We desire to see Calvary Monterey involved with the vulnerable in our community through mercy ministry and strategic partnerships with community agencies and other like-minded churches. We aim to see Jesus Famous through mobilizing our congregation to care about our community and extend service and love without expectation.
As Christians, we believe in the doctrine of the Image of God, that God created humankind, every person in history, with dignity and worth. We are made in His image, and therefore nobody’s life is to be treated as expendable (Genesis 1:26–27, Psalm 139:13-18, James 3:9).
It is through this Biblical lens that we shape our outreach to communities locally and globally. We believe every life, "from womb to tomb," has inherent value and dignity that cannot be taken away.
Therefore, we have chosen the following ministries, organizations, issues, and individuals to support in their efforts to care for the spiritual and physical needs of people in our community and around the world.
Meet the Team
LOCAL OUTREACH
Anti-Trafficking
Set Free Monterey Bay is an anti-trafficking organization established to assist adult women (ages 18+) sex trafficking survivors to find healing through a two-year program in a faith-based restoration home. SFMB educates and trains the Monterey Bay community about human trafficking with partnerships in schools, churches, law enforcement, businesses, and other local organizations. You can volunteer in the restoration home or in a variety of ways as an SFMB ambassador or board member, and you can also join Calvary's Anti-Trafficking Prayer team.
Foster Care
Learn about the many important ways to support children in foster care in our community.
Safe Families
Our local chapter of Safe Families for Children is a movement of volunteers from churches who step up to help parents in crisis and prevent neglect and abuse of children. Crisis situations can include parents needing to enter a recovery program, navigate an unexpected pregnancy, stabilize a living situation, seek medical care, and more. Volunteers can choose many roles, including hosting children in their homes for a short time, offering practical or material support to parents (transportation, babysitting, meals, etc), or parent coaching.
Seaside Middle School Resource Room
Did you know Seaside Middle School has the highest percentage of homeless or housing-unstable students? We have partnered with the school social worker to establish and maintain a resource room where these students can have access to clothes, toiletries, food, and school supplies. We need your help stocking the room! Please shop our amazon wish list below, and the items will be sent directly to the school.
Benevolence Fund
Calvary Monterey uses a Benevolence Fund to support church members through difficult times. Job loss, unexpected illness and medical expenses, and family difficulty are among the many things we delight to help our own fellowship with. We occasionally use the Benevolence Fund to help people in need outside of our church. Each person applying to receive benevolence goes through an interview and verification process with our pastors before being approved. Funds are distributed directly to vendors (rental company, utility company, grocery store/gas gift cards, etc), and cash/checks are never made out directly to the recipient. The Benevolence Fund is primarily funded through donations. Please give through the link below or give via check with Benevolence on the memo line.
Good News Club
Good News Club is a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship in which trained volunteers meet with groups of children in schools and present an exciting Bible lesson.
Addiction Recovery
Pastor Mike Casey leads Regeneration, a weekly recovery meeting as an outreach to those in our fellowship and community who struggle with life-dominating sin and addiction. Additionally, Pastor Mike Casey and his team run a separate organization called The Bridge Restoration Ministry, which is a faith-based, year-long, residential addiction recovery program for men and women. Volunteers are needed for both Regeneration and The Bridge.
International Students, Inc.
International Students Incorporated (ISI), is a ministry dedicated to befriending international graduate degree students and showing them Christ's love. Our local Monterey chapter operates at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies (MIIS). If you would like to connect and befriend one or two students from a variety of countries, contact John & Joyce Steers.
Open Air Campaigners
OAC is an international ministry that trains evangelists for street evangelism and open air preaching in a winsome and engaging way. We support our local OAC evangelist, Brenten Powers.
Refugee Ministry
Calvary Monterey has developed a partnership with the Modesto office of World Relief, an international, faith-based, refugee resettlement organization.
