WELCOME TO EASTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

I want to begin with a Word of Praise to God for your interest in Eastside Baptist. I consider it a blessing to serve at Eastside along with this wonderful church family.

I hope you enjoy reading through the following information about Eastside Baptist. There is no way we can make this publication all-inclusive, but this describes who we are, what we are about, and how we hope to do what God has called us to do.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions about Eastside, or when you decide you are ready to join this church family in fulfilling God’s call to build Christ’s church one person at a time.

Sincerely,

Pastor Dale

MISSION STATEMENT

Eastside Baptist Church exists to build a strong church or body of believers that are active in reaching the lost for Christ while taking care of one another and having fun in the process FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. We strive to fulfill our mission through our Core Values.

CORE VALUES

Our Core Values help keep us on track as we seek to live out our mission of making and becoming fully devoted followers of Christ through the renewing and transforming power of the gospel for the glory of God. Our Core Values are…

God-Centered

We are passionate about putting God at the center of everything we do as a church and as individuals. We strive to draw attention to the greatness of God and to glorify Him in what we do, say, think and plan. We will be bold in declaring our love for God, giving thanks for His many blessings and making known and remembering what He has done. (1 Chronicles 16:8-12, 23-26; Psalm 115:1; 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Dependent on God

We are committed to daily intimate fellowship with God. Through prayer, we glorify God by honoring His name, seeking His kingdom, and submitting to His will. It is our individual and corporate responsibility to ensure that all aspects of life, ministry, and fellowship are preceded, undergirded, and empowered by prayer. We believe that nothing of lasting eternal value will happen apart from dependent and faith-driven prayer. (Luke 11:1-12; Ephesians 3:20-21; Colossians 4:2)

Rooted in the Word of God

We are committed to God’s Word as our exclusive foundation. The Bible is our reference point for truth. All teaching, practice, and life transformation is shaped by God’s truth as revealed in the Scriptures. We will devote ourselves to preaching, teaching, and applying God’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)

Grace-Driven Transformation

We are passionate about the Gospel’s power to bring about transformation into the image of Christ. Our gratefulness for God’s saving grace through Christ positions and motivates us to eagerly and intentionally cooperate with the Holy Spirit and access the empowering grace of God in a life-long process of being made more like Jesus. (Philippians 1:6; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Peter 3:18)

Becoming Fully Devoted Followers of Christ

We see discipleship as a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus as we increasingly strive to learn from and obey Him, abide in Him, and sacrifice for His sake and for the sake of the Gospel. We live out our lives and give our resources to Christ for the expansion of His Kingdom. (Luke 9:23-27; John 15:5-8)

Committed to One Another

We are committed to the local church because it is the principal place where God is working out his purpose in the world and in people’s lives. We believe that active participation in the church advances God’s purpose and is essential for the spiritual growth of individual followers of Christ. We are committed to demonstrating Christ’s love and grace to the world by the way we treat each other. We will encourage, love, build up, disciple, forgive, and admonish one another. We will pray for and with one another, honor each other, be patient with one another and rejoice together. (Ephesians 4:16; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 3:16-18)

Actively Serving

We are committed to discover and use our, God-given gifts and abilities. With kind and humble hearts, we will serve the Lord and one another with God’s grace and the strength He provides. We will encourage one another to serve enthusiastically and be hospitable. (Joshua 24:15; Galatians 5:13-14; 1 Peter 4:10-11)

Intentional Outreach

We are committed to the Great Commission. We will proclaim the Gospel and its life-changing impact to one another through our preaching, teaching, worship, and relationships. We will boldly and lovingly live out this truth in our homes, in our communities, and in the world. (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 10:13-15)

Authentic and Passionate Worship

We are created for one primary purpose: to worship God. We desire to accomplish this through every aspect of our ministry. God alone is worthy of all praise, honor and glory that is due to Him for who He is and for what He has done for us in Christ. We believe that worshipping God begins in our hearts, rooted in the truth of who God is. We will have a lifestyle of worship as a community of believers and as individuals. (Psalm 100; John 4:23-24; Romans 12:1-2; Revelation 4:11)

WHAT WE BELIEVE

A. We believe the Bible is God’s Word given by divine inspiration, the record of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity (2 Timothy 3:16). It is trustworthy, sufficient, without error—the supreme authority and guide for all doctrine and conduct (1 Peter 1:23-25; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.) It is the truth by which God brings people into a saving relationship with Himself and leads them to Christian maturity (John 20:31, 1 John 5:9-12; Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2). Scripture is the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.

B. We believe in the one living and true God, perfect in wisdom, sovereignty, holiness, justice, mercy and love (1 Timothy 1:17; Psalm 86:15; Deuteronomy 32:3-4). He exists eternally in three coequal persons who act together in creation, providence and redemption (Genesis 1:26; 1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 1:1-3).

1. The Father reigns with providential care over all life and history in the created universe. He hears and answers prayer (1 Chronicles 29:11-13; Matthew 7:11). He initiated salvation by sending His Son, and He is Father to those who by faith accept His Son as Lord and Savior (1 John 4:9-10; John 3:16; John 1:12; Acts 16:31).

2. The Son became man, Jesus Christ, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18). Being fully God and fully man, He revealed God through His sinless life, miracles and teaching (John 14:9; Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 4:23-24). He provided salvation through His atoning death in our place and by His bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:23-25). He ascended into heaven where He rules over all creation (Philippians 2:5-11). He intercedes for all believers and dwells in them as their ever-present Lord (Romans 8:34; John 14:23).

