Mission Statement

Called by God

Centered in Grace

Calvary Serves and Ignites People for Christ  

We strive to make sure that our Mission Statement is not simply something we post on our website and print on our letterheads, but rather something that guides us in our life together.

“Called By God”…Our desire is not to be an “us having our way place,” but a “God having God’s way place.”  We believe God has plans and purposes for all of us and for each of us.    We believe everyone is gifted with unique gifts from God, and that joy is found in offering those gifts to God’s plans and purposes.  We believe it is God’s desire that we who call Jesus Lord are also called to be Jesus’ love alive and active in God’s world.   We believe we live into our callings not only in the context of church and of worship, but also in the everyday moments of our everyday lives.

“Centered In Grace”…Grace is love offered not as a reward but as a gift.   Grace is forgiveness offered not to those who’ve earned it but to those who need it.   Grace is giving without needing to be noticed or rewarded for it.  Grace – “amazing grace” -  is Jesus, giving His all on the cross, that we who can make no claim upon his love might nevertheless know how deeply we are loved – now and forever.  In a world way too often “graceless,” we believe our call – as individuals and as a community – is to be “grace-full.“ 

“Calvary Serves And Ignites People For Christ”…  We believe that we are not just called to “come to church,” but to “be the church.”  We believe that love for God is not just a personal and private thing, but a calling that moves us in the direction of others.  We believe that love for God separated from love for others is not true love for God at all.  We believe we share our love for God and others by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, in whom there is eternal life, and also by reaching out to serve and care for those in any kind of need in this life.

Core Values

While our Mission Statement is the heartbeat of Calvary, 6 Core Values are a vital part of Calvary’s pulse as we seek to live into our Mission.

Word and Sacrament Ministry

Calvary gathers regularly around God’s Word and the Sacraments. As a congregation we seek to be a worshipping community whenever we gather, to send forth people to share God’s story, to proclaim the promises of God, and to understand our vocations as an opportunity for worship.

Outreach

Calvary nurtures a caring and supportive congregation that teaches and encourages people to reach out and share their faith. We do this both locally and globally, understanding ourselves to be servants and evangelists. As a congregation we seek to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in our community and the world, to serve the needy, and to welcome others into our community of faith.

Youth Development

Calvary provides a fun, active, educational and caring atmosphere for youth. We provide many opportunities for youth to participate, learn, grow and strengthen their faith in God. As a congregation we seek to value youth as important members of our community of faith, to provide opportunities for youth to learn and to grow in faith and leadership, to nurture healthy relationships between youth, their families, and others, and to encourage youth to serve and ignite people for Christ.

Empowering People’s Gifts

Calvary encourages each person to discover and use their gifts. We believe that every person is given gifts to be used for building up the body of Christ. As a congregation we seek to search out and discover the gifts of each person, to recognize people’s gifts publicly, to empower people to use their gifts, and to develop the gifts of all through encouragement, education and experiences.

Congregationally Owned Ministry

Calvary encourages all people to participate and take ownership in the ministry of the church. We seek to continue to develop a congregation of small groups, to identify more leaders around particular gifts, events or tasks, and to encourage and bless lay ministry.

Personal Growth

Calvary provides opportunities for people to learn and grow in their personal faith. We strive to integrate our faith experience into daily life. As a congregation we seek to provide educational and learning opportunities, to encourage personal reflection concerning faith and daily life, to provide opportunities for learning through service, and to support individual study.