The Thursday Update

Lakeshore Friends—

This past weekend was a busy and crazy one for our church.  Between Good Friday service and our Easter services, we had 1,131 people which is up about 27 percent from last year (but still down from our pre-COVID numbers).  The staff did all we could to make the services meaningful and hopefully you found them to be just that.

I invited lots of people and while most did not attend, a surprise family I invited did.

In the midst of Holy Weekend, we had a birthday… ours!  So as not to distract from the Lord and Easter, we didn’t say anything during services, but on Saturday, April 16 we turned 27 years old!

It was April 16, 1995 and such an amazing day in our history!  

The weather was nice but chilly.  After three practice services the previous three Sundays, and after 14,464 direct mailers were sent out to all homeowners 54 years old and younger (I was only 33 years old back then), Lakeshore held its first public service... in a bar... at the Marriott hotel... that held 75 adults comfortably... The rest had to sit in a booth and watch the service... sideways (you paid a price for being late back then). On that day, 112 people showed up and three people became Christians in the somewhat beer-scented bar.  It was an exciting day for our family and many others.  Lakeshore Church was born! 

God has done amazing things since then:

• 749 people have been baptized
• About 1,200 people have professed a first-time faith in Christ
• Just over half of our attenders are involved in serving somewhere in the church
• We’ve given away well over $1.1 million dollars to world missions to impact our world for Jesus

Though time has passed, we are still passionate about reaching people in Rochester!  In truth, that’s not the norm because most churches gradually turn inward and focus on their needs.  I choose to believe that our best days are still ahead of us.  I hope you do too.

Thank you for your part and for being passionate about the unique mission that God has given us.  Sue and I thank God for you!  After God, you’re the reason why we’re still impacting people and helping them discover and develop a growing relationship with Jesus.  People still matter to God, and I know they still matter to so many of you.  That’s why we honor God when we invest in and invite others.

Happy birthday to you, to us!

Warmly,
Vince