Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church

Thanks to everyone who helped to make last weekend’s 130^th Anniversary Celebration such a great success. There were so many of you who helped to make that morning so meaningful. We had over a 140 people in attendance and it was a great way to celebrate God’s faithfulness to our community over the years.

I am always amazed when a church is able to celebrate a milestone anniversary. That’s because I know of many vibrant churches that have morphed or changed or no longer exist. It doesn’t mean that the church failed because as Christ followers, we aren’t building “kingdoms” here on earth. We are a part of something bigger, part of God’s Kingdom work that is ever growing, ever expanding and ever changing. Think of all the churches that the Apostle Paul started as you read through the Book of Acts. There aren’t many that are still around but their influence has carried on over these thousands of years. The victory of Christ’s Kingdom isn’t in how a church survives over the millennia. The victory will be seen when heaven and earth are one and God reigns over all. May we at Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church play a tiny role in that ever-expanding Kingdom.

LCPC may not exist in 130 years but the many whose faith in Christ were nurtured here will carry on for generations in places all around the world. Christ’s rule and His Kingdom will not fail and we have and will continue to be a faithful part of that Kingdom expansion.

Let’s be thankful for how God has used this church’s faithful trust in Christ to influence people and expand His Kingdom and may we pray how we will continue to be a part of that Kingdom expansion in the years to come.

Can I get an Amen!

Have a great rest of the week and I will see you on Sunday.

It looks like the weather is going to cooperate as we are set to celebrate the 130^th Anniversary of Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church with a worship service at the old church on Maine Ave. at 10am. We are going to follow the worship service with a pancake breakfast which should make it a fun morning together.

Be sure to come early. There will be horse carriage rides to the olde church from the LCPC parking lot. Also, seating will be at tables as we try and both worship and serve a breakfast in a timely manner.

I know that there will be a number of visitors from the community attending and helping us to celebrate so it would be great if we from LCPC help them feel welcomed. It will take a special effort from all of us to help do this for those that we don’t know.

If you have any questions be sure to call the church or check the church website (https://www.lakesidepc.org) or the Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064680727345).

Have a great rest of the week and I will see you on Sunday.

Last weekend I was able to view the movie Jesus Revolution with my wife Karyn. We both enjoyed it very much as the story was told about the revival that took place amongst young adults through the ministry of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa in the early 1970s.

I need to say that I kept wiping tears away from my eyes throughout the movie as we witnessed the welcome of those who were considered “outsiders” into the church. One of my favorite scenes was when Chuck Smith (played by Kelsey Grammar, yes that Kelsey Grammar from Cheers) washed the dirty feet of the hippies that were coming to the church.

It was a good reminder that we need to be a people that welcomes the “outsider.” People don’t have to look or act a certain way to be welcomed by us:

Welcoming others (in Jesus’ name) is a mark of the Christian. We as Christ-followers need to be known for this. We can’t make excuses. It may not be comfortable, or it may not be easy, but we welcome, and as we welcome, we pray, and we let Jesus through the Holy Spirit, lead to the next step. The good thing is that God is in the middle of this, it isn’t only up to us. We just have to be willing to welcome.

Have a great rest of the week.