To my fellow ambassadors of the Kingdom
To my fellow ambassadors of the Kingdom,
We’ve had an incredible Reach Week so far!
Last Friday, March 21st, we welcomed 40 missionaries to campus for an orientation dinner hosted by our Disciplemakers LifeGroup. It felt like a family reunion, with ministry partners from around the world reconnecting and sharing stories.
On Saturday night, we officially kicked off Reach Week 2025 with our annual “Kick-off Dinner.” We enjoyed delicious Italian food and dove into our theme, "Kingdom Ambassadors," based on 2 Corinthians 5:20. Amy West shared powerful insights on the challenges of navigating culture and Scripture, and we honored Mark and Janet Zwirner as our 2025 Reach Volunteer Champions for their dedicated service to the Global Reach ministry at Calvary.
This past Sunday, Brian Smith delivered an inspiring message on 2 Corinthians 5:11-20 titled "Ambassadors of Love" (watch it here). Afterward, we had "Donuts with a Missionary," and 20 LifeGroups hosted missionaries during the 11:00am hour. It was so moving to see the connections being made across our campus between our missionaries and church family.
On Monday and Tuesday, thanks to your generosity, our church staff hosted our in-town missionaries for a two-day retreat at Rancho Capistrano. We worshipped, prayed, laughed, cried, shared stories, and renewed our calling to be “Kingdom Ambassadors.”
Yesterday, Victor and Ana Opungu shared with our Calvary Christian School students about Bible translation and their mission to finish the Old Testament in the Balangao language by 2029. We also heard from CCS students who served in Costa Rica at La Montana camp. That evening, our Family Ministries hosted a Global Family Fun Night, featuring songs from Mongolia and snacks from Ireland, Croatia, and the Philippines. It was wonderful to see our kids connect with missionaries and grow in their global perspective.
Tonight (Thursday), we invite you to join us for “Seeking Refuge,” where we’ll hear from Chosen People Ministries about their work with Jewish people in Israel and around the world. Dinner begins at 6:00pm (catered by our friends at Off the Boat restaurant!), and the program starts at 7:00pm.
This Friday, our annual Global Hispanic Dinner (in Spanish) will be at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall, featuring Dave and Wendy Nellis, Bible translators in Mexico. Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine and hear how God is using the Nellis’ to bring His Word to the Chatino people.
On Saturday morning, join us for the Men’s and Women’s Global Brunch at 9:30am in Fellowship Hall (Free). We’ll celebrate the ministry careers of retiring missionaries Jacqueline C. and John, and Kathie Watters, and have the opportunity to talk and pray with missionaries in small groups.
Finally, this Sunday, March 30th, Reach Week will conclude. We will hear from Victor and Ana Opungu, Jo Shetler, and Amy West about God’s work among the Balangao people of the Philippines. Afterward, join us for a missionary “meet and greet” in the courtyard, and five more LifeGroups will host missionaries during the 11:00am hour.
Sunday LifeGroups Hosting Missionaries (11:00am):
- Berean Bible Fellowship - Room N-2: David & Wendy Nellis (Mexico)
- Disciplemakers - Room N-1: Amy West & Jo Shetler (Philippines)
- Encore + Influencers - Room S-5: Carolyn Eumarian (Ecuador)
- Focus - Choir Room: Steve & Jenny Meeker (Croatia)
- Hispano Ministerio - Samsvick: John & Kathie Watters (Cameroon)
- Homebuilders - Room S-7: Tom & Margie Rafetto (Indonesia), Pete & Jill Stuck (Ecuador)
It is such a joy to be part of a church that cares for and supports missionaries and the work of the Gospel as we pursue a global vision to see Jesus worshipped by all tribes, languages, people and nations (Revelation 7:9-10). Discover ways you can find your role and get involved at CalvaryLife.org/Global.
Until Jesus returns,
Matt Doan
P.S. – You can still sign up for our daily “10:02 prayer alerts” during Reach Week by texting Reachweek2025 to 97000