reach magazine - volume 7 issue 1

reachVOLUME 7 | ISSUE 1

magazine

putting

feet TO THE MESSAGE

generous

soles CALVARY SCHOOL

walking the journey of

Generosity

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CONTENTS REACH GLOBAL WEEK SCHEDULE 2015 Putting Feet to the Message · page 4 GUEST SPEAKERS Scott Nutter, Dr Nabeel Jabbour, Larry & Kathy Dunne, David Yeghnazar · pages 5 - 8

MISSIONARIES AT REACH GLOBAL WEEK · page 9CALVARY CHURCH’S NEWEST MISSIONARIES · page 10URBANA 15 · page 11YWAM HOMES FOR HOPE with Shameeron Paur · page 12

5 QUESTIONS with Eric Nielsen · page 14 LOVE SANTA ANA INITIATIVE · page 15WALKING THE JOURNEY OF GENEROSITY with Ray Pertierra · page 16PRODIGAL CHURCH with Brent Dedmon · page 17TALKING ABOUT JESUS AROUND THE DINNER TABLE a look at Alpha Course · page 18GENEROUS SOLES with Calvary Christian School · page 2015 ONGOING WAYS TO SERVE ORANGE COUNTY · page 22

GLOBAL REACH

LOCAL REACH

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2 _ CALVARYLIFE.ORG/REACH

Dr. Nabeel Jabbour is an Egyptian born author, speaker and teacher. He is considered one of the top professors of Islam in the U.S. He will be sharing with us on Sunday, March 15, in both the morning and evening on how to speak to Muslim peoples in our own context.

David Yeghnazar, the Executive Director of Elam Ministries, will be our closing speaker on Sunday, March 22. One of the Iranian pastors that we have been praying for, Pastor Farshid, was imprisoned for distributing the Elam translated and produced New Testaments in Farsi through over 50 church plants he started to over 50,000 people in Iran. David will bring us up to date on what God is doing in Iran and hear about the many thousands, possibly millions, of individuals who have come to Christ.

We hope as you read through this edition of REACH that you will find multiple ways that you can begin Putting Feet to the Message both here and around the world.

Liz Gold Matt DoanReach Global Director Reach Pastor

Our theme for the 74th Annual REACH Global Week, “Putting Feet to the Message,” was inspired by Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet that bring Good News.” That is what we want to impress on you this year; God’s message needs to be sent out, not kept on a shelf in our homes. If we really believe God’s Word to be true and that it changes lives, then we want to find all the ways possible to get it out to people everywhere. We can be those beautiful feet, we can get the Message out, but we can’t do it if we do nothing. Let’s put feet to the message.

We will be kicking off our focus on REACH Global Week with prayer stations on campus. These prayer stations will be up throughout the month of March. As you check out each of these stations around the campus, you will learn many of the ways that Calvary is involved in global ministry around the world, and various ways you can impact the world through prayer. In addition, on Saturday, March 21 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm we will meet together in Samsvick Chapel to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for acknowledging their faith in Jesus Christ.

Many of our REACH Global Week speakers are involved in ministries whose main focus is getting the Message out to the Muslim world. We will hear about Islam and how to be proactive in reaching our Muslim neighbors with the love of Christ.

On Saturday evening, March 14, Scott Nutter will share with us about the 70% of the world that are oral preference learners – this means that they would rather hear something than read it. His agency, “Faith Comes By Hearing”, produces auditory recordings of the Bible in over 800 languages. This year, they produced the auditory Bible in the Farsi language to be sent by satellite to televisions in Iran, where they will be heard by seekers all over the country.

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REACH Global Week 2015

Schedule Events of

“How beautiful are the feet that bring good news.” Romans 10:15

FRIDAY , MARCH 13

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

7:00 PM

8:30 AM6:00 PM

8:45 AM & 10:45 AM10:30 AM 6:00 PM

6:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM

9:30 AM7:00 PM

8:45 AM & 10:45 AM

10:30 AM

Hispanic Multicultural Dinner · GYM

Kids Walk for Hope · South parking lotGlobal Dinner - Scott Nutter, FCBH & Missionaries · FH Worship Services - Guest Speaker, Dr. Nabeel Jabbour (Part 1) · WCCalvary missionaries in all Adult LifeGroups · on CampusHispanic Worship Service · SC Guest Speaker, Dr. Nabeel Jabbour (Part 2) · SC

Adults - Alpha & other classes continue · WCChildren’s Missions Game and Prayer Night · On-CampusJr. High & High School Dessert - Larry & Kathy Dunne · FH

