Church Retreat

Saturday, January 23, 10 AM to 2 PM

Seventeen of our Calvary family met to get more acquainted with each other and to plan the future direction of Calvary United Methodist Church.  Lots of discussion, fun and a Pizza lunch!

We addressed the Mission Statement, trying to make it more friendly and easy to understand.We came up with what we feel is a great mission statement, which needs to be approved by the administrative board at their next meeting.

We also looked at goals for our church.  These items will be shared with the various committees within the church in the near future. 

 Wed. January 20, 2010

Volunteers at Calvary had been preparing for the retirement celebration for weeks...making sure we had enough turkeys in the freezer and all the trimmings, ready to go. 

 On Saturday they pulled four plump, 14 pound birds from the locked freezer and moved them to the refrigerator to thaw for the main course for the Wednesday evening meal.  

On Tuesday morning, they discovered the unthinkable.  

Someone had stolen the turkeys!!  It was really sad, more than anything else, for someone to take food when it was intended to feed so many who need it and would have appreciated and disappointing that a person or people would do that.

The four turkeys stolen had been set aside for a meal celebrating the retirement of long time chef Roger Lebricque, who has cooked for over the past nine years.  Roger retired as head of the church's mission kitchen, which serves free breafast every Sunday morning and dinner every Wednesday.  Combined, the two meals feed about 100 people per week.  The theft was reported to the Lewiston police Tuesday morning at about 11:30. Investigation is ongoing.

As Dianne Nelder, chairperson of the Calvary Mission Team said, " We're not a rich church.  We're there for the mission, really.  We're just sad that someone's personal gain took away from so many who are so needful."  More than 30 people volunteer to help prepare and serve the two weekly meals.  The turkeys came from Good Shepherd Food Bank around Christmas time and were being saved for Wednesday's special occasion.  They were moved from the freezer to the refrigerator Saturday and were noticed missing for the first time Tuesday morning.  Since the church was closed and locked that Monday due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, it is feared that someone stole the turkeys during Sunday's church services. 

Because of the turkeys being stolen, the menu for Wednesday night was changed to spaghetti and meatballs.  Folks would still be fed and given a good and hearty meal. But then the great folks of Lewiston came through.  Read the next story for "the rest of the story!"

Our pastor, the Rev. Casey Collins, was given a "pounding" by the congregation following her sermon on October 25, 2009.  In recognition of Pastor Appreciation Month, members of the congregation presented unsuspecting Casey with many small "pound-sized" gifts of food, crafts and notes of appreciation.  Pounding is an old fashioned term used in more rural days when the pastor would often be given food items or homemade gifts in gratitude for their service.  Both the congregation and Pastor Casey had a great time.  We don't often see her unable to speak, but this outpouring of love from her church family truly overwhelmed her!

Gift Boxes

Tom Peak made two wonderful gift boxes which were then painted by Judy Giffin.   These boxes are at the rear of the church.

These boxes are being used in place of plates for collection in order for anyone not able to donate a gift to the church, or are on other than a weekly envelope schedule, not to feel embarrased by not putting anything into the plate.  We wish to make all who enter our place of worship feel welcomed and loved.

“In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”   Matthew 7:12

Calvary’s Mission Team is actively participating in Christ’s commandment to love one another.  If there are missions that you have passion about and might like to see happen, speak to them for support for possible help to get you started.  Here are a few examples of what’s been going on: 

•Mission Meals:  Every week Calvary Church offers free meals to the homeless, the close to homeless, and those seeking friendship and community.  Wednesday dinners at 5 p.m.(or come at 4:30 and have coffee and meet and greet others) and Sunday breakfasts at 8 a.m. are enthusiastically received by sometimes more than 100 people each week.  The volunteers get as much out of being there as do those who are fed!

•A Prayer Team meets monthly and prays daily for those in the church, the community and the world.

•Assistance or references to places that might lend a hand to those in need.

•Help to seniors who might need shoveling out, a drive to church, or to a doctor’s appointment.

•“Home Touch” – a program for shut-ins.

•Disaster kits assembled and sent to other parts of the world.

And so much more!