What's Still The Same--7th Church Anniversary

What’s Still The Same?

Psalm Psalms 93:1-5 Hebrews 13:1-8

It was about 8 years ago that Glenville New Life Community Church and Calvary Presbyterian Church began to explore the idea of coming together to form one congregation. After a lot of prayer, discussions, meetings and votes, we decided to become one church known as New Life At Calvary.

Seven years ago, a group marched from Glenville at 711 East 105th Street, down St. Clair to E. 79th and then headed south toward Euclid Avenue. Meanwhile a group from Calvary, headed north on E. 79th Street to meet the group heading south. The two marching groups met up just beyond Hough Avenue, embraced one another and together continued the journey South to Euclid Avenue.

On the steps of Calvary there was a group from both of the churches waiting for the marching groups to arrive. After embracing one another at the intersection, we went inside the building and had our first praise and worship service as New Life At Calvary. That was seven years ago on the Second Sunday in 2013. In 7 years, we have seen a lot of changes take place in various ministries, in various lives, in our community, in our nation and in our world.

We have seen new life come into our church through births, through membership transfers, and through people giving their lives to Christ and choosing to serve God with us. We have seen people leave us through membership transfers, through walk aways and disappearnces, and most importantly of all through going Home to be with the Lord.

We have seen times of services change, the number of services change, length of services change, the location of services change and the styles of worship in those services change. No doubt we all have seen something changed that we really, liked and that we miss even today. But our goal has been to seek what was best for the body of Christ at New Life At Calvary.

We have heard from almost 70 of you what you love, like or have appreciated about New Life At Calvary these past 7 years. We thank God for each of you and how you feel about your church, it’s ministries, your pastors, and your God. Sometimes it’s not necessarily what has changed that needs to be celebrated, but there are times when we need to celebrate what is still the same.

Jesus told Peter once, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus wanted the church on a firm foundation. In one of Jesus’ most famous parables he talked about a wise man building his house upon the rock whereas a foolish person built his house on the sand. But then when a terrible storm arose and the flood waters came through, the house on the sand was torn apart and washed away. But the house that was built on the rock, weathered the storm and stood its ground.

When we build upon solid rock, things stay in place. We live in a society today that wants to build for the future without having an agreed upon foundation. It’s moral values shift from day to day and wants everyone to shift with them.

What makes us who we are as a church today is the foundation we have been built upon. We unashamedly declare, Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus Christ and righteousness, we dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

We have stood upon the rock of belief that the word of God is not outdated because of the opinions of actors, singers, politicians, athletes, philosophers and others. We still believe as did the apostles did , that God’s word is given to us for instruction that we might become more like Jesus Christ. We are not hear to win a popularity contest in this world, but rather we are here to show what it means to be faithful in serving God. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.

We have stood upon the rock of belief that word of God requires that we love others, and that we should serve expecting nothing in return for doing so. One thing that hasn’t changed has been the choice so many of you have made in your giving, to love others. Those orphaned children in Rotolo Home in Nigeria, won’t get to say thank you until you get to heaven. All the kids we fed in Haiti, and all the wheelchairs we provided to those in need in various countries in the world aren’t going to show up at our doors. But you have given anyways.

The home we have been paying for Pastor Darvin & his Wife Marci in India, will not host any of us for any nights, but it does show we think beyond ourselves to be a blessing. They preach the gospel in a very anti-Christian area of India. As they approach retirement and poor health, you have given them a place to call home.