Global Missionary Breakfast - Larry & Kathy Dunne - Men/Women · GYMPrayer for the Persecuted Church · SC Closing Worship Services - David Yeghnazar, Elam · WCMissionary Commissioning in both servicesCalvary missionaries in all Children classes both hours Hispanic Worship Service · SC

Prayer Walk throughout campus beginning March 1 and concluding March 31

FH – Fellowship Hall FR - Fireside Room SC - Samsvick Chapel WC — Worship Center

March 13-22, 2015

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Events

Come hear from Scott Nutter of “Faith Comes by Hearing” as he shares about some of the exciting things that are happening with recorded Scriptures. His organization uses the translated Scriptures by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Elam and other ministries, and in a storytelling manner produces them for various types of use. In addition, a panel of our Calvary missionaries will be sharing how they “Put Feet to the Message” in their work. We will hear from these Calvary Missionaries serving in four continent: Amy West (Asia), Don & Janie Nellis (The Americas), Chris & Susan Tweedy (Europe), and Shel & Kym Arensen (Africa). This will be an evening you won’t want to miss!

There is no cost required for the ticket, but we ask you to consider a financial gift designated to Reach Global Missions to offset the cost of the evening and for the continued support of our Calvary Church missionaries and global ministries both here and around the world. Tickets can be picked up on Sunday March 1st, 8th or during the week in the REACH Global office.

Scott Nutter is the National Development Representative & Church Engagement Director for the ministry “Faith Comes By Hearing” in Albuquerque New Mexico. Scott was called to serve full-time with the ministry in February 2008. He travels and works with churches and mission organizations across the USA and around the world, sharing the ministries goal to reach and disciple the world’s poor and illiterate with the Word of God in Audio. FCBH has over 868 audio New Testament recordings spoken by 5.7 billion people and reaching 190 countries.

SCOTT NUTTER

REACH GLOBAL DINNERGUEST SPEAKER

Saturday,March 146:00 pm · Fellowship Hall

saturday, maRCH 14 2015


Although Dr. Jabbour comes from an Arab Christian background, for the first fifty years of his life Muslims were his neighbors, teachers, friends, roommates, and students. While earning a doctorate in Islamics, Dr. Jabbour's method of study was phenomenology. It is a method of study where the phenomenon is allowed to speak for itself resulting in a compassionate understanding of the phenomenon from the adherent's point of view. He did not want to project his prejudice on Islam and Muslims and come to predetermined conclusions.

Instead he learned to put on Muslim worldview lenses, to stand in their shoes and to see the world through their eyes. Today he is an adjunct professor at five seminaries and a lecturer at churches and missions conferences. Dr. Jabbour has visited most of the Islamic countries in the world. Because he has lived in the United States since 1991, he has come to understand both worlds of the Arab and Muslim world on one hand and the American and

Dr. Nabeel Jabbour

SUNDAY MORNING & EVENING GUEST SPEAKER

Sunday,March 15Part 1: 8:45 am & 10:45 am Worship Center

Part 2: 6:00 pm Samsvick Chapel

The Crescent through the Eyes of the Cross, as well as other books by Dr. Nabeel Jabbour, are available in the Calvary Church Corner Bookstore and Cafe.

Christian world on the other. He has learned how to interpret the "strange" phenomenon of Islam and Islamic fundamentalism to people in the West, and especially to Christians.Dr. Jabbour has authored three books in Arabic and four in English. Unshackled and Growing: Muslims and Christians on the Journey to Freedom; The Rumbling Volcano on Islamic Fundamentalism; and The Unseen Reality on spiritual warfare. His latest book, The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross, on the Muslims worldview, has been reprinted six times.

sUNDAY, maRCH 15 2015


Join us as we hear from Calvary Missionaries, Larry and Kathy Dunne, who serve with Global Outreach Mission, Inc. in County Mayo, Ireland. A great morning with song, a scrumptious breakfast, and delightful speakers; you won’t want to miss this! Tickets are available on Sunday mornings in the Worship Center lobby beginning March 1st and in the REACH office throughout the first two weeks of March.

