“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8
Jesus Christ is the foundation and cornerstone of the church. He came to restore man's broken relationship with God. His finished work on the cross made that possible. Because of His love demonstrated on the cross by dying for our sins, we now have reason to fellowship with one another and proclaim salvation through His life, death, and resurrection.
Romans 5:6-10
The Bible is the inspired, infallible word of God and is relevant and applicable to man today. Therefore, we place great emphasis on teaching it in public, studying it in private, and using it as a guide for our daily lives.
II Timothy 3: 16
Worship should be part of our whole lives - at home, work and play. Believing that God is worthy of all praise, reverence, and love, we take special time to worship Him in the church with
Song. John 4:23
Christian Growth will happen naturally as we abide in Jesus Christ through His Word, prayer, and fellowship, and by yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit. It is our supreme desire to know Christ and to be conformed to His image, likeness, and example by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:29
Love is the greatest virtue and demonstration of the reality of Jesus Christ. We believe the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's (Agape) love, which is greater than any difference we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves, as Christians.
John 13:34
Christian Service is a part of the Christian life and is the responsibility of all believers. Our goal is to develop the ministry of every member to the benefit of all.
Ephesians4:11-13
We believe that all people are sinners by nature and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God saves and regenerates, based upon faith by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
(Acts 8: 15-17; Ephesians 2: 1-3 and Romans 3:23 and 5:8; Titus 3:5)
Baptism
Matthew 28:19, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them. Thus, we at Calvary Chapel believe that God has given the command for believers in Christ to be baptized.
However, we do not believe that someone who has professed a belief in and commitment to Jesus Christ is not saved until they are baptized. The scripture is clear on this point. The apostle Paul said. “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1Cor 1:17). When asked by the Philippians jailer,” What must I do to be saved,” Paul and the other disciples responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:30-33). Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved”.
What then does baptism do? (Romans 6:3-4) tells us, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?. Therefore, we have buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life”. In other words, baptism is an identifying work that demonstrates our connection with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We go down into the waters of baptism, just as Jesus was buried in the tomb. We rise up out of the water just as Jesus rose up from the dead. Furthermore, we are demonstrating to family and friends that our old life is buried, and our new life has begun.
Another question that we are frequently asked is” in whose name are we baptized?”. Should we be baptized in the name of Jesus only, or in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? There are lengthy doctrinal discussions over what we should do since there is Biblical precedence for both practices. But the short and simple answer is that Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Simon Peter said in Acts 2:38, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. “Whose command are you going to follow?. We follow the command of Jesus and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Witch, incidentally, also follows the command of Peter, who didn’t say, “be baptized in the name of Jesus ONLY”.
Baptisms occur at Calvary Chapel of Branchville when someone expresses a desire to the Senior Pastor to be baptized. We typically schedule them to take place at our annual baptism celebration. If you have been born again into a new life in Christ, but have not yet been baptized, we encourage you to be obedient to the Lord and do so.
Communion
We partake of Communion together as a church body,
We partake of Communion together as a church body, having the emblems passed out and being led by the Senior Pastor in its observance
For example, there is a teaching that one must fast before taking Communion. However, the Bible tells us that the disciples partook of Communion during the Passover dinner. Additionally, the early church partook after agape feasts (potluck dinners). Therefore, we see that no fasting is necessary.
Also, some hold to the idea that only local or denominational church members may partake of communion. Because we believe that all born-again believers are in one church, the Body of Christ, we welcome all believers to partake of communion at Calvary Chapel.
There is also the belief that the bread we eat at communion actually and physically becomes the body – flesh – of Jesus. But when Jesus said, “This is My body,” the disciples didn’t take this in the literal sense, because Jesus was right there in person among them. They understood that “this is My body” was equivalent to “this represents My body”. The bread does, however, represent perfectly His sinlessness, His scarring, striping, piercing, and brokenness.
Marriage
We believe that God created man, and He created them male and female.
We believe that God created man, and He created them male and female. As such, He created them differently to complement and complete each other.
God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ validated the ordinance of marriage. For this reason homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” or “orientations” are unnatural, sinful, and unacceptable to God.
Accordingly, this ministry will not perform any marriage ceremonies between two individuals of the same sex.
(Genesis 2:24 ; Matthew 19:4 ; Romans 1:18-32 ; Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3 and 7:8-9 ; Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-7 ; Timothy 1:8-11 ; Matthew 19:4-5 and John 2:1-11)
Worship
Hymns and organs, slides and choruses, praise bands and worship...
Hymns and organs, slides and choruses, praise bands and worship... How do we know what kind of worship service God likes best?
