On June 11, Calvary Church of Valparaiso hosted its annual summer kickoff in downtown central park. The calvary student youth group helped park cars to raise money for their upcoming Alaska mission trip while the church band set up on the amphitheater stage. With their performance, Lead Teaching Pastor, Josh Reasoner, gave a 15-minute sermon about the best way to kick off the summer right.
“I really appreciate the community coming out to support the church and these kids. I am super thankful the community has helped to send these kids to Alaska, and I loved the huge turnout we had this year. It really made the event fun,” said youth group leader Aubrey Kurt.
With public events like these, people from all over the city attend. The church and the city of Valparaiso are super welcoming to their guests. The summer kickoff highlighted some of the many things Central Park has to offer.
“I ended up at this event with my friends and I was pleasantly surprised because this gave me a very different perspective on church gatherings and what the word “community” really means,” said Valparaiso community member Ryan Lang.
With all the support of community fundraising, the calvary student ministry will be flying to Alaska soon and its members are excited about this opportunity.
“I can’t wait, I have never been to Alaska before. I loved working with the community to make this possible,” stated Calvary student Mathilda Branbacka.
Calvary has three Sunday services, 8:15, 9:45, and 11:15, and is happy to welcome all newcomers.
“I really enjoy going to Calvary Church and am glad to see the church working with the community to grow. I just started going to Calvary this year and I am amazed at how fast it is to make friends in the Valparaiso Community,” said churchgoer Alex Perry.
Calvary Church is located at 1325 Evans Ave which makes an easy drive on a beautiful Sunday morning.
What’s Coming Up
The annual Porter County Fair will be held this year from July 21 to July 30. Each day of the fair holds different events filled with loads of excitement. 4-H members and the grandstand show crews have been working hard to make this year’s fair an unforgettable experience.
The Porter County Fair has free admission before 12:00 PM every day.
After
noon, it's 10 dollars to enjoy all the fair has to offer. If planning
to stay at the fair all day, ride wristbands are twenty-five dollars. If
a person can’t stay all day, that’s no problem- the 1:00 to 5:00 ride
bands are 20 dollars.
“I am excited about seeing all the different people and artists at the fair. It has always been a great time with the awesome food and lemonade shake-ups,” said fair employee Elyse Bagnall.
With animals, rides, music and more the Porter County Fair is something you don’t want to miss.
Interesting Community Member
This month’s interesting community member is Amy Perry, co-owner of E and A Jewelers. Located at 74 West Lincolnway in downtown Valparaiso, E and A sell a plethora of exquisite jewelry pieces. With rings, bracelets, earrings, and more, E and A has everything you are looking for. Perry attended Purdue University and graduated with a business and marketing degree. She also attended the Gemological Institute of America to help further qualify her in the jewelry field.
“I didn’t choose the jewelry business, the jewelry business chose me,” stated Perry.
Perry co-owns E and A Jewelers with her sister Erin Lively. For the past 4 years, the sisters have worked hard to make the buying jewelry experience easy for their customers.
“Honestly, the best part about working with a business partner is that you always have someone to bounce ideas off of," said Perry.
Perry stated she was happy to have her business in Valparaiso because she has grown up here and wants to give back to the community that has done so much for her.
“The Valparaiso community is very supportive of local businesses which is why we appreciate being in the downtown area. It is an asset because the community does a wonderful job of hosting events that bring people to support all downtown’s local businesses,” said Perry.
Starting a business is difficult but comes with many rewards. Perry has appreciated all the advice she has received along her journey and is thankful for everyone who lent a helping hand. With people along the way, E and A would not be where it is today.
“Define your focus and have a strong business plan. Find a way to do something that sets you apart from others in your industry,” said Perry.
Stop by E and A Jewelers to look at all their gorgeous jewelry. They are open from Tuesday to Saturday and can’t wait to see you there.