Larry and Kathy have been missionaries with Calvary Church for over 20 years. Kathy was born and raised in Orange and attended Calvary Church. As a young adult, Kathy first went on a short term trip to Indonesia and discovered that it wasn’t her fit. Another trip to Ireland proved to be the perfect match for Kathy – not only the location but the people, and one person in particular, her husband, Larry. Once a commercial fisherman raised in an Irish Catholic home, Larry had never heard that he could know God in a personal way. Following a fishing accident and the loss of his arm, Larry found Christ by walking through Dublin City and hearing a street evangelist doing Sketch-board Open-Air. Interested in what the man was drawing, Larry heard for the first time how Jesus Christ wanted to have a personal relationship with him, and he found the answers to the questions that had plagued him since childhood. Fast forward a few years, and Kathy Oakland shows up sent by Calvary on a GEM summer team. Once the team finished their 3 months in Ireland, Kathy was hooked, and so was Larry. And so, after a very short time, they married. Larry spent a few years in the states teaching Evangelism classes at Calvary and getting his US Citizenship before they returned to Ireland. Their first years were on the east side of Ireland near Dublin in Skerries, Larry’s childhood home. Soon after, they moved all the way to the west side of the country in County

larry & kathy dunne

SATURDAY MORNING REACH GLOBAL BREAKFAST SPEAKERS

Saturday,March 219:30 am · Gym

Mayo where they began their first years of church-planting.

Much of Larry’s work involves door-to-door and street evangelism. Kathy enjoys developing relationships, hosting, and ministry communications. West Ireland is a very challenging land and remains quite unreached territory. Larry and his evangelism team are developing their church plants in five main towns of County Mayo. The team also runs a small Christian Bookstore near the Westport Church. They have been able to get into a number of public schools (which are all Catholic), teaching children the Bible Explorer Program as an aid to the schools’ religious curriculum. With Larry’s Irish fishing background, there has been a huge open door, evangelizing those living on the nearby islands. Each year they have a newly constructed, professional, evangelistic free magazine that is collectively distributed all across Ireland by Irish churches. It has been a great opening tool for Larry’s door-to-door work. Larry’s testimony and story of losing his arm was featured in their first magazine edition and received with interest (especially among the coastal and island areas). In the past several years, Larry has led a Seekers & New Believers Bible Study in Claremorris town – the focus of their fifth church plant.

saturday, maRCH 21 2015


David Yeghnazar was born in Iran in 1974 into a family parented by Christian ministers. When he was three years old, as part of the Lord’s work, his family moved to Lebanon where they lived for six years during a time of civil war. While there, David experienced the Lord’s faithfulness and protection in a way that impacts him to this day.

As a child, David gave his life to the Lord in 1983, just before his family moved to the United Kingdom.

Hailing from the Middle East, David has a deep understanding of the region, and has a great passion and burden to see the Gospel reach the over 1 billion Muslims in the world. After graduating from the City University in London, where he studied Management Science, David spent one year with the UK based Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) training Christian students to reach out to the Muslim community. Subsequently, David worked for a London law firm for two years.

dAVID yeghnazarSunday,March 228:45 am & 10:45 am Worship Center

In 1998, David joined Elam Ministries and as of January 2015 he is now the Executive Director of Elam, a leading Christian mission to the Iran region. Elam specializes in training Christians from the Iran region for ministry; producing and distributing key Christian resources in the region; and taking the Gospel to the people in the region through various mission and relief efforts. Elam has played a significant role in the recent unprecedented growth of the Iranian church.

In 2015, David moved to England, where he resides with his wife, Louise and their four children, Grace, Theo, Hope and Beata.

Elam Ministries was founded in 1990 by Iranian church leaders with a vision to serve the church in Iran. From the very beginning, Elam Ministries has been training and equipping Iranian believers to reach and disciple their own countrymen. As a third-generation Iranian believer, David now serves as the leader of Elam Ministries on the front lines of reaching Muslims with the good news of Jesus. For most Americans, the country of Iran conjures up images of a stern-faced Ayatollah and crowds shouting "Death to America!" Few realize that Iran is also the fastest-growing Christian country in the world. Elam Ministries seeks to further the goal of sharing the love of Christ with Iran, and seeing new believers come to Him.

sUNDAY, maRCH 22 2015


Pick up your copy of Calvary’s brand new, 2015 Missionary Prayer Guide. This helpful resource will not only tell you more about our missionaries around the world, but also how you can actively pray for them.

