Pastor Allen's Blog

Relief Team Trip Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Hardcastle) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:11:00 +0000

The team left Thursday morning and returned on Saturday. Here are some of their reports sent back from the field by Asst. Pastor Darren Brock via his iPhone.

9/18 4:46PM

Arrived safely, while unloading, Jane from High Pointe, tripped over the caution tape, hit her head on concrete. Ambulance is here. Will update as I know more.

9/18 7:48PM
Jane fell, broke her arm, and is in a near bye hospital. Lots of families being served food tonight. Approx 300 for dinner.

Lots of ministry

First work day for the Calvary team starts at 8 am

Sched:
7:00. Breakfast
8:00. Devotions
8:30. Crew deployment
12:00. Lunch
1:00. Crew deployment
6:00. Dinner

We'll have 2 teams. Few staying at the camp to clean and serve. Several going to the fields for work

9/19 8:09AM
Everybody slept ok, we're preparing to go out to homes and do some work... Just kind of hangin now...power is on all around the church... Hopefully the church will get power today. La Habra is still here, Chino Hills is going home today, South Denver and Corpus are coming. More later....

9/19 12:22PM
Just got back from field. Removed trees from road ways in Alvin, covered roofs and garages in very hard hit areas. Over 300 requests in this area, we are able to service about a quarter of them... Having lunch now, will go back out around 1:30... Pray for us. Heard from Jane and Jack. Jane broke her elbow, they are back in Austin seeing some doctors. D

Home Base \ Feeding Area and a Night Worship Pic

Ike Relief Team Departs

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Hardcastle) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:43:00 +0000

This afternoon, we sent off the relief team. It was awesome to pray and send a team of 11 adults and a couple of kids to Houston. Charlie and Laura Goff are owners of Mr. Appliance and former members of Calvary Austin. They brought their mobile home and large trailer to transport the supplies to Houston. We had 3 churches represented - from Calvary Austin, Pastor Darren Brock, Marlena McConnell, Greg Alvarez, Chandra Lewis (sons James and Sean); from Calvary South Austin, Stella Smith; from High Pointe, Jack and Jane Gainder. Very cool! We had supplies dropped off from a variety of people and churches, that filled the trailer.

The team will be spending the next two nights at Calvary Houston in their make-shift dorms, and providing support to the teams there in a number of ways, as well as traveling out and providing help to homeowners in the area. Check out the photos on our site and on Calvary Houston's homepage. You can contribute to them from their site. At this point, that may be the most helpful thing we can do.

This website has some great photos and coverage, to help you understand the devastation better click here.

Update Posted by : Mike Hardcastle, Executive Pastor

First Houston run

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:21:00 +0000

We put the call out Monday and you responded! Over about 24 hours, we collected enough non-perishable food, bottled water, and supplies to fill our 14-passenger van. A team of three delivered those supplies to Calvary Houston last night. They are still without power there but are feeding people twice a day with the help of a team from Calvary Chapel La Habra - Committed Relief - and Samaritan's Purse. Yesterday alone they fed about 1,400 people. We are still taking donations and are planning to send a team tomorrow to stay and volunteer through Saturday. Here is the broadcast email that we sent Monday:

Calvary Austin is organizing to support Hurricane Ike victims in the South Houston \ Bay Area. Our affiliate, Calvary Houston (www.calvaryh.org ) is positioned on the South side of Houston in the NASA area, and they are in immediate need. They are receiving lots of calls for a variety of needs, ranging from physical needs to help clear debris and trees, repair roofs, and the like, to provisions for food and water.

Calvary Austin is gathering and delivering supplies, and will send a relief team down to assist later this week. We want to extend the invitation to people (men & women) inside our church to contribute to this effort.
•    You can contribute food or supplies by dropping them off at the church.
•    You can send volunteers that are able to travel and work in Houston for a few days later this week.
•    You can contribute financially at Calvary Houston’s site (above)

Please be praying for the victims, and relief teams.

