What We Believe

We Believe the true basis for all Christian fellowship is God's love, which is greater than our differences. Without His love, we have no right to call ourselves Christians.

We Believe in God as He has presented Himself in the Bible; one God in the persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each equal in power and majesty, each working for the salvation of all mankind. Not separate entities or deities, but One Triune Almighty God.

We Believe in the Bible as the only inspired, inerrant word of God by which all things are given to us pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We therefore, place a great priority on knowing God through the study of His word.

We Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died on the cross for our sins, rose again to bring us life, and that He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

We Believe in the soon return of Jesus Christ, and the need for all believers to be prepared to meet their Lord and Savior. (1 Thess. 5:1-11)

We Believe that our worship is an expression of our hearts as is shown in Psalm 95 to God from His Church. Our worship must be spiritual (John 4:24) and can be expressed through our singing, prayer, giving, and in our daily obedience to His lordship in our lives.

We Believe in the fellowship of all true believers in Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:9). We place a high priority on the gathering of the body of Christ together to provoke each one to love and good works. (Heb. 10:24-25)

We Believe in the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and that the Gifts of the Spirit are still stirring in the Church today. We also believe that these gifts are vital and needful, but must be done decently and in order. (Acts 2:38-39; 1 Cor. 12-14)

We Believe in the need for discipleship and training of all believers for the perfecting of the saints and the work of the ministry. (Eph. 4:11)

We Believe in maintaining and defending orthodox Christian beliefs, we therefore test all things by the rule of Scripture found in the Old and New Testament. (Acts 17:10-12)

Balance

Fundamentalism includes that portion of Protestant churches that hold to the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, believing that they are divinely inspired and inerrant. Hence, the "fundamentals" of the faith are emphasized. Pentecostalism as a modern movement grew out of the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles at the turn of the 20th century, and spawned denominations that emphasize the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the exercise of the Scriptural Spiritual gifts of the Spirit. Pentecostalism restored to the church the importance of the gifts of the Spirit and the power of God for the believer today.

In a broad general sense, Calvary Chapel is the middle ground between fundamentalism and Pentecostalism in modern Protestant theology. We seek to remain balanced and orthodox in doctrine and in church practice. In fact, we believe that this is at least one important part of the reason why God has raised up this ministry.

Love

We prefer to be known for what we are for, rather than for who we are against. God help us to love Him, love His people, and love those who do not know Him and for whom He died.

Our simple heart's desire is to love our God, and demonstrate His love towards His people, and those who do not know God. We want to stay focused on Christ, not on the peripherals of religion. So we gather in an informal atmosphere of thankfulness to Christ, and leave everything else outside as best as possible.