About Southside Church

Southside Church is part of the American Baptist denomination. The American Baptist tradition emphasizes the Lordship and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, believer’s baptism, direct relationship with God, interpretation of scripture, influence of the Holy Spirit, autonomous congregations, and freedom in worship and opinion. The local church is our fundamental unit of mission in the denomination, meaning the local church determines its own path rather than the larger denomination. Within the Pacific Northwest, we are part of Mission Northwest which is an association of churches located primarily in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah, including one church each in Nevada, California, Arizona and Alaska.

Confessions in the Baptist tradition declare the church’s faith with conviction, joy and freedom. Baptists historically emphasize the right of individuals to interpret the Scripture as led by the Holy Spirit within the context of the community of faith, the priesthood of the believer, and freedom of religion. However, this freedom does not mean there is an absence of agreed upon doctrines that we cherish and believe. In an age in which many forces increasingly threaten to erode orthodox Christian doctrines, it is incumbent on believers to clarify the non-negotiables of their faith.

Our conviction is that salvation is God’s free gift of grace and is received through simple faith in Jesus Christ and repentance of sin. Salvation is not the result of cognitive assent to doctrinal statements. Our church is committed to an outward focus of those who are not yet followers of Christ. While we do not neglect the care of our congregation, outreach to others who are new to or outside of the Church are given a priority.

Our Vision

Is to bring hope to our world by serving the local church, encouraging relationships, providing resources, and pursuing renewal.

Our Mission

Is to make new disciples of Christ and welcome them into a congregation that is healthy, growing, and multiplying through the planting of other congregations with the same mission.

Our Commonly Held Essentials

  • We worship the triune God of the Bible, who is eternally one God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We affirm that the Father is sovereign over all and that God’s grace is uniquely expressed and realized through His incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. We affirm the Lordship of Christ over the world, the church and all human beings. Jesus Christ is the only Savior and Lord, calling us to joyously surrender to His purposes and will. We are called to live by the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit, and proclaim the Good News of Jesus, the Messiah King, and His reconciling grace through His atoning death and resurrection.

  • We believe that the Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments, is the divinely inspired Word of God. As our final authority, it is trustworthy for faith and practice when interpreted responsibly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit within the community of faith. It is the perfect standard for all human conduct and behavior. The essentials necessary for our salvation and the basics of how to conduct our lives are clearly revealed in it. The primary purpose of the Bible is to point to and glorify Jesus Christ, the living King of all, and Lord of the Church.

  • The church, as the Body of Christ, is manifested most visibly in local congregations – communities of faith – which consist of regenerated believers with Christ as their Lord and Savior. Such believers claim a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ, follow the Lord in believer’s baptism, share in the Lord’s Supper, gather regularly for worship and covenant together for witness, mutual edification and care giving. The church is the presence of the living Christ in the world, led, empowered and gifted by the Holy Spirit to continue His mission on earth. Local congregations associate among themselves to experience together the oneness in Christ, and responsibly function as members of one greater body.

  • God’s love in Christ for people motivates His people to love others, to love one another in the faith and to care for God’s creation. Christ’s love compels His followers to live and make decisions in accordance with His design in obedience to His Word and will. The heart of God, reflected in both the Old and New Testaments, is to create a redeemed community that loves and serves Him with all their hearts, minds, and bodies. This conviction is the foundation of our commitment to fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission. We will continue to be a mission people, carrying the Gospel to our nation and the world.

  • We believe God created humankind, male and female, in the divine image. Through Adam’s fall all became sinful, lost and condemned. Each person by deliberate choice participates in sin and is in need of redemption and transformation through Christ’s death and resurrection. description

  • God offers forgiveness of sin and justification through faith in Christ Jesus apart from works. Such redemption is received by human individuals as God’s gift upon 3 repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ enabling us to participate as disciples in Christ’s reign as a present reality and a future hope.

  • Jesus Christ will return visibly at which time He will raise the dead and judge all people. Believers will enjoy eternal fellowship with God as they participate in the fullness of His eternal reign, while unbelievers will suffer eternal separation from God.

Ordinances

  • In our tradition, we observe baptism and communion as ordinances rather than sacraments.

    A sacrament is generally viewed as essential for salvation whereas an ordinance is a symbolic act of obedience and an expression of faith.

  • Baptism, an act of full immersion following Christ’s example, is undertaken by those spiritually mature enough to understand its profound, symbolic significance: resurrection to new life in Christ.

  • Through The Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, the bread and cup that symbolize the broken body and shed blood offered by Christ recall God’s great love for us—just as they did for the disciples on the eve of Christ’s crucifixion.