New Fall Schedule | Calvary Bible Church

Rethinking Sunday: A Time to Worship, Grow, and Serve

Are you looking forward to the reopening of our church ministries in September? We are, and we want to make a schedule change to allow our ministries to be more effective for God’s kingdom!

The prolonged disruption on Sundays during COVID gave us the chance to consider how to make our time together more meaningful. You may recall our sermon series in Acts 2, “Dead Church: Reviving Gospel Community,” taught about this.

We gather on Sunday mornings to do three things: WORSHIP the Lord, GROW together, and SERVE one another. With our current two-service schedule, many can worship, grow, or serve, but it is difficult to do all three. Also, many staff and volunteers are unable to participate in ministries outside of their area of service.

Starting in September, we would like to launch a new three-hour model that will provide more opportunities to better worship, grow, and serve together. We have already spoken with many ministry leaders and volunteers, and the response has been very positive. Now we’d like to share this plan with you.

Our new Sunday morning schedule will look like this:

Worship Service 8:15 am
Grow and Serve 9:30 am
Worship Service 10:45 am

During the middle hour, we will have classes for all ages and stages of life as well as opportunities for special studies and gatherings. Some classes will meet during the worship services, but the updated schedules have not yet been finalized.

You undoubtedly have questions, and we want to answer them! There is a Q&A below. We will be providing regular updates to the congregation on this change. In addition, we have scheduled an Info and Q&A Session on Sunday, August 15 between services at 10am.

The Lord has graciously led us through a season of change over the past 18 months. This is a great opportunity to consider how we gather and make changes for the better. We will evaluate the new model during the fall and adjust as needed. We are excited for the future of CBC as we seek to glorify our Savior together. Please pray that God continues to lead us clearly into this next season of ministry as we seek to WORSHIP, GROW, and SERVE our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ together.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Information on the 3-Hour Sunday Schedule

WHY DO WE WANT TO DO THIS?

We see a number of exciting benefits to this change:

We can dedicate more time on Sunday for discipleship, fellowship, and service.
Families will have more opportunities to engage in worship and church life together.
People will be able to grow and serve each Sunday.
We can offer new classes such as: new believers’ classes and other biblical and theological studies.
Staff and ministry leaders will be able to worship with their families and participate in ministry.

It has been a blessing to see intergenerational fellowship taking place each Sunday, and we are encouraged by the number of families attending worship services together. We want to see this continue.

8:15am - Worship Service

During this hour, we will have:

A Worship Service
Children's classes from birth thru Grade 5

9:30am - Grow & Serve

This hour will focus on offering ways for our church family to grow and serve.

Classes for Adults, Youth, and Children
Meet & Greet
Welcome Home
Missions Updates
Congregational Meetings
Special Classes

10:45am - Worship Service

At 10:45am, we will have another worship hour. During this hour, you can expect:

A worship service
Children's classes (Age 0-2)
Generations - a community class for all ages

We are still working through the logistics for this schedule, so things may shift around. The final schedule will be clearly communicated ahead of launch day.

WHEN WILL THIS START?

The new schedule has a start date of September 5. Since this is Labor Day weekend, a family service is scheduled and only KZ Babies will meet at 10:45am. The rest of our classes will start on September 12. It is our goal to have all ministries reopened for the Fall Kickoff.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it just me or did the total time for each activity get shorter?
Good eye! Our previous service times were 70 minutes. That is now compressed to 60 minutes to allow for our middle Grow & Serve hour.

What about adult classes?
Each of our Lifestage community classes will meet during the middle hour. There is a brand new ECC cross-generational class that will be starting this fall which meets during the third hour, for those who are serving during the 9:30am hour or are otherwise unable to participate in lifestage communities.

Why did you combine middle school and high school students?
There are several Biblical topics and studies that we desire to teach both middle school and high school students. A combined Sunday School Class allows for collaboration between our SWAT and C-Team volunteers. We believe that this collaboration will allow for a smoother transition between C-Team and SWAT. We also believe this structure gives upperclassmen the opportunity to set an example for younger students. Lastly, having both middle school and high school students gather during the middle hour allows for families to worship together during the 1st or 3rd hour.

Can my student serve in children’s ministry?
We love it when our students serve in our children’s ministry. Children’s ministry will occur during the 1st and middle hours each week. Depending on your family’s Sunday schedule, we recommend that they serve once or twice a month during either of those hours. Our desire is to see students serving in the local church. This means that our Sunday School Class format will take into consideration the reality of students missing a week or two a month for serving. The three-hour schedule gives your family the opportunity to serve during the 1st hour, grow during the middle hour, and worship together during the 3rd hour.

My 7th grade student missed The Bridge Class due to Covid-19. Will C-Team/SWAT Sunday School cover anything that The Bridge Class covers?
Yes! C-Team/SWAT Sunday School will focus on many topics addressed in The Bridge Class. These topics include: The Big Picture of the Bible, Worldviews, How to Study the Bible, What does the Bible Say About…, and studying specific books of the Bible.

Which hours can my kids go to class?
8:15am - infants through 5th grade
9:30am - infants through 5th grade, 6th grade Bridge class
10:45am - infants through Toddler 2 only

Can my kids attend more than one class?
Yes, kids may attend more than one class on a Sunday morning.

Will my kids have the exact same lesson multiple times if they attend more than one hour in KZ?
You can expect your kids to receive the same Worship and Bible lesson but they will have new teachers, activities and crafts.

Do I have to check my kids out and back in for multiple classes?
No, when you check in, you have the option to check your kids in for all classes they will be attending on Sunday.

Can my kids serve with me?
4th & 5th graders can serve in KZ Babies with an approved parent/guardian one Sunday a month. Younger children can participate in their children's classes or attend the worship service and other events with their parents