Parkside Church Lake County
The Vision: To break open a gospel movement in the Lake County region so that ordinary people are radically changed into committed followers of Jesus Christ.
The Mission: To establish a gospel centered church filled with new converts and maturing believers in the Lake County region by late summer 2012.
This church plant thing has got to be a “go and tell” type operation if it is going to survive. Since we have nothing to show people so that they might “come and see” we have to be on mission telling people about Christ.
This might sound intimidating at first but I don’t want it to at all. In fact, everybody has a chance to be a “goer and teller”. It comes down to where a person is. I had a conversation recently with a guy who coaches girls soccer. He mentioned that the ratio of unbelieving families to himself was 16:1. We both agreed that this was a great opportunity. He performs a service the parents are not really willing to do. He gains instant credibility with 16 unbelieving families. The more competent he is in coaching the better the witness. The going part is already there. The telling comes prayerfully and in God’s time. The part that gets both pastor and lay person excited is the vision for the gospel impacting in a place where the person already IS. They don’t quit what they are doing to “join the church plant.” They keep doing what they are doing and build the plant by bringing their vision of what God is doing on that girls soccer team. The same is true with the lady who works at the federal reserve. She prays for her co-workers and elderly neighbor down the hall. The co-worker and neighbor may never “darken the door”(whatever that means) but she is a light in dark place. She brings the excitement of answered prayer in conversation to the church. She matters!
The church is an agent for good or redemptive presence in the community. There are 2 hospitals in the Lake county region (3 if you include Hillcrest which is just a bit south). People in the church will go there most likely when they get sick or have a baby . But they should also go there when they are well so that they might be spiritual balm for those who desperately need healing. There are schools in the area. People with children can get involved to strengthen the school while at the same time building relationships with people who are in need. As we do that we open a door to address their greatest need: Christ. Demonstrating that we care about levy’s, PTA, school activities shows the community that we are not there to yell at them but rather to serve them. Some might wonder, I don’t have time to volunteer or coach or be in PTA, then what? These are just examples. If you stay at home you have neighbors. If you are retired you have some extra time. If you are a doctor you have patients that need your prayers. Your most effective ministry will likely not be on Sunday but the other 6 days of the week. Most importantly it will be in your home with your family.
