Calvary Chapel has been formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only to their over-emphasis of the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the Body of Christ.
We believe the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ’s Agape love, which is greater than any differences we possess and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.
We believe worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.
We believe worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, we give great place to music in our worship.
We believe worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, our services are designed with great emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped.
We believe worship of God should be fruitful. Therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have truly been worshipping Him.
We believe in all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox historic Christianity.
We believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible Word of God.
We believe that God is eternally existent in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe that God is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things.
We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His substitutionary death on the cross, was bodily raised from the dead, ascended back to the right hand of the Father, and ever lives to make intercession for us.
We believe in the personal, visible, and pre-millennial second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. He will return with His saints and set up a kingdom of which there will be no end.
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all believers today.
We believe that all people are, by nature, separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord.
We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today if they are exercised within the scriptural guidelines. We as believers are to covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified. We believe that love is more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without this love all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless.
We believe that church government should be simplistic rather than a complex bureaucracy. We depend on the Holy Spirit to lead.
We await the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. We believe that the second coming of Christ will be personal, pre-millennial, and visible. This motivates us to live holy, worship whole-heartedly, study diligently, fellowship regularly, and serve the Lord faithfully. Maranatha!
In our services, we seek to teach the Word of God in such a way that it’s message can be applied to an individual’s life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ. We Focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God, which is our final authority.
As a body of believers under the headship of Christ, we believe that authority structure should be simple. We believe that the pastor is responsible to equip the church through the teaching of the word. The pastor must have the freedom to hear from the Lord and follow the Spirit’s leading for the church. The purpose of this ministry is “For the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12)
At Calvary Chapel, the board of elders is in place to support the pastor, not to lead him.
The bible tells us in Ephesians 4:4, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling”. We are simply a fellowship of believers saved by the grace of God through Christ Jesus. We are not a club. If you are a Christian, you are already a member of that which we esteem. A member of the body of Christ. If you want to call Calvary Chapel your home church, feel free. We consider you a blessing and welcome you into our church family.
Did you know that giving is worship. In a sense it is acknowledging that God is the one who has provided for you. Sure you may have worked hard for your money, but God gave you life, strength, and the mind to be able to bring in that money. It takes faith to give, and with out faith it is impossible to please God.
At Calvary Chapel, we want you to worship God because you love Him, not because the person next to you is watching. God sees when you step out in faith and give, and it pleases Him. That is all that matters. That is why we don’t pass and offering plate.
We have agape boxes in the foyer where you can give your offering to the Lord. You can also give online and through our app.
Baptism is one of the few sacraments that Jesus commanded His disciples to observe. A sacrament is simply an outward and visible sign of a work that God is doing on the inside. No one takes aspirin so they can get a head ache. That would be silly. People take aspirin because they have a head ache. In the same way, you don’t get baptized in order to receive salvation, but because you have received salvation. This is what is referred to when the scriptures say, “There is also an anti-type which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1st Peter 3:21). Baptism is not a birth, it is identifying with Christ’s death and resurrection. The bible tells us in Romans 6:4, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”. In a sense, baptism is when you stand boldly before many witnesses and proclaim that your identity is in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. As you go under the water you proclaim that who you were is dead and gone. As you come up out of the water you proclaim that you belong to Jesus.
In the Bible, there are two sacraments (holy rituals) which Christians are enjoined to practice and observe: The Lord's Supper and Water Baptism. The purpose of both is to signify by outward symbolism, what Christ has accomplished in a believer's life through faith in Christ. As true believers, we are both instructed and commanded to submit to both as expressions of our faith in Christ.
In what has become known as the "Great Commission," Jesus gave the following command:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:19
Aren't you so glad that the Christian life is not a rulebook of don'ts, but instead is a glorious relationship with the One, True Living God, giving the believer a life full of do's? In fact, there are so many positive do's in the Christian life, if we practice only the positives, we will not have time to worry about the negatives.
