What We Believe
at Calvary Church North Pittsburgh

We are not a denominational fellowship, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only their over-emphasis of the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the body of Christ. We believe that the only true basis of Christian fellowship is His (Agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.
Christian Fellowship
Our many differences are overcome by the agape love of God in us which alone is the basis for our fellowship with one another.
God / Trinity
We believe there is One God Who is eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus
Jesus is fully God and came to earth as God’s promised Savior. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, suffered and died on the cross atoning for our sins, rose from the grave, ascended to the right hand of God where He makes intercession for us.
Jesus & The Holy Spirit
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to preach the Gospel to the entire world, an obligation shared by all believers today.
Holy Spirit
When Jesus rose from the grave, He poured out His Holy Spirit on those who believe and 1) indwells the believer 2) seals the believer 3) empowers the believer to fulfill the command to preach the Gospel to the entire world.
Gifts of the Spirit
Any believer who asks in faith for the Holy Spirit to come upon them will be filled afresh with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we are told to earnestly desire spiritual gifts which are given to all believers for the edifying of the body of Christ. We believe all of these Gifts exist today, but are to be exercised as outlined in the Bible.

We believe that the Bible clearly delineates that spiritual gifts are for the edification of the body and that they are to be exercised in love. We believe that love is more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without love, all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless. In our services, we focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. We do not practice speaking in tongues during worship or while a Bible study is in progress because we do not believe that the Holy Spirit would interrupt Himself. God is not the author of confusion. These gifts are encouraged in more intimate settings, e.g. personal prayer times, and afterglow services where their benefit can accomplish the purpose for which they have been given - the edification of the body of Christ.
Love
The greatest of all gifts given is love. Without love, all the other gifts are worthless.
Sin
All people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God.
Jesus - Head of the Church
Jesus Christ is the head of the Body, His church, and that church government should be simplistic rather than complex and bureaucratic. We desire to be under the authority of the word of God and led by the Holy Spirit in all the ministry of the church.
The Bible
We believe the entirety of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, are entirely inspired by the Holy Spirit, without error in the original manuscripts, and are the basis of our faith and practice.
Pre-Tribulation Rapture
We await the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, and we believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ with His saints to rule the earth, which will be personal and visible. This motivates us to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship, participation in adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion.
Satan
We believe in a personal devil called Satan, and fallen angels who are destined to spend eternity in hell. We believe they now seek to deceive people and defeat the work of God. However, they can be resisted by believers, as they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, protected by God, and interceded for by the Lord Jesus.
Worship
We believe worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship. We believe that worship of God should be musical. Therefore, music is an important part of our worship. We believe worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, our services are designed with great emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshiped. We seek to teach the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual’s life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ. We believe worship of God should be fruitful. Therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been truly worshiping Him
Predestination & Free Will
We are neither Five-Point Calvinists, nor are we Arminians. We adhere firmly to the biblical teaching of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. We avoid any theological systems of belief that go beyond the written Word and thereby divide the body of Christ.

Why Calvary Chapel?

Calvary Church North Pittsburgh is part of the Calvary Chapel movement, a fellowship of churches that seeks to keep the main thing the main thing: Jesus Christ.
At Calvary Chapel, our desire is to know Christ, to be transformed into His image through the work of the Holy Spirit, and to make Him known to others. We believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God and that it is our foundation for knowing God, understanding His will, and living faithfully for Him.

As a Calvary Chapel, we are committed to teaching the whole counsel of God's Word. We believe the Bible should not simply be used to support our opinions or agendas. Instead, we want to let God's Word speak for itself. That's why we teach the Bible verse by verse and chapter by chapter, seeking to understand what God has said and then apply it to our lives.
We also believe the Christian life is meant to be lived in relationship with Jesus and with His people. We want our church to be a place of genuine worship, biblical teaching, prayer, fellowship, and service. We believe spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to build up the church, but that every gift must be exercised in love and in submission to God's Word.

Calvary Chapel is not about building a particular denomination or elevating secondary theological differences. We want to hold firmly to the essential truths of the Christian faith while extending grace and love to other believers who may understand some secondary issues differently.

Ultimately, our desire is simple: we want to see Jesus.We want people to know Jesus personally, grow in His Word, become more like Him, and be equipped to serve Him faithfully. We believe that as we keep our eyes on Christ and remain faithful to His Word, He will build His church and accomplish His purposes through us.
Learn More