Archive for July, 2010

Every Sunday in July is a special Sunday!  This year we had Patriotic Sunday on July 4, Inflatable Sunday on July 11, and Carnival Sunday on July 18.  Take a look at these pictures from the watermelon seed-spitting contest we had after services on Patriotic Sunday!

Our concerns relating to a 1,300 person mosque being proposed within a few feet of our church building have been briefly, publically aired. As a result we have received many comments. Most have been encouraging and supportive. Some have been of opposing views, but civil. Then others have been vitriolic. We have been called bigots, racists, hypocrites and intolerant by this last group. It is surprising to me how intolerant these who preach tolerance are of views which are different from their own.

Our reasons for opposing this mosque are two-fold. First, the location is wholly inadequate. There are about 1-2 usable acres on this plot because the back half is a steep hill with houses at the top, and the front half is in the flood plain. Their 25,000 sq. ft. mosque would have to be built looming over our church building. A building that size requires over 430 parking spaces. This is absolutely impossible to provide on their available space. A commercial parking structure of 4 to 6 stories would have to be erected in this rural residential area. Our property shares a 1,000 ft. boundary with the acreage they have bought next to us. This puts 2 groups with very different positions in a setting that cannot help but be confrontational. This group has sponsored rallies in this area that I would characterize as anti-Israel. We support Israel’s right to exist. Typically, we see mosques broadcasting their 5 daily calls to prayer over loud speakers. Although this may not initially happen, our concern is that it will.

Our secondary issue is regarding Islam itself. Wherever Islam is dominant, we see very different conditions, and we find widespread persecution against Christians. When we see the reports and read the accounts of the results of Sharia law, we certainly find ample cause to oppose the spread of Islam. There are certainly plenty of people who oppose any spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In America, we still have the freedom of speech to do that. Islamic law does not provide that blessed freedom.

General contractor and Calvary Baptist Church member Gary Center, who was instrumental in the recent completion of each phase of the church’s major building additions and renovation, has recently begun consulting churches and ministry leaders in the area of construction.  While many individuals are at times overwhelmed in the leadership of their respective churches, especially new church plants, Gary’s expertise has been used to ease the burden of dealing with city officials, drawing up plans, hiring the right contractors, and much more. If you have any questions about this ministry, please call us at (951) 676-8700 or click here to contact us.

Every Thursday and Friday evening, certified men from Calvary Baptist Church hold church services with detainees in the Riverside County Jail, about five miles northwest of the church.   The Lord has blessed this ministry and added members to the church through the years of investment on the part of God’s people.  If you have any questions about this ministry, please call us at (951) 676-8700 or click here to contact us.

Teens and Juniors will be leaving Monday morning from the church and returning Saturday evening to the church.

July 26 – 31

Thank you for visiting our website! We’re very excited about the possibilities that our website holds, and we cannot wait to implement many new ideas for different pages. Very soon you will be able to get regular updates from ministry leaders, see the pictures and videos from the latest events, read the details on upcoming events, and much more! Check back often as this new ministry grows and grows, and, as always, let us know if you have any questions.