Who we are

Calvary Chapel is a movement of Bible-believing free evangelical churches. The Bible is the only basis of our faith through which God reveals Himself to us. We reject all extra-biblical revelations and traditions and are convinced that the Bible is God’s Word and His love letter to humanity. Through the Bible, God reveals Himself to us and enables us to develop an intimate relationship with Him. It contains the answers to life’s most important questions and practical instructions for a fulfilled life. Jesus told his followers:

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!” (John 8:31)

Therefore, the Bible and its teachings are fundamental to our faith, activities and daily lives.

… that our identity is rooted in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you are in a Christian background, it does not automatically mean you are saved. We are inherently separated from God by our sinful nature. As the Bible affirms in Romans 3:10:

“None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Our conscience makes us realize that we have not always done the right thing and that we are guilty. We cannot overcome this separation from God and work off our guilt by our own efforts. No amount of good deeds, even if we go to church regularly, no baptism, no mediation, and no other form of religiosity or human effort can bring us salvation. We need more: a solution that can only come from God Himself.

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

Fortunately, God has a way for us to go to heaven. The gospel is the good news that God’s love for you is boundless and He offers you the gift of salvation and an eternal relationship with Him in His glory. As your Creator, He loves you and longs to have fellowship with you. God gave us this gift through Jesus Christ, who came to earth as a man and lived a perfect, sinless life that we could never achieve in our own strength. He took our sins upon Himself and died for us on the cross to pay the price for our guilt.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

After three days, Jesus rose from the dead and triumphed over sin and death. Today, He wants to live in our hearts and change our lives so that we can experience the fullness of His love and grace.

As with gift, we must accept it personally for it to be effective in our lives. If we grow up in a Christian culture or a Christian home, we are not automatically saved. Rather, it requires a personal decision. We need to repent, turn away from our old life, and consciously accept God’s gift of salvation. Romans 10:9 states,

„Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.“

It is necessary that you confess your sins to God and consciously turn away from them. You must give up your old lifestyle and start a new life in Christ. You must believe and trust in the work of Jesus on the cross and affirm in faith that He paid the price for your sins with His own life.

When we have accepted this gift of salvation, something wonderful happens. We were spiritually dead, God raises our spirit to life and all our guilt is forgiven. Our guilt is canceled and transferred to Jesus. In turn, His righteous life is transferred to us. Through this exchange, we are able to have a relationship with God and gain access to heaven. We are then no longer separated from the living God, but He looks upon us as His children. We are adopted into His family.

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12)

Have you accepted God’s gift of salvation and become His child? If not, you can do it by praying to Him sincerely and asking Him for it, as shown in the following sample prayer:

“Dear God, my Heavenly Father, I confess that I have lived my life according to my own desires and that I am separated from You because of my sins. Please forgive me for my transgressions. Thank You for offering me salvation through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, on the cross. I accept this gift for myself personally. Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to You and ask You to take control of my heart and transform me into the person who is pleasing to You. I invite You into my life to be my Lord and Savior. From this day forward, I want to live for You and with You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and enable me to live my life for Your glory.”

When you have accepted God’s gift of salvation, eternal life in heaven is secured for you. God is then your loving Father who will always be with you. God promises to take care of you, protect you, and never let you go.

Romans 8:38-39: „For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

As proof of this promise, you are given the Holy Spirit who dwells in you and transforms you more and more into the image of God. This promise is based on God’s unchanging love for you, from which nothing in this world can separate you.

The Bible emphasizes that it is important for Christians to join a church and submit to God-appointed leadership, to actively participate in church life. This shows that our faith bears fruit and has works.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrew 13:17)

As Christians who want to follow Jesus, we feel connected to all people who have personally accepted him and believe in his name. We deeply appreciate the rich diversity of personalities and backgrounds that make up Christ’s Church and consider it a testimony to God’s call to people from all tribes, languages, and nations. We firmly believe that God has endowed each of us with special talents and has called us for a variety of reasons. Our primary goal is to create an environment where everyone can develop and grow in their faith. The boundless love that God has for all people is made clear in Revelation 7:9, where it says.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”