Calvary Chapel West Valley

About Us

A family of believers seeking the truth and the life

Doctrinal

Statement of Beliefs.

We Believe

We believe in what is termed “The Apostles Creed” as embodying all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity.

We Believe

We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.

We Believe

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower in ministry all who believe in Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. We believe that Jesus Christ baptizes the seeking believer with the Holy Spirit and power for service, either at the time of or subsequent to regeneration, which is a separate work from the indwelling Spirit for salvation. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all biblical gifts of the Spirit as reflected through the fruit of that same Spirit.

We Believe

We await the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, and we believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ with His saints to rule the earth, which will be personal and visible. This motivates us to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God’s Word, regular fellowship, participation in adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion.

We Believe

We believe that all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, and that they are the infallible rule of faith and practice.

We Believe

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

We Believe

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings; His substitutionary atoning death; bodily resurrection; ascension into heaven; perpetual intercession for His people; and His personal, visible return to earth. We believe that He is one and the same as God. He was fully human and fully God.

We Believe

We believe 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 his/her personal Lord and Savior, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all of his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord.

Regarding Calvinism/Arminianism:

Statement of Beliefs.

We Believe

We are neither Five-Point Calvinists, nor are we Arminians. We adhere firmly to the biblical teaching of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. We avoid any theological systems of belief that go beyond the written Word and thereby divide the body of Christ.

We Believe

We believe in the universal Church, in the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members.

We Believe

We believe in the laying on of hands for the sending out of pastors and missionaries, and in conjunction with the anointing of oil by the elders for the healing of the sick.

We Believe

We do not believe in “positive confession” (the faith movement belief that God can be commanded to heal or work miracles according to man’s will); human prophecy that supersedes the Scriptures; the incorporation of humanistic and secular psychology into biblical teaching; the overemphasis of spiritual gifts and experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of biblical teaching; or that true Christians can be demon-possessed.

We Believe

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: 1) baptism, and 2) the Lord’s Supper. We believe in baptism by immersion and communion, both of which are open to all believers in Jesus Christ.

Regarding Worship

Statement of Beliefs.

We Believe

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

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 on how He should be worshiped. We seek to teach the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to the individual’s life, leading that person to a greater maturity in Christ. We teach both expositionally and topically.

We Believe

We believe worship of God should be inspirational; therefore, we give great place to music in our worship

We Believe

We believe worship of God should be fruitful; therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been truly worshiping Him.

And More

Regarding Fellowship, Church Government, Baptism, & Spiritual Gifts

We Believe

We believe the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ’s (agape) love, which is greater than differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.

We Believe

We believe that the Bible clearly delineates that spiritual gifts are for the edification of the body and that they are to be exercised in love. We believe that love is more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without love, all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless. In our services, we focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. We do not practice speaking in tongues during worship or while a Bible study is in progress because we do not believe that the Holy Spirit would interrupt Himself. God is not the author of confusion.

We Believe

We believe baptism is a sign of a faith already possessed. It is not so much a matter of the water, but a matter of the will – an outward expression of an inward change. It is the opportunity to publicly identify ourselves with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We Believe

We believe that the church government should be simple rather than a complex bureaucracy and we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead, rather than on fleshly promotion.

We Believe

When a person decides to follow Jesus Christ, baptism by full immersion in water is the next step in their Christian walk.

We Believe

Baptism also shows an attitude of repentance toward God and displays our admission that we desperately need a Savior. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, helps us to fully comprehend the purpose of this fundamental rite: “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.” Romans 6:4

In Conclusion

By sharing with you what we believe here at Calvary Chapel West Valley, my purpose has been simply to help you gain insight into who we are and what we teach and believe. I hope this helps. It has not been my intention to say that we are right and everyone else is wrong, thereby excluding others from true Christian fellowship with us because we desire to have nothing but love and fellowship with anyone who calls on the name of our Lord in truth and sincerity.

May God bless you as we eagerly await the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “Maranatha!!”

~ Pastor Thom Carden