Placing you on the path of Jesus Christ
Our Church Community
In today's world, a multitude of faiths and religions exist which compete for devotees. Many of these are considered Christian while others are not. We have prepared this section of our website to provide you a brief overview of the Shadyside Church of Christ so that you might have some understanding of who we are and what our mission is.
We are privileged to wear the name Christian as we belong to and serve the risen Christ. Even as we invite examination of ourselves and discussion of what is written herein, we acknowledge that we fall short in all that God wants us to be. But we hope that in us you see at least a glimmer of the glory that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Our God
We serve the true and living God, the Maker of heaven and earth. He is the God revealed in both creation and the Bible. The Scriptures identify God by many names ultimately showing Him to be three persons in one - the Father, the Word and Holy Spirit. The Word of God became flesh, the Son of God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
He lived a life without sin and offered Himself on His cross as a blood sacrifice for the salvation of all people. He was raised from the dead, and God exalted Him to be both Lord and Christ. He ever lives as High Priest to make intercession for all those who have faith in Him.
The Bible
Our Guidebook
We hold that the Bible is the true word of God and our sole authority in things spiritual and moral. We believe that it is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is a living word which convicts us of sin, teaches us of God's love, and directs us in the paths of righteous living.
We do not accept any word or writings of any person or group of people to supercede it nor stand on equal footing with it in any sense. The Bible alone is God's Word, and only in it can we find the truth which makes us free.
Our Salvation
Our salvation is only made possible by the grace of God, who because of His great love for mankind, sent His son to be the acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Thus, Jesus willingly endured death on the cross, was buried and was resurrected the third day having conquered sin in the flesh and defeated the devil. This is the centerpiece of the gospel. In Jesus, God now offers eternal life to all people, and anyone can receive this gift by believing and obeying the gospel.
Faith in Jesus and His sacrificial death comes through hearing the word. That faith is then confessed, and repentance follows when the decision is made to live for Jesus. The individual is then baptized into Christ by being immersed in water signifying the person's death, their burial with Christ and resurrection as a new creation. In baptism the individual is forgiven of sins and is clothed with Jesus receiving His righteousness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Our Worship
Genuine worship begins in the heart from which we praise our Maker and Savior, thank Him for His gracious blessings and rejoice in Him because of His precious promises made to us. Often this adoration of God and fellowship with Him occurs in a private setting by prayer, song, reflection, reading and studying His Word, etc.
However, on the first day of the week, we assemble as a body to remember our Savior Jesus through partaking of the Lord's Supper. Prayers are offered, praise and thanksgiving are raised in song, our financial gifts are given to help spread the gospel and assist those in need, and the Word of God is proclaimed.
Our Congregation
Your Church in Shadyside
Although we are part of a brotherhood, no overseeing body nor other church has any part in directing the congregation. Leadership is provided by the brothers who are appointed to serve as elders and deacons when qualified. A minister serves to do most of the public teaching while knowledgeable brothers and sisters teach the Word in various group and private settings.
Our Mission
We seek to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent and to glorify God through lives that are continually being transformed into the image of His Son Jesus.
Our Hope
Jesus Christ is our only hope. Through His work of salvation on the cross and His continued intercession for us, we have an assured hope to avoid the wrath of God against sin on the Day of Judgement and to be taken home to eternal glory when Jesus returns at the end of time. Having this sure hope and knowing that Jesus has promised to be with us through the many ups and downs of life's journey, we can be at peace and give our lives in joyful service to God and fellow man.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Don Kent
Deacon
The word "Deacon" simply means "a servant." Don was appointed as a Deacon in September 2014. Don is responsible for helping the elders in our benevolence program. Additionally, he will be coordinating a "visiting" program as we help with needs both within the congregation and within the community. From time to time he will also help in planning special worship assemblies.
Rick Zumpano
Deacon
Rick was appointed as a Deacon in 2014. He teaches our Sunday morning teen class. He handles and assigns the worship schedule every Sunday. He also oversees equipment, designs and maintains our website, shoots and edits the Church's videos, live streams and podcasts. Rick also posts and updates our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Jeff Kent
Minister
Jeff serves as minister for the congregation and, as such, provides the teaching of the word of God in various venues including public assemblies, congregation Bible classes, personal Bible studies, prison ministry, et al. He oversees the monthly scheduling of church activities and ministries with a view toward spiritual maturing and gospel outreach. Additionally, Jeff serves as liaison for the congregation’s minister in Dnipro, Ukraine. Also, be sure to check out Jeff's blog every week!