Resources

At Lakeside, our vision is to effectively equip disciples. This is in obedience to Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20). Disciples are people who have decided that Jesus is someone who is worth following and who are learning from Him how to live their everyday ordinary lives as He would live them. Our approach to equipping people is to do this in community and in ways that are participatory and recognize that there is no “one size fits all” approach to spiritual growth. Whether you have been a Christian for decades or you just want to explore what faith in Christ is about, there is a class for you. Course offerings are subject to availability of facilitators and interested participants. Please contact the Lakeside office for more info, 250-832-9142

Following Jesus

This series of studies is designed for those new and growing Jesus-followers who have a desire to discover more about the foundations of the Christian life. Through the series of five study topics – Christian Foundations, Christian Growth, Our Faith Community, God’s Mission, and Spiritual Gifts, participants will explore basic teachings and practices of the Christian faith.

Our desire is to encourage people on their journey to become more and more like Jesus Christ. This journey is about believing the good news story of Jesus; it is about belonging to the Body of Jesus – the Church; it is about becoming more and more conformed to Jesus’ lifestyle in our values and behaviours.

Session descriptions

The series of modules are 5 sessions each. Normally each discussion will involve about 1.5 hours

Study Topic One: Exploring Christian Foundations
In this introductory module, we will explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus – a Christian. We will look at basic ideas of what a Christian believes and what it means for our life priorities. We will discuss two of the basic habits of Christian living, listening to God and talking to God. (5 sessions)
Study Topic Two: Exploring Christian Growth
We will continue discussing some of the basic habits and disciplines of Christians, like worship, small groups, dealing with sin and temptation, tithing, and the meaning of Lord’s Supper and baptism. (5 sessions)
Study Topic Three: Exploring Our Faith Community
We all belong to voluntary organizations of some sort – unions, our jobs, social clubs, political parties, even our families are organizations! In this module we will explore the value of committed participation in a local church, particularly looking at what’s important to our local congregation and the Free Methodist movement of which we are a part. Download the Ministry Community Handbook Here: LCC-ministry-community-handbook Download of the 2012 Lakeside Ministry Priorities: Ministry Priorities 2011-12
Study Topic Four: Exploring God’s Mission
The Bible suggests that Christians are called to be agents of change in our families, communities and the wider world. This module explores God’s intention for healing and wholeness in our world, and the role of Christians and the Church in living out the Jesus story in our own neighbourhoods as well as beyond. (5 sessions)
Study Topic Five: Exploring Spiritual Gifts
As persons created as a reflection of the character of God, we all have gifts, talents, abilities and skills. These gifts function as resources for our place in God’s mission. This module explores biblical teaching on spiritual gifts, how to identify our gifts and how to put them to use in ways that please God and encourage one another. (5 sessions)

The Marriage Preparation Course

If you’re like most people, you prepare and plan for many things in life: education, career, retirement and holidays. And most couples spend up to 250 hours planning their wedding, but very little time, if any, planning for married life. There are many things you can do to begin building a lifelong, happy marriage. Investing in your relationship before you are married will reap rewards for many years to come.

There is never any group work and you will never be asked to share anything about your relationship with anyone other than your partner.

The Marriage Preparation Course @ Lakeside Community Church

Session Topics

Communication. This session helps couples see how important effective communication is for a strong marriage and how communication is affected by personality, family background and circumstances. Couples look at what it means to talk about their feelings and they practice listening to each other.
Commitment. Commitment lies at the heart of the marriage covenant and is reflected in the marriage service vows. In this session couples consider the meaning of these vows and then look at how to live out this commitment through making quality time for each other on a regular basis and separating appropriately from their parents.
Resolving Conflict. Conflict can either destroy a marriage or, if handled well, strengthen it. Couples consider how to handle anger, appreciate their differences, look for solutions together and practice forgiveness. Organizing finances, a primary cause of conflict in marriage is also addressed.
Keeping Love Alive. This session looks at how love must be deliberately nurtured in a marriage through couples nurturing their friendship, discovering how the other feels loved and developing their sexual relationship.
Shared Goals and Values. While appreciating their differences, couples need to agree on their goals and core values. In this session couples have the opportunity to discuss their priorities for the future, the roles they expect to fulfill and the building of spiritual togetherness.