Calvary Chapel has been ministering in Ukraine, Hungary and Poland for decades. Many churches have been planted, and many missionaries have been sent. Some of the pastors and missionaries in Ukraine have been successful in helping their families and friends leave the country; others have stayed in Ukraine to minister and help others navigate through these very difficult days. There are two ways in which we can help:

First, those who have stayed in Ukraine need funds for food and fuel. Secondly, those who have successfully fled Ukraine, have landed in Hungary and Poland, and will need funds for food and shelter. Thankfully, there are pastors and churches in Hungary and Ukraine that are preparing for the tens of thousands of potential refugees.

We would appreciate your continual prayers and any financial gift that you could give. If you would like to help financially, please click on the donate button. This will take to you a drop down prompt where you can select the “Church Relief Fund.”

We will keep you updated on future needs.

DONATE NOW

CalvaryChapel.com has two extension sites that are led by two awesome ladies! In the next few weeks, we will introduce them, share their background and share the resources available with each extension site! We are excited to first introduce Cinthya Rios who manages esp.calvarychapel.flywheelsites.com! She is a part of the CGN and CalvaryChapel.com Team and assists with the Spanish translation for our CGN conferences! Below is a note from Cinthya, an excerpt of an article from CalvaryChapel.com that is available in Spanish, and an interview with Cinthya!

“Hi, I’m Cinthya! I’ve been serving as a translator for Esp.CalvaryChapel.com since 2015. I reside in Ensenada, Mexico.”

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Cómo regocijarnos siempre en el ministerio

“Estén siempre llenos de alegría en el Señor. Lo repito, ¡alégrense!” (Filipenses 4:4).

¿Que clase de hombre loco le dice a un grupo de personas que siempre estén alegres? ¿Que siempre celebren en el Señor? El apóstol Pablo era ese tipo de hombre.

¿Por qué les dio esa instrucción? ¿Lo hizo porque su vida era perfecta? Para nada. Pablo les escribió desde prisión (Filipenses 1:7). ¿Fue porque sus lectores tenían una vida perfecta? Para nada. También fueron llamados a sufrir por Cristo (Filipenses 1:29). ¿Lo hizo porque creó una nueva doctrina donde Dios los apartaría del dolor? Para nada. Pablo quería ser partícipe de los sufrimientos de Cristo y ser como Jesús en su muerte (Filipenses 3:10-11). ¿Lo hizo porque vivía fuera de la realidad y era un optimista efervescente? Para nada. Él vio la depravación de la humanidad con gran claridad y sabía que la ira de Dios se revela contra toda impiedad e injusticia (Romanos 1:18; Romanos 1-3; Romanos 3:10).

Sin embargo, Pablo quería que se regocijaran. Su fundador estaba en la cárcel, pero ellos debían regocijarse. La misión global de Cristo se encuentra constantemente en conflicto, pero debemos regocijarnos. La vida con Cristo incluye participar en cargar su cruz, y aun así regocijarnos. El mundo se encuentra roto, apartado del evangelio, y bajo la ira de Dios, pero la iglesia debe regocijarse.

¿Cómo es esto posible? ¿Cómo es que los creyentes, viviendo en un mundo roto y corrupto, rodeados de dolor y corazones rotos, debemos regocijarnos? ¿Cómo es que a las personas que Cristo llama a vivir una vida de sufrimiento debe tener gozo también? (Mateo 5:4)

Aquí hay unas sugerencias para ayudar a los creyentes de la actualidad a regocijarse aun en medio de todo el caos y agonía.

sigue leyendo

***

How to Rejoice Always in Ministry

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

What kind of wild man tells a group of people to rejoice at all times? To always, in the Lord, celebrate? The Apostle Paul was that kind of man.

But why did he instruct them this way? Was it because he’d lived the high life? Not at all. He wrote from a prison cell (Philippians 1:7). Was it because his readers were living the high life? Not at all. They were also called to suffer for Christ’s sake (Philippians 1:29). Was it because he was creating a new doctrine that God would keep them from any pain? Not at all. He wanted to share in Christ’s sufferings and become like Jesus in death (Philippians 3:10-11). Was it because he was out of touch with reality, an effervescent optimist? Not at all. He saw the depravity of humanity more clearly than anyone and knew the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness (Romans 1:18; Romans 1-3; Romans 3:10).

But Paul wanted them to rejoice. Their founder was in prison, but they should rejoice. The mission of Christ is constantly in conflict, but they should rejoice. Life with Christ is one which includes partaking of His cross, but they should rejoice. The world is broken, outside the gospel, and under God’s wrath, but they should rejoice.

How is this possible? How can believers, living in a broken and corrupted world, surrounded by heartache and pain, rejoice? How can people Christ calls to a life of mourning (Matthew 5:4) also have joy?

What follows are a few suggestions to help modern believers, amid chaos and agony, to rejoice.

