About Us

Why We Exist

Our Mission

Together, we lead and create disciples of Jesus.

What does it mean to follow Jesus? A follower, a disciple, a Christian, lives out the teachings of Jesus. This is a lifelong journey. It’s not something that just happens once or on a Sunday–it’s a way of life. It happens in a healthy church community where the words of Jesus are taught and lived out. It’s where real life change takes place. It’s not about religion, but a daily relationship/walk with Jesus. Together we seek to accomplish our mission.

Our Vision

Declaring the name of Jesus in the triangle and the world.

As disciples, we have a personal responsibility to share the hope of Jesus with others. We strive to equip you to understand how to share the gospel with others in a simple and effective way.

Our desire is that we would be a light in our city and throughout the world that they might see the love of Jesus and desire to know Him personally.

Our Values

The 3 Cs of Calvary Raleigh Church

CELEBRATE – Lifestyle of Worship

  • Personal Worship
  • Corporate Worship

CONNECT – Discover Community

Following Jesus was never meant to be done in isolation. Discipleship happens in community.

  • Adults
    • Life Groups
    • D-Groups
    • Senior Adults
    • Men’s Prayer Breakfast
    • Ladies Gatherings
  • Calvary Raleigh Kids
  • Rise Youth
  • Better Together Young Adults

CONTRIBUTE – Serving > Giving > Going

Christ commissioned us to build His Kingdom. We can accomplish this together as we begin serving, giving, and going.

 

 

What We Believe

ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

References:

Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 40:8; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 1:1; 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21

ABOUT GOD

There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

God the Father:  God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

References:

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 19:1; Isaiah 43:3; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 7:11; 23:9; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 5:7

God the Son:  Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

References:

Psalms 2:7, Isaiah 7:14; 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 14:33; 16:16; 28:1-6; Mark 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; John 1:1-4; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-16; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 1 John 1:7-9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16

God the Holy Spirit:  The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

References:

Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7-12; Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 1:18; 3:16-17; 4:1; 28:19; Luke 1:35; 11:13; 12:12; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; Acts 1:8; 4:31; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7

ABOUT MAN

Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a sin nature.  Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

References:

Genesis 1:26-30; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; Colossians 1:21-22

ABOUT SALVATION

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

References:

Matthew 1:21; 4:17; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-16,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; Colossians 3:1-3; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:6-10

ABOUT THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER

All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

References:

John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 13:34-35; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Colossians 1:12-14;      2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2; 5:11-13

ABOUT THE CHURCH

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local body of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each church operates under the Lordship of Christ. In such a church each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are elders and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of elder or pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

References:

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3

ABOUT BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to covenant of church membership.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby followers of Christ through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

References:

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12

ABOUT LAST THINGS

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

References:

Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13

The Gospel

What is the Gospel?

The just and gracious God of the universe looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to bear His wrath against sin on the cross and to show His power over sin in the resurrection so that all who have faith in Him will be reconciled to God forever.

A biblical presentation and a biblical response to the Gospel includes five key elements:

I. The Character of God

– Romans 1:18-20  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

– Colossians 1:16   For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.

Further Study: Romans 2:1-16; 3:22- 24; Isaiah 43:6-7.

Biblical Truth: God is the just and gracious Creator of all things.

Biblical Response: Realize that we belong to Him, are accountable to Him, and are created to glorify Him.

II. The Sinfulness of Man

– Romans 1:21-25 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

– Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Further Study:  Romans 3:9-20; 6:23.

Biblical Truth: We are each created by God, but we are all corrupted by sin.

Biblical Response: Admit areas of rebellion, be honest with God about sin, and turn from it.

III. The Sufficiency of Christ

– Romans 4:24-25 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

– Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Further Study: Romans 3:21-26; 5:6-10; 8:1-4; I Cor. 15:3-4.

Biblical Truth: Jesus Christ alone is able to remove our sin and reconcile us to God through His death. He alone satisfies the wrath of God for our sins.

Biblical Response: Recognize that we are helpless to be reconciled with God apart from Jesus Christ.

IV. The Necessity of Faith

– Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

– Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Further Study: Romans 3:20-31; 4:22-25; 6:11-14; 8:10-11; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7.

Biblical Truth: We are reconciled to God only through faith in Jesus. There is nothing we can do to become right with God.

Biblical Response: Faith that leads to salvation involves turning from sin and self-sufficiency. We turn to Jesus and trust in Him as Lord, confess Him as Lord and Savior.

V. The Urgency of Eternity

– John 3:15-16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

– John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Further Study: John 3:36, 10:27-30, 17:3; 1 Timothy 1:16-17,  Hebrews 9:12, 1 John 5:11-13.

Biblical Truth: Our eternal destiny is dependent on our response to Jesus.

Biblical Response: Cry out to God to save you of your sins, put your faith in Jesus Christ and confess Him as Savior and Lord.

The Gospel Presentation