austrian church and to expand their current youth ministry opportunities. Pray for the Lord to bless our gifts as He builds His Church around the world.
POTLUCK DINNER, ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS, AND QUARTERLY MINISTRY UPDATE
Everyone is invited to a soup and chili potluck dinner in the church fellowship hall at noon on Sunday, January 19. Bring a pot of soup or chili and/or some bread, crackers, or dessert to share. Drinks and table service will be provided. Following the dinner, members are urged to stay for our annual election of church officers and the winter Quarterly Ministry Update. Please help us plan and prepare by signing up at the welcome center, on Breeze, or by contacting the church office.
WINTER BLOOD DRIVE
Donating blood is free, fast, and easy! There is no better way to give back to your community than to give a part of yourself to a patient in need. Every donation keeps families whole and may give loved ones more time together. Visit https://login.bloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/122750 to sign up.
Calvary Baptist Church Blood Drive
Monday, February 3, 2025
2:30pm – 6:00pm
APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED! To be eligible to donate at this blood drive, your previous donation had to be prior to December 9.
KOINONIA CHRISTMAS PARTY
Young adults are invited to join the Koinonia Christmas Party on Saturday, January 4 at 5pm in the youth building. It will be a soup potluck, so bring a soup to share. After eating, we will play Christmas-themed games and end the night with a white elephant gift exchange with a possible twist! Bring a $10-$15 wrapped gift. You don’t want to miss this party!
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Sunday evening, January 26, we will use a session from apologist Greg Koukl’s “Street Smarts” curriculum as a means of encouraging and equipping all of us to faithfully represent a biblical perspective on the sanctity of human life. Koukl seeks to help Christians better engage in cordial yet persuasive conversations with those who challenge their convictions on a variety of issues—in this session, regarding the issue of abortion.
YOUTH ARCTIC ADVENTURE
Junior high and senior high students are going to the “Arctic Adventure,” a winter retreat January 24–26 in Burtrum, MN. They will enjoy a time of biblical teaching, worship, fellowship, snow tubing, games, and more. Please pray for the Lord to be at work in each of their lives in a significant way.
LADIES NIGHT OUT
There will be NO Ladies Night Out in January. We will see you in February!
POSITIVE IMPRESSIONS
Positive Impressions is scheduled for Saturday, January 11, from 10:00am to 3:00pm in room 23/24. Ladies, invite your friends to join you in working on your favorite craft projects. This is an enjoyable and non-threatening way to spend time developing relationships and building bridges in order to make a positive impression for Christ on your unsaved friends and family members. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Kim Nelson (319-640-9856) and bring a snack or drink to share with the group.
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
1 David French
Bahati Mutabazi
Sophie Nyagazura
Sondra Smale
2 Ricardo Etienne
3 Ryan Hale
4 Daniel Hunter
5 Joe Novak
6 Steve Hagemeier
Myah Pettit
Sarah Mulvihill
7 David Sanders
Morgan Walker
11 James LeMont
12 Steve Anderson
Toby Slippy
14 Colleen Abodeely
Audrey Hill
16 Jeannette Frey
17 Marlene Aswegan
Aiden Hale
Alex Lykkegaard
18 Marilyn Seamans
Don Winchester
21 Samantha Balson
Deborah Borum
23 Rob Kaufman
26 John Lewis
27 Sandra Tokpa
29 Ayisha Elichme
Judy Potter
30 Jared Bourne