A Verse-by-Verse Church in West Miami-Dade
Calvary Chapel Miami sits on SW 2nd Street in west Miami-Dade, just east of Florida's Turnpike. The fellowship's motto is "We make it our goal to please Him" (2 Corinthians 5:9), and the teaching pulpit works through the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. The church describes itself as non-denominational, rooted in the Calvary Chapel tradition but not bound to any one denomination.
Three Sunday services fill the week with worship and teaching, and a Wednesday night Bible study rounds out the rhythm. Children's ministry runs in parallel during every adult service so that parents can worship without interruption. The building also hosts a Christ-centered school called Lighthouse Ministry, and the church organizes the annual South Florida Young Adults Conference that draws visitors from across the region.
Sunday Services and Wednesday Bible Study
Worship services meet on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the main auditorium. A more contemplative gathering follows at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings, set aside for prayer. On Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., the congregation returns for Bible study.
Worship is led by a volunteer team and emphasizes music, prayer, and teaching. All services are translated from English into Spanish simultaneously, so Spanish-speaking attendees can follow along in real time. Sunday and Wednesday services are livestreamed through Subsplash, and recordings of every past teaching are posted on the church's YouTube channel.
Visitors who arrive early can grab a bite at the on-site café before services. The Youth Café serves breakfast and coffee on Sunday mornings, and the Revival Café opens for lunch twice a month after services.
Kiddos Ministry: Birth Through Fifth Grade
Kiddos Ministry cares for children from babies through fifth grade during all Sunday and Wednesday services. Parents check their kids into age-appropriate classrooms before the service so they, too, can worship with full attention.
The youngest rooms (babies through age three) sing songs and read the Bible, with the simple goal that each child leaves knowing God loves them. The four- and five-year-olds read the Bible, color, and snack together. The second through fifth graders sit in a classroom-style setting and listen to a Bible teaching with participation built in.
The ministry divides classrooms by age group:
- Babies to 1 year
- 2 to 3 years
- 4 to 5 years
- 1st to 2nd grade
- 3rd to 5th grade
Nursing mothers can watch the service on a monitor from the privacy of the nursery room. The ministry is described as a way of making "little followers of Jesus Christ who will grow up to be big followers of Him," not a babysitting service.
Each summer, the church hosts Vacation Bible School for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. The week includes worship, Bible lessons, games, snacks, crafts, memory verses, and lunch. Worship songs for the upcoming VBS are practiced in advance through a YouTube playlist, and a memory-verse packet helps children prepare.
Established Youth Group
Students in sixth through twelfth grade meet on Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. for the Established Youth Group. The stated purpose is "to train and equip young disciples for a life of love and service in and for Jesus Christ," and the meetings work through a particular book of the Bible at a time, blending teaching, activities, sharing, and prayer. A youth winter retreat and a summer youth camp round out the year.
The Course Young Adults
The Course is the church's young adults ministry for anyone between the ages of 18 and 33, whether single, married, in college, or starting a career. The group meets on Monday nights at 7:30 p.m. for coffee, snacks, worship, and a teaching through God's Word. Each week is built around encouragement and growing closer to God. A podcast-style audio feed of the teachings is published on Buzzsprout.
Calvary Chapel Miami also hosts the South Florida Young Adults Conference (SFYA) every February. SFYA is aimed at young adults and their ministry leaders from across the region. Speakers have included Josh Blevins of Grace Calvary Chapel in Saint Joseph, Missouri; Malcolm Wild of Calvary Chapel Merritt Island (the first Calvary Chapel in Florida); and Nathan Gallagher of Grove Chapel in Vero Beach, Florida. SFYA includes main sessions, workshops, food trucks, fellowship, and an on-site lunch at the church.
Forge Men
The Forge men's ministry meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. for men's Bible study. The ministry's focus is helping men grow in their God-given roles and "to encourage and exhort one another toward maturity in Christ." Teaching, fellowship, retreats (an annual Men's Retreat in April), a Men's Steak & Study each October, and accountability relationships are all part of the rhythm.
