Bayshore Community Church

ABOUT US

MISSION STATEMENT: To love God deeply and love others as God through Christ, has loved us.

VISION: To offer a beacon of unchanging truth and lasting hope to our increasingly anxious, rudderless culture

Together, we are a community of believers that is non-denominational and Bible-centered. What does the word community mean? We believe that together in fellowship we grow closer to God and one another. The Bible speaks about iron sharpening iron. We believe that together we grow stronger in our Christian faith. 

We highly value our relationships with one another, looking to grow stronger through fellowship and ultimately growing closer to God. We value the Word of God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We look to extend grace to all of the lost and broken, and lead those with no hope to the hope of Jesus Christ.

 

OUR HISTORY

Small Beginnings

  1. Established  in 1910, our church is rich in history. 
  2. Our church building was built in 1914, lovingly taken care of for over 100 years.
  3. We have renovated the Worship Center in 2023.
  4. We now use three large screens to project worship songs.
  5. Our 10:45 service (10:00 service during the summer months) Sunday can be viewed live on Facebook at bccnorthfortmyers.org. 
  6. Our 'Wednsday Night Alive' service is  in the fellowship hall with dinner starting at5:45 and Bible study at 6:30.

OUR STAFF

Jim Harper

Lead Pastor

Pastor Jim Harper has been the pastor at Bayshore for 4 years. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. He loves the Lord and is passionate about communicating the truths of God's Word. He and his wife Tammy have four children living in various regions of the US and three wonderful grandsons. In late December, they are looking forward to adding a grand daughter to their growing family.

Kelly Welch

Church Secretary

If you need anything from the church office call (239) 543-5483.  Office hours are from 9:30am to 4:00 Tuesday-Thursday.

OUR DOCTRINAL BELIEFS

(abridged)

1) INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: The scriptures were 'God breathed' through specially chosen and divinely enabled human instruments, leaving mankind with a compilation of supernatural writings - scriptures inerrant in their original manuscripts.

(See 2 Pet. 1:20,21; 2 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:12; Rom. 15:4).

 

2) THE TRINITY: The three divine members of the Trinity are all individual in their personhood and roles, yet share one divine essence. Only an all-powerful, supernatural Being could make the claim of eternal existence - without beginning and end - and then offer that very eternal life to his finite human creation (God the Father). Only a Perfect Man could pay - through one death - for the sin of an entire race, then conquer human death by rising from the dead (Christ the Son). Only a Divine Spirit could reclaim and transform the souls of men from eternal death to eternal life (The Holy Spirit).

(See Matt. 28:18-20; Mk 12:29; Acts 5:3-4; Heb 1:1-3).

 

3) JESUS CHRIST: Jesus is the eternal God in human form. He is the only Son of the Heavenly Father. He is the Creator of all things. He humbled Himself, was born of a virgin and took on humanity. He lived a sinless life on earth. He died a sacrificial death on a criminal's cross for the sin of mankind. He defeated death by rising from the dead. He now reigns victoriously at the right hand of the Father in heaven where He waits to return and receive His church to Himself.

(See Jn. 1:1; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 1:3; Phil. 2:7; Mat. 1:38; Heb. 4:15; Phil. 2:8; Jn. 11:25; Col. 3:1; Thess. 4:16).

 

4) THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is the agent through which the writers of the Bible received and transcribed devine messages from God codified in the Holy Scriptures (The Bible). The Holy Spirit possesses full deity along with the Father and the Son and He indwells all true believers today.

(See 2 Pet. 1:21; Jn 16:7ff; Eph. 1:13; Romans 8:16; 1 Cor. 12; Gal. 5:16ff).

 

5) SALVATION: Salvationis by grace through faith alone in Christ's sacrifice for our sins on the cross. In dying for our sins, Jesus was the perfect and adequate Substitute to take our place. Repentance plays a key role in salvation - our being willing to turn from our sin and turn to Christ. However, this should not be construed as a 'work' toward our salvation, just a wise response to God's gracious offer. Salvation is clearly a free gift that cannot be earned by any effort of man.

(See Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 9:7; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 10:28-30; Rom. 8:38ff).

 

6)BAPTISM: Baptism is the first identified act of obedience by a born-again believer through which they publicly testify their decision to follow Christ Jesus. The act of baptism is always subsequent to one's salvation and as such, is not an essential part of the salvation process.

(See Jn. 3:5; Rom. 6:3; Mt. 28:19; Acts 10:47-48).

 

7) THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER: Salvation is clearly a free gift offered as such by an infinite, merciful God. The Bible is abundantly clear that if someone is genuinely 'saved' through the gracious offer of a perfect God, he can never lose his salvation and is destined to spend eternity with God in Heaven.

(See Rom. 6:23; Jn. 10:28-30;; Rom. 8:29,38ff; 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Jn. 5:13; etc.).

 

8) SIN: Due to the first man's willing disobedience of God's clear commands (sin), Adam plunged the existing and future human race into a state of sinful separation from God. This is also known as the 'fall of man'. Scripture is clear that all unredeemed mankind is in a state of spiritual death and headed toward eternal separation from God.

(See Gen. 1:26; Ps. 14:1-3; Jer. 17:9; Eph. 2:1-3).

 

9)SATAN: The Bible teaches an angel called Satan (Lucifer) was the originator of sin, that He led our first human parents into sin (Adam and Eve) and that he is the enemy of God and the people of God. Satan presently rules as the "god of this world".  A day is coming, however, when all evil angels, Satan included, will be eternally damned for their mutinous choice to betray God.

(See Gen. 3:1-19; Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Luke 15:10; Eph. 1:21, 6:10-12; Heb. 1:14; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 11:13-15; 1 Tim. 3:6, 4:1-3).

 

10) CHRIST'S RETURN FOR HIS CHURCH: Jesus could return to earth at any time for his church. This is referred to in theological circles as the 'rapture' (snatching away), and as the 'blessed hope'. Scripture teaches it could take place at any moment. This is one of the great motivators for living wisely and carefully before God at all times in this present world.

(See Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Titus 2:11ff). 

 

11) THE JUDGEMENT OF UNBELIEVERS: The Bible teaches clearly that all who do not take advantage of this free gift will ultimately have to pay for their own sin. The horrible payment for sin required by God is an eternity in hell (present) and eventually the Lake of Fire (future).

(See Prov. 15:24; Ps. 9:17; Mt. 18:9; Rev. 20:15; 21:8).