Reformed Church in Carlsbad
Confessional Reformed worship in Carlsbad since 2000
Looking for Reformed churches in Carlsbad? You’ve found it! Oceanside United Reformed Church is a confessional Reformed congregation serving Carlsbad and the surrounding communities of North County San Diego. We gather in the Chapel of the Army & Navy Academy at 2549 Ocean Street in Carlsbad, overlooking the Pacific, every Lord's Day at 10:00 am, 12 noon Sunday school, and 5:00 pm (10:00 am and 12:00 noon from June–August). Our pastor is the Rev. Dr. Daniel R. Hyde, founding pastor since 2000 and author of Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims. Visitors are welcome, and we would be glad to have you.
Are There Reformed Churches Near Carlsbad?
People sometimes ask why we are called Oceanside if we meet in Carlsbad. Oceanside United Reformed Church began in Oceanside but has served Carlsbad and the surrounding communities since its inception. The church started as a home Bible study on February 14, 2000, began evening worship that June, and has gathered in the Chapel of the Army & Navy Academy since 2001.
The chapel is an historic part of in Carlsbad Village and sits at 2549 Ocean Street at the west end of the Academy property on the corner of Cypress Avenue and Ocean Street, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Several of our elders and deacons live in Carlsbad and many of our members do as well. We were planted with a single aim: that Carlsbad and coastal North County would have a confessionally Reformed church.
If you are looking for Reformed churches near Carlsbad, this is it. Learn the story of our history and find us to get directions to a service soon.
What Denomination Is Oceanside URC?
Oceanside United Reformed Church is a member congregation of the United Reformed Churches in North America, or URCNA, a federation of churches rooted in the Dutch Reformed tradition and the wider Protestant Reformation.
“Reformed” refers to a particular family within Protestantism: the churches reformed according to the Word of God. Reformed churches spread across sixteenth-century Europe through Switzerland, France, Hungary, Germany, England, and Poland, and, most importantly for us, into the Netherlands. It’s from the Dutch churches that our stream flows.
The Dutch Reformed tradition is not an ethnic club. You don’t need a Dutch last name, or a Reformed childhood, to belong here. Most of us came from somewhere else. We just love this church and the truth it proclaims.
We are a confessional church. We confess the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as God's inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word, and our highest authority. With the ancient church we confess the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds together with the Definition of Chalcedon. With the Reformed churches we confess the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), and the Canons of Dort (1618–19). Read more about what we believe.
As a federation, we are related to other churches through a common Church Order that lets us cooperate and exercise mutual concern for one another. We are not alone as a congregation, and you will not be alone as part of our church family. Read more about how we are governed—what we call “polity.” Regionally we belong to Classis Southwest U.S., our group of pastors and elders. The URCNA also belongs to the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC) and the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC).
What Is Worship Like?
We believe biblical worship is a face-to-face meeting in the presence of our gracious Triune God. There is a two-way dialogue: God calls us out of the world into his presence to speak to us in his Word and comfort us with his sacraments, and we respond in prayer, song, offering, and love for one another. Every church has a liturgy; we just tell you what ours is up front.
In practice, a Sunday morning here looks like this. You will be greeted and given a booklet with the liturgy so you can follow along and participate. We read substantial portions of the Old and New Testaments. The sermon is expository, working through a passage verse-by-verse. We celebrate the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day morning. We sing from a physical hymnal, the Trinity Psalter Hymnal, with the Psalms making up a large part of our singing alongside hymns from across the Christian tradition. Instrumentation is simple and minimal. The pastor wears clergy attire. We pray…a lot. And we gather again in the evening for the Word, singing, prayer, and fellowship.
If you are used to an evangelical service with stage lighting, a band, and production values, this will feel different. We believe the Word of God is sufficient and that Jesus is enough.
For the full picture, see how we worship.
Are Visitors Welcome?
Yes, and we mean it. Most of us walked in as newcomers ourselves, with no Dutch heritage and plenty of questions about this Reformed thing. Many of us came to OURC as the first church we ever stepped foot into. We want you to know: you are welcome exactly as you are.
