“Teach Us to Number our Days”: Spirituality in the Seasons of Life
By: Mary Alice Birdwhistell
“Teach us to number our days, so that we might live wisely and well.” (Psalm 90:12)
Calvary is a church that values being “the family of God in this place.” It’s a covenant that we make to one another, and we take these words seriously. In many ways, we tend to share life with people who are in the same “season” of life that we are, but there is so much we can learn from, give to, and receive from those who are in different seasons of life.
We often hear from people when they are crossing the “threshold” into a new season about the unexpected parts of their journeys: the difficulty of reversing roles and caring for aging parents, or the challenges of parenting children at every stage of their journey. The realities of #adulthood that no one ever told us about. The unexpected grief and loss of growing older. But there are also unexpected joys and unimagined graces along the journey, too.
Each week of this series, we will focus on a different “season of life” and engage with what Scripture has to teach us about this particular age/season. What can we learn from people in this season, and how can be better be the “family of God” for them in this place? What does God have to teach us through this season?
“Let the Little Children Come to Me” August 18
1 Samuel 3:1-19; Matthew 19:13-15
“Don’t Let Anyone Look Down on You Because You are Young” August 25
1 Samuel 17:33-58; 1 Timothy 4:11-16
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” September 1
Exodus 3:7-14, 4:1-5, 4:10-17
“But David Remained in Jerusalem” September 8
John Hunt Preaching
2 Samuel 11:1
“Shall I Bear a Child, Now That I am Old?” September 15
Genesis 18:1-15; Genesis 21:1-7
Up Ahead 08/15 10:00a - Meals on Wheels
08/18 9:30a - Sunday School 10:45a - Worship
08/20 07:00a - High Fives at West Avenue
10:00a - Meals on Wheels
Financials Jan - June 2019 Projected Budget Receipts $309,108
Jan - June 2019 Actural Budget Receipts $279,509
Jan - June 2019 Actual UNDER Projected $29,599
Birthdays 08/15 - Chad Eggleston 08/15 - Angelo Ochoa 08/16 - Abbott Singletary 08/16 - Ainsley Singletary 08/18 - Josh Caballero 08/20 - Julie Roberts 08/21 -Libby Grant
Worship 08/18 Message
Spirituality in the Seasons of Life: “Let the Little Children Come to Me”
Mary Alice Birdwhistell
Ministerial Staff Retreat
Our ministerial staff has been together on retreat this week at Cedar Creek Lake planning, dreaming, and preparing for the coming year at Calvary. We have loved getting to know John Hunt better, welcoming him to Calvary, and growing together as a team. We are grateful to the deacons who made a wonderful basket of snacks for us and for all who made this formative time together possible.
West Avenue School Supply Drive
Calvary will collect school supplies for Pre-K - 5th graders at West Ave. If you are able, we encourage you to purchase a backpack full of the school supplies needed for a particular grade and bring it to the Welcome Center labeled by grade. (See WISD school supply list here:http://bit.ly/2Gqdl0C). However, every little bit helps, and any supplies you can offer will be used well throughout the year at West Avenue. Please bring your supplies by Sunday, August 18 for our Blessing of the Backpacks in worship.
West Avenue School Service Opportunities
We are recruiting mentors to read with students at West Avenue in the coming year. Mentoring requires about 30 minutes of your time, once a week, during the day and lunch time of your choice between 11:00-12:45. If you haven’t mentored before, you can sign up at https://www.starsbookclubs.com/apply.html. If you have mentored before, you should have received an email on August 2 with instructions to sign up for the coming year. For more information, see the Tower or contact Jennifer Low at jlow@hot.rr.com.
Also, we plan to meet at West Avenue at 7 AM on Tuesday, August 20 to greet teachers and students with a high-five wall for the first day of school. We hope to see you there!
Backpack Blessing
On Sunday, August 18, we encourage all students, teachers, and school/university staff to bring your backpack to worship! We will offer a “Blessing of the Backpacks” at the end of worship for everyone who is beginning a new school year, including all of the backpacks we collect for our friends at West Avenue this year. We hope you can participate with us!
Promotion Sunday - August 18th
2019 Leadership Nominations
Below is the slate of nominations for elected leadership and service positions at Calvary in the coming year. These names have been prepared by Calvary’s Leadership Nominating Team (Leslie Smith, Jim Heston, Sally Weaver, Don Corley, and Jennifer Borderud). We will vote on these positions at the Ministry Conference on Sunday evening, August 25 at 6 PM at West Avenue. That will also be a great opportunity to hear reports from our ministry teams as well as plans and dreams for the upcoming year at Calvary. All are welcome to join us! Childcare will be available at Calvary start at 5:45 PM that evening.
Coordinating Council
Chair-Elect: Chad Eggleston Adult Ministry: Jeremy Crews Children’s Ministry: Tiffany Love Finance: John Low (Chair-Elect), Allison Dillon (At-Large) Missions: Jill Hatcher Personnel: Jon Singletary (Chair-Elect), Kirk Hatcher (At-Large) Worship and Music: Guilherme Almeida Youth Ministry: Heather Nessler Ordination Council: Mandy McMichael and Brad Livingstone Deacons: Paul Wash, Karla Davis, Jennifer Caballero, Jeanette Rudd, Joel Weaver, Pat Weaver, Jean Sury Moderator: Joel Weaver Assistant Moderator: Josh Borderud
2019 Deacon Candidates
Jennifer Caballero
I am a native of the great state of Tennessee (Go Vols!) but spent most of my growing up and college years in Alabama. I moved to Waco in 2005 to attend graduate school at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work and Truett Seminary. I met my husband Josh at Truett and we joined Calvary a few weeks after we were married. We have lived in the Sanger Heights neighborhood for 10 years.
By day I serve as the bereavement coordinator at Providence Hospice. By night I am the co-parent of the beautiful, energetic, and fiercely independent Millee Grace.
In my time at Calvary I have served in various ministries: children’s ministry (Sunday school, Bible Club, summer camps), Coordinating Council, life group leader, global missions to Lebanon, and Samaritan Fund. Josh and I are most passionate about missions, particularly in our Sanger Heights/Brook Oaks neighborhood. I am honored and excited to begin serving in a new way at Calvary.
Karla Davis
I am a retired early childhood educator, having worked in Colorado, Benghazi Libya, Houston, Wyoming, and Waco. I grew up in Houston and was raised in a Baptist church by a strong Christian family.
I am blessed to be married to Ed Davis (for 57 years) and am mother to Jonathan and Matthew Davis. They blessed us by marrying two delightful ladies, Jennifer and Megan. Together they gave us five other blessings, grandchildren Tyler, Ryan, Alex, Karly, and Virginia.
Ed and I joined Calvary in 2013 and we serve as co-facilitators of the Intergenerational Sunday School Class. I have served as a helper in Calvary Bible Club. We have been mightily blessed as members of the Community Missions Life Group and each of the recent small groups.
We love being a part of the Calvary family and I feel called by God to serve Him here as a deacon.
Jeanette Rudd
In 2002 Waco became home to our family, again. We left as a married couple in 1977 when Wiff graduated from Baylor. Fast-forward a “long time” and here we are back where we started! I worked in administrative support first at Hillcrest Hospital and then at Baylor until retiring in July 2018.
I’m now busier than ever, but have enjoyed being able to participate in the West Avenue Reading Buddy program and work with the Calvary pre- and kinder children’s choir this past year.
For the first few years back in Waco we “churched,” knowing something was missing. In 2007, God became love to us through the eyes, smiles, faces, kind words, joyful worship, honest conversations and the sincerity of family at the corner of 18th and Bosque. Coming to Calvary was truly coming home.
Serving others is my joy -- my very happy place. As a returning deacon, I look forward to finding new opportunities for hospitality -- to share love, care and kinship both to and through our community of faith.
Jean Sury
Twenty years ago my family joined Calvary in part because of the wonderful people we met that made us feel like family. I was raised in the Lutheran tradition, but while at Baylor I attended a Baptist church where I loved the style of worship and where my spirit awakened to the Gospel. I decided to get baptized again as a testament to my faith.
I teach sixth-grade science at River Valley Intermediate School in the Midway district and enjoy helping people and doing logic puzzles. I have taught Sunday School to kindergartners at Calvary and love getting to know Calvary’s members through serving in extended session, Calvary Bible Club, and having been a chaperone on youth mission trips.
My sister, Melissa Gorton, is a current deacon at Calvary. My husband Ken and I have two adult children, Elaine and Grant, who have grown up at Calvary. I am looking forward to serving my Calvary family as a deacon.
Paul Wash I have lived and worked in Waco since my graduation from Baylor in 1982. For the past 21 years, I have worked for McLennan County in various roles with the county auditor, sheriff, and Road & Bridge Precinct. Every summer I take off to Colorado for a week to camp and backpack and enjoy cooler temperatures.
I joined Calvary not long after Julie Pennington-Russell began her ministry. Through the years I have found ways to help out at Calvary such as finance chair, heading up an offertory team, coordinating the Sunday morning greeters, mission trips to South Texas and most recently as property team chair. I’m humbled to be nominated to help out now as a deacon.
Joel Weaver
I grew up in Valdosta, Georgia, and I was ordained there by the First Baptist Church, where my father has served for the last 50 years.
I attended Samford University, where I met my wife, Sally. We married and then moved to England for graduate school. Our next stop was Louisville, Kentucky, where I went to seminary while Sally earned her Ph.D. and then M.D. After pastoring churches in Indiana and Kentucky, I came to Baylor in 1996, and I have been a member of Calvary ever since. I currently teach New Testament and Greek at Truett Seminary.
Having previously served as a deacon at Calvary, I am pleased to be asked to serve in this role once again. Sally and I came to Calvary as young adults, and all of our children have been born and raised here. This community has truly been the family of God for us in this place. I am delighted to play a small role in returning that love and support to others.
Pat Weaver
A native of Virginia, I have been a member of Calvary for 15 years after moving to Waco when Doug accepted a teaching position at Baylor.
For most of those years, I have served in various roles in the Children's Sunday School Department. I am currently teaching 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-graders and love spending my Sunday mornings with their inquisitive minds! I have previously served as a deacon and on a variety of committees. I am also a Reading Buddy at West Avenue Elementary and volunteer at The Cove.
I have two adult children. Andrea and family live in Dallas. Aaron and family live in Atlanta. I have been blessed with five grandchildren -- Camden, Oliver, Maci, Miriam and Hannah. They are my “hobby.”
My paid career ends on August 31 after years of working with college students as a career counselor and academic advisor. I look forward to having more time to serve the Calvary family and to provide others with the same support that Calvary has given me and my family through the years.
Welcoming, Hospitality, and Extended Session
We have been having a large number of newcomers join us for worship this summer at Calvary, which is so exciting! In an effort to make sure we are able to welcome and visit with everyone on Sundays, we would like to add a second monthly rotation of greeters on Sunday mornings from about 10:25-11:00 AM. We also need more people to join our extended session rotation to care for Calvary’s youngest members during the worship service. This is a significant ministry not only to parents, but to the whole Calvary family. If you would like to help with extended session, please contact Gabby at gwarnick@cbcwaco.net. If you’d like to help with greeting on Sunday mornings, please contact Mary Alice at mab@cbcwaco.net. Thank you for helping us to care for and offer hospitality to our Calvary family and friends!
August is National Immunization Awareness Month
National Immunization Awareness Month is a great time to promote vaccines and remind family, friends, and coworkers to stay up to date on their shots.
Communities across the country use the month each year to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases across the lifespan.
Vaccines aren’t just for kids – adults need to get vaccinated to stay protected from serious illnesses like the flu, measles, and pneumonia. Click on this link to read useful information about this topic.
Contributing Financially to Calvary
Each week, we present our offerings as an act of worship. However, many of us pay for the majority of our expenses online or through an automatic-withdraw from our bank accounts, and each month when we pay our expenses, we can present an offering to God in these ways too. You can give to Calvary online at http://cbcwaco.net/give-to-calvary, but please note that 1-2% of your gift will go toward transaction fees. If you would like to set up an automatic withdrawal from your bank account, which has no transaction fees, please contact Phil Sitton at psitton@cbcwaco.net.
Let's be in prayer for one another. Click HERE for the prayer list.
Ministerial Staff
Mary Alice Birdwhistell - Senior Pastor mab@cbcwaco.net
