North Coast Calvary Chapel

This used to be a wonderful church. They started out in a strip mall and the pastor knew everyone. All were welcomed. You could come to church in a pair of shorts and be treated no differently than someone dressed in their Sunday Best.
Then the church got big. It became a corporate church where Sunday service became a «see and be seen» parade of those who were keeping up with the Joneses and showing off their children dressed up for Sunday School. There’s a whole staff of church employees you can schedule a meeting with — just give them a date a few weeks out in advance because their time is valuable you know.
The elderly, single people, those without children, and those from different backgrounds (gay) used to have a place in this church. Now it is a church that focuses on one group only: young couples with young children.
Although the church has grown both in congregation size and physical buildings (they now have a multi-​building complex on some pricey real estate in Carlsbad) they have lost their focus. The congregation STILL meets in a gymnasium designed for basketball, they built an entire building to house a preschool, and they’ve built a plush coffeehouse BUT NO SANCTUARY.
Church isn’t about playing basketball, drinking coffee, or finding a good Christian preschool. IT’S ABOUT MINISTERING TO THE CONGREGATION. All the congregation. Not just the ones who have children to play in the basketball gym or children to attend the preschool. The pastor likes coffee so much he essentially built his own coffeeshop with church funds. There were better uses for the money we donated.
The church gets involved in ministry all over the world while ignoring the members of their congregation that are living in their cars and eating from food shelves (which the church doesn’t have — but hey they have a great coffeehouse).
I used to love this church but they’ve made it very clear that you don’t belong if you can’t bring children and they are very unwelcoming to gay people as well.

Love it here and love Pastor Mark. I have been coming here for so many years, they were on Vulcan in Encinitas. Great congregation of pastors, a great youth program and volunteers in childcare. The church has grown so much over the past 10 – 15 years, it just keeps getting bigger. Fantastic music and musicians. Beautiful grounds and a casual easy going vibe.

I like going to this church bc pastor Mark preaches from the bible! He gives us an outline to follow and also there are screens to follow.
His preaching are always followed by great examples and stories that we can all relate to.
Also they have women bible studies that I enjoy a lot. I love my bible leader :). She’s the most spiritual leader and a great example to us young ladies.

Impressive church grounds with ocean view!
There is a great field for the children to play, a coffee shop, and a beautiful balcony to enjoy the ocean view.

My home church and the only place I call home outside my domicile. The pastors at NCCC are there to change lives and minister to Carlsbad. If you haven’t seen the new campus see it, the classrooms are much improved over Ralph’s era.

Today was my first time here. My family drove down to watch the Dodgers play the Padres in San Diego. We planned to go to church somewhere down here, as we would miss our services at home, but didn’t know where. Saw a bunch and picked this one.
At first I was focused on the shorts and sandals. That faded when the speaker gave his sermon. It was the Jesus from the bible. No books, courses, pamphlets, notes. The only book that mattered was the bible he kept in his hand. The people I met were wonderful, all of them. Thank you for making us travelers feel at home. God bless you all.

I have been attending North Coast, oh wow, for almost 20 years. Thats crazy. There isn’t one thing i don’t love about this church. Its authentic and the pastors are the real deal… so come as you are. The homeless man that sat next to me on Easter service– welcome. You want to wear flip flops… welcome. You want to dress up — You’ll be welcome. You want to be involved — there is plenty of opportunity. Its a big church with a big congregation so join a group or get involved in ministry — I think thats the best way to meet people. There are so many activities for children and the kids love it.
They have so many missions and ministries — NCCC is true blessing.
Not everyone dresses up… so, if you are worried about what other people are wearing or doing… let it go. Matthew 4:19 Jesus said «Come, Follow me» Just follow Jesus and keep your focus on yourself and your own walk.
There are 4 service times and they are always posted on their website. The staff works very hard 7 days a week — occasionally there is a change in service times due to an event but there is always plenty of notice, announcements in the bulletin and on the website.
Anyway, Mark Foremann is the best pastor i have ever met. So authentic, humble, and relatable. I never regret the time I spend listening to him teach. He teaches from the Bible and doesn’t take liberties with the text. I really recommend his book Wholly Jesus. I found an interview on vimeo
Lastly,
Kids games is coming up –there are 2 sessions one in June and one in July.
The Switchfoot BRO-​AM is coming up July 11 & 12 at Moonlight Beach.

