Our Mission Statement.
Calvary Chapel Tri-County was birthed out of prayer and a call of the Lord. As an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Arroyo Grande, California, I felt a call to the Oregon area. Over time, through seeking God and prayer, "that call" was narrowed to the rural farm belt of the Willamette Valley, just north of Eugene. Eventually, the house sold. The family, all of our belongings, the dog and the cat all moved north. In January 1993, I began a home Bible study by placing an ad in the local Tri-County newspaper. The Bible study grew, the people in the area had a desire to both hear the Word of God taught expositionally and to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our home was no longer large enough to accommodate all who came. Elders were chosen, and the home Bible study became what is today Calvary Chapel Tri-County.
I strongly believe that teaching people to love Jesus meets the greatest need of man. Please won't you just consider Jesus Christ and His love for you?
— Pastor Jerry Lenhard
What We Believe.
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, by which all things are given to us pertaining to life and Godliness (2 Tim 3:16). We therefore place a great priority on knowing God through the study and teaching of His Word.
We believe in one God
We believe in one God, our Father, the Creator of all that exists both visible and invisible. We believe that God has revealed Himself to us in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 Tim 3:16).
We believe the Gospel to be that Jesus the Christ
We believe the Gospel to be that Jesus the Christ, the second person of the Godhead, became flesh, was born of a virgin, and lived as a man among men. We believe Jesus suffered and died for our sins and was physically and literally resurrected from the dead, and ascended back into Heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father (1 Cor 15:3-4).
We believe that all men are helplessly lost, separated from God, and are sinners
We believe that all men are helplessly lost, separated from God, and are sinners by nature. We believe that the only way to reconciliation with God is personal faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and that all who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus shall be saved. Salvation is therefore the free gift of eternal life, bought and paid for by the death of Jesus on the cross (John 5:24, Eph 2:8).
We believe in the need for discipleship and training
We believe in the need for discipleship and training for the perfection of the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12). Therefore, we put emphasis on the obedience to God’s Word in our daily lives (John 14:15).
We believe in the fellowship
We believe in the fellowship of all true believers in Christ (1 John 1:3). We place a high priority on the gathering of the body of Christ together in order to stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24). We therefore place a priority on body ministry, and sensitivity to the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:4-7).
We believe that the worship of God should be reverential
We believe that the worship of God should be reverential, pleasing to Him, and that His church is to worship Him in spirit and Truth as an expression of our love (Psalm 96:6, John 4:24). Therefore, we place a priority on music and singing as a form of worship. We look to His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we are truly worshipping Him.
We believe that Jesus Christ is going to return
We believe that Jesus Christ is going to return in the clouds for His church before the tribulation that is coming upon the whole earth (1 Thes 4:16-17) and that He will return with His saints and all His holy angels to the earth at the end of the tribulation, and set up His kingdom on earth, ruling and reigning forever and ever. (Matt 24:30, Rev 19:15-16)
We believe that the nation of Israel has a special place in God's plan
We believe that the nation of Israel has a special place in God's plan, and that all of the promises of God to Israel will be fulfilled both now and in the second coming of Jesus Christ in His millennium. (Gen 12:3, Jer 31:35-37, Rom 9,10,11, Rev 20:4-7)
Our Statement of Faith
Does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.