Vision

Calvin Church is innovative in its ministry outreach, providing a witness to Jesus Christ in its immediate neighborhood, in the public schools, across the country, and to the far reaches of the world. We have patterned our outreach strategy on that commanded by Jesus Christ himself in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In addition to our collaboration with a Korean congregation, with whom we share our facilities, we also partner in ministry with an Hispanic church. Our life together includes service projects at the elementary school adjacent to the church, a music-and-food fiesta, joint worship services and pulpit exchanges with the pastors, prayer walking and Christmas caroling in an inter-racial and economically disadvantaged neighborhood, and joint sponsorship of a vacation Bible school for children in that neighborhood.

Two years ago a family in the church established a nonprofit foundation dedicated to Christian community development and outreach. The foundation purchased a duplex in this neighborhood, the two halves of which are occupied by a Calvin Church staff member, and the Hispanic pastor and his family. This duplex, located two blocks from Calvin Church, serves as a multipurpose ministry center to our neighbors.

A great deal of our time, energy and resources also go into foreign missions. The 10% to 12% of the church budget assigned to missions is supplemented with thousands of dollars more given each year in special appeals. Our mission work in Baja California began with a team of 11, and over the years grew to a peak of about 30. The youth of the church recruited friends from other churches to participate in this mission work.

We have also seen about 15 or our members participate in mission outreach in Eastern Europe in the last six years. We have sent a team for several years to our sister church in eastern Latvia to help with an evangelistic English language camp for youth. Our Director of Community Life, Paula Hewitt, was in Latvia for three months this year assisting in ministry with our sister church.

Our church family is actively involved in working with our supported outreach ministries because we believe the Gospel is best spread through personal relationships and ongoing discipleship.