Three Sunday Mornings in Petaluma
Calvary Chapel Petaluma meets at 1650 Corporate Circle in Petaluma, California, gathering three times each Sunday at 8:00 AM, 9:45 AM, and 11:30 AM. The church's motto, displayed at the top of every page, reads "LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE. SERVE & REACH THE WORLD." Each service runs about an hour and includes a time of worship, prayer, and a sermon from one of the pastors. On the first Sunday of the month, the congregation shares communion together during the service.
The building sits off Corporate Circle, with a parking lot that wraps around the front and sides of the church. A team of greeters meets people in the lot, ready to help with a spot and answer questions. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 4 PM, and the phone rings at 707.766.1567 during those hours. Email reaches the office at office@calvarypetaluma.org.
Seeds Children's Ministry
Seeds is the children's ministry at Calvary Chapel Petaluma, and the name captures the heart of the program. The leadership team teaches kids that "discipleship isn't reserved for grown-ups" and wants every child introduced to Jesus through Scripture and walked with him all the days of their life.
Sunday mornings offer Seeds classes at 9 AM and 11 AM for babies through sixth grade. The curriculum is The Gospel Project, a three-year walk through the whole Bible that keeps every classroom on the same passage with age-appropriate activities. Each week includes engaging worship, a Bible lesson, discussion, and crafts or activities. A new memory verse arrives every couple of weeks, and parents are encouraged to help their children work on these verses at home.
On Tuesdays during the school year, third through sixth graders gather for a mid-week Bible study. The Seeds team runs the program with volunteer teachers who have gone through a rigorous background screening process. A Safety Team member remains posted at the entrance of the Seeds area for the entire duration of every Sunday service.
Check-in happens at a table marked "New Families Start Here," where a Seeds team member helps register a child, walks the family to their classroom, and introduces them to the teacher. Each child and parent receives a unique numbered tag set every Sunday. The number lets staff reach a parent during the service if needed, and it is required at pickup. Two special rooms are also available. The Nursing Moms Room is dedicated space for mothers caring for babies while watching the service, and the Family Room is designed for families whose children need a break, with toys for kids and a TV streaming the sermon.
Children with special needs are welcomed through a Buddy System, where Seeds team members are paired with a child to make Sunday mornings successful. Aline Donohoe, the Children's Ministry Director, coordinates these placements and meets with families ahead of a visit to prepare.
The Seeds program is built around five core values, beginning with the letter S. Sow biblical truth into the heart of each child that leads to salvation. Enlist, empower, and treasure team members. Equip parents in their role as primary discipler of their kids. Develop a relationship with every child. Sincere worship.
Aline Donohoe and Jeannine Thompson, the Children's Ministry Coordinator, lead the program. Volunteers can fill out a serving interest form to join the Seeds team.
Roots and Abide: Junior High and High School
The youth ministry at Calvary Chapel Petaluma is built around two groups: Roots for junior high students and Abide for high school students. The vision is to help students become faithful, fruitful followers of Jesus.
On Sunday mornings, junior high students meet after worship during the 9:45 AM and 11:30 AM services in the youth room. During the 9 AM service, junior highers are encouraged to stay in the main service. High school students are encouraged to attend the main Sunday morning service in full, joining the broader church family in worship and sitting under the pastors' teaching.
Sunday nights are the main youth group gathering. Junior high students meet from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, and high school students from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Each evening includes fun, student-led worship, and a time of opening God's Word together. A bi-weekly High School Small Group also meets for deeper community; students interested in joining can reach out to Pastor Wes Weber for details.
Wes Weber, the Associate Pastor over Youth Ministries and Hospitality Director, leads the team along with a long list of volunteer leaders, including Tanner Bates, Bella Ilagan, Graca Ilagan, Judah Lasley, Abby O'Hanlon, James O'Hanlon, Evan Thompson, Christian Vasquez, Lisa Vasquez, Bethany Wood, and Caleb Wood.
Young Adults on Thursday Nights
The young adults ministry gathers high school graduates through age 29 around two rhythms: small groups that meet throughout the year and a Thursday night gathering at the church.
The Thursday night gathering begins at 7 PM and includes worship, a teaching, and time to meet other twenty-somethings. No RSVP is needed. Daniel Peterson, the Associate Pastor over Young Adults Ministry and Prayer Ministry, leads the program and encourages everyone to also be a part of Sunday morning services and to find ways to serve in the church body.
Men Following Christ Together
The men's ministry at Calvary Chapel Petaluma has a simple vision: "We follow Christ together, becoming healthier men who lead and love well. Building strong relationships at home, at church, and in the world."
Men gather in small group Bible studies throughout the year, come together for midweek teaching, and host special events and large gatherings designed to build brotherhood and spiritual growth. Jimmy Bruce serves as the Men's Ministry Coordinator.
Men's small groups are listed through Church Center and are open to anyone looking to develop Christ-centered friendships and grow in God's Word. A Care Team is also available for the random but specific needs that arise within the church; men can join to serve.
Women's Ministry and All-Together
The women's ministry gathers around the conviction that women know and experience God in fullness and freedom, trusting that they follow Jesus better together. Kara Vestnys serves as the Women's Ministry Director.
Throughout the year, women meet in small group Bible studies and a few larger gatherings. During the summer, a handful of fun activities are open to anyone. The signature gatherings are the All-Together studies, multi-week series that bring women of all ages together for shared teaching. The teaching series is recorded and posted for any woman to listen back to past studies.
Women's small groups and support groups are listed through Church Center. A Care Team is also in place for the specific needs that arise within the church.
Home Groups Throughout the Week
Home groups are the backbone of community life at Calvary Chapel Petaluma. The church describes them as "communities centered on Jesus and His Word," gathering together to study Scripture, pray, encourage one another, and grow in relationship with Christ. "Whether you've been following Jesus for years or are just beginning to explore faith, there's a place for you here," the church says.
Home groups meet in homes and other locations around Petaluma and Sonoma County, and the church publishes a list of open groups through Church Center. Anyone interested in leading a home group can fill out a form to begin the conversation.
Each Sunday, the pastors release a written Weekly Discussion Guide tied to the morning's sermon. The guide walks a small group through the same passage that was preached, with discussion questions, a Church of the Week to pray for, and a Missionary of the Week to lift up. Past examples include study of 1 Samuel 17 ("The Champion We Need"), Psalm 34 ("Finding a Refuge in God"), Luke 3:21-22 ("The Prayer Life of Jesus"), and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ("Experiencing Communion").
Pray, Give, Go: The Missions Vision
The missions program at Calvary Chapel Petaluma rests on three words: Pray. Give. Go.
The longest standing partnership is in Kehancha, Kenya, where Pastor Solomon Rioba Charwi established the church he pastors in 1994. Calvary Petaluma's team met Pastor Solomon in 1998 during his first visit to the United States, when he asked that a team come to Kenya to instruct pastors in the teaching of the Bible. That visit was the beginning of Calvary Petaluma missions.
A Pastor's Library was built in 1999 as an extension of the ministry. Stocked with commentaries and Bible study tapes from Pastor Chuck Smith's teaching, the library is free for any pastor who wishes to borrow resources and can also accommodate a pastor who wants to spend a few days studying on site. Pastor Solomon has also translated Pastor Chuck Smith's "Through the Bible" studies into Swahili, the national language of Kenya, in a format that features both English and Swahili on the tapes.
Locally, the church partners with Harvest Christian School in Petaluma, a Christ-centered school raising up students with academic excellence and a grounding in biblical truth. The church also partners with Redwood Gospel Missions in Sonoma County, which operates a Nomadic Shelter program that offers a warm, safe place to sleep during the coldest months of the year. As part of that effort, Calvary Petaluma provides shelter one night a month during the winter season.
Caitlyn Christie (Hernandez) is supported by the church after years of faithful service in Guatemala. She is currently off the mission field and spending a season in Petaluma with her children, resting, reconnecting, and seeking God's direction for what comes next.
The church's sponsorship of Shalom Christian Center on Mfangano Island recently concluded, ending a 16-year partnership. Friends who want to continue supporting that ministry are pointed to the Shalom Christian Center site.
Baptism, Baby Dedication, and the Lord's Supper
Two ordinances mark the life of the church: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is by full immersion for believers, and the church performs in-service baptisms on the third Sunday of each month. Anyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is invited to be baptized. The baptism teaching walks through Matthew 28:19-20 and Romans 6:3-4, presenting baptism as a picture of dying to the old life and being raised to new life in Christ. Re-baptism is encouraged only for those who were baptized before coming to genuine faith; returning to the Lord after a season of falling away does not require re-baptism.
The Lord's Supper is shared together during the service on the first Sunday of each month.
Baby Dedication is also a regular step for families who want to celebrate their commitment to raising their child in faith. Families can fill out an interest form to schedule the dedication.
Discipleship 101
Discipleship 101 is a seven-week class that explores the foundations of the Christian faith. The course covers salvation by grace, the personal God, Jesus as Lord, the authority of the Bible, serving in the church, small groups and community, Bible reading, reflection on Scripture, prayer to seek guidance and confess sin, and spiritual friendships. Whether new to following Jesus or looking to deepen understanding, the class is designed to lay a practical foundation for a lifelong journey of discipleship.
What Calvary Chapel Petaluma Believes
The Statement of Faith centers on the Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God and the foundation for the church's life and governance. The church confesses one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - equal in power and glory, who created, upholds, and governs all things.
Jesus Christ is confessed as God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, performing miracles, dying a substitutionary atoning death, raised bodily, ascended into heaven, perpetually interceding for his people, and personally and visibly returning to earth. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, regenerates, sanctifies, and empowers all who believe in Christ, and indwells every believer as an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. The fruit of the Spirit - love - is the supreme evidence of a Spirit-filled life, and the church affirms the present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit in the exercise of all biblical gifts according to 1 Corinthians 12-14.
The church teaches that all people are sinners by nature and choice, falling short of God's standard and under his righteous judgment, and that God gives new life to all who come to him in repentance and faith, trusting in Jesus Christ. Marriage is understood as a monogamous union between male and female, instituted by God as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. The church believes in the universal church, the living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all who are born again are members, with a joyful partnership of men and women serving side by side in ministry. Within the church, the role of Pastor and Elder is reserved for biblically qualified men.
The church believes in the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessing of the righteous, and the endless separation of the wicked.
Leadership and Eldership
Zach Vestnys serves as Lead Pastor. Aaron Thompson is the Executive Pastor, overseeing Finance, Facilities, Missions, and Human Resources. Daniel Peterson is the Associate Pastor over Young Adults Ministry and Prayer Ministry. Wes Weber is the Associate Pastor over Youth Ministries and also serves as Hospitality Director.
Kara Vestnys directs the Women's Ministry. Jimmy Bruce coordinates the Men's Ministry. Aline Donohoe is the Children's Ministry Director, with Jeannine Thompson as the Children's Ministry Coordinator. Jesse Lasley leads worship and manages media. The pastoral team is rounded out by an elected body of elders - Zach Vestnys, Aaron Thompson, Daniel Peterson, Mark Ilagan, and Jim Harding - and a team of deacons who serve the church, including Jimmy Bruce, Adam and Kris Camacho, Denis and Patti Cassidy, Dennis and Sara Davis, Leon and Ashleigh Flint, Jesse Lasley, Todd Peterson, Tony Rennia, and Christian Vasquez.
Staying Connected
Sermons are posted online through Subsplash, with Recent Sermons, the full Sermon library, and Sermon by Series all available. The Pathways Conference is also hosted there. The church's app keeps events, past and present sermons, and the Bible reading plan in one place.
Weekly emails and morning devotionals on Mondays and Wednesdays go out to subscribers, and the church posts regular updates through Instagram. A weekly newsletter signup is open to anyone who wants to follow along with the life of the church.
Calvary Connect Card is the simplest way to take a next step, and a separate Prayer Request form is available for those who want the pastors and staff to pray with them. The Start Serving Meeting gathers anyone interested in serving on a Sunday morning team, with roles ranging from hospitality and kids' ministry to worship and tech. The Welcome to Calvary Lunch is a recurring lunch where newcomers meet the pastors and staff, hear the heart of the church, and learn the pathways to get connected.