REACH Global Week 2015missionaries at

SHEL & KYM ARENSEN AIM · KenyaGLENNA CLARK Wycliffe · Jamaica (Retired)JOHN & JULIE CLARK YWAM · MaliSTEPHEN COOMBS World Horizons · Creative AccessBOB & JOAN CRITCHFIELD Wycliffe · TexasLARRY & KATHY DUNNE GOM · IrelandDAN & TAMMY GONZAGA InterVarsity · CaliforniaTOM & GRACE GORETH JAARS/Wycliffe · California/Intl.KEN & PAT GRIMES UIM · CaliforniaDAN & DARICE GUTIERREZ AIBI · California/MexicoMISSIONARY A Creative Access DON & JANIE NELLIS UIM · MexicoMIKE & TRUDY NEWELL Christar · GeorgiaTOM & JANNI NUNZIATO CRM · OregonVIC & JOAN OLSEN ABWE · Bangladesh (Retired)JOHANNA OLSON CRU · InternationalLLOYD & NANCY PECKHAM Wycliffe · Indonesia/USAGLORIA RADACH SIM · Ghana (Retired)TOM & MARGIE RAFETTO Wycliffe · Philippines/PA GARY & CHARLENE RAMM CRU · WashingtonANDY & NADINE SPRADLEY SEND Intl’ · Macedonia BEV STALEY Wycliffe · FloridaPETE & JILL STUCK Avant · CaliforniaJOHN & JOAN TUNGSETH CRU · Florida (semi-Retired)CHRIS & SUSAN TWEEDY GEM · GermanyGALE & JEAN VAN DIEST InterAct · Washington/Alaska (Retired)LEE WATTERS Wycliffe · Peru (Retired)STEVE & KATHI WEEMES OMF · Japan/CaliforniaAMY WEST Wycliffe · N. Carolina/PhilippinesORAN & CAROL WEST Wycliffe · Texas (Retired)OLIVER & LINDA WILLIAMS Christar · Texas

Was Joseph Smith a true prophet of God? Is the Mormon God the God of the Bible? Does Mormonism teach the truth about Jesus? These and other questions will be discussed in the class, along with how to share your Christian faith with Mormons, especially when they believe they are Christians.

David will cover the basics of Islam, the differences and similarities between Islam and Christianity and how to reach out to Muslims. The class will also distinguish the differences between Sharia and Sunni Muslims and where ISIS fits into the whole scheme of things. This class is a repeat of the one offered late last year at 8:45 am.

UNDERSTANDINGWORLd religion

ClassesMORMONISM

ISLAM

Teacher: Matt DoanSunday, April 12, 19 & 26 10:45 am · Church Library

Teacher: David SlottjeSunday, May 3, 10, 1710:45 am · Church Library


CALVARY CHURCH’S

NEWest Missionaries Stephen Coombs will be serving in Eurasia with World Horizons, beginning at the end of 2015. He will be working using Filipus, an intensive, community-based program that teaches national believers how to plant churches in a predominantly Muslim context. Stephen will also be involved in outreach and church-planting in cities that do not yet have any Christian communities. He is the youngest son of David and Heidi Coombs, and is the last of their four children to become a Calvary missionary. He joins Jonathan, Rebecca (Pazmino), and Daniel who have all served globally with Calvary Church. Pray that Stephen will have an effective year of training and preparation as he is currrently finishing his final year at Biola.

Lenci and Alta Mene are national missionaries serving with Christian Aid Mission in Tirana, Albania. Alta is the daughter of Berti and Tana Dosti, the pastor of our Sister Church Partnership in Lushnje. The Mene’s are second generation Christians coming to Christ following the fall of communism and atheism in their country. Lenci preaches, does translation work, and writes for the Albanian church. In addition he serves as an adjunct professor at a Bible Institute and is a leader with a student organization. Alta disciples young women who come to Tirana to attend university. They have two toddlers, David and Ema. As Calvary sends our Elders and other short term teams over to Lushnje, Lenci will be working with them to help grow and develop the people at The Way of Peace Church to become a sending church to the villages of Albania with the Good News.

STEPHEN COOMBS

LENCI & ALTA MENE

Tom and Grace Goreth are currently serving with JAARS, the transportation arm of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Grace is the daughter of Cameron Townsend, the founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators. She was raised in South America as a missionary kid (MK) and has the joy of sharing about the story of her life as the daughter of an amazing innovator. She spends several weeks each year on the road speaking at conferences and sharing with church leaders about the importance of Bible translation. A large part of Tom and Grace’s role with JAARS is to raise funds for special projects that make Bible translation possible. The Goreth’s (along with the Weemes following) are church members who are doing US Based Global Focused ministry and are part of Calvary’s new missionary category status structure. We are blessed to have them available to help Calvary with teaching and training of future missionaries when they are in Orange County.

TOM & GRACE GORETH


Jimmy Simpson, who has been serving with OMF in Asia, has recently gone off missionary status until he returns to the field in early 2016. He is now living in Korea and working with the father of his fiancée, Chloe Lee, who pastors a church there. Jimmy and Chloe plan to be married on May 7th in Seoul, Korea where her parents and family live. Following their honeymoon they will return to the US, begin their married life and eventual training for OMF as future missionaries of Calvary Church.

