Thank you to all who help fuel the local and global ministries of Calvary Church through your generosity! We appreciate your continued support and look forward with prayerful expectation to what God will do in and through our church family as a result of your giving. See the latest updates below. If you have any questions, please contact us at .
Gift Matching Opportunity Forward in Faith Solar Project Year in Review Tithely App
A generous Calvary family has offered to match donations dollar-for-dollar to the Reach Fund—up to $300,000—from now until the end of our financial year (June 30, 2026). We now have the opportunity to give $300,000 in the next three months and see it doubled to $600,000 to support projects that spread the good news of Jesus to the nations.
You can make a donation, or set up a recurring gift today:
Discover the goals of Forward in Faith and explore updates on the Elders' recommended Construction Proposal vote by members in the Annual Meeting on May 17th, prayerfully trusting God together for how He guides and provides on the road ahead.
We have completed the Worship Center HVAC update. The new air handlers are running well, and the upgraded control system is already helping us improve energy efficiency. As we move into the warmer months, we’re continuing to fine-tune the system and are grateful to have reliable cooling in place for this summer and the years ahead.
Construction on the Fireside Patio is underway. We’ve installed the irrigation, electrical, water, and gas lines, along with the main planters and walkway. We’ve also relocated the trash enclosure to the Heritage Building lot and are preparing to install the shade canopy and the groundwater treatment system beneath the driveway. Once the city signs off on a few remaining items, we’ll complete the concrete and asphalt work and bring this part of the project to completion.
Looking ahead, we’re actively preparing for the next phase to remodel the Worship Center Auditorium and Lobby. We’re working closely with our architect to finalize stage and seating details, and we plan to submit our plans to the city in May. Pending approval, we anticipate beginning construction in the fall.
The final phase will focus on renovating the Central Courtyard, with construction planned for Summer 2027. We are preparing to submit those plans to the city this fall.
We are in the final stages of securing our building permit from the city. If all continues as expected, we plan to begin construction in May and complete the project by July. This will allow us to begin generating our own electricity and steward our resources wisely by offsetting higher summer energy costs. We’re grateful for how God is providing in this step.
Yes, the members of Calvary approved the construction proposal for Forward in Faith in 2024. Our bylaws require member approval on recommendations by the Board of Elders for any construction projects or real estate improvements that exceed 10% of our total annual contributions, which is currently about $400,000. We have had some cost overruns and scope enhancements that are projected to exceed the threshold, so the Elders are recommending an update to the overall project budget.
A vote by members of Calvary will take place during the Annual Meeting, as part of the worship services, on Sunday, May 17 at 9:00 am (English/ASL) and 11:00am (Spanish). There will be an Elder Affirmation vote for new and returning Elders (see more at CalvaryLife.org/Leaders), and a Construction Proposal vote on the following:
“The Elders recommend adjusting the Forward in Faith total budget for all phases from $3.3 million to $4.6 million to include $550,000 in project cost overruns and $750,000 in scope enhancements. Our commitment remains to pursue each element of Forward in Faith on a debt-free basis as the Lord guides and provides through the generosity of His people. Please vote Yes or No to approve this recommendation to increase the total project budget.”
Thanks to the generosity of Calvary’s people, we have received over $3.2 million, with an additional $325,000 in pledged giving and an estate gift of $750,000. This leaves $285,000 needed to complete all phases of Forward in Faith. We are deeply grateful for the continued support of so many in our church family and will make adjustments to future phases of construction if needed to remain debt-free.
Over a multi-year project, changing conditions and increases to the cost of construction are expected, and we’ve worked diligently to steward these wisely. Some key factors include:
> The Fireside Patio had to incorporate an unanticipated groundwater treatment system to comply with state regulations on storm drains and runoff (estimated cost of $100,000).
> The cost of concrete has increased over 30% in the past 3 years, which was higher than we anticipated (adds $150,000 to the overall budget).
>Based on construction cost forecasts, more funds will be needed to upgrade electrical panels, cover increased demolition and dumping expenses, pay for increased shade structure costs, and handle fees for planning and city permits (budgeting an additional $200,000.)
We continue to look for savings wherever possible, including serving as our own general contractor to save additional fees, and we’re committed to keeping this projected increase as low as possible.
