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.
