About
At Calvary Worship Center Bellingham, we exist to shine the light of Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our local community. We believe in the power of the Word of God, the edification of the body of Christ and the movement of His Spirit through our worship.
What we Believe
God |
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. We believe in God the Father, the Creator and Sustainer of this universe, who in infinite wisdom and love planned the redemption of mankind and accomplished it through Jesus Christ.
| Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, was crucified for our sins, rose from the dead and was exalted to the right hand of God.
The
Holy Spirit |
We believe in the Holy Spirit who effects redemption in the lives of those who believe in Christ. He convicts, guides, teaches, rebukes, indwells, empowers, comforts, intercedes, unites believers into one body, and glorifies Christ.
We believe that God has made His power and deity known in creation. He revealed Himself also in word and deed in the Old Testament. He revealed Himself supremely and finally in the Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament. We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God as men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit. We accept the entire Bible as the infallible Word of God and as the authoritative guide for the faith of Christian discipleship.
The Revelation of God
Man & Sin |
We believe that man was created in the image of God, sinless and in fellowship with God, with a free will to make moral choices. By sinning he brought death upon the whole human race. As a consequence all people are sinful by nature, guilty before God and in need of forgiveness and restoration.
We believe that there is one God and Mediator between God and men, the Man Jesus Christ, who by his substitutionary death has redeemed mankind from the power of sin, death and eternal punishment. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. Those who repent receive forgiveness of sins and by the power of the Holy Spirit are born into the family of God, and, as faithful disciples, joyfully obey God’s Word.
Salvation by
Grace
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and transforms him into the image of Christ and enables him to witness to his Lord in daily life. The Christian lives in fellowship with God and other believers in a local church. The believer contributes to the building of the body of Christ with his material and spiritual gifts. By means of God’s grace the believer seeks to grow to maturity as this is expressed particularly in the fruit of the Spirit. Since his body is a temple of the Holy Spirit he refrains from those things, which harm the body and the mind. In his striving for perfection the believer recognizes his complete dependence on God and that he is constantly in need of His forgiving and cleansing grace.
Christian Life
The
Church of Christ
We believe that the church was established through Christ’s redemptive work in history. The church is comprised of all who put their faith in Him and who are baptized by the Spirit into one body, regardless of nation, race or social class. Despite the diversity in congregations and denominations, the Holy Spirit creates unity among all the people of God. The local church is an association of baptized believers.
The
We believe that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and that the command to make disciples of all nations is the primary mission of the Church. Every member of the Church is called to participate in the mission as they are enabled by God’s grace.
The Mission of the Church
We believe that God through the Holy Spirit has endowed all His children with gifts for Christian ministries. We are responsible to use these gifts for the benefit of the whole church. The Church is the body of Christ and the characteristic of a healthy body is that every part performs its own function for the good of the whole. The plan of God was never for a few believers to do the work of the ministry while the rest of the people cheered them on. God’s plan is that everyone should be involved in serving Him.
Christian Ministries
Christian Baptism
We believe that Christians should be baptized in water upon confession of their faith in Christ. The Church practices baptism by immersion. By baptism a believer enters into the fellowship of the local church and commits him/herself to a life of discipleship and service.
The
In preparation for the fellowship of the Lord’s Supper, all believers examine themselves. All those who understand it’s meaning and confess Jesus Christ as Lord in word and life are invited to participate in the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord's Supper
Marriage & The Christian Home
We believe that God instituted marriage. Believers who marry should have a common Christian commitment; a believer should not marry an unbeliever. We believe that divorce constitutes a violation of God’s intention for marriage. Christian parents should nurture their children through exemplary living, prayer, worship, instruction in God’s Word, and deeds of mercy.
We believe that God has called us to work and that work is honourable. However, the Christian also needs to have time for worship, instruction in the faith and fellowship. Therefore, following the example of the New Testament Church, the Church gathers on the Lord’s Day to be spiritually built up and limit their labours on that day to works of necessity and deeds of mercy.
The Lord's Day & Work
Christian Integrity
Christians are obligated to speak the truth at all times. As a witness to our integrity we refuse the making of oaths, in keeping with what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.
We believe that God has instituted the state. Our chief concern and primary allegiance, however, is to Christ’s kingdom. We pray for our government, respect those in authority, pay taxes, obey all laws not in conflict with the Word of God, and witness against corruption and injustice in society.
The State
Love & Non-Resistance
We believe that Christians should live by the law of love and practice forgiveness of enemies as taught and exemplified by Jesus. We seek to be agents of reconciliation; our bond with other followers of Jesus transcends all racial, social and national barriers. We view violence in its many different forms as contradictory to the new nature of the Christian. In times of national conscription or war, we believe we are called to give alternate service where possible.
Christ's Final Triumph
We believe that God will some day bring His purposes to final consummation. When Christ returns the dead in Christ will be raised and together with the living believers they will be transformed and they shall be forever with the Lord. In the end all evil powers will be defeated and whereas the ungodly shall suffer eternal punishment, the saints shall enjoy eternal blessing in the presence of God.