The word "baptize" is taken from the Greek word "baptizo" meaning: to immerse or submerge, to overflow or cover with water. This definition lends to the symbolism of the old man being buried and is the method we choose here at Calvary Chapel Lake Havasu City, so you are encouraged to bring a change of clothes (modest attire please).
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
- Baptism is an outward showing of what has already taken place in the heart of someone who has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
- Through Baptism, we identify symbolically with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Symbolically, we die to our old ways and we rise out of the water into newness of life.
WHY IS BAPTISM IMPORTANT?
- It shows our love towards the Lord.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments...He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." John 14:15-21
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." 1 John 5:3 - It's a foundational truth.
"So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don't need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement." Hebrews 6:1-2 (NLT)
WHY YOU NEED TO BE BAPTIZED
- Act of Obedience
Throughout the New Testament, water baptism was practiced following conversion. This was done in direct response to Jesus' command that Christians everywhere are to "preach" and then "baptize" those who believe. Therefore, everyone who becomes a Christian needs to be baptized out of obedience to God. - Statement of Faith
As mentioned earlier, water baptism is an outward statement of one's belief in Christ's atonement for our sins, the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit to guide and influence our lives, and the only means for gaining a clear, guilt-free conscience towards God. Baptism is a means to make a public statement of your faith. - Public Testimony
In the New Testament, we see baptism practiced publicly. It was a very powerful and meaningful way to fulfill Jesus' promise, "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:32) Those who are publicly baptized are "acknowledging before men" their life's commitment to Him as their Lord and Savior.
WHAT BAPTISM CANNOT DO
- Baptism cannot save you.
Salvation come through faith alone, and not works. (Ephesians 2:8) Therefore, the act of baptism cannot save us. Rather, it gives evidence through public action that a person has already been saved. - Baptism cannot cleanse from sin.
The cleansing of sins takes place when we believe and accept Christ and ask Him to cleanse our sins (1 John 1:9). Baptism may witness to our cleaning, but the water itself is powerless to cleans from sin. - Baptism cannot magically free us from sinful habits.
Self-control, moral purity, holiness and much more are all the benefits of receiving Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to influence and change us. Baptism should represent a statement on our part to live lives free from such controlling passions. Baptism alone will not magically or automatically free us from these things. Still, it does tell others that you have willingly submitted your life to the process of spiritual growth and change through the power of the Holy Spirit.
BAPTISM FAQ'S
Q. Do I need to be baptized in order to be saved?
A. No. In Romans 10:9-10, the Word says that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart, we shall be saved. Titus 3:5 shows us that it is not by righteous works that we are saved. Furthermore, Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works.
Q. Do I need to be saved first?
A. Yes. Because baptism is an outward sign of expression of your faith in Jesus Christ, it is absolutely important that you be a believer in Jesus Christ first. Also, in the book of Acts, we see that scenario being followed by the new believers; first there was conversion, then they were baptized.
Q. How long after becoming a believer do I have to wait before I get baptized?
A. According to Acts 8:12, 36-37, the only thing that hinders one from being baptized is not believing in Jesus. Once you have received Christ, you may be baptized right away.
Q. Why was Jesus baptized?
A. As an example of obedience. Matthew 3:15 says, "But Jesus answered and said to them, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him."
Q. Do I need to be baptized again if I was baptized as a baby?
A. Yes, for several reasons:
First, because baptism is an outward showing of what has already taken place in the heart of someone who has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This requires someone to make a decision to receive Jesus after they have come to the knowledge of their sin. This would not be possible for an infant.
Secondly, because baptism is a decision to lay down your life, pick up your cross and follow Jesus, this requires that you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior and have been born again. Therefore, we believe this would not be possible as an infant. Because this requires both the confession of your sins, thus the understanding of what sin is, and the decision to receive God's gift of salvation after understanding the wages of sin as death.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES ON BAPTISM
Acts 8:26-39
Romans 6:1-4
All scriptures quoted above are taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise stated.