Our mission:
Love God, love others, and make Jesus known.
Our vision:
Be the church that builds authentic relationships to reach the Grand Traverse area and beyond with the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.
Our core values:
Our core values are the DNA of East Bay Calvary Church. They define who we are and who we desire to become for the glory of God. They find their foundation in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40).
Exalt our Savior, Jesus Christ.
WORSHIP
Jesus declared… a time is coming and now has come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:21-24
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:37
Extend hope.
PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of anyone who believes: first for the Jew and then for the Gentile.
Romans 1:16
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.
2 Timothy 4:2
Establish believers in the faith.
DISCIPLESHIP
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20
Equip believers for ministry.
SERVICE
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10
Engage in grace-filled community.
FELLOWSHIP
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
Acts 2:46
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:33
Empower lives through prayer.
PRAYER
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42
…but the church was earnestly praying to God for him [Peter].
Acts 12:5
Statement of Faith
The Trinity: The Godhead consists of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; three Persons but one God (Deut. 6:4; Mat. 28:19; Mt. 3:16-17). These three are co-equal and co-eternal (Ps. 90:2; Jn 1:1; Heb. 9:14).
God the Father: God is a Person, i.e. He exists as a rational, self-conscious, self-determining, moral Being. He is immutable (James 1:17), omniscient (1 John 3:20), omnipotent (Gen. 1:3), omnipresent (Jer. 23:23-24), eternal (Ps. 90:1-2), absolutely sovereign (Rom. 11:36), and holy (Is. 6:3). He is full of love, justice, mercy, goodness, and truth.
God the Son: Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, by whom all things were made (John 1:1-3). He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15-17) and possesses the attributes of God the Father. In the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4), the eternal Son took upon Himself our nature and, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Mt. 1:18-20), was made in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7). While in the flesh, Jesus Christ is true God and true man, one Person with a two-fold nature.
God the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, co-eternal with the Father and the Son (Heb. 9:14), whom the Father sent into the world to reprove it of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to testify of Jesus Christ (Jn. 16:8-14).
The Ministry of Spiritual Gifts: We believe that the Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts on all believers for Christian service and for the edification of the Church. These spiritual gifts are to be exercised according to biblical guidelines (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; 1 Pet. 4:10-11). The sign gifts, originally given by the Holy Spirit (healing, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophesying, words of knowledge and miracles) to confirm the gospel message to unbelievers, are not normative and are not practiced, taught or encouraged. Because of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, we trust God’s power to heal. Even though medical attention may be sought for treatment, we encourage praying with faith according to the Scriptures and trusting His sovereign will (Jn.15:7;1 Jn. 5:14-15; James 5:13-16).
Creation: God, the Creator of the universe, created the heavens and the earth as described in Genesis 1:1-2:3 and confirmed in Exodus 20:8-11. What God creates; He sustains (Colossians 1:15-17). Mankind is the pinnacle of God’s creation and bears His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27, 31). As human beings we are dependent on God, responsible to God and called into fellowship with God.
Inspiration of the Scriptures: The Scriptures, including both the Old and New Testaments, are a divine revelation and, as originally written, are verbally inspired by God. The Scriptures were written by men moved along by the Holy Spirit and are final in authority in all matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21).
Sin: Man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), but, through disobedience to God, fell into sin, thus alienating himself and the entire human race from God (Gen. 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12). Through sin, man became devoid of all spiritual life (Rom. 6:23), and, in this condition, is dead in trespasses and sins, is subject to the power of the devil (Eph. 2:1-3) and is totally incapable of pleasing God (Rom. 8:7-8) or doing anything to remedy his condition (Titus 3:5).
The New Birth: Because of this universal depravity and death in sin, it is impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom of God or take one step toward heaven without experiencing the new birth. To be born again is to partake of a new nature, a nature which is from above and which is implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, entirely apart from works, ordinances, or human attainment (John 3:1-5; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Salvation: Salvation, or the new birth, has been made possible by the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross, dying in the sinner’s stead. Christ was made to be sin and a curse and shed His blood for the remission of sin (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rom 5:6-9; 2 Cor. 5:21). Because of God’s impartial love, Christ died for the sins of all people without exception (John 3:15, 17; Titus 2:11; Heb. 2:9), He was buried, and on the third day He arose in the body in which He was crucified (1 Cor. 15:3-4). This salvation is appropriated solely by an act of faith in Christ alone. The moment we repent and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, passing immediately from a state of spiritual death into everlasting life (Jn. 3:16; Jn. 5:24; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1:13-14, 2:8).
Assurance: It is the privilege of all who are united to Christ through faith to be assured of their salvation. This assurance cannot, in any sense of the word, be considered presumption, as it is founded, not on one’s feelings or one’s own worthiness, but wholly upon the revealed Word of God (Luke 10:20; Jn. 6:47; Jn. 10:28; 2 Cor. 5:1-2; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 Jn. 5:13).
Permanence of Salvation (Eternal Security): All who are saved are kept by God’s power and are safe and secure in Christ forever (Jn. 5:24; Jn. 6:37-40, 47; Jn. 10:27-30; Rom. 8:28-29; Eph. 1:12-14; Eph. 4:30; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:5; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; Heb. 13:5). Therefore, it is impossible for a redeemed child of God to lose his or her salvation (John 10:28). One mark of a true believer is a desire to live a life characterized by holiness. Those who live a continual lifestyle of wanton sin or who lack Christian character should examine themselves to determine if they are true believers and have ever really received the grace of God for salvation. The question is not whether a saved person can be lost (which is impossible), but whether one who professes belief is truly saved (1 Jn. 2:4, 6, 9).
The Believer's Walk: The child of God has been called with a holy calling to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, so as not to fulfill the lust of the flesh (Rom. 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-25), being a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17), and thus possessing a new nature. He, nevertheless, has within him the old nature and, throughout his lifetime, these two natures strive with each other (Rom. 7:15-25). In view of this, the Christian is exhorted to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God (Col. 3:1), and to walk in the Spirit. The believer is called to live a life of consecration, to present his entire being to God, and not to be conformed to the things of the world (Rom. 12:1-2). He is not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers and is to separate from that which dishonors the Lord (2 Cor. 6:14-17; Eph. 5:11).
The Church: The Church is an elect company of believers, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body (1 Cor. 12:13). It is known as the body of Christ, and is to witness concerning its Head, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:15).
Ordinances: We recognize two church ordinances: water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are not to be regarded as a means of salvation, nor as means of grace by which special merit is obtained.
Water Baptism: Christian baptism by immersion (Acts 8:36-39) is symbolic of the beginning of the Christian life and is the testimony of a believer affirming personal faith in the crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended Lord, Jesus Christ. Spiritual union with Christ in death to the old life in Adam and resurrection to a new life in Christ is illustrated by water baptism (Rom. 6:1-11; Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:11-12). It is also a sign of identification with the Body of Christ, the Church (Acts 2:41-42).
The Lord's Supper: The Lord’s Supper is the ordinance given by our Lord to commemorate and proclaim His death until He comes. It should always be preceded by worshipful self-examination for sin in the worshiper’s life (1 Cor. 11:23-32). We also believe that even though the elements of communion are only symbolic of the flesh and blood of Christ, the Lord’s Supper is to be a blessed time of fellowship with the risen Christ.
The Return of Jesus Christ: We believe in the personal, visible and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ will descend from heaven in the air, at which time the dead in Christ will be raised, the bodies of the living saints will be changed, and together we shall be caught up with Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). The coming of Christ demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission (Matthew 24:3; Mark 24:61-62; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 3:20-21; 2 Peter 3:10-14; 1 Thess.4:15-18, Rev. 20:4-6).
Heaven and Hell: There is a literal Hell: a place of torment and anguish, prepared for the Devil and his angels (Mt. 25:21; Luke 16:23-26), in which those who reject the Son of God as their personal Savior shall be tormented forever (Rev. 20:10; Rev. 20:13-15). There is an eternal Heaven where all who are saved shall live in perfect peace and bliss forever in the presence of God and His Christ (Rev. 22:1-5).
Final Authority: This Doctrinal Statement does not present the extent of our beliefs exhaustively. The Bible itself, as the CHURCH’S final and sufficient authority for all life, is the sole and final source of all that the CHURCH believes and will be interpreted and applied to matters not expressly covered herein by the CHURCH’S Board of Elders.