Aaahh our worship group on Sunday morning’s! From left to right: Elle Causie; Mark Aoki; Kurt Schultz; Corey Reynolds; Cathy Cross; Faith Causie; Pete Denham; Sarah Denham; Shannon and Bill Parish; Damian Horne (guest worship leader); Dora Haupt (not pictured)

I’d like to invite you to join us this week in prayer! 🙂

We are EXCITED about new beginnings in our church ministry!

Please pray for the following…

#1 BOB SWEAT -is joining our staff as the pastoral administrator/principal of Calvary Chapel Christian School. Bob comes to us with twenty-nine years of experience in administration.  He has a Bachelor of Arts in New Testament Theology/History, a M.Ed in Education Administration and a Master of Teaching. Please pray for Bob, and his wife Roberta, for safe travels as they make plans to be with us mid-June. Bob will be assembling a school staff and addressing numerous administrative needs in a challenging economy. Pray that the Lord directs his every step!

#2 RICHARD AND HEATHER LAVALLIE – a wonderful, godly, couple in our church, will be joining the church staff as our Children’s Ministry Directors. Please pray that the Lord gives Richard and Heather godly vision and direction, and that the Lord directs their every step!

#3 We are in the planning stages for what we’re calling, “IMPACT CONCERTS” this summer that will feature music, classic cars and testimonies of the power of Christ changing lives. Please pray that the Lord leads the preparation for these outreaches, and blesses the “Impact Concerts” by making Jesus known in our city, and that many would come to know the Lord!

#4 Please pray that during the summer months, we as a church family would experience a wonderful time of growth and discipleship in God’s Word.  Pray that this SUMMER would be a time of REVIVAL to God’s glory!

VISION

“Calvary Auburn exists to be a powerful Christian community that loves God, loves His whole Truth (that equips our lives to make a difference and transforms our lives in becoming more like Him) – a community that nurtures and cares for each other — and that embraces the challenge to win those from all walks of life beginning in our own communities.”

THE MISSION

#1 Calvary exists to EQUIP every Christian to FULL MATURITY in Christ through discipleship and commitment to the whole truth of God’s Word. (Eph. 4:12-16; John 8:31-32; Romans 10:17; Acts 20:17; Matt. 5:17-18)

#2 Calvary exists to STRENGTHEN each other and the church family as a whole — with love and compassion and care and contribution — by the activating of each Christian’s unique gifts. (Romans 12:1-8; I Cor 12:12; 15-27; Ephesians 1:22 John 17:20-23; Eph 2:10; Psalm 139:14; 2 Cor 1:3-7; I Cor 12:6-7)

#3 Calvary exists to REACH our communities, city and county, with the Gospel coupled with good works that glorify the Lord! We believe our mission field is outside the walls of our church and homes. We embrace the challenge of the great commission to make disciples of all men. We believe that “church growth” is the result of multiplication, the multiplication that every member of the church influences for Christ, which strengthens the cause of Christ in this generation. (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20; Matt 5:16; Eph. 2:10; I Tim 6:18-19; 2 Tim 4:2)

#4 Calvary exists to SEND out soul winners in this generation who are unashamed of the Gospel – – the power of God to salvation –for the Jew first and the entire world second. (Romans 1:16-17; Eph. 4:12-16; Matt. 28:18-20)

The Bible teaches us that there are different ways of measuring time, as seen in the words chronos and kairos.

Ephesians 5:15-16 reads, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time(kairos), because the days are evil.”

Chronos is time that is measured by the clock. It carries the idea of an obligation, or something that needs to be completed in a particular timeframe.

Kairos is time that is measured by events or special moments, and carries the idea of opportunity.

A lot of people waste chronos – time on the clock, or even their entire lives – because they have not identified the kairos – opportunities and priorities of life – that God wants them to lay hold of and make progress in. They live by default rather than by design and godly purpose.

Let me illustrate.

Let’s say you are given a large jar and you are asked to fill it with large stones, pebbles, sand, and water. You first reach for the large stones to put them in the jar. They represent godly goals and priorities, the seizing of opportunities to make a difference for Christ. Then you put in the pebbles, which represent those events and obligations that are not the chief priorities of life, but are still important. By this time the jar is looking full, and you wonder if there is room left for anything more. It may not look like there is, but as you pour the sand in – which represents daily activities – it does find its way to settle in among the large stones and pebbles. Finally, you realize that you are even able to pour water in the jar, which represents even more daily activities. By filling the jar in this order – large stones, pebbles, sand, and water – you were able to fit it all in the jar. However, if you put the water and sand in first, you would find it difficult, if not impossible, to find room to put all of the large stones and pebbles in.

What’s the point?

It isn’t that there is always more room than you think to cram stuff in your life. Rather, it’s that if you do not prioritize putting the large stones in first, you will never be able to get them in later. The jar will become full of pebbles, sand, and water – the less important stuff.

Paul told Timothy to “take heed to yourself.”(I Tim. 4:12-16) In context, it was another way of saying that since you now know what matters the most, never allow it to be at the mercy of things that matter the least.

Here are the LARGE stones:

#1 Add godly character

#2 Give attention to God’s Word

#3 Activate spiritual gifts

#4 Absorb the Truth

#5 Keep accountable to these godly priorities.