2025 E-Navigator

                                                                                                                                                                                                             Address: P.O. Box 9, 

                                                           Syracuse, IN   46567                                                                     

                                                        Email: syrcalv@kcaccess.com

                                                 Website: www.syracusecalvaryumc.org

 

From Pastor Paul

The first church I ever served was St Paul UMC in Fort Wayne. I served there for 5 years as a student pastor. I normally arrived at church early but on this particular morning our family was running late and had arrived just a few minutes before the worship service was to begin. After unloading the kids from the car, I straightened my tie in the mirror and watched something which is really rather commonplace in a rather uncommon way.

I had seen people go in and out of church many times. That morning though, it was as though a veil had been removed from things I had never before seen. It was one of those moments when something that has always been right in front finally comes into focus. Where I a painter, I would love to paint this image the way that it appeared to me that day. I’d paint a portrait of people walking as if unencumbered yet clearly overloaded with piles and piles of clutter on their shoulders.

It was as though God was allowing me to see the burdens that we carry with us every day and bring with us into the doors of the church every Sunday. It was as if He wanted me to know just how heavy and cumbersome those burdens are. As I watched the people filing into the church building from their sedans, trucks, and minivans, it occurred to me that each person carried his, or her, own invisible burden.

Some carried the burden of guilt for past sins. These people hoped that by regularly attending church they would convince God to forgive them. Some of them carried the burden of fear, depression, and anxiety. These people came to into the church hoping to find peace – even if only for an hour on Sunday morning. Whatever their burdens were, one thing became clear to me; most of us, all of us, carry burdens that we were not intended to carry alone.

As I watched all of these people, many of whom I knew well, making their way into the church that Sunday, I was struck with the sense that so many of us come to church and generally live out our Christian faith out of what is largely a sense of obligation rather than of love. We fill our lives with repetitious, albeit well intentioned, deeds in order to fulfill our obligations rather than living a life which flows from the love of God working in and through us.

Imagine the folly of a man who chooses day in and day out to hoard and heap burdens upon his shoulders which are not his to carry alone. Imagine the woman who works diligently to earn the forgiveness which she has already received.

Dear children of God, if we are ever to learn to live lives which are filled with the grace of God, if we are ever to live the grace-filled life, we must let go of obligation and embrace love. We do not do good works to earn God’s favor; we do good works because we have received His favor. Good works, duty, stoic obligation are not what is pleasing to God. While people tend to be mostly concerned with the outward appearance of things, God is concerned with our hearts. (I Samuel 16:7)

See You Sunday

Pastor Paul

                                                                   

                                 Pastor Paul Burris Weekly Office Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Church: 574-457-3778 Pastor’s cell phone: 260-609-9260

Church Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

 

Calvary United Methodist Church

Breakthrough Prayer Initiative

Miraculous God of Breakthroughs, speak, show, and inspire us where your Spirit is leading next for Calvary Church and in our own lives. Open doors that will usher in a new season of creativity, faithfulness, and fruitfulness in the name of Jesus. And together grant us boldness, courage, and power without limits to step through the doors you open, in Christ’s name. Amen.

 

 

Upper Room

 

The January/February issues are available in the narthex for your free copy.

 

Please Pray for our church family and friends: Paige Maloney (Paige’s mother, Joanie), Scott Abbs, Brandon Conley contracted lime disease now has ALS was given only 2 years, Bob Vallera.Tim broke hip fighting infection, Anne Mullet health issues, Becky Fox Alzheimers, Jemma cancer, Joyce Miller undergong radiation, Nancy Brake has Alzheimer’s,  Evenly-Jennifer Harrel’s sister went into cardiac arrest, Jason help with addiction, Cindy Taylor Alzheimers is getting worse, Lisa Glon’s coworker Tina has breast cancer, Joyce Selvey and family, Barry Lambert had heart surgery and is having severe complications, Jim Hamby has heart problems, Daniel Hamby health is declining, Kenny Harrell, Marcus possible stroke, Unspoken prayer request.                                                                                                                                          

                                                “One person can make a difference!

 

NURSERY! Needs your help to take care of the little ones for an hour during Worship! If the Lord lays it on your heart to help guide these little ones to know Jesus, please sign up for Nursery time on one Sunday a month!

                         

                                      Where Are you called to Serve at Calvary?

As part of our recent (ongoing) Prayer Initiative, we have all been challenged to come to a better understanding as to how the Spirit is moving in our daily lives. A big part of the process is coming to the realization that we have all been gifted with special talents that are to be utilized in building the kingdom at Calvary UMC and in the community that we serve. In I Corinthians chapter 12 Paul reminds us that every gift from God is special and important. We are created by God, and He loves us. By acknowledging the spiritual gifts from God, we are glorifying Him. Each gift has the ability to help draw others to a relationship with the Lord. God’s people are like a body with many parts, yet those parts work together. Even though there are many people in the world, we can work together to share His love and glory. Every person has a purpose and is gifted by the Holy Spirit.

We are looking for people who are willing to provide much needed leadership which would enable us to carry out God’s mission here at Calvary. There are several areas, and committees you could serve such as: Trustees, Worship, Finance & Stewardship, Administrative Council, Staff-Parish Relations, Missions, Congregational Care, Prayer Team, Funeral Dinners, Nominations etc. etc… Please carefully consider where God might be calling you to be in ministry. If you feel you have been called, or need more information, concerning any area of ministry please feel free to contact Pastor Paul or Roz Schwartz. We are all part of the same body here at Calvary. It is going to take a group effort for us to make a difference in the community that we serve.

                             

Food Pantry

Food Pantry Sunday is the first Sunday of each month. Specific items you can bring for January are Hot Chocolate and Soup – Tomato, Cream of Mushroom, Vegetable Beef or chicken Noodle. These items can be placed in the narthex and a volunteer from our church will take them to the Syracuse Food Pantry.

The Outreach Missions continue to support the food pantry will be Pack the Pantry with food four times a year.

Please keep the ones in need in your prayer!

                                                  January 2025 Church Calendar

                                                   MONTHLY CALENDAR                                                                                                                                           

January 2025

 1         Wednesday  Office will be closed/Happy New Year

Tuesday        Ladies Bible Study                                      1:00 pm (7, 14, 21, and 28)

  9        Thursday       Red Cross                                                     12:00 – 5:00 pm

10       Friday            Free Community Dinner                           5:30 – 6:30 pm

14       Tuesday        Stewardship Finance                                 5:30 pm

14       Tuesday        Church Council                                            6:30 pm

22       Wednesday  R.O.M.E.O.S.                                                11:30 am at Louie’s

22       Wednesday  Martha/Ruth Circle                                    1:00 pm

24       Friday            Family Fun Night                                        5:30 – 7:30 pm

28       Tuesday        Gideons                                                        6:00 – 8:30 pm

 

                               Calvary United Methodist Welcomes our community.

Our long-standing Free Community Dinner (2nd Friday of the month) is scheduled for Friday January 10, from 5:30-6:30. Take-out or dine in options are available.

Family Fun Night January 24, 5:30 – 7:30 pm come and fellowship with others and play some games, put puzzles together, play cards and much more!

Adult Sunday School is now studying Psalms.

                                                            Altar Flowers Needed                                

                                                                     Every Sunday

If you would like to contribute or donate to altar flowers, in honor or remembrance please call the church office at (457-3778) or email the church at syrcalv@kcaccess.com. Some ideas are flowers for anniversaries, birthdays, our children, and grandchildren and to God’s glory. NOTE: If you have silk flowers you no longer need, consider donating them to the church. Sherri will use them to make arrangements for the church. You can leave them on a shelf upstairs across from the Peace Room.

                                                          Thoughts from Bashor Home

                                                                      

 

This week is the third week of advent which focuses on the topic of joy. What does joy mean to you? From the Christian perspective, joy is not an attitude we embrace because of our circumstances, but rather we embrace joy because of our hope in God’s love and promise. In Matthew 5:12 Jesus tells His disciples, “Have joy and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For they also persecuted the prophets who were before you.” We oftentimes focus a lot on comparing ourselves with others and that causes us to lose joy. We may find all of our joy in our circumstances in life, but the real joy is not anything about our own circumstances, but it’s the joy that we have hope in a life with God. Advent is all about what Jesus brings to this world. Jesus is the fulfillment of a promise, the key to joy in life.