Greetings 4042ers! I haven't posted on this board in forever, but I just wanted to inform everyone of what is going on. Just to remind everyone... I'm the pastor of Calvary Faith Center in Wendell. Something really awesome is happening; we are merging with another church (Solid Rock AOG) on April 22nd. I know you don't hear much about church mergers so this is a pretty incredible thing. For more information on the merger or about Calvary visit www.calvaryfaith.com or http://share.triangle.com/node/5237 or call 919-609-6817 (church office) If you live in Wendell, Zebulon, Knightdale or Eastern Wake and are looking for a great church where things are happening come check us out! Pastor Glen
Pastor, I really wish you would stay around to speak with ormly> Have you seen the recent threads. You aren't ormly are you?
No I'm not ormly. What threads are you talking about... I haven't even looked at this board in months... please inform me and let me know how I can help. Pastor Glen (also known as Pastor G)
well basically ormly thinks that churches that have fun and stuff are just there to take your money. Go look at the C3 threads. Maybe you can help all of us who disagree. It was really a big deal a couple of days ago. What are your thoughts? About loud music in church and wearing blue jeans to church pastor? If you dont mind me asking. I think it doesnt matter what you wear as long as you believe. He also thinks it is wrong to have tattoos or a piercing. Better yet I will post the link.......brb....
http://4042.appcomm.net/4042forums/showthread.php?t=12129 here ya go, you have to start at the end probably. If you dont want to share your thoughts on all of this, I can respect that. Please just tell me.ok.
Well, first off I think ormly is lacking some Christian love... as far as music style goes, we rock but I respect those who don't. I do believe people should be challenged to change... if there not what's the point of church or even God? Our churches policy is come as you're comfortable... if that means jeans and a t-shirt or a three piece suit... as long as you're comfortable with it. God is so not about the condition of you clothes as he is about the condition of your heart. Not throwing stones at any church out there but I will say that we all need to be careful that in trying to be contemporary and relevant we loose the message of change and living right before God and man. I beleive there is a balance and I seek to find it. Condemnation and judgement never has won anyone to Christ... only pushes them away. ormly which are you trying to do? Pastor G
Hey Zookeeper... thanks for remembering and asking! Wow, that was forever ago... you have a great memory! She is doing well, my last conversation with her she said that she was moving down here by me. I think she might be serious this time but I'll believe it when I see it. Please keep praying for that situation. I appreciate it! Pastor G
My folks are getting up in years - I guess I worry about them as if they were my children. I know how it is.
Pastor G - I just wanted to say that was a great post. I attend C3 and I agree whole heartedly about everything you said. Our messages, we strive to challenge people to live Godly lives without condemning them and pushing them away. We speak the truth about sin and its harmful effects it can have in our lives and families. We also encourage and teach about going deeper in our personal relationship with God. Our otherr focus is as a church and as individuals, we all have a part to play in showing God's love in the community (ie. friends, neighbors, waiting in a long line at a busy store). The merger between your two churches sounds really awesome. I wish more churches in the area could come together and partner together to be more effective in loving and connecting with the people around us. Will you be co-pastoring the church or how will you handle this? Merging anything always has its challenges but nothing is to tough for God to handle and give you wisdom through it.
Pastor G, welcome back and I hope you stick around this time. You have raised some interesting points to contemplate in the past. 8)
Hey Binary, Thanks for your post. To answer your question I need to go into some background... so I will make a long story short (oxy-moron with a pastor eh?) I was the Asst. Pastor at the church we are merging with (Solid Rock). God gave me a vision to start Calvary Faith Center (CFC) and we started searching for a place to meet. After six long months I got discouraged. Well, just at that time, one Sunday, the Pastor of Solid Rock tells me he is retiring and offers me the church. Don't get me wrong it was an awesome offer... I loved the people and they loved me. The next day I received a voicemail from the first place we started our meeting search for Calvary. They told us a miraculous thing happened and we could now meet there. I had a big decision to make; go with the comfortable and known or push out into the deep and start something new. I had to be obedient to what I knew God showed me... so I did some reckless obedience and started Calvary Faith Center April 11th 2004 (yes, we just celebrated 3 years, praise God!) After meeting for one year in River Dell Elem. School things closed up for us there and we started looking for a place to meet. Nothing, and I mean nothing opened up until word got back to the Pastor at Solid Rock that we needed a place to meet. He asked to meet with me and he offered to let CFC meet before Solid Rock's morning service. So we took the offer and two years ago moved in with Solid Rock. Well, recently Solid Rock had a business meeting and asked their Pastor to step down (I won't go into the details, nothing immoral, just not a good fit) Then the Solid Rock board asked me to consider merging the churches... after much prayer and counsel with my CFC people we decided to accept the offer. I prayed shortly after the offer was made and asked God what he was doing. This is what he showed me... Solid Rock's people were and are an older group and if I had taken over an older group it would have been an uphill battle to bring in a young group to carry on the church... God in his wisdom had me start CFC (a much younger church with lots of kids) and bring this church back to merge into the older Solid Rock. Young alone is not good and old alone is equally bad, but together we make a great family of beleivers. There, as short and sweet as I could make it. Thanks again for your comment and keep us in your prayers... merging two churches is not as easy as you might think. But with God's help it is all going well. Making a Difference! Pastor G www.calvaryfaith.com P.S. - check out our new podcast section of our website. I just uploaded our Easter message, "A New Beginning"
Pastor G, Wow, God has rewarded your obedience. I've been through similar situations, in that God lead us in a different direction than the one that seemed would be easier or more comfortable. It didn't always make sense, but afterwards when I looked back over things, I could see God's hand moving, directing and preparing for the His next journey for me. You can see God's hand in your situation too, in how He lead you to start something new and how He is bringing the new and old together. Blessings and grace on your merger.
Well, Pastor, which end of the spectrum would you like to begin our discussion, from the one end where the Church of Jesus Christ, that never changes, that draws folk by not quenching the Holy Spirit in its midst or the post-modern church end that you espouse that does by its humanistic effort steeped in corporate mentality ..... seeking to accomodate a shifting sand society? Ormly
Hello Pastor G! I do have a church that I am extremely happy at. But I do have a request. I could use all the prayers and heaven stormed. I go to church but my husband does not attend. He grew up in and around church all his life and was hurt and has no use for it anymore. He believes in God but chooses to worship his own way. I can accept this but if he does worship in his own way, the fruits of his faith do NOT show it. You can't claim to worship God and revere him and use the "cussing" he does or continue with some of the worldly things he does. He is not abusuve nor does he use drugs or anything. And he is doing ALOT better about not giving me such a hard time about going. But he still has his little "remarks". I'm sure you know how hard it is for people to be in church and not have their spouse at their side. Please pray for us. It is a very difficult thing to go through.
Girl, you need to always believe what the Bible says about unequally yoked marriages - he is blessed through you and not your words or anything will change him, but your actions may. i have a wonderful book based on unequally yoked marriages, i cannot remember the name and author right now but i will find it and will let you know. i do know how you feel and what you go through and i also know how it feels to go into a church and want so much to be involved but they turn their back on you because you are not a couple in church. My trick in church was to sit in the front row so i did not have to see all the couples praising God in front of me. My husband has spoken the words to me that he believes more in God now then ever in his life because he has seen the changes in me. Just don't give up and have faith.
Ormly - I believe I will start with, you don't know me or my church and for you to stereotype us, I believe that to be, not much like Jesus. I am respecting of other churches and even their traditions (we are all on the same team) As far as the way we do church, let me explain. When God called me to start Calvary Faith Center he told me to start over... throw out all the stuff churches do and take a close look at why they do them. We are structured after the great commission (we make disciples) Connecting to God... Growing in Faith... Servicing Others. Everything we do I can use scripture to back it up with... can you say the same? The only difference between you and me is we are a different flavor. I still preach Jesus, holiness, righteousness, and repentence. The moment we minimize these cornerstones we minimize the work of the Cross (I'm not willing to do that) God is a God of change... there is a danger is staying the same just because it is familar and comfortable... however, we should never change just for the sake of change... Holy Spirit led change is the goal. Ormly, we should be on the same team, encouraging each other and building each other up, not tearing others down (at least that's what the Word of God says... and that's what I go by, how about you?) Making a Difference! Pastor G
