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Staff/Servent Leaders
Pastor: Renae Meggitt
Music Director and Pianist: Tony
Casacchia
Lay Leader: Sonia Skripac
Church Secretary: Cindy
Wessel
Custodian: Todd Newland
Lay Leader's Annual Report for North Lima - Calvary United
Methodist Church foir 2008 by Sonia Skripac
“And when the people gather, there’s singing and there’s praying, there’s
laughing and there’s crying sometimes, all of it saying: I am the church! You
are the church! We are the church together! “ We Are the Church by Richard
Avery and Donald Marsh God has continued to bless Calvary United Methodist
church but we have also faced many difficulties this past year. Although hard to
do at times, we much accept the challenges placed before us and move forward,
continuing to be a place of worship and fellowship for our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Calvary was faced with several challenges in 2007, including our church
secretary being injured and out of work for several months. Prayers were
answered and the Lord provided individuals who filled in during the absence and
her healing was faster than expected. Our church was also able to provide
monetary support as well during her time off by raising money through several
different fundraisers. The power of prayer once again displayed at Calvary.
The unexpected death of our pianist/choir director and dear friend John
Huebert stunned us at Calvary UMC. The week after he announced his resignation
due to another job he had taken at another church, we were faced with his tragic
death. Not only did we have to find a way to move forward through the grieving
process, we had no pianist for our worship services. Once again, the Lord
provided people who filled in. Calvary still grieves that loss of our friend
John. In October, we welcomed Tony Casacchia as our new pianist/choir director
and are looking forward to a new era of music at Calvary. Challenging
economic factors and declining attendance were two other issues we faced this
past year. We need to view these challenges as opportunities to trust and serve
our Lord as opposed to negative factors. As we have experienced in the past, the
Lord will provide. We continue to be a praying church as we have reached so
many through our prayer quilt ministry. Part of this ministry is the
fellowship of making the quilts and then tying the knots as prayers are lifted
up to the Lord. The power of prayer truly does pass all understanding.
Calvary UMC has opened its doors on Election Day and is now the site for
voting in the community. What a great opportunity to get people exposed to our
church. Friendship Service Circle has had lunch and bake sales during elections
as well. Calvary has continued with its Chicken BBQ, apple dumpling sales,
Christmas cookie sale, Samaritan’s Purse Christmas gift boxes, and
election bake sale and luncheon. Additionally, a spaghetti dinner was held to
raise money for our church secretary after her injury. We continue to support
several missions including SRCCC, Red Bird Mission, World Vision Adopt a Child,
Youth Service Fund, and Rescue Mission. This past summer, money was collected by
the younger children in their “noisy buckets” during worship service to assist
children who could not afford school supplies and the older children sold root
beer floats at the community corn roast. We are blessed to have so
many people that dedicate time and energy to make these events successful.
Calvary continues to have an active youth program that participates in many
activities throughout the year. Youth Annual Conference, 30 Hour Famine, and
other District Youth Council events are just a few of the things they have
participated in. One of our youth continues to serve on CCYM executive board and
another youth serves of Mahoning Valley District Youth Council. A new group was
developed this past year for youth in grades 4-6 called CKC or Calvary Kidz for
Christ. It was developed to be an introductory Youth Group and meets once a
month. We celebrate as our young adults continue to build their faith in Jesus
and encourage others to do the same. To help in the administrative duties of
the church, we were able to purchase a new computer for the office. It was a
much needed improvement and now allows our secretary to have internet access
among many other upgrades. Keeping up to date with technology needs to be a part
of our ministry. The Sunday School program continues to be very strong at
Calvary UMC. We have three adult Sunday morning classes and programs for every
age youth. We have a strong sense of fellowship at Calvary and this has added to
the success of our group gatherings before our Sunday morning worship service.
As Calvary UMC looks to the future, we need to focus on growth: spiritual
growth, congregational growth and community growth. We need to keep moving
forward, with Jesus as our focus, learning from past experiences, praying and
trusting in the Lord for the future of our church and the development of His
kingdom.
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