The Mission
Connect - ENCOUNTERING GOD: ACTS 2
Bringing people into an Encounter with God through Salvation and experiencing His grace and goodness, and love.
Thrive - EMPOWERING PEOPLE: PHILIPPIANS 4:13
Bringing people into apprehending the Power of the Holy Spirit for their lives and daily walks with Jesus.
Go - ENGAGING OUR WORLD: ACTS 1:8
Bringing the lost & unchurched into a relationship with Jesus and reaching out to those who don’t go to church.
- The Mission is: to lead others into a growing relationship with Jesus!
- Our Passion is: reaching others who don’t know Jesus.
At CalvaryCW, people will find a purpose, grow in faith, and learn biblical principles that will “re-shape” their world!
Bringing people into an Encounter with God through Salvation and experiencing His grace and goodness, and love.
Thrive - EMPOWERING PEOPLE: PHILIPPIANS 4:13
Bringing people into apprehending the Power of the Holy Spirit for their lives and daily walks with Jesus.
Go - ENGAGING OUR WORLD: ACTS 1:8
Bringing the lost & unchurched into a relationship with Jesus and reaching out to those who don’t go to church.
- The Mission is: to lead others into a growing relationship with Jesus!
- Our Passion is: reaching others who don’t know Jesus.
At CalvaryCW, people will find a purpose, grow in faith, and learn biblical principles that will “re-shape” their world!
Bible
We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which the church operates and is the basis for which the church is governed. We believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
(Isaiah 28:13; Nehemiah 8:8; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:3-4, 21).
(Isaiah 28:13; Nehemiah 8:8; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:3-4, 21).
Baptism
Baptism is a public declaration of the faith you have in Jesus. Baptism itself doesn't save you. You must decide to repent of your sin and put your faith in Jesus and acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior of your life, then you will be saved.
It is important that the person choosing to be baptized is old enough to understand the Gospel (sin, Jesus' sacrifice in our place and surrendering to His Lordship). The child should be able to explain how Jesus is their Lord and Savior. If your child is younger than eight and desires to be baptized, please contact the church and make an appointment so a pastor or deacon can meet with your child to see if they are ready to be baptized.
If you were sprinkled as a baby, that was a commitment that your parent(s) made; your baptism now will be an expression of your adult commitment to Christ. The Bible shows this pattern throughout the book of Acts: hearing the gospel, believing and repenting, and then getting baptized.
It is important that the person choosing to be baptized is old enough to understand the Gospel (sin, Jesus' sacrifice in our place and surrendering to His Lordship). The child should be able to explain how Jesus is their Lord and Savior. If your child is younger than eight and desires to be baptized, please contact the church and make an appointment so a pastor or deacon can meet with your child to see if they are ready to be baptized.
If you were sprinkled as a baby, that was a commitment that your parent(s) made; your baptism now will be an expression of your adult commitment to Christ. The Bible shows this pattern throughout the book of Acts: hearing the gospel, believing and repenting, and then getting baptized.
Communion
Communion is practiced as a memorial, in remembrance of Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Bread and wine, or grape juice, are unchanged elements, symbols of Jesus' body and blood.
Learn More About Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is a non-denominational Christian church which began in 1965 in Costa Mesa, California. Calvary Chapel’s pastor, Chuck Smith became a leading figure in what has become known as the “Jesus Movement.”
These resources will give you a deeper look into how God started this movement and how it’s still thriving today.
The Foundational Principles of Calvary Chapel (Calvary Chapel Distinctives): Core truths that define who we are and how we live out our faith.
Calvary Chapel Distinctives
The Main Thing
The main thing at Calvary Chapel is very simple: we should love the Lord our God with all our heart. Some measure the health of a church by its size, but we believe that the greatest and most important measure of a church is the love they have in their hearts for the Lord. When Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40). Everything in the church should be centered on the main thing – loving the Lord our God with all our heart.
Preach the Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). We teach through the Word of God in its entirety because in so doing we gain the “full counsel” of God as He has revealed His heart for us there. In this way, we don’t miss any of God’s insights for our lives, even the difficult things. The Word of God also reveals Jesus, the Son of the living God; we see God revealing His Son from Genesis through Revelation. And in Jesus, we also see the heart of the Father.
God-centered Worship
Worship in song is an opportunity to express our love and adoration for the Lord. It is a time of close intimacy. Therefore, worship should be centered and focused on God. We desire our worship in song to draw us closer to our Lord; it’s about relationship.
