The Jerusalem Project is a ministry of Calvary Church working to advance Christ’s church. Centered on Jesus’ promise that the Gospel would be carried from Jerusalem to the four corners of the earth through the work of local churches (Matthew 28:16-20), the Jerusalem Project partners with established churches, trains church leaders and plants new churches.
News
This past Sunday, our worship service was planned with the assistance of the members of the Leadership Development Forum (LDF). It was a blessing to have many of them also participate in the service. A part of the Train Branch of the Jerusalem Project, LDF “prepares godly leaders who are equipped to serve the local church.”
Men and women are invited to participate in a cohort for two
years where they are mentored, encouraged to practice spiritual disciplines, taught practical
leadership skills and provided with a biblical view of spiritual leadership.
Read about Christ Church Townsend in the newest edition of Calvary Life! Hear the story of this new church plant and ways that you can continue to pray for them especially as the church launches on Easter Sunday, April 9.
Join us in celebrating a recent conference held for pastors and their spouses with our partners in the UAE. Participating in the overnight retreat were 30 pastors and 16 pastors’ wives, representing 10 countries and 12 different language groups: United States, Canada (English), Nepal (Nepalese), Sri Lanka (Sinhalese), Brazil (Portuguese), Pakistan (Urdu), Philippines (Tagalog), South Africa (Afrikaans), Egypt (Arabic), India (Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada).
Out of this first event, fellowship groups for pastors and pastors’ wives have formed that will continue to help these pastors encourage and support each other.
One pastor remarked “We were nourished in every way, spiritually by the Bible teaching and discussion sessions, physically by the abundance of food and overnight accommodations, and best of all, socially, by all the wonderful interactions together. What a blessing!”
Enjoy more pictures of the group in Israel! 1. Sitting in the place where Jesus promised to build his church. 2. At Caesarea the port city on the Mediterranean Sea where men and women took the Gospel to the rest of the known world. 3. The women standing by the fields of Bethlehem.
Give
- Online at mycalvarygr.org
- Text “Jerusalem” and the amount you’d like to give to 616-294-0700
- In Person by designating an offering to the Jerusalem Project. Envelopes are available in the Sanctuary. You can also mail your gift to: PO Box 1600, Grand Rapids MI 49501
Pray
Contact Chris Snedeker to be added to our prayer list, emailed monthly.
What Does the Jerusalem Project Do?
Partner
The Jerusalem Project partners with local churches as we work together to reach communities with the gospel.
Train
Thriving churches need mature, godly leaders. The Jerusalem Project provides training and resources to equip leaders to serve in a local church.
Plant
Planting new churches is a strategic way that the Jerusalem Project follows Christ’s mandate to take the gospel message to the world.
Learn More
Calvary Church has a long history of partnering with local congregations, training church leaders and planting new churches.
Despite the good work that was accomplished it became evident that coordinating many of these initiatives might strengthen our efforts.
In 2018, the Jerusalem Project was created with three interconnected branches that work together to advance Christ’s Church. The three branches of the Jerusalem Project are:
- Partnering with established churches (Acts 18:18-23)
- Training church leaders (Acts 18:24-28)
- Planting new churches (Acts 18:1-17)
Motivation: Love
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul speaks about planting the church in Thessaloniki and he writes that he was motivated to serve them with the same love and intense longing that mothers and fathers have for their children. His focus was not on earthly accolades, but on the reward of seeing those believers on the day when Christ returns.
As the Jerusalem Project serves other churches, it is out of love for Christ and the desire to imitate Paul as he encouraged, comforted and urged the church at Thessaloniki “to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (I Thessalonians 2:12).
Mindset: Mercy
In Obadiah, God is angry with Edom because they did not help Judah even as Judah was being sent into captivity for their sins. In Lamentations, God both promises to punish Judah for their rebellion and reminds them that his mercies are new every morning, and that he will never reject his people forever.
As the Jerusalem Project comes alongside other churches, our mindset is to be merciful to them as God has been merciful to us. We realize God is calling us to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8).
Mystery: The Church as God’s Dwelling Place
With the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the giving of the Holy Spirit, the church is the place where God dwells among his people by his Spirit. It is the place where the fulness of God is found.
This mystery is the foundational reason the Jerusalem Project focuses on the local church and the desire of our heart is Psalm 84, “How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” (Psalm 84:1, 4).