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Dear Calvary Family,

We will cover a few things today - regathering indoors, elder nominations and the Equality Act.

Regathering Indoors - March 7

First, we are very excited to announce that we will be regathering indoors starting on Sunday, March 7th! We invite all of you to join us to worship in-person either indoors or outdoors. We will still have online services available and they are a great alternative when we are unable to meet in person, but there’s just something special about singing, learning and connecting with our fellow believers.

Recent drops in case and positivity rates, much lower hospitalizations, increasing amounts of vaccinations, Supreme Court rulings, updated state guidelines, prayer, wise counsel, and the wisdom of our Elder Board have led to us making the decision to regather indoors at Calvary. We have options for everyone to participate together. We will have Children’s Ministry, Student Ministry and some of our Adult LifeGroups meeting on campus in ten days!

For those of us who are concerned, or more vulnerable and interested in staying clear of the coronavirus we're essentially expanding the options. We are all in this together so there are ways each of us will have opportunities to serve and sacrifice for the good of our church family. We're taking special care of our community in offering additional ways to worship:

• Safe - Indoor with social distancing and as we take the first steps to regathering, we request you wear masks for entry, exit and singing
• Safer - Outdoor with social distancing
• Safest - Live Stream at home or in your LifeGroup

Here are  some details:

Sundays 9:00am

• English Worship Service in the Worship Center
• English Worship Service on the Courtyard via video
• Spanish Worship Service in Samsvick Chapel
• Children’s Ministry available from 13 months to 5th grade

Sundays at 11:00am

• Spanish Worship Service in Samsvick Chapel
• Children’s Ministry available from 13 months to 5th grade
• Middle School and High School ministry
• Adult LifeGroups that have chosen to meet on campus
• Opportunity to connect with one another over coffee on the Patio and Corner Bookstore

You can find out more about Sundays at Calvary Church at CalvaryLife.org/Sunday

 

Elder Nominations

This is the time of year where we ask our members to submit names for new elders. We are grateful to George Andrews and Rick Bergstrom, who are finishing their terms of service, and we will be adding two new elders who begin their service on July 1, 2021. We will vote on the new elders in our Annual Members Meeting on Sunday, May 30th.

The Elder Nominating Committee invites the congregation of Calvary Church to submit nominee names for the Elder Board during the month of March. Recommendations must be made in writing to the Nominating Committee and may be sent by email to , or by mail to Nominating Committee, 1010 N. Tustin Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705.

 

The Equality Act and our Response

You may have seen news reports about Congress voting on the Equality Act soon. There are some serious implications for religious institutions within this proposed legislation. You can read more about it here. One quote that I resonate with by Ed Stetzer is this - “We should without any ambiguity or hesitancy affirm that all people––including those in the LBGTQ+ community––should be treated with respect and dignity. Their civil rights matter. But the Equality Act will swing the pendulum too far, creating a new discrimination toward those of religious conviction that go against the cultural flow we now see.” Please be praying about this and I encourage you to contact your senators and the White House to voice your concerns.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

Eric Wakeling