Youth Ministry

Welcome to the Youth page for Calvary Assembly's Student Ministries! Here you will find information as to what to expect from our weekly youth gatherings, a calendar of events, a Parents Corner, and other exciting opportunities to be a part of.

We meet on Wednesday evenings at 7pm and Sunday mornings at 9am and 10:45am. Come ready to learn and have a great time!

Also, be sure to check us out on Facebook!

Why the name, "Second"?

"Second" is the brand new name for Calvary Assembly's Youth Group. The word second has many implications for our young people.

1. The Greatest Commandment (Love God, Love Others)

When Jesus was being trapped by the religious leaders of his day to try and pick a command that was the most important of all the commands, Jesus responded by saying that we should love God with every part of our being. He immediately followed this response by saying the second command is just like it, to love our neighbor as ourselves. We believe that loving God requires loving other people, and to put ourselves second to both God and others.

2. People of the Second Chance (Grace Givers)

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone fails. The great news is that God gives us a second chance and gives us new life when we ask him to be the leader of our lives. Because Jesus has given us a second chance, we believe we should be people who offer the same sort of forgiveness and reconciliation that He has exemplified for us. Second is known for being people who give ridiculous amounts of grace towards people.

3. Stewards of our "Seconds" (Our Time)

We understand that we have a limited time in our lives. We desire to be people who intentionally use our time, not wasting any seconds. Second wants people who come to know and love God, show others the freedom He offers, and follow Jesus' way.

4. Second Place (Humility)

Finally, we believe that we are second place to God. There is only One who deserves first place, and desire to promote a humility that says we do not have all the answers, but desire to use our gifts to propel Jesus' name forward.

What to Expect on Wednesday Nights

What do you teach? Are your youth gatherings just glorified babysitting nights? Why should my kid be involved in one more night out?

All of these are very useful questions and questions that are frequently asked by the parents of students exploring our group. First off, you can see some of our videos over at the Calvary blog to get a better understanding of our community, or you can contact Jonathan (the youth pastor) directly at Jonathan@rcalvary.org. He would love to get to talk to you and answer your questions one on one, as well as get to know you and your faith story.

To give you an overview, our teachings are based out of the Bible, which we believe to be God-breathed and useful for our lives today. This is not just an opportunity for hanging out with a few friends whose parents go to church here, but instead is a time for intentional fellowship and games with one another, a time for teaching, a time for prayer, and a time to ask questions about faith issues in our lives. We try to tackle issues that are engaging and that we are dealing with in our present culture, whether it be issues at school, how to follow God more consistently, or why any of this matters. On Wednesday nights, we watch video clips, learn from engaging teaching, take time to pray together or individually, and reflect on how we can become closer with our God. If you have never come, we encourage you to check it out!

Check it out on Wednesday's at 7pm or give Jonathan a call for more questions @ 889.0190.

Parents Corner

Here is where you can find information as to the events, teachings, articles on youth culture, or explanations for why things are happening like they are.
If you are not on the email list for youth updates, please send an email to Jonathan@rcalvary.org to be added to the list. If you do not use email, check out the main Calvary calendar to see what is happening.

Upcoming Events:

Upper Room

Welcome to Upper Room - Calvary's Young Adult Ministry.

We are a group of college age and twenty-somethings who have become a family. Most of us attend Calvary Assembly, but some of us come from nearby colleges.

Either way, we love to grow deeper, have fun, and enjoy some conversation and some Chai...

Upper Room Young Adult Ministry

Upper Room typically meets twice a month on Sunday evenings during the school year. Our gatherings include times when we meet to dive into God's Word, listen to a guest speaker, or simply head out on a fun social event.

A typical evening for us starts off with coffee and conversation as we gather around the table and catch up on life. Then we dive into our discussion and God's Word for about 30-45 mins. We have an amazing group with an incredible desire to, not just sit back, but rather make a dent in our culture for the things on God's heart.

We usually end the evening with a fun game or activity and finish off any snacks that may have survived our first attack.

