Lead Pastor's Sabbatical

           On Sunday, April 8 I will begin a six week sabbatical.

           A sabbatical is a benefit churches offer their pastors.  Research has shown that the demands on pastors today are heavy and they can take a toll physically, emotionally and even spiritually.  Two of the most common effects are pastoral burnout and pastoral turnover.

          The denomination has found that pastoral sabbaticals can offer pastors the kind of renewal that will minimize the possibility of burnout, can extend tenure at a church, and can offer the church the benefit of a pastor with renewed energy and perhaps even renewed vision.

          Thankfully CBC provides its pastoral team a sabbatical every five years.  The personnel policy for pastoral sabbaticals can be viewed here.

          I have had the privilege of serving here at Calvary for almost 8 years this summer.  Every year I rejoice about what God is doing here and how I get to serve such an incredible congregation.  I am looking forward to this sabbatical the church through the personnel committee has granted me.

          My hope is that during these 6 weeks I will experience spiritual renewal and have the opportunity to recalibrate my ministry focus and approach.  I hope to spend time in prayer, meditation, reading, and journaling.  I hope to spend significant time with my wife talking and discovering what God wants to do through us during this season.  My prayer is that I would return to Calvary refreshed and renewed and ready to move forward with what God has in store for us.

          We plan to spend about 10 days in the Washington DC area where we will stay with some friends.  We will return to spend several days in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, then in Lubbock, next in a friends' lake house close to Waco.  Thank God for free lodging! We will wrap our sabbatical up either in the hill country or in South Texas (or both).

          We are blessed with a pastoral team, a deacon body, worship leaders and other lay leaders at Calvary who love the Lord and love the church.  I am confident God will continue to use them in preaching, leading worship, administration, pastoral care, missions, group life and the general ministry of the church.

          Pray for them.  Pray for me.  I will pray for you.  See you in May!

Anuncio Urgente en Cuanto a Actividades de Hoy

(Este anuncio ha sido actualizado para reflejar información para este domingo.  Originalmente el anuncio hacia referencia a actividades del miércoles).

Estimada Familia Calvary,

     Lamentamos informarles que la unidad de aire acondicionado para el edificio de niños se ha descompuesto.

     Nuestro equipo está trabajando arduamente para asegurarse que se componga a la mayor brevedad posible.  Sin embargo, es una reparación bastante grande que se llevará varios días.  Por lo tanto tendremos que hacer algunos ajustes a las actividades de este próximo domingo, 21 de febrero, 2018.

¿Qué se cancela este domingo?

     Ya que no tenemos suficientes salones con aire acondicionado en nuestro plantel este domingo los Grupos de Conexión de adultos no se reunirán y tampoco habrá clases para niños escolares (1o a 6o grado).

¿Qué sí sucederá este domingo?

     Tendremos los tres servicios de adoración, incluyendo el servicio en español.  Se proveerá enseñanza para preescolares desde cuna hasta Kinder en el edificio Slayton durante todo el servicio.  Los niños de 1o y 2o grado saldrán a la hora de la predicación y tendrán su tiempo en el segundo piso del edificio Slayton.

     Pedimos disculpas por la incomodidad.  Esperamos que sea un día lleno de bendición y la presencia del Dios.  Lo mantendremos informado al irse desarrollando la información.

Time-Sensitive Announcement about this Weekend's Activities

(This post has been updated to reflect information regarding this coming Sunday's activities.  Originally it referred to Wednesday's activities)
Dear CBC Family and Friends,

     We regret to inform you that the chiller plant in the Children’s Building is out of commission.  The chiller plant is what provides cooling and heat to all our children's classrooms, offices, kitchen and multi-purpose room.

      Our staff is working very hard to ensure we can get it up and running as soon as possible.  However, since this is a major repair, we are needing to make special adjustments for this Sunday (February 25, 2018), as we did this past Wednesday also.

What is being canceled?

     Because we will not have enough Air-Conditioned classrooms on our campus for this Sunday, we will not be able to have ABFs (Adult Bible Fellowships) or CBF's (Children Bible Fellowships) meet on campus.

What is still going on this Sunday?

     We will still have our three worship services.  We will provide preschool care and teaching up to Kindergarten-age in the Slayton building.  SBFs (Student Bible Fellowships) will meet according to the One Weekend schedule and format.  The Truth-Seekers and the Fidelis ABFs may still meet in the Parlor at their respective hours.

     Although some ABFs may not be able to do so, this weekend could be a good opportunity to meet in a home at a different time than Sunday morning and to include children in the experience.

     We apologize for the inconvenience but we expect it to be a day and evening filled with God’s presence and blessing!  We will keep you informed as changes develop.

Meet the Leader of a Global Movement

What?