JIMMY SIMPSON

STEVE & KATHI WEEMES

Steve and Kathi Weemes serve with OMF (Overseas Missionary Fellowship) and lead OMF’s national movement to multiply local volunteers who want to be missions mobilizers in their churches and other spheres of influence. One key strategy is to empower volunteers to facilitate missional small groups, thus awakening the US church to God’s heart for unreached peoples. The Weemes have been active here at Calvary by teaching Understanding World Religions classes and mentoring two of our Future Missionary Focus candidates. Prior to living here in Orange County, they served for over 20 years in Japan as church planters and evangelists. Steve and Kathi have a heart for service and led a short term team to Japan last year. They are hoping to see more teams head to Asia in 2016. The Weemes ask for prayer as they seek spiritually mature volunteers to lead mission focused small groups to impact churches.

Do you feel that God is calling you into missions? You might consider attending Urbana 15, December 27-31, 2015. Urbana is a unique opportunity to engage face-to-face with leaders from more than 250 missions organizations and seminaries. Nowhere else can you get the kind of live information Urbana offers from women and men who are doing missions. You’ll worship, pray, and learn with people from around the world. Discover organizations that could be part of your journey to serve God in the world. Learn about all kinds of missions opportunities in all kinds of fields. Talk with people who can offer their insight and experience as you explore your own passions. Don’t miss what God is doing through our generation around the world.

Pick up information on Urbana from Kristen Gackle in College Ministry. Early registration begins March 1, so for the best prices register early. Some partial scholarships are available from Calvary’s REACH Global.


A letter from Shameeron Paur, team leader for

YWAM Homes of Hope.

Just want you to know that this 2015 house-build

weekend was the best trip we have ever led. The

Lord provided everything: finances, weather,

safety, precious families to help, an incredible

YWAM staff and facility, and a really great team!

I was honored to organize and lead it. I am so

blessed to have participated in so many homes

to date, 43, plus a tutoring center. Many of those

have been with Calvary families and it has blessed

me to partner with you!

I love that it is a family ministry and that so many

kids can truly be involved with their parents, yet

also build multi-generational relationships with

others! For all of us it expands our world view of

the Kingdom of God. A great byproduct of the

trip is that I have seen so many of these kids over

the years go on to other international outreach

ministries because they confidently started here

in Mexico, building a home. It’s a beautiful thing to

be a blessing and yet be blessed beyond compare!

I hope you can see all the Facebook posts from

team members, as well as mine. Tons of pictures,

but also grateful hearts. Also, our purple team

(Jeff Stice and Jeff Leedom and the YWAM

builder) led one mom receiving a house to the

Lord at the end of the build. AMAZING!

Thanks for the support, encouragement, and

freedom to do what I have been called to do!!

Shameeron

YWAM“Hello, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is

Maria and I live in Rosarito, Baja California. I’m

23 and I have two kids. I work in a bakery that

allows us to feed my family. My husband left

about half a year ago and that’s why I’ve been

living in a house that others lent to me. They’ve

been kind in letting me pay for my own land

while living there. I’ve been trying to build a

room where my kids and I can live but it’s been

hard. I’m grateful that you’re all coming to help

my babies and me.”

“I need your help because I do not have a house.

The trailer we live in was borrowed from some

family members. I appreciate your help. God

bless you.” (The woman who accepted Christ.)

“We are very thankful because we have food

to eat every day that God blesses us with. We

would like a home because even with working

hard and saving what we can, we are only able

to make a little. We’ve worked hard for what we

have but we’d like a home and a better place for

our children. We’re so thankful that we’ve been

chosen out of the many families in need and we

sincerely thank you.”

These are letters from three of the five

families that received Homes of Hope. We are

overwhelmed by the generosity of our Calvary

teams that go out to touch the lives of so many

through this outreach.

Homes for Hope


Q1: HOW DID YOU GET CONNECTED TO CALVARY CHURCH AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ATTENDING THE CHURCH?Our family has been attending Calvary Church since 1996. One of our first exposures to Calvary took place when Jill and I brought our two boys, Matt and Chris, to Light The Night, back then known as the Un-Halloween Party. We were so impressed by how friendly the volunteers were, we decided to start attending Calvary on a weekly basis.

Q2: WHAT CAUSED YOU TO GET INVOLVED IN PRISON MINISTRY AND HOW DID YOU GET CONNECTED TO PACIFIC YOUTH CORRECTIONAL MINISTRIES?I first heard about Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries through a ministry volunteer I had met working out at 24 Hour Fitness. I had previously served as a volunteer working with Bill Glass' Champions For Life, working with adults incarcerated at various county jails and state prisons throughout California. Upon hearing that PYCM was doing weekly Bible studies directed at troubled youth, I felt called to contact them.

Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries is a nonprofit biblically based ministry that works alongside Orange County Probation and Social Services Departments. The ministry meets the spiritual needs of incarcerated youth at Juvenile Hall, Orangewood Children's Home, and other extensions of the juvenile justice system offered by the county. The ministry does this through weekly Bible studies, chapel services, one on one discipleship, and a Christmas pageant offered to the entire Juvenile Hall population once a year.

Q3: WHAT DOES A TYPICAL MONDAY NIGHT OF MINISTRY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU WITH PYCM?Our group of PYCM volunteers meet at Juvenile Hall in a conference room, and share any prayer requests or praise reports we have in our own personal lives. We also may go over any probation procedures or information pertinent to us, if necessary. We then pray together and break up to go to our assigned units. I have a partner. The units we are assigned to are Units G and H. We take turns teaching a Bible study and sharing the Gospel message. The Bible study is conducted by one of us, and the 15 minute gospel presentation is shared by the other. Our total time spent with the boys is one hour. Afterwards, we fill out a form briefing the ministry on the events of the evening.

The boys who attend our study are boys who choose to sign up to attend when they attend a

5Questions withERIC NIELSEN

CALVARY MEMBER & JUVENILE HALL MINISTRY VOLUNTEER


chapel service. We can have as little as one, or as many as 6-8. The overall population at Juvenile Hall has been down the last two years, so our studies lately have been attended by 1-3 boys per week.

Q4: WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE JOYS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF MINISTERING AT JUVENILE HALL?I would say that the biggest joy of my five years of working as a volunteer, would be seeing how the Lord uses us to minister to these kids. I don't consider myself an eloquent speaker by nature. I'm amazed each week how the Holy Spirit speaks through me in ways that would probably surprise ones who know me well. Many times I will ask myself, "Did I really just say that?" I love getting the visual and verbal feedback from the boys when they understand the love and grace God offers them through the sacrifice Jesus made on their behalf.

Q5: HOW CAN OTHER PEOPLE HERE AT CALVARY GET INVOLVED IN MINISTRY WITH PYCM?Anyone at Calvary interested in participating in this ministry can contact Para-Chaplain Sheri Snyder at 714.935.6365 or 714.434.6012. PYCM has the means to train any volunteer to serve in whichever capacity he or she feels called.

DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR PRISON MINISTRY?We have opportunities here at Calvary to get involved in leading Bible Studies in OC Jails and State Prisons, participate in a Bible Study with an inmate through a letter writing ministry and even help inmates transition to life outside the cell through mentoring and discipleship. To learn more, contact our Calvary Prison Ministry Leader, Liz Zavala at [email protected]

On February 14th, (Valentines Day!) Calvary Church joined nine local churches and over 300 volunteers for the second “Love Santa Ana Initiative.” This included picking up trash on neighborhood streets, painting houses and fences in the community, distributing groceries and laundry supplies, hosting a resource fair to introduce Willard neighborhood residents to community non-profits, distributing free hot dogs, chips and waters and offering prayer and encouragement to the neighborhood.

The goal of the Love Santa Ana Initiative is to both demonstrate and proclaim the good news of Jesus to Santa Ana by showing tangible love to the communities in the toughest, most economically challenged neighborhoods in the city. The proclamation of the good news of Jesus comes through setting up prayer stations at each event, explaining the Gospel both publicly (large group gathering) and relationally (one-on-one with those we meet in the neighborhood) and by promoting and encouraging the local church already established in each neighborhood or through forming a community Bible study that could lead to a church plant where there is no local church presence.

God is up to something really exciting and powerful through the Love Santa Ana Initiative! For more information or to volunteer or donate materials for the next Love Santa Ana Initiative, contact Calvary’s Reach Pastor, Matt Doan, at [email protected] or 714.550.2378.

Santa Ana LOVE INITIATIVE

loca

l REACH


WALKING the JOURNEY of Generosity

I hope most know that the Emergency Needs Fund (ENF) helps the Calvary Family with the basic necessities: food, shelter and clothing. That includes rent, mortgages, utilities, car payments, car insurance, food, clothing and sometimes medical or dental bills.

Those are the dollars.

Here are a few heart stories that show the impact of your sacrificial gifts:

CALVARY FAMILY AND LIFEGROUP HEED GOD’S CALLA Calvary family knew of a family whose finances had been depleted fighting the mother’s cancer, but more treatments were needed. In a family meeting they decided to give by sacrificing monies saved for

a family cruise. This family also shared the need with their LifeGroup who decided to also donate monies to the family. The Calvary ENF was also able to assist in a small way through our Good Samaritan Program.