If you are interested, please respond as soon as possible.

Food \ Supplies Delivery
First Run Departing Tuesday 9/16 at 3pm from Calvary Austin
•    Delivery Times @ Calvary Austin
o    Monday until 8pm at the front door (drop off)
o    Tuesday until 3pm for first run, all other items will go in next run
o    Wednesday until 9pm
o    Thursday until 9am
•    Items Requested:
> Tarps/plastic coverings
> Chainsaws
> Gasoline cans/gas
> Generators
> Fan
> Bug spray
> Bibles
> AT&T wireless cards
> Refrigeration systems
> Bottled water
> Number 10 sized canned vegetables
> Beans
> Pasta
> Paper plates
> Napkins
> Plastic utensils
> Clam shells (to-go-style containers for food)

Relief Team
Send email to ike@calvaryaustin.com if you are interested and desire more communication or have questions. Include your contact info (phone, email, name)

•    Departing Thursday Time (TBD) and staying Thurs and Fri nights, returning Saturday
•    Activities would range from distribution, assisting in moving items, repairs, general labor, clearing debris,
       administrative, food prep\service, etc.
•    Both Men and Women are welcome and can be used
•    Would need to bring personal care items and bedding. Would be sleeping at the church. There is a men
       and women’s area created for privacy. May or may not have electricity. Showers are available.
•    Can travel in church van or bring your own vehicle.
Thank You.

Hurricane Ike

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:53:00 +0000

The Statesman has a list of volunteer opportunities in the community (click here).

We are also in touch with Calvary Houston and, depending on their needs, may be sending a team to Friendswood to help. If interested, please send an email to ike@calvaryaustin.com with your name, cell phone number, and a brief note about how you might be able to help.

Please also email us at the same address if you're willing to open your home to evacuees or if you have some time this week to assist us at the church office taking calls or running errands related to the relief effort.

***PLEASE NOTE*** If you emailed Sunday, September 14, before 3PM, please resend your information.

In transition

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:41:00 +0000

Sorry for lack of posts. Our website - including blogs, etc. - is in transition. Soon the site will be fully caffeinated again! In the meantime, find me on facebook.

Ives at Calvary this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:13:00 +0000

Ives, a modern rock band from No Cal, is leading worship all weekend at Calvary. Check out Ives' website. Click here for service times or here for directions. We're also starting the three-week series RE_think_fear. What are you afraid of?

Links

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:46:00 +0000

If you enjoyed Ronny Simon's presentation at Calvary Austin tonight, check out these links to a seminar he did for us in 2003.

To follow Calvary Austin's own Doug Van Pelt as he blogs from Uganda starting February 10, click here.

Ives will perform at Calvary Austin February 16-17. Check out their website here.

Phil Wickham this weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:52:00 +0000

Guest artist Phil Wickham is leading worship this weekend. Click here for times. Check out Phil's website and his myspace. Read Phil's blog.

Link to resource

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:20:00 +0000

We talked about lots of stuff in our services this last weekend. One of the things we talked about is why God would want us to wait until we're married to live together. I mentioned a resource published by Rutgers University. You can download the pdf here.

It's Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 16:23:00 +0000

I'm sitting in a corner at Starbucks putting the finishing touches on the weekend message. Christmas music is blaring from the speaker positioned strategically over my head. But it's all good because (1) I love it loud and (2) Christmas music makes me that nostalgic kind of happy.

This weekend we're doing all three regularly scheduled service times. We'll be talking about the original Christmas villain: King Herod. Herod made Grinch and Scrooge look like Cub Scouts. Calvary Chapel Magazine is sending a photographer to take photos for an article they're doing in 2008 about our church. So you have to come! We have to represent!

Then don't forget about Christmas Eve. We're offering two, identical, hour-long Christmas Eve services starting at 5:00PM and 6:30PM. Christmas music. Video. Brief message. Candle lighting Calvary-Austin-style. There will be no childcare. Everyone is invited into the auditorium for this special service!