As our nation welcomes an influx of refugees from conflict-ridden countries, especially Afghanistan and Ukraine, it is a privilege for the church to welcome them warmly to our area. Our hope is that these people would experience the lavish love of Christ through our actions and words.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers
We believe the image of God is bestowed on every human being, from womb to tomb. When it comes to unexpected or unwanted pregnancies, dignity must be shown to both the pregnant woman and her unborn child. Advocating for the life of the baby, as well as the health and well-being of the woman-in-crisis, is difficult but vital work. This is why we support two local crisis pregnancy centers in our community. They are always looking for volunteers, donors, and prayer partners to make their necessary work possible. Click the links below to find out ways you can get involved.
Confidence Pregnancy Center | Salinas
Compassion Pregnancy Center | Monterey
Food Ministry
According to the United Way of Monterey County, over 40% of Monterey County residents experience food insecurity.
Scripture exhorts us to feed the hungry and share generously with the poor. Explore the ways you can begin serving your hungry neighbors.
GLOBAL OUTREACH
Southeast Asia
David & Lorna Joannes
David Joannes is the founder of Within Reach Global, which serves the advancement of the Gospel in some of Southeast Asia’s most difficult places. David and his family live in Thailand and their team focuses on unreached people groups within the 10-40 window (geographic area of most unreached people groups).
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Joshua & Erika Shively
Joshua and Erika Shively are the Internship Directors for Within Reach Global's Fusion Center, an outreach hub strategically located across the street from Chiang Mai University. They mentor and shepherd young adults from around the world during their missions internship with Within Reach Global, with the aim of raising up the next generation of missionaries who will bring the gospel to the ends of the earth!
Within Reach Global exists to reach unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thailand is 0.77% Christian and also a strategic launching point for access to other unreached nations.
Foreign Soils
We believe military spouses have the potential to be missionaries in any foreign context, without needing to raise missionary support! If you're headed overseas or are just returning, Foreign Soils provides community and equipping for military wives to not only survive foreign stations, but to thrive and engage in God's mission abroad. Our local Foreign Soils leaders host a twice monthly meeting in La Mesa. Check foreignsoils.com/monterey for more information.
Dr. Ti
Dr. Ti loves Christ and longs to make him known by pioneering health projects connecting Latinos to go places where the name of Christ has not been invoked. Pray for her for wisdom and grace to move forward in obedience.
Kurdistan (Iran, Iraq, Syria)
Nathan & Nichole Buchanan
Nathan and Nicole serve on Frontier Alliance International’s Kurdistan team alongside one of our other supported missionaries, Dr. Tania. The Buchanans serve as directors of the United Christian Embassy for Kurdistan (UCEK). At the heart of UCEK is relationship and we look forward to establishing and deepening relationships with Kurds and the broader international Christian community.
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Tbilisi, Georgia
Jed & Renee Gourley
The Gourleys are serving in the small nation of Georgia, which is located in the Caucasus mountains east of Turkey. This region is home to many unreached people groups, and Georgia itself borders many difficult-to-reach countries. In the spring of 2020, Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe, located in Budapest, Hungary, announced their upcoming move to Tbilisi. CCBCE will be working with the Gourleys and Calvary Chapel of Tbilisi to assist in training and equipping people who have a passion to take the gospel to the world.
Calvary Chapel Pakistan
Pastor Nadeem Massey
Pastor Nadeem is serving as pastor of Calvary Chapel Pakistan, in a nation that is less than 1% Christian. He was the first Pakistani who graduated from CCBC Murrieta online, and the first ordained Pakistani Calvary Chapel Pastor. Nadeem and his family have planted two churches, and also leads two online Bible classes in two different cities in the region. He also frequently teaches online classes through Calvary Chapel Bible College of South Asia. Pastor Nadeem has authored a book on Christian apologetics in the Urdu language. His wife is serving at Calvary Pakistan in their women's ministry as well as studying Biblical Counseling at a local seminary.
Sensitive Locations
We have missionaries we support in regions of the world where it would jeopardize their ministry and physical safety to publish their details online. Our missionaries serve in India, Northern Africa, as well as countries completely closed to Christianity. To support these missionaries, please write “India,” “Northern Africa,” or “Closed Countries” on your gift and place it in the offering boxes on Sundays.