Continue Reading

_{Also meet Denisa Stanciu who manages our Romanian site: Calvary.ro!}

Dear CGN,

Calvary Chapel Jinja would like to express our deepest gratitude for your generous contribution towards COVID-19 relief to Calvary Chapel Jinja and the church members. Your donation was very helpful and timely to the church members and the community. It helped the continuity of our commitment to serving the community and church members. This would have not been accomplished without your act of generosity in support through the church.

As it’s said, “God is never too late to respond,” this relief came at a time when it was most needed.

Below is a highlight of how the donation was utilized:

Click here to read the full report

The picture above is of a few boys, John and Johnde, from our fellowship at CC U-Turn for Christ, Lalawigan. They belong to a family of seven from our fellowship of whom five are blind and their father has passed away. These young men were studying massage therapy as a livelihood, at a special school in Cebu. When the pandemic hit Cebu City particularly hard, they were abandoned and forced into boarding in a community without care.

However, the two boys in their 20s proved very resourceful. We stayed in communication and were able to help them, and bring them home. The breaks came with the CGN gift. We secured their travel back to Samar. Now they are in quarantine and will return home. Their home is near our bible college, they will live and study ministry with us, at least until they can return to the blind learning project. They play music and are part of the worship team. That is from the support of CGN.

I can’t thank you enough, you and the CGN staff are a complete blessing, especially at this time.

“Not that I speak in regard to need, because I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

The Philippines is still on tight and rigid restrictions from the spread of the dreadful COVID-19. People are unable to travel at all, which is slightly different from things in the states. I have not visited the other Calvary Fellowships since March.

We are not allowed to travel outside of the local areas because of the fear of the local spread of infection. That had made things very difficult in many ways. My son, Gerry, is a student at a Christian school in Murrieta, CA. He is a senior, and we have not seen him for over a year. He would normally travel for summer vacation but was not allowed this year.

But mostly, thanks and the Lord continue to work through your ministry.

God Bless!

Ron Brown

U-Turn for Christ Team Representative

Learn More About the CGN Church Relief Fund

Preamble

In response to the historic, present, and ongoing discrimination against people of color in the United States of America (USA), which has been too often enabled and supported by professing followers of Jesus, the Calvary Global Network (CGN) Executive Leadership Team offers this statement on racism.

Section 1. Beliefs & Acknowledgments

Definition of Terms

Beliefs: As used in this statement, represent facts, attitudes, words, truth-claims, and/or actions, which we support and advocate for, as the CGN Executive Team.

Acknowledgments: As used in this statement, refer to historical facts, attitudes, words, truth-claims, and/or actions, which we believe are reality, but which we DO NOT necessarily support or advocate.

Please read each Belief, Acknowledgment, and Commitment closely and in their entirety with the above definitions in mind.

1. Human Dignity

• We BELIEVE that the Triune God created all people with equal value, dignity, and worth (Gen. 1:26-28; Acts 17:26-27, ESV et al).

2. God’s Omni-benevolence

• We BELIEVE that all people are universally loved and pursued by God, and are the object of His plan of redemption (Jn. 3:16; Acts 2:5-12; Rev. 7:9).

3. Kingdom Diversity

• We BELIEVE that all people are essential for the fullest expression of the beauty of the multicultural, multiethnic, multicolored, universal body of Christ (Eph. 2:11-22; Rev. 7:9).

• We BELIEVE that the ultimate goal of God’s redemptive mission is His peaceful rule with and over a unified, multicultural, multiethnic, multicolored people (Jn. 10:16; Rev. 9:7; 21:1-22:5).

4. Member Equality

• We BELIEVE people of color should be embraced as full, equal members, and essential leaders in the local church, and that our local church leadership, teachers, preachers, conferences, and corporate worship experiences should wonderfully reflect this belief.

5. Inaccurate Biblical Interpretation

• We BELIEVE that while much of the biblical accounts revolve around or take place in the context of indentured servitude, slavery, or forms of oppression, the Bible nonetheless condemns all forms of racism, bigotry, oppression, and exploitation as sin—and that Jesus put hatred on par with murder (Lk. 10:25-37; Jn. 4:1-10; Philemon).

• We ACKNOWLEDGE that many professing Christians have misused the Bible to support racist ideologies and actions at a personal, institutional, and societal level. This misuse of Scripture, and actions resulting from such hermeneutical inaccuracy, has led to the pain of many people, and the defamation of the Name, gospel, and church of Jesus Christ in the USA, and the world (Ez. 36:23; Rom. 2:24).

6. Institutional Racism

• We acknowledge racism has been an element within American history from the beginning. From the legal enslavement of black Africans to the “Jim Crow” laws and state-sponsored segregation, racism has embedded itself in many of our institutions. Sadly, the church has not been guiltless in this matter. American church history has been tragically marred by many examples of complicity with the racist policies of the state being followed by the church. Segregated congregations are a historic example of the evil presence of racism within the church.

Section 2. Commitments

In the gospel, the people of God have every motivation and power to lead the way in pursuing the relational, civic, institutional, social, and ecclesiological transformation that the world desperately needs.