THE LOVE OF CHRIST DURING THE HOLIDAYSThis year was unusual in that over the course of about 30 days I had become aware of seven households that would not have a Christmas dinner or presents for the kids due to money issues. As wonderful as these things are, they are not basic necessities so they do not qualify for ENF monies. So I simply made some of Calvary’s LifeGroups and generous individuals aware of the need. In three days, all but one family had been taken care of. Then the phone rang. A local business called to say that they would like to provide Christmas presents for one of our families. We serve an amazing God!

ENF is just one part of the Calvary body. The ENF serves just as any other part of the Calvary body serves. Together the Lord uses the different body parts to function and serve His people to bring glory to Himself.

by Ray Pertierra, Stewardship Pastor

DID YOU KNOW: · Each month $8,000 to $22,000 is paid out to help Calvary families and individuals.· Averaged annual assistance is about $127,000 each year since 2004.· $1 million in help has been given in the last ten years.


“Every good and perfect gift is from above” James 1:17

CASE IN POINT:A Calvary family father recently came into The Pantry to pickup needed food. While speaking to a Volunteer in Pastoral Care (VIP) the father confessed to a crime, which led to one of our pastors joining the meeting to offer guidance and prayer. The father, with his wife’s blessing, turned himself into the authorities. ENF provided significant immediate assistance. Three days later he was released on his own recognizance (a small miracle). The father was free to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with his family, but without work there was no money to celebrate. A Calvary LifeGroup stepped up and provided a tree and Christmas gifts for all. Both the father and mother have told me how throughout this ordeal they have seen the Lord’s hand at work and have received many blessings. The father will be sentenced shortly, but with no jail time and able to work at his new job! He’s also now participating in a one-on-one discipleship program. God is so good!

THIS STORY MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF:

· We did not have a Food Pantry· We did not have a Volunteer (VIP) present· We did not have Pastors with varied experience and skill sets available to assist· We did not have an Emergency Needs Fund· We did not have LifeGroups· We did not have people with grateful hearts· We did not have grateful hearts that are willing to give when there is a need· We did not have our Lord who makes it all possible

If we are blessed with resources beyond our needs, it is not solely for the purpose of living more richly but to bless others. We are blessed to be a blessing. I thank you all for your generous giving to Calvary’s Emergency Needs Offering Fund, and for stories of generosity like these.

After years of planning, prayer, and anticipation, Prodigal Church officially launched on Sunday, January 11, 2015, as a Calvary Church plant in Irvine, CA! In late 2013, Calvary Church commissioned two couples, Brent and Patti Dedmon and Matt and Erin Hemphill, to attend an assessment for church planters. As a result of that assessment, and with the support of Calvary Church, the two couples began developing a vision for a new church that would reach lost souls in Orange County. God was faithful to provide a core leadership team, and the mission, values, strategy, and overall vision of a brand-new church began to take shape.

Prodigal Church is planted firmly in Irvine, a city which will see 10,000 new homes built and 30,000 new people arrive in the next few years. The harvest is ripe. Irvine represents one of the safest, most-educated, and wealthiest large cities in all the US, yet is riddled with self-sufficiency, over-achievement, and spiritual indifference. These are our people. These are the lost. This is Irvine. Over the course of the last two years, Calvary people and leadership have been faithful to pray, support, and contribute to this extension of their own church's ministry.

Prodigal Church held its first weekly service on January 11, 2015, at Jeffrey Trail Middle School! Prodigal Church is all about loving every day people into an authentic relationship of grace and freedom with the God who loves them. Wanting to be a community marked and motivated by extravagant love, authentic expression, genuine relationships, freedom that transforms, and lives of impact, our young church family is a place where all are welcome and all are invited into abundance. We invite you to join with what God is doing in the city of Irvine through Prodigal. Consider praying for, supporting, or giving financially to the efforts of Prodigal! We are excited to see this extension of Calvary Church multiply exponentially as we reach new people with the transforming, prodigal love of God. Visit prodigaloc.org


TALKING ABOUT JESUSDINNER TABLE

Ronald Reagan once said, “All great change in

America begins at the dinner table.”

If Reagan is correct, we are facing a cultural crisis in

our generation.

Harvard Professor, Robert D. Putnam wrote a book

at the turn of the 21st century, called “Bowling

Alone.” In the book he writes that family dinners in

the average American home dropped by 43% in the

last 3 decades and hosting friends and family over

for dinner dropped during that same span by 35%.

Although we are surrounded by more restaurants

than any generation before us could have ever

imagined and we are exposed to more cooking

shows on TV than any one person could possibly

stomach (pun intended!) the practice of sharing a

meal together in our culture has become somewhat

of a lost art.

This is one of the reasons The Alpha Course has

developed into such a great place for Calvary

attenders to invite their friends and family to

discuss the claims of Christianity. The course

involves dinner around a table each Wednesday

at the

evening. The shared experience of eating a meal

together opens the door for Alpha attendees to

relax from the burdens of the week, let down the

walls of pride and cynicism and honestly discuss

the topic of the evening which ranges from, “Why

did Jesus Die?” to “What is the Church?”

The Alpha Course originated out of London in the

late 1970’s (alpha.org) and over the past 40 years

has become somewhat of a global phenomenon,

as courses have been run in 169 countries in

112 languages and attended by over 22.5 million

people worldwide.

Calvary Church began running the Alpha Course

in 2011 and we have seen over 400 people join us

for dinner and discussion over the last 4 years. As

we continue our mission as a Church to “reach

Orange County and the World for Jesus Christ”,

we are excited to see how God will continue to

use the Alpha Course as a tool to share the good

news of Jesus Christ! Who will you invite to dinner

in 2015 to experience the Alpha Course with and

introduce Jesus to?


Calvary’s Alpha Course meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30pm to 8:30pm for 8 weeks in the Winter and Fall covering the following topics:

WEEK 1: “Christianity: Boring, Untrue, Irrelevant?WEEK 2: “Who is Jesus?”WEEK 3: “Why Did Jesus Die?”WEEK 4: “How Can We Have Faith?”WEEK 5: “What is Grace?”WEEK 6: “Why and How Do I Pray and Why and How Do I Read the Bible?”WEEK 7: “The Work of the Holy Spirit”WEEK 8: “What is the Church?”

+ +

THE

Wednesdays –Worship Center Lobby, 6:30pm to 8:30pmNow through March 25, 2015

Wednesdays - Worship Center Lobby6:30pm to 8:30pm September 8 through October 28, 2015

ALPHA RECIPE

CURRENT

WHAT WILL YOU FIND AT ALPHA?

WINTER 2015

FALL 2015

ALPHA COURSE:

ALPHA COURSE:

(It is not too late to participate!)

Next Steps after Alpha:

DISCOVERCLASSES

Take a next step in your faith

Discover Classes are interactive

experiences designed to help you

learn how to live out the Christian life.

Come take a next step in your faith

by getting connected in community

with God and others at Calvary, by

growing as a follower of Jesus and by

discovering your purpose.

Visit calvarylife.org/discover to find

out more.


generous soles

“ S O L E S 4 S H O E S ” DONATION D R I V E

C A L V A R Y CHRISTIAN S C H O O L


by Troy Wathen (CCS Head of School)

The students at Calvary Christian School led the way for our church in cleaning out our shoe closets for a good cause. Soles 4 Souls (soles4souls.org), is a non-profit that provides slightly used and new shoes to people who are in need of shoes for job interviews, school uniforms, and general health. Students and teachers from the school set up boxes around campus, sorted shoes as they came in, and loaded up trucks to deliver the shoes to a distribution center in Riverside, California.

The vision for this project was developed by the school’s Dean of Elementary, Leah Hess, who had previously participated in a similar shoe drive. The timing of this collection was on the heels of Christmas when we knew our students and parents would be receiving new shoes as gifts. Mrs. Hess thought we could bless others by cleaning out our closets of those shoes and passing them on to a group who would effectively distribute them to those in need. We set a goal of collecting 500 pairs of shoes between our school and church families. The drive was announced in our first January chapel with the message of “walking in someone else’s shoes” and in both services at church. We were overjoyed when the final count reached 1,513 pairs!

The Soles 4 Souls drive concluded with a short service to pray over the shoes as we prepared to send them out. Our students followed a path from the playground out to the Fruit Street parking lot where a giant cross was formed with hundreds of shoes. A photographer from the Orange County Register, along with our own photographers, snapped shots of our students singing worship songs and praying for those who would receive these gifts. The hearts of our young people can overwhelm us at times when they are encouraged to have a mission mindset. This is only one of the ways Calvary Christian School is impacting Orange County and the world for the cause of Christ. Thank you to all from the church and school who supported this cause!

Photo left: Students line up as shoes are collected Top Right: Leah Hess, Laura Spurgin and Troy Wathen

Middle Right: CCS Students with shoes to donate Middle Right: CCS students gather around over 1,500 pairs of shoes

Bottom Right: CCS students


reach magazine - volume 7 issue 1

Documents

message page

reach global week page

journey ofgenerosity

eric nielsen page

orange county page

alpha course page

shameeron paur page

ray pertierra page