Midweek Meditation: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Dear Calvary Family,
I am so grateful to lead and grow together with our youth group. Recently we discussed what helps them to make the right decision. How do you make a choice? Every single day we make decisions. How do you make the right ones? How do we make choices?
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.(Proverbs 11:3 NIV) We do what is right. We do what is right in God’s eyes. All these young people face a life that is filled with challenges, struggles, and lies. Who will guide them? Who will listen? Who will encourage them? All our youth have a future. Understand that by pouring our love and support into them, we can change so many lives: Their lives and the lives they will change. These young adults are surrounded by so many other young adults. They influence each other a lot!
Our times with them, our prayer with them will make a change. You might never know or see it… but we do it because we grown-ups know what is right… Correct?
Let me know if you would like to give a little bit of your time and take one of our youth to support, to listen to, and to encourage. Even a little bit can make a big difference.
May this Sunday inspire you to be part of what God is doing in these young people’s lives.
Not growing younger, but
Planting trees under whose shade I do not expect to sit.
Pastor Jolita
Here’s what’s happening in the life of our Church and how you can get involved:
HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR SCHOLARSHIPS
There are scholarships available for students who are members of Calvary and/or attended Calvary Learning Academy, including a new scholarship for students who are interested in a career training path rather than a traditional 4-year college path. This scholarship is the James C. Snapp II Vocational Scholarship. Find out more and apply at CalvaryUnited.org/scholarships by Friday, February 21.
YOUTH GROUP UPDATES AND REMINDERS
This Sunday, February 16, will be the Youth and Children’s service followed by the Pancake Brunch fundraiser for the Youth Mission Trip. There will be no Youth Sunday School class Sunday because of that.
The following Sunday, February 23, there will be no Youth Group that evening because of the Teen Responder Workshop being held that afternoon.
On Sunday, March 2, following Sunday School class will be Pizza & Pickleball! We will have lunch and head out to play. Details will be coming soon.
COME HUNGRY THIS SUNDAY!
The Youth and Children of our church will be leading worship on this date. Plan now to be here to support them in their faith examples. We will also be distributing 3rd grade Bibles. Following the service, there will be a Pancake Brunch also hosted by our youth as a fundraiser for their annual mission trip to Mountain T.O.P. Tennessee. The youth and their leaders will be making and serving pancakes and other breakfast items for a freewill donation.
TEEN RESPONDERS WORKSHOP
We are encouraging parents, grandparents, guardians and their teens to attend this very important workshop Sunday, February 23 from 2:00-4:30 in Fellowship Hall! The goal of this workshop is to give area teens the knowledge, skills, and resources to care for their own mental health and respond to peers in crisis. We know that it shouldn’t be the burden of teens to care for their friends in crisis, however they are often the first ones to respond. The Teen Mental Health Response Workshop is designed to help teens have the tools, skills, and resources to care for themselves and respond to their peers in crisis in ways that are healthy and effective. The workshop will be led by licensed mental health professionals and is for students in 6th-12th grade and for adults with teens in their lives.
We will have an adult workshop happening simultaneously but in a different room in the church building, which helps adults be empowered to care for themselves and respond to the mental health of the teens in their lives.
The three main topics include: Boundaries & Self Care, Healthy Coping Strategies, Responding to a Friend in Crisis. To register, visit https://calvaryunited.org/events/teen-responders-workshop/.
CALLING ALL MOUNTAIN T.O.P. CAMPERS!
We will be going to the mountains of Tennessee June 22-28. All youth who have completed the 6th grade are welcome to join us. Depending on your age, you can choose between a Service Project (light construction, painting, etc.) or Day Camp (VBS-like) for the week. We will also be needing another adult (21+) to join us. Please see Kevin Kowalski or Lynn Wagner for more information. Lynnbooher@hotmail.com
A CALVARY COOKBOOK FUNDRAISER
To help raise money for Missions and Outreach, we would like to sell a cookbook at the Craft Fair this year. Think about a favorite recipe you can share and bring it to church on Sunday, February 23! We would love to have a recipe from everyone! We are hoping for a minimum of 150 recipes! There is a form attached here that can be used for sharing your recipe. You may place it in the collection tray on the Mission table in the hallway or email it to the church office (office@CalvaryUnited.org). Thank you! We can’t wait to see this come together!
