News

On Saturday, April 22, 11 members of Calvary participated in Habitat for Humanity’s build event Framing Futures Through Faith. We built the initial wooden frames of walls, windows, and doors, and the projects were blessed the following day.

On Saturday, April 22, the rain held off and Calvary hosted the 1in7B Foundation’s mobile laundry and shower facility for their final test and public launch. Newark mayor Stu Markham and New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer were on hand, as well as several media organizations. 1in7B plans to have the trailer at Calvary every other Saturday afternoon. You can read a Newark Post article about the ministry and the launch here: https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/mobile-hygiene-trailer-offers-showers-laundry-facilities-for-homeless-newarkers/article_80961034-ac3a-5007-97a9-f8ab4501b9eb.html

Mark your calendars!

Organization heads and artists share about the work and its connection to the church and community A series of special guest speakers on Wednesdays, beginning March 1, 2023, 7:00 p.m. 

On Feb 26, dance and drill team “Fashion Steppers” blessed us in worship, and afterwards we gathered for an amazing “soul food” luncheon with traditional African, African-American, and Caribbean dishes.

The mission of the 1in7B Foundation is “to care for people like Jesus did through service by demonstrating unconditional love and bringing hope, joy and dignity with humble compassion to those experiencing homelessness.” It is a faith-based nonprofit entity that was founded by its current president, Mark Puican, who had a vision to serve the neediest among us the way Jesus did with a no strings attached approach. They believe such ideas and efforts can come from the most “ordinary” people who step out in faith to show how they can humbly become 1 out of 7 billion people (hence the name) on this earth to make a positive difference in people’s lives. The ministry played an important role in getting food, toiletries, and other supplies to people who were displaced and staying in hotels at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the 1in7B Foundation has acquired a mobile laundry and shower facility, a long-sought-after need among those experiencing homelessness.  The Calvary boards of mission and trustees are newly announcing that Mark and his organization are a new ministry partner. Calvary will provide a site and needed resources for 1in7B’s new mobile laundry and shower facility, a long-sought-after need among those experiencing homelessness. They are tentatively planning to set up in our parking lot on Saturdays, beginning April 8, from 10am – 2pm (subject to change).  Of course, we want to be much more than the place where they park. We are excited about the friendships that may develop and the additional opportunity this will be for us to extend Calvary’s loving welcome. 

Calvary continues to diversify along the same direction as our denomination and our country. I have had visitors tell us that one reason they decided to try us out is because of how diverse we look in the pictures on our website. We are blessed with so many different individuals and families, our international student population, etc. I am someone who believes that most forms of expression can be included in our church life if it is given to glorify God and edify the body. I hope that some of the elements we’ve included in our worship services over the last several years have been edifying for you and put the beauty of our God’s creation on display. Because such a significant portion of our Calvary family is of African or Jamaican heritage, the anti-racism team has sought to enrich our life together during the month of February with highlights of Black history and culture. This year, we will be blessed in several ways that Lynda laid out during the mission moment of January 29. Accompanying this article is just one of many paintings and artifacts on display from local artist Eunice Lafate. If you’re reading this online, you can click here to see more of the display. Eunice is a Jamaican born self-taught artist whose art in acrylic, oil, and watercolors portrays folk culture and embraces human diversity with some distinct allusions to Christian doctrine and practice. You can read her full bio here or there are copies in the Narthex. On February 26 (which is also the first Sunday of Lent), we will welcome back the Fashion Steppers dance & drill team to our worship service, and after worship that day, we invite you to a “soul food” luncheon after worship (a sign up sheet is in the Narthex; look and see if there’s something you can contribute). There is actually some concern with the anti-racism team and myself about making sure we don’t highlight Black history and culture in such a way as to relegate it to one month. Indeed, we have been striving to make diverse influences more a part of our church life year-round. In that vein, we are not finished when February is over. On March 26, we will welcome Rev. Dr. Marilyn Turner-Triplet, the interim pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church of Wilmington, the oldest historically black church in Delaware, and we are also in conversation with the YWCA about Calvary hosting a screening of a film about the history of racism in the United States. May God’s Spirit fill our worship and our community through all of this and more!

We welcomed the community and congregation alike to a dinner and a candlelight service. Guests stayed with us overnight, all day Christmas Day, and into the morning of Dec 26 as we were the Code Purple shelter from the cold. Thanks to all who fed, talked, prayed, and especially to Will Erhart for coordinating it all.

“An Ordinary Day with Jesus”Maybe there are a lot of days in these times that don’t feel “ordinary,” but on Wednesday nights at 7pm in the Fellowship Hall, beginning January 11, we will go through a relaxed but relevant study that helps us think about what it means to live for God, “in the name of Jesus,” in our everyday lives. To this day, the concept of God and spirituality can seem “out there” for many people, disconnected from the obligations and stresses of everyday life. Let’s “bring it down.” In-person attendance is recommended but a Zoom option will be available.