Every church that is established Biblically is established with a purpose, a purpose to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20). Someone once said that Jesus’ last command must be the church’s first concern. It is only through the life changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that people can develop a genuine, authentic relationship with god and live for His glory.
At Calvary, Our Purpose is to…
Love God
We demonstrate our love for God through our worship services, by participating in Christ-honoring music and by responding to the preaching of His Word.
Grow Together
We grow together, in Christ, through the study of God’s Word. This occurs in our Sunday school classes, weekly worship services and one-on-one discipleship.
Serve Others
We serve others as we find a place to minister in the local body. We also serve others by sharing the Gospel with those who need the Lord.
The Process of Calvary
The word of God not only gives us a portrait of a healthy church but also gives us a pattern to follow. There are 3 steps that we follow in fulfilling our purpose of developing committed followers of Jesus.
Step 1 – Personal Relationship With Jesus
Salvation from sin is a moment of faith. God says, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,…” (Acts 16:31) This belief is more than a head belief. It’s a heart trust. It means to fully trust Jesus Christ as the only Saviour—the only way to God, the only hope of rescue from separation from God. This is what Jesus called being “born again” in John chapter three.
The first step of our process in developing devoted followers of Jesus is to help them place their faith—their belief in Jesus alone as Saviour. This is biblical salvation
Step 2 – Following in Believers Baptism
The second step in our process is baptism. Baptism doesn’t make someone a Christian. It doesn’t wash away sin. It simply publicly professes and identifies me with Jesus Christ, as a believer. Jesus was our example in baptism, and he commanded us to be baptized—to publicly show forth our heart decision and faith. Baptism pictures His death, burial, and resurrection. It also pictures my new life in Jesus Christ.
In the first century, baptism was a death-warrant—for new believers were persecuted and often put to death. Baptism is one of the first, easiest, and best ways to witness to others of your faith in Jesus Christ, and to publicly declare you are not ashamed of Him.
Step 3 – Personal Connection With Believers
In Acts 2, those who believed were baptized, and then they were added to the church. Once someone has believed in Jesus, the third step in the process is to connect with the family of believers at Calvary. Through these relationships, a new Christian can grow and mature in the faith and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is our goal for every new believer to be baptized, and then to be connected with friends and others in the church body who can help you mature and grow in grace.