January 2021 Vol. 26 No. 1

Connections A Publication of Calvary Baptist Church

JANUARY 3 — MORNING SERVICE ONLY There will be no youth or children’s Sunday school, Adult Bible Classes, Inner Mission, or evening church activities on January 3. QUARTERLY MINISTRY UPDATE & ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS The quarterly ministry update and annual election of officers is scheduled for Sunday, January 24 at 6:00pm. “EMPTY-NESTERS” FELLOWSHIP The “Empty-Nesters” are invited to a time of fellowship including dinner and games on Saturday, January 9 at 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. “Empty-Nesters” would be those who attend the Adult Bible Class taught by David Chung and Pastor Jay, and others who fit that basic age group — your children, if you have any, are beyond high school and you are pre-retirement or maybe early retirement (in general, this is people in their 50s and 60s). Dinner will be pasta with garlic bread, salad, and dessert. Please bring your own beverage. Cost for dinner is $5.00 per person. Join us for some post-holiday fun! Please sign up at the Welcome Center or you can sign up and pay online using the Breeze app. KOINONIA DINNER On Sunday, January 10, at 6:00pm, the Koinonia group (post-high school young adults) will enjoy dinner and fellowship in the Fellowship Hall. Cost for dinner is $5.00 per person, which includes pasta with garlic bread, salad, and dessert. We are requesting that you bring your own beverage. Please contact Travis Caldwell (319-573-8602) if you plan on attending. BLOOD DRIVE We will be hosting Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center for a blood drive on Monday, February 1, 2021, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. It is more important than ever for donors like you to selflessly give blood. If you have not donated blood since December 7 and would like to sign up, or if you have any questions, please contact Nadene Roberts at 319-396-2836 or visit www.bloodcenter.org.

LADIES NIGHT OUT Ladies Night Out is for all ladies in the church, and they are welcome to invite friends as well. We will be meeting on Monday, January 11 at 6:30pm at Olive Garden, 367 Collins Road NE. If you plan to attend, please call Debbie Gaeta (396–7976) or email djgaeta@q.com so she will know how many will be attending. If you want to come but need a ride, please let Debbie know and she will arrange to have someone to pick you up. Please note that we are meeting on the 2nd Monday in January only. We will return to the 1st Monday beginning in February.

POSITIVE IMPRESSIONS Positive Impressions is scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 10:00am to 3:00pm in rooms 23/24. Invite your friends to join you in creating with rubber stamps or working on some other favorite craft project. This is an enjoyable and non-threatening way to spend time developing relationships and building bridges in order to make a positive impression for Christ on your friends and family members. Even the greeting cards or other crafts that you create for other people can be beneficial in making a positive impression on their lives. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Kim Nelson at 319-640-9856 and bring a snack or drink to share with the group.

CHURCH OFFICE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE Please note that the church office will be closed on Thursday, December 31 and Friday, January 1, in celebration of the New Year holiday. CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY Our condolences to Catherine Abodeely on the death of her husband, Nick Abodeely who went home to be with the Lord on November 26. Condolences also to Tim & Colleen Abodeely, Michelle & Jesse Peters, Allison & Ryan Pramberg, and many other family members.

Our condolences to Walter and Cappie Rich on the death of Walter's stepfather, John A. Bell, who passed away on December 3.

With appreciation at this holiday season. Francine and I are so thankful for your love, prayers, encouragement, caring and for all your support. Brothers and sisters, you are really a blessing for us and we are so grateful for being a part of our loving church family. We love you all.

Moses & Francine de Saba Thank you for your ongoing prayer and financial support for our ministry. This has been an interesting year for sure, and many of our plans didn’t go as we expected. However, we know that the Lord directs our steps—uncertain though they may be. Thank you for remembering us through your Christmas music gift. Our family loves music and adding to our collection is a treat! Many blessings on you all.

The Kunkees

Thanks for the gorgeous poinsettia foliage centerpiece. It is so beautiful. I am hoping I can keep the foliage green for the Holidays. Seasons greetings to all, especially our Savior Jesus’ birthday. In his love.

Gladys Grange Thank you so much for the beautiful plant. We have also received so many cards and kind thoughts from church members. Thank you so much for thinking of us.

Rachel, Greg, Lauren, Addison & Carter Young

Thank you Deaconesses and church family for the lovely plate of cookies, 2 bananas, apple, orange, and miniature Hershey’s bars. Thanks also to Pam Winchester for delivering them. I know I will be enjoying them for a long time!

Wilma Mefferd Tonight completes our Grief Share class. I am so incredibly thankful for use of your church building and the co-teaching of Carol Hagen & Rachel Stephenson, truly the disciples of Christ with the love of Jesus in their hearts and the Holy Spirit moving and spilling out of them. I am a stronger person (mentally & spiritually) today than I was back on August 9 when our Grief Share journey first began. With a grateful heart and your friend in Christ.

Kathy Nelson

Thank you for the beautiful flower bouquet at dad’s funeral!

David & Laurel Shelley

Thank you so much for the prayers, cards and kind words spoken in memory of Nick. In addition, we received a beautiful plant from the church. We can’t express enough how much our church family means to us and also how much it meant to Nick. Thanks again.

Catherine Abodeely Tim and Colleen Abodeely

Janet and I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. We certainly appreciated the Christmas card with the Amazon gift card. Thank you for your love shown through this sort of kindness.

Fred & Janet Young

Thank you for the beautiful cookie and fruit plate. The cookies are delicious and I enjoy the fresh fruit also. May God bless you all this special time of the year! With Love.

