who we are 

Put simply, our mission is to “Make Disciples” – people who are fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. In order to do this, we seek to help everyone at Eastside “Connect, Grow and Serve.” And while we have a great team, we also believe in the priesthood of all believers. We know God has gifted everyone with unique abilities to impact the world, both locally and globally.

So no matter who you are or what life situation in which you find yourself, there is a place for you here to Connect, Grow and Serve alongside us.

We offer these core beliefs as a theological framework to help unify our faith community under the authority of Christ and Holy Scripture and to advance our efforts to embody the Gospel to the world. Each member is free to study, think, and decide on their own where they stand. And so within our membership, you will find a wide array of opinions and positions on various theological/doctrinal matters. However, as a leadership, this is a brief description of what we believe:

God

We believe there is One Divine Being who has existed eternally. God is the creator, ruler, and sustainer of the universe. He exists and reveals himself to humanity in three distinct, equally divine personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is the epitome and very definition of pure love and deeply desires a personal, eternal loving relationship with us (Genesis 1:1; 26-27; Psalm 90:2; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2).

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son of God. He is equal with the Father. Jesus chose voluntarily to take on humanity, conceived of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, born both fully human and fully divine. He lived a sinless human life, and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. Jesus has brought the kingdom rule of God into our world. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday (Matt. 1:22-23; John 1:1-18; 14:10-30; Heb. 4:14-15; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:1-11; Titus 2:13).

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and Jesus the Son of God. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christ follower from the moment of salvation, distinguishing us as children of God and guiding and transforming us in the way of Jesus. He provides us with the power to live a fruitful, victorious life, understanding of spiritual truth, and boldness in sharing the good news of Jesus with others.

The Spirit is also called our Comforter [John 14-16], the One who walks with us to share our burdens and give us guidance and companionship as we walk from here to heaven. The Holy Spirit continuously transforms us into increasing holiness as we daily yield our will to his, desiring to be further changed into Christ’s image. He also gives each Christ-follower a spiritual gift or gifts for the purpose of serving others (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 2:12; 3:16; 12:4-11; Eph. 1:13; Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 6:11-13).

Salvation

We believe God created all of humanity in His image to live in relationship with Him. Being made in God’s image, we were designed for relationship. But, due to our own willful rebellion against God, we are alienated from Him and are consequently lost and without hope. Jesus Christ is our only hope for reconciliation through forgiveness.

Salvation, the forgiveness of our sins and deliverance by the invasive power of the Spirit of the risen Christ cannot be earned, but is given freely by the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. We connect with this grace-gift of God through our baptism. We practice believers’ baptism by immersion; baptizing adults who believe and confess that Jesus is Lord of their life (Rom. 3:23-24; Acts 4:12; Rom. 5:1-11; 6:1-11, 23; Eph. 2:8-10).

The Bible

We believe the Bible is God’s love letter revealing his character to humanity. God divinely inspired human authors writing through their own era, culture, and traditions to communicate the values and principles which please Him and which are in our best interests. The Bible is accurate, reliable, and completely trustworthy. We accept the Bible as our timeless authority in all matters of our faith and practice. We do not look upon it as a dead book of rules but as a living narrative that tells us God’s story and, thereby, our story (Mark 12:36; Acts 1:16; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Principalities and Powers

We believe Satan is a real being; the ultimate personification of evil. He was originally an angel created by God, who, before the creation of the human race, rebelled against the Creator and became the chief antagonist of God and man. He and his army of fallen angels (demons), as well as the oppressive systems they perpetuate, continue to work against God’s purposes in the world (2 Cor. 4:3-4; Rev. 12:10; Eph. 2:2; 6:11-12).

The Church

The church is a living organism that Scripture calls the body of Christ; Jesus is the head of the body that carries out his ministry in today’s world. The church is also called the Bride of Christ, the community or gathering, and the fellowship. We believe the Spirit-empowered, Bible-based, Jesus-centered, love-intensive church is the primary vehicle God uses to represent Jesus and reach out to a hurting world. The church is also your community of love, service, fellowship, and friendship (Col. 2:19; Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27).