Long Overdue Update!

It has been a very busy Spring and beginning of Summer here at Calais Church. Sorry it has been so long since the last update.

We took the teens to The Great Awakening Youth Conference at Morning Star Baptist Church June 22-24 and stopped in Kentucky at New Grace Baptist Church, Pastor Todd Lockyer and his wife Amanda were there to welcome us, to do some mission work on our way back home. Great time of fellowship, got the church cleaned up and ready for the Teens and Adults from Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church from Rocky Mount, NC to come up and do Vacation Bible School this week! The conference and mission work was great and an adventure, but God must have thought we needed even more as the bus broke down 2.5 hrs. from home. Thanks to some awesome church members who gave of their time and drove their vehicles down to shuttle our teens/leaders and the luggage back home we were all safe in bed by 1am on Sunday. Check out the video recap of the week on the church website www.calaisindependentbaptist.com under our teen ministries tab. The sermons from the conference are also available on the media tab of our website.

Lots of fun and exciting things coming up this summer. VBS is only 3 Sundays away! We are very excited to be using AIG's Gold Rush as our program this year and are looking for even more children to be impacted for the Lord. If you remember, last year we averaged about 110 each night (adult/teen workers included) and had a total of 82 different children throughout the week of VBS (many were repeat attenders during the week).

Our bus ministry kicks off, Lord willing and all repairs complete, on Sunday July 10th. Be praying that we will have good reception as we go out in the surrounding communities to pick up children and families that wouldn't otherwise be able or inclined to attend church. Pray also that the Lord will give the drivers and workers the strength, energy and endurance needed to give this ministry our best!

We have some fun services and different things planned for our Sundays during this summer and I, as pastor, am issuing monthly challenges to the church as a whole, our teens, and our children throughout the remainder of the year. May the Lord give me wisdom as I choose how to stretch and equip the flock over which he is allowing me the privilege to be under shepherd. The first teen challenge is to memorize 50 verses (from a book of 100 verses every Christian should know - received at the Conference) by 1st Sunday in August, and our church-wide challenge to be revealed this Sunday morning is 2-fold, first to read the entire New Testament by the end of July (only 8-9 chapters a day)and then to kick it off by committing to a 2 day fast from TV, XBox, and other technology that seems to crowd our time. Pastor is leading by example in this one, as well as the Teen challenge, by shutting off the Satellite service at the house (yep, it is disconnected and getting ready to be shipped back to Dish). Sometimes you just have to get radical about your Christianity ;). The children's challenge is yet to be determined. Why issue challenges to the church, well part of my task as Pastor is to disciple and equip the saints, and these challenges are a part of meeting that responsibility. Feel free to join along with us as we strive to meet and exceed these challenges.

Attendance at worship services continues to remain steady and slightly above last year's average. We have been able to add 2 missionaries so far this year, and have several more to come through on deputation. We have purchased a church bus, begun to have it painted, and have also purchased and installed A/C in our annex building wiht much appreciation from our nursery, Sunday school, Jr. Church,Chilren's Ministry, Youth Ministry and VBS workers (all who use this building and have done so with no A/C for several years).

I think God still has big plans for our little country church out here in Calais,OH. Be in prayer as we endeavor to do our best to stay in the will of God and impact our surrounding areas for the Gospel.

Appologies in advance if the next update is a little while in coming. Y'all (you'ns) have a great Summer!