You do not need to dress a particular way. There is no dress code; we are in a beach community and the attire is on the casual side. You do not need to bring a Bible, since we keep copies at the welcome table and you are welcome to take one as our gift. You are our guest, so please do not feel any obligation to give when the baskets pass.
Let us know you are coming using the form below and we will have a free copy of Pastor Danny's Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims waiting for you.
Do Children Remain in Worship?
Yes. We do not offer a separate children's church, partly because of the facility we meet in, but because we believe children are a blessing from God and a vital part of every local church, not a group to be sent elsewhere. Families are encouraged to worship together, and children participate alongside parents and grandparents in a shared faith.
We know that having kids in worship brings some extra kid noise with it, and we like it that way. Several back rows are reserved for families, and you are free to use the space in the lobby if your children get restless.
Sunday School for all ages meets at 12:00 noon, September through May. Learn more about our ministry to children.
Do You Have Morning and Evening Services?
Yes. We gather twice every Lord's Day.
Morning worship is at 10:00 am year-round. This is our main service, with extended Bible reading, expository preaching, singing, prayer, and the Lord's Supper.
Evening worship is at 5:00 pm from September through May, and at 12:00 noon in the summer months of June through August. It runs about an hour, or about forty-five minutes in summer, and is focused on prayer, singing through the Psalms in order, and sermons on what we believe and why.
Gathering twice on the Lord's Day is not a novelty but the practice of the historic church. In our federation it is required: the Church Order obligates every United Reformed congregation to hold a second service (article 37), leaving only the time to each congregation.
Read Pastor Danny's “Top Ten Reasons to Attend Evening Worship,” or more on our view of the Lord's Day.
Meet Our Pastor, Dr. Daniel R. Hyde
Oceanside URC is served by the Rev. Dr. Daniel R. Hyde, known to the congregation as “Pastor Danny.” He is a third-generation Southern California native who planted this church in 2000 during his final semester at Westminster Seminary California, and he has been preaching and teaching here ever since.
Pastor Danny holds a B.A. from Southern California College / Vanguard University (1997), an M.Div. from Westminster Seminary California (2000), a Th.M. from Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (2010), and a Ph.D. from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2022), where he defended a dissertation on public worship in the theology of John Owen.
He is the author of more than twenty books, including Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims (Reformation Trust, 2010), With Heart and Mouth: An Exposition of the Belgic Confession, Grace Worth Fighting For: Recapturing the Vision of God's Grace in the Canons of Dort, and What to Expect in Reformed Worship: A Visitor's Guide. He serves as Associate Fellow in Practical Theology at Greystone Theological Institute and has taught at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, The Davenant Institute, Seminario Reformado Latinoamericano, and Instituto João Calvino.
He and his wife Karajean have four children, and together they enjoy showing the love of Jesus through hospitality in their home.
Listen to his preaching in our sermon archive, read his full biography, or get in touch about his next Welcome to a Reformed Church Class.
Location, Service Times, and Parking
The Chapel of the Army & Navy Academy
2549 Ocean Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008
The chapel is at the west end of the Academy property on the corner of Cypress Avenue and Ocean Street, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
September – May
- Morning Worship — 10:00 am
- Sunday School — 12:00 noon
- Evening Worship — 5:00 pm
June – August
- Morning Worship — 10:00 am
- Afternoon Worship — 12:00 noon
In summer we gather twice, with the second service at noon rather than in the evening.
Parking: our beachfront location affects parking, especially in the summer months. Come early and use any of the streets or lots in the vicinity.
Phone: 760.429.7229 · Email: info@oceansideurc.org
Full directions from the 5, the 78, and Pacific Coast Highway: Find Us
Come and See
We know that visiting a new church can bring either great excitement or anxiety. We have all been there.
If you are searching for a historic expression of the Christian faith, rooted in the ancient creeds and Reformation confessions, with a reverent, Christ-centered liturgy and a church government built for accountability rather than celebrity pastor culture, we would love to meet you.
Fill out the form below to let us know you are coming, and we will have a free copy of Pastor Danny’s Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims waiting for you when you visit.
The Lord be with you.
Connect With Us
Fill out this form to let us know you are coming, and we will give you a free copy of Pastor Danny’s Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims when you visit.