Servant Leadership
It is clearly the heart of the Lord that those whom He would use to lead should be servants. Jesus said, “… whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44-45). In a practical sense, this means that we look for leaders among the servants. It is there we will find those that have captured the heart of Christ for His church.
Simple Government
Church politics can be a great distraction for the body. It is our desire to see the Lord be the center of all we do, and so we have adopted a very simple, biblical form of government. God ordains His leaders, and we simply agree with whom He is choosing (Acts 13:1-3). We do this through building consensus rather than by voting. Any decision is made unanimously by the elders. It is our heart to see the church stay in unity in the bond of peace, thereby being the most effective witness for Jesus Christ.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
“‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). We believe the Holy Spirit provides the power in the life of the believer to give him victory over sin and the flesh. We are taught to walk after the Spirit and not the flesh. The Holy Spirit is the power in our life to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us and not our own. But not only does the Holy Spirit work within us, He also works through us. The Holy Spirit is the “dynamic” power in our lives that allows us to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. It is God’s plan that our lives be the instruments that He uses to reach the world around us as the Spirit flows through us.
Where God Guides, He Provides
You will never see a thermometer on the church walls keeping track of the latest effort to raise money. We believe that people should give to God’s church because they are in love with Him and want to give out of a joyful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). We will not make money or finances a focus of what we do. The center of our church is Jesus, and as He guides the direction of the church, we believe He will also place it on people’s hearts to support His vision.
These resources will give you a deeper look into how God started this movement and how it’s still thriving today.
- The History of Calvary Chapel
- Harvest by Chuck Smith: Read the history and stories of some of the first pastors and their churches.
Available in our resources tab. - Jesus Revolution (Movie): A powerful and inspiring look at the origins of the Calvary Chapel movement.
Watch the Trailer https://jesusrevolution.movie/
The Foundational Principles of Calvary Chapel (Calvary Chapel Distinctives): Core truths that define who we are and how we live out our faith.
Calvary Chapel Distinctives
The Main Thing
The main thing at Calvary Chapel is very simple: we should love the Lord our God with all our heart. Some measure the health of a church by its size, but we believe that the greatest and most important measure of a church is the love they have in their hearts for the Lord. When Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40). Everything in the church should be centered on the main thing – loving the Lord our God with all our heart.
Preach the Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). We teach through the Word of God in its entirety because in so doing we gain the “full counsel” of God as He has revealed His heart for us there. In this way, we don’t miss any of God’s insights for our lives, even the difficult things. The Word of God also reveals Jesus, the Son of the living God; we see God revealing His Son from Genesis through Revelation. And in Jesus, we also see the heart of the Father.
God-centered Worship
Worship in song is an opportunity to express our love and adoration for the Lord. It is a time of close intimacy. Therefore, worship should be centered and focused on God. We desire our worship in song to draw us closer to our Lord; it’s about relationship.
Servant Leadership
It is clearly the heart of the Lord that those whom He would use to lead should be servants. Jesus said, “… whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44-45). In a practical sense, this means that we look for leaders among the servants. It is there we will find those that have captured the heart of Christ for His church.
Simple Government
Church politics can be a great distraction for the body. It is our desire to see the Lord be the center of all we do, and so we have adopted a very simple, biblical form of government. God ordains His leaders, and we simply agree with whom He is choosing (Acts 13:1-3). We do this through building consensus rather than by voting. Any decision is made unanimously by the elders. It is our heart to see the church stay in unity in the bond of peace, thereby being the most effective witness for Jesus Christ.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
“‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). We believe the Holy Spirit provides the power in the life of the believer to give him victory over sin and the flesh. We are taught to walk after the Spirit and not the flesh. The Holy Spirit is the power in our life to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us and not our own. But not only does the Holy Spirit work within us, He also works through us. The Holy Spirit is the “dynamic” power in our lives that allows us to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. It is God’s plan that our lives be the instruments that He uses to reach the world around us as the Spirit flows through us.
Where God Guides, He Provides
You will never see a thermometer on the church walls keeping track of the latest effort to raise money. We believe that people should give to God’s church because they are in love with Him and want to give out of a joyful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). We will not make money or finances a focus of what we do. The center of our church is Jesus, and as He guides the direction of the church, we believe He will also place it on people’s hearts to support His vision.
