Our stories

On a warm Saturday in June, Pastor Brad and I met six high school students and their parents in the parking lot at church. After the boys took a seat out of our rented twelve-passenger van, we loaded in duffel bags and sleeping bags and pillows, said a prayer in the parking lot, and then took off for Philadelphia, a 707-mile journey. Our destination was The Philadelphia Project (TPP), a nonprofit founded in 2010. The mission of The Philly Project is “To partner with the local

Summer Splash on Sunday, July 19, was our thirteenth community event; it marked the beginning of our fourth year of sponsoring events that bring people of all ages together for a fun and relaxing time while becoming better acquainted. A core group of faithful volunteers organize these activities and help them run smoothly. A taco bar and snow cones were back by popular demand. Water activities for children included a splash pad, water shooters, and bubble pools. The fish po

I don’t see it very often, this little treasure of mine. I keep it in an old jewelry box with so many large pairs of earrings from the 90s and lots of gaudy Christmas jewelry I must have worn in the past. The treasure is from the 60s and early 70s – a pin from Sunday School at Calvin Church. It has four pieces, designating my attendance for four years. (Did I lose a few pieces? I was there for more than four years!) The first piece has a cross, a crown, and the words “Christi

Hi everyone! I’m Calvin Church’s Community Connector. What does a Community Connector do? I have to admit, I used to introduce this position as being something nebulous…I knew the ultimate goal was to help Calvin Church be a good neighbor. But how to do this? Two years later, and I finally feel like I fit. I see God’s plan for this job, as it unfolds in small steps. I think I can best describe my work with one illustration: Last summer, under the special care of the Creation

For as long as I can remember I have been attending church services. As a kid, that building was a most impressive space, one large room with stained glass windows, a balcony, a raised platform on which the minister stood, a choir loft, and a pipe organ. Two things stood out about being there: the predictability and the music. When you are ten years old, you live largely at the mercy of others. Their wishes are your commands, no matter how odd (or unwanted, or unfair, or wro

Sunshine, blue skies, and warm temperatures welcomed around seventy-five friends, volunteers, church members, and neighbors to the spring community event on Sunday, April 26. Thanks to the vision and effort of Jan Wilkins and the events committee along with many volunteers, kids and adults painted rocks, nature pictures, and a community outdoor mural. They also learned the art form Tataki-Zome in order to print plants on paper, and they played frisbee golf, explored the art o