Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley was formed 4 decades ago....
beginning in a home Bible study that met in the community known as Sunnymead. With just a small handful of families (the adults met for Bible study in one home, while the childcare took place in the next door neighbors’ house), Pastor John and Robin Milhouse sensed a call from God to this small but quickly expanding community.
With many changes and growth happening within the city at that time (even our city was renamed Moreno Valley), our home Bible study’s attendance began to increase.
Each week people crowded into the living room, dining room, and kitchen - a small sound system was set up so all could hear as they packed into the various areas throughout the home! It didn’t take long to see that a larger facility was needed.
On June 6, 1982, we celebrated our first Sunday morning service, which was held at the Sunnymead Women’s Club. Having learned that “blessed are the flexible” by the late Pastor Chuck Smith, Sunday School classes were set up under tarps in the parking lot, with the nursery and toddler care being provided within the Women’s Club kitchen! Despite these less-than-ideal conditions, we outgrew the facility after a few months, and the church moved to a local Jazzercise building.
It was in the summer of 1983 that CCMV, bursting at the seams, moved to yet another temporary location, Moreno Valley High School. Every Sunday morning, our volunteers would haul in all the necessary equipment to transform the school into a church! From sound equipment to podium, musical instruments to children’s ministry supplies, we were a portable church on wheels!
It was while we met at the high school that we began to dream of the possibility of someday owning our own church building. Little did we know that God had some amazing things in-store for our church!
After purchasing 6 acres in the eastern side of Moreno Valley, we excitedly broke ground in November 1991. One long and challenging year later, we held our first service in our own building where we had Pastor Chuck Smith dedicate our newly completed church!
It’s hard to believe, what started more than 41 years ago as a small, home Bible study has now grown into a 18 acre campus consisting of a church sanctuary, education buildings, and a school that meets the needs of Pre-K through 12th grade - and there’s much more to come!
