About Us

A Short History of CCSM

  • Planted as an outreach of Calvary Chapel Arroyo Grande in 1985.
  • Summer, 1985 - Pastor Larry Elizondo called from his ministry at Calvary Chapel Redlands to begin Pastoring CCSM.
  • Larry Elizondo Pastored CCSM until March, 1992.
  • In June 1992, the Board of Elders calls Paul Berry to be their new Pastor.
  • In 1994, we went to two services having a total average attendance of 108 adults.
  • In 1995, we leased and remodeled the 2nd unit of the McCoy Lane building.
  • In 1998, we leased and remodeled our 3rd unit of the McCoy Lane complex.
  • On May 17, 1994, Lucy and I drove over to look at the Grossman's building.
    Lucy and several others began to pray that God would give us this property.
  • October 1994, while I was praying during lunch at Grossman's the Lord clearly told me we would occupy this building.
Grossman's Building
  • November 1994, while walking around the outside of the building with family during Thanksgiving, Lucy received the scripture:
    Isaiah 7:9 If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.
  • December 29, 1994, Lucy received the scripture:
    Daniel 9:17-19 "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."
  • January 9, 1995, Tom and Paul send a letter to Bechtel Corp. asking them to just give us the building and write it off - no response.
  • February 23, 1995, Lucy received the scripture:
    Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"
  • February 24, 1995, Paul was praying over at the Grossman's building and the Lord told him that even this building will not be big enough to contain what He wanted to do with us.
  • March 18, 1995, Prayer walkers pray over the building for "Everything to build with," - Grossman's logo that appeared on their sign.
  • March 29, 1995, Dr. Ken Nelson and Pastor Paul discuss a joint effort to buy the Grossman's property for development of a church and medical office facility.
  • March 31, 1995, Dr. Ken Nelson decides not to continue pursuit of the property because of the expense of grading the rear acreage.
  • April 9, 1985, we make our first offer for the property, Bechtel Corp. just laughs at the bid.
  • April 13, 1995, a group from the Wednesday night service go over after service to pray over the building. The police arrive in response to a report that a large group was breaking in. Homeless people were sleeping against the building.
  • June 29, 1995, we decide to build out the 2nd unit on McCoy Lane instead.
  • February, 1996: Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely, it will not tarry.
  • October 1997, Steve Dwyer enters into escrow for Grossman's.
  • October 22, 1997, the Lord told Paul that it would fall out of escrow.
  • October 23, 1997, Steve Dwyer's health and other reasons cause him to drop out of escrow for the building.
  • February 17, 1998, Paul and Jerry Schmidt fly to San Francisco to speak with the Bechtel Corp.
  • April 28, 1998, Bechtel tells us they will accept our terms.
  • June 1998, we begin construction.
  • August 1998, we begin a 12 month deferred lease in hope of occupying the property on August 1, 1999.
  • 3 1/2 months after our 1 year deadline, on November 22, 1998, the walls come down at Grossman's.
  • February 13, 1999, Paul shares with the church how he felt the Architect and Engineers of the project had let us down.
    Haggai 2:4-5 'Yet now be span, Zerubbabel,' says the Lord; ' and be span, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be span, all you people of the land,' says the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!'
  • Haggai 2:9 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts."
  • Based on this emotional appeal a rumor goes around the churches in town that Pastor Paul had a nervous breakdown in the pulpit.
    3 weeks later another Pastor in town announces to his congregation that Pastor Paul of Calvary Chapel has died, and pray for his family.
  • March 2, 1999, women from the Tuesday morning prayer group go to Grossman's to pray and believe for God's intervention.
  • October 15, 1999, the Board of Directors signed loan documents with Heritage Oaks Bank to purchase the Grossman's property.

Calvary Chapel Picture

  • October 30, 1999, we begin to move in.
  • October 31, 1999, our last service at McCoy Lane.
  • November 7, 1999, our first church service at Grossman's.
  • July 20, 2000 our church dedication service with Chuck Smith.