1st Wednesday/Dedication Service

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:55:00 +0000

On the first Wednesday of each month, Calvary Austin gathers to remember Jesus by taking communion (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). We call it 1st Wednesday. This month there is an added element. As Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem to God some 3,000 years ago (1 Kings 8), we will dedicate our new worship space, too. Join us Wednesday, November 7, for . . .

Worship with Toby Walters
Video greeting from Chuck Smith
Dedication message and prayer
Communion
Buffalo-style chicken wings donated by Wingstop

There will be a celebration for the kids, too, with pizza, games, and a movie! I hope to see everyone who calls Calvary Austin their church home participate in this one-time event. It all starts at 7PM. Come early and stay late! Click here for location.

No-Excuse Weekend at Calvary!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:49:00 +0000

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. Don't forget to set your clock back one hour before you go to bed on Saturday. With all that extra sleep, you might even make it to first service on Sunday! Nice.

Grand Opening weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:35:00 +0000

So this weekend is our grand opening. We've met in our new worship space for the last two weeks but it was under the radar. Lots of tweaking still to be done. It could take several more weeks to address lighting and sound issues. But temperature shouldn't be a problem with installation this week of a new thermostat.

This weekend has been three-and-a-half years in the making! It was Spring '04 when we began talking about the need to build momentum toward a move north. To all who stuck with us through the ups and downs, I say thank you! To all who gave sacrificially toward and worked tirelessly on the new space, I say thank you! To our staff, our architect, and our general contractor, I say thank you!

On Wednesday, November 7, we'd like to have a 'dedication service' of sorts to recognize, by name, many who did so much to make this happen. Most of all we give God props! He put His desire for us into our hearts and then enabled us to accomplish it together. We'll never forget these experiences moving forward, trusting God for what we could not see.

This afternoon, between 4:30 and 5:00, I will be on The Word 99.3FM talking about how we got our new space and what a God-thing it was. Check it out!

1st Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:23:00 +0000

No 1st Wednesday this week. Will resume November 7. More to follow.

This IS it! It's a GO!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:32:00 +0000

This is it! We're meeting at our new worship space in Pflugerville this weekend! Join us for our first ever service in our new space Saturday at 6 p.m. or Sunday morning. Click here for all service times. Click here for directions. It's a go!

Is this it?

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:54:00 +0000

We are scheduled to begin meeting in our new worship space in Pflugerville this weekend! (Click here for location.)

Is this it?
Will we get a temporary permit this week?

Check back later this week to be sure.

Don't forget that, if we move, the first service in our new space will be Saturday evening! (Click here for service times.)

Last weekend I mentioned that a church called Diakonos will be moving into the space we're vacating in North Austin. To learn more about Diakonos, visit their website here.

One more weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:36:00 +0000

Only one more weekend in North Austin! We are scheduled to begin meeting at our new worship space in Pflugerville September 29-30 with our grand opening taking place two weeks later. If you missed our second Sonic-style video last weekend, watch them both here. This weekend we'll debut the third and last one. Click here for gatherings.

Two more weekends!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:32:00 +0000

Only two more weekends in North Austin! We are scheduled to begin meeting at our new worship space in Pflugerville September 29-30 with our grand opening taking place two weeks later. If you missed our Sonic-guys-style video last weekend, watch it here. This weekend we'll debut a new one. Click here for gatherings.

Three weekends to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:09:00 +0000

Only three more weekends in North Austin! We are scheduled to begin meeting at our new worship space in Pflugerville September 29-30 with our grand opening taking place two weeks later. Don't miss the next message in our Relocation series. At this weekend's gatherings, we'll be talking about David, king of Israel c. 1000 BC.

ONLY FOUR MORE WEEKENDS IN NORTH AUSTIN!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:42:00 +0000

We are often asked whether minors can volunteer to help us finish our new worship space in Pflugerville. That is so cool that families want to work together! Unfortunately, due to liability risks for our general contractor, volunteers at the new site must be 18 or above. But that's not the end of the story! There's much to be done to get the North Austin site ready for departure. Minors are welcome to volunteer to help pack the old site, etc.

