What We Believe:

Higher Ground Calvary Chapel is 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 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.

We believe worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.

We believe worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, we place great importance on music in our worship.

We believe worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, our services are designed to place emphasis upon teaching of the Word of God, that He might instruct us in how He should be worshiped.

We believe worship of God is fruitful. Therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have been worshiping Him.

Statement of Faith, Character, Belief and Ordinances

1. We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Hebrews 9:14)

2. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error in the original manuscripts, and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which this church operates and is the basis for which this church is governed. We believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures. (Isaiah 28:13; Nehemiah 8:8; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:21)

3. We believe in the person of God the Father, an Infinite, personal Spirit perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2; Psalms 102:27; John 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3)

4. We believe in the person of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, his atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-2; John 8:58; John 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Revelation 1:8)

5. We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, Who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Christ; (Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 16:8-11; Romans 15:13,16; Hebrews 9:14)

6. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 14:16-17, 16:8-11)

7. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all spiritual gifts. (Romans 12; Ephesians 4;1 Corinthians 12; I peter 2:8-11)

8. We believe that all people are sinners by nature and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God regenerates based upon faith by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. (Acts 8:15-17; Titus 3:5).

9. We believe in the church, the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all who are born again are members. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16)

10. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the church: (a) water baptism, and (b) the Lord's Supper. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

11. We believe also in the laying on of hands for the ordination of pastors, elders, and deacons, and for the receiving of the perpetuity of these gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:6, 8:17; 1 Timothy 4:14)

12. We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless suffering of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20: 11-15)

13. We believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church when all believers will meet the Lord in the air and be taken out of this world prior to the Tribulation that will come upon the earth. (Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:36; Romans 1:18, 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Peter 2:7-9; Revelation 5:7-10, 7:13-14)

14. We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, while those who reject Jesus’ free-gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord in Hell. (Matthew 5:3, 25:31-34; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Peter 1:4; Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:22, 18:9; Luke 12:5)

15. We believe in Creation and God as the Creator. We believe that God created man and that He created them male and female. As such, He created them different so-as-to complement and complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between a male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason homosexuality, and all other sexual preferences or orientations are unnatural, sinful, and unacceptable to God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; I Timothy 1:9-11). This ministry does not perform marriage ceremonies between two individuals of the same sex. We do not condone or recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships as substitutes for Biblical marriages.

16. We believe that marriage is exclusively the legal union of one genetic male and one genetic female as outlined in scripture. We also believe that legitimate biblical sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. (Genesis 2:24; I Corinthians 5:11; 6:9; 6:18-20; 7:1-3; 7:8-9; Romans 1:18-32).