Our Vision
Lakeside Alliance Church’s reason for existence isn’t to ease social problems, improve people’s moral ideals, help lonely people make friends, or even see bad people become better people. No. Lakeside exists to help people passionately pursue Jesus, together.
The vision of helping people pursue Jesus is in response to our belief that God has first pursued all of us by sending His Son Jesus to live the life that we should have lived, die the death we should have died, and rose again to offer us a new life with a new direction – a life no longer dominated by the empty, evil, and never-ending search for satisfaction in this life. When people understand, embrace, and respond to that message the affections of their hearts are changed and this is what offers the real hope for the renewal of our communities.
Engaging in that work as a community of Jesus followers is why Lakeside exists. Lakeside Alliance Church’s Vision: Helping people passionately pursue Jesus, together.
Our Values
Each of Lakeside’s values provides the driving force behind our vision statement. Rather than these values being five new ideas in addition to the vision statement, these values break down the vision statement providing greater precision and direction to its meaning.
- [Jesus] Gospel Centrality: The gospel is the means for our salvation, and the power for our change. (Luke 24:27; Galatians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-11)
- [together] Community: Pursuing Jesus is meant to be done in the context of sharing and enjoying life together. (Ephesians 4:1-6; 1 Peter 2:9-12)
- [pursuit] Maturity: We are to look like Jesus in the way we love God and love others. (Colossians 1:27-29; Galatians 5:22-24; 2 Peter 1:3-11)
- [passion] Simplicity: Singular focus empowers the church’s vision for multiplication. (Acts 2:42-47; 6:1-7, 15:10-11; 15:19-21)
- [helping people] Multiplication: The church must equip and release people for gospel expansion. (Philippians 1:3-7; Acts 16:6-10; 2 Timothy 2:2)
Our Beliefs
As any church grows larger, the people in that church begin to have less and less in common. The backgrounds, neighborhoods, and daily life experiences expand farther and farther from the original starting point. This is a normal experience in any community, which makes it all the more important that Lakeside be clear, united, and putting into practice the beliefs that we hold to as a church. Our Statement of Faith, leadership practices, values, and so forth are not to be optional add-ons, but major influences on how we disciple men, women, and children at Lakeside. Although we understand and earnestly hope to connect with people who don’t yet hold these beliefs, we nonetheless want to be upfront and open about them from the beginning. For those who desire to go beyond attending or helping to launch Lakeside to becoming an official Lakeside Partner – we ask that they agree to and support this statement.
Statement of Faith
There is one God,1 who is infinitely perfect,2 existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.3
Jesus Christ is true God and true man.4 He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.5 He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust,6 as a substitutionary sacrifice,7 and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.8 He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures.9 He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high as our great High Priest.10 He will come again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and peace.11
The Holy Spirit is a divine person,12 sent to indwell, guide, teach, empower the believer,13 and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.14
The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.15
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God:16 he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature,17 are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.18 The portion of the impenitent and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment;19 and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.20
Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.21
It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly,22 being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service.23 This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.24
Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body.25 Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.26
The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church,27 which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations.28 The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.29
There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life;30 for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.31
The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent32 and will be personal, visible, and premillennial.33 This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.34