DREAMING GOD SIZED DREAMS: REBUILDING FAMILIES IN 53206
Address from Pastor Walton
Dear Members and Visitors to our Website:
Lenten Blessings to All…
Thank you for clicking on our Website. Calvary is a 130-year-old predominantly Black/African American Baptist church located in one of the ‘hoods of Milwaukee that still believes God cares.
As pastor and people, we believe that God cares about people. We believe that God cares about families. We believe that God cares about all ethnicities and societies and is not offended when ethnic cultures celebrate who they are in Christ Jesus. For example, I was not born a Christian. I was born a black boy in America. I learned about Jesus from my parents and family and accepted Him in a particular context, which, for me, happened to be Black and Baptist. We welcome all ethnicities, but our predominantly Black. As Milwaukee’s oldest Black Baptist Church (1895), that is our DNA.
Along with all other Christian communities, we believe that Jesus died, rose, and is coming back for His church - those who accept Him as Lord and Savior of their lives, regardless of ethnic background.
What fuels us? We are a biblically based church who loves Jesus and believes in Christian discipleship. We believe that Jesus is the sole way to the salvation of the soul. We also believe that Jesus wants us to be His disciples. Church membership and discipleship is not synonymous. Church membership is not salvation. Water Baptism is not salvation. Salvation is accepting Jesus, and discipleship is following Jesus daily. It’s that simple.
During Lent, we pause to walk with Jesus to Calvary. Resurrection Sunday (also known as Easter) takes on added significance when Lent is observed. So, please keep clicking on our site and, when you are able, join us in person for Worship. We would love to host you for Church School at 8:15 am; Worship at 9:30 am. Youth Church is 2nd and 4th Sundays.
As we walk with our Savior to Calvary, where He died for us, may we confess and repent of our sins so that Jesus Christ will be ever more alive in our personal and familial lives as His disciples.
On the Way to Calvary,
The Reverend Dr. John Richard Walton, Jr., D.Min, Senior Pastor
Calvary Baptist Church of Milwaukee
Reverend Dr. John Richard Walton, Jr.
The Reverend Doctor John Richard Walton, Jr. is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and has served as the senior pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church of Milwaukee for the last 22 years. Pastor Walton is well-respected and sought after as preacher, pastor to pastors, lecturer, and spiritual, biblical, and academic authority in the training and discipleship of deacons and church leadership.
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PRAYER DEVOTIONS:
March 2026 Focus:
Building our spiritual stamina through praise and focusing all our hope in Jesus.
Dear Calvary Members and Friends,
Let us pray with confidence and boldness knowing that He hears and is faithful.
God, Our Gracious and Loving Father,
We are thankful to You for embedding hope within us, the certain expectation that positive outcomes are destined for us. Lord, daily we find solace in Your unwavering love. Your love is the steadfast foundation that supports us, never faltering. Our hope and expectation for positive outcomes results from the love that You shower upon us each day. Also, it grows out of our gratitude and joy in Christ Jesus. It is in Him that we have the audacity to hope and expect great miracles in our lives, our communities, and our world. Even among our challenges and hardships, we are so grateful that we are anchored in Your love. Continue to fill us with hope, so we may begin each day with assurance and faith in You. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
Holy One and Divine Father,
Praise be to You, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In Your great mercy, You have given us a new birth in this new day and into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We praise You for who You are and are so thankful that You orchestrate everything for our good if we show You love through obedience to You and Your Word. You understand and know the depths of our souls . Thank You for Your presence, Your knowledge, Your care, and Your transformative power in our lives every day. We seek Your guidance to enlighten our perspective with Your Word, Your hope, and Your comfort, so we may face the intimidation and fear. Thank You for the renewed energy You provide as You strengthen and empower us, building up our stamina and perseverance to die to self and develop into our call as Your children. We praise and glorify You for daily supporting us, uplifting us, and rejuvenating us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Almighty and All Wise God,
Your goodness is infinite. You wrap us up in Your care and protection. Your love for us is unending. Today, we choose to pursue Your Will and Purpose for our lives for this day. Reveal to us in our inner most spirits Your nature and our identity in You. As we focus our hearts and minds on You, help us to recognize that we are constant recipients of Your grace, mercy, and solace. Thank You that we have alI that we need for this day and every day because You are Jehovah Jireh, our provider and Elohim, God of Power and Might. Everyday, lead us through Your Holy Spirit to realign our trust and hope in You through Your Word and prayer. Move away any distractions that try to block a growing desire praise and glorify you and be in Your Presence. Thank You that Your unfailing love will continue to be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sovereign Lord,
As we travail through out this week, we cannot neglect to thank You for the blessings of a new day and for new opportunities to live out this life as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to You. We praise You for Your Majesty and Greatness. We praise You because You are El Elyon, The Most High God. We praise You because when we are lovable and not so lovable in our eyes and in the eyes of the world, You see us as lovable, beautiful, and worthy. You know us body and soul. You know every motive, perception, thought, and action we take. When we fall, You are ready to pick us up. You are always ready to show us the right way to go, give us the right word to say, and give us direction for our lives. Lord, we raise up all those who do not know You and are struggling to find hope. May Your light shine through our lives, so we may be beacons of hope to uplift and point others to You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, God of our Laughter and Light,
When days are dark and dreary or when they are bright and illuminating, You are there. There is no place we can go where we can’t find You. Thank You! There is no circumstance or situation, we cannot bring to You. Thank You, Lord! We praise You because You are always there for us no matter what. Thank You that we can lay every question, doubt, decision, anything and everything at Your feet. Thank You that when we do not have the words to say that You know the innerworking of hearts. Thank You that we have a Savior, who lives forever, and is the lover of our souls. You are boundlessly good. Your love for us is perpetual. We are determined to seek out Your goodness today. Lord, grant us patience and trust to await Your perfect timing. Though we may not comprehend Your plan, we trust it is filled with hope and promise and designed specifically for our good. Help us to find peace in the certainty that Your ways surpass ours. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Dear God, our Jehovah Raah (The Lord Our Shepherd)
Today, we express gratitude for the hope You bestow, the confident belief that favorable things await us. Our life is better when we follow You in Your Word, come to You Prayer, and Meditate on Who You are and whose we are. Dear God, saturate us with the resilience and hope to navigate life's challenges and the work You have called us to do as Your children and Your church. Remind us that the cross was not convenient for Christ, and ministry and service will not always be convenient for us. Help us to remember that through You, all things are possible. There are times when we get off track and forget that serving You through the call You have placed on our lives is a gift and a privilege. When we get comfortable or want to change what You have called us to do as Your children and Your church, help us to remember that with great privilege comes great responsibility. Thank You that You trust us to go into all the world and make disciples to build up Your Kingdom on Earth. What a sacred trust! May we discover hope in Your presence and bravery in Your promises as we seek to fulfill our call in the midst of a world full of intimidation. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Abba Father,
We give thanks for instilling hope within us, the assured anticipation of good things to come. Your love is a foundation we can rely upon, and it never falters. Thank You for Your love and protection that has brought us through this week. Even in the face of adversities, we are secure in Your love. Enrich us with hope, that we may approach each day with confidence and reliance on You. Prepare our hearts and minds for corporate worship tomorrow. Bless every branch of Zion that seeks to lift up the name of Jesus and seeks to do Your Will in Your Way. Encourage every heart in mind, Lord. We lift up every man and woman of God who is preparing to give Your Word tomorrow. Send Your Holy Spirit forth to every service that will declare who Christ is and encourage congregations everywhere that seek to know and honor You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
