A Family of Believers on Spillway Road
Lakeside Presbyterian Church meets at 2070 Spillway Road in Brandon, Mississippi, near the Ross Barnett Reservoir. The congregation calls itself "Gospel-Driven, Mission-Centered, Family of Believers," and that trio of commitments shapes everything from the printed Sunday bulletin to the building campaign now underway. As a member congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Lakeside worships in two styles on a single Sunday morning, runs a long-standing preschool that has shaped thousands of local children, and sends members abroad as well as across Rankin County. Visitors are welcome to walk in any Sunday and find a parking space, a nursery for the smallest, and a chair waiting in the sanctuary.
Two Services, One Sunday
Lakeside holds its Traditional Service at 8:45 a.m. and its Contemporary Service at 11:00 a.m., with Sunday School for every age meeting at 10:00 a.m. between them. The Traditional Service follows a printed Order of Worship that includes congregational hymns, the Apostles' Creed, the Gloria Patri, the Lord's Prayer, a choral anthem, and a sermon. A recent order of worship opened with a Telemann prelude and closed with an arranged spiritual, with the choir singing "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name" by Tom Fettke as the anthem and the congregation joining in "We Are God's People," "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," and "He Hideth My Soul." The 11:00 gathering is led by a praise team and leans contemporary.
The main parking lot sits in front of the sanctuary and is reached through the second entrance coming from the Spillway. Personal Audio Receivers for the hearing-impaired are available upon request, and worshipers are asked to stand for designated portions of the service.
Children are welcomed from infancy. Newborns and their parents can use a private cry room off the lobby with rocking chairs, changing tables, and a speaker carrying the sermon. Children ages 0 to 3 attend nursery classes in the Preschool Building. Children in kindergarten and younger are dismissed before the sermon at both morning services for an age-appropriate lesson and playtime in Children's Church. Children in first grade and older remain in the service and can pick up a Kidz Bulletin with activities tied to the sermon.
Children from Nursery through Fifth Grade
Children sit at the heart of Lakeside's ministry. Around ninety children regularly attend the nursery or children's ministry events each week, and the church trains volunteers to shepherd them in classes, on Wednesday nights, and at seasonal events.
Sunday School begins at 10:00 a.m. and walks children through The Gospel Project, a chronological three-year plan through the Bible. Classes meet by age in the Preschool Building: nursery and toddlers in rooms 101 and 102; 3-year-olds in room 106; 4-year-olds in room 107; kindergarteners in room 109; first and second graders in room 108; third through fifth grade boys in room 110; and third through fifth grade girls in room 111. The Gospel Project allows families to study the same scripture text each week at age-appropriate levels.
On Wednesday evenings during the school year, Lakeside Kidz meets to review the Gospel Project lesson of the week with activities and crafts. Foundations, a catechism and scripture-memory program for K4 through fifth graders, meets on Sunday nights from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a heavy snack provided. Parent's Night Out is held one Friday a month: children from birth through fifth grade are dropped off at 6:00 p.m. for dinner, playtime, and a movie that begins at 8:30 p.m., with pickup at 10:00 p.m. Each summer, Vacation Bible School fills the campus with games, crafts, and Bible teaching for rising kindergartners through rising fifth graders.
Middle School and High School
Lakeside's youth ministry gathers students in sixth through twelfth grade in the upstairs Youth Area of the Education Building. Sunday Night Youth runs from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and is the youth ministry's large-group gathering, with separate lessons for middle school and high school, small groups afterward, fellowship, games, and worship led by the youth praise band. Wednesday Night Youth meets from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for games and a Bible study, giving students a break from the school week.
The Youth Band is open to seventh through twelfth graders who play an instrument or sing. Each June, EPiC draws Lakeside students to a week of worship, spiritual growth, and fellowship in Biloxi, Mississippi. Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. is divided by age group and addresses the three areas of Lakeside's mission: worship, connect, and serve.
Wednesday Nights in the Fellowship Center
Wednesday is the busiest night at Lakeside. Family Night Supper begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Center, with meals priced at $3 for children, $5 for adults, and a $15 family maximum. After supper, children and youth move to their age-appropriate programs, while adults gather at 6:15 p.m. for a Bible study led by the pastors, elders, and deacons that walks through topics tied to a Christian worldview and the Bible.