Relocation as metaphor

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:41:00 +0000

Our current message-series, Relocation, is all about people dealing with wanted and unwanted change before, during, or after a move. So the idea is relocation as metaphor for change. We've received a number of questions about the metaphor or even how we chose the examples we did, etc.

So far we've talked about Abraham, Lot, and Joseph.

They departed from and arrived at different places.

Abraham relocated from Ur to Canaan.
Lot from Sodom to Zoar.
And Joseph from Canaan to Egypt.

They relocated under different circumstances.

Abraham had a choice.
Lot had little choice.
Joseph had no choice.

Abraham is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. Of the last 14 chapters of Genesis, Joseph's story takes up all but one. So, in a single message, we provide backstory but focus on some pivotal part of the story. For example, in Joseph's case, we presented his relocation to Egypt as backstory and focused on his pivotal interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams resulting in his relocation from prison to palace.

This weekend we get Moses who relocated several times.

Egypt to Midian
Midian to Egypt
Egypt to Canaan

The Egypt-Midian-Egypt part will be presented as backstory. We'll focus on the pivotal event that delayed the arrival at Canaan by decades. If you want to read ahead, you'll find the story in Numbers 13-14. See you at one of our weekend gatherings!

Miami

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:18:00 +0000

Spent the weekend in Florida. Was invited by Calvary Chapel Miami to speak at a singles retreat in Bonita Springs Friday and Saturday and to speak at the church in Miami Sunday morning. Had a great time. Saturday evening we were treated to authentic Cuban food at Versailles Restaurant and Bakery. Amazing! Loved it! After dinner, we sampled Cuban coffee at the bakery. It's like espresso and liquefied sugar cane. Instant caffeine and sugar buzz. Nice.

After a driving-tour of Miami and a great night's sleep, I shared the Abraham message from the Relocation series. There was one particularly poignant moment as I spoke Sunday morning. Several people in the audience wept as I described how hard it must have been for Abraham to consider leaving his extended family in Ur. These were people whose families fled Cuba. People who, all too often, had no choice but to leave loved ones behind. Loved ones they may or may not ever see again.

If you think of it, pray for these modern-day Abrahams and Sarahs. Pray that God would comfort them and that, God willing, they would one day soon be reunited with their loved ones. And pray for my new friends, Razz and Estelle Vazquez, who are doing such a great work in Miami.

Fastest growing large cities

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:11:00 +0000

Austin was recently identified as the third fastest growing large city in the United States. If you are one of the 19,000-plus who moved here last here, you probably know a thing or two about relocation stress. You can't relocate from one place to another without experiencing both wanted and unwanted change.

As our church prepares to move less than ten miles to our new worship space in Pflugerville, we've been thinking a lot about this. In a brainstorming session, members of our staff began throwing out names of men and women in the Bible who relocated. We stopped when we hit two dozen. Turns out the Bible is filled with the stories of people who discovered that there's transformation in relocation.

Join us as we begin our final message series before relocating from North Austin to Pflugerville. Each week we'll take a different person's story beginning with Abram in Genesis 12. Not only will this series prepare us to move north together but it will speak into each of our lives as we face wanted and unwanted change all the time.

Where the Streets Have No Name

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:58:00 +0000

A recent Gallup poll shows that four in five Americans believe in heaven. And heaven is a huge part of popular culture. Think of songs like "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys. Or "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton. Or "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2. What does the Bible say about our eternal home? That's what we're talking about this weekend as we conclude our message series revelation.

More momentum!

noreply@blogger.com (Allen Rigg) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:00:00 +0000

We are building momentum and, as a way of valuing our volunteers and updating everyone on the progress being made on our new worship space in Pflugerville, we showed a short video this weekend that you can watch here. If you'd like to give us even more momentum, you can volunteer here or give here. Stay tuned for announcements regarding our upcoming grand opening!