As a collective voice, we believe displaying the glory and power of God in confronting and turning from racism in our personal lives, relationships, local churches, and communities in the USA, will require at least the following biblical commitments by professing Christians:

1. Gospel-centered Transformation

• We must commit, by God’s grace, to pursuing gospel-centered equality in our beliefs, attitudes, actions, words, families, personal relationships, communities, and churches.

The message of the biblical gospel is that God loves and seeks to redeem all the peoples of the world through Christ. The love of God displayed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the world’s ultimate hope of reconciliation and the highest affirmation of the dignity of every human. Therefore, the church must prioritize the verbal proclamation and relational demonstration of the transformative power of the biblical gospel (Gal. 3:28).

• We must commit, by God’s grace, to continually realign our hearts with the gospel, to root out any trace of racism in our attitudes, words, and deeds, with the help of God’s Spirit (Matt. 22:27-30; Gal. 3:28).

2. Self-reflection

• We must commit, by God’s grace, to engaging in collective and individual self-reflection before the Lord in prayer, petitioning Him to, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24).

3. Intentional Listening

• We must commit, by God’s grace, to being “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,” as we listen to the experiences and history of people of color in the United States, “for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (Js. 1:19b).

4. Humble Repentance

• We must commit to, privately and publicly, confess and take responsibility for our personal, generational, and ecclesiological involvement in Christian-supported racism in American history (Dan. 9:1-19).

5. Faithful Witness

• We must commit to glorifying God’s Name, word, and gospel, by modeling the words and ways of Jesus. We acknowledge that the reputation of God and the name of Jesus have been maligned in society, specifically due to the racist words, attitudes, and actions of some professing Christians. We commit to changing this reality wherever we have influence (Acts 1:8; Rom. 2:24).

Section 3. Concluding Remarks + Disclaimer

Because the appropriate application of the above commitments will be as diverse as the relationships, experiences, and people reading this statement, they have been written in such a way as to promote reflection and the embrace of principles, rather than directing specific actions.

This statement does not, by definition or intention, represent the convictions or perspectives of all Calvary Chapel or CGN leaders, churches, or members around the world, many of which reside outside the USA.

This statement intentionally reflects only the collective voice and unified spirit of the fifteen men who serve as the Executive Leadership Team of CGN on the sin of racism.

This statement does and is intended to represent a call to all Calvary Chapel and CGN leaders to prayer, corporate and self-reflection, and where necessary and appropriate, repentance regarding the sin of racism.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Rev. 7:9-10).

^{CGN Executive Leadership Team Signatures}

^{Brian Brodersen, Kellen Criswell, Ray Bentley, Char Brodersen, Aaron Campbell, Richard Cimino, Jeff Gipe, Nate Holdridge, Phil Metzger, Mike Neglia, Derek Neider, Jordan Taylor, Wayne Taylor, Josh Turansky, Joel Turner}

CGN Members Signatures

_{John Hwang
Nick Cady
Aaron Salvato
Erik Brand
Patricia Arena
Cory Emery
Andrew Rann
Oscar LaSalle
Andrew Enos
Steve Bunnell
David Sharp
Deirdre Keating
Charlotte F. Kelly
Keilah Gaviria
Steve Vandalen
Ethan Moreno
Jevon Washington
Earl Buchan
Brian Kelly
Kathy Gilbert
Joe Gamez
Juana Cuzco
Eric Tharaldson
John Rozier
Daniel Moreno
Michael Mcdonald
Elizabeth Walker
Charise Christianson
Hourik Kazarian
Richard Ortiz
Rachel Escalante
Pete Jansen
Joey Ellis
David Toro
Silas Coellner
Michelle Bannister
Talisa Rogers
Rebekah Adams
Dana Haukoos
Kris Haukoos
Kory Gaviria
Allen Rigg
Amy Stultz
Vincent Proffit
Jim Hespe
Michael Dente
Ken Cowpar
Jon Langley
Steve Snook
Jesse Wallace
David Greer
Solomon Smart
Shirley Bunnell
Bryan Henderson
Travis Spencer
Hilary Flook-Jurekovic
Gunther Kriwinski
Peter Voorhees
Michael Payne
Wavey Cowpar
Joshua Erdtsieck
Benjamin Morrison
Ted Leavenworth
Nathan Jeffers
Kyle Rosetta
Jennifer Tichy
Kyle Vaughn
Jesse Claycamp
Rob Woodrum
Dustin Whitson
Cathy Love
Charles Wandalo
Martha Frazier
Luke Glowacz
Shaunice Aikoo
Brent Smith
Aaran Green
Paul Blundell
Kristine Lacanlale
Marlon Brown
Britt Taylor
Hannah Colt
Hans Stoop
Tyler Gipe
David Yardley
Lindsay Gipe}

_{FaithWake
Andrew Amargo
Cindy Salas
Robert Lucas
Jim Hein
Tyler Moyer
Romy Godding
Laney Smallwood
Cody Nunes
Thales Wake}