In the early 1990’s, God sent Timothy Haahs a wake-up call. While driving on the highway, his vision blacked out for over a minute. He managed to pull his car over, but realized there was something seriously wrong. His doctor informed him that if he did not receive a heart transplant, he would die. So Tim waited in the hospital for a new heart. A month. His health was steadily declining. Three months. He was becoming very weak, and the expenses were becoming enormous. Tim had no choice but to cry out to God in desperation. Six months. Finally, a donor heart became available. But would his body accept the heart? Would he recover fully? 75% of heart transplant patients reject their new hearts before one year. Over the next few years, Tim Haahs survived not one, but two heart transplants. The fact that he is alive today is a miracle.
Surviving years worth of health problems at such a low survival rate gave Tim a renewed perspective on life. What is truly important? What should he do with his second chance? Shortly after his surgery, Tim knew what his calling was – serving others.
Tim founded an architectural and engineering design firm Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. with the mission: we exist to help those in need. He started a new church, Calvary Vision Church, with a similar mission: transforming our lives in Christ to serve others. Founded in 1997, our first place of worship was the home of Pastor Timothy Haahs. As the church body grew, we began renting space at a nearby church, and sometimes even worshipped outside in tents! Calvary Vision Church was truly a “portable church!” When the company grew, Tim and some of his employees designed the Calvary Vision Center. After years of praying and yearning for a place to call home, God blessed Calvary Vision Church with the exact connections and resources to realize the Calvary Vision Center in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The center’s physical design stands as an outward expression of our church’s passion for community and serving, and a reminder that God is real and relevant.
VISION
Our Vision is “Transforming our lives in Christ to serve others.”
STRATEGY
Our Strategic Vision is to:
Attract a new generation of believers
Attract new believers
Encourage a multi-cultural environment
We intend to accomplish this vision by:
Encouraging individuals to join a small group
Demonstrating life transformation to Christ’s likeness
Serving others
Worshiping in a contemporary and relevant style
Having an inclusive worship service
BELIEFS
We subscribe to the standards of the Westminster Confession of Faith.
We are an independent, non-denominational church.
OUR CORE VALUES
BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the ultimate source of all wisdom and truth. It is the authoritative guide to living as a follower of Jesus Christ.
WORSHIP
We believe in a strong family environment. Our worship services and values as a church promote interaction and involvement of all generations.
Our worship service is in a contemporary style, with reverence, and purpose. Worship is intimate and personal. And we hope that you are provided with such an experience when coming into our house of worship.
RELEVANCE
We believe that the church should be culturally relevant without compromising the truths of the Bible.
Calvary Vision Church is called to be a multi-cultural church, inclusive of varying social backgrounds, from varying countries, and with varying customs.
Our sermons and services are in English and also translated real-time in Korean.
SMALL GROUPS
We believe that people have a need for interpersonal relationships. Small groups enable our members to learn, care, and grow in faith.
LEADERSHIP
We believe that every believer is called to spiritual leadership.
We believe the church must develop spiritual leaders who model godly character, integrity, ministry, and people skills.
We believe that functional leadership inevitably leads to spiritual multiplication
STEWARDSHIP
We believe that all things belong to God and come from God.
We further believe that God-given resources must first be used for the redemptive and eternal purposes of God.
MINISTRY
We believe that God calls believers to the ministry of devotion to Christ, to each other, and to the gospel.
We further believe that each person’s gifts and talents must be effectively utilized in ministry.
MISSION
We believe that Jesus Christ established His church to reach and save the lost, and that the church must fulfill the Great Commission.
EXCELLENCE
We believe that excellence honors God and inspires man.
We further believe that human efforts alone cannot honor God.
Our Beliefs
GOD – God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
(Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2; Corinthians 13:14)
MAN – Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.” This attitude separates man from God.
(Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2)
ETERNITY – Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are places of eternal existence.
(John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; 1 John 5:11-12; Matthew 25:31-46)
JESUS CHRIST – Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
(Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13)
SALVATION – Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works – only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1)
ETERNAL SECURITY – Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
(John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
THE HOLY SPIRIT – The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under his control daily.
(2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1)
THE BIBLE – The Bible is God’s word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error.
(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)
BAPTISM – Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is your public declaration that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Baptism does not save you, but shows the world that you have already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ.
(Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:41; Ephesians 2: 8-9; Matthew 28:19-20)
COMMUNION – Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is an ordinance given to all believers by Jesus Christ to remember his sacrifice for us and to symbolize the new covenant. The elements of bread and wine or juice are symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. Communion is not a means of salvation. Rather, it is a testament of a believer’s faith in the atoning work of the cross.
(Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:19:20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
Family Worship Service at Calvary Vision Church is just that – the whole family! At 11:00 AM every Sunday, everyone is welcomed into the sanctuary to worship the One True God together in a celebration of the freedom found in Christ. Join in singing songs of thankfulness, reverence, and joy found in Him. Sermons include illustrations and slides to assist in understanding God’s Word in ways relevant to our lives today.
During Family Worship service, children between the ages of three to eight gather in a separate room where they learn fundamental biblical truths and values in relevant and fun ways.
Immediately following the service, the entire church convenes for a time of fellowship and food in the Vision Café.
Uniqueness of CVC
Calvary Vision Church is unique in several ways.
- We have members of multiple ethnic backgrounds – many are even bilingual.
- Though we preach directly from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are an independent church, and not affiliated with a specific denomination.
- Our church building is also a community center – available to the public for non-profit events like music concerts, fund-raisers, or club meetings.
- Our church members and worship services are sensitive to those who are openly seeking the relevance of God in their lives, but are unfamiliar with the traditional concept church.
- Our worship services include the use of lighting, sound, and video presentation.
- Our Sunday worship is called “Family Worship”, and provides the experience of multiple generations worshiping together.
We invite you to experience our uniqueness firsthand. Come join us in worship!
Our church facility is actually a community center. It was designed by our senior pastor Tim Haahs and his company Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. The center is technologically advanced and in a modern style, giving a feel of both comfort and purpose.
Please read about each part of the church below for more details.
Auditorium
Our welcoming auditorium accommodates up to 250 people. The center of attention is our stage and 200-inch projection screen. A soft wall wash guides visual interest to the stage. Our chairs are padded and movable. There is a backstage area located stage-right for use with services and productions. For our Sunday Worship, we have a live interpretation in Korean via wireless headsets. Sound, lighting, video, projection, and recording are controlled by our “front of house” tech area, run by our Technical Team small group.
Audio-Visual
The auditorium is equipped with projectors that display on the front projector screen and the rear wall. The front projector is a ceiling-mounted 4100-lumen unit, and projects onto a 200-inch projection screen. The rear-facing projector is viewable from the stage giving speakers or performers a visual reference to the main screen without having to turn around.
There is a computer available in the rear of the auditorium to display presentations or videos. You also have the option of bringing your own computer which can be connected at the front of the stage for the speaker to operate.
Our lighting system carries over 10,000-watts of power and includes PAR cans, lensed ellipsoidal spotlights and a fluorescent wall wash. Our lighting system is dimmable and programmable.
Our audio system is powered by five amplifiers and controlled with a professional sound board, effects, compression, and Digital Signal Processing. We have up to 32 channels of audio input for live music performances or recording onto our hard disk recorder.
A wireless handheld microphone can be used for audience participation or Q+A. We have an array of wired and wireless microphones to suit a variety of events.
*The projected images and sound can also be fed to the TV’s in the Vision Café.