Once a month we get together for a fun outing with the simple goal of growing deeper in our relationships with each other. Whether it's going out to a movie or dessert, or having a backyard barbecue, we enjoy just getting together to have fun and grow deeper.

Upcoming Events:

Steve & Amy Otto

Steve & Amy Otto were both born in the Rochester area. Their paths crossed at Roberts Wesleyan and after dating for almost five years they were married in June of '99. Amy works as a Registered Nurse at Park Ridge Hospital, and Steve is on staff at Calvary Assembly as the Director of Volunteers & Communications. They enjoy providing Wedding Entertainment and spending time with their two children, Hannah & Jacob.

Steve & Amy have a passion for working with Young Adults. "It's an incredible time in your life when you find yourself facing decisions that will impact the rest of your life. We love the honesty and passion we find in Young Adults. They are not afraid to ask the tough questions, and they are so eager to find their place serving God in this world."

Contact

Have a question about Upper Room, or need to talk to somebody? You can contact Steve @ 585.247.8120 or Amy @ 585.764.6100 or reach us by email at upperroom@rcalvary.org

If you have other general inquiries or prayer requests, please use the forms found here.

Worship Arts Ministry

The worship arts ministry at Calvary Assembly exists to assist in creating an atmosphere for people to easily connect with our Creator. We primarily worship God on Sunday mornings through the form of song, but we firmly believe that worship is the way that you live your life. A worshipful lifestyle is one that exemplifies the Kingdom of God and Jesus' way. Our worship team desires to love God and love others, the two greatest commandments we've ever received.

Favorite Worship Songs

We like to do a variety of songs from a variety of styles, but we primarily use a band each Sunday for our gatherings. Some of our typical songs are listed below to give you a taste of the songs we enjoy worshipping to each week. They are also linked to iTunes from popular artists if you would like to download them.

Amazed	YouTube	iTunes
From the Inside Out	YouTube	iTunes
How Great Is Our God	YouTube	iTunes
I Have a Hope	YouTube	iTunes
Jesus Paid it All	YouTube	iTunes
Mighty to Save	YouTube	iTunes
Your Name	YouTube	iTunes

Interested in Joining?

We are so glad you are exploring whether serving in the worship arts ministry is something you are being lead to participate in. We are very serious about pouring out hearts into a life of worship, sharing of God's love and being an active participant in His Kingdom. It's also important to know that we are very serious about having a good time.

We are open to a variety of instruments (even unique ones!) from a variety of players, ages, and talent levels. We are always excited to have new people serving and we always have a need!

To learn more information about exploring your musical gifts, please contact Jonathan.

What To Expect

Worship rehearsals take place on Thursday nights from 7-9pm and song/sound check begins at 8:20a.m. on Sunday morning to prepare for the 9a.m. and 10:45a.m. services.

Our worship rehearsals are both efficient and enjoyable. We laugh way too much, but also have very serious moments of connecting with God and praising His name together.

We also take time at each rehearsal to pray with one another, and have a great community of musicians who encourage each other. Sometimes there is a devotional, but generally team members share how they are doing, and how they are seeing God throughout their week.

Don't hesitate to begin exploring if Calvary Assembly Worship Arts is a fit for you!

Contact Jonathan.

Scheduling Expectations:
Each team member has different availability and commitment levels to our team. We understand and are respectful of other responsibilities, vacations, etc. Generally, each team member rotates through approximately every three weeks, but is pendent upon how many other players or singers are in our rotation.

Submitting New Song Suggestions

There are so many fantastic worship songs out there. It is hard to get to all of them, even though for many of us, it is a joy to sing songs to our loving God who paid the ultimate sacrifice for each of us. At Calvary Assembly, we introduce about one new song per month, so that people will be familiar with the melodies and enjoy greater freedom to connect with God. Because of this, it is hard to accommodate everyone's request, but our worship leader (Jonathan) is always looking for new songs that will connect God's message with the theme of the morning or some Biblical truth. If you would like to submit a song, please email an .mp3 of the song to Jonathan@rcalvary.org. If you can find an online link of the song, that works great as well. We appreciates your involvement and desire to see new songs that we can praise His wonderful name together!