Lakeside is an independent Christian Church that is part of a world-wide fellowship of churches commonly called Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. Our heritage is rooted in the Restoration Movement, a two centuries old effort on the part of God's Spirit and God's people to call believers into Christian unity based on the authority of the God's Word. Churches who have flourished within the Restoration Movement share a fundamental commitment to five key principles:
The Unity All Can Achieve
We share a commitment to building unity throughout the body of Christ. In Matthew 12:25 Jesus underscored the critical importance of unity when he said, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." This is why later, in John 17:23, Jesus prayed for those who would believe in his name, "...may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have them them even as you have loved me." Jesus understood that great things would be accomplished for his Kingdom as his followers joined together and presented a united front. He believed that unity greatly enhances the world-wide witness and global outreach of the Church. Therefore, for the sake of Christ's Kingdom, we are committed to building unity throughout our local congregation and the body of Christ at large. We believe the Church is strongest when it is united. In matters of faith (i.e. essentials, core beliefs, gospel) we insist upon unity. In matters of opinion (non-essential beliefs), we encourage freedom and latitude. In all things, we strive to show the love and understanding of Christ.
The Book All Can Believe.
We share a deep desire to restore the authority of Scripture to its rightful place both in the Church and in our personal lives. The Word of God is our primary means of achieving the Christian unity and doctrinal purity described above. Members of the New Testament Church devoted themselves daily to the study of the Word of God (Acts 2:42). They believed the Bible was "God-breathed" and useful for "teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). They understood the power of the Bible to transform lives (John 17:17), direct people deeper into the purposes of God (Psalm 119:105), and establish a recognizable unity (John 17:17). Because of their fundamental commitment to the Word of God, the early Church flourished. We believe the Bible is God's vehicle to unite us and mature us in Christ. The Bible is central in all that we do.
The Creed All Can Accept
We share a creed that all Christians can embrace, namely Jesus Christ. Concerning Jesus, John 1:1 tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Hebrews 1:2 says, "... in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son." In these passages Jesus is God’s personal Word. He is our living, dynamic Savior who came from the Father full of grace and truth. The early Church achieved great unity as they embraced God's living, personal Word Jesus Christ. We believe great unity can be achieved by setting aside divisive, written, manmade creeds and cumbersome doctrinal statements to simply embrace the person, work and teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in Scripture. We have “No Creed but Christ” and “No Book but the Bible."
The Faith All Can Live
We share a common faith that all can live. In John 14:6 Jesus told his followers, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." With these words, Jesus was calling his disciples to pattern their faith and lifestyle after the example he was setting for them. Members of the early Church picked up on this idea and frequently referred to themselves as followers of "the Way" (see Acts 9:2, 24:14). As a Christian Church, we simply invite those in our fellowship and beyond to follow our example as we follow Christ. We embrace a simple New Testament Christianity that is patterned after the faith and practices of Jesus Christ and the early Church.
The Name All Can Wear
We share a common name that all can wear, "Christian." In 1 Corinthians 3:3-4 the apostle Paul warns us against professing our allegiance to men or movements when he wrote, "You are still wordly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not wordly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says 'I follow Paul' and another 'I follow Apollos,' are you not mere men?" Later in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 Paul says, "No more boasting about men... you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." In our day people refer to themselves as Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Calvinists, etc. As in Paul's day, our loyalty to men, movements and labels creates unnecessary division. So we purposefully take the generic name "Christian Church" to avoid this very real danger. We describe ourselves as a body of believers this way: "We aren't the only Christians, we are Christians only."