Shirley Jenkins

Thank you for all the cards, greetings and prayers when I needed them the most. For the delicious cookies & such a variety, so many different kinds. How I am looking forward to your visits in the near future when the virus is no longer a threat to our country and loved ones. Pray that I may be faithful to Jesus now and in the future. God bless each one.

Gladys Grange

Thank you so very much for all your prayers. It certainly has helped me so much. I was so glad to see Joyce Fleischacker come to my house and bring delicious cookies and fruit. It was so nice to see someone from church and bringing goodies. Thank you again for everything.

Joyce Bulen

How dear you are to us. We remember so many sweet times there, both at the church and in the homes of many of you. Thank you for your thoughtfulness for the gift card. We will enjoy using it!

Dean & Cindy Lindgren

Thank you all so much for the Amazon gift card. This gift will be a help in getting Christmas presents for our girls. We hope you all had a blessed holiday season.

Mike & Emily Rudolph Kayley & Selah

BABY NEWS Congratulations to Anders and Danielle Bredenberg on the birth of their son, Clive Benjamin Bredenberg, who was born on Thursday, November 19 at 8:57pm. Clive weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz. Congratulations also to grandparents, Kirk and Diana Bredenberg, and the rest of the family.

JANUARY 2021

1 David French Bahati Mutabazi Sophie Nyagazura Sondra Smale 2 Ricardo Etienne 3 Ryan Hale 4 Daniel Hunter 5 Marc Nelson Joe Novak 6 Steve Hagemeier Mark Seamans Myah Pettit 7 Curt Clayberg 8 Marcey Jensen 12 Toby Slippy Steve Anderson

14 Colleen Abodeely Jack Lindstrom Audrey Hill 16 Jeannette Frey 17 Alex Lykkegaard Marlene Aswegan Aiden Hale 18 Chad Nelson Don Winchester Marilyn Seamans 23 Rob Kaufman 26 John Lewis 27 Sandra Tokpa 29 Judy Potter 30 Jared Bourne

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1Happy New Year

Office Closed

2

3 10:30am Worship Service (communion) No evening church activities

4

5

9:15am MUMs

6

9:00am Staff Prayer

6:30pm and Adult Prayer

7

8

9 9:00am Men’s

Basketball League

10:00am Positive Impressions

6:00pm Empty-Nesters Dinner

10 9:00am Sunday School and

Adult Bible Classes 10:00am Inner Mission 10:30am Worship Service 6:00pm Koinonia Dinner 6:00pm Youth “Table Talk” 6:00pm Sonshine Singers

11

12

9:15am MUMs Leadership Meeting

7:00pm Committee and Ministry Team Meetings

13

9:00am Staff Prayer 6:30pm

14 15 16

9:00am Men’s

Basketball League

17 9:00am Sunday School and

Adult Bible Classes 10:00am Inner Mission 10:30am Worship Service 6:00pm Koinonia 6:00pm Youth “Table Talk” 6:00pm Sonshine Singers

18

19

9:15am MUMs 7:00pm Board of Deacons

Meeting

20

9:00am Staff Prayer

6:30pm and Adult Prayer

21

22

23

9:00am Men’s

Basketball League

24 9:00am Sunday School and

Adult Bible Classes 10:00am Inner Mission 10:30am Worship Service

6:00pm Quarterly Ministry Update & Election of Officers 6:00pm Koinonia 6:00pm Youth “Table Talk” 6:00pm Sonshine Singers

25

26

27

9:00am Staff Prayer

6:30pm and Adult Prayer

28

29 30 9:00am Men’s

Basketball League

31 9:00am–Sunday School and

Adult Bible Classes 10:00am–Inner Mission 10:30am–Worship Service 6:00pm Koinonia 6:00pm Youth “Table Talk” 6:00pm Sonshine Singers

Connections (USPS 086-000) Published monthly by

CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH

5338 Johnson Avenue SW

Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

(319) 396-3233

(Periodicals Postage Paid at Cedar Rapids, IA)

POSTMASTER: send address changes to Connections,

5338 Johnson Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Periodicals

Postage Paid at

Cedar Rapids, IA

**IMPORTANT ELECTRONIC GIVING INFORMATION**

We have changed our online giving platform from EasyTithe to the Breeze church management system. All who had recurring contributions using EasyTithe are free to set up recurring contributions using Breeze. Even if you do not cancel your EasyTithe contributions, they will automatically cancel at the end of the day on December 31, when our church EasyTithe account is deactivated. If you have already established a connection with our church account on the Breeze desktop or mobile app, you can log in and select “Give Now” to be directed to your new giving page. Use the touch screen to select the type of payment (Debit/Credit card or ACH) and the appropriate fund to which you are contributing. Unless specified, all contributions go to the General Fund. If you have not yet started using our Breeze app and would like start, contact the church office and we will be happy to assist you. Please note that you do not have to download the Breeze app to make an electronic contribution, because a link to “Give Online” also is available on the Calvary website (https://www.calvarycr.org/). Another convenient option that is now available is “text giving,” which allows you to use your cell phone to text the amount you wish to give. The text giving number for Calvary is 319-255-2527. Text the word “give” to that number and first time givers will receive prompts to set up their payment method via a secure web page. To learn more about giving by text, you can go to https://www.breezechms.com and search for “giving by text,” or you can contact the church office (319-396-3233 or office@calvarycr.org) for assistance. Please feel free to contact the church office with your questions or concerns about electronic giving.