3. The Holy Spirit inspired men to write the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21). Through this Word, He convicts individuals of their sinfulness and of the righteousness of Christ, draws them to the Savior, and bears witness to their new birth (James 1:18; John 16:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6; Romans 8:16). At regeneration and conversion, the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Spirit indwells, seals and gives spiritual gifts to all believers for ministry in the church and society (Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 12:5-8; 1 Peter 4:10). He empowers, guides, teaches, fills, sanctifies and produces the fruit of Christlikeness in all who yield to Him (Acts 4:31; Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Ephesians 5:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 5:16, 22-23).

C. We believe God created humanity in His own image to have fellowship with Himself and to be stewards over His creation (Genesis 1:26-28).

1. God created humanity as male and female and instituted marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:18, 24; Matthew 19:4-6). Each person is unique, possesses dignity and is worthy of respect (Psalm 139:13-17). We affirm the family as the basic unit of society and seek to preserve its integrity and stability (Genesis 2:21-25; Ephesians 6:1-4). We believe the Bible teaches that marriage refers to the covenant relationship exclusively between one man and one woman, as instituted by God in the beginning (Genesis 2:20-24; 1 Corinthians 7:2; Hebrews 13:4).

2. Through the temptation of Satan, Adam chose to disobey God; this brought sin and death to the human race and suffering to all creation (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-21; 8-22). Therefore, everyone is born with a sinful nature and needs to be reconciled to God (Romans 3:9-18, 23). Satan tempts people to rebel against God, even those who love Him (Ephesians 4:27; 2 Corinthians 2:11; Matthew 16:23). Nonetheless, everyone is personally responsible to God for thoughts, actions and beliefs and has the right to approach Him directly through Jesus Christ, the only mediator (Romans 14:12; 1 Timothy 2:5).

D. We believe salvation is redemption by Christ of the whole person from sin and death (2 Timothy 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). It is offered as a free gift by God to all and must be received personally through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:4; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 20:21). An individual is united to Christ by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). As a child of God, the believer is acquitted of all guilt and brought into a new relationship of peace (Romans 5:1). Christians grow as the Holy Spirit enables them to understand and obey the Word of God (2 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:12).

E. We believe the Church is the body of which Christ is the head and all who believe in Him are members (Ephesians 1:22-23; Romans 12:4-5). Christians are commanded to be baptized upon profession of faith and to unite with a local church for mutual encouragement and growth in discipleship through worship, nurture, service and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world (Acts 2:41-42, 47; Luke 24:45-48). Each church is a self-governing body under the lordship of Christ with all members sharing responsibility (Acts 13:1-3; 14:26-28).

1. The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We practice baptism as the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20) subsequent to the person’s conversion. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s identification with the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-5). The Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and of the cup by believers together as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. It is an act of thankful dedication to Him and serves to unite His people until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

2. In order to express unity in Christ, Eastside Baptist is in association with other churches of like beliefs in our area. Through our association we seek and participate in mutual counsel, fellowship and a more effective fulfillment of Christ’s commission (Acts 15; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3). Eastside Baptist is in association with the Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association which cooperates with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the Southern Baptist Convention.

F. We believe religious liberty, rooted in Scripture, is the inalienable right of all individuals to freedom of conscience with ultimate accountability to God (Genesis 1:27; John 8:32; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:21; Acts 5:29). Church and state exist by the will of God. Each has distinctive concerns and responsibilities, free from control by the other (Matthew 22:21). Christians should pray for civil leaders, and obey and support government in matters not contrary to Scripture (1 Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-16).

G. We believe Christians, individually and collectively, are salt and light in society (Matthew 5:13-16). In a Christ-like spirit, they oppose greed, selfishness and vice; they promote truth, justice and peace; they aid the needy and preserve the dignity of people of all races and conditions (Hebrews 13:5; Luke 9:23; Titus 2:12; Philippians 4:8-9; 1 John 3:16-17; James 2:1-4).

H. We believe God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring all things to their appropriate end and establish the new heaven and the new earth (Ephesians 1:9-10, Revelation 21:1). The certain hope of the Christian is that Jesus Christ will return to the earth suddenly, personally and visibly in glory according to His promise (Titus 2:13; John 14:1-3; Revelation 1:7; 3:11). The dead will be raised, and Christ will judge mankind in righteousness (John 5:28-29). The unrighteous will be consigned to the everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41-46; Revelation 20:10). The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord (Philippians 3:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

MEMBERSHIP

The Membership of Eastside consists of anyone professing repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who is in agreement with the beliefs and core values held by this church and has been or requests baptism as a testimony and act of obedience in following the Lord. Anyone requesting membership at Eastside Baptist must make the request to a Pastor after which they will be presented by the Pastor to the Church for approval.

A person may be presented to the church to become a member in one of the following ways:

A. Profession of Faith and Baptism: An individual may be received on profession of faith as a candidate for baptism. Following their baptism, the individual will become a member of Eastside Baptist Church. If baptism is prevented by a physical condition or severe hardship the Pastor and Deacons by unanimous consent may suspend this requirement.

B. Letter. A member from another church of like faith and order, who has received the ordinance of baptism by immersion, may be received by letter of dismission and recommendation and if such letter cannot be secured, the clerk shall automatically record such member as "received on Statement of Experience."

C. Statement of Experience. Any person who has previously repented of their sin and professed faith in Jesus death and resurrection and who has been baptized by immersion may be received as a member upon statement of experience and faith in Christ.

GET INVOLVED