Who We Are

First Church of the Nazarene, which began in 1911, has a long and rich history. For several decades we were located near downtown Calgary, until a fire destroyed our building. In 2002 we relocated to our beautiful new campus just off of Glenmore Trail West.

We are a member church of the Church of the Nazarene, a growing denomination with over 12,000 congregations in about 135 countries. We have 57 schools of higher education serving 31,000 students. The Church of the Nazarene also sponsors 170 Compassionate Ministry Centers around the world, serving the needs of the poor and disadvantaged.

More information about the Church of the Nazarene (our history, our beliefs, etc.) may be found on our canadian website here or our international website here.

What We Believe

We believe that every human life has value and meaning because each one of us has been created in the image of God and has a unique God-given purpose in life. Unfortunately, many people go through life never finding out what that purpose is. That’s where the church can help. We exist to help people find God, assist them in their spiritual journey, and encourage them to fulfill their unique purpose in life. As far as our core beliefs are concerned, the Bible is our authority and guide. It tells us that God loves us and wants us to enjoy life to the full, the way he intended. This happens when we put the values and principles of Scripture into practice on a daily basis.

The Christian message is best summarized in a single verse of the Bible: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him, should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We believe that the decision to place our faith in Jesus Christ is the most important decision a person can make. To learn how you can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ click here.

Our Purpose

Our purpose is to provide a place where people can grow in their faith and develop meaningful relationships with others. We are here to assist people in their personal and spiritual growth by helping them to discover who God created them to be and what he has called them to do. We consider it a privilege to communicate God’s love to everyone, not just those who are members of our church, but also to those who are currently outside our fellowship. We have dedicated ourselves to doing this by responding compassionately to the felt-needs of people in the city of Calgary and beyond.

Our Ministries and Programs

We have ministries and activities for all ages at First Church. Please click on the various links on our home page to learn more about the exciting opportunities for personal and spiritual growth for you and your family. Whether you are married or single, we are confident that you will find the people of First Church to be warm and welcoming.

Our Sunday Celebration

Every Sunday the people of First Nazarene meet to celebrate the presence of God in our lives. Because we believe that the church is for everyone (not just our own members), guests are always welcome in our services. Because many of our guests are unfamiliar with our beliefs and traditions, we make a special effort to make our services a "safe place" for those who simply want to check us out and explore their own spirituality. We’re confident that you’ll be impressed by the warmth of our people and the joyful atmosphere of our services. Our music is energetic and has a contemporary flavor (keyboards, electric & acoustic guitars, drums, vocal ensembles, etc.). Pastor Bryan’s messages, which are encouraging, practical and easy to understand, are recorded every Sunday and available on our website. We also offer free childcare and Sunday School for children up through Grade Six. Our teachers love kids and are dedicated to offering excellent Christian education on a level that children can relate to.

Communion

Communion a holy time of worship when we corporately come together as one body to remember and celebrate what Christ did for us.