~by Pastor Mike Middaugh

Today we released the FY 2014 Calvary Annual Report. We have copies available at church or you can request an electronic version by emailing the church office.

This report catalogs the fiscal year from July 1st, 2013 through June 30th, 2014. As a part of the Calvary community please take some time to look through this report to see what we have been able to do together over the past year, as well as some of our goals for the year we are currently in.

I want to thank every one of you who serve in the life of this congregation in various ways. From time in fellowship, to helping with events and projects, ushering on Sunday mornings, being part of our music program in worship, supporting our mission work, praying for this congregation and each other, giving financially, and even just showing up on Sunday mornings, Calvary would certainly not be here without the committment of her people. And that is just what a church is, a gathering of people for a purpose, united by the Gospel of Jesus.

I have been with you at Calvary for about 2.5 years. During which time we have dedicated ourselves to many administrative and management needs. These include planning and carrying out updates and repairs to our facility, assuring we are good hosts to the many other groups that use our space, evaluating and modifying our programs and activities, reviewing our organizational structure, creating good pathways for communication, and determining the best plan of action for the Farm property. While we are likely to be in this administrative season for a year or two longer, I am beginning to sense something different approaching on the horizon.

The work we are doing now requires many people to review, plan, and carry out tasks, but my long term goal is not to sign people up to sit in meetings or serve on committees, but rather to free people up to serve one another and our community. This is what we are really about after all, ambassadors for Christ, the reconciled of God called to reconcile the world. (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

Yes, there will always be management that must be done, and we want to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us, but the work of the church is not to work on the church, but rather to share the hope of the gospel with the nations.

My prayer is that as we continue in this season the work we do now will prepare the way for what’s next in the life of Calvary. While we are already engaged in many great ministry and mission activities, I hope you won’t get frustrated if it seems like we are also quite internally focused. It’s just for a season and it’s intentional.

I am confident that very exciting days are right around the corner and that God has plans we cannot yet imagine. As Frank Sinatra sang in the sixties, The Best is Yet to Come.