"What comes into our minds when we think about God, is the most important thing about us."
CCW Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Calvary Chapel Whitefish
based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible:
CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE
Christian marriage is between one man and one woman as biologically designed by birth.
Genesis 2:24
Matthew 19:5
Ephesians 5:31
THE GODHEAD
We believe the Godhead eternally exists in the three Persons:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
These three Persons are one God having precisely the same nature and perfections.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
These three Persons are one God having precisely the same nature and perfections.
WORSHIP
We believe God is worthy of all praise, reverence, and love. We take special time to worship Him in church through song.
It is our goal to worship Him with our whole lives as well; at home, at work, and at play.
Spiritual:
We remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.
Inspirational:
We give a great place to music in our worship.
Intelligent:
Our services are designed with great emphasis on teaching the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped.
Fruitful:
We look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been truly worshipping Him.
It is our goal to worship Him with our whole lives as well; at home, at work, and at play.
Spiritual:
We remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.
Inspirational:
We give a great place to music in our worship.
Intelligent:
Our services are designed with great emphasis on teaching the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshipped.
Fruitful:
We look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been truly worshipping Him.
John 4:23
Colossians 3:16
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
TEACHING THE WORD
We believe in the expository teaching of the entire Word of God. Therefore, our worship services are structured around verse-by-verse teaching of the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
We believe . . . our ministry should be simple and sincere. Therefore, we seek to imitate the testimony of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have behaved in the world, and more abundantly toward you”. 2 Corinthians 1:12
Therefore, our services are conducted in a relaxed, comfortable and normal style. Human efforts to coerce or manipulate a response are contrary to the gentle and personal nature of the true ministry of the Holy Spirit.
We believe . . . our ministry should be simple and sincere. Therefore, we seek to imitate the testimony of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have behaved in the world, and more abundantly toward you”. 2 Corinthians 1:12
Therefore, our services are conducted in a relaxed, comfortable and normal style. Human efforts to coerce or manipulate a response are contrary to the gentle and personal nature of the true ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 20:20 & 20:27
Nehemiah 8:8
Psalm 138:2
LOVE
Love is the greatest virtue and demonstration of the reality of Jesus Christ and the fullness of His Spirit in our lives. We endeavor to show a Christ-like love toward all men. Love should be exhibited in our lives by our words as well as our actions.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, convicts men of sin, regenerates, baptizes, indwells, seals, and sets believers apart unto a holy life; that He keeps and empowers believers day by day; that He is the Teacher of the Word of God and the Guide of our daily life.
MAN
We believe:
Man was created innocent and pure…
Adam fell through the sin of disobedience…
Therefore, all men are corrupted in body, mind, and spirit… Therefore, all are in need of redemption.
Man was created innocent and pure…
Adam fell through the sin of disobedience…
Therefore, all men are corrupted in body, mind, and spirit… Therefore, all are in need of redemption.
SALVATION
We believe:
It is by grace, a free gift of God apart from works…
It requires repentance (turning from your way to God’s way).
It is through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
All who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become the children of God. True salvation will be manifested by a changed life.
It is by grace, a free gift of God apart from works…
It requires repentance (turning from your way to God’s way).
It is through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
All who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become the children of God. True salvation will be manifested by a changed life.
THE FUTURE
We believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
Therefore doctrinally, we are pre-trib/pre-millennial in our interpretation of last days prophecy.
Consistent with this position, we believe there is no sign or condition which must be fulfilled before Christ’s imminent, visible, bodily return.
Therefore doctrinally, we are pre-trib/pre-millennial in our interpretation of last days prophecy.
Consistent with this position, we believe there is no sign or condition which must be fulfilled before Christ’s imminent, visible, bodily return.
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in balance regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we consider ourselves to be neither charismatic nor non-charismatic. We believe all the gifts of the Spirit are available and operational within the church but should only be publicly exercised under the guidelines found in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and by permission of the pastoral leadership.
1 Corinthians 12-14
CHRISTIAN GROWTH
As believers we are to be growing in our walk with the Lord. We encourage this by abiding in Jesus Christ through obedience to His Word, prayer, and fellowship, and by yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit.
We believe that healthy sheep beget healthy sheep.
In keeping with this purpose, we seek to win the lost, disciple the saved, and encourage the faithful.
We believe if we take care of our depth, God will take care of our breadth. The purpose of the church is not numerical growth but spiritual growth.
The only strategy we have for our ministry is to “feed the flock of God”.
We believe that healthy sheep beget healthy sheep.
In keeping with this purpose, we seek to win the lost, disciple the saved, and encourage the faithful.
We believe if we take care of our depth, God will take care of our breadth. The purpose of the church is not numerical growth but spiritual growth.
The only strategy we have for our ministry is to “feed the flock of God”.
Romans 8:29
Ephesians 5:18
John 21:12
Acts 20:28
1 Peter 5:2
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe we are only one member of the Body of Christ. Therefore, we can rightly be classified as nondenominational. Denominationalism is an attempt to draw a line of exclusivity around Christ. No such line can honestly be drawn. We have our distinctive (as the hand is distinct from the foot), and we have our role that may differ from other parts of the body, but we are still only a part.
One of the mistaken concepts many have is all Christians and churches should be identical. They assume “unity” is equivalent to “sameness.”
The Apostle Paul points out differences do and will exist between churches and individuals in Christ:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of works, but the same God works all of them in all men.
One of the mistaken concepts many have is all Christians and churches should be identical. They assume “unity” is equivalent to “sameness.”
The Apostle Paul points out differences do and will exist between churches and individuals in Christ:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of works, but the same God works all of them in all men.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
JESUS CHRIST
We believe in:
His eternal existence as God…
His incarnation by means of the Virgin Birth…
His death on the cross as the substitutionary atonement for sin…
His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead…
His present ministry of intercession in heaven…
His personal return to earth.
His eternal existence as God…
His incarnation by means of the Virgin Birth…
His death on the cross as the substitutionary atonement for sin…
His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead…
His present ministry of intercession in heaven…
His personal return to earth.
THE BIBLE
We believe the Old and New Testaments to be plenary, verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original writings, and the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
It is the inspired, infallible word of God and is relevant and applicable to man today.
Therefore, we place great emphasis upon teaching it in public, studying it in private, and using it as a guide for our daily lives.
It is the inspired, infallible word of God and is relevant and applicable to man today.
Therefore, we place great emphasis upon teaching it in public, studying it in private, and using it as a guide for our daily lives.
1 Timothy 3:16-17 & 4:13
1 Thessalonians 2:13
FREE WILL
We believe in both the sovereignty of God and mankind’s free will / choice.
Therefore we resist the extreme positions of hyper-Calvinism and / or hyper-Arminianism. We feel both try to force a conclusion which disregards a biblical balance.
The believer in Christ is both secure in his faith and responsible to live a life of faith.
Therefore we resist the extreme positions of hyper-Calvinism and / or hyper-Arminianism. We feel both try to force a conclusion which disregards a biblical balance.
The believer in Christ is both secure in his faith and responsible to live a life of faith.
CHRISTIAN SERVICE
Is a part of the Christian life and it is the responsibility of all believers.
Our goal is to develop the ministry of every member to use their gifts in love to the benefit of all for the glory of God.
Our goal is to develop the ministry of every member to use their gifts in love to the benefit of all for the glory of God.
Ephesians 4:11-13
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Calvary Chapel Whitefish
Calvary Chapel Whitefish has been formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believe the Book of Acts represents “normal” Christianity. Therefore we seek to pattern our lives and ministry after that modeled by the early church, as revealed in the book of Acts.
We believe in pastoral leadership as the true biblical pattern for church government. Therefore the elder board, under the leadership of the senior pastor, is primarily responsible for direction and decision making.
We believe the Book of Acts represents “normal” Christianity. Therefore we seek to pattern our lives and ministry after that modeled by the early church, as revealed in the book of Acts.
We believe in pastoral leadership as the true biblical pattern for church government. Therefore the elder board, under the leadership of the senior pastor, is primarily responsible for direction and decision making.
YOU CAN KNOW JESUS CHRIST PERSONALLY TODAY!
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me…
From now on you do know Him and have seen Him."
No one comes to the Father except through Me…
From now on you do know Him and have seen Him."
- JOHN 14:6-7 -
1
UNDERSTAND GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
- JOHN 3:16 -
2
ADMIT YOU DEEP-SEATED PROBLEM: YOU ARE A SINNER AND SEPARATED FROM GOD. YOU NEED TO REPENT OF YOUR SIN AGAINST GOD.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
- Isaiah 59:2 -
3
BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE REMEDY FOR YOU REBELLION AGAINST GOD.
HE IS GOD’S PROVISION FOR YOU.
HE IS GOD’S PROVISION FOR YOU.
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Romans 5:8 -
4
ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST’S INVITATION TO RESCUE YOU FROM THE PENALTY OF YOUR SIN — DEATH AND ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD.
YOU MUST PERSONALLY AND INTENTIONALLY RESPOND.
YOU MUST PERSONALLY AND INTENTIONALLY RESPOND.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.”
- Revelation 3:20 -
5
TRUST GOD'S PROMISE TO SAVE YOU.
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Romans 5:8 -
6
PRAY: