INTRODUCING THE (NEW) CALLER
THE CALLER CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, Senior Pastor Harold L. Ritchie, Editor Emeritus Paul Rosstead, Church Administrator Jason Smith, Ministry Assistant Calvary Baptist Church 755 8th St NW Washington, DC 202-347-8355; Fax: 202-347-6360 www.calvarydc.org
Welcome to the updated format of the Calvary Caller! We’re trying out a new format for communicating with our members and friends. This one page, two-sided version of the Caller (now in color!) is an experiment, as we’re continually trying new ways to reach our community of faith. We recognize that the Calvary community has deep roots in DC, Virginia, and Maryland, and we extend beyond this region as well as our country. We are grateful for the many people who call this place “home” and we hope you’ll join us to see what’s going on. If you have any questions about the Caller, or have a suggestion, email Jason Smith at jsmith@calvarydc.org.
BUSINESS MEETING DATES Wednesday, April 30, 2014 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, 2014 (Ice Cream Social 6:30pm/meeting at 7:00 p.m.) Sunday, October 26, 2014 (luncheon after church/meeting at 1:00 p.m.) Sunday, January 25, 2015 (luncheon after church/meeting at 1:00 p.m.)
March/April 2014 Volume XVI, Issue 10
EASTER WORSHIP, 2014 WORSHIP SERIES: JUST BELIEVE. Just Believe: Belief is a nice idea, but the way it’s been defined in religious circles just won’t work for some of us. What if we can’t just believe? Jesus’ first followers had the same struggle—they came to believe in different ways. During the season of Easter we’ll consider different ways in which we come to believe.
CALVARY GLIMPSES
Rachel Johnson uses broken glass to create a stained glass quatrefoil for Butler Hall ; Brent Walker, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, preaches in worship; Pastor Amy and Pastor Edgar distribute “Ashes on the Corner” on Ash Wednesday.
Pastor Amy presents baby Noam Schreiber on his dedication day; Myra Houser, Carol Blythe, and Jason Smith meet with Medardo Gómez, Bishop of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church; Music for Kids, with leaders Cheryl Branham, Trey Sullivan, Chuck Andreatta, and Carol Blythe; Pastor Amy leads a children’s sermon on things we should say more often to the people we love.
Children’s Sunday School class recreates Noah’s Ark; Kelly Williams, Milestones Enrichment Center, at the Church Office New Year’s Open Office; Abbey Ammerman works on the bar for Butler Hall; the Sanctuary and Kendal Hall receive a brand new HVAC unit, ready for installation.
WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS HANNAH BRECKENRIDGE AND ANSON PURDY
Hannah and Anson joined Calvary March 9th. They met in Memphis, TN at First Baptist Church where Hannah's father is the pastor. They were married September 1st in 2012. Anson is an alumni of Rhodes College and Teach For America, and will graduate from George Mason this Spring with a degree in public policy. Hannah attended Rhodes for her first two years of college and will graduate from George Washington University with a degree in psychology this spring before also completing two years with Teach For America. Anson and Hannah love playing soccer on Friday nights in the gym and look forward to participating in Theology on Draft and the choir's 'Festival". They are excited about continuing in their spiritual journeys with the supportive family at Calvary."
DREW BONGIOVANNI
joined Calvary on March 16. She moved to DC in the Summer of 2013 after graduating from Furman University with a degree in Art History. Drew is a native of Macon, Georgia and was raised Baptist (her parents are seminary graduates and teach religion at Mercer University). She grew up in the CBF congregation First Baptist Church of Christ, Macon. Drew works at the Washington Interfaith Network, and is in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. She plans to attend graduate school and earn a Master of Divinity in the future. Drew is excited to have found a home for Christian fellowship and discernment in DC!
JEREMY FRETTS is originally from Pennsylvania and spent 15 years in Indiana before returning to the mid-Atlantic to be close to his first nephew. Now, Uncle Jer enjoys living near his four nephews. They are his greatest joy. Professionally, Mr. Fretts works as an architect, specializing in large apartment communities and recreational facilities. He also consults on staff and organization development issues, and blogs about faith and politics. While getting acquainted, Pastor Amy quickly (and accurately) classified him: "oh, you're a church nerd!" Jeremy readily accepted the moniker: he has led worship for contemporary and traditional services in churches big and small, and helped to plan regional and national Christian conferences. Jeremy joined Calvary on January 19, and is excited to be a part of "what God's up to" among the authentic and entrepreneurial people of Calvary.
LAUREN HOVIS joined Calvary on March 16. She is a native of North Carolina and moved to DC after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May of 2013. She interned for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty the summer after graduation and she currently works in the policy department of ActionAid, an international development NGO.
She also enjoys working part time as a house manager at Ford's Theatre. As a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship preacher's kid, Lauren has been Baptist since she could remember and couldn't find a better fit than Calvary! She is very excited to continue her involvement in Theology on Draft and looks forward to joining Festival Choir this spring.
CARLY KINNEY
joined Calvary on March 30. Originally from New Hampshire, Carly moved to DC in 2009 to attend American University. She graduated from school this past May, and now Carly is thrilled to have found a job that lets her stay in the DC area. She’s currently working as a data analyst for a small market research company in Alexandria. Although Carly grew up in the United Church of Christ, she is excited about becoming a Baptist, and she can’t wait to learn and grow with her new church home at Calvary."
JONATHAN MCMASTER
joined Calvary on March 16. Jonathan is a US Diplomat with the Department of State. In May 2014, he will move to his first post at the US Embassy in Mexico City. Before the State Department, he received his Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In 2011, he graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Modern Languages, Arabic and French. He also participated on Stanford's Track and Field team as a sprinter. Jonathan's parents moved from Jamaica to Baltimore, Maryland, where Jonathan was born and raised.
ANDREA POWELL
joined Calvary on March 30. Andrea hails from Detroit, Michigan and lives in the District, where she works as a lawyer. Andrea is an avid cyclist and has participated in the Century Ride.
Invest:
Marriage takes work—intentional investment in tending a precious relationship. Take this opportunity to invest in your marriage by joining a group of Calvary married couples in a 4-week small group experience built around John Gottman’s, Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Intended to help couples carve out time to check in with each other to assess and strengthen their marriages, this group will also be highly interactive and participatory. In addition to working through important material in Gottman’s book, a goal of the group will be to form a cohesive network of support that continues after the formal group ends. Planned with spiritual practice as a foundation, group sessions will help couples talk about difficult and challenging aspects of marriage and learn new ways of strengthening their marital bond. The group will be led by Maura Rohde, LPC, counselor and psychotherapist who has worked regularly out of Calvary’s offices for more than five years. Any married couple is welcome and encouraged to participate. The group will be limited to 10 married couples and will meet in Butler Hall from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Sundays April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18. Cost is $100 per couple for the four-week class. If you’d like to participate and the cost is prohibitive, please speak with Pastor Amy.
Sign up at calvarydc.org/invest or scan the QR Code
Please join us Saturday, June 7 for Sacred Spaces/Urban Assets, a conversation designed to give congregational leaders practical tools for understanding and leveraging valuable urban property. Hear perspectives of a theologian, a change management consultant, a design specialist, and a developer; think in creative ways about possible scenarios for your faith community; gather resources to help your community move into the future. Phillip W. Renfrow, AIA is the managing principal of Geier Brown Renfrow Architects where he also serves as director of design. A long-time member or Calvary Baptist Church, he has held church leadership positions, including terms on the Board of Trustees. Calvary member Jeremy Fretts, B.Arch., M.A., Architect. is a Virginia-registered architect, and has studied organizational change at a graduate level at George Washington University. In previous congregations, Jeremy has served on congregational building committees and has served in worship leadership positions. Charles E. King serves as a principal at CSG Urban Partners. Mr. King has over 22 years of real estate, financial and entrepreneurial experiences. He was the Acting Executive VP for the RLA Revitalization Corporation (RLARC), where he directed and managed the $500 million RLARC real estate portfolio. Simone A. Goring Devaney has 19 years of professional experience in real estate development and finance. Ms. Goring served as VP of real estate development with DC’s National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC) where she managed many of the District's largest public/private real estate projects including over 1.5 million SF of commercial space and 1,500 housing units.
Sign up at
calvarydc.org/ sacred-spaces or scan the QR Code
Four Weeks. Your Marriage. Make it Great! Featuring
Maura Rohde, LPC, LCPC 4 Sessions April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18
$100/ Couple SACRED SPACES/ URBAN ASSETS: FAITH COMMUNITIES, PROPERTY, AND MOVING BOLDLY INTO THE FUTURE FEATURING
PHILIP RENFROW, A.I.A. JEREMY FRETTS, M.A. CHARLES E. KING, M.B.A. SIMONE A. GORING DEVANEY SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 9:00 A.M. TO 12:00 NOON WOODWARD HALL
$15/PERSON
LETTERS Dear Calvary Baptist Church, I was so happy to receive a poinsettia from Calvary. I helped deliver flowers to many shut-ins from Calvary years ago. Calvary was my church for 25 plus years as an employee. Ollie and I were members for more than 50 years. He thought he always had been a member. God has helped me adjust. I am handicapped, but I am not helpless. Celebrating with you as we share in this season of praising the Lord! Much Love, Ruby McDonald Shepherd Calvary Baptist Church, It has been a blessing to partner with you in the feeding of America’s children. Because of your generosity, we can continue this good work together. Your thoughtful gift is much appreciated! We thank God for your partnership with Feed the Children. Blessings, Beth, Feed the Children Dear Calvary, Mom was napping when I arrived Christmas Eve. I brought in the poinsettia that the Calvary visitors left for her. Jenny Goon’s talents will keep this plant flourishing several years. Mom has regained some of her independence as she cooks meals for herself and retrieves her mail daily. Many thanks for the thoughtfulness of the congregation. -Jim Goon
Compelling Conversations, Jeff Chu, April 29 Jeff Chu is an editor and writer at Fast Company, leads the magazine’s coverage of China, philanthropy, and urban affairs. His book, Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America, is a sharp, compelling treatment of American Christianity and homosexuality. From Jeff’s website, the book is “part memoir and part investigative analysis that explores the explosive and confusing intersection of faith, politics, and sexuality in Christian America.” Join us Tuesday, April 29, 7:00 p.m. Tickets to this Compelling Conversations event are $10.00, available at calvarydc.org.
LOOKING AHEAD LECTIONARY LUNCHES. Bring your lunch to Kendall Hall 1 and join us Tuesdays, 12:15-12:45 p.m., for a fun, informal discussion on the upcoming week’s Gospel Lessons. Want to help lead one week? Contact Trey Sullivan. THEOLOGY ON DRAFT, “AUTOBEEROGRAPHY:” TELLING OUR SPIRITUAL STORIES. During this season of Theology on Draft we’ll focus on spiritual autobiography, looking at biblical stories and modern spiritual memoirs. Spoiler alert: we’ll also tell our own spiritual stories. WEDNESDAY NIGHT WORDS, 6:30 p.m. in Butler Hall. We focus on Naked Spirituality by Brian McClaren and discuss ways of bringing the presence of God into our own lives. Contact Trey Sullivan. FRIDAY MORNING MUSIC CLUB. Free concert, Friday at 12:00 noon in the Chapel. Contact Jeongseon Choi, chamber@fmmc.org. HOLISTIC HEALTH PROJECT. We meet each Friday, 7:00-8:00 p.m., in Butler Hall for Zumba and in the gym for soccer. Childcare available. Contact Pastor Edgar. PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 13, Calvary Children’s Choir lead us in worship as we wave palm branches, sing Hosannas and remember Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
GOOD FRIDAY TENEBRAE SERVICE, APRIL 18. Join us for a special Soup dinner at 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel and a Tenebrae worship service in the Sanctuary at 7:00 p.m. EASTER DAY, APRIL 20. Celebrate resurrection at Calvary! No Sunday school this day, so gather in Woodward Hall for a special breakfast sponsored by the Latino Fellowship at 9:45 a.m. Festival Choir leads in worship and we open our box of Alleluias! After worship, it’s a Calvary favorite— Easter Potluck Brunch in Woodward Hall. Contact Church Office, office@calvarydc.org. ALLIANCE OF BAPTISTS ANNUAL GATHERING. This May 2 to 4, a group of Calvary members and friends will be travelling to Portland, Maine to participate with other congregations in the Alliance of Baptists Annual Gathering, with the theme “One Humanity: Cultivating Racial and Economic Justice.” All are welcome to participate. Contact Jason Smith for details on registration costs and travel. WILD GOOSE FESTIVAL. The Wild Goose Festival, June 26 to 29, is “a community gathered at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music, and art.” Contact Jason Smith for details on registration costs and travel.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Caller Calvary Baptist Church & Congregation 755 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
THE CALLER NONPROFIT AUTO U.S. POSTAGE PAID WASHINGTON, DC PERMIT No. 2482