Midweek Meditation: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Dear Calvary Family,
Have you heard of LEGO Camp at our church? Let me tell you what a blessing and what a challenge it has been to have 160 kids, ages from 4 to 13, in our church. First of all, I have never been so thankful for all the volunteers in my life as I am this week. Thank you so much for giving your heart and your time to these kids and to God. It was a calling, and you answered it. Praise be to God.
The first day was the most chaotic day. In my mind, I envisioned 160 kids worshipping God, hands lifted up, hearts open, and God’s Spirit moving. Well, in reality, I could not make the crowd do anything I asked. It felt like no one was listening… I was so disappointed in myself. The next day, I talked to a random mom who was dropping off her son. She said her son was talking to her about a hard heart and a soft heart before bed, telling about how we need to have a soft heart to receive and accept God.
So many times, we envision what church should be, how we want it to be. But in reality, it is His church. His people. His way. We need to obey and do what Our God is asking us to do.
This Sunday, we will learn about the church and who was praying… fervently praying! Guess what happened? God moved in a way that only God can move. Come to pray and see how God moves!
Amazed by God’s ways,
Pastor Jolita
Here’s what’s happening in the life of our Church and how you can get involved:
LEGO CAMP WRAP-UP
After so many weeks of preparation and so many volunteer hours, our LEGO Camp this week has wrapped up as of just now! Thank you to all of you who supported this in so many ways! The160 kids made for a full and exciting time. Check out the pictures we’ve attached. We’re already discussing what next year will be like. Do you have suggestions? Want to help plan in 2026? Contact the office!
FASTTRACK
Thank you to all of you who generously shared pencils for the Brownsburg Schools FastTrack program! We achieved the goal of 10,000 pencils. If you’re available to help at this event on Saturday, July 26, 8:00am-10:30am, sign up here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DAFA72CAAF8C16-57240758-fast#/ and join us at East Middle School!
KINDNESS KITCHEN
Our Kindness Kitchen is wrapping up this busy July with a Pancake Breakfast to support Family Promise and celebrate LEGO Camp on Sunday, July 27th. Bring your appetite and join us for that time of fellowship! Volunteers are needed to set up, cook and serve, and clean up. A sign-up sheet for that is on the Mission table or email office@CalvaryUnited.org, if you would like to help. Our cooking team extended the invite to come to this to the Messiah Lutheran team, so expect some fun competition again in the pancake flipping area!
JULY CLASSICS LUAU LUNCHEON
Join us next Tuesday, July 29, at Noon for roasted pork and other luau fare. Bring a friend and something to share! Time for luau dancing will follow that. RSVP by contacting the office or signing up on the sheet on the Mission table in the hallway. See you there!
YOUTH GROUP TRIP – SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
To celebrate summer together, the youth will be heading to Sugar Creek to go canoeing on Sunday, August 3, leaving right after worship. Plan on having lunch there and spending a few hours in the water. If you’d like to go, email Pastor Jolita (jerbele@calvaryunited.org) before this coming Sunday!
BIBLE STUDY FOR “NEWBIES”
Here’s a Bible Study for adults who have never done a Bible Study before! And, it works with our August Sermon Series: “Back to School: The BIBLE”. Beginners and novices join Pastor Michelle with your Bible and a willingness to try something new on five Tuesdays: August 5, 12, 19, 26 and September 2 in the Conference Room from 10:00-11:30am.
SHARE YOUR TIME THIS WAY
The next school year is quickly approaching and we will be resuming our Sunday School classes for Kindergarten through 5th grade and for 6th through 12th grade on August 10. We would love to have you share your time in this fun way for 45 minutes after church once a month or so. Contact the office (office@CalvaryUnited.org or 317-852-2541) to find out more!
KEEP SUMMER GIVING STRONG
While many of us travel and have busy activities during the summer, we need you to keep your financial giving strong to the operating and mortgage funds during the summer months. Ministry continues even while each of us travels. Thank you for your generosity!
PRAYING FOR OUR PASTORS
Just like Aaron held up Moses’ arms so Israel could win the battle against their enemies, we need you, our faithful family, to pray for our Pastors. They fight battles every day in the spiritual realm. Let’s lift them up, pray for them, and help them hold up their arms in their daily work. We would like you to pray once a month on the day you select through December. While Monday through Saturday we ask you to pray for both pastors, on Sundays we would like to have one person pray specifically for Pastor Michelle and another person pray specifically for Pastor Jolita. A sign-up sheet is on the mission table in the hallway across from the office or you may sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0F45ABAC2AA3F85-57384628-praying
REMEMBERING CHRIS TJELMELAND
The family of Chris invites you to celebrate her life with them on Saturday, August 16 between noon and 2:00pm in Fellowship Hall. Please join us!
CALVARY COOKBOOK
Our initial typing is wrapped up and we’re now getting ready to edit! Do you have an eye for that? We’d love to have your assistance! We are meeting Monday, July 28, at 6:00pm in the Youth Room. Questions? Contact the church office. Another issue to note: We have five recipes that were separated from the name of who submitted it. Do you recognize any of these as something you might’ve submitted? Please contact the church office if you do. Easy Breakfast Strata, Nashville House Fried Biscuits, Shepherd’s Pie, Campbell’s Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, and Blackened Mahi-Mahi Taco Bowl.
GRIEFSHARE
We will once again be offering GriefShare, a support group to help you move through the grief process. It will begin on Wednesday, August 27, at 10:00am in the Conference Room here at church and will continue for 13 weeks. A GriefShare support group is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. Through this, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s “normal” in grief. Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief, in all its unpredictability – and gain solid support each step of the way. If you would like to attend, please contact the church office. (office@CalvaryUnited.org or 317-852-2541)
WORSHIP:
-Sunday, July 27, 10:00am (Contemporary) LEGO & Let GOD: “Connecting to One Another”
Acts 12 :1-17 (NRSVue) Rev. Jolita Erbele
-Sunday, August 3, 10:00am (Traditional) Back-to-School: The BIBLE – History “God’s Expectations Defined” Leviticus 22:31-32 (NRSV) Rev. Michelle Knight
SAVE THE DATE:
-Pancake Breakfast – Sunday, July 27, 11:15 in Fellowship Hall
-Classics Luncheon – Tuesday, July 29 at Noon in Fellowship Hall
-Office Closed – Wednesday, July 30 for Staff Retreat and In-service
-Back-to-School Backpack Blessing – Sunday, August 3, 10:00am Service
-First Monday of the Month Prayer Time – Monday, August 4, 6:30am in the Sanctuary
-Infant and Toddler Family Fellowship – Saturday, August 9, 3:00pm, Fellowship Hall
-GriefShare – Wednesdays, starting August 27, 10:00am in the Conference Room
-Blood Drive – Sunday, September 21, 8:30-12:45 in the BloodMobile