what is ouR culture like at refuge?
He must increase and I must decrease (John 3:30).There is none like Him. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we express our love to Him regularly through prayer, worship and service.
We immerse ourselves in the Scriptures because the Spirit of God works through the Word of God to change the people of God. We study the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse so we can know the 'full counsel of God's Word.'
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (Zachariah 4:6). We believe that we offer God nothing in and of ourselves. It's all a work of the Holy Spirit. So we simply lean on and depend upon the Holy Spirit. When we give glory to God and He begins to work by His Spirit, it becomes a joyful, thrilling experience.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). Prayer is the life blood of the church and we battle through prayer.
We have been adopted into the family of God. God's church is made up of every tribe, nation, and tongue and we value every family member and we celebrate our differences in culture, language, age and background.
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). God is a generous God and He loves a cheerful giver. We do not give out of our lack. We give out of the abundance we’ve received from God.
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:5-7). Jesus taught that we are not to be like the rulers of the Gentiles who lord their power and authority over others, but rather that the way to greatness in the kingdom of God comes by being a servant. He declared Himself to be our example in this, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42). The early church taught the Word, shared in fellowship, broke bread in Communion, and prayed. They kept it simple and so do we.
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (24) God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24). Our worship is contemporary, with the emphasis on “worship” rather than “contemporary.”
"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, (47) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:46-47). This passage lifts the burden off of us as it’s not ultimately God’s servants, but God Himself, who saves people. Pastor Chuck Smith often said “Healthy sheep beget sheep.” And that is evangelism to us, reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ and seeing what God will do with the seed that has been scattered.
We depend on God. He is with us wherever we go, enabling us to be courageous and take bold ventures of faith. We’re not afraid to fail. When the Lord is leading and guiding He will supply our every need.
our distinctives
Refuge Church San Luis Obispo is part of the Calvary Chapel Movement. In our movement we value the teaching of the Word, and possess an open heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. This balance makes Calvary Chapel a distinct and uniquely blessed movement of God. And so, it's important to understand the Biblical principles that explain why God has allowed us to exist and grow.
God’s Model for the Church
We look to the book of Acts as the model for the church. It is a church filled with the Holy Spirit, led by the Holy Spirit, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. And the four basic functions of the early church, which we desire in our fellowship, are found in Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Church Government
We believe that the church government should be simplistic rather than a complex bureaucracy, and we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead, rather than on fleshly promotion. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head over the body of the church. It’s His church. He’s the One in charge. Jesus being the “Shepherd” (John 10:11) the Lead Pastor is a “Under-Shepherd” ruled by the Lord and recognized by the congregation as God’s anointed instrument to lead the church, and aided by the Elders to discover the mind and will of Jesus Christ for His church.
Empowered by the Spirit
We believe that there is an experience of the empowering of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer that is distinct and separate from the indwelling of the Spirit that takes place at conversion. We acknowledge a three–fold relationship between the Holy Spirit and the believer: “para” – coming alongside; “en” – in you; and “epi” – an overflow. We see that the Holy Spirit is with us drawing hearts to Christ and then taking up residence within a person's heart through salvation (John 14:16-17). We also believe the Holy Spirit comes upon us (epi) and fills us to make us witnesses. And this is scene through the constant filling of the Spirit in the book of Acts (Acts 1:4-8; Acts 4:31).
Building the Church God’s Way
At Refuge, we have a relaxed, casual style. We don’t get involved in a lot of spiritual hype. We don’t try to motivate people carnally,. We simply trust in the work of the Holy Spirit, and of Jesus Christ who is building His church as He said He would.
Grace Upon Grace
We realize that without the grace of God, none of us would have a chance. We need the grace of God in our lives daily. We believe in the love and grace that seeks to restore the fallen.
The Priority of the Word
We endeavor to declare to people the whole counsel of God. The teaching ministry of Refuge is expositional (verse by verse/chapter by chapter) in nature. We read the word, give the sense of the word and cause people to understand the meaning of the word.
The Centrality of Jesus Christ
Another characteristic of Refuge is the centrality of Jesus in our worship. We don’t allow any practice or behavior during our services that would distract people from focusing on Him.
The Rapture of the Church
We believe that Jesus Christ will come for His church (a biblical event known as the "Rapture"). Then a seven-year period which the Bible calls, "The Great Tribulation" will begin, followed by the Second Coming of Jesus to the earth and the Millennial (1,000 year) reign of Christ upon the earth.
Having Begun in the Spirit
It was the Lord who said to Zechariah, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). We do not trust in the flesh to continue or make better something that only God and His Holy Spirit can do.
The Supremacy of Love
Godly Christian love needs to permeate all that we do. Jesus said to His disciples, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35)
Striking the Balance
While we have our Biblical convictions and it is our desire not to divide God’s people over non-essential issues. When the Bible speaks clearly, we must as well. But on other issues, we try to recognize the spiritual validity of both sides of the debate and avoid excluding or favoring those on one side or the other.
Ventures of Faith
We believe that walking with God will always require steps of faith. It's always an exciting thing to give God a chance to work. The writer of Hebrews said, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
podcast
Check out this podcast that aims to bring a fresh perspective to younger generations on
what sets apart Calvary Chapel from other evangelical Christian churches.
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