ABOUT
Gilley Law Baptist Church was founded in 1971 by Enon Baptist Church whose Minister Rev. Don Bridge heard that there was a desire for a church on this new estate. Originally there was a prayer meeting and Bible Study in the basement of Amalfi Tower started by George and Ethel Towers who lived in the maisonettes and had recently returned from Nigeria where they had been missionaries.
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A decision was made by Enon to build a church on the estate and people were asked to collect money in ‘Smartie’ tubes to help finance the building. Within eighteen months the building was paid for. The first service held was a Christmas carol service before the roof was erected with snowflakes falling into the building.
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Gilley Law Baptist Church began with Sunday evening services and Sunday School in the afternoons. We still shared Don Bridge as our Minister with Enon but in 1981 we appointed our first Minister Rev Bill Smith and in 1986 we became a fully independent Baptist Church.
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We changed our name to Lakeside Baptist Church when Gilley Law estate became known as Lakeside Village.
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Over the years the Church has been open we have been able to reach out to the Community mainly through Parent and Toddler Groups and coffee mornings both in the church and in the towers.
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We look forward to the Church reaching more of the community in the future under the leadership of our Minister Peter Wallace.
HISTORY
Lakeside Baptist Church is a spiritual family based in Sunderland which aims to help each other to
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know Jesus,
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grow in Jesus and
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show Jesus.
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WHAT WE
ARE ABOUT
We aim to know, grow and show, but what are the principles and ideas that drive us towards those aims:
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BIBLE BASED: We believe that the Bible is more than just an old dusty book written thousands of years ago. It is the word of God, written through human authors, to reveal to us who God is and how we can know Him. It is true and reliable, and therefore the basis of what we believe.
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GOSPEL FOCUSED: It is easy to think of the Gospel as only the message we hear when we become Christian. Once a Christian, we then move onto other spiritual truths. At Lakeside, we believe the Gospel is so much more than that. It is not just the A B C of the Christian life, it is the A to Z. We believe that our whole lives should be orientated around the life-transforming message of God's grace and forgiveness.
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MISSIONALLY ORIENTATED: As a spiritual family we love and care for each other, but we also believe it important to be outward-looking as well, to have a missional heart. This means that we want others to know and experience the love of God. To do this we recognize the importance of not just talking about God's love but also showing God's love.
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DISCIPLE MAKING: Christianity is not about a one-off decision we made when we were younger to be a Christian. It is the life long pursuit of learning from Christ on how to be like Christ. It is about following Him and being his disciples.
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HOLY SPIRIT RELIANT: We could have the best ministries ever, the most dynamic preaching and just do church awesomely well. However, if we do it in our own strength it is pointless. We recognise that it isn't about us and what we want to do. It is about partaking in what God is doing and allowing Him to work through us. Everything we do, we seek to do in reliance on God and empowered by His Spirit.
OUR VALUES
Here is a brief doctrinal statement of what we believe:
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THE TRINITY
God is revealed in the three Persons of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They are co-equal, co-existent and co-eternal. All three Persons are active in creation, redemption and conversion and in the revelation of the last days.
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Trinity. He was born of a virgin and while remaining fully God was also in every way a true and full human being.
Jesus Christ died on the Cross taking the punishment for our sins. His death is a once and for all sacrifice for all our sins. It is the only means of our salvation, setting us totally free from the guilt and penalty of sin and ultimately from the power of sin.
Jesus Christ was buried and on the third day He rose bodily from the grave. He ascended to the Father in Heaven, where He is now preparing a place for believers and interceding on our behalf.
Jesus Christ has promised to return again, and His coming again will be a visible bodily return, demonstrating His power and glory as King and Judge. He is the full and final revelation of God as declared in the Bible.
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HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. He indwells believers. He equips us to serve God by the use of spiritual gifts and fruit, which produce a Christ-like life.
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THE BIBLE
The whole Bible, as originally written, was inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is the final authority in all matters of belief and behaviour.
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HEAVEN AND HELL
The Bible clearly teaches that there is both a heaven and a hell. There is eternal peace for us as believers and eternal punishment for the lost.
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SALVATION
Salvation comes from God alone. God always takes the initiative and salvation can only be received through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and repentance for our sin.
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THE CHURCH
All believers form the universal Church of which Jesus Christ is the Head.
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THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS
Each of us as believers has access to the Father, through Jesus Christ His Son. All of us, as believers are called and equipped by God to minister in His Church.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Peter Wallace
Minister
Mike Cross
Elder & Secretary