The current Fellowship Center is bursting at the seams on Wednesday nights. To address that, the church is in the middle of a Building Fellowship campaign, inviting members to give over and above their regular tithes through 36-month pledges or one-time gifts to fund a new center that will allow the Lakeside family to keep growing. Twice a year the church gathers for lunches such as Spring Fling and Fall Fest, with activities for children and adults alike.
Gospel-Driven and Reformed: What Lakeside Believes
Lakeside is a member congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and embraces the doctrinal standards of historic, confessional Reformed Christianity. The church sincerely receives and adopts the Westminster Standards as the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures, and it summarizes the Reformation through the Five Solas: salvation by Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.
"Presbyterian" at Lakeside describes a form of government led by biblically qualified elders rather than bishops in a hierarchy or a congregational democracy, and a connectional fellowship of churches accountable to one another. "Reformed" points to the church's roots in John Calvin and the Reformation, its commitment to the absolute sovereignty of God, and its reading of the Five Solas. "Evangelical" marks the priority of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and supporting church planting and world missions. "Missional" means the local church itself is the starting point for God's mission of reconciling the world to Himself in Christ.
The Bible, Lakeside teaches, is fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and is the supreme infallible authority that orders doctrine and mission. The church holds to the essentials of the Christian faith in unity, allows liberty on non-essentials, and seeks charity in all things.
Ruled by Elders, Served by Deacons
Lakeside is governed by a Session of elders and served by a Diaconate of deacons. The two pastors, Senior Pastor Rev. Tyson Taylor and Associate Pastor Rev. Jim Blaha, serve as the Teaching Elders. Twelve Ruling Elders share oversight: Mark Barnthouse, Paul Fryant, Rob Fryant, Bill Heimer, Johnny Mardis, Jay McDaniel, Greg Molen, James Pullen, Trey Rein, James Shaw, Jager Smith, and Mark Stucky. Each is elected by the congregation.
The Diaconate is made up of Nathan Byrd, Lee Davis, Shane Hathcock, Thomas Hendrix, Kendall Jackson, Keith King, Mike Kirby, Collin Kozielski, Phil Landers, Chaz McClain, Sutton McRae, Daniel Mortimer, Gary Nalley, Allen Nash, Jackson Pullen, Rik Tice, Charlie Westmoreland, and Austin Williams. Deacons care for the physical campus, the material blessings of the ministry, and the benevolence outreach of the congregation.
Staff who lead ministry areas include Gavin Clark as Family Ministries Director, Abby Porter as Interim Worship Director and contact for the contemporary praise team, Tammy Jones and Anna Fryant as Co-Directors of Children's Ministries, Marilyn Julian as Interim Traditional Worship Director and Organist, and Sarah Waters as Pianist. Amy Cardenal directs Lakeside Preschool with Leora Callaway as Assistant to the Director. Ellie Craven leads the Chancel Choir, and Sam Oh leads the Youth Band.
Lakeside Preschool: Thirty-Five Years and Counting
Lakeside Preschool began more than thirty-five years ago as a small ministry to teach the Word of God to young children in a loving atmosphere. The program has grown, but its mission has not changed. Lakeside believes that God created each child to learn best through play, and the preschool blends hands-on activities such as building, singing, dancing, praying, swinging, sliding, writing, sculpting, drawing, cutting, problem-solving, and teamwork with daily teaching about God's Word.
Classes meet on the church campus, with all classes running from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Toddler Mom's Morning Out is for children who turn one by September 1 and meets either Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday and Thursday. Two-Year-Old Preschool meets Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday or Monday through Friday. Three-Year-Old Preschool meets Monday through Friday or Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and children must be potty trained. Four-Year-Old Preschool meets Monday through Friday. Lunch Bunch extends the day to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for an additional $8 per stay, and TotBall is offered for three- and four-year-olds.
Amy Cardenal is Preschool Director and Leora Callaway is Assistant to the Director. The preschool office can be reached at 601-992-1629, Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Lakeside Strings
For students who want to learn an instrument, Lakeside Strings offers violin, viola, and cello instruction to students in K4 through eighth grade. The year-long program meets on Wednesday afternoons at the church, with weekly one-hour group lessons and multiple performances throughout the year. Tuition is $80 per month with a one-time $50 supply fee, and instruments are available for rent or purchase. The program is led by Temperance Babcock, an award-winning violinist who has performed with Charley Pride, Casting Crowns, Mac McAnally, and members of Kentucky Thunder, and by Marilyn Julian, Lakeside's organist and interim Chancel Choir Director.
