About Us
Here's the deal, we care about one thing more than anything else, Jesus Christ.
West End is a family of individuals that have found hope in Jesus, and simply want as many people as possible to experience that exact same freedom. We are a place where No Perfect People Are Allowed and people who long to see our Neighbors and the Next Generation changed by Jesus and His Word!
Mission & Vision
We invite you to join us in our mission and become part of the West End family.
OUR MESSAGE
Jesus changes everything!
OUR MISSION
Seeing lives changed
OUR VISION
To be a church FOR our Neighbors and the Next Generation
Our Code
We believe that Jesus and His Word change everything. We believe God’s Word is God-sized. We are a church in the Word because the Word changes everything. When the World disagrees with the Word, we go with the Word. Spirit-filled Wisdom fills in the gaps and shades in the grays where the Word is silent, and Wisdom will never contradict the Word. This is the Wisdom we live by. This is our code.
Dream Big. Trust God. Work Hard. Do Good. Pray First.
Dream Big.
Your dreams for you will never be bigger than God’s dreams for you.
1 Corinthians 2:9: "However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—“
You are not responsible for inventing your dream; your role is to discover your dream.
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
Each step of faith, each yes to God, is a step toward discovering your divine destiny.
Psalm 37:3-4: "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires."
If your dream is not for God’s glory, it’s a short-sighted waste of time.
Ephesians 4:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
YOUR STORY IS FOR GOD'S GLORY!
Trust God.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Trust God ENTIRELY... with ALL your heart. The proof that we don’t trust God is that we turn to other things first. What you trust is where you turn first.
Romans 11:33: "Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!"
Job 28:23: “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found."
Romans 3:4: "Let God be true and every man a liar."
Trust God EXCLUSIVELY... in ALL your ways. God wants to be involved in ALL the details.
James 1:5-8: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Trust God EXPONENTIALLY - He will make your paths straight. Trusting God and walking in Wisdom brings peace.
Proverbs 3:1-2,24: "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
Are you going to TRUST Jesus, or are you just going to BELIEVE in Him?
Work Hard.
Work comes from God.
Genesis 2:15: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
Hard is not a 4-letter word. Hard Work comes with fringe benefits. Laziness leads to Destruction
Proverbs 12:24: "Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave."
Always choose the Hard Right over the Easy Wrong.
Haggai 1:6: "You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
You’re not responsible for the outcome.
You’re just responsible for the obedience.
Do Good.
Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
Where Christian Living intersects a world of darkness, which is also a world of opportunity, there are at least 3 POINTS when we should DO GOOD.
Galatians 6:9-10: "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."
Proverbs 3:27 - Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.
Do Good when you CAN
Do Good when you MAY.
Do Good when you SHOULD.
A Good Deed opens the door to Goodwill that opens the door to the Good News.
Don’t miss your Kingdom opportunity.
Pray First.
When we PRAY, God SHAKES the TREETOPS.
2 Samuel 5:23-25: "And again David asked the Lord what to do. 'Do not attack them straight on,' the Lord replied. 'Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.' So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer."
When we PRAY and commit to the things of God in our lives, God STIRS UP the SPIRIT.
Haggai 1:14: "So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God."
When we PRAY, we will see THE WORD GO OUT.
Daniel 9:23: "As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.
God, we desperately need you to
SHAKE the Treetops
STIR Up the Spirit
SEND Out the Word
Our Beliefs
We invite you to explore our beliefs and join us in our pursuit of living out our faith in boldness and passion.
About the Word
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. They were written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, with the result that Scripture is God’s Word—entirely true and without error. They are the supreme and final authority for Christian beliefs and living. We further believe that the focus of all Scripture is the person and work of Jesus Christ.
(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:11, 89, 105, 160; Jude 3; Romans 15:4; Titus 1:1-3)
About God
We believe there is one living and true God, who is the Creator, Preserver, Redeemer and Ruler of the universe. He is infinitely perfect in every way and eternally exists as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (in a relationship known as the Trinity). We believe these three are co-equal, are one God, and each possesses fully the nature, attributes and perfections of deity.
(Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:1-3; 40:12-28; 45:5-7; Jeremiah 10:10;Matthew 28:19; Acts 17:24-25; Romans 11:33-36; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 3:20)
About Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father while simultaneously submitting himself to the will of the Father. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary—a miraculous process by which he received a human body and a sinless human nature. He is fully God and fully human in one person. We believe He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to the law of God. Through His death on the cross, He made provision for the salvation of sinful people. We believe He was raised from the dead to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended into heaven where He rules over the universe and will one day return visibly to earth.
(Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 24:14-43; John 1:1, 14; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:15-22; 2:9; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 7:25; 1 Peter 2:21-24)
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with God the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. We also believe the Spirit inspired the scripture and fuels the mission of the church. He administers spiritual gifts to believers when they are saved for the building up of the body of Christ . The Holy Spirit empowers believers to overcome the power of sin and transforms us into the likeness of Christ as we seek to live under His control daily.
(John 10:28-29; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2:12; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:16)
About the World
Humans of every nation, race, and ethnic background are the special creation of God, made in His own image. Men and women are His crowning work, the gift of gender being part of the goodness of God’s creation. In the beginning humanity was innocent of sin and was endowed by God with freedom of choice. By this free choice, man and woman sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Man sinned when he disobeyed the command of God. As sinners, humanity requires a Savior, which is Jesus Christ. Only by the grace of God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, can an individual be restored to holy fellowship with God. However, the sacredness of human personality is evident because God created man in His own image and because Jesus Christ died for humanity; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5-22; 3; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)
About Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to all who confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead. We can never make up for our sin by self- improvement or good works. Only by trusting Jesus Christ as God’s offering of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. We believe Jesus paid the full penalty for man’s sin by his death on the cross. We believe forgiveness of sin is based on grace alone, in Christ alone, and through faith alone. Salvation is not based on good works or human efforts.
(John 3:16, 18, 36; 14:6; Romans 4:25; 5:1, 6-9; 6:23; 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 21; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians1:13-14; Titus 3:5)
Everyone is a sinner: “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:22-23
The penalty for sin is death: “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23a
Jesus died to pay our debt, so that we could live eternally: ” . . . but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23b
You can accept Jesus’ gift: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ”
Romans 10:9 “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:9 “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
1 John 1:9 “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
About Baptism
We baptize by fully immersing someone under water because Jesus was baptized that way, along with everyone in the New Testament. All who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior should be baptized by immersion as a symbolic testimony to their participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. As Christians, we follow the example set by Christ, who also instructed us to be baptized. Through baptism, we are publicly identified with Christ.
(Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:19; Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12)
About Marriage
We believe that marriage is a picture of Christ’s relationship with the Church and that the relationship between husband and wife should reflect the covenant relationship of Christ and the Church. We believe the word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.
(Matthew 5; Colossians 3; Song of Solomon; Ephesians 5)
Our History
From the very beginning, West End Church has been FOR its Neighbors and the Next Generation.
Lake Forest Baptist Church was officially incorporated with Don Minshew as senior pastor.
Larry Sykes became the senior pastor.
The current auditorium was completed.
The church voted to adopt an Elder-led church governance.
Lake Forest Baptist Church was renamed to The Church At Lake Forest.
Pastor Larry Sykes retired.
Christopher Sykes became the lead pastor.
The church officially withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Church At Lake Forest was renamed to West End Church.
Humbly praying that God would do more than we could ask or imagine.
Pastor’s Blog
A collection of articles written by our pastors, leaders, and friends of our community. We’re writing about the same life that you’re living - the messy, wonderful, complicated life. Ready to dive in?
