Oceanside United Reformed Church

United Reformed Church in Carlsbad / URCNA Church in Carlsbad

As a United Reformed church in Carlsbad, we align with the mission of the URCNA:

The United Reformed Churches in North America confess Jesus Christ as the only Savior and the Sovereign Lord over all of life, and are fully committed to the Bible in its entirety as the Word of God written, without error in all its parts, and to its teaching as set forth in the historic Reformed standards (the Three Forms of Unity) and in the Ecumenical Creeds. We are churches that vary in race, nationality, location, and even language at times but we are united in historic Reformation teaching, teaching that emphasizes the biblical truths of sin, deliverance from it in Christ alone, and gratitude for deliverance in biblical worship. 

About the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA)

The United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) is a federation of churches that confesses the historic, orthodox Christian faith, a faith built on “the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20).

URCNA doctrine is expressed in the ancient creeds—Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian—and in The Three Forms of Unity—Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort.

Churches in Carlsbad

Churches in Carlsbad play a vital role in fostering community and preserving the region’s spiritual heritage. They are as varied as the people who fill them — large and small, new and long-established, meeting in sanctuaries and storefronts and school chapels. They serve as gathering places for worship, offering solace and guidance to residents and visitors alike. Beyond spiritual support, these churches are deeply involved in community outreach, providing services such as food for the homeless and youth programs. Many churches in Carlsbad also engage in cultural preservation, hosting public events for the community like our Christmas Eve Festival of Lessons & Carols. In this coastal region, churches not only enrich the spiritual lives of the community but also contribute significantly to its social and cultural fabric.

But the question worth asking any of these churches, is not how many gather or how polished the production is, but whether Christ is preached. The Reformed tradition has answered that question the same way for centuries, naming three marks of a true church: the gospel purely preached, the sacraments of baptism and communion faithfully administered, and loving discipline practiced among the members. Where those are present, a true church is present.

That is what we pray you find at Oceanside United Reformed Church. Above everything else churches in Carlsbad might offer you — friendship, service, a place to belong — the most important thing is the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. He lived the life we have failed to live, died the death we deserved, and rose again so that sinners might be brought home to God. Everything else we do flows from that, or it is not worth doing.

Carlsbad, California

Carlsbad sits on the coast of North County San Diego, one of a string of beach towns along the Pacific Coast Highway. Oceanside United Reformed Church gathers in the Chapel of the Army & Navy Academy on Ocean Street, overlooking the water, and have since 2001. The congregation began in 2000 as a home Bible study in Oceanside, planted with a single aim: that coastal North County would have a confessionally Reformed church. Our members come from Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, and Encinitas, and some drive a good deal further — which tells you something about how few churches like this there are in the region.

Sunday after Sunday, what we do is ordinary by design in our liturgy: Scripture is read and preached, the Lord's Supper is celebrated, the psalms are sung, prayers are offered. Between Sundays it looks like meals in one another's homes, men's and women's studies, prayer requests brought forward before the service, food collected for neighbors in need, and conversations with our neighbors at the Oceanside Sunset Market. We are not a large church, but we do offer a variety of ministries and programs designed to support individuals and families, fostering a spirit of togetherness and spiritual growth. We don’t try to be everything. We just try to be a church. If you live in Carlsbad or anywhere in North County San Diego, come and see!