Men, Women, and Primetimers
Lakeside's men's ministry gathers in three rhythms. A weekly Scripture Study meets Monday mornings from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Center. A Monday Night Bible Study meets at 6:00 p.m. in the Hangar, going through books of the Bible. A Men's Prayer Breakfast convenes on the third Saturday of every month at 8:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Center, with no registration required.
Women's ministries are organized through a Women's Council that coordinates the work of three Women's Circles, each supporting its own local ministry and meeting monthly for fellowship and Bible study: Circle I on the second Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the Library, Circle II on the second Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Center, and Circle III on the second Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the Library. A Monday Night Women's Book Study meets at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Center, and a Thursday Morning Women's Bible Study meets at 9:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Center. Twice a year the women host dinners for the whole church.
Primetimers is the senior adult ministry. Throughout the year, Lakeside's seniors eat, study, roam, and play together, with a day trip early in any given month and other events listed on the church calendar.
Music, Tech, and the Flower Ministry
Music at Lakeside is led by three groups. The Chancel Choir prepares music for the Traditional Service at Wednesday evening rehearsals and welcomes any who would like to sing. The Praise Team leads the Contemporary Service with vocal, instrumental, and technical gifts in sound, lighting, and video. The Youth Band leads worship for Sunday Night Youth and is open to students in seventh through twelfth grade.
The Tech Team serves across the church, covering worship technology, security and door systems, building systems, network and computers, photography, writing and editing, gaming, and youth tech, and welcomes volunteers with a wide range of backgrounds, including those just learning. The Flower Ministry provides arrangements for the sanctuary and events, with volunteers who create arrangements and sponsors who may provide their own flowers or pay $75 for the ministry to arrange them.
From Brandon to Belize
Lakeside's mission-centered identity shows up in partnerships across Rankin County and abroad.
Mercy Medical Clinic convenes on the second Tuesday of every month from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Center. Doctors and nurses see uninsured Rankin County adults, ages 21 and older, who are residents of the county without access to any form of health care coverage, for general practice medical needs. A spiritual counseling session precedes each visit, and a $5 donation is requested but never required. The clinic does not see children or pregnant women and is not for emergencies.
Every other month, Lakeside partners with Shower Power to provide a meal to those experiencing homelessness in downtown Jackson. Volunteers sign up to cook the night before, prep meals, or serve on location.
Operation Christmas Child has been part of Lakeside for years, collecting shoeboxes each November to share the Gospel with children around the world through Samaritan's Purse. The church reaches out to other churches, schools, and organizations in the Reservoir area to grow community participation.
Lakeside partners with Delta Streets Academy, an all-male private Christian school in Greenwood, Mississippi, that provides a Christian education for at-risk junior and senior high school students from low-income backgrounds. The school is fully funded by donations and helps young men complete their high school diplomas.
In 2016, Lakeside made a ten-year commitment to invest in Belize and sends an annual mission trip to the country. Long-term partners include the Child Development Foundation, working to rescue women from sex trafficking; Samuel's Sanctuary, a boarding home and dairy farm that mentors young Belizean men toward vocational and spiritual maturity; and Hattieville Baptist Church, which serves the children of a small village with school supplies.
Closer to home, Manna Ministries provides meals to church families experiencing loss, brief illness, recovery from surgery, or the arrival of a new baby. Beasts of Burden is a volunteer group that helps with maintenance around the church, including painting fences, fixing mailboxes, cleaning up grounds, and assisting with community events. The Friday Work Crew gathers every Friday from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. to tackle projects around the campus.
Joining Lakeside
Anyone interested in becoming a member is invited to Lakeside 101, the church's membership class that covers what Lakeside is about and how to join. The next class dates are announced as they approach. Throughout the year, members sign up through Sign Up Central and the weekly email to serve in the nursery, teach Children's Church, prepare a meal for Foundations, volunteer with the youth, help at the Annual Rummage Sale in November, or assist with Vacation Bible School. Online giving is available through Pushpay, prayer requests can be submitted through Breeze, and services are livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person.