Calvary Baptist Church

Last week 7 youth and 2 adults from Calvary went on a mission trip to Philadelphia. We partnered with “The Philadelphia Project ” and met up with 2 other churches from Pennsylvania to spend 3 days working in the community. Our project was building a retaining wall out front of Ms. Williams house along with installing laminate flooring in 2 of her rooms. We also were able to fully clean her kitchen and bathroom while we were there. We did accomplish a lot in 3 days, but it wasn’t all about the work. We made stops for ice cream and water ice, went to a community pool to cool off, played “survivor” style games, and had time for fellowship with the other groups. Each night we spent time in “club”, a worship environment where our students learned what it means to enter “into the wilderness” and how even in wilderness seasons in our life God is there with us.

On Sunday, 7 youth and 2 adults from Calvary left for The Philadelphia Project to serve for 4 days in the city of Philadelphia. Please pray for our youth, leaders, the other groups, and the people of Philadelphia that we serve this week!

On Sunday after worship, Calvary rang in the summer with our annual Memorial Weekend picnic. So many helping hands, plenty of food, and a full gathering of members, friends, and neighbors.

On Wednesday May 22nd, 15 of our youth and 9 adult leaders/helpers met on the front lawn of the church for an end-of-the-school-year celebration. We had food, fellowship, games, a campfire with s’mores, water gun fights, and a time of awards and reflection. God blessed us with great weather, and a fun time was had by all.

This past Friday night Calvary was alive with excitement and energy into the wee hours of the morning as 19 of our youth and 8 adult chaperones participated in our annual All-night Extravaganza! Our students stayed up all night and had a blast hanging out with their friends, playing crazy games all through the church, visiting a local arcade, watching a movie, playing video games, eating pizza and cookies, and more! However, it wasn’t all fun and games, during our time together students got to hear a short gospel message, worship together in song and prayer, and write cards and make crafts for our at-home friends and other Calvary members. Thank you to all of the students that came and invited their friends and all of our dedicated youth volunteers for making this event happen!

On Saturday, April 27, Calvary held another mental health event in partnership with Kingdom Connectors Inc., this time a “mini-retreat” for self-care and mental health. Around 30 registrants plus children, vendors, and volunteers entered calm, decorated spaces with soft music playing for a time of relaxation and growth. After introductions, attendees chose from 4 workshops, 2 practice-based (yoga and mindfulness/meditation) and 2 discussion-based (grief & loss, and faith & mental health). Afterwards, all enjoyed a free dinner from UD Catering. The majority of the cost of this event was paid for by a grant from American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware.

On Saturday April 20th, close to 50 women gathered for a ladies tea and luncheon devotional organized by Pam Hart. The theme was God being the potter of our lives, and we are His masterpiece, shaped by our life journey and experiences. The event included great food, fun photo taking, and a floral fascinator for each attendee.

22 folks from Calvary boarded Amtrak in Newark last week. It was a splendid day. While there was rain and hail in Newark, it was delightful in Washington. Folks did a variety of activities. Some spent all day in one museum, others stopped in multiple museums, and still others did museums and monuments and memorials. Everybody had a great time and we look forward to future trips. Philadelphia, New York, and Washington are all calling. Stay tuned for details.  

We started with an early service on the lawn, shared an Easter breakfast together, and worshipped together in a full sanctuary complete with the baptism of two of our young people, a string quartet, soloist, piano/organ duet, and much more. He is risen!

This past weekend we celebrated Palm Sunday with a fun-filled afternoon including a palm processional, lunch, and hands-on crafts for all ages.