The Lord desires to be worshiped in spirit and in truth. He desires that your mind and heart be directed to Him during the worship time. That’s why our prayer is that whatever musical taste, the songs sung and music played at Calvary Chapel of Branchville will be used as a vehicle that will usher you into the presence of God. We constantly pray that God will be the center of attention during worship.
During the worship service, you are encouraged to worship in every was set forth in scripture. This includes actions such as, singing
(Exodus 15:21 ; Judge's 5:3 ; 1Chronicles 16:9 ; Psalm 66:4)
Bowing (Exodus 34:8 ; Matthew 2:11 ;Revelation 4:-11) Raising your hands (Nehemiah 8:6 ; Psalm 28:2 ; Psalm 63:4 ; Psalm 134:2 ; Psalm 141:2 ; Lamentations 3:40-41)
We are free to stand and lift your hands, applaud, and sing. We only ask that while engaging in worship, you please make a point of not being a distraction to others around you.
Leadership
We differ from most mainline churches in their style of church government.
Calvary Chapel differs from most mainline churches in its style of church government.
Most churches are either run with a Congregational form of church government (a democracy run by voting and committees), a Presbyterian form (a board of elders over a Pastor), or an Episcopal form (a monarchy that dictates what happens in local churches). Each of these governmental forms has their positives and negatives, but at Calvary Chapel, we have adopted what we believe to be a Biblical model of church leadership.
Church government at Calvary Chapel is very simple, not a complex bureaucracy. Committees and subcommittees are essentially non-existent. At Calvary Chapel, we believe that the Senior Pastor is responsible for the church, responsible to hear from God, and responsible to feed and love His people faithfully. The Senior Pastor guides the church in the fear of the Lord as he is led by the Holy Spirit.
Because the Senior Pastor is only one man, Elders, and Pastors are appointed to help the Senior Pastor care for the spiritual needs of the congregation, and Deacons are appointed to help the Senior Pastor care for the material needs of the church. Feel free to call on these men for spiritual or physical assistance.
The appointment of Elders is done by the Senior Pastor (Titus 1 :5), in concert with much prayer and fasting (Luke 6: 12-13). Deacons are appointed following discussion and prayer by the Pastors, Elders ( Acts 6:3; 1Tim 3: 10). The Biblical prerequisites. For both of these offices (Acts 6, 1Tim 3, Titus 1) are heavily weighed and absolutely required.
Following is a list of ministries in that Elders and Deacons assist the Senior Pastor in ministering to the congregation physically and spiritually:
The ministries of an Elder
Guard the flock. (Acts 20)
Shepherd the church. (Acts 20, 1Pet 5)
Work hard to help the weak. (Acts 20)
Be an example to the sheep. (1Pet 5)
Go to the sick and pray over them, anointing them with oil. (James 5)
Discuss and come to conclusions regarding church doctrine. (Acts 15)
Preach and teach. (1Tim 5)
Choose men for the work of missions and ministry. (Acts 15) Meet to hear the status of the church and ministries. (Acts 15, 21) Have stewardship over what to do with church finances. (Acts 11:30,Titus 1)
Take care of the church. (1Tim 3)
Rule what goes on in the church. (1Tim 5: 17)
The ministries of a Deacon
Minister to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the prisoners. (Matt 25:44)
Provide for a need financially. (Luke 8:3)
Serve as Jesus served. (Matt 20:28)
Prepare the house, food, etc. for visitors. (Luke 10:40)
Be available to serve physical needs. (John 2:5)
Wait tables. (Acts 6:2)
Share the gospel. (1Cor 3:5)
Use spiritual gifts to minister to those in the church. (1Pet 4: 10) Serve with the strength that God supplies. (1Pet 4: 11)
Tithes
You will never hear us telling people, The tithes are down, so dig deep.
Because of many televangelists abuses, a lot of people are uncomfortable discussing the giving of money to the church. This problem is magnified by many preachers who regularly preach sermons about giving when the dollar amount of the church's weekly offering goes down.
At Calvary Chapel, you will never hear us telling people, "The tithes and offerings are down, so please dig deep." You will never hear pleading, begging, or compelling. You will never experience harassment or manipulation about money. As far as Calvary Chapel is concerned, your giving to God is exactly that: giving to God.
On the other hand, we are not afraid to discuss this subject as we come to those areas in Scripture that warrant the explanation and exposition of giving, stewardship, tithing, and offering to God.
At Calvary Chapel Branchville, we don't pass around the offering plate, but rather allow the Holy Spirit to move in the believer to give cheerfully by placing their tithe in what we call the Agape box.