Woven Ladies
Woven Ladies' Bible Study gathers on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m., with an alternate Friday morning meeting at 10:00 a.m. on the same weeks. Ladies in sixth grade and up are welcome. Each gathering includes snacks, worship, small groups, and a teaching. Recent studies have included a walk through Hebrews chapter 11 and earlier series on the Psalms, prayer, and the person of Christ. Childcare is available for children five and under during the Friday morning study. An annual Ladies' Retreat and a Ladies' Seminar are highlights of the year.
Abide Married Couples
Married couples meet quarterly on Saturdays for fellowship and time in the Word together through the Abide Married Couples' Ministry. Each year includes a fall brunch, a Marriage Tune-Up evening in May, a pickleball night, and a Married Couples' Retreat at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa. The retreat combines worship, marriage investment, and fellowship with other couples.
Lighthouse Ministry: A Christ-Centered School
On the same campus, Lighthouse Ministry (LHM) is a Christ-centered school program that walks with families from PreK all the way through twelfth grade. The ministry's stated goal is "to come alongside families within our fellowship to support them by providing their children with academic video schooling and spiritual discipleship." Students learn in a small environment with teachers who integrate morning Scripture devotions into the school day, and parents describe the program as a school family.
Course descriptions, supply lists for each grade band (PreK, K5-1st, 3rd-4th, 5th-6th, 7th-9th, and 10th-12th), a family handbook, and a school calendar are all available for prospective families. The program runs an August-through-May academic year under the umbrella of the church.
What They Believe
Calvary Chapel Miami holds to the historic doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity. The Statement of Faith affirms the inerrancy of Scripture, the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection, ascension, and present intercession at the right hand of the Father. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, received by repentance and personal trust.
The church's signature verse is Acts 2:42, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers," which has shaped the prayerful structuring of the church. Services center on worship, prayer, and verse-by-verse teaching of the Word. The church teaches both expositorily and topically.
Worship is meant to be spiritual, intelligent, and fruitful, and the church leaves room for the Holy Spirit's leading. Speaking in tongues is not permitted during services, nor is prophecy while a Bible study is in progress, but the church holds that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today. The church expects the pre-tribulation Rapture and the personal, pre-millennial, visible Second Coming of Christ, and practices adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion. The Statement of Faith explicitly rejects "five-point Calvinism," positive confession, and the use of humanistic or secular psychology as a framework for biblical teaching.
Serving at Calvary Chapel Miami
Members are encouraged to serve through a long list of ministry opportunities. The Audio/Visual team runs sound, video, lyrics, and the livestream for every gathering. Café workers serve breakfast and coffee on Sunday mornings and lunch twice a month. Cleaning, Greeters, Ushers, the Parking Lot team, and the Information Table support Sunday and Wednesday services. Hospital Visitation, Prison Ministry, Translation Ministry (which provides the live Spanish interpretation), Sonfishers Ministry (outdoor family outings), Special Events, Worship, Children's Ministry, Ladies' Ministry, Men's Ministry, Youth Ministry, and Young Adults Ministry all welcome new volunteers. Those interested in children's ministry complete a background check as part of the process.
To begin serving, the church asks prospective volunteers to read through the Ministry Opportunities list and the Statement of Faith, complete the Foundations of Faith classes, and submit a Ministry Application. The office can be reached at 305-667-8577 with any questions.
Connecting and Giving
Online giving is available through the church's Subsplash giving page and a Fluro donation form, and a summary of tithe contributions for the previous year can be requested online. Prayer requests can be submitted through the prayer page, and a pastor will follow up personally.
The church also runs a mobile app through Subsplash for staying connected with teachings, events, and the church calendar. Past teachings are available on the YouTube channel. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.; the office is closed on Thursdays.