Calvary Church of the Nazarene

621 Centre Avenue

History: Calvary Church’s original building was built in 1940, and an addition was added 10 years following. At this point in time, no historical information is available for the original congregation. The building was sold to Life Church’s congregation in 1996. At that time, they were an independent body and decided to merge with Life Church in 1996, connecting them to the five other churches, located in Lehigh County.

Congregation/ space:

Being that it is in the Centre Park Historic District, the exterior of the building has not changed since it was built. However, since it was reconstructed and used for office space in the past, the interior has undergone many alterations that give it a more modern feel. The stained glass, luckily, has remained, and can be seen throughout the building. The whole building is handicap accessible and includes 2 worship spaces, several meeting rooms, space for children and youth, a cafe, and a kitchen.

Programs: Life Church has about 220 people coming into their building weekly. They have 2 services each Sunday, one in English and one in Spanish. They have children and youth ministry programs and a food and clothing pantry that serves about 200 families once per month. They host a 12-step recovery group “Celebrate Recovery”, participate in a medical missions arm, “Global Hope”, and Faithcare uses their downstairs facilities to provide free medical care to those in the city.