WHAT IS A CHURCH? Jesus Christ promised that He would build His Church in Matthew 16:18. This spoke primarily of the universal church that would consist of all Christians from all of history. He spoke once more of His church in Matthew 18:17, where He then referred to a local assembly of believers. Calvary Church is a small, visible part of Christ's own church. In both instances, Jesus indicated that the church would be His authority, and that anyone becoming part of a local church would come under that authority. This is why "joining" a church is unlike becoming a member of any other organization because it involves submission to Christ's authority as demonstrated through that church. For this reason, it is vital that each person considering membership understand clearly what Calvary Church stands for, what it holds true, and what it expects.
OUR PURPOSE Calvary Church exists to bring glory to God, to make disciples and to share God's love with our community.
To Bring Glory To God Our primary purpose for all that we do is to bring glory to God. We will, by the enabling grace of God, seek to elevate the character of our Lord so as to promote honor, praise and singular devotion to Him (Ephesians 3:21; 1 Peter 4:11)
To Make Disciples The primary way to bring glory to God has been exemplified for us by our Lord Jesus Christ who, in His prayer to His Father, stated, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do" (John 17:4). Our purpose is not to build the church. That is solely the responsibility of Jesus, and we don't want to find ourselves in competition with Him. After Jesus rose from the grave, He left His followers with a simple command, "Go into all the world and make disciples." God's primary assignment for His church is succinctly stated in what many refer to as "The Great Commission." "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:19-20)
Evangelizing the Lost The first step in being disciple makers involves evangelism, which is sharing the glorious good news of Jesus Christ's substitutionary death and His victorious resurrection for the salvation of all who would trust solely in His redemptive work for them. This central message of the church for the world is stated in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Our responsibility is not to be successful in evangelism for that is the responsibility of our Lord (1 Corinthians 2: 1-5). We are, however, to faithfully carry out the task of proclaiming the gospel to the nations trusting in the sovereignty of the Lord and the power of His gospel for the conversion of souls (Rom. 1:16-17).
Equipping the Saints Once a person has come to know Jesus Christ in a saving way, it is imperative that we commit ourselves to their maturity in the faith. Our goal in this endeavor is to see believers develop a workable knowledge of the Word of God that will enhance their effectiveness in serving the Lord in and through the church and to protect them from false doctrine (Ephesians 4:10-16; Colossians 1:28-29).
To Share God's Love With Our Community We live in a sin-stricken, hurting world. Many are in need of a tangible expression of the kind of sacrificial love that God has demonstrated to us all in sending His Son to be the savior of this world (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9-10). As His disciples, our mutual exchange of love will serve as the best evidence of being true followers of Jesus (John 13:34-35). By God's grace, it is our desire to intentionally seek to accomplish the best for others, expending our resources in that pursuit, and to be tenacious in our love commitment no matter how it is received.