The scope enhancements aren’t to add additional phases, but to improve the phases we originally planned at the start of Forward in Faith in 2024. We received an extraordinary estate gift toward the end of 2025, which encouraged us to reevaluate what was possible to achieve at this time and best position our campus for long-term ministry impact. There were two main areas of focus:
> HVAC improvements ($250,000): Once we opened up the HVAC system in the Worship Center and started replacing air handlers and connecting the new control system, aging components like valves in our chilled water system were identified that would soon need replacement, but were not in the original scope of repairs. It made sense to address them all now, while work was already underway, to save on current costs and future maintenance disruptions.
> Worship Center seating flexibility ($500,000): We’ve long desired a space that can be more scalable and dynamic across different capacities, so it can be used well for a variety of gatherings while still having room for larger events. The best way we have determined to create this flexibility, based on researching many churches that have employed a similar solution, is to add stadium-style seating in the back portion of the auditorium. This will provide flexibility for just over 900 seats on the main floor level and about 500 additional seats in the risers when needed. These will all still be fixed seats to ensure comfort and consistency, with more leg room and wider seats than the current configuration. The goal is for this to create an adaptable ministry space where people feel warmly welcomed and better connected for generations to come.
We will continue to communicate openly each step of the way. Our commitment remains to complete each phase without taking on any debt. That may mean adjusting timing or scope as needed. Our goal is to pursue these campus improvements to create spaces that support ministry and to be a place where you can invite your friends to experience the joy and hope found in life with Jesus. Ultimately, it’s not the buildings that change lives – it’s God working through His people. Our prayer is that as we invest in our campus, it helps create a welcoming environment for connections to happen and the Spirit to move in people’s lives. We are trusting God in all of this to guide and provide as we step forward in faith.
The vote for the solar project proposed by the Elder board passed with overwhelming support. We are initiating the project now to ensure rebate deadlines are met and will provide regular updates as the work moves forward.
Learn more in the FAQ below or contact Calvary's Executive Pastor, Michael Welles, at (714) 550-2313 or .
The vote held for members of Calvary on December 14th was for the following motion: "The Elders recommend investing approximately $1,100,000 in a solar rooftop system on the Worship Center before December 31, 2025, which will be funded through the proceeds of an estate gift, but will be offset by rebates of 50%. Over the next 30 years, this solar system is projected to save the church $6.3 million in electricity costs."
One of the main reasons we have not been able to look at installing solar before is we have had a leaking roof on the Worship Center for years and that has to be addressed before any panels can be installed on top of it. Through your giving to Forward in Faith, we have been able to repair the Worship Center roof (the final part is currently in process) and now we can look at solar options. There are now multiple incentives that non-profits can take advantage of to receive rebates of around 50% of the cost of the project. Up until a few years ago the incentives were tax rebates and did not help non-profits. Currently the incentives require you to sign a contract with a solar provider before the end of the year and start construction before July 4, 2026.
Our electricity costs have been steadily rising over the past few years, even in spite of many of the upgrades we have done to improve efficiency (added LED lighting in many places, put in newer more efficient HVAC units, improved building management systems). Our annual electricity costs have recently averaged between $230k and $290k, and with solar we hope to save more than $100k per year. Over the life of the system, this could offset over $6 million of electricity costs (estimating they increase conservatively 5% a year). Another benefit is that by producing some of our own electricity, we can free up some space on the grid for others in our community.
Calvary’s bylaws (section 3.7.5) require that members approve all Elder recommendations of construction projects and/or real estate improvement projects, the cost of which exceeds ten percent of the average of three prior fiscal years actual contributions. Currently that means projects over about $400,000 meet this threshold, which this project does.
We got five different bids for different types of systems based on an analysis of our electric uses and projected needs. The companies we talked to have good references and reputations in the community and our Trustees (View Team Here) are satisfied with the proposals and the one we selected.
We plan to sign a contract by the end of 2025 and start the engineering process. In early 2026, it will go to the city for a permit and then construction can start after that with the goal of being installed by summer.
You can lease a solar system but you save much more in the long run if you purchase it, especially with the incentives that are still available. We have received part of an estate gift and the rest is in the process of being settled soon. The Trustees have decided that this project is a good use of these proceeds and it will be able to cover the entire cost of the project which comes out to around $1.1 million, but we should qualify for rebates which will bring the cost down to around $500,000.
No, this is a separate project that is not using any of the Forward in Faith funds. It is being paid for from an estate gift. The first phase of Forward in Faith recently covered the HVAC system and some roof repairs on the Worship Center. See more about the next phase of Forward in Faith at CalvaryLife.org/Forward
Explore how the generous investment by so many in our church family is making a difference in people's lives through the ministries of Calvary Church, both here in Orange County and around the world.
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Need help? See more at CalvaryLife.org/Tithely.