Advertise on podcast: Calvary Life

How does Calvary decide which ministries, missionaries, and organizations to support? In this episode of Calvary Life, Charles, Paul, and Tommy discuss the thinking behind Calvary’s strategic partnerships and why theological and ministry alignment matters. They walk through the different levels of partnership—from broad Christian cooperation to deeply invested relationships involving church planting, pastoral training, financial support, and sending missionaries. The conversation also explores the questions Calvary asks when evaluating potential partners: Is the gospel clear? What do they believe? What role does the local church play in their ministry? What are they actually seeking to accomplish? And can they be trusted with the people and resources God has given us? Along the way, they discuss the Cooperative Program, partnerships beyond the Southern Baptist Convention, the importance of personal relationships, and Calvary’s desire to see more of its own members equipped and sent to serve locally and around the world. Ultimately, strategic partnerships are about more than supporting good causes. They are about stewarding Calvary’s resources faithfully, strengthening healthy churches, advancing the gospel, and preparing people to go.

What five books would you want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island? In this episode of Calvary Life, Charles, Paul, and Justin tackle that question—and quickly discover that choosing only five books is harder than it sounds. Their lists range from the extremely practical How to Stay Alive in the Woods to classic fiction like The Lord of the Rings, Pilgrim’s Progress, The Brothers Karamazov, The Screwtape Letters, Shakespeare, and even Skipping Christmas. They also venture into some much heavier reading: Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics, the works of Jonathan Edwards, Augustine’s Confessions, Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, the complete works of Tacitus, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Stephen Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God, and theological resources from Wayne Grudem and John Calvin’s Institutes. And, of course, someone even brings a hymnal. Along the way, the conversation moves beyond favorite books to a bigger question: Why does reading matter for Christians? They discuss building a personal library, choosing trustworthy resources, training ourselves to read in a distracted age, and remembering that while no other book replaces Scripture, good books can help us think carefully, grow spiritually, and better understand the world around us. So grab a book—and maybe a survival guide—and join the conversation.

Why does the church observe the Lord’s Supper, and what does it actually mean when we gather around the table? In this episode of Calvary Life, Charles and Paul discuss the biblical meaning and practice of the Lord’s Supper. They explore its connection to baptism, church membership, accountability, and church discipline, while explaining why communion is more than a private moment between an individual and God. The conversation also considers who should participate, the importance of self-examination, how often the Lord’s Supper should be observed, and why the way a church practices communion matters. Ultimately, the Lord’s Supper points us back to the death and resurrection of Christ, reminds us that we belong to one another as His people, and directs our hope forward to the day when we will fellowship with Christ at His table forever.

What does a healthy deacon ministry actually look like? On this week’s episode of Calvary Life, Charles sits down with our new Deacon Chairman, Joseph Parden, to talk about the biblical role of deacons and how that ministry is lived out at Calvary. They discuss the relationship between elders and deacons, what makes a biblically healthy deacon body, recent changes to Calvary’s deacon ministry, and three words that capture the heart of the role: Serve. Lead. Support.

Church plant update with East Avenue Baptist Church pastor Zach Daniels