10 months, 3 weeks ago
Introducing the Chad Chute Family…
Calvary Evangelical Church would like to introduce Chad Chute, potential lead pastor candidate, and his family - Tammie, Michael, Christopher and Caitlyn, and welcome them to Van Wert on Sunday, September 9 for the Churchwide Hotdog Roast and Picnic at Smiley Park beginning at 5pm. All are welcome to come and meet them.
11 months ago
Winners & Losers
In the coming weeks, we are going to be studying together about some of the characters from both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The series is entitled, “Winners & Losers - Lessons from the lives of those who followed God or ignored Him.” I have been looking forward to this series because I can identify with both the winners and the losers. There have been times when I have listened and followed God and reaped the joys and benefits of doing so. There have also been times when I have ignored Him and attempted to do things my way and have reaped the consequences of those decisions. I am so glad Jesus loves me in spite of myself. In His grace He teaches me both through the following and through the ignoring; through the benefits and through the consequences. He never seems to tire of me, but is always ready to put me on the path and move me forward. I know I’m not alone in this. I have people come and talk to me all the time, about wanting to do right, but really struggling with pulling it off. Paul even talks about this in Romans 7:14-25a (New Living Translation) “14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…” Verse 25 is the key for all of us - “THE ANSWER IS IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!” In Christ - even when we act like a loser - He makes us a winner!
Clark Williman
Interim Lead Pastor
11 months, 2 weeks ago
The Master Potter
In Jeremiah 18 we read of Jeremiah going to the potter’s house to watch him make pots on his pottery wheel. Jeremiah says, “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hand; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him…” He then records a message from God, “‘…can I not do with you as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand…’” What a picture of God as the giver of second chances. So many times we make mistakes, we make bad choices, our lives get cracks and imperfections and then come the consequences. We struggle with guilt and feel like a loser. We feel that God can’t use us. But then, with His skilled hands, He begins that process of reshaping us and reconstructing a new “pot.” That’s mercy. That’s grace. There is no mistake so big that our Master Potter can’t rework and still make us useful for His purposes. We just have to be willing to allow Him to take us in His hands and put us through His process of reclaiming us. It may be a painful process, but the end result - of being transformed by the Hands of the Master into a useful vessel - is worth whatever Jesus deems necessary; because He promised in Romans 8:28, that it would all work together for our good. Be encouraged! The Potter is at His wheel - and you are safe in His hands.
Clark Williman
Interim Lead Pastor
11 months, 3 weeks ago
Huge Faith
I am reading a book by Brad Powell and in it he says, “The Bible makes it clear that there are two essential values and priorities that must be invested by anyone desiring success and fulfillment in their spiritual lives and/or ministry. Those two essentials are hard work and huge faith.” That is exactly where we are as a church. We are in the midst of our third time through the “30 Days of Prayer” guide as we pray together as a church family for God to provide a new lead pastor. It takes huge faith as we, as a search committee, go through the process of reviewing resumes, praying over them, contacting potential candidates, meeting with them and seeking God’s wisdom to discern His choice for us. It is also taking hard work to read through the resumes, meeting and discussing as a committee, interviewing references and possible candidates. It takes hard work and huge faith to work together as a constitution revision committee to update and change the present constitution so that it will be consistent with biblical eldership. We are meeting consistently and going through the constitution, article by article, praying that God gives us wisdom and trusting Him to lead and guide the process. And it takes hard work and huge faith as our group of 32 men continues the study on biblical eldership; being trained and equipped to be leaders in the church. The materials and biblical references are extensive and require hours of preparation each week- it’s hard work! But these men are up to the task and are joined together in heart and spirit as they study, meet together and discuss the Word. It also takes huge faith as we are praying for God’s Spirit to reveal to us, the men He is preparing from this group to serve His church as elders. God is amazing! He continues to reveal Himself and His will as we “step out” in huge faith in Him and “step in” to hard work for Him! These are such exciting days as God continues to re-shape and re-mold us to make us a more effective church for His glory!
Clark Williman
Interim Lead Pastor