Welcome to Calvary Chapel. Newcomers often ask what denomination our church is, and since we're not tied to any particular denomination, they want to know what we're all about. While the following information may not answer all of your questions, we trust it will at least answer those that are most important.

Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg has been formed as a fellowship of believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only to their overemphasis of the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the Body of Christ.

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.

WE BELIEVE IN 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; that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return to earth.

WE BELIEVE IN 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 in ministry all who believe in Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher and Guide. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all biblical gifts of the Spirit as reflected through the fruit of that same Spirit.

WE BELIEVE that 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, apart from works, 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, destined to spend eternity with the Lord.

WE BELIEVE that the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's unconditional (agapé) 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 leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.

WE BELIEVE worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, we give great place to music in 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 worshipped.

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 worshipping Him.

WE BELIEVE that all 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.

WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: 1) baptism, and 2) The Lord's Supper. We believe in baptism by immersion and The Lord's Supper (Communion) open to all believers.

WE BELIEVE in the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth and the establishment of His Kingdom; the resurrection of the body; the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless suffering for the wicked.