Who We Are 

"...You are a member of God's very own family...and you belong in
God's household with every other Christian." 

Ephesians 2:19 (LB)

Mission Statement: 
Calvary Baptist Church exists to glorify God by seeking to win people, mend them, build them up, and send them out. 

Vision Statement: 
Calvary Baptist Church will glorify God by enabling believers to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who out of the overflow of their spiritual passion and growing maturity in Christ, are empowered to reach their community and the world for Christ. 

*A few basics... Calvary Baptist Church, located in the heart of California's central San Joaquin Valley, has been in existence since 1910. Calvary Baptist Church is associated with the Baptist General Conference, and as a part of that affiliation, a member of the Northern California Baptist Conference district. We are committed to mutual ministry with other evangelical churches. Our commitment to the shared ministries of global church planting and church enrichment is more effectively accomplished by working with these sister churches. Click here for details on our Sunday services. A smaller sized group of adults participate in an informal evening worship service. Our church has different ministries to minister to a variety of people. Check out our Ministries page for more information! Our congregational age group make-up is balanced. No one age group significantly outnumbers any other. We have a small number of college/career adults, and a good number of younger-aged families, middle-aged adults, and senior citizens. 

Values Statement:

• A commitment to relevant Bible exposition 
  We believe the Bible is God's inspired Word, the authoritative and trustworthy rule of faith and practice for Christians. (II Timothy 3:15,16) The Bible is both timeless and timely, relevant to the specific problems of contemporary living. Therefore, we are committed to equipping Christians, through the preaching and teaching of God's Word, to follow Christ in every sphere of life. 
• A commitment to Prayer 
  We believe that God desires His people to pray, and that He hears and answers prayer. (Matt. 7:7-11; James 5:13-18) Therefore, the ministries and activities of this church will be characterized by a reliance on prayer in their conception, planning, and execution. 
• A commitment to Lay Ministry 
  We believe that the primary responsibility of the pastor(s) and teachers in the local church is to "prepare God's people for works of service." (Eph. 4:12) Therefore, the ministry of Calvary Baptist Church will be placed as much as possible in the hands of nonvocational workers. This will be accomplished through training opportunities and through practices which encourage lay initiation, leadership, responsibility, and authority in the various ministries of the church. 
• A Commitment to Small Groups 
  We are committed to small group ministry as one of the most effective means of building relationships, stimulating spiritual growth, and developing leaders. (Acts 2:42-47; Acts 20:20) 
• An Appreciation for Creativity and Innovation 
  In today's rapidly changing world, forms and methods must be continually evaluated, and if necessary, altered to fit new conditions. While proven techniques should not be discarded at whim, we encourage creativity and innovation, flexibility and adaptability. We are more concerned with effectiveness in ministry than with adherence to tradition. 
• A Commitment to Excellence 
  We believe that the God of our salvation deserves the best we have to offer. The Lord Himself is a God of excellence, as shown by the beauty of creation; further, He gave the best that He had, His only Son, for us. (Rom. 8:32) Paul exhorts servants, in whatever they do, to work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men. (Col. 3:23) Therefore, in the ministries and activities of Calvary Baptist Church we will seek to maintain a high standard of excellence for the glory of God. We encourage each other to a level of ministry excellence. This will be achieved when every person is exercising his or her God-given spiritual gift to the best of his or her ability. (1 Cor. 12) 
• A Commitment to Growth 
  Although numerical growth is not necessarily a sign of God's blessing, and is not a sufficient goal in itself, we believe that God desires for us to reach as many people as possible with the life changing message of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will pursue methods and policies which will facilitate numerical growth, without compromising in any way our integrity or our commitment to Biblical truth. 
• A Commitment to Family Life 
  We believe that the family is the primary place where Biblical values should be taught and lived. We believe that God has given parents the responsibility to train and nurture their children in the Lord. (Eph. 6:4) Therefore, the ministries of Calvary Baptist Church shall seek to strengthen families and marriages. 
• A Commitment to Discipleship 
  We believe that God desires consistency in every area of life and that He desires us to live holy lives. (I Peter 1:15, 16) We believe that God wants us to be whole emotionally as well as spiritually. Therefore, we will seek integrity in all areas of life and we will promote accountability within our church fellowship. 
• A Commitment to Integrity 
  We believe that God has instructed His followers to share the truth that He has given us with others so that they will become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20) Therefore, we will seek to provide opportunities for people to be taught and encouraged both one-on-one and in a small group. 
• A Commitment to meeting the needs of our Community 
  We believe that God has placed our church in this community to make an impact on its people through the meeting of their physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. Therefore, we will seek to be sensitive to the needs that are present in our community and seek creative ways to help meet those needs. 
• A Commitment to Stewardship 
  We believe that God has entrusted us with the responsibility to honor Him with our time, financial resources, spiritual gifts and human talents. Therefore, we will challenge people to be faithful in honoring God in each of these areas. (Matt. 25:33-41; II Cor. 4:2) 

**If you would like some information about our Declaration of Faith, please feel free to contact the church office**