Ministries
At Calvary we have many opportunities for Ministry. Here are just some of the ministries here at Calvary Church
Fellowship
Fellowship as an opportunity to meet socially to enjoy God’s creation of each other. Calvary’s Fellowship Team meets regularly to plan events and activities which serve to strengthen our bonds to Calvary and to each other. Fellowship activities are one of the ways that we welcome newcomers and integrate them into the body of Calvary.
In a typical year our fellowship activities include events as diverse as the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and a visit to a Trenton Thunder baseball game followed by a barbecue. An annual parish picnic is held in June as well as a variety of “covered dish” suppers and breakfasts held during the year, often to commemorate special days in the Church Calendar. The fellowship team also takes responsibility for organizing the coffee hour after each of the Sunday services. Coffee hour provides an excellent opportunity for chatting with friends and meeting people.
Events planned for 2004 include a progressive dinner, miniature golf, square dancing and a road rally as well as the more typical activities. We are also planning an open fellowship meeting to be held in the Parish Hall in March at which we will be looking for new members for the Team, and for new ideas to make fellowship at Calvary fun and rewarding for everyone.
Music
Calvary Church’s music program is an integral part of the worship experience. Frank Jacobson, organist and choir director, says, “What comes from the choir loft should underline what comes from the lectern and pulpit.” The hymns, songs, anthems, and instrumental music in Calvary worship services are intended to support the lessons being taught during the service and underline the message, so people leave the service with a fuller understanding of God’s message to us. Music provides another channel for the message, one that for many people bypasses the brain and goes directly to the heart.
Music also serves to engage people in the worship service, so it is important that people can enjoy, recognize and participate in the musical portions of the service. Hymns and anthems are chosen to be appropriate to the season as well as the Scripture lessons, and to provide a balance of old and new, familiar and not-yet-familiar.
The following groups share in providing music for Calvary:
The Children’s Choir is composed of children aged 5 to 12. About once every two months, the children perform age-appropriate music during the offertory portion of the 9:00 family-oriented service. Being a member of the Children’s Choir is a wonderful way for children to participate in the worship service and begin building a love of music. The Children’s Choir rehearses on Tuesday afternoons.
The Praise Choir provides an opportunity for young people to continue to grow as participants and leaders of worship and to expand their knowledge of Christian music. The Praise Choir sings at the 9:00 family-oriented service once a month, and at Christmas and Easter. This choir leads the congregation in hymns and contemporary worship songs, and consists of singers from 12 years of age up, including adults. The Praise Choir rehearses once a month.
The Senior Choir is composed of adults who love to sing, with varying levels of musical background. In addition to leading hymns and service music, the Senior Choir sings anthems that are appropriate for the season and the lessons for the day, both traditional and contemporary pieces that are true to the Anglican heritage. In addition to Sunday services, the Senior Choir occasionally sings at choir festivals, ordinations and diocesan events. The Senior Choir rehearses weekly on Sunday mornings at 10:00, with additional rehearsals for special services. The Senior Choir is an open fellowship to which all adults and high-school age young people are welcome. No audition or prior choral experience is required, only a love of music and a commitment to spreading God’s word through music.
Frank Jacobson is the choir director and organist for Calvary. Frank first became involved in church music as a choir boy and has continued that involvement ever since; he can now look back on 45 years of playing the organ and directing choirs. Frank is also an accomplished harpsichordist. Frank considers playing service music one of his favorite activities, one that brings him great enjoyment.
Welcome
Calvary has an active Welcome team whose primary responsibility is to welcome newcomers and visitors and make them feel comfortable during their initial visit. Welcomers, also known as greeters, are the “front line troops”, welcoming God’s guests, and delivering the message that Calvary is truly a welcoming place where all can enter into a vibrant relationship with God.
The Welcome team is responsible for recruiting parishioners to be Welcomers and for planning activities designed to include our visitors and newest members in our parish community. The team distributes Calvary’s brochure, asks visitors to fill in visitor’s cards, and gives each visitor a gift of a ribbon cross and loaf of friendship bread on their initial visit. Afterward, visitors can expect a welcoming letter along with the current edition of Calvary’s newsletter, to help them get better acquainted with our church.
Recently the Welcome team sponsored a coffee hour especially for newcomers to meet and socialize with Calvary parishioners. Individual invitations were sent to all visitors and new members of the past year. Mother Linda conducted several “getting to know you” exercises. As this event was so successful, a second “newcomers” coffee hour is scheduled in the spring. In May, the Welcome team will join the Fellowship team to organize a miniature golf outing and picnic. This event is always a lot of fun and offers newcomers another way to become involved in parish activities.
The Welcome team continues to explore different ideas to convey the idea that we truly want to bring visitors and newcomers into our community here at Calvary. Under the team’s leadership, the congregation gives whole-hearted support to the Welcome ministry and joins in extending a warm welcome to all who worship with us at Calvary.
Altar Guild
In the Episcopal Church, the Altar Guild is a group of men and women who are called to serve God by preparing and tending the places where we worship. The work of the Altar Guild usually proceeds quietly behind the scenes. The Altar Guilds’ primary purpose is to care for service equipment and prepare the church for worship services.
Before each worship service, the Altar Guild member “on duty” sets up the Eucharistic vessels and linens on the altar and prepares the bread and wine to be used in the Eucharist. He or she also makes sure the appropriate altar and pulpit hangings for the season are in place and marks the Scripture readings for the day.
After the service, everything is carefully cleaned and put away to be ready for the next service. Members take turns to launder and iron the linens. In addition, Altar Guild members assist in some services such as the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday, and help decorate the church for special holy days like Christmas and Easter.
Members of the Altar Guild share a number of other responsibilities, such as purchasing vestments and linens and replenishing the supply of bread, wine and candles. The Altar Guild meets once a month to clean and polish the silver and brass and check supplies.
All parishioners, men and women, young and old, are welcome to become members of the Altar Guild.