We are here because of the good news of Jesus Christ.
We are sinners who have been rescued from sin by Jesus Christ. Though we have different backgrounds, ethnicities, opinions, and personalities, we find commonality in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We gather each week to worship the one true God revealed in the Bible. We're grateful for the privilege He has given us to worship, live, and serve in our local community.
We rely on God's grace to give us true unity to function together as one body in Jesus Christ, submitted to the Word of God and committed to living that Word out in our daily lives.
Who We Are
We are an oasis on Beach Boulevard for all people. We are inviting all to know Christ and to make Him known.
Our Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission
Our mission defines our purpose, and that is to "go and make disciples" (Mt 28:18). Our mission statement states this as: "Inviting all to know Christ and to make Him known." "Inviting all" is reaching the lost, "to know Christ "is teaching the saved, and "to make Him known" is launching men and women into a life of making disciples. Our goal then is to turn unbelievers into believers and believers into disciplemakers.
Vision
Our vision defines "where" God is ultimately leading us, and what our future will look like if we faithfully execute our mission. Our vision is to be "an Oasis on Beach Boulevard for all people, a multi-cultural ministry."
Values
Our values are shared convictions that guide our actions. They define "why" we do what we do, and guide our daily decision-making.
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Gospel of Christ’s Kingdom—Grace and Truth Defined - God has communicated the truth of the Gospel of His Kingdom to the world through His perfect Word. It is therefore our value to submit to His Word and to speak, live, defend and share His truth, being examples of the Grace and Truth of Christ in all facets of this life. (John 1:17, 14:6; Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Tim. 3:14-15; 2 Tim. 2:14-17, 3:16-4:2; Titus 2:1, 15; Hebrews 4:12; James 4:7; 1 Peter 1:22-25, 3:15-16)
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Dependent Prayer—Grace and Truth Communed - God has told us that apart from Him we can do nothing. It is therefore our value to actively, intentionally and humbly depend on Him in all circumstances through fervent and frequent prayer both corporately and individually. (Psalm 63, 127; John 15:1-5; Romans 8:26; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
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Redemptive Community—Grace and Truth Experienced - God has called us to live and serve as one Body in Christ, the church. It is therefore our value to live and serve in a unified, loving community with other followers of Christ and to actively engage the greater community around us. Redemptive community is marked by genuine love, honest relationships, willing self-sacrifice, authentic caring, warm hospitality, Christ-centered fellowship, and compassionate outreach. (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-27; Ephesians 4:1-6; Revelation 5:9)
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Purposeful Equipping—Grace and Truth Learned - God has supplied faith-producing truth and spiritual gifts to His people to equip them for service. It is therefore our value to join in God’s work by intentionally helping the believers in our body use their spiritual gifts and strengthen their faith for the work of the Kingdom. (Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
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Faithful Shepherding—Grace and Truth Nurtured - God has called leaders in His church to faithfully shepherd the flock entrusted to them. It is therefore our value to encourage and embody leadership that joyfully serves, humbly leads, graciously guides, patiently grows, boldly protects and lovingly corrects the flock. Likewise, we will intentionally focus on the multiplication of faithful shepherds for the church’s long term health. (Proverbs 11:14; Luke 22:26, 27; John 10:11-16; Hebrews 13:17, 18; 1 Peter 5:1-5; 2 Tim 2:15; Titus 1:6-9)
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Strategic Missions—Grace and Truth Shared - God has commissioned us to be ambassadors to make disciples by the proclamation of the Gospel of His Kingdom. It is therefore our value to obey His Great Commission both locally and globally, by strategically sending, supporting and sustaining each member for the spread of the Gospel. (Isaiah 45:4-6; Matthew 5:13-16, 24:14, 28:18-20; John 17:18; Acts 1:6-8; Romans 10:13-15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
What to Expect
Walking into a church for the first time can be intimidating, so we want to help you know what to expect when you visit.
We promise not to embarrass you or point you out. If you wish you can fill out a connection card and we’ll follow up with you later. You can come knowing you are in the midst of a group of broken people, who all need God’s grace.
What to Wear
We have a diversity of people attend our services and are thankful for a congregation with a variety of dress. You'll find anything from very casual jeans and t-shirts to polos and slacks to suits. We encourage you to come as you are.
Christian Education
On Sunday mornings in certain seasons of ministry, we come together for Sunday School for all ages, where we learn topically about God’s Word and its application to all areas of life. Following Sunday School, we have about a 20-minute break with light refreshments and good conversation before our morning worship service begins at 9:30 am.
*Note: We do not have Christian Education classes for Fall 2022.
Sermon
Preaching is generally expositional, meaning that it seeks to systematically work through passages of Scripture, declaring the point of a particular Biblical passage, with practical application rooted in the redemptive story of Scripture. Our sermon series regularly alternate between the Old and New Testaments. All preaching is driven by the Gospel, the Bible’s main message of God saving sinners through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Children
We count it a privilege to care for your child while you enjoy worship, fellowship, and classes with us. We provide nursery for children up to age 5 for the entire worship service and dismiss children in kindergarten - 5th grade right before the sermon for a time of Bible teaching and fellowship. Some children choose to remain in the service the entire time, and we welcome their presence. Note: On the 5th Sundays of the month kindergarten-5th grade will remain in the service.