The Bible instructs us that giving is a sacrifice of thanksgiving. In Deuteronomy 26, we are told that we take the first fruits of God's blessings, put them in a basket joyously and thankfully, and place it on the altar.
We believe the following in regards to giving to God:
You're never too poor to give to Jesus Christ. People don't give according to how rich God makes them, they give according to the grace of God. The more a person experiences the grace of God, the more they give to God
(2Cor 8: 1-5).
If you give generously, then you will reap even greater blessings (Prov.11:24-25; Malachi 3:8-10; Luke 16:10- 13; 2Cor 9:6). However, you should never give to God to get from God.
You should give exactly as much as you have purposed in your heart to .give (2Cor 9:7). Don't ever give under compulsion or because you've been made to feel guilty.
When you give to God, give to Him cheerfully and hilariously (2Cor 9:7). Otherwise, it's best if you just keep your money.
When you give to God, give sacrificially. David said, "I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing."
(1Chronicles21:24)
The widow who put two mites into the temple treasury was applauded by Jesus for giving all she had (Mark 12:43). God is blessed when we offer Him a true financial sacrifice.
Membership
Every born-again believer is a member of one church: the body of Christ.
Every born-again believer is a member of one church: the body of Christ.
Beyond that, we do not see local church membership represented in scripture. Therefore, there is no church membership at Calvary Chapel. There are no tithe commitments, pledges, or teachings like “if you don’t belong to our church, you’re not saved. “We are simply a fellowship of people that desire to worship together, learn together, and serve God together.
If God meets you here, teaches you here, matures you here, and challenges you her, please feel free to call Calvary Chapel Branchville your home church.
You are also welcome to be a member of another church and attend Calvary Chapel services when you are able. Many people may find that they enjoy the Wednesday night Bible studies, while still being able to remain plugged into their home church.
Spirtual Gifts
Calvary Chapel is a charismatic church. We believe that the gifts of the spirit
By definition, Calvary Chapel is a charismatic church. We believe that the gifts of the spirit (Rom 12; 1Cor 12; 1Pet 4) continue to be in operation today. But we also believe the exercise of these gifts must be decent and in order (1 Cor 14:40) within Biblical boundaries, to the edification of the church. Therefore, we cannot be defined as “Pentecostal”.
Calvary Chapel’s Sunday morning services are designed to be centered around the verse-by-verse teaching of God’s Word, as-well as for the evangelism of unbelievers. Therefore, we have smaller studies in the form of Bible Studies where the gifts of the Holy Spirit can operate freely under the leadership of mature Christians.
Because the fruit of the Spirit includes self-control (Gal 5:22-23), we do not believe that “Holy laughter,” being “slain in the spirit,” Shaking, trembling, barking, etc. are following Biblical gifts:
Word of Wisdom
God, acting on the knowledge you have, enables you to solve a conflict or arrive at a godly decision.
Word of Knowledge
A supernatural revelation – knowledge of things that you didn’t discover or know on your own.
Faith
A super-abundant dose of faith, enabling you to step out and do things for the kingdom of God that might make you no earthly sense.
Gifts of Healing
Gifts of healing are imparted to some who are sick, handicapped, injured, or dying.
Effecting of Miracles
A gift in which God causes a supernatural event – changing the natural laws and flow of things for a certain purpose.
Prophecy
A forth-telling of the Word of God – sometimes speaking of the future, but often simply speaking the written Word of God appropriately.
Teaching
The ability to take the deep things of God and make them understandable to others.
Distinguishing of Spirits
The ability to see the spirit – the attitudes, the motives – of a person.
Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues
Speaking praises to God in an unknown language (of men or angels). An interpretation is necessary in a public setting so that we can say “amen”. It is a sign to unbelievers, but only when practiced decently and in order (no more than 2 to 3, each in turn, with interpretations).
Serving
We’re all called to serve one another, but some are gifted supernaturally to serve, either by their ability or their availability.
Exhortation
Used God to strongly urge people to do good deeds, or warn them against evil deeds.
Leading
Given to people that God places in leadership in the church.
Mercy
The supernatural ability to show unexpected and abundant kindness to the undeserving.
Why our church
It's all about love
Jesus‘ love for us is described in the Bible as unconditional, sacrificial love. Jesus demonstrated this love by going to the cross and taking the punishment that we deserve for our sins. He showed us that love is more powerful than death and that nothing can separate us from His love. Jesus‘ love is also described as being gracious, merciful, and compassionate. He showed us that love is not just an emotion, but a way of life. His love is not based on our performance or behavior, but is instead a free gift to all who believe in Him.
Jesus
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8
Community
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
Proverbs 17:17
Love
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
1 Corinthians 13:4
Love Jesus
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Corinthians 13:4