We envision East Side Baptist Church as a place where people are so moved by the authenticity of the relationships they experience that they will be drawn to Jesus. (Jesus said) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:25 Relational ministry will affect our entire philosophy of ministry and structure as a church. We will strive as the family of Christ to always put people before programs and simplicity before complexity. We also envision the day when small community groups are a core aspect of the way East Side lives out the meaning of community.

We envision East Side effectively connecting with multiple generations in such a way that we creatively and innovatively reach emerging generations while still transforming older generations. (Jesus said) "Let the little children (emerging generations) come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matt 19:14 (emphasis mine) We envision the day when East Side effectively reaches younger generations with the Gospel. While our theology (namely the Gospel – that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life) will not change, our methodologies for communicating and furthering it will. This will affect the style of our services and music, the communication style of our pastor, and the priorities of our ministries. Somewhere between 85-90% of U.S. churches are in a state of decline because they are failing to communicate the gospel in a culturally relevant way. We will do whatever it takes not to fall into that statistic.

We envision East Side experiencing spiritual growth characterized by passion and devotion. (Paul said) “…prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12-13 We envision the day when East Side has a time tested and effective strategy for leading people from unbelief to maturity in the faith. Our goal is not just to “save” people; our goal is to disciple fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This means that we will lead people from “the community” to “the core of the church” and then back out into “the community.”

We envision East Side experiencing a large number of people coming to faith in Christ as a result of our teaching, worship, and outreach ministries. (Luke tells us) “…And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47 The early church experienced rapid growth and expansion because they were committed to the cause. We also envision the day when East Side is seeing many people step over the line of faith and believe in Christ. In addition, we envision the day when we are in a larger and more modern facility that will enable us to effectively minister to a large number of people coming to faith to Jesus.

(Jesus said) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:36 Our highest priority should be to love God. A Christian demonstrates his or her love for Jesus by practicing the presence of God. The Bible promises us that once we make a decision to trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us and seals us for eternity. That means that we no longer have to go to a “temple” to experience God’s presence and worship Him. Our bodies have become the temple of God. This means that you can literally worship God wherever you are; by working with integrity at your job, by speaking with love to your friends, by ministering to other members of God’s family, etc. However, the Bible also tells us not to neglect meeting together corporately for worship and ministry.

(Jesus also said) “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37 A second priority for our church is caring about people. A brief study of Jesus’ ministry shows that He cared deeply for people. He gave them truth and met their needs as He loved them. The most practical ways to care about people include sharing our time, our talents, and our treasures. As we give of ourselves and our resources the family of God is encouraged and strengthened.

(Jesus tells us) “Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus’ charge to all believers was to share His Good News as they spread out into all the world. In order for us to share the Good News we should first be good news. As we build relationships with friends and community members, we believe that God will provide natural opportunities for sharing the Gospel.