Outreach
Bring hope to everyone.
Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to Eternal Life. – John 4:14
Our Purpose
Helping everyone find hope in God through knowing Jesus Christ.
Our Plan
Help people become followers of Jesus Christ
Story of Zaccheus in Luke 19:1-10
Sunday Service
Show them they are loved.
Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37-39
Small Groups
Grow in truth together.
“If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32
Serving
See changed lives.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10
Our Personality
AUTHENTICITY
“We’re Under Construction, please excuse our mess while God renovates our lives.”
Everyone is a work in progress and that sometimes means church can be messy. But we are going to be ok with messy in our lives and the lives of those around us because we are not perfect and He is not done yet.
Ephesians 4:2 – Be always humble, gentle and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.
PRAYER
“Pray like you breathe.”
We believe that prayer changes things. We will embrace an attitude of total dependence on God through prayer. Ministry will be dependent and driven by the Holy Spirit through prayer. We believe a constant and consistent attitude of prayer is essential for accomplishing God’s plan for our church. Therefore, we will pray continually and purposely for the will of God to be accomplished in our lives and the life of our church.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
COURAGE
“Courage is a decision, we choose faith over fear.”
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move past it. We will be a church that will do what God has called us to do, and trust Him with the results.
2 Samuel 10:12 – Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to Him.
SERVICE
“Everybody does the dishes” (We’re a family and everyone does their part)
The call to follow Jesus is a call of sacrifice and service. We will aim to be last and not first. We will be focused on the purpose of the church and not our own preferences. We will focus on how we can serve rather than how we can be served.
1 Peter 4:10 – As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
EXCELLENCE
“We always bring our ‘A’ game”
Excellence honors God and inspires people. So we will not settle for average when amazing is available.
Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ.
Statement of Faith
At Echo Lake Church, we believe that unity is essential in the core truths of our faith (Ephesians 4:4–6). In areas where Scripture allows for different perspectives, we extend freedom and grace (Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22). And in all our beliefs, whether great or small, we seek to show love and respect toward one another (1 Corinthians 13:2).
It is true. The writers of the Old and New Testaments were inspired by God as to what to write to communicate His love and plan for us. As we believe that it is from God, it is more than just a book about history or religion. It is our authority on how to know God and we can trust it completely.
There is only one God who is infinitely perfect and more glorious than we can imagine. God created all that we can and cannot see out of nothing. He has always existed and has revealed Himself to us as three distinct and equal persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
The Holy Spirit is God and equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make people aware of their brokenness and their need for Jesus Christ. He lives in every Christian from the moment we believe and confess that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. He provides Christians with power- for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in following God’s leading daily.
When God created the first people, he made them in His image and had a close relationship with them. Through willful disobedience they lost that purity and friendship, and every person since has inherited a disobedient heart and nature. This disobedience, what the Bible calls sin, separates us all from God and keeps us from being the people we were created to be.
Because of our disobedience and sin, there is nothing we can do on our own to earn forgiveness and regain that friendship with God. It is only as we believe in Jesus Christ, look to Him for forgiveness and accept His offer of mercy and grace that we reclaim that relationship and right standing with God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to that point of decision, and it is the Holy Spirit that gives us a new life in Him.
Baptism is an outward symbol of what has happened on the inside. We practice baptism by immersion, which means you are dipped under the water and lifted back up. We believe this symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is your public declaration that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Baptism does not save you, but shows the world that you have already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ.