Can You Hear Me Now?
Actor, Paul Marcarelli, had no idea his life would change when he uttered the catchphrase “Can you hear me now?” in a 2001 commercial for Verizon. The actor with the horn-rimmed glasses became an instant pop culture sensation.
At the time, Verizon was spending an estimated $1 billion every 90 days to improve service quality and to expand its coverage footprint. They hired an advertising agency to get the word out to customers of how much better their cell phone reception coverage was in comparison to other carriers. The ads worked! Verizon’s customer base grew 10% to 32.5 million in the first year of the campaign! “Can you hear me now” became an instant catch phrase in American culture.
The Apostle Paul was asking the “Can you hear me now” question long before the Verizon commercials. In Romans, Chapter 10, we read:
“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” – Romans 10:14 (New Living Translation).
This weekend launches our annual Reach Week here at Calvary Church—focusing on missions and living out our purpose to reach Orange County and the world for Jesus Christ. We are going to be asking the question, “Can you hear me now?” In other words, who in the world still needs to hear the good words of the Gospel, that Jesus Christ has come “to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10). Even in our world of social media and smart phones, there are still people groups and individuals who have not heard the message of Jesus. Our prayer is that Reach Week will inspire you to pray for the unreached around the world, to give generously and help fuel the work of our missionary partners, and to go to places and people who have not heard.
Check out details of our Reach Week events below. I encourage you to choose at least one thing you will participate in this week!
Saturday, March 2
Kick-OFF DInner
6:00 pm - Fellowship Hall
FREE - RSVP Required
A free dinner with a presentation from Steve and Kathy Weemes with OMF and table discussions with global partners. Seats are limited and will fill quickly, so RSVP today!
Sunday, March 3
Global Sunday
9:00 am - Worship Center - English/ASL
10:15am - Global Pastries on the Patio
11:00 am - LifeGroups with Global Partners
11:00 am - Chapel - Español
A morning to celebrate what God is doing around the world, prayers and generosity. Join us after the 9:00 am service for "Pastries on the Patio" where you will have the opportunity to interact with our Calvary Global Partners and engage in a few fun cultural lessons. At 11:00 am, you are invited to come hear directly from partners serving locally and globally sharing their stories in LifeGroups all over campus (see hand-out on Sunday for locations).
Wednesday, March 6
FAMILY FUN NIGHT
7:00 pm - Fellowship Hall
A time for families with kids ages Birth thru 5th grade to come and interact with Calvary Missionaries and develop a heart for God's world.
StudentS - ALBANIA DODGE BALL FUNDRAISER
7:00 pm - Gym
Dodge, duck, dive and raise money for the High School GO Trip to our sister church - Way of Peace in Lushnjë, Albania.
Thursday, March 7
SEEKING REFUGE - Dinner + Prayer focus
6:00 pm Free Dinner in the Courtyard
7:00 pm Program in the Worship Center Lobby
Join our Seeking Refuge Prayer Team, led by Calvary Missionaries, Tom and Gayle Shook as gather for dinner and then pray at interactive stations for the hundreds of thousands of Refugees in Eastern Europe.
Friday, March 8
Hispanic Ministries Dinner
7:00 pm - Fellowship Hall
Join our Spanish-speaking Calvary Missionaries for a complimentary dinner and time of story sharing (all in Spanish), sponsored by our Calvary Hispanic Ministry.
Saturday, March 9
Women's Global BRUNCH
9:30 am - Fellowship Hall
Women With a Mission invites the ladies of Calvary to enjoy light refreshments with some of our global partners who are reaching out in Jesus’ name to make a difference and be a blessing. Come connect and hear inspiring stories from Tiffanie Davidsen, serving with Chosen People Ministries in Israel.
Men's Global Brunch
9:30 am - Picnic Tables
Men of Calvary - Come share in an encouraging and inspiring morning with some of our global partners, including Jon Davidsen with Chosen People Ministries who will share about the work God is doing in Israel. Pastries and coffee will be provided.
Sunday, March 9
Closing Sunday
9:00 am - Worship Center - English/ASL
11:00 am - LifeGroups with Global Partners
11:00 am - Chapel - Español
Join us for the Closing Sunday of Reach Week 2024. At 11:00 am, we will conclude with Calvary Global Partners sharing in LifeGroups.
Until the nations have heard,
Matt Doan