     This is a personal invitation to you as a key CBC leader to meet Ying Kai.  On Sunday, February 25th we will meet in the church parlor from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  Childcare will be provided and there will be light refreshments.  Contact Denisse Ibarra to reserve your spot.

Why?

     For seven years we have been praying and thinking about Calvary's future in relationship with the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.  Two primary components have been essential in the development of that vision: (1) making authentic disciples, and (2) multiplying groups/congregations.

     We want more than just church growth.  We want more than adding members and groups to CBC.  We want to start groups that multiply.  We want Calvary to reproduce disciples and congregations throughout the RGV and in other parts of the world.  For that to become a reality we need to depend on the power of God as we obey Him.  Furthermore, this calls for a movement among our lay people and lay leaders.  That is why you are key to this vision and strategy.  We also need to learn from those who have done this successfully.  That is why we are having this event.

When?

      We believe this year is a year of launching and putting in place big pieces of the strategy for the vision.  We sense that this is God's timing and that He has brought people, tools and opportunities together for His purposes. 

Who?

     Ying and Grace Kai are at the core of what has become a global movement.  In 2001 in partnership with then IMB (International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) missionary Steve Smith, the Kai's began to train new believers to be obedient to Jesus' commands and immediately begin sharing them with others.  They innovated new tools based on observations from the ministries of Jesus and Paul, and implemented them on a large scale.  They started what has become known as Training for Trainers or T4T, which produced a book by the same name.  That movement saw over 1.7 million new baptisms and over 100,000 house churches planted in China.  Their story has inspired and equipped thousands of missionaries and help to empower over 650 different Church Planting Movements (CPM) around the world today.  This represents the biggest Church Planting Movement in the world the 21st century, if not also for the 20th.  Ying & Grace live in Austin, Texas and serve the global church by traveling and training trainers everywhere they can. 

     We want our CBC leaders to be inspired by Ying Kai's story as we continue to pray and seek to learn and adapt strategies for our own context.  I hope you will make the time to come, hear Ying Kai's heart, and be encouraged as follow God into the future.
      

Este Es Nuestro Tiempo (Serie)

     Lo crea o no 2018 ya está aquí. Hace varios años, pensamos que 2020 estaba reservado para las películas de ciencia ficción. Pero ahora está a solo 2 años de distancia. ¡Nuestro tiempo es ahora! ¡Este es nuestro momento!

     Comenzando con este próximo domingo de enero haremos una pausa en nuestra serie de sermones del Evangelio de Marcos.  Del 7 de enero al 11 de febrero, predicaremos una serie llamada "Este es Nuestro Tiempo," como seguimiento de la celebración de nuestro 60 aniversario, donde afirmamos la generosa inversión de aquellos que nos precedieron y siendo ahora nosotros protagonistas de “nuestro momento”.

     Queremos recibir la estafeta, corriendo nuestra propia  etapa de la carrera. Apropiándonos del evangelio, de la misión, y administrando los recursos que Dios nos ha dado.

     Durante esta serie, exploraremos la forma que, como hacedores de discípulos y como familias extendidas en misión, invertimos nuestro tiempo, energía y dinero  como parte de nuestra productividad. Invitaremos a todos los participantes de nuestros Grupos de Conexión, Grupos de discipulado y cada servicio de adoración a hacer compromisos firmes con respecto a la inversión de nuestros recursos para el reino. Exploraremos la idea de los "Cinco Capitales" tal como se presenta en el pequeño libro Oikonomía: Cómo invertir en los cinco capitales de la vida tal como lo hizo Jesús (2014) por Mike Breen y Ben Sternke; aunque este no es un estudio del libro ni es el único recurso al que se hará referencia.

     En lo que 2018 comienza, invitaremos a todos los miembros de nuestra congregación a considerar seriamente nuestras ofrendas regulares y generosas a través del presupuesto de CBC que apoya a los ministerios locales y globales. Más allá de nuestro apoyo regular al presupuesto de la iglesia, lo cual llamamos el diezmo y que es continuo, les pediremos a las personas y familias que consideren una ofrenda sacrificial especial adicional para dos causas, las cuales serían a corto plazo:

1. Una campaña financiera para remodelar el área del Ministerio Estudiantil (más información sobre esto próximamente); y / o

2. Patrocinar a un niño a través de Food for the Hungry en Filipinas (FVR, Bulacán)

     Si bien creemos que se espera un apoyo sistemático, proporcionado y continuo a la obra de Dios a través de la iglesia por cada creyente (Malaquías 3:10, Mateo 23:23), entendemos que dar adicionalmente y más allá es una ofrenda voluntaria, para un corto plazo, donde cada persona necesita ser guiada por Dios en cuanto a dónde y cuánto dar (Éxodo 35:29, Salmo 54: 6, 2 Corintios 9: 7). El primero simplemente requiere de obediencia fiel. El segundo requiere de discernimiento en oración.

