HELPING PEOPLE FIND JOY IN JESUS.
As John and Jane Linville made their hour plus drive to Calvary Baptist Church on May 28, 2023 they prayed a prayer that they have prayed many times through the years. “Lord, open our eyes to someone who is struggling, discouraged or suffering.” The Linvilles strive to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” as instructed by Paul in Romans 12:12. It was this same Sunday morning that Elsah made the long drive from the St. Louis area to Calvary. Elsah would be moving to Normal soon to begin her graduate studies at ISU. This wasn’t an easy decision for Elsah, and she faced many unknowns in this new chapter in her life. There were three specific things Elsah was praying for as she drove to Calvary that morning. First, she earnestly asked God to provide for her a church family where she could make connections and get to know people. Second, she was asking God to help her find a place to live in Normal and thirdly, Elsah was praying for God to connect her with a godly older woman to mentor her. The theme of her prayers that morning were “God, I am struggling. Please help me.”
After the service began, the Linvilles noticed Elsah sitting alone several rows in front of them and as is not out of character for them, Jane made her way to where Elsah was sitting and asked if she would like to sit with them. Elsah happily joined Jane and John and little did the Linvilles know how this seemingly small gesture of hospitality would prove to be the answer to all three of Elsah’s prayers. These answers to prayer were a much needed reminder for Elsah of just how much God cares about the details of her life, how much her Heavenly Father loves her and how trustworthy He is.
After the service, the Linvilles invited Elsah to join them for lunch and Elsah knew right then and there God was not just answering her prayer to find a church family, God was also providing through Jane, an older woman to mentor her. God in His faithfulness used another connection at Calvary that same day to provide housing for Elsah. Elsah is just one of many lives that have been touched at Calvary through the love, compassion and hospitality of the Linvilles. Investing in many internationals, college students and visitors is just a way of life for John and Jane. Their heart for people and their willingness to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around them has opened many doors of opportunity, and it has been a joy for them to stand back and watch God work in the lives of many people.
When asked what motivates them to reach out to visitors, internationals and college students alike, John Linville says, “When we first started coming to Calvary, there were many people who invited us out for lunch or to come to their home for a meal after church. The love that was demonstrated by the members was palpable. We want to do the same. Many of the college students are away from home, especially the internationals and they need someone to care for them and someone that can mentor them, someone to love them.” The Linvilles see their home as a refuge and a home away from home for both internationals and college students. Many have been blessed by Christ-centered conversations around their table as many tears have been shed while burdens have been shared, and many burdens have been lifted as prayers have been prayed and scripture read. One international student had his dream come true of experiencing an American Thanksgiving holiday as the Linville’s opened their home to many for Thanksgiving dinner. All were blessed by a time of recounting and sharing with each other God’s goodness in their lives.
The Linvilles don’t see their investment in these relationships as a sacrifice, but rather they have been blessed beyond measure by the precious friendships that God has brought about through the opening of their lives to those around them.
John Piper has said that “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may only be aware of three of them”. We must always remember that what we see as a small, insignificant act of kindness, may in fact be the answer to someone’s prayer, or have a lasting impact we could never have imagined.
As summer gets into full swing in July, CBC will once again see members taking part in short-term mission trips. And just as last year, these ministry opportunities will find teams travelling to both coasts of the continent. From July 6-14, a team will make the long journey to Copper Island, off the coast of Vancouver; and as they return, another will set out for New York City with Spread Truth.
The Copper Island ministry team is comprised of seven members with a wide array of experience ministering at the camp, which serves the youth of the First Nations people. Cory Adams, Wes Ifft, and John Traeger are seasoned veterans of this trip, each making their fifth or more visit to Copper Island. Margie Traeger and Emily Kull are also making return visits, while Mark and Gloria Kilmer will participate for the first time.
For the veterans of the crew, relationships that have formed through repeat visits are one of the biggest blessings. They cited several First Nations individuals who have not only come to Christ but are now serving in leadership roles in the camp ministry. Margie and Emily both stated excitement in seeing returning campers, especially those who followed up last year’s initial camp week by attending an additional discipleship camp.
