Mission Statement

The mission of Eastside Christian Church is to build fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Our mission is accomplished through these five strategies:
1. We Worship God
2. We Connect with Believers
3. We Grow in Christ
4. We Serve People
5. We Reach Unbelievers

 

What We Believe

The Bible
The Bible is the infallible Word of God. It is always correct and always relevant. Even though the standards of society change through time, the standards of scripture do not. Where the Bible clearly speaks we clearly stand.

God
He is the Creator and Sustainer of the world. He is the only true God, all others are false and non-existent. He is the author of all history – nothing occurs without His knowledge and approval. He is the Father of Jesus Christ.

Jesus
He is the perfect Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. He lived a life of holy example, died on a cross as punishment for the sins of the world, was buried in a sealed tomb, and three days later rose from that grave and came to life again. He is the ultimate head of the church. He sits at the right of his Father in heaven right now and awaits His return to earth where He will escort His church to heaven for all of eternity.

Holy Spirit
He is by nature equal to God and sent to the lives of all believers to assist them in their Christian walk. He indwells a believer at the point of their baptism and provides them with specific gifts to serve God and His People. He comforts, convicts, guards, and equips all those who love the Father and the Son.

Mankind
All people are sinful; no one is perfect. Therefore, all people need to be saved from impending punishment due to sin. When saved by the grace of God, people can make an incredible impact on society for the cause of good.

Heaven
Heaven is a real place reserved for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. It is a place where sin does not exist, and consequently, the residents of heaven will not have to deal with the effects of sin, pain, tears, death, etc. Heaven will last forever.

Hell
Hell is a real place reserved for those who do not surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Because of their unforgiven sin they will exist in a place of terrible torment and agony for all of eternity.

Salvation
Salvation is the act of being rescued from our impending eternal punishment and given instead the gift of eternal life in heaven. This gift is the result of two factors, the grace of God and the faith of the individual.

The grace of God is revealed in the cross of Jesus Christ, as He died to pay our penalty of sin. It is unmerited favor. We did not do anything to deserve this gift. God gave it to us because He loves us and wants to spend eternity with us in heaven.

The faith of the individual is revealed in specific steps. First, believing in Jesus Christ. Secondly, repenting of sin – turning away from a life of sin. Thirdly, professing your belief about Jesus. Fourthly, being baptized by immersion.

When the grace of God and the faith of the individual come together the result is the forgiveness of sins, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life in heaven.

Baptism
Baptism is only performed by immersion. There is no record of sprinkling as a form of baptism anywhere in the New Testament.

Baptism is entered into only by people who make their own choice to do so, understanding the significance of the event and having a proper motive. There is no record anywhere in the New Testament of infants being baptized.

Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we are baptized we first of all die to our sin, we are buried as the finality of a previous life, and we are raised out of the water to begin a new life. This is why baptism is only done by immersion.

Baptism is the moment that salvation is granted by God. It is the final step of the salvation process as a person surrenders their life to God. It is not an option to ignore, nor a mere formality to join the church.

The Church
The church is a collection of people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. These people regularly worship God, serve Him and each other, live their lives as examples of God’s standards, and seek to reach out and draw others into this life. The church is the light of the world and the salt of the earth, commissioned by Christ to impact all of society with the goodness of the gospel.