And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way. – Isaiah 35:8

For many years a favorite summer get-away has been property belonging to Melissa’s family in the Adirondack Mountains. It is a peaceful and beautiful spot — 45 acres bordering state and county land which will remain “forever wild,” containing much to see and explore.

For many years there were only two ways of getting to different places on the property. The first was to stumble blindly through thick brush and woods. This approach might lead to the desired location, but not without a good deal of trial, error, and frustration. The second option was to follow one of the trails which Melissa’s father had cut and maintained over the years. These provided a discernible and direct pathway to where you wanted to go. The trails were the preferable option, for they provided a clear pathway to follow and the ability to mark one’s progress toward the destination.

Pathways provide intentional ways of getting from one place to another. They are helpful in finding our way through the woods. Pathways are also important for growing in our life in Jesus Christ.

For the last year and a half, Calvary Church has been focused on the “irreducible core” of Christian faith and life, which can be summed up as Loving God, Loving Others, and Making Disciples. This is an admirable and Biblical vision. The question remains “How do we get there?” Simply agreeing that these are good ideas won’t make it happen. Doing the same things we’ve always done won’t make it happen. Even prayer (by itself) won’t make it happen. We must, instead, become intentional in creating pathways to move us from where we are now to where God wants us to be.

The Vision One Team (Joan Lawson, Cathy Perrill, Bill & Katy Lee, Rick Wezowicz, Jim Markey and I) was appointed by session and charged with this task. Over the last nine months, the team worked with Rev. Keith Tolley from Vision New England to discern how Calvary Church can move into the future God has for us. In this time, the team has:

• Developed a vision statement reflecting our call to Love God, Love Others & Make Disciples. This was approved by the session and will be introduced in the fall as the focus of the 2015-16 program year.
• Designed and implemented our Advent and Lenten focus, which sought to encourage personal and one-on-one spiritual practices.
• Coordinated and planned follow-up to the “Disciples Making Disciples” workshop.
• Spent time discerning: (1) what God wants us to know, (2) what God wants us to do, and (3) who God wants us to become in each facet of our new vision.

The Vision One Team will be meeting throughout the summer to design the “pathways” which will encourage Calvary Church to grow together in becoming the people God calls us to be both individually and corporately. We will be designing a plan for the program year intended to integrate that vision into the whole life of Calvary Church.

Please pray for us! Ask the Lord to provide the insight, inspiration, wisdom and resources to carry this out. Most of all, pray that Jesus would be glorified as we become more closely the church we are called to be.

Grace & Peace,
Pastor Steve