Service Format
Our service is intentional, in that it follows a deliberate order of worship, but it’s not formal in style. We sing several songs, offer congregational and pastoral prayers to God, hear Scripture read, and give our offerings and tithes. We close each morning worship service with a benediction, with the typical service finishing around 11:00 a.m. An hour later, you might still find folks talking over the sermon and events of the past week.
Music
We sing a blend of lyrically rich songs both recent and historic. Those of us who are comfortable with music from one particular era have discovered that we come to enjoy other songs we had not previously encountered.
We strongly prefer congregational singing, which emphasizes the gathered body enthusiastically singing praise to God with one voice. Some Sundays we sing with piano, guitar, and drums, and others we sing with just piano accompaniment.
Meet the Team
David Kaywood
Lead Pastor
David is a double major B.S. Business Management and Marketing graduate from Northwest Missouri State University, and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary, where he was awarded the Strategic Church Development Award, the Founders Scholar Church Leadership Award, and graduated with honors. He is the author of A Call to Contentment: Pursuing Godly Satisfaction in a Restless World (Christian Focus, 2024). He writes regularly on his personal blog, and is a contributor to the Gospel Coalition (TGC). He is ordained in the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). A native of St. Louis, Missouri, David lives in Jacksonville with his wife and two children.
Chris Bullington
Pastor of Youth & Families
Chris serves as our Pastor to Youth and Families. Before joining our staff in 2020, Chris served as a leader in the Youth Ministry and as a member of our Elder Team. He received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior at a tent revival in Quincy, Florida at the age of 10. As a teenager and young man, Chris walked away from the Lord and experienced a season of waywardness and drug abuse. But the Lord showed His loving-kindness to Chris and brought him back to Himself, and now Chris ministers to others out of the abundant grace that Christ has shown to him. Chris has a heart for the next generation of God’s people, as evidenced by his passion to serve in the Youth Ministry, as well as his commitment to help the families of our church and our community grow in their relationship with the Lord Jesus and with each other. Before coming to Eastside, Chris served as a Youth Pastor and a Senior Pastor in other ministries in the Jacksonville area. A lifelong Floridian, he is married to Bonnie and they have 2 adult daughters and several grandchildren.
Paul Emerson
Director of Music
Paul Emerson is our Director of Music. He has a passion for discipleship and seeing people come to know and worship Jesus in spirit and in truth. He grew up in Austin, TX (the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World) and has been leading worship through music with his wife Charis for more than 20 years. Paul and Charis have two amazing teenage children. Paul enjoys writing and listening to music as well as spending time with his family on the beach.
Emily Patel
Children's Ministry Coordinator
Emily is the Children’s Ministry Coordinator. She is passionate about building relationships with children and their families. Emily holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from the University of North Florida and completed her undergraduate work at the University of Central Florida. She has worked in the health care industry for 15 years. Emily is married to Ryan and they have 2 children. Emily is an active member of the school-parent association at her sons’ school and The UCF Alumni Association. She enjoys reading and gardening in her free time.
Martha Mazza
Director of Women's Ministry
Martha Mazza is the Women’s Ministry Coordinator at Eastside. She works on a volunteer basis, leading the women of our church to spiritually and relationally engage with one other. This is done through women’s Bible studies, retreats, conferences, one on one discipleship. Along with her husband, she is the co-founder of POG Cinema Advertising, and author of Psalms of Nature: Reflections of a Spiritual Journey. She loves photography and you can view her work on Instagram at @MarthaMazza.
What We Believe
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions.
The following Statement of Faith was adopted by the EFCA Conference on June 26, voted on and approved by ECC members in June 2019.
God
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
The Human Condition
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
The Work of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
The Church
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Christ's Return
We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission.
The Bible
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel’s promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
Christian Living
We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Response & Destiny
We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
A Brief History of Eastside
In 1997, a handful of families began praying about starting a church marked by clear and substantive teaching of God’s Word. The group formed a relationship with the Southeastern District Superintendent of the Evangelical Free Church, Walter Eriksen. In October of 1998, the core group called its first pastor.
We became Eastside Community Church, and held our first service on October 11, 1998, with five families present. We purchased our current property in April 2001, and moved into our current building in April 2004, with over 100 active families.
In June 2016, Tim Lusk accepted a formal call to become Eastside Community Church's Senior Pastor, after serving in an interim role. Over the years, Eastside has been marked by sound Bible teaching, devotion to Christ, making disciples, and the multiplication of churches. We prioritize making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ and seek to be an oasis on Beach Blvd. for all people. All of the spiritual fruit we have experienced is the result of the Lord’s grace, for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.
We praise God for His abundant graciousness, as Eastside has been blessed with generous people, and we enjoy the blessings of serving and ministering to people worldwide while having our property and facilities debt-free today.
We invite you to come and be a part of what God is doing in and through Eastside Community Church.