     Por favor, ore por usted mismo, por su familia y por su Grupo para que todos podamos descubrir la gracia, la alegría y la bendición de dar generosamente para que la misión de Dios avance a medida que invertimos de nosotros mismos en ella.

      A continuación puede ver, hacer clic y descargar los documentos que representan el presupuesto de 2018 de CBC para que pueda observar cómo la congregación ha votado para utilizar las donaciones  que usted está haciendo y lo que se requiere para hacer lo que Dios nos ha llamado a hacer:

Narrativa del presupuesto 2018

Presupuesto Ministerial 2018

Owning Our Moment (A Series)

   
  Believe it or not 2018 is just a few days away.  Several years ago we thought 2020 was reserved for science-fiction movies.  But now it is only 2 years away.  Our moment is now!  This is our time!

     Starting with the first Sunday of January we will put our Gospel of Mark sermon series on pause.  From January 7 to February 11 we will be preaching a series called "Owning Our Moment." As a follow up to our 60th anniversary celebration, where we affirmed the generous investment of those who came before us, we want to now own our moment.  We want to receive the baton, running our leg of the race.  We want to own the gospel, own the mission and manage the resources with which God has entrusted us.

     During this series we will explore how as disciple-makers and as extended families on mission we invest our time, energy and money in kingdom ways as part of our fruitfulness.  We will invite every participant in our ABFs, disciple-making groups and worship services to make commitments in regard to the investment of our resources for the kingdom.  We will explore the idea of the "Five Capitals" as presented in the small paperback book Oikonomics: How to Invest In Life's Five Capitals the Way Jesus Did (2014) by Mike Breen and Ben Sternke; although this is not a book study nor is this the only resource that will be referenced.

     As the year 2018 begins we will invite everyone in our congregation to consider our regular and generous giving through the CBC budget which supports local and global ministries.  Beyond our regular support of the church budget, which we call the tithe and which is continuous, we will ask individuals and families to consider special above-and-beyond sacrificial giving toward two causes, which are short-term:

1. A capital campaign to remodel the Student Ministry area (more information about this forthcoming); and/or
2. Sponsoring a child through Food for the Hungry in the Philippines (FVR, Bulacán)

While we believe that systematic, proportionate and continuous support of God's work through the church is expected of every believer (Malachi 3:10; Matthew 23:23), we understand that above-and-beyond giving is a free-will offering, for a short-term, where each person needs to be led by God as to where and how much to give (Exodus 35:29; Psalm 54:6; 2 Corinthians 9:7).  The former simply requires faithful obedience.  The second requires prayerful discernment.

     Please pray for yourself, your family and your group that we may all discover the grace, the joy and the blessing of generous giving and that God's mission advances as we invest of ourselves in it.

     Below you can view, click on and download documents that present CBC's 2018 budget so you can see how the congregation has voted to utilize the gifts that come from you and what is required to do what God has called us to do:

2018 Budget Narrative

2018 Ministry Budget

East Asia 2016: A 21,500 Mile Journey

            I write these lines from my airplane seat as our flight returns to the U.S. today.  By the time I get home tonight I would have flown approximately 21,500 miles in less than two weeks!  My heart is filled with gratitude for the things I saw and experienced during these two weeks in East Asia.  I thank God for Calvary Baptist Church and the opportunity it has granted me and the rest of the team to participate in this meaningful trip.  The prayers and financial provisions which made it possible are deeply appreciated.

          Our journey started when Pastor Chad and I left from McAllen to mainline China to visit our CBC friends.  On this post I will neither mention names, cities, organizations or show photos of our time in China because of the sensitivity of this information.  Some of the friends of our friends in that part of the world have been interrogated by the state police recently and some have been arrested.  Nevertheless, Chad and I were able to meet some incredible Chinese students who are being discipled and are following God’s call to serve in other countries.  We talked to a house church pastor whose 2-year-old church is growing in spite of close scrutiny and intimidation by the government.  We also met international students in China who are making a difference for the kingdom and will return to their countries with a global vision.  God and His church are alive and well in China.  We are humbled to know how with such limitations these workers are faithful and dedicated to the cause.

 

          On our way from China to the Philippines we made a brief stop in Hong Kong.  There we had a brief visit with Justine Maceross Scott, whose family has been a part of CBC McAllen for quite some time.  Justine moved to Hong Kong, shortly after college graduation, about three years ago to serve on a short-term assignment with International Care Ministries.  This organization works with holistic community development in the Philippines.  CBC had the honor of participating with Justine’s support for those two years.  Justine met Eric Scott, who serves as the Student Pastor at Watermark Church in Hong Kong and they are now married.  Although she no longer serves with International Care Ministries, they are serving a local church in Hong Kong.  We were also glad to visit with Rachel Maceross, another young lady from CBC McAllen who currently lives in Taiwan. We had a pleasant visit and promised that we would continue to pray for them.

            In Manila, Chad and I met up with the rest of the team who came from the U.S. (Paulo Gatan, Chris Brana and Mark Grace).  Four of us were from CBC McAllen.  My friend, Mark Grace, who serves as CMMO for the Baylor Health Care System, accepted my invitation to come and minister to pastors, teaching them how to care for one another.  

            Our first strategic contact in Manila was the national director of Food for the Hungry in the Philippines.  Last year when our team visited La Union province, First Baptist Church of San Fernando invited us to partner with them in providing holistic community development in one of the communities where they had previously done ministry.  Our leadership team along with theirs selected a community.  Since last year we have been looking for a model and/or a strategic partner that would help us accomplish this.  Since Gary Edmonds spoke at our CBC Missions Conference earlier this year, Chad Mason and Ken Munn have been discussing and considering the possibility of partnering with Food for the Hungry in the Philippines (and perhaps in other places).  Our meeting with the Philippines Food for the Hungry director was the next step in that process.  She was very welcoming and very open to the possibility of partnering with us and First Baptist Church of San Fernando.  She even invited us to visit one of the communities where Food for the Hungry has been working with holistic development for ten years.  We accepted the invitation and the appointment was set for after our return from the Pastor’s Retreat in Iloilo.

            On Sunday we flew from Manila to Iloilo and attended University Church at Central Philippines University, where Cris Sian, a friend of our team, serves as pastor.  Our pastors retreat was held in a nearby municipality.  The retreat counted with the participation of approximately 100 people.  Most of the participants were pastors but there were also a few lay leaders.  Pastors came from  various areas including Iloilo, Cadiz, Aklan, the greater Visaya province, La Union, Pagasinan, Negros, Roxas City, Panay and Mindoro, among others.  Many of these pastors struggle to make a living but are serving faithfully where God has called them.  Most of them are very young.  They are evangelizing, discipling, serving their communities, starting new churches, and reaching the unreached.  They eagerly received the 3 days of conferences on discipleship, missions, leadership, caring for each other and community transformation.  Our theme was “Renew.”  We shared conferences, held worship, formed peer groups which are to meet after the retreat on a regular basis, and closed with a celebration of the Lord’s Supper and a commissioning service.  The pastors said they felt renewed spiritually, relationally and pastorally.  During our four days in Iloilo we had the opportunity of touching about 100 pastoral/lay leader families and approximately 70 churches.  Many of these churches are planting other churches.  Many of these pastors are training other pastors back in their respective areas.  So the ripple effect of the retreat will go further than we know by God’s grace.

            Since we wanted the pastors to experience an overnight retreat and the places that could house that many pastors at a time and at a reasonable cost were limited, we held the retreat at a Catholic Conference Center.  The nuns who take care of the place prepared food for us, welcomed us gladly, and thanked us for our conferences and what we are doing for the sake of the gospel.

            Of course our work was done in collaboration with the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches and with local Baptist associations of pastors.  In addition to the ministry that CBC McAllen carried out, we facilitated the connection of Baylor Health System’s Clinical Pastoral Education with pastors in the Iloilo area.  This partnership will provide pastors further training in caring for their congregations and in caring for each other as pastor peer groups.

            Upon our return to Manila, Chad Mason and I were able to visit a cluster of communities where Food for the Hungry is doing holistic community development in partnership with other organizations.  The neighborhoods they have selected to serve experience extreme material poverty.  Many of their homes are one-room houses (about 100-square-feet total), sometimes built on trash piles.  Often these homes get flooded when the Manila Bay tide rises.  Food for the Hungry is working in collaboration with a local United Methodist Church, a public High School, a public elementary, the health department and parents from the community.  They focus on helping students who are at risk of dropping out by providing food, tutoring and other kinds of education and initiatives for the families.  Their rates of success after working in that community for ten years are impressive and encouraging in the face of so much poverty.

            I was reminded during this trip of how blessed I am and how blessed CBC McAllen is.  It is always humbling to see others do so much with so little.  I am thankful that CBC McAllen has strategic partnerships in East Asia where we are helping pastors, churches and communities.  Disciples are being mobilized to go from their countries to other countries (sometimes “closed” countries) with very little resources.  The church is demonstrating the love of God through a holistic gospel that redeems the spirit, the body, the mind, the family and the community.  I am convicted of the need to keep praying, giving and going for the glory of His name.  To East Asia and from East Asia may His Glory be known.