What I Love About Calvary – What Did We Discover?

During Gathering Sunday, participants were invited to respond to the query, What I Love About Calvary. 50 folks shared many ideas. I took the words, phrases and examples and put them into a program to discern overarching ideas and key takeaways and to create a visual representation. What fun and quite an affirmation of our Calvary Community!

Based on both the words and their frequency, seven key ideas emerged:

Community & Relationships - Calvary is described as a home-like, supportive family where everyone feels accepted, welcomed, and known by name.
Worship & Music - Worship, especially music, is central. It is joyful, creative, and spiritually grounding.
Leadership & Staff - Leadership is seen as caring, creative, smart, and compassionate, inspiring the congregation.
Inclusivity & Justice - Calvary stands out as an open, affirming, justice-oriented community that embodies love in action.
Spiritual Growth & Learning - There’s a deep emphasis on learning, questioning, and growing spiritually together.
Service & Mission - Service is not just internal but extends outward, reflecting a hands-on commitment to justice and care for others.

Beauty & Sacred Space - The physical space of Calvary adds to the sense of peace, reverence, and belonging.

Key takeaways:
Calvary is experienced as a family-like, inclusive spiritual home.
Music and worship play a powerful role in connecting people to each other and to God.
The leadership inspires trust and creativity, fostering growth.
Calvary emphasizes justice, acceptance, and outreach as core to its identity.
Calvary offers both tradition (hymns, sanctuary, stained glass) and openness to modern questions and learning.