A Letter from Pastor Alice
A letter from Pastor Alice. Read More…
Tags: Staff Update, Top Story
A Letter from Pastor Anne
A letter from Pastor Anne. Read More…
Tags: Top Story, Spiritual Practices, Staff Update
Sept. 8 – Oct. 26 – Virtual American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains (ABCRM) Annual Gathering
Sept. 8 – Oct. 26 – Virtual American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains (ABCRM) Annual Gathering is Virtual this year & FREE!
The theme of the ABCRM Gathering is RUACH: Breath – Wind – Spirit. The current pandemic has taken our breath away, often literally. We see the unrest and uncertainty in our nation. We hear the "breaths" of those shouting for justice in our land. And, we hear the whispers upon the wind of our prayers for God to intervene and to lead us...God’s people. And so, in a time of social distancing and precautions, we're gathering virtually this year. With it, comes new challenges, but also new opportunities. More people - from further distances - can participate in this virtual Gathering. We can join together in our homes and in our churches, remembering the Hebrew word used to describe "breath, wind, and spirit" - RUACH - a reminder that God's Spirit is still at work in our world! O God, may you breathe upon us as we remember your name and celebrate your goodness!
The Gathering is FREE to ALL who want to participate, however you do need to register ASAP. Register Here. What comes with your FREE registration?
A copy of The Gathering Book sent to your home and a “Gathering Box” with some special items, including items to create an at home altar for worship
Access to the worship service on Fri., Sept. 25 from 7-8:30pm
A link to join the Business Meeting on Sat., Sept. 26 from 9-10:30am
Links to join all the workshops and updates from some of our American Baptist Missionaries (reminder emails sent the day before each session with the online link and any handout materials):
Tues. Sept 8 – 1-2:30pm – Creating Engagement in Worship (Brad Berglund)
Mon. Sept. 14 – 1-2:30pm – Teaching Prayer & Spiritual Disciplines (David & Joyce Reed)
Mon. Sept. 21 – 3-4:30pm – Manuscript Bible Study (Stan Slade)
Tues. Sept. 22 – 1-2:30pm – Anxiety in the Time of COVID (Margaret Marcuson)
Wed. Sept. 23 – 7-9pm – I Can’t Breathe: Racism & the Church’s Response (Zina Jacque)
Thus. Sept. 24 – 6-8pm – Clergy Appreciation Online Cooking Classes (for registered clergy & spouses)
Fri. Sept 25 – 7-8:30pm – Virtual Worship Service
Sat. Sept. 26 – 9-10:30am – ABCRM Business Meeting
Mon. Sept. 28 – 1-2:30pm – Missions: Bolivia (JD & Rhonda Reed)
Mon. Oct. 5 – 7-8:30pm – Missions: Chiapas (Juan & Denise Aragon)
Mon. Oct. 12 – 7-8:30pm – Mission: Dominican Republic (Vital & Ketley Pierre)
Mon. Oct. 19 – 10-11:30am – Missions: Arab World (Dan & Sarah Chetti / Melanie Baggou)
Mon. Oct. 26 – 7-8:30pm – Missionary Support: Spiritual Development (David & Joyce Reed)
Calvary can have up to 5 church delegates (being a delegate means you can vote at the Business Meeting). If you are a member of Calvary and would like to be a delegate, please email Pastor Anne. Read More…
Tags: Top Story
A Letter from Pastor Alice
A letter from Pastor Alice. Read More…
Tags: Spiritual Practices, Top Story
Small Group Opportunities
Check out some small group offerings for fall 2020. Read More…
Tags: Top Story, Spiritual Practices, Discipleship, Education
Have You Checked Out Our New Discernment Guide?
Check out our new discernment guide. Read More…
Tags: Top Story, Spiritual Practices, Discipleship
An Update from Our Pastors - Building Update for September to November
An update about our building for Sept-Nov. Read More…
Tags: Top Story
A Letter from Pastor Alice
Hi Calvary readers!
It's my privilege to write to you this week in our pastoral letter. Recently I embarked on the great journey of owning a delicate orchid plant, a peacock calathea, and a rattlesnake calathea. I haven't had much luck with plants in the past, but experience is the best teacher, and I'm hoping to get better.
There are several lessons that I've learned in caring for plants. In Florida, I planted a bunch of things in the dirt patch outside our apartment. The first things I planted were herb seedlings- and I was so excited. I went out the next morning to check on them and they were completely eaten by slugs (slugs in Florida are on a totally different level)! My poor little seedlings never recovered. First lesson: there will be forces that want to steal your life energy from you, and you have to protect yourself from them.
When we moved to Denver, I didn't have a dirt patch any longer, just a 3x6 feet deck. But the former tenant had left window boxes and a wooden lattice, reducing the deck's space by half, and so I planted little flower babies in them. I picked the wrong kind of flowers because they immediately dried up in the Colorado sun. I tried to resurrect them but they never recovered. Second lesson: know your limits!
Next I tried to grow vegetables. I dreamed of walking out to my deck and plucking tomatoes for dinner. I got the seeds and the right dirt and fertilizer, and soon had little tomato, pepper, and squash plants growing. But eventually I noticed there weren't any little fruits forming. I looked it up and apparently I was missing pollination from the bees. Our deck is right on Hampden Avenue and we don't have any bees who visit. Even after trying to pollinate with a paintbrush, no fruit formed. And the season ended with fruitless plants. Lesson three: you can't do everything, and you need to ask for help!
Finally, I resigned to my fate that I needed low-maintenance houseplants. Of course I decided to buy an orchid (very high maintenance plant!). I have somewhat learned my lesson and asked for help early from a friend who is an orchid fiend. She told me early on to get some fertilizing spray, and that eventually my orchid would start to drop its blooms and its branches would dry up- but it wasn't dead! It was entering a resting phase. It might be a whole year before it shoots up another stem. "It's the long game with orchids," she said. Sure enough, its branches dried and browned, and now I just have a plant with thick leaves. But despite its appearance, it is very much alive! I've learned several lessons with my orchid: take the time to rest, and you don't have to produce something to be valuable. Beautiful things take time; don't be discouraged if you don't have results right away. Sometimes it's nice to let go of what once was, and take a little nap.
I think God made the world because creating and watching things grow is a delight, and that delightful feeling is often stronger than the disappointment when your creation fails in one way or another. Creation can teach us so many things. What life lessons have your plants taught you? I'd love to hear them!
Take care of yourselves. I miss you all!
Alice
Read More…
Tags: Top Story, Staff Update
A Letter from Pastor Morgan
Pastoral letter. Read More…
Tags: Top Story
A Letter from Pastor Alice
A Letter from Pastor Alice Read More…
Tags: Staff Update, Top Story