Mark noted that he looks forward to returning to the Northwest and carrying out ministry as a couple. The Kilmers are looking forward with anticipation to the blessing of serving side-by-side. “It’s been a while since I’ve served on a mission trip,” Gloria said, “It has been an awesome experience to see God work in the past and I look forward to seeing Him do so again. My heart goes out to these children and I’m trusting to see God at work in them.”
While the Copper Island ministry team represents several family units, the Spread Truth team is composed of a single family again this summer. Clint and Jami Kaeb are excited to be taking five members of their household to engage in this outreach and evangelism training effort. They will be joined by Reagan, Layla, and Bobby in their first partnership with Spread Truth.
Jami noted, “We had desired to go on this trip in the past and were signed up when the COVID pandemic struck. When we saw the opportunity open up this summer, we knew it was our time to go.” While Jami noted a desire to be an active member of the body of Christ and see God work, Raegan stated, “I want to see God equip and prepare me for His work. My desire is to be bold in Christ, and I think this trip will open up opportunities to do that.” Raegan also expressed, “I’m looking forward to seeing how God is preparing the people that I’m going to talk to, even if I don’t see the end result myself.”
In fact, as the two teams met together for a time of spiritual preparation, that talking point was one that consistently emerged. Repeatedly, the teams reminded one another that God calls us to be faithful in delivering the gospel message; He is the one who bring spiritual life. While we may not see a person come to salvation, God uses us as a part of his larger process.
While the teams will do the actual travelling and ministering, the members of Calvary are called to be a part of this process as well. The body of Christ must support these teams, not only financially as led, but also through prayer. The following were some items for prayer specifically noted by the missions teams:
- Humility and dependence upon God, not focusing simply on the personal growth the trip offers, but that the kingdom would grow
- Faith that everything is in God’s hands and under His control
- That hearts – both those of the children at Copper Island and the myriad of strangers in NYC – would be softened to the gospel
- That the teams would be prepared to answer challenges proposed by opposing worldviews
- That children visiting Copper Island would have obstacles removed – whether financial, transportation, or family support – that would prevent attendance
- Safety in travel and good health
- That Satan’s opposing work would be held at bay and God’s Spirit would move mightily
Keep an eye open for one of these short-term missionaries and offer them your support and encouragement as they head out in the name of Christ this summer!
The ESL ministry of Calvary Baptist Church has just completed its eighth year in operation. It was launched in the fall of 2016 by Jan Walsh, with just seven students. From the beginning, it has used the one-on-one approach, with each student having their own tutor.
The curriculum is Language Olympics, and every lesson centers around a Bible story. The beginning course has 30 Old Testament stories, and the advanced course has 30 New Testament stories. These are adapted from All the Stories of the Bible; a book published by BibleTelling. Calvary’s ESL class has served as the pilot program for developing this outreach ministry to English Language Learners. Today, Language Olympics is being used by churches and missionaries around the world.
Margie Traeger now leads the ESL ministry here at Calvary. This past semester ended with around 25-30 students, which ranged in age from 12-70. Each student has a personal tutor and receives one-on-one instruction. The beauty of the program is that tutors don’t need to have special ESL certification. They simply help their students work through the Language Olympics workbooks.
As individuals enter the ESL program, they are tested on their current understanding of English. They are then placed into the material at their skill level. With the help of their tutor, they master each page, learning phonics, spelling, word usage, and sight words. All of this surrounds the stories of the Bible.
The ESL ministry always needs more tutors. Please consider helping in this missionary outreach either as a regular tutor or a substitute. The first step is sitting next to an experienced tutor and observing the student/tutor interaction. You will be amazed how simple it is, and how rewarding it is for both the student and the tutor.
Another need of this ministry is a “communication lead.” This is an individual who uses the Church Center app to send notifications to students and tutors. This is an ‘online’ ministry and doesn’t involve working personally with students. Additionally, babysitters are needed as this service is provided to ESL students, where Jr. High & High School students have been assisting with this need.
Margie is looking for those who will dedicate themselves to pray for this ministry. Here are a couple of the current prayer requests:
- Pray for the ESL leaders as they work with international families who come to us for help. This is an opportunity to present the gospel in lessons and in personal conversations.
- Pray for the tutors. They have a tremendous opportunity to share their testimony and invite students to visit our church. By coming to our services, students can immerse themselves in the church community and practice talking to others in English.