NEW MEMBER CONVERSATIONS
Have you been visiting Calvary and are you interested in learning more about the church? Join us for a new member conversation Sunday, February 23 or Sunday, March 2, at 11:11 in Fellowship Hall.
FEBRUARY CLASSICS LUNCHEON
Celebrate February with an Italian-style sweetheart menu and join us for lunch on Tuesday, February 25 from noon until 2:00pm in Fellowship Hall. RSVP to the office (317-852-2541, office@calvaryunited.org) or at the mission table on the sign-up sheet. Bring a friend and your favorite side or dessert!
INFANT-TODDLER FAMILY FELLOWSHIP
Parents of children 0-4 years old are invited to a special Family Time together Saturday, March 1, 3:00-5:00pm. Children ages 2-4 will have time together in a classroom doing activities, children 0-2 will play in the nursery, while parents will spend time together in Fellowship Hall. The afternoon will wrap up with 30 minutes of everyone being together. If you’re a parent of a young child, mark the date on the calendar! If you know someone who is, please share this! If you are willing to help in the nursery or in the classroom, please contact Pastor Jolita (jerbele@CalvaryUnited.org).
WINTER WEATHER HELP WANTED
We are looking for a couple of volunteers who might be willing to help shovel and salt around church when we have less than two inches of snow. If cold weather invigorates you and shoveling is your kind of exercise, please get in touch with Lori Wilcoxson (lrwilcoxson@gmail.com) for more information.
THINK SPRING! PLANT-LOVERS NEEDED
We have a wonderful service opportunity that works around your schedule! If you are interested in plant beds and pots, we need someone to take over the ones by the entry. Betsy Hoggatt cared for them previously and has put together a maintenance guide and is open to any questions that may come up. Not much is needed until spring, but we’d love to hear now if this is a role for you!
FEBRUARY MISSIONS FOCUS
Our monthly mission focus is “Outreach”. This fund helps to cover all the various community-related events that will take place this year, such as the Easter Celebration, Fall Festival, the Living Nativity, and many other things.
INDIANAPOLIS BRASS CHOIR
On Sunday, March 2 at 4:00pm, we will host the Indianapolis Brass Choir here. This is a large brass ensemble of about 30 who volunteer their time and talent to provide music and aid local charities. Our freewill donation will support Family Promise of Hendricks County. Hope to see you there!
VERSITI BLOODMOBILE
The Bloodmobile is back Sunday, March 16 from 8:30-12:45. We would love to fill their schedule with donations that morning. Visit https://donateblood.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/11609344 to sign up today!
READING TO OUR PRESCHOOL STUDENTS
Love to read? Love a good children’s book? Volunteer to read to one of our Learning Academy classes! This semester’s sign-up sheet is on the mission table in the hallway. Sign up soon!
PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION
Registration for our Calvary Learning Academy is open. Visit https://calvaryunited.org/registration/ for more information and to register.
WORSHIP:
-Sunday, February 16, 10:00am (Contemporary) Youth & Children Service
“Faith is Enough” Genesis 1:1, John 20:24-29
-Sunday, February 23, 10:00am (Traditional) Mission Sunday
“Imitating Jesus” Matthew 11:29-30, Matthew 25:35-36, Mark 10:45, Ephesians 5:2 (NRSV) Anne Inman
SAVE THE DATE:
-Euchre – Saturday, February 15, 6:00-8:00pm in Fellowship Hall
-Youth and Children’s Service – Sunday, February 16, 10:00am and Youth Mission Trip Pancake Brunch 11:15am-1:00pm
-Teen Responder Youth Mental Health Workshop – Sunday, February 23, 2:00-4:30pm in Fellowship Hall and throughout the building
-New Member Conversations – Sunday, February 23 or Sunday, March 2, 11:11am in Fellowship Hall
-Classics Luncheon – Tuesday, February 25, Noon until 2:00 in Fellowship Hall
-Infant-Toddler Family Fellowship – Saturday, March 1, 3:00-5:00pm in Fellowship Hall
-Indianapolis Brass Choir Performance – Sunday, March 2, 4:00pm in the Sanctuary
-Ash Wednesday – Wednesday, March 5, 7:00pm in the Sanctuary
-Bloodmobile – Sunday, March 16, 8:30am-12:45pm in the parking lot
-Child Protection Guideline Training – Sunday, March 16 at 11:00am in the CLA Office OR Thursday, March 20 at 6:30pm in the Youth Room