There are so many great things about this church: the teaching, the music, the Children’s and Youth Ministry, the openness towards many different ministries, i.e., Military, Orphans, the hungry, moms in prayer, etc. If it’s on your heart and you are passionate about it, NCCC will encourage and support you.
There are so many resources here, it would take pages to detail them all. But the thing I love the best is how the pastors and teachers are very real and loving and not condemning or judgmental. They get that life is complex and that it does not exist in «Black & White». They encourage us to follow Jesus and walk a straight line but they don’t smack us over the head with a stick when we falter. That’s not to say that blatant sin is tolerated– it’s not. Great place, check it out!

No service because of the Super Bowl?
Went here because my other church canceled service due to the Super Bowl. Come to find out North Coast Calvary’s evening service was canceled because of the Super Bowl as well.
Jesus is more important than the Super Bowl, right? :(

I like that this church has so many activities and a calendar with groups to join. Its very large and has beautiful grounds. Theres multiple things going on every day which is awesome!

We moved to San Marcos a year and a half ago. We visited several churches, but kept coming back to North Coast Calvary Chapel, so it became obvious to us that it was where we wanted to be and at that point we hadn’t even heard the senior pastor preach. When we heard Mark Forman we were thrilled with our decision. Mark doesn’t preach, he teaches and his insights are pretty amazing, but he is a humble guy. He also isn’t afraid to share the pulpit (there really isn’t a pulpit) so there are many incredible speakers that are always excellent.
The worship music is just that worship music, it is not a performance. It is wonderful. The music is mostly contemporary, but some rather traditional as well. The worship leader is so talented and has incredible singers and musicians. But it’s still all about worship.
OK, I’m going to tackle the «what should people to wear to church» question. This is not a dress up church. This is not a dress down church. This is not a surfer church. This is a church for people, all people, wearing whatever they wear. This is a come as you are church, this is an «all are welcome church» and it’s a joy. It’s about worshipping God and listening to His Word in fellowship with other believers. No one is here to impress anyone.
Attending Northcoast is the highlight of my week; I look forward to going to church. At the Saturday and Sunday evening services there is a coffee break between the music and the sermon (teaching). After wonderful musical worship, you get a cup of coffee or tea and settle in to hear God’s Word and you feel like you are home, with friends.
I’ve been a Christian all my life and I’ve been to many great churches, but Northcoast is a church I don’t ever want to leave.

Pastor Mark is the real deal. I just started to attend two months ago and feel at home. The women’s ministries are awesome. There is something there for everyone. I feel blessed being a part of North Coast Calvary.
Yasmen F.

Great preaching. Not a small church where you can get to know everyone. It was at one time small. So, you gotta choose.

I am very proud to call this my home church. While it is pretty big, it honestly doesn’t feel like it. Mark Foreman, who is the pastor, is so knowledgeable in his art of preaching I’ve heard he is called the bishop among other pastors because he is a pastor to them! God truly meets me every Sunday through the drop dead amazing worship and message. And through the young adults ministry I have acquired friends that I would take a bullet for and will remain close with for the rest of my life.

Something for everyone
We’ve been going here since we moved to Carlsbad in 2009. We’ve been to the megachurches, the start-​ups, the traditional, the unconventional. North Coast is the kind of community where you will feel welcome and confortable, no matter what your background or beliefs are.
Yes, there are a lot of surfers– hey– it’s Carlsbad. But I don’t think it qualifies as a surfer church– I’ve been to those where the pastor wears hawaiian shirts and talks surf– this is not one of them.
One of the things I really love about the community is that it is very inclusive. The pastor Mark Foreman is constantly talking about how so many people in the christian world come up with their own set of rules and expectations that aren’t really in the bible. The other thing is that I never feel like I’m being talked down to– there’s no oversimplification and it’s neither a room full of stuffy academics. The messages are real, relevant, and challenging every time.
And if you’re single, married, college age, 50+, have kids– whatever– there are a group of likeminded people there that you can connect with.

This is a great church. We just came back today and brought our kids for the Harvest Festival. Such a great way to reach out to the local community and those who do not attend church. My girls had so much fun!
I have attended several women’s bible studies here and met some amazing ladies who love Jesus!
I love the worship. Bomb. It’s for sure a come as you are church. My Mom is a Southern Baptist used to wearing her Sunday best and sitting in a pew listening to Amazing Grace. This is a far cry from that — Come wearing flip flops and boardshorts if you must, but just COME! I like that. I think it makes people who don’t normally come to church feel comfortable and able to be exposed to the gospel.
As far as the regular church services go, I find that it is just too busy for us. Soooo many people come, it’s easy to feel lost in the crowd. Also, my daughter is not used to being away from me, so whenever I dropped her off in the toddler child care, her number would undoubtedly pop up on the monitor during the service before I even got to listen to the sermon. I just wish they would work a little more with the children to get them settled before calling the parents. That being said, I think it is difficult because they need more people to serve in that particular area, so they probabably cannot devote the time necessary to each individual child because there are just SO many kids there.

only one thing to say…
a watered-​down gospel is no gospel at all.
pastor mark is off the mark.
i attended for years (when they were located off poinsettia).
something has changed there. i don’t know if its the
showy, new, sparkling church… but something has changed
the way pastor mark teaches… it’s a feel=good, watered-​down
message. perhaps the preaching of judgement, hell, repentence
etc might scare people off??? i don’t know… God bless…
be discerning!!!

We attended our first service here at North Coast Calvary Chapel thinking that it was a different church. I’m so glad that we ended up at the wrong one. Pastor Mark’s sermon was very easy to relate to and wow it just touched home. Everyone was so nice & welcoming. The Children’s services were great (our 7 year old had a lot of fun). As far as the Jr. High School services, our 13 year old will probably sit with us in the main church next time. We’ll be back next Sunday!

It prides itself on being a surfers church. So the congregation gets away with wearing their worse, as opposed to their «best» to worship. Ushers wore flip-​flops and chewed gum. It was not to welcome the poor and homeless to feel comfortable in their midst. It was sheer carelessness and disrespect for the presence of their Lord.
A loud and showy band opens the service, each instrument trying to displace the other. The drums always win; the congregational singing is the loser. It is to attract the youth, I am told. Attract them to what?
Ears ringing, I retreated to the overflow tent, and, before long to another church, where I was treated with courtesy, and could approach worship to my Lord with dignity
This night, Christmas Eve, I returned to North Coast Calvary Chapel and was politely welcomed even before entering that rainy night by a tall man in a black suit and a colorful tie. Inside there were other greeters and ushers, all in suits and ties as befitted the birthday party of our Lord.
The church’s new gymnasium was packed twenty minutes before the third service of the evening was to begin. There was a buzz of conversation before worship which inexplicitly silenced with a long clear quiet acappello note of an elegant black soprano on the podium. Quietly she continued to sing the welcoming carol, Oh Come all Ye Faithful.
The pianist, the drummer, the guitarist were silent as she slowly sang, then imperceptibly soft voices from the congregation supported the call to worship. All of us were singing, but in parts like a great choir concert, while the soprano soared with our souls to Bethlehem.
Then, just as unrehearsed, the congregation dropped away, and the soprano sealed the call to the Faithful with a her voice, dropping and soaring to the Angels listening.
So began worship last night, with dignity of dress, so «ordered from above» as one of the ushers explained. The Babe also came from above to dwell with us, born in a feeding trough. He was there last night.

Thanks Sarah T. I don’t even know how I came across your review for North Coast Calvary Chapel but it made a difference. I’ve been going to North Coast off and on for the last couple of months, but I after going to Newcomers Night this last Monday I’ve decided to make more of a commitment. Pastor Mark is great… and he’s really funny. Everyone is so nice and welcoming!
If you’re looking for a great community, I would recommend North Coast Calvary.