Recently, I came across two articles that I found very insightful. Both articles deal with issues that plague the church in our culture today. There are many reasons why people don’t go to church today. The list seems endless. But why do we go to church? And, when do you especially need to gather with your church family? The Most Important Time to Go to Church David ‘Gunner’ Gundersen says it clearly: “The most important time to be at church is when you don’t feel like ... Read More
Change in Mindset
Your help at Hairgrove Elementary is making a difference. In partnership with Copperfield Church, we provide a meal and snack for the Title One Camps at Hairgrove. Participation by the students in these camps has increased significantly since we started helping. A while back, Marylin Phillips shared a wonderful story that shows how our efforts are making a difference. One of the teachers, who has been at Hairgrove for many years, told this story at a committee meeting Marylin attended in May ... Read More
Sharing Our Lives, Sharing the Journey, The Calvary Quest
Back in August of 1982, a new church started in Northwest Houston. Three men worked out of their cars. They knocked on thousands of doors, conducting a religious census. In the midst of these door-to-door encounters, they shared about a new church that was starting in the neighborhood. Seeds were planted. Over the next weeks, the senior pastor and worship leader strategized about how to reach the people in the community. Both the pastor and worship leader came from full-time evangelistic ... Read More
The Joy of Mentoring
I love mentoring a child in school. Mentors have a huge impact on students. One child asks, "Would you mentor my friend, too?" A mentee has a question: "My friend wants to know if she can come and meet with us every week." As you walk into a classroom, the children see you, then point you out to the child you've come to mentor. They all know you are there for her. At the beginning of the year, you are told the child you will be mentoring is very quiet; she never talks. As you meet with her ... Read More
Testimony of a Mentor
Seven years ago I became a mentor. I started visiting a fourth grade girl at Holmsley Elementary. Every week, we spent 30 minutes together. We talked about school, friends, books, interests, and whatever else she brought up. When the fourth grade year ended, she asked me to come back the next year. However, when fifth grade began and I returned, things progressed differently. Several times, special school activities were going on simultaneously with our meeting time. I could tell she wanted to ... Read More
Ministry in Latvia
Do you ever stop to wonder where the years have gone? I was thinking of this just the other day when I was looking back at all the ministry trips I’ve taken to the Eastern European country of Latvia since 1992. It seems like a long time ago that I made my first trip there but at the same time, it’s gone by like it was just yesterday. I thought I would journal some of the blessings this wonderful little country has given me and the opportunities I’ve had on some of our trips. Perhaps I can invite ... Read More
Hope for the Holidays: Somebody Cares
Calvary has partnered with and supported Somebody Cares for many years. Their goal is to mobilize Christians into evangelism, thereby transforming communities. Somebody Cares also seeks to identify ministries that empower people to reach their full potential and to become all that God envisioned when he created them. Together, Calvary and Somebody Cares are advancing the gospel and building the kingdom of God through compassion. Calvary was able to help in a tangible way by adopting five ... Read More
An Amazing Victory over Cancer
Praise God for his healing mercies. Recently, Wendy Weil invited a family to Mark and Renita LeCrone’s Small Group. The husband needed prayer for two desperate, untreatable conditions. Manuel was fighting prostate cancer and bladder problems. Misguided radiation treatments for prostate cancer back in the northeast resulted in a hole in his bladder. No other options were available for treating his prostate cancer. Right after he received prayer at the LeCrone's LIFT Group, Manuel stopped having ... Read More
Accepting the Challenge to Talk About Jesus
Editor’s note: In a recent sermon, we heard a challenge to “talk about Jesus with others.” Then, we were challenged to have conversations with at least two people. We would love to hear your testimonies. Please email your stories to jtm@calvaryhouston.com. In 2004, a coworker and I both left our jobs. We began sending each other employment leads even though we knew we were both competing for the same positions. We were aware that one of us might get hired and the other might not. I applied for ... Read More
Spiritual Practice Comparisons
Christian history and theology reveals a vast diversity of ways that we can come to know God, to worship and to serve him. There are many different denominations and streams within the body of Christ, all of them reflecting various aspects of God’s glory and different approaches to a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Each approach has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Growing to affirm our unity and celebrate our